1 Dog Collar Crime by Adrienne Giordano

Author:Adrienne Giordano [Giordano, Adrienne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-08-04T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

As screwed up as it was, Frankie didn’t so much mind spending his day off riding a scooter. On a sunny morning two days after the discussion about buying another scooter, he and Lucie tore down West Fullerton on the way to Buddy, a three-month-old Wheaten Terrier.

The wind whipped at Frankie’s face, and he decided he needed a helmet with a face shield. He’d already swallowed a few errant bugs of dubious distinction.

The face shield wouldn’t matter because psycho scooter girl might get him killed storming these alleys. All in all, he found it fun to chase her around town.

They made a quick right, hauled tail down an empty alley. Lucie pulled into a driveway and jumped off the scooter, her petite body moving fast as she ditched the helmet and unzipped her jacket. By the time Frankie had gotten his helmet off, Lucie had reached the back door.

“Where’s the damn fire?” he asked. “That garbage truck nearly flattened me.”

“You’re the one who said to change the route. We’re already eleven minutes behind schedule.” Lucie shoved the key into the lock and turned it.

Eleven minutes. Big deal.

“And don’t say big deal, either. We have to stay on schedule. My future depends on it.”

A round of applause for Lucia Rizzo, drama girl.

Thirty seconds later, Buddy bounded out the back door, his light brown hair flying in the breeze.

Frankie took a step back. “Pee on me you little bastard and I’ll kill you.”

Luce laughed. “Leave him alone. He’s just a baby. He can’t control his bladder yet.”

The baby lunged at Frankie’s feet and he reached to push him away, but the monster chomped on his hand, those baby teeth like daggers digging into his flesh. “Ow! Off.” He shoved Buddy away, but the pup barreled back, latched to Frankie’s jeans and tugged. “Off!”

Luce stood back. “Stop engaging him.”

What the hell was she talking about? “I was standing here. How is that engaging him?”

“He thinks it’s a game. Stand still and ignore him. Pretend you’re a tree.”

“Ow!” The dog’s teeth plunged into his ankle and he lifted his foot. Stand still? The dog was making sushi out of his leg. The terrorist switched to the other leg. “Luce! Get him off.”

“Be a tree.”

“Screw the tree.”

Finally, Lucie tugged on the leash. “Sit, Buddy.”

The dog’s furry butt hit the ground. You little S.O.B.

She bent low, patted Attila the Hun on the head. “Good boy, Buddy. You’re a sweet boy.” She made kissing noises at Attila, and Frankie suddenly wanted those lips pointed at him. These were the times he realized how much he loved her. The simple times when she didn’t feel self-conscious about being silly or showing unabashed affection to an animal.

Buddy stuck his snout in the air and licked her face. She giggled at the bath, and craned out of his reach, but Buddy kept at her until he pushed her off balance and she fell over. The dog jumped on her stomach and went into a licking frenzy. The more she pushed at him, the more he licked, and Frankie knew he and Buddy were of the same mind.

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