Authors: James O. Born
Scent of Murder (40 page)
Now, after stuffing pillows under the sheets like in an old-school prison break, Hallett and Darren walked slowly to a rear elevator, then left the hospital through the back door, where Claire was waiting in her Tahoe with Rocky and Smarty sharing the rear compartment. Hallett had to slide in next to them for the ten-minute ride to the veterinary hospital west of Lantana.
No matter what the hassle, it was all worth it once Hallett saw the effect Darren had on Brutus. Instantly, the dog went from lying quietly in a large kennel to jumping up like a puppy, his head banging against the grate as he got used to standing on just three legs. The left front paw was heavily bandaged, with a splint stabilizing it as well.
Once out of the kennel, he licked Darren's face and whimpered like he was crying. Brutus wasn't the only one. As Hallett wiped a tear away, he turned and caught Claire openly sobbing.
She managed to croak, “Not a single word to anyone about this.”
He cleared his throat and said quietly, “I'm going to get Rocky.”
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Once outside, Hallett took Rocky off his lead and let the dog run free for a few minutes, chasing the occasional pigeon or squirrel. Hallett walked along the shaded trail near the parking lot and leaned down to pick up a discarded plastic Gatorade bottle. As he was fully extended, he heard Rocky approach and then felt the dog nip him on the backside. He stood and turned around to see Rocky crouched low, ready for a game of tag. It instantly lifted his spirits.
Then Rocky winked. There was no stress, the light was good, and Hallett knew what he saw. Rocky winked, and he had done it with purpose. Somehow Hallett knew his life could never be boring while he had so much to learn about what made Rocky tick
He had a partner and a family who loved him. Everything would be okay.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Rocky wanted Tim to be happy. Tim needed to be happy. Since Josh was not here, it was up to Rocky to ease Tim's sadness. The little boy made both of them happy and should have been around them more. But now it was just up to Rocky.
He waited for the perfect chance. Then Tim bent slightly, and Rocky ran behind him to jump up and give him a nip on his hindquarters.
Tim spun around and looked at Rocky. Slowly his teeth became visible, and Rocky knew he was making Tim happy.
All Rocky wanted to do was make Tim and Josh happy. And to play a game every once in a while.
Maybe a game where he got to catch a bad man.
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James O. Born
is an award-winning author whose previous works include
Border War,
a novel cowritten with bestselling author and legendary broadcaster Lou Dobbs. A former U.S. drug enforcement agent, he is currently a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. You can sign up for email updates
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CONTENTS
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
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SCENT OF MURDER
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Copyright © 2015 by James O. Born
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All rights reserved.
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Cover imagery © 2015 Veer
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Cover art by Drive Communications, NY
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A Forge Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
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is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
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eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
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The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
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ISBN 978-0-7653-7847-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-6162-6 (e-book)
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e-ISBN 9781466861626
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First Edition: April 2015