LITMIR.BIZ

       TWO

      Ryder had figured Sophie’s objections to his entering her home had been based on its messy condition. One look had immediately changed his mind. She was a good housekeeper. The dishes were washed, the bed made, and a vacuum cleaner stood sentinel in a corner of the living room. There were slipcovers on her padded furniture and an extra throw on the sofa. He could understand that when a person kept bringing new dogs home.

      Satisfied that she’d be fine, he divided the remainder of his day between his office and the depot crime scene. He was a methodical investigator. Usually. This time he felt as if he was missing something, some clue that would better explain why Sophie had been targeted. But what?

      After being fooled so thoroughly by Carrie, he found himself mistrusting everyone, a trait which had gotten him into hot water with Sophie after her predecessor, head trainer Veronica Earnshaw, had been murdered at work. Unwarranted suspicion and hurt feelings at that time meant he’d have to be doubly sensitive about how he chose to dig deeper into Sophie’s past. Looking for someone who may have held a grudge since her days as a police officer was going to be his first objective.

      The most logical choice was to simply question her, although he hadn’t gotten very far when he’d tried that before. There were cut-and-dried facts in her file, sure, but that wasn’t the same as getting her input on old cases.

      Planning to speak with her the following day, Ryder put Titus in his car and started for Lily’s babysitter’s house. Passing the veterinary office adjacent to the training center, he did a double take. There was only one old car he knew of that lacked a backseat and was decorated with decals of various dog breeds. Sophie Williams was out and about.

      He parked at the curb. Bypassing the deserted front counter he headed down the hall to the exam rooms. Phoenix was perched on a stainless steel table while Sophie comforted him.

      Her eyes widened. “Oops. Caught me.”

      “You promised me you’d stay home today.”

      “I believe I promised I wouldn’t make any unnecessary trips.” She’d looped an arm over the trembling dog’s shoulders while Tanya Fowler, the veterinarian, held a stethoscope to his ribs.

      “This is necessary?”

      “Yes,” Sophie replied.

      “And why is that?”

      “Well, you wouldn’t want a sick dog to contaminate our working teams or facility, would you?”

      He eyed the shaking canine. “He’s sick?” Judging by the way Sophie’s cheeks bloomed even before she answered, he doubted it.

      “Um, no, Tanya says he’s healthy.” Sophie brightened. “But you have to agree. We did need a professional opinion.”

      “And now we have one. Let’s go. I’ll follow you home and check the place again.”

      “Don’t be silly. There’s no reason for you to go to all that trouble. I told you, I’m armed.”

      “A handgun is no defense against a rifle unless your attacker runs out of ammo and tries to club you with it.”

      The face she made at him was hilarious. Rather than smile and lose authority he turned away and pointed to the door.

      Although Sophie didn’t hurry, she did comply. Giving the vet a brief hug and thanking her, she lifted Phoenix down and started for the exit.

      Ryder let her pass before he allowed himself to grin behind her back. Of all the trainers and handlers he’d ever known, this one was the most admirable—and the most hardheaded. She had a quick answer for everything and a dry wit that often surfaced at the most needed moments. Working in law enforcement was tough, particularly for men and women who were in it for altruistic reasons, and they often needed the kind of emotional release that laughter provided.

      Sophie was out the door and halfway to her car before he stopped her. “Wait. You forgot something.”

      “What?”

      He’d already scanned their surroundings, satisfied they were safe for the time being. “You never once checked for threats. You just barged out the door as if you were the only person in town.”

      “Like I keep telling you, Phoenix will let me know if there’s danger.”

      “Sure. After he has his own nervous breakdown.”

      The view of Sophie, chin held high, her eyebrows arched and her hands fisted on her hips, was so cute he could hardly keep a straight face.

      “I’ll have you know he saved me at the depot this morning. If he hadn’t held back I might not have bent over and could have been shot.”

      That was enough to ruin Ryder’s day. “Why is this the first I’m hearing about a connection?”

      She shrugged. “Actually, it just occurred to me when you questioned his abilities.”

      “You didn’t hear or see anything to make you duck?”

      “Nope. The first I knew I was in trouble was when the bullets started flying. Which reminds me. How long do you think my SUV will be out of service? I like my car but it lacks a certain dignity.”

      “If I had my way you’d be stuck in your office for the rest of the year. Or longer.”

      It was the rapid way Sophie’s expression changed that focused his attention. She was clearly trying to maintain her bravado and failing miserably. What had he said or done to trigger such a transformation? Even shortly after the shooting that could have taken her life, she hadn’t looked this doleful.

      Concerned, Ryder approached. “What is it? What just happened?”

      “Nothing.”

      He reached out, not quite touching her shoulder, and heard an unexpected growl at his feet. Wonder of wonders, the usually shy dog had stepped in front of Sophie and was prepared to defend her.

      “Whoa.” Ryder withdrew. “Maybe there is hope for Phoenix after all.”

      “There’s hope for all God’s creatures, given the right environment and enough love,” Sophie said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going.”

      She let the dog jump in before she slid behind the wheel of her decal-covered car.

      Because he assumed she’d take off as fast as possible, Ryder jogged back to his idling patrol unit, unlocking the door remotely. Titus was panting but comfortably cool thanks to a special air-conditioning system that functioned whether the car was moving or not.

      It was easy to follow her to the small house on Second Street. Ryder stayed in his car and observed, just in case. The usual spring was missing from Sophie’s step. She was almost plodding, as if bearing a heavy weight on those slim shoulders. Seeing such a change come over her—and linger—had him worried.

      Somehow, he had caused emotional injury to someone he admired, and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what had happened. They’d been talking about her SUV and he’d made some sarcastic remark about wishing she were stuck in her office, but surely that couldn’t have been enough to instantly depress her.

      Puzzled, Ryder kept watching and mulling over the problem until Sophie and the dog were safely inside. Whatever he’d done had also bothered the new dog so it must be something simple. Intuitive.

      “I raised my voice?” he muttered. “I was just worried about her but...” But perceived anger had demoralized her. Perhaps Sophie’s mood had had less to

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