1 PAWsible Suspects by Chloe Kendrick Page B

Ruby’s house. I wondered if Melissa knew what type of car I drove or would she have to wait to find it based on sitting in one position for several days. My keys were still in my pocket, which meant that they’d have to break in to move it. As if he’d read my mind, the man fished my keys out of my pocket.
    “We’ll need these to get into your place. Sure hope those dogs don’t give us any trouble.” The grin on his face told me all I needed to know. There would be no Della and Perry when he was through, and I worried that there wouldn’t be any Bruno either. That thought made my mind snap to action like concern for me had not.
    My mind snapped into gear. I’d have to wait until they got a certain distance away from me before I could start. I doubted that they would stand here and watch me die. They were that blood-thirsty, but no one would want to stand here in this weather. Once they’d left, I would kick back my feet. Fortunately, martial arts kept me amazingly flexible, so the movement was well within my range.
    Then I’d have to get a grip on a part of the tape and pull until my feet were loosened from the binding. After that, I could move as quickly as I could to shore and to cover. I didn’t want to be out here any longer than I had to.
    The man turned and walked away with Melissa trailing him. I had to wonder what would happen to her once he got his hands on Ruby’s money. She would be as expendable as Ruby and I were. I didn’t give her much chance at life beyond the next sixty days, but I knew that my chances weren’t all that good either. However, if Bruno needed me, I would have to make it back to shore and safety.
    I pulled my legs up and behind me, so that my heels touched my rump. I began picking at the tape. I twisted my head so that I could see, and it had the added benefit of changing which cheek was pressed against the freezing temperatures of the lake. I felt a piece of the tape give, and I pulled. From what I could see, only a small piece of tape came loose.
    I tried again. My fingers were getting harder and harder to manipulate. They tingled and then burned as I tried to move them to the tape. I picked at the tape some more and grabbed another piece. A slightly larger piece came off in my hand this time, but still not enough.
    I tried once more, putting all of my concentration and energy into my efforts. I thought of little Bruno who wouldn’t know what to do without me. I thought of my mother losing another child and what it would do to her. I grabbed another piece of tape, and this time the entire strip came up. I maneuvered slowly so that it went around my legs once and then again.
    I kicked my feet free, and then I attempted to stand. It’s not easy to stand upright when your hands are not free. You have to get to a crouched position and then use only your legs to stand. I looked across the lake from my new vantage point. The van was still in sight, and the man was walking around the outside of the van. Now that I saw it, I realized that it was a city electric van.
    For someone who had been hit in the head, I was able to figure out another piece of the puzzle. Mr. Lindauer had heard a gunshot or something resembling it. My mind brought back a time in my past where I’d heard a transformer blow. I wondered if a worker for the electric company could make that happen or could make something that sounded like a shot happen. It seemed reasonable.
    Also turning out the lights in the neighborhood would have given them cover of darkness in which to complete their scheme. Mr. Lindauer had talked about how dark it was at the house and on the street. The scene of all the lights on in Ruby’s house could be like when we lose the power and it comes back on with a bang where everything is lit up. All of these pieces started to fall into place.
    While I was apparently standing in place getting my thoughts together, the man spotted me and headed back out towards the lake. He wasn’t running, but