He also had a child, but Lily was old enough to bring along if he chose. Besides, it would be advantageous to introduce Phoenix to Lily on neutral ground.
“Right. I need to be sure the dog likes kids,” Sophie told herself, immediately recognizing the excuse for what it was. Lame. However, that was not enough to keep her from calling him at home.
Instead of making small talk, Sophie began with, “I found some clues—chewing gum papers and foil—next to my house. I’m pretty sure they weren’t there before.”
“I take it this is Sophie.”
“Of course it is. I told you I was being watched. Suppose there’s DNA on the gum wrappers? I didn’t stop to see if there was any old gum lying around. I didn’t touch a thing and I kept the dog back, too.”
“Good for you.”
“Look, do you want me to call somebody else? I don’t particularly want a bunch of red lights and sirens charging over here again, not after the uproar last night. Which reminds me. Didn’t you say you’d come check the yard this morning? How is that any different than coming by now?”
“Well, for one thing Lily wouldn’t be with me later.”
Sophie suddenly saw his concerns. “You’re afraid to bring her here?”
He huffed. “I’m afraid to let her out of my sight, period.”
“I understand. Now that I think about it, I know I’ve noticed that brand of gum at either the police station or training center. I just can’t place exactly where. I could pick up the evidence and keep it clean but it wouldn’t be admissible in court since I’m no longer an officer of the law.”
Ryder yawned. “What are you asking me to do?”
“Come and get it.”
“I have minions for that.”
Sophie could tell he was chuckling and was not amused. “I was trying to keep from making a big fuss about it and getting everybody all riled up. You want to keep the good citizens of Desert Valley calm, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Another yawn. “Okay. Leave your evidence alone and keep the dog from getting into it. I’ll get dressed and be there as soon as I can.”
“Why don’t you come for coffee? If you change your mind and bring Lily I can fix pancakes for us all.”
“Not a good idea,” Ryder countered. “I don’t think it’s wise for me to be seen spending any private time with you.”
Sophie wanted to ask him if he was afraid of Carrie or of himself. She didn’t. Instead, she said, “Consider it a part of Phoenix’s training. I’d like to make sure he’s good with children.”
“Then meet us at the office some afternoon.”
“You’re right. Sorry. I’ll stay here and wait. Will you come by as soon as you drop her off?”
When Ryder said, “Yes,” Sophie felt such relief she almost sighed aloud.
She wasn’t afraid of facing enemies she could see. It was the hidden ones that set her nerves on edge. The ones like the gunman who had killed her partner while she was tracking another criminal.
Or the ones who patiently lurked in the shadows and chewed gum while they watched her try to keep from being poisoned by snake venom. No matter what anybody said, she still suspected that those snakes had been dumped over her back fence to do what vipers did best. To kill.
* * *
Ryder had donned his full uniform so he could go on to work once he was finished gathering evidence at Sophie’s. Her front door swung open before he reached the porch.
“Thanks for coming.”
He touched the brim of his cap. “Where’s the evidence?”
“Over there.” She gestured. “I’ll come with you.”
Waiting at the corner of the house until she joined him, he scowled. “Where?”
“Right...” Her jaw dropped. “It was right there.”
It went against his high opinion of her to doubt but he certainly had questions. “Could you be mistaken?”
“No, I saw foil and paper gum wrappers. Most of them were crumpled up so they wouldn’t be likely to blow away. Besides, there’s no breeze stirring this morning.”
Ryder arched an eyebrow. “That was my conclusion. So, what do you think happened to them?”
“How should I know?” Her voice was raised, her eyes wide. “They have to be here somewhere.”
“All right. We’ll circle the house first, then bring in a dog.”
Clearly, Sophie believed she’d seen clues, which was a point in her favor. Being unable to lead him to the scene was not.
“It was near this back corner,” she insisted. “The same area that had me spooked last night. Remember what I told you about saving ammo just in case? Well, this was where Phoenix was looking when I started to feel as if we were being watched.”
“So you assumed you’d see clues this morning?”
“No. I wasn’t even thinking of that when I stumbled on the gum wrappers.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
Whirling, she fisted her hands on her hips. If Ryder hadn’t been so disgusted to have been talked into participating in a wild-goose chase, he might have smiled at her uncompromising demeanor.
“I did not imagine a thing, Chief,” she said with conviction. “There were clues on the ground. Look. See the footprints?”
“Most every cop in Desert Valley was walking out here last night,” Ryder reminded her. “Any of them could have been chewing gum.”
“Okay, okay. Suppose you radio the station and ask if they were before you assume I’m lying.”
“I never said you were lying. I do wonder if your imagination isn’t working overtime, though. You were pretty freaked out last night.”
“Do you blame me?”
“Nope. It did surprise me that you assumed the snakes were part of a planned attack. The Arizona desert is their natural habitat. You must know they den up for winter.”
“It’s August and hotter than ever,” Sophie countered. “I know how snakes behave. If there was a den in my backyard I think I’d have discovered it by now. I’ve lived here for two summers.”
“Something around you may have changed. They could have lost their regular underground access to tunnels and been forced to seek another way in.”
“I’d think you’d be the first to suspect an attack, especially after I was shot at in the depot.”
As she spoke, Ryder was slowly making his way around her house. Roadrunners and flocks of smaller birds were busy cleaning up the mess near the back fence, making his job easier in one way.
He straightened when they returned to their starting point. “I suppose jays or some other species might have been attracted to the shiny wrappers and carried them off.”
“Birds? You’re blaming birds?”
Ryder let her barely controlled anger roll off him. Even if Phoenix didn’t strike a trail, Titus would let them know if there had been a prowler. “Go get the new dog and let’s see what he does.”
“Not on your life.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You should,” Sophie told him. “If you gave my opinion a shred of credit you wouldn’t tell me to get a dog