Cross Her Heart (Bree Taggert #1)(20)

Nor did he want to. He’d rather run into a hail of bullets than experience the kind of soul-deep loss Bree was handling.

Nodding, she opened her mouth to respond but seemed unable to get the words out. She swallowed, the motion taking time, as if she were eating a dry sandwich with no drink.

Her phone buzzed. She read the screen, then cleared her throat. “It’s the sheriff’s office.” She answered the call. “Bree Taggert. Yes. Thank you.” She lowered the phone, exhaling hard. “The sheriff’s department has released Erin’s house. I can take the kids home now. I’ll be busy with them tonight. Can we touch base tomorrow?”

Does that mean she wants to work together?

“Sure.” Matt didn’t press. “Call me if you need anything.”

With a quick nod, she slipped out of his vehicle and walked to the door. Matt watched her disappear inside. He ran a few errands, then drove home on autopilot, unable to get Bree’s troubled eyes and quiet courage out of his head.

His sister’s minivan was parked in front of his house. He left his SUV and went around to the kennel. His younger sister, Cady, was walking an overweight black-and-white pointer mix around the backyard. At the sight of Matt, the dog lunged and nearly dragged Cady off her feet, which was quite a feat. Cady had rowed crew in college. She was strong and nearly six feet tall in her winter boots.

Matt ignored the pulling dog. “She needs leash manners, but otherwise she is a real sweetheart.”

Cady stepped on the leash, tethering the big dog to the ground so she couldn’t jump on Matt. “Sit, Ladybug.”

The dog planted her butt on the ground, but her entire body was still wagging.

Matt rewarded her with some ear rubs, and he could have sworn she smiled. “I thought that name was ridiculous for a sixty-pound dog, but she’s so goofy, it suits her.”

“She should be a fifty-pound dog.” Cady tugged her hat over long hair that was more strawberry than blonde. “I really want to place her soon. How’d she do at the park yesterday?”

“Great. She’s good with other dogs. Loves kids. Not touchy about anything. No reaction to running, screaming, or sledding except for a wagging tail stump.” Some idiot had docked the mutt’s tail, and they’d done a poor job of it.

Cady smiled. “How does she do with Brody?”

“Fine, but her housebreaking needs work. She peed in the house twice.”

“I’ll take her home with me and work on it.”

“Good idea. Once she’s away from the kennel environment, she’s super chill.” Matt rubbed behind the dog’s too-small ears. Kennels were loud and stressful.

“Ladybug, heel.” Cady turned and walked toward her minivan. The dog waddled at her side. Cady opened the rear hatch. The dog tried to jump into the van but missed the step and fell flat on her face.

“Oh, no. Are you OK?” Cady checked Ladybug’s face, then scooped up the ungainly dog’s butt and helped her scramble inside.

Matt tried not to laugh. He followed his sister to the van and gave her a hug. “Thanks for the entertainment. I needed it.”

She opened a plastic dog crate, guided Ladybug inside, and secured the door. “I saw the news report this afternoon. They showed Justin’s mug shot.”

Matt wasn’t surprised with the media’s choice of photo. A mug shot implied guilt.

“I can’t believe he shot his wife.” Cady closed the hatch and walked around to the driver’s side.

“I don’t think he did.”

“The reporter used the words person of interest, but they presented him as the only suspect.” Cady opened the door and climbed into her van. “I know you’re going to get involved. Don’t do anything stupid. Love you.”

Matt stepped back. “Love you too.”

She closed the door and drove off.

Matt walked through the kennel and made sure the heater was working. Cady had fed and watered the dogs, and the kennel was clean. Some dogs rushed to him for attention. Others cowered in the back of their space. He spent time with each dog. Full dark had fallen by the time he left the kennels and strode toward the house.

He fed Brody and took him out back to do his business. “What do we do now?”

Brody wagged his tail.

“Want to go for a ride and see Mr. Moore?”

The dog trotted to the front door, and Matt snapped the leash to his collar. One of the reasons Justin had chosen to rent the house near the tiny business district of Grey’s Hollow was its close proximity to his father’s auto shop. He could walk or bike to work. Justin had lost his job at the bank when he’d been charged with a felony.

Brody rode shotgun, and Matt cracked the passenger window for his sniffing pleasure. Ten minutes later, his headlights swept across the entrance to Moore’s Auto Repair. A handful of cars occupied the lot. Matt parked, stepped out of his vehicle, and waited for Brody to jump down. Matt picked up the leash, and they went into the office.

At six forty-five, business was winding down for the day. Mr. Moore stood at the register, explaining a bill to a customer. He acknowledged Matt with a wave and a worried frown before turning back to his client. Two more people waited in line to be checked out. Matt and Brody wandered to the window overlooking the actual shop. One of the four bays was empty. Two vehicles sat on lifts in the others. In the farthest from the office, a single mechanic bent under the hood of a Toyota Camry.