Red Sole Clues by Liliana Hart Page B

and taking the lead. The blonde looped the leash around her hand a couple of times and jerked it.
    Lucie clamped her teeth together. She’d never been a violent person, aside from those infrequent moments, typically involving Joey, when her temper got the best of her.
    But if that blonde were standing in front of her right now, she’d hospitalize her.
    On the video, before Otis could step from the curb, a car passed through the shot and the woman once again jerked the leash.
    The idea of sweet Otis in this woman’s ugly clutches? Sickening.
    Maybe I’ll do more than hospitalize her.
    She might need Ro for this one.
    The woman stepped off the curb and hustled straight across and out of the shot.
    No. Nooo, nooo, nooo. That couldn’t be it. “What happened? Why can’t we see where she went?”
    “Hold on.” Kurt tapped a few keys and clicked on two links. “These should be the parking lot views from the corner of the building.”
    Two black and white images of the parking lot popped onto the screen and Kurt tiled them side-by-side. He clicked, setting the first video in motion.
    Lucie poked her finger. “There she is!”
    “Gotcha,” Kurt’s father said.
    When Otis stopped to sniff the rear bumper of a car, the woman jerked the leash again. Otis, being as stubborn as the entire Rizzo bunch combined, ignored her. He’d move when he was ready.
    Good boy.
    “Swear to God,” Lucie said, “if she hurts that dog, I’ll take her out.”
    Finally, Otis cooperated, trotting just ahead of the blonde as she led him to the end of the row and out of the camera’s view.
    Kurt clicked again and the second video rolled. “Let’s see where she takes us.”
    The woman walked three rows over, finally making a left into a row. Sticking to the right, she picked up her pace, moving swiftly now. Otis slowed as he glanced up at her. She checked her watch. Must have been behind schedule. Lucie knew that feeling all too well.
    But being behind schedule might be the best thing—each second Otis wasted gave them more time to catch up.
    “Come on, Otis, do your thing, buddy.”
    The woman kept walking, maybe halfway down the long row, but Lucie couldn’t quite tell. She stopped at an SUV, popped the rear door and patted the floor of the cargo area. Otis plopped his butt on the pavement.
    Good boy!
    Lucie waggled her hand. “She’s crazy if she thinks he’s getting in there. That would take way too much energy.”
    The woman poked her finger, then motioned Otis into the car. Nothing.
    Keep it up, Otis. Obviously growing frustrated, the thief checked her watch again and shook her head. Then she squatted, wrapped her arms around Otis’s not-so-tiny bulk and hoisted. Whoa, on the first try she heaved him into the SUV.
    “Damn, she’s strong,” Kurt said.
    Lucie frantically shook her head, her panic soaring as the woman unclipped the leash and lowered the door.
    Poor Otis. This rotten, degenerate person was stealing him from the people he loved.
    She smacked her hand on her chest, waited for the woman to move and prayed for a clear glimpse of the license plate.
    Kurt’s dad slipped his arm over Lucie’s shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll find him. Have faith.”
    Please, please, please. Lucie fought welling tears and nodded.
    On screen, the woman checked her watch again.
    What’s she waiting for?
    Then she held her keys up, clicked the fob and headed back toward the building.
    *     *     *
    Marlowe led Tim and the Pickneys out the north exit, exactly where Lucie said the woman and Otis left the building.
    Morning sun offered a good blast of heat and took the chill out of the October air. Having faith in the weather report, Tim had opted for a light jacket that did the job easily.
    Marlowe lifted his snout, sniffed and went back to the ground. Being a cop, Tim had been around tracking dogs before, but the department had spent tens of thousands of dollars training those dogs. This super wiener? He’d been trained by