Putting the Fun in Funeral Read online

  “My name is Beck,” I told him. I always introduced myself. “You’ve been guarding these girls, but your job is done. You need to let these people here take the girls somewhere warm and safe where they can get looked after.” I spoke in a low voice as if he understood every word. I held out my hand, palm up. “These people want to kill you because they think you’ll hurt these girls. I know you won’t. But your job is done. They’re going to be safe. I don’t want to see you suffer anymore. If you let the girls go, I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

  The dog tipped his head as if listening and following my meaning. I never was sure what reached out to the animals. I sometimes thought it must be magic, but I didn’t use any. It was just me. I spoke to them, but they couldn’t understand me. That would be ridiculous. Lorraine said it was something in my voice, in the way I held myself, in my aura. I didn’t really care.

  Ajax made a whining sound and inched backward. Damn. I didn’t have time to build trust. I had to earn it faster than that. This was going to suck.

  I dropped to my hands and knees, refusing to think about what my bare skin was touching. At least I didn’t run in shorts. I crawled forward. In this position, I was shorter than he and definitely submissive. At the same time, I wasn’t tentative. He growled again and his snarl grew bigger, if that was possible. His teeth shined bright white. If he decided to attack, he’d go for my neck. I wasn’t about to hit him with magic, except as a last resort, and even then, I didn’t know if I had the heart to do it. He was a warrior and a guardian. He’d been through hell, and he was protecting these girls with his life.

  I got within three feet of him, then two, then he and I were pretty much face-to-face. He still hadn’t tried to bite me. I breathed into his face, letting him get my smell. His smell was rank. I pushed closer and sat back on my heels right in front of him.

  “All right,” I said. “They’re going to come in for the girls now. I’m going to stick with you.” I reached out again, and he froze a moment then sniffed my hand. His lips still curled, but I could barely see the teeth now, and his growls were softer, almost questioning. Since I was terrified that he’d be shot at any moment, I decided to take that possibility off the table. I scootched closer to him and turned so I could slide my arm over his neck.

  Ajax trembled but didn’t move. I looked past him to the girls. The eldest couldn’t have been more than ten. They had blood spattered all over them. I hoped to hell it was somebody else’s. They were filthy and far too thin, with bruises flowering on their arms and faces. The younger one clung to her sister and stared at me like she was in shock.

  “Hi. Do you think you two can walk to the gate while Ajax and I stay here?”

  The elder girl frowned and shook her head.

  “It’s okay now. It’s safe. Your father is dead, and your mother is in custody. That means they are going to take her somewhere where she can get help and she can’t hurt anyone else.”

  A tension seemed to go out of the elder girl, but she still didn’t move. “You really going to take care of Ajax?” she asked in a paper-thin voice.

  I nodded. “I am. My friend over there is a veterinarian. You know what that is?”

  The girl shook her head.

  “She’s a doctor for animals. She sent me in here to make sure that everybody would be safe, including Ajax.” I was scratching lightly under his throat. I could feel wetness along the side where I leaned against him. I had a bad feeling it was blood. “I think he’s hurt, though. My friend can’t help him until the police make sure you’re safe. Do you think you can go to the gate? So that my friend can come have a look at Ajax?”

  The elder one nodded and pushed to her feet, pulling the younger one up with her. “Daddy was always mean to him,” she said, tears rolling down her face. “He’s a good dog.”

  “I know,” I said. “I’ll take care of him.”

  They walked away. I watched and then turned my attention back to the dog. I held up the syringe. “This pokes through your skin and the liquid inside makes you go to sleep. I don’t want to use it, but if I don’t, you’re going to have to be calm. My friend and I are going to take care of you.”

  He looked at me, and I could have sworn he understood every word. He gave the inside of my wrist a lick. I took that as agreement. Just then, Lorraine came up. Ajax looked at her but didn’t growl.

  “And you work another miracle,” she said. Tears were leaking out of the corners of her eyes. She dashed at them. “Come on. I want to get him out of here before they start thinking they want to put him down.”

  “Is it safe? Did the sheriff call off his shooters?”

  She nodded.

  I sat with my arm around Ajax as Lorraine wrestled with the chain. It turned out it was welded to a metal stake and she had to call for help to pull it out. The officer who’d tried to arrest me was the only one willing to approach.

  “That’s the damnedest thing I ever saw,” he said as he strained to pull the stake up. “Wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself. Sorry about trying to arrest you. Didn’t know you could do that.”

  I didn’t reply because I was talking to the dog. Sometimes I went for nonsense sounds, but he seemed to understand my words, so I told him how brave he’d been and how strong and what a hero he was. He leaned against me, nearly tipping me over, and then lay down.

  “Lorraine? I think there’s something wrong,” I said as his breath shuddered inside his ribs.

  “We’ve got to get him where I can see the damage,” she said, and then the officer gave the chain a hard yank and it was free. It was two feet long.

  “I’m not sure he can walk.”

  “Think he’ll let me carry him?” the officer asked doubtfully.

  I looked at him in surprise. “He will.”

  I told Ajax what was happening, but I wasn’t sure he could hear me. His eyes had closed, and he was panting.

  Officer Mock, as his named turned out to be, picked up him and carried him through the crowd. Everybody else was pretty much focused on the girls, and the rest just gaped at us. We got back to Lorraine’s truck. I’d been right. The wetness on his side was blood, but it was impossible to see the wound through his matted fur.

  “I need to get him to the clinic.”

  Except for the cab of her truck, there was no room to carry an animal Ajax’s size, and even if there was, I wasn’t going to be separated from him. I’d promised him I was going to take care of him. Officer Mock laid him on the seat between us, and I held his head and shoulders in my lap. I gave the officer my keys when he offered to return my car to me.

  “I’ll bring it to you as soon as I can. Is he going to be all right?”

  “He will be if I have anything to say about it,” Lorraine said.

  Chapter 7

  The rest of the night went by in a blur. I was allowed to stay with Ajax, but only after I’d showered twice with seriously nasty soap and put on scrubs. When I returned to the operating theater, they’d shaved Ajax and done an examination, plus x-rayed him.

  He was still unconscious. I bit my lip, trying not to cry. Stupid. I barely knew the dog, and yet he already had a chunk of my heart.

  They got him prepped for surgery and went to work. I stroked his head and talked to him, though he was under anesthesia. Lorraine worked quickly. At some point, Ajax had been kicked and a rib had penetrated his lung. That likely happened within the last few hours, Lorraine said. It’s a wonder he hadn’t died. He hadn’t been shot. The wound on his side was from something sharp, though Lorraine didn’t think it was a knife. The wound was more a tear than a cut and it was at least a few days old. The scab had broken open during the night.

  He also was covered in bruises, flees, and ticks; had a bad case of ringworm; and underneath the metal collar he wore, his skin was raw and infected.

  “He’s been through hell,” Lorraine said when she was through. We sat on the floor and leaned against the wall, sipping coffee as we watched Ajax sleep on
a large dog pillow in one of the recovery areas. “He’s tough, though. He should recover just fine, though he’s going to need good food, a lot of rest, and gentle care. Hopefully the county won’t decide he needs to be put down.”

  “I’ll take him home with me.” I didn’t even think about it. He and I belonged together. We’d both suffered terribly at the hands of people who were supposed to love us and protect us, and that made us family.

  Lorraine looked at me in surprise. “What about your white couch and white carpets?”

  “I’ll can buy new stuff if I need to.”

  “He’s a big dog. He’s going to need a lot of exercise. He won’t like being cooped up in your apartment all day, and he may not be good with other dogs or people.”

  “I’ll figure it out. How much longer before he wakes up?”

  “Soon. He’ll be groggy, though.”

  “Can I take him home?”

  She shook her head and grinned at me. “I always knew you were a soft touch. Yeah, he can go home later today. That should give you time to go shopping for the stuff you’ll need.” She got to her feet and left, returning a few minutes later with a pad of paper and a pen. She sat back down and made a list of things.

  “He’s probably never going to take a collar again. That’s going to be a problem if you want to take him somewhere. Leash laws. He might take a harness, but I don’t know. You’ll want to give him a lamb and rice diet for a while—mix of kibble and canned food. Feed him a half cup of each every three hours. He’s been starved, and his stomach and intestines aren’t going to be working properly. We’ve treated his worms, so you may see some ugly things coming out of him in the next week, but getting rid of all that is good. Once we’re sure he’s doing well, we’ll increase his food intake. I’ll want to see him every day, but I’ll come over to check on him.” She finished with writing out the medications and instructions on giving them.

  It wasn’t much longer before Ajax woke up. I explained all that had happened to him, where I was going, and that I’d be back to get him. He watched me, his eyes dull from the drugs they’d pumped into him.

  “You sleep. I’ll be back soon.”

  His eyes never left me as I walked out the door.

  Chapter 8

  I’d had to call Stacey to take me home. I was surprised to find my car parked out front of the store. It was barely five a.m. I hopped out and sent Stacey on her way after promising we were still on for girls’ night at my apartment. I should have Ajax home by then.

  My keys were under the mat, and Officer Mock had left a note on the bench along with his card. He asked me to call and let him know how Ajax was doing. Turns out the officer was a good guy.

  I drove the Thunderbird around back to the garage, hitting the remote to open it. I could barely lift my hand to the visor where it was clipped, I was so tired. Plus, I still smelled, and I was starving.

  The door rolled up, and I pulled inside behind the beat-up Ford pickup I used to use for hauling. Now that business had become so lucrative, I had a new model and a box truck parked in the next bay. Image was everything among the wealthy who had become my clients.

  I pulled into my garage and parked, noticing a couple of paper grocery sacks just outside. I frowned and got out. I knew who’d left them the moment I touched them and felt a tingle of magic run through my hand. I unrolled the top of the first bag and found several steaming to-go boxes. The other one contained two large coffees, both just as hot as the food. Damon must have spelled them to stay hot. I pulled out a note. The words were scrawled in bold letters. Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll see you soon.

  No signature. I turned the note over, but it was just a white leaf from an ordinary notebook. I sighed and gathered up the bags. I could smell bacon and hash browns. My mouth watered. I climbed the stairs to my apartment. Damon had brought enough food for the both of us. He’d meant to share the meal. So why had he left? More important, why was I disappointed?

  I slept until nine, stomach filled with an enormous breakfast, and my dreams tormented by dreams of Damon Hotpants. Safe to say, I didn’t sleep well.

  I made a pot of strong coffee and called Lorraine to see how Ajax was doing.

  “Sleeping,” she said. “We got him to eat a little and drink.”

  “When can I pick him up?”

  “Let’s keep him here most of the day. Come get him at five? Are we still on for tonight?”

  “Like I’d cancel girls’ night,” I said. “I’ll see you later.”

  I showered again, finally getting rid of my Eau de Dog Crap perfume, then dragged myself downstairs and worked for a few hours, trying to get the most pressing things covered before I abandoned ship for the afternoon. Luckily, I hired good people and there weren’t any wildfires to put out. I reminded myself that Garrett would be coming at seven so I needed to be back and ready by then. I’m not sure how much coffee I drank, but by the time I was ready to go pick up supplies for Ajax, I was crackling like a live wire.

  I grabbed a sandwich on my way and then spent most of the afternoon shopping. I bought everything a dog might need along with everything he might want. I found several enormous cushiony beds and got them all. Can’t have too many comfy places to sleep, after all. And what if he was picky?

  I went home hauled all my loot upstairs. I checked my watch: four. I didn’t have time to grocery shop or cook, so the girls would have to be happy with delivery. I could stop at the bakery for goodies, too, and then head to the clinic.

  I picked up an assortment of brownies, cupcakes, cookies, and a couple of loaves of sourdough bread to share at the clinic. I already had a cheesecake in the fridge for cheesecake night.

  It was close to five when I reached the clinic. I waved at Debbie and Mary, the two receptionists on duty and handed over the food before heading into the back. I came to visit the animals a lot, especially the hard cases, so I knew where I was going. Lorraine took on any animal that came in, regardless of an owner’s ability to pay. To make it possible, I made the clinic my own personal charity, donating money to cover the costs of those animals. They deserved care and humans needed to be responsible enough to give it to them.

  Given the number of animals that came in, Lorraine had had to add a shelter to the clinic, which was staffed mostly by volunteers, though she’d been increasing the paid positions. The community was pretty generous about donating, and we did fundraisers every year.

  When I came in, Ajax saw me and struggled to sit up. I knelt down beside him and rubbed his ears and stroked his head.

  “How are you doing, big guy? You want to come home with me?”

  He nosed my chest and leaned into me. He was still groggy. Probably hopped up on painkillers, plus all kinds of vaccinations.

  “Hey,” Lorraine said as she stopped in the doorway. “I’ll get Brian to help you out to your car with Ajax. He’s walking a little but unsteady. I’ll bring all his medications tonight along with instructions on his care. You might want to keep him downstairs for a while. Going up and down might be tough on him right now.”

  “I’m not sure he’s going to let Brian anywhere near him,” I said. I didn’t know how he’d react to anybody besides me handling him.

  “Brian took him outside a couple hours ago. Ajax hackled up and growled a little but let Brian steady him once he was clear of the chute.”

  For the difficult and scared cases, Lorraine had a walkway made of heavy-gauge wire that could be set up to allow animals to go outside without having to wear a leash. A lot of dogs refused to relieve themselves inside, and so the only way to keep them from rupturing something was to get them outdoors. Ajax was apparently one of those, and there was no way he could wear anything resembling a collar or harness with his injuries.

  We cleared the parking lot of any other animals, and then I took Ajax to my car. He staggered and limped, his nose nearly dragging the ground. I stayed next to him. supporting him as best I could. The battered beast refused to be helped into the car. He studied
the opening a long moment then hopped up onto the backseat like he had rubber bands in his butt.

  “Show-off,” I said, petting him.

  He stuffed his snout into my palm and parked it there.

  “Great. Dog snot. My favorite.” I wiped my hand on his head and slid behind the wheel.

  I’d barely started the car and backed up when a furry body launched over the seat. Ajax’s feet slid on the vinyl, and he half fell to the floor, yelping in pain.

  “Crap!”

  I put the car into park and reached to help him. Brian opened the passenger door and Ajax lunged toward him, snarling and snapping. Brian backpedaled and fell on his ass.

  “Ajax, no,” I said. “You do not attack people who are trying to help you.”

  He twisted and struggled, finally getting his feet under himself. He panted and made a distressed sound deep in his throat, his head dropping low. He still faced the door and Brian. He looked pathetic, his fur shaved and bandages quilting his body. All the same, he kept his attention fixed on Brian.

  “Better close the door,” I said. “We’ll be all right.”

  Brian reached out and slowly pushed it closed. The moment it was shut, Ajax slumped to the floor. I rolled my window down.

  “Brian, can you get Lorraine?”

  She came out and I explained what had happened.

  “All you can do is try to keep him still, and careful with who you let around him. He’s definitely protective and he’s been through a hell of a shitstorm. He’s got PTSD and it’ll take him a while to get comfortable with people, if he ever does. He might not. You know that, right?”

  I knew what she was asking. If he was aggressive to people, would I be able to put him down? The answer was a flat No. I didn’t need to say it, just like she didn’t need to ask. We both already knew. I focused on my real concern. “You don’t think he hurt himself jumping over the seat and falling?”