Hide'n Go Seek by Dale Mayer Page A

to know his enemy.
It also sealed her fate.

***
    Kali enjoyed bookkeeping. Seeing the overall picture of the financial state of the center, stable and growing, gave her such a great feeling. She was part of something good, worthwhile. And she needed the distraction now. She couldn't get Brad out of her mind. She'd tried to call Susan several times, only she wasn't picking up. Kali had left messages. Susan hadn't returned her calls.

    She thought about the teams she'd met in Sacramento. Her industry was relatively small and the dogs and handlers well known. Who could have stayed behind and worked with Brad? It took her a few moments, then it hit her. Jarl.

    Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed his number. No answer. She left a message. She hoped he'd call her back. Their ten-year friendship had hit the rocks late last year when she realized he'd been pilfering little things from the center. He'd stopped after she'd confronted him about it. Their friendship had taken a hit for a while. Still, things were cordial now.

    Kali picked up a receipt, read it and placed it down on a pile. She snatched it up again, reread it and placed it on a different pile. She needed to get a grip or she'd really make a worse mess of the accounting than Stan.

    Her mind refused to let go. Someone was killing people. Could Brad have somehow run afoul of this killer? She closed her eyes. Please don’t let him have been a victim of this killer. She didn't even want to think about Jarl in the same light. That he hadn't returned her calls yet, surely didn't mean he'd been kidnapped, too. This nightmare was making her crazy.

    No. Brad had to be drowning his sorrows. Like the last time and the time before. He'd check in soon.

    Determined, she reached for another handful of paper. This load had phone bills mixed in with several crumpled restaurant receipts. One for take-out Chinese food. Burger King. Stamps and envelopes. Kali groaned. Damn, Stan had entered the last batch of figures. That usually meant she had to review all his postings. Another hour of trying to read his writing. Honestly, he shouldn't be allowed close to the bookkeeping.

    "Kali, good to see you." Janet stood at the doorway a big cheery grin on her face.

    "Janet." Kali threw her pencil down on the desk in relief. Any interruption was welcome at this point. "Hey, thanks for finishing the cleanup from the last trip. I appreciate it."

    "No problem. You were exhausted and I was glad to help," Janet said, leaning her tall willowy frame against the wall. "Besides, Brenda was hanging around, so I put her to work, too."

    Kali rolled her eyes at the thought of her cute bouncy friend being put to work by Janet. Brenda loved to help out - for a little while. She wasn't great on sticking around. Janet, on the other hand, was one of those rare individuals who could see what needed to be done and did it.

    Janet's happiness seemed so genuine. If only Kali knew her secret. Janet's breath of fresh air and light-hearted laughter were just what Kali needed right now. "Still smiling I see."

    "Of course. Life is too short for anything else."

    Kali avoided that topic. It was easier to present a front of peaceful contentment than to open up about the unsettled emotions chewing up her insides. Life was too short. And she had too much death in hers, as it was.

    "What are you doing today?"

    "The new guy is helping me this afternoon. He worked at the Maine center years ago. He does have a magical tough with the dogs. If he works out and stays around, we should consider hiring him as an instructor."

    Kali blinked. New instructor? Maine? Jesus, Janet was talking about Grant.

    Janet glanced behind her to see if anyone was close enough to hear, before she stepped further into the office. "Did you see him? Oh, my God." Her eyes gleamed with humor, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He's stunning. That tall-dark-and-take-charge look always does it for me." The tall redhead fanned herself