Mischievous Malamute Mystery Series: Books 4-6

Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Chaos ensued as Blaze—despite being handcuffed—thrashed about and struggled to break free from his handlers. They had anticipated the movement and shoved the group in the opposite direction, just as backup arrived to escort the rowdy bunch away from the scene.

Anna stared after Blaze, her face pained as tears began streaming down her face.

“Don’t worry about Blaze, we’ll get him out on bail, if needed,” I said, pulling her into an embrace, though I knew at the end of the day, that would be the least of her concerns.

She shook her head. “I’m not worried about him getting arrested.”

I mentally kicked myself, immediately thinking that perhaps my attempt at offering comfort had translated as insensitivity. Gah—I was so bad at this.

Anna sensed my discomfort and squeezed my hand. “I simply meant that he and his guys will be released from their cuffs and sent off without as much as a stern warning—provided that they agree to leave the premises quietly.” Catching Leah’s frown, Anna shrugged and added, “Seriously, no one’s going to want to deal with Terrence once he hears his son has been arrested.

“Best to just catch and release and call it day. No sense incurring the paperwork and the famous Edwards’ migraine, especially if any of the facts turn out to be wrong. It would be a nightmare that law enforcement couldn’t afford to spend the time, money or effort fighting. And it wouldn’t go away quietly.” Anna paused to shake her head. “I’m more concerned about Blaze’s state of mind once they find Bryce and bring his body home.”

“Why don’t we get you out of here?” I suggested. “Once we get back, we’ll track Blaze down so that the two of you can talk and take care of whatever….after.”

She squeezed my arm. “I appreciate that. I’d like to find out more about the accident so that I can help Blaze and the others deal with what’s likely to come, but I’m still determined to identify whoever’s behind the threats,” she glanced at the accident site before adding, “even though the timing feels a bit inappropriate.”

“I know what you mean,” I replied, having been there. “With everyone’s guard down, this might actually be the ideal time to keep pushing forward.”

Anna nodded. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. And also what worries me.”

“We’re here to help.” After Leah concurred by giving Anna a thumbs-up, I added, “You need to be with Blaze. So tell us, what can we do?”

“You’re right.” Anna sighed, finally turning away from the scene to face us. “Perhaps while I check on Blaze, you could help me track Decker down. I want to find more about the threats and what conclusions she’s formed—or insights she’s gleaned—through the course of her investigation.”

“Done,” Leah replied.

Anna and I squinted in confusion as Leah nodded in the opposite direction. Decker strode purposefully toward us, a healthy frown covering her face.

“I heard,” she said calmly once she reached us and looked from face to face, her mouth pulled into a firm line as she surveyed the activity over our shoulders.

“You talked to Blaze?” Anna asked.

Decker shook her head. “Saw him at a distance. Cops were giving him and the crew a severe tongue-lashing as they uncuffed them and placed them into cruisers.”

“I thought you said they wouldn’t be arrested.” Leah looked at Anna, who shrugged, equally perplexed.

“They weren’t. Arrested, that is,” Decker replied. “Police wanted them out of their way—meaning out of view of the investigation—and the only way they could ensure that happened is if they escorted them off the premises. They’ll probably be dropping them all off at their respective homes and giving each a few words of warning in the process.” She scoffed. “Boys are getting off easy, in my book. I would’ve let them stew in a cell. It would have served them right after acting like spoiled brats and impeding an investigation, not to mention endangering the lives of others, including the emergency personnel just trying to do their jobs.”

“Their friend is still out there somewhere. Probably dead,” Anna replied dryly. “Not everyone is made of stone.”

“Touché,” Decker replied, never blinking an eye as she and Anna attempted to stare the other down.

Leah gave me a sideways glance before interjecting, “Err, it was probably not a bad idea—I doubt anyone was in a condition to drive. I know I wouldn’t have been.”

“Me either,” I added.

Anna nodded and her shoulders relaxed a bit, though her hands were still firmly pressed against her hips and her stance was rigid. “If Blaze didn’t tell you about the accident, how did you know?”

Decker worked her jaw. “Cop friend spotted me and gave me the low-down.”

“Huh, mighty nice cop friend,” Anna replied, gritting her teeth. “Didn’t think they were supposed to divulge information to average citizens—certainly not while they’re in the middle of working an active scene.”

Decker shrugged. “His pops was friends with mine. They went way back. And, not that it makes me any more than average, but the two of us also grew up in the same neighborhood. Then again, I might have also reminded him that I’d kicked his skinny butt on more than one occasion when we were in grade school.”

She shrugged when the three of us raised our brows. “What can I say, I took offense when he tried to kiss me and put him in his place. On the ground. He went home and cried to his mama, though I didn’t hurt him all that bad. Anyway, now that he’s a big bad cop, it never hurts to dangle that nugget of history out there whenever it suits. Today, I felt as though it was warranted.”

“So you played one of your cards,” I replied.

She offered me a wry smile, which translated into a cruel curl at the corner of her mouth. “Let’s just say I hold the whole deck.”

“Okay, you saw Blaze, Cam and the others, but how did you know we were here?” Anna asked.

Decker pointed at Nicoh, who sat at attention. “He’s hard not to notice. My friend zeroed in on you when you arrived and described this big guy to a T.”

She stooped to scruff Nicoh under the chin and was rewarded a whoo-woo of approval.

Anna frowned. “So, if he saw us arrive, he also saw us breach the police barrier. And still, he let us follow Blaze. What gives?”

“I don’t disagree with your assessment,” Decker replied, her expression revealing nothing.

I shook my head. I really hated it when people took that tack. You either agree. Or you don’t. It reminded me of my days in my high school math class—which I sucked at—where I struggled to remember that a negative and a negative made a positive. Or was it a negative? Whatever, it was a half-baked response and Decker was smart enough to realize it the minute she spewed it out.

Of course, she caught my look and smirked before turning toward Anna.

“Peedy had enough problems to contend with as it was but yeah, he sent word on ahead. One of the other cops recognized Anna as Blaze’s girlfriend and figured the three—four—of you wouldn’t escalate the situation with Blaze and his pals. In fact, they agreed that you might come in handy to get the boys out of there without creating more of a distraction.”

“Peedy?” We all asked in unison.

“Officer Piedmont. My friend and one of the most loyal and honorable people I’ve ever known. And I’m just not saying that because I’ve seen him in his tighty-whiteys when we were kids. He’s also a dedicated and hard-working law enforcement professional who knows how to judge a situation.”

Anna refocused the conversation, her tone laden with bitterness. “Yeah, well, I guess that was a big fail on our part, allowing things to get out of hand, that is.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourselves. It was on law enforcement to make the call. And they did,” Decker replied, surveying us one by one. “And in case you were wondering, which by the looks on your faces you are, Peedy wasn’t the only who saw you breach the police barrier, even it if was to follow Blaze. I would have done the same, if it matters at all. Then again, given what I’ve just told you, you’re probably not all that surprised.” She snorted after taking in our expression.

“Anyway, I’m just saying it was their choice to make. They let you stay and despite the fact they had to take Blaze and his pals down, cuff all of them and expend valuable time and energy on it, that’s on them—and on Blaze and his friends for acting out. To your credit, you guys certainly didn’t make the same choice to engage the offices and therefore did not make the situation any worse.”

It was a small concession, I guessed. And in hindsight, Decker hadn’t needed to put it out there and yet, she had.

Because she needed us—for whatever that was worth.

Anna sighed wearily. “So, this cop friend, did he have anything else to share?”

Decker nodded. “He did, which is why I wanted to find you. I need your help.”

“Again?” Anna huffed and crossed her arms when Decker shrugged. “You are something else. You know that, right?” She didn’t wait for a response before adding, “Enlighten us. Do you need help with this—or with your investigation of the threats?”

“Both,” Decker replied. “They could very well be one and the same.”

Anna shook her head. “Sorry, I’m wiped out but still, I’m not sure I’m following. Exactly what insights did your officer friend have to offer?”

Decker frowned but replied, “Well, obviously they’re not going to confirm this was anything more than a horrible accident until they locate Bryce and the Medical Examiner releases an official report, but Peedy did reveal something interesting regarding the circumstances of the accident itself. Off the record, of course.”

“Yeah yeah, we know the drill.” Leah rolled her eyes as she waved a hand, urging Decker to move it along.

“Okay, first oddity, there were no skid marks.”

“Sure, which suggests Bryce might have been going too fast and didn’t have enough time to brake. Not that surprising, given the cutbacks and the cliffs,” Anna replied.

“Yeah, plus when Bryce left, he was in a…mood,” Leah added. “He and Blaze had just gone at it.”

Decker shrugged. “Interesting, but perhaps not all that relevant.”

“How could it not be relevant?” Leah asked, waving her hands. “Bryce was clearly pissed when he stormed off and made no bones about wanting to get the hell away from Blaze. He certainly needed to blow off some steam, at the very least. Having said that, he could have hopped on his bike, laid on the gas and used the open road to get lost in his thoughts. Meaning, he could have been so distracted that he may not have realized how fast he was going until it was too late.” She paused to take a breath. “Then again, maybe he saw the curves as a challenge—”

“Any portion of that may have been true but it wouldn’t have mattered,” Decker replied somberly. “None of it would have done him any good in the end.”

“Come again?” Leah asked.

Decker blew out a long breath before responding, “Even if Bryce had been traveling at a normal rate of speed and used his brakes rounding the curves, they wouldn’t have worked when he needed them.”

“What? Why?” The three of us responded in tandem.

“Because someone made sure he wouldn’t be able to stop,” Decker replied.

“What are you saying?” Anna pressed a hand to her mouth.

“Someone had manipulated various parts on his bike. Even the slightest adjustment could have caused any number of scenarios to occur once the pressure of the vehicle on the pavement was combined with speed—his wheels could have come loose, his brakes may not have engaged, the gas could have cut out—regardless, the outcome would have been the same.”

“Sabotage,” I whispered.

Decker frowned. “More than sabotage.”

I reflected on the image of the bike as it was hoisted over the cliff and how it had been turned into nothing more than scrap metal, rising over the cliff. “Certain death.”

“Another threat,” Anna murmured.

“Only this time, they called Blaze’s bluff,” Decker replied, not caring about the harshness of her phrasing.

“I can’t stand this.” Anna began moving toward the direction where we’d parked. “I need to get to Blaze.”

“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” Leah called after her but Anna hastened her pace.

“I am. And after I find my fiancé and make sure he’s in one piece, I’m going after the person…or people….who started this.” Anna’s reply came out more of a growl, causing the three of us to look at one another in surprise as we stared at her back while she trudged forward.

I didn’t blame her for her reaction, but it was a side of my friend I hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t as though I’d expected her to fall apart, but this was a darkness that I would have never seen coming if it wasn’t standing directly in front of me, smacking me in the face.

Fortunately, Decker stepped in, matching Anna stride for stride. “Why don’t I give them a ride back? You go to Blaze and I’ll fill these two in on what I know. Then we’ll all meet up and get a fresh start in the morning and come up with a game plan to divide and conquer.”

“Sounds good to me,” Anna replied, pausing briefly to glance at us for approval.

Leah and I nodded and gave her a hug before she blew out a long breath and jumped into her SUV. We watched as she quickly flipped a U-turn and headed back in the direction we’d originally come.

“I’m over there.” Decker pointed.

For a moment, I hoped we wouldn’t be traveling all the way back to L.A. crammed into a sidecar and was pleasantly surprised when she directed us to a newer-model Range Rover.

Decker noticed our open mouths and snickered. “I think you’ll be comfortable in this. Your boy, Nicoh, will have a good amount of space to stretch his legs. In fact, I think there are probably some dog treats back there for him, if not a nylon bone to keep him busy during our trip back to the city.”

I worked my mouth, formulating the appropriate words, and finally managed to sputter out, “Figured you as more of a Harley gal, Decker.”

She tossed her head back and released her version of a laugh, a cross between a snort and a hack. “Actually, I am. This is my work vehicle.” She opened the rear passenger door and urged Nicoh in.

He sniffed the interior before jumping in, finding a space to spread out before releasing a low moan of approval when he found the bone.

“You have a dog?” I asked as I jumped in the back with Nicoh and Leah took the front passenger seat.

“Don’t sound so shocked. Yeah, she’s with a friend right now. Figured she didn’t need all the excitement.”

I nodded. “What’s her name?”

“Mia. She’s almost ten. A retired police dog. She has her days, suffers from arthritis in her back legs and hips, so I try not to get her all worked up. Other days, she surprises me and goes all puppy crazy. Really likes the water.”

“That’s cool. I hear swimming can be therapeutic for animals,” I replied, continuing when Decker nodded. “Think she’ll be up to meeting Nicoh? He doesn’t have anywhere near the skill set she does but he’s been trained and he’s very good with other dogs.”

“Sure, when the time is right, why don’t we schedule a meet and greet and see how it goes,” Decker replied, sounding genuinely interested.

“Yeah, when we figure this all out,” I replied. “And in case you were wondering, Leah and I are not leaving until we do.”

“Definitely,” Leah replied, before adding, “I’m curious about something, Decker. It seemed as though you weren’t all that disappointed when Anna went after Blaze alone. Was that your original intent—to get us by ourselves—to pick our brains?”

Decker laughed at Leah’s assessment. “Forgot you used to be an investigative reporter, Campbell, and a good one, from what I’ve heard.”

I chuckled when Leah blushed. It was the second time Decker had called her number.

“Just to be clear, I have no bones with Anna Goodwin, though I can understand her animosity toward me, given the circumstances,” Decker replied.

I believed her. “Anna will come around. We just need to look at things from her perspective. For months, she’s been trying to figure out what’s going on in her relationship. Blaze should have known that she would understand and should have realized she’d think she’d done something wrong when he didn’t come clean. Just look at her. She’s exhausted, rundown and barely able to keep herself upright. It’s not surprising that she used all of her free time trying to figure out what was going on…and then once she did, who could blame her?”

I raised my hand when Decker started to comment. “She’s not angry with you, specifically. She’s raging about the situation and how it went down. She’s probably a little humiliated, too, that she didn’t see things for what they were. I guess what I’m saying is, Anna’s beef—and she knows it—is with Blaze, and not you.” Decker’s frown was clearly visible as she stared at me from the rearview mirror. “Come on, Decker, you know it’s true. You may not know Anna, but you know people. And right now, you need allies to help you figure this out. I am telling you, straight up, you can count on Anna.”

Decker gave me a single head nod. “Fair enough. And, if we’re being completely frank here, you Phoenix chicks are a surprise. A refreshing one. I’ve read your dossiers and then some”—she paused to give me a wry smile—“and I know what you’re both capable of…and what you’ve already been through.”

I noted she didn’t mention the similarities in our backgrounds, having lost loved ones to murder, though she quickly added, “And believe me, I don’t say this lightly—I both admire and respect who you are and what you stand for. And what you stand against. Which is why, as Anna’s friends, I’d like to pick your brains. And, before you ask, yes, I’m willing to exchange deets on the flip side but before I do, I want to get a sense of Blaze and Anna’s relationship—from your perspectives—and the relationship between Anna and Blaze and his friend Bryce before I shared my initial findings with her.”

“You’re afraid that she’ll deny there’s any truth to it?” Leah asked.

“I am,” Decker replied. “Before Bryce’s accident, I told Blaze I had a line on a possible culprit behind the threats. Of course, it makes zero sense, given everything that’s happened today but at the time, I had evidence that clearly implicated one person—for everything.”

“Well, don’t just leave us hanging, Decker.” Leah’s tone suggested she was less than amused, if not impatient.

Decker shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m the only one left out hanging. I should have never revealed my suspicions until I’d confirmed every piece of evidence. Now, I feel as though I set something in motion…something that I can never take back…” Her voice broke but when I surveyed her reflection, her face revealed nothing.

“No judgment here, Decker, just tell us what you found,” I replied quietly. “And why you think you are the catalyst.”

“Because, shortly before Bryce went off that cliff, I convinced Blaze that his best friend was hell-bent on destroying the life—and the only world—he had ever known.”