She knew it could put Keiki at risk, anyone out in the neighborhood at risk, but in a split-second she unclipped Keiki’s leash. If he was still here, Keiki would find him.
“Go,” she said. The dog shot away, silent as a black arrow, hurtling up the street. Lei ran after her, trying to keep up. She was halfway to the next block when a cacophony of barking started up ahead and she broke into an all out run.
Her heart sank as she saw one of her neighbors, a plump lady in a muumuu, backed up against her mailbox clutching her fuzzy Shih Tzu. Keiki faced them, growling, her hair on end and ears flat. Her teeth looked enormous as she broke into the fast-paced barking meant to herd and intimidate. It appeared to be working.
“Help! Oh my God!” The woman shrieked as the little white dog tried to claw its way onto her head. Lei grabbed Keiki’s chain collar and yanked her back onto her haunches.
“Friend!” she yelled, holstering her gun and making the hand signal where the snarling dog could see it. Keiki was so agitated her hair was standing on end, spit flying from gnashing jaws. Lei gave her another yank and a smack on the haunches to get her attention. The dog finally sat, and Lei made her lie down and expose her belly in submission. Only then did she look up at her neighbor.
Up and down the street, lights were coming on and the woman’s husband came roaring down the steps, a baseball bat in his hand.
The woman ran toward him screaming, “She has a gun!”
“I’m so sorry,” Lei said. “I’m a police officer and I was chasing a suspect. My dog was looking for him.”
“What the hell?” screamed the husband. “Are you crazy?”
“I called the police,” yelled another neighbor from her porch. Lei recoiled. This was a nightmare.
“I’m a police officer,” she repeated to the couple. “I was looking for an intruder… I really am sorry. She wouldn’t have hurt you. She was ‘holding’ you for me.”
The lady had dropped the Shih Tzu at some point and the dog had vanished. She sobbed hysterically as her enraged husband helped her into the house.
“Tell it to the cops, you crazy bitch! I’m going to tell them to shoot that dog!”
Lei heard the wailing of sirens in the distance. She sat down on the sidewalk and waited, Keiki flopped beside her, her tongue hanging out.
“I’m sorry, girl,” she whispered, rubbing her dog’s neck. “This is all my fault.”
Chapter 12
Lei rocked a little in her bed, her arms around herself, her eyes shut under the sleep mask. She’d called in sick for the morning, dreading facing anyone in the department. Unfortunately, she still had to go meet Stevens and interview the kid at the high school, or miss out on the chance to help with that. She was sure he would’ve heard about the humiliating interview she’d had with Detectives Ross and Nagata. Bathed in flashing blue-and-red lights and surrounded by hostile neighbors, it had been hard to explain the patrol of her neighborhood that had ended so badly.
“At least the stalker will think twice about coming by on foot while I’m home,” she said out loud, flinging off the sleep mask. Keiki raised her head to look at her from the foot of the bed. Lei rocked herself some more, but for once it brought no comfort as she thought of the stark terror in her neighbor’s face, the outrage of the woman’s husband, the trembling little white dog they’d found two blocks away.
I wonder if he was watching? If so he must be laughing his ass off, she thought, and squeezed her eyes shut again.
Her cell phone bleeped from the side table and she looked at the caller ID before she answered it.
“Pono. Hey.”
“Called in sick, huh?”
“I don’t feel so good,” she said.
“You’re the owner of one sick puppy, that’s for sure.” He chuckled, but there was an angry edge to it.
“Very funny. What did you hear?”
“You and your dog were running around the neighborhood, out for vigilante justice, scaring old ladies out of their wits and waving a gun around. The husband is trying to press charges on you for attempted assault with a deadly weapon and terroristic threatening.”
“What? The worst I did is disturb the peace!”
“The dog. Says she’s a deadly assault weapon and you knowingly unleashed her. She was the one doing the terroristic threatening.”
“Oh my God.” Lei sat up. “I know Keiki scared the crap out of them, but she wouldn’t have attacked.”
“You say that and, frankly, you’re the only one who believes it. Anyway you shouldn’t have run out there alone with your gun and your dog, Lei! What were you thinking?” His volume was steadily increasing. “You should have had backup. Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve come and helped you!”
She put her hand over her face. Tears rushed up and stung her eyes like a thousand tiny bees. She tried to control her voice.
“I just wanted to get him. I’m not going to be a victim again! I didn’t want to let him scare me.”
“I’m the one scared. And your neighbors…” She heard him breathing hard, trying to get control.
“I’ll call for backup next time,” she said in a small voice. Keiki belly-crawled across the fluffy duvet and licked the tears off her face.
“I hear that damn dog slurping. Hope she doesn’t get put down.”
Lei clutched Keiki’s neck as fresh tears welled. The enormity of the trouble she was in hit her and she let out a sob.
“Oh, God,” Pono exclaimed in a tone of horror. “Are you crying?”
“They can’t take my dog!”
“They probably won’t, but only because she didn’t actually bite anyone. I’m just saying, if she’s being seen as a dangerous weapon in the hands of a reckless police officer… it’s not good.”
“I know.” Lei wiped her face on Keiki’s ruff.
“Did you give them the note?” he asked. She heard the clicking of his keyboard.
“I did. They said they’d investigate, but what is there to investigate? That’s what I was doing last night!” Her voice ended in a cry of frustration.
“Okay, yeah. Ross and Nagata entered the note into evidence and they must have seen you had an open case started. I hope that helps, that you were following protocol about that at least.”
“I can’t believe things got this out of control. If only I hadn’t taken the leash off her…”
“That’s another thing. I think you should stick to the story that you went outside investigating, and she got away from you.”
Lei battled with herself. It was pride in her well-trained dog that was taking the worst beating: Keiki would never run away from her and go after someone. It was disloyal to say otherwise. It just wasn’t the truth.
“No,” she said. “I took a risk letting her off the leash. I knew she could find him if he was out there, but that she would confront anyone she found. I shouldn’t have taken that risk.”
“It’s your ass,” he said. She could tell he was still mad, and they sat there in silence. “I’ll go talk to the Lieutenant. Tell him you were being stalked, and weren’t going to take it.”
Lei shot out of the bed in agitation, the sheet tangling around her legs.
“No way. I’ll handle it myself.”
“Whatever. Just trying to help,” he said, his voice short. “I’ll call you if I hear anything.” He clicked off. Lei sighed as she put the phone down. She had to get ready for the interview at the high school.
Chapter 13
At 10 a.m. Lei pulled into the “Visitor” stall at Hilo High School. She’d put on jeans and a tank top and for once her hair was behaving. She hopped out of the car, slamming the door, and a chunk of rust fell out of the wheel well.
“Stupid granny car,” she muttered. She kicked the tire and it dropped more rust, this time on her athletic shoe.
“Lei!” Stevens called. She looked up, enjoying the way his long legs ate up the ground as he walked toward her. “I see you remembered to wear your civvies.”