A Nose for Trouble Read online

  “Morley, you cunnin’ bastard,” he muttered, giving himself a mental pat on the back as a plan formed.

  He wrapped his fingers around the bar attendant’s wrist as she rounded the counter. The odd smile didn’t leave his face as she shook herself from his grip.

  “Sorry, darlin’. Just wanted another whiskey. Top shelf. I’m celebratin’,” he said, his dropped ‘g’s emphasising his strong North England accent.

  The bar attendant remained professional. “Are you celebrating business or pleasure, sir?”

  “Business, darlin’, but I’ll be takin’ pleasure in seein’ the look on my friend’s face when I share my news.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THE SKY LIGHTENED, preparing for a new day. Though the early morning was still cool, Brennan paced along the beach as though the strip of talc-soft sand burned through the soles of his shoes. Something was wrong. The eerie sensation writhed in his gut. His efforts to convince Johnny Navarro to leave had fallen on deaf ears. Instead, his boss laughed in his face and asked what the hurry was. He’d shrugged but said nothing. Johnny didn’t believe in ‘gut feelings’ and pressing his point would only arouse the man’s suspicions.

  “You pissed off our contact, you idiot,” Johnny reminded him. “And not just any contact, the bloody boss. He waited for you at the bar, only you weren’t there. He was bloody ropable when he found out you’d run off ‘cause you saw a frigging cop’.”

  “Would he rather I stayed and lead the cops right to him?” Brennan interrupted with a careless shrug of his shoulders. He wouldn’t let Johnny know his true feelings. Not about Ellie. “Seems to me that leaving here and checking out another place is the best thing for all of us.”

  The taller man had shaken his head and laughed.

  “Let’s just say the boss knows what he wants, and he’s not leaving town until he gets it. He’s lying low for a bit, then he’ll contact me. Lucky for you, he wants to meet my best enforcer. He’s got big plans for you. So, get used to the beach life, Cole. We’re not going anywhere.”

  Like it or not, and Brennan did not, they’d have to wait until the man was ready to meet and discuss terms.

  He sighed and ran a hand through his windswept hair, the movement shifting the holster. Brennan paused long enough to ensure his gun remained concealed beneath his loose-fitting shirt and headed back to the bed and breakfast. A hint of rose pink coloured the early morning sky. Ellie’s lips were that colour, making it appear as though he’d just ravished her, and it always made him want to kiss her again. Hell, like just kissing her was ever enough.

  Feet shuffling along the sand, he scanned the horizon. Once more, memories of Ellie stirred within.

  He’d planned the perfect night. Ordered food from her beloved restaurant. Set the table with flowers and candles, knowing she’d tease him about his romantic streak while musing he’d clearly stolen hers. He’d covered her eyes when she and Charlie came home from their shift, led her to their bedroom and told her to dress in something fancy. And while the shower was running, he’d pulled out the rose-coloured velvet box, the contents of which took a substantial chunk of his wages. One quick peek at the diamond that glistened inside, another rehearsal of the speech he’d prepared, and then came the phone call that changed everything.

  Damn this job and damn him for taking it. He should have refused. He would have, had he known it would cost him the only woman he’d ever loved, and almost his life, on more than one occasion.

  The walkway came into view, but he couldn’t see anyone. Perhaps they were walking elsewhere or fishing on the other side of the rocks, out of sight. Body relaxed, slow movements, he gave off a casual air in contrast to the alert gaze he kept on his surroundings. He was at the edge of town when he heard a low, familiar growl. Hand slipping beneath his shirt, he retrieved his gun and turned.

  Head down, stance defensive, the Belgian Shepherd stood some distance away, but he’d know Charlie’s markings anywhere. And then Brennan looked further along the track to where a lone female runner staggered to a stop. Ellie! He figured her quivering body was as much from running as it was for spotting him.

  They stared at each other, and even with the distance between them he sensed the emotion burning in her unwavering gaze. He observed her disbelief, the knowledge understood by body language alone. Long, arduous seconds of decisiveness ticked over. Then Ellie squared her shoulders, uttered a single word, and Charlie raced toward him.

  Icy fear raced through his body, the adrenaline screaming through his system as instinct battled practicality. Charlie knew him, could be considered loyal to him to some degree, but she was Ellie’s dog and she’d given her a command. One he never thought would be turned on him.

  Self-preservation urged him to shoot the dog, but he couldn’t do it. Gut churning, heart racing and legs shaking, he rammed the gun into its holster and ran like one of Satan’s hellhounds was on his trail. In the brief seconds he considered how well-trained she was, not to mention her tenacity for ‘getting her man’, he figured it was a fair comparison.

  Someone emerged from the first house as he raced past, but Brennan ignored the stranger’s shout. He darted right. On someone’s front lawn, he leapt over a fallen bike and hurdled a low chain-mail fence. Halfway across the next yard, Charlie’s paws rattled the flimsy metal behind him. A sharp left and he channelled his academy days, vaulting the second fence with surprising agility. Still moving, doubt filled him when he spied the distance to the third barrier which was taller again.

  Determination set in. He lengthened his stride, pumped his arms like a swinging pendulum, hands outstretched to grapple with the obstacle ahead. He couldn’t afford to think about the danger closing in behind him or what it would mean for Ellie and for him if he didn’t evade capture.

  Charlie scaled the second fence and a brief backward glance showed she was gaining ground. At a dead run, Brennan leapt to reach the palings, one foot smacking into the timber as he pulled himself up and swung his other leg over the side. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Freedom lay within his grasp. Charlie couldn’t jump this high. And then he swore as her sharp teeth found his ankle.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  DEVASTATED. THAT’S what she was.

  Sharp, heated denial tore at her throat like she’d swallowed a cupful of razor blades. Her heart ached with fresh pain as though Brennan reached in and ripped the still beating, fragile flesh from its cavity all over again. Her head pounded with the emotions she still carried for the cold, unfeeling jerk. It was impossible to tell what hurt most, her bruised and battered heart or the logic she shouldn’t care but did.

  You stupid bitch!

  She should listen to those thoughts. She wanted to listen.

  But her heart... Every beat sent a yearning for what they once shared careening through her bloodstream, stoking the ever-present source of her desire, and demanding she embrace a desolating truth she was eager to deny.

  Despite the realisation Brennan was here, she’d told herself seeing him again wouldn’t affect her. Sure, she hated him for what he’d done and despised herself for having fallen in love with the bastard, but she’d been certain if she found him, she could do her job. So why was her heart thundering in her chest like she’d run a marathon, not a few kilometres? Why were her hands shaking like she was detoxing from any number of illicit substances, desperate for her next fix? Worse, why did the sight of the bastard who’d shattered her heart and left her for dead in an alley stir deep, wanton desires she’d pushed away? Desires she swore she’d never feel again. Damn him! And damn her stupid, pathetic emotions too.

  It hadn’t taken long for Charlie to catch Brennan, but for whatever reason, she hadn’t been able to hold him. Again, Ellie cursed not having her gun. It fit well with the other obscenities she muttered under her breath at her damned stupidity. While her friend might need glasses, his hearing was excellent, and even he’d been stunned by the bitter words that spewed from her mouth. When Charlie emerged from a ne
ighbouring yard to where she and a bewildered Nolan stood waiting, not even five minutes had passed. She seemed pleased with herself, her muzzle curved into a doggy grin that was both triumphant and smug.

  “Sit,” Ellie commanded.

  Charlie sat, tilting her head to gaze at her handler.

  “Is everything okay, Ellie?” Nolan asked.

  Charlie moved a paw to her muzzle, scratching at something between her teeth.

  Ellie dropped to her knees. “What’s wrong, girl?”

  An all-too-familiar coppery scent wafted toward her.

  Blood. There was blood in Charlie’s mouth. Oh God, had he hurt her?

  “Let me look, Charlie.”

  Ellie reached into her pocket and retrieved one of Charlie’s favourite treats.

  Immediately the dog licked her lips and opened her mouth.

  There was blood on and around Charlie’s incisors, but whether it was her gums or something else causing the bleeding, Ellie couldn’t tell. Then something blue caught Ellie’s gaze. There was a piece of material wedged between Charlie’s teeth too.

  “What’s going on?” Nolan tried again. “I saw a guy race past here as though the devil himself was on his heels.” He grinned. “Or should I say herself, eh, Miss Charlie?”

  The Belgian Shepherd sat proudly, nose high in the air as though well aware she deserved the praise and attention.

  Ellie hesitated. She shouldn’t have mentioned anything to Kayla regarding her suspicions, and she didn’t want to involve Nolan either. “Not sure yet, but I’ll call it in and head to the station.” She retrieved her phone from the strap encircling her bicep but made no move to touch the screen. If she did that, she’d have to speak with Wilson. The conversation wasn’t clear in her own mind yet, which is why they were out so early. Only exercise hadn’t helped either.

  “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  She took in Nolan’s determined expression, and despite his bleary-eyed, dishevelled appearance, found comfort in his chivalry. But not enough to give him the answers he sought. Better to pretend she hadn’t heard him.

  “I should call Doctor Barnes too, a routine check to make sure Charlie’s okay. And to collect the evidence.” Not that she needed it to identify the culprit.

  THE MID-AFTERNOON QUIET shattered under the peal of her mobile phone.

  Ellie stayed at the clinic while Dr Barnes cared for Charlie. Then they’d walked back to the station where she’d typed her report. She’d spared a moment to note how clean the front office was on her way past. She’d smiled, wondering how long it would take McClane to realise he’d been fooled before her sombre mood returned.

  Concluding there were too many gaps to present her findings to Wilson, she kept herself busy emailing those she’d distanced herself from since the shooting. It surprised her how much she’d missed talking to her fellow canine officers and hearing about Charlie’s brothers—Jester, Goose, and Maverick. After promising to stay in contact and to catch up soon, she’d also organised the collected samples for forensics in Perth, her mind busy making connections she wasn’t sure she wanted to find. She’d had Dr Barnes save the jeans’ fibres in Charlie’s teeth and once they’d analysed the DNA from the skin and blood, she’d have more evidence for her report. She couldn’t go to her superior until she had all the facts. Right?

  The ringing phone was a welcome distraction.

  “Ellie, it’s Kayla.”

  “Hey. Is there a reason you’re whispering?”

  “Yes. You need to come to the salon, now.”

  Ellie strode into the groomers with Charlie by her side. Nolan was busy clipping a poodle’s nails as they passed the industrial hydro bath and clipping tables which fit seamlessly with the pale timber cabinetry and décor Kayla collected. Not that she knew much about such things, but it seemed the exquisitely carved and crafted pieces would look as timeless and classy in someone’s home as they did in the salon. She headed toward her friend, who was trying, and failing, to look inconspicuous. In her arms was a gorgeous Beagle. Beside her, holding a fancy collar the thickness of Ellie’s wrist, was Lucy.

  “We have to be quick,” she whispered, leading everyone into the staffroom. “Bernie’s due for collection any minute.”

  Ellie edged past a carved wooden table laden with doggy treats near the door leading to the alley and gazed expectantly at them.

  “We found something,” Lucy said.

  Kayla added, “The collar has a pet pocket.”

  “That’s not unusual, is it?” Ellie asked.

  “No, not for this brand, but what we found inside is.”

  Lucy opened her hand to reveal a small white tablet, and then she showed Ellie the opening where a powdery residue clung to the leather. Charlie, who was sitting by Ellie’s feet, stood to attention, her gaze fixed on the collar, her nose quivering.

  “Good girl, Charlie.” She commanded her to sit.

  “Those pockets are supposed to be for things like emergency ID tags, the owner’s information or keys. These days you can even put in a Bluetooth tracker,” Lucy said. “Who’d have thought they’d add drugs to the list?” She blushed and looked at Charlie. “I mean, it has to be drugs, right?”

  The dog snuffled, stuck her nose in the air, and stared at Lucy, whose blush deepened.

  Ellie’s mind raced with possibilities. It can’t have been a coincidence. She doubted Kayla or her staff checked collar pockets as a rule. That would be a breach of privacy. Surely no one would be stupid enough to consider a dog collar a good place to leave ‘their stash’? That meant someone wanted the drugs found. But why?

  “Do you think it has anything to do with the break-in at my parents’ clinic?”

  Instead of answering Kayla’s question, Ellie asked, “Who’s Bernie’s owner?”

  “I’m not sure,” Kayla said, and then giggled as the Beagle licked her cheek.

  “I think he said his name was Patty or Presley something,” Lucy chimed in. “No, wait, it’s Preston Morley. He mentioned something about escaping the English winter.”

  “Do you have his contact details?”

  “Only his mobile number, sorry. He came in just as we had a cancellation, so I took the booking. He said he’d go for a walk on the beach and be back in a while. When he told me he was on holidays, I didn’t think to take down an address,” Lucy said, her voice quieter than usual.

  “What should we do about the tablet?” Kayla asked.

  Ellie retrieved a collection bag and a small scalpel from her tactical vest. With great care, she donned the gloves, scraped the residue into the bag and sealed it.

  “It won’t be a clean sample, but it will have to do. I want you to put the tablet back and pretend you hadn’t noticed it. Best not to arouse anyone’s suspicions.”

  “I wouldn’t have looked inside except the owner mentioned Bernie kept scratching at the collar,” Lucy said as both women agreed and followed Ellie out.

  Nolan was at the counter exchanging pleasantries with the poodle’s owner. The woman leaned forward as though she was hanging on to every word he said, the hemline of her top falling lower, and her shrill laughter filling the room. Even Bernie and Charlie seemed bothered by the high-pitched sound. Nolan, who’d been using the high counter as a defensive barrier, took a huge step backward. Lucy grinned before putting Bernie’s collar around the Beagle’s neck.

  “I’ll rescue Nolan and wait for Mr Morley to arrive.” She looked at Ellie. “Should we check the other dogs’ collars?”

  “I think that’s an excellent idea. But don’t alert anyone or remove what you find. Let me know how you go. I’ll head back to the station and send this with some other evidence I collected this morning.” She held up a hand as Kayla opened her mouth. “I’m sorry. I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation.” Kayla nodded and Ellie walked out with Charlie.

  “GET BACK IN THE CAR, you idiot. The stupid bitch’ll see you,” Preston Morley said as one of his henchmen opened the back door and placed a foo
t on the ground.

  In his peripheral vision, Johnny watched as Morley peered through the windscreen at the policewoman and her dog, then glanced at him.

  “That’s ‘er then? The bitch who almost caught you?” he asked.

  “Yeah, that’s her, boss, and that bloody mongrel,” Johnny ground out.

  One hand tightened on the steering wheel. The other rose to touch the side of his face and feel the ridges of a scar that traversed from cheek to chin and reappeared halfway down his throat. His lips thinned in malice as he remembered what caused the jagged marks.

  “Should have shot them days ago when I saw them on the walking track. No witnesses. I would have shot the dog first. Hit the leg. Made sure the fleabag suffered. Then I would have made the bitch watch when I took the head shot.” Johnny rolled his shoulders and glared at Ellie’s retreating figure. “Then I would have done the same to her.”

  “I told ya, no shootin’ unless we ‘ave to. Last thing we need’s the bleedin’ attention. You’re sure Cole knows ‘er?”

  Johnny raised his arms as though holding an imaginary gun to take aim at the cop. What he wouldn’t give to shoot that bitch and her fucking dog.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  He gave a satisfied grunt before replying.

  “Oh, he knows her. Told me when we caught her in the alley that night he’d picked her up at some pub in Perth. Reckons they went on a bender. Lasted all weekend.”

  “What, was he testin’ the product?”

  “No, boss. I’ve no doubt he was boning her, but look at her. Uptight, by the book—”

  “I get it. The bitch is clean. She can’t be bought.” Morley took a long drag of his cigarette and a plume of blue-grey smoke filled the car. “Does ‘e know she’s ‘ere?”

  “Yeah boss, I reckon he does. He was fine until a few days ago. Now he seems keen to leave.” Johnny laughed. “At least, that’s what his gut told him.”