Page 114 of Lethal Danger

Marion gave a brief history of the twelve-year-old shelter, which she’d expanded into a training and rehab facility for the dogs she rehomed. “Phoenix has given many of those dogs homes and purpose in life by partnering them with the ladies at the Phoenix K-9 Agency.”

Jazz nodded. “I heard you trained Toby and Alvarez?”

“Yes.” Marion smiled. “Such sweet dogs.”

“And Cannenta, right? She’s my friend’s dog.”

“Oh, yes.” Marion caressed the baby’s back with her hand as she walked. “Cannenta came from our training program with inmates at the prison. Such a blessing to help dogs and humans bring healing to each other. How is Cannenta?”

“Great. Living the dream. And she helps my friend a ton.”

Marion’s smile broadened. “Wonderful.” She opened a door that led from the kennel to another large space she explained they used for training and adapting dogs to household environments.

She looked around the empty room with a frown. “I told Marnie and Joe to wait for us here. She was going to work with Kippie.” Marion looked at Pheonix.

“The training field.”

“Of course.” Marion nodded like Phoenix had given her the answer and moved toward another door Jazz guessed would take them outside.

After walking about a half-acre along a gravel driveway, they reached a chain-link fence that bordered an open area of grass containing training obstacles and agility equipment. Must be what Phoenix had wanted to show her.

A skinny girl and a stocky boy stood in the middle of the grassy area while a short-haired, brown and white dog sprinted around them in circles.

The girl swung a pole away from her body that was attached to a string with a ferret-like stuffed toy on the end of it.

Flash pulled toward the toy as Phoenix opened a gate to let them into the yard.

“Flash, lass es.”

The K-9 worked hard to restrain himself at the leave it command.

Marion glanced at Flash, then the kids. “Marnie, that’s enough. Our guests are here.”

The girl lowered the toy, letting the hyper mix grab the fake ferret in its mouth.

As Phoenix, Marion, and Jazz approached with Flash and Dag, Marnie stood in front of the dog and commanded it to drop the toy in a confident tone.

The dog obeyed, and Marnie tossed it what Jazz assumed was a treat from the pouch on her hip.

“Put the leash on him, Joe.” She threw the order at the boy as she turned toward the newcomers. “Phoenix.” Her small mouth spread into a smile, and she squinted up at the boss. The girl looked to be eight or nine judging by her size, but something in her brown eyes suggested she was older. Or maybe it was the way she seemed happy to see Phoenix but didn’t shout with excitement like the children in the house. “I knew you were here before Mom told me.”

Her glossy, straight black hair, olive-toned skin, and Asian features were a puzzle. Didn’t look like she could be a child of Marion or Eli.

Stranger still was the slight movement Jazz caught on Phoenix’s face. The boss’s lips lifted the tiniest bit at the corners in the almost-smile Jazz had only seen Phoenix give Cora. Once. “Well done.”

And a compliment from the boss? Jazz looked from Phoenix to the girl and back again as the two watched each other.

“Hiya, Phoenix.” The boy brought the bouncy dog toward them on leash, his Hispanic features and coloring making Jazz all the more curious. Were some of the kids adopted? Marnie had called Marion her mom.

“See the ladder we added?” The boy Jazz guessed to be eight years old pointed toward a ladder angled upright against a steep ramp that sloped downward on the opposite side. He looked up at Jazz. “Mom says your dog can climb that.” The eagerness in his voice, like he couldn’t wait to watch, made Jazz smile.

“Oh, yeah. No problem.”

The boy’s eyes widened, and he threw a hopeful look at his mother.

“Yes, Joe, you can stay. But I need to talk to Marnie.”

“Why?” The girl’s black eyebrows lowered.

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