Page 38 of No Bones About It

The dog’s head tilted as the bunny twitched again and blinked. Olaf lapped him with his tongue, and the bunny sat upright, giving Kimi both a smile and the hope that they weren’t too late to save them all.

Eventually, all the rabbits were fed, and sleeping in a clean container lined with a fresh blanket. Once they were ready, they could share the stall with the cats. She’d have to ensure the cats saw them as companions, not prey, but with them all being so young, she imagined they would get along without much help.

Olaf sat on Garrett’s lap and watched the bunnies with a fascinated expression. She hoped he would be a good protector for the little guys.

“I don’t understand people who would just dump these bunnies.” Garrett’s voice echoed her thoughts.

Marcus leaned back in his chair. “Which brings me to the reason for my visit.”

The deputy’s gaze swung Kimi’s way, and she waited.

“I’ve had some calls from my contacts in and around the area. Veterinarian clinics are being targeted for thefts. The thieves are taking surgical supplies, medications, and surgery items. The areas they’ve hit are mostly in southern New Hampshire, but they’re moving north and spreading out. I want to make sure you’ve got adequate security out here.”

Garrett swore, and Kimi sighed. Looked like she was about to out herself and her reconnaissance missions. She nodded at Marcus. “Not surprising. That’s my cue to share some information. I have a good guess as to who’s been stealing from the clinics. I’ve been gathering information on a dog fighting ring, and I’ve recently confirmed its location in southern New Hampshire.”

Marcus’s eyes hardened. “And when were you going to share this information with me? You’re not a trained investigator, Kimi, and the people who run these rings are hardened criminals, usually members of gangs or organized crime. What were you thinking, going off investigating by yourself?”

When Garrett started to speak, she shook her head and answered herself. This was her problem and her responsibility. No way was she making it an issue between the two friends. “I spoke to the FBI about it a while back. They needed some concrete evidence in order to start an official investigation.”

“And you decided it was your job to find it?”

“Yes.”

Marcus ran his hands over his face. “Seriously, Kimi? You’re smarter than that. Do these guys have any clue you’ve been checking them out?”

That had her hesitating, and Marcus growled. She held up her hand to forestall his questions or his lecture. “I’ve been careful, and I’ve only been out there a few times. You don’t have to believe me, but we were going to talk to you about what happened two nights ago.”

“We?” Marcus switched his focus to Garrett. “You knew about this? You were involved in this and didn’t tell me? I thought you trusted me.”

She tapped her finger on the table to bring his attention backto her. “Whoa. This is all on me. The only reason Garrett knows anything is that he jumped into my truck the other night as I was heading out. He figured out I was doing some late-night recon on something, and didn’t want me heading out alone.”

She sighed. “He’s also been after me to tell you from the first moment I told him what I was doing. And I was going to yesterday until Olaf there got swiped by a bear and that took priority. But you’re right, these guys are scary and organized and too big for me to take on by myself.”

Marcus blew out a breath. She could tell he was still pissed, but he was making himself listen. “Fine. Tell me what you’ve seen. In detail.”

“You’re not going to like some of it.” Like her painting over her license plate.

“I already figured that out. Tell me something I don’t know.”

“William Shatner. William Shatner.”

Kimi was grateful for the parrot. He always seemed to pick a celebrity that would make the humans smile. She could use a little of Shatner’s tech right now. Then, they could beam the dogs right out of danger.

With a deep breath, she prepared to tell Marcus everything.

CHAPTER 14

Boneheaded

Garrett squashed his feelings of guilt as Kimi told Marcus everything she knew about the dog-fighting ring. He wanted to take the heat of this whole mess off of her but she didn’t give him a chance. She’d known she was taking risks, known the potential consequences. The dogs’s safety was more important to her than any consequences.

Marcus was royally pissed off, but he kept himself calm and listened. Always did.

“I’m going to call Shanice Williams, the lead FBI agent over in New Hampshire. She’ll know who is in charge of this operation and will know who we need to speak with next.”

Kimi nodded. “No problem.”

Marcus moved outside to place the call, and Kimi blew out a breath as she turned to Garrett. “He’s so pissed at me right now.”

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