A Tiger's Tale (A Call of the Wilde Mystery) by Laura Morrigan Page A
Authors: Laura Morrigan
Ads: Link
cream-filled with sprinkles.
Detective Jake Nocera’s years in homicide showed in the deep lines of his brow and the rough edge of his humor. I knew he had a soft spot for dogs, and over the last couple of months I’d come to learn he was a softy in other areas, too.
He caught me staring and grunted, “What are you smirking at?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Didn’t figure you for a sprinkles guy, Jake.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I’m a man of mystery.”
On the contrary, I’d found Jake to be more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get man, which was one reason I liked him.
“The only mystery is why you delude yourself into believing Mary won’t find out you’re cheating on your diet. Blood sugar doesn’t lie.”
“It’s one friggin’ doughnut.” He motioned with it.
“Yeah, but the sprinkles put it over the top,” I said, straight-faced.
Like any good cop, he ignored my comment and turned the tables on me by changing the subject. “What’s the word on the playdate?”
“Moss might be a little busy for a few days. He’s babysitting a new kitten for me. If you want, you can drop Jax by the condo. I’ll take him for a run on the beach and wear him out.”
“Wearin’ him out sounds perfect. I’ll bring him by on Wednesday.” He made the declaration around a mouthful of doughnut and hooked a thumb at Kai. “Me and your boy here got a date with a dead guy.”
“A rosy thought,” I said.
“That’s Jake—a ray of sunshine,” Kai commented.
Jake brushed his thick fingers together to dust off any incriminating sprinkles. “Not all of us get to play with puppies and kitties all day.”
He knew my job was never that easy, but it had become a joke between us.
“Actually, I’m headed to the mall,” I informed him with a lighthearted sigh.
“Hell, in that case, I feel sorry for you,” he grunted as we filed out of Kai’s office. “I’d take a dead guy over the mall any day.”
I glanced at Kai and grinned.
“Ray of sunshine,” he said.
“With sprinkles.”
“I got your sprinkles,” Jake muttered.
• • •
By a little after one o’clock, I’d made it back to the condo. Moss had moved Voodoo from my bed to his spot on the couch and was busily fleabiting the kitten’s head.
“Aw, man. Do you have fleas, little girl?” I sat on the couch next to Moss and ran my hand from the kitten’s tail to her head, ruffling her fur. “It’s hard to tell with all this black fluff.”
If Emma saw a flea . . . Armageddon.
I called my friend Sonja Brown, who worked as an animal behaviorist at the ASPCA. I knew it was her day off, but I wanted to set up a time to take Voodoo to the clinic.
Sonja wasn’t a vet, but I knew she’d babysit Voodoo until Dr. Patrick or one of the other veterinarians could fit her in.
“You can bring her in whenever,” Sonja said. “If you bring my handsome guy with you.”
“Don’t worry, Moss will not be separated from his kitten. He’s been carrying Voodoo around and giving her baths.”
“Aw! That’s so cute.”
“You won’t think so when you see her. She’s covered in Moss slobber.”
Sonja chuckled; the sound was rich and warm and reminded me of melted caramel.
“What are you doing the rest of the afternoon?” she asked.
“Actually, I was thinking about going to the mall.”
There was a long pause.
“Sonja?”
“You’re going shopping?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about her incredulous tone.
“Not exactly.”
“Good enough for me.” I could hear her smile through the phone. “I’ll see you there.”
Before reaching the food court where Sonja had suggested we meet, my phone began playing “Hot Blooded.”
Apparently Emma had, once again, hijacked my phone and programmed a new ring tone for someone. A glance at the screen told me who.
I answered, silently vowing to figure out how to delete every ring tone except one that sounded like an actual phone.
“Hey, Kai. What’s up?” I asked,
Detective Jake Nocera’s years in homicide showed in the deep lines of his brow and the rough edge of his humor. I knew he had a soft spot for dogs, and over the last couple of months I’d come to learn he was a softy in other areas, too.
He caught me staring and grunted, “What are you smirking at?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Didn’t figure you for a sprinkles guy, Jake.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. I’m a man of mystery.”
On the contrary, I’d found Jake to be more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get man, which was one reason I liked him.
“The only mystery is why you delude yourself into believing Mary won’t find out you’re cheating on your diet. Blood sugar doesn’t lie.”
“It’s one friggin’ doughnut.” He motioned with it.
“Yeah, but the sprinkles put it over the top,” I said, straight-faced.
Like any good cop, he ignored my comment and turned the tables on me by changing the subject. “What’s the word on the playdate?”
“Moss might be a little busy for a few days. He’s babysitting a new kitten for me. If you want, you can drop Jax by the condo. I’ll take him for a run on the beach and wear him out.”
“Wearin’ him out sounds perfect. I’ll bring him by on Wednesday.” He made the declaration around a mouthful of doughnut and hooked a thumb at Kai. “Me and your boy here got a date with a dead guy.”
“A rosy thought,” I said.
“That’s Jake—a ray of sunshine,” Kai commented.
Jake brushed his thick fingers together to dust off any incriminating sprinkles. “Not all of us get to play with puppies and kitties all day.”
He knew my job was never that easy, but it had become a joke between us.
“Actually, I’m headed to the mall,” I informed him with a lighthearted sigh.
“Hell, in that case, I feel sorry for you,” he grunted as we filed out of Kai’s office. “I’d take a dead guy over the mall any day.”
I glanced at Kai and grinned.
“Ray of sunshine,” he said.
“With sprinkles.”
“I got your sprinkles,” Jake muttered.
• • •
By a little after one o’clock, I’d made it back to the condo. Moss had moved Voodoo from my bed to his spot on the couch and was busily fleabiting the kitten’s head.
“Aw, man. Do you have fleas, little girl?” I sat on the couch next to Moss and ran my hand from the kitten’s tail to her head, ruffling her fur. “It’s hard to tell with all this black fluff.”
If Emma saw a flea . . . Armageddon.
I called my friend Sonja Brown, who worked as an animal behaviorist at the ASPCA. I knew it was her day off, but I wanted to set up a time to take Voodoo to the clinic.
Sonja wasn’t a vet, but I knew she’d babysit Voodoo until Dr. Patrick or one of the other veterinarians could fit her in.
“You can bring her in whenever,” Sonja said. “If you bring my handsome guy with you.”
“Don’t worry, Moss will not be separated from his kitten. He’s been carrying Voodoo around and giving her baths.”
“Aw! That’s so cute.”
“You won’t think so when you see her. She’s covered in Moss slobber.”
Sonja chuckled; the sound was rich and warm and reminded me of melted caramel.
“What are you doing the rest of the afternoon?” she asked.
“Actually, I was thinking about going to the mall.”
There was a long pause.
“Sonja?”
“You’re going shopping?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about her incredulous tone.
“Not exactly.”
“Good enough for me.” I could hear her smile through the phone. “I’ll see you there.”
Before reaching the food court where Sonja had suggested we meet, my phone began playing “Hot Blooded.”
Apparently Emma had, once again, hijacked my phone and programmed a new ring tone for someone. A glance at the screen told me who.
I answered, silently vowing to figure out how to delete every ring tone except one that sounded like an actual phone.
“Hey, Kai. What’s up?” I asked,
Similar Books
