Meantime I’ll send someone over.”
“Thanks.” She turned back to the homeless man. “The police are on their way. They’ll help you find your dog.”
“You sure?” He looked uncomfortable.
“I’m positive,” she assured him. “Let me put these things in my car, and then I’ll wait with you.”
By the time she had stashed her groceries and returned to the sidewalk in front of the store, a patrol car was pulling up. Vince and another guy got out. Vince saw her and smiled and headed her way.
She pointed toward the man with the missing dog, and the other officer immediately walked over to him. “Sir, your dog is missing?”
“That’s right.”
She slumped in relief. The police would help him, so she didn’t have to. Now, too, if he recognized her, hopefully, he wouldn’t make a scene.
“How are you?” Vince asked as he stopped in front of her.
“I’ve been better,” she admitted. “How about you?”
He shrugged. “A little disappointed.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I was sorry when I realized you didn’t want to go out with me,” Vince explained.
“Excuse me?”
“The speed dating thing. I put you down but didn’t get a match.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said, feeling herself turn red. “You seem like a great guy, it’s just—” What could she say that wouldn’t sound lame?
“Is it the uniform? Some women don’t want to get involved with guys on the force because they’re afraid something might happen to them on the job.”
She nodded, relieved. “I’m really risk adverse, and you’re right, dating a policeman is not without huge risks.”
He shrugged. “That’s cool. Good thing to know about yourself. Lots of people don’t know how to play it safe, when to just stay home and do the smart thing. Nothing to be ashamed of. You won’t get hurt that way.”
Somehow she didn’t like it when he said it like that. The vague, unsatisfied feeling that had been growing for a while twisted harder inside of her. Sure, playing it safe could keep her from getting hurt most of the time, but not all of the time. And maybe a little risk now and again was a good thing.
She bit her lip before she could say something rash. “I guess you’re right,” she said, forcing a smile.
She turned to look at the other two men, eager to change the subject. “I hope you can find his dog.”
“Me too. I don’t know what kind of world we’re living in when people steal someone else’s dog. I mean, I can’t even imagine.”
“I know. Who would do such a thing?”
“And why?” he asked, scratching his head. “It’s beyond me.”
“Well, hopefully, they’ll catch whoever is behind all of this soon, before any more dogs go missing or anyone else gets killed.”
“So you have any theories?” he asked, dropping his voice.
“No, why do you ask?”
He shrugged. “You’re the one who thwarted the Passion Week killer. I figure your theories are worth listening to.”
She shrugged. “I had a lot of help on that one.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Okay, so did you see this guy’s dog?”
“No,” she admitted. “I was here last night, but I didn’t see him. I don’t know if that’s because he wasn’t here or I was just distracted. I didn’t know the man had lost a dog until I saw him putting up the flyer this morning.”
“So what can you tell me about last night?”
She crossed her arms, took a deep breath, and recounted the story.
Vince whistled at the end of it. “Brutal. You know, you ever have something like that happen again, you call the police.”
“I will,” she said.
“So you and Joseph?”
“Are just friends.”
“Just asking,” he said with a smile.
She glanced at her watch. “I have to get going or I’ll be late for work.”
“Okay, I think we’ve got it from here. If we have any questions, we’ll call.”
“Thanks. Do you need my number?”
“Yes.”
He flashed her a toothy grin and a wink, and she blushed.
8
C INDY MANAGED TO DRIVE HOME
“Thanks.” She turned back to the homeless man. “The police are on their way. They’ll help you find your dog.”
“You sure?” He looked uncomfortable.
“I’m positive,” she assured him. “Let me put these things in my car, and then I’ll wait with you.”
By the time she had stashed her groceries and returned to the sidewalk in front of the store, a patrol car was pulling up. Vince and another guy got out. Vince saw her and smiled and headed her way.
She pointed toward the man with the missing dog, and the other officer immediately walked over to him. “Sir, your dog is missing?”
“That’s right.”
She slumped in relief. The police would help him, so she didn’t have to. Now, too, if he recognized her, hopefully, he wouldn’t make a scene.
“How are you?” Vince asked as he stopped in front of her.
“I’ve been better,” she admitted. “How about you?”
He shrugged. “A little disappointed.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I was sorry when I realized you didn’t want to go out with me,” Vince explained.
“Excuse me?”
“The speed dating thing. I put you down but didn’t get a match.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said, feeling herself turn red. “You seem like a great guy, it’s just—” What could she say that wouldn’t sound lame?
“Is it the uniform? Some women don’t want to get involved with guys on the force because they’re afraid something might happen to them on the job.”
She nodded, relieved. “I’m really risk adverse, and you’re right, dating a policeman is not without huge risks.”
He shrugged. “That’s cool. Good thing to know about yourself. Lots of people don’t know how to play it safe, when to just stay home and do the smart thing. Nothing to be ashamed of. You won’t get hurt that way.”
Somehow she didn’t like it when he said it like that. The vague, unsatisfied feeling that had been growing for a while twisted harder inside of her. Sure, playing it safe could keep her from getting hurt most of the time, but not all of the time. And maybe a little risk now and again was a good thing.
She bit her lip before she could say something rash. “I guess you’re right,” she said, forcing a smile.
She turned to look at the other two men, eager to change the subject. “I hope you can find his dog.”
“Me too. I don’t know what kind of world we’re living in when people steal someone else’s dog. I mean, I can’t even imagine.”
“I know. Who would do such a thing?”
“And why?” he asked, scratching his head. “It’s beyond me.”
“Well, hopefully, they’ll catch whoever is behind all of this soon, before any more dogs go missing or anyone else gets killed.”
“So you have any theories?” he asked, dropping his voice.
“No, why do you ask?”
He shrugged. “You’re the one who thwarted the Passion Week killer. I figure your theories are worth listening to.”
She shrugged. “I had a lot of help on that one.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Okay, so did you see this guy’s dog?”
“No,” she admitted. “I was here last night, but I didn’t see him. I don’t know if that’s because he wasn’t here or I was just distracted. I didn’t know the man had lost a dog until I saw him putting up the flyer this morning.”
“So what can you tell me about last night?”
She crossed her arms, took a deep breath, and recounted the story.
Vince whistled at the end of it. “Brutal. You know, you ever have something like that happen again, you call the police.”
“I will,” she said.
“So you and Joseph?”
“Are just friends.”
“Just asking,” he said with a smile.
She glanced at her watch. “I have to get going or I’ll be late for work.”
“Okay, I think we’ve got it from here. If we have any questions, we’ll call.”
“Thanks. Do you need my number?”
“Yes.”
He flashed her a toothy grin and a wink, and she blushed.
8
C INDY MANAGED TO DRIVE HOME
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