Bloody Paws (A Kim Jansen Detective Novel Book 1) by Bruce Lewis

Author:Bruce Lewis [Lewis, Bruce]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Published: 2021-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

***

Jim Briggs’s height always created a stir when he walked into a restaurant or pub. If someone caught his eye as he walked by a table, he would offer, unsolicited, “I’m six-feet-six” and “enjoy your beer.” To avoid height questions and eye contact, he would look straight ahead over the heads of potential inquisitors. When he reached the rooftop bar, he ducked under the headrail and emerged in the open space. Mark was sitting at a table in a corner with good privacy. Briggs fist-bumped Mark and sat down, a beer already at his place.

“Apocalypse IPA. Nice choice, Mark. Thanks.” Briggs lifted the 16-ounce glass and drained a fourth in three gulps.

“Stressful day, Briggs?”

He explained his last call. “It was a killer day. Nonstop. I’ve put down plenty of dogs but dealing with clients distraught because they know they will have to decide to euthanize their pet is the toughest part of my job.”

Changing the subject, Briggs said, “How is your case going?”

“The case is expanding,” said Larson. “It started with Jerry Hoffman missing. Now Little Bobby McWhorter has disappeared.

“Hoffman and Little Bobby are clients,” said Briggs. “I’ve been caring for their dogs. I’ve also stitched up Jerry a few times and dressed open sores on his feet. He must have been a big, rough guy at one point. Now, he’s a broken-down alcoholic just hanging onto life. He seems miserable. And, he is miserable to be around. Of course, Little Bobby is in his own special category of miserable people you wish would go away.”

“Like Kim and I were telling Helen the first night we met at the pub, Little Bobby’s gang is bad news. Or was bad news, depending on what has happened to the little man. When was the last time you saw Hoffman or Little Bobby?”

“Last I saw Hoffman, he had nearly died in a tent fire. Don’t remember the date. Just saw Little Bobby in the last week at R2D2 pushing his way to the head of the line of homeless needing care for their dogs.”

“I can look it up the Hoffman fire incident,” said Larson, pulling his phone out of his pocket and scribbling a note.

“I know all of Little’s Bobby’s gang and take care of their dogs,” said Briggs, who began calling out the names and their dogs. “Betty Ann Bingham has Sepp, a Schnauzer; Little Bobby’s companion, Juan, is a Chihuahua; James Patrick “Big Red” O’Flaherty takes lousy care of his lame Scottie mix he named Laddie, and Gerald “Jerry” Robert Hoffman is with Pirate, his one eyed Beagle.” Briggs said he had given Hoffman 25 stitches once after four homeless men attacked him. Hoffman claimed he did not provoke the attack. More likely, he was the attacker who got on the wrong end of a blade. Larson didn’t ask for details. Instead, he gulped his beer. “This is better than mother’s milk,” he said, savoring the hoppy bitterness.

“Why continue to focus on a missing persons case when the homeless come and go? Briggs asked.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.