Page 35 of Buck (Diver Downeast #2)

One more perk of being home.

As soon as Buck’s feet hit the top step outside, he’d let Cooper down. But instead of peeing or pooping right away after scrambling to the grass, the little guy’s nose immediately went low and he started sniffing. And sniffing.

“Can’t find a good spot?” Buck questioned quietly. Or maybe it was a stalling technique on Cooper’s behalf because the night was so fine?

He joined Cooper on the grass, and… The tiny dog raised his head and growled.

A shiver went down Buck’s spine. That wasn’t normal.

When Cooper not only emoted, but his scruff rose and he tugged hard at the leash, Buck went on immediate alert. He picked Cooper up and held him close to his side, ducking them both down behind a small row of shrubs that grew on either side of the walkway.

“Seriously, little guy?” he whispered. “You think something’s out there?”

He kept his voice low just in case Cooper wasn’t barking up the wrong tree, so to speak. Buck was taking no chances.

Peering over the foliage, and happy that his eyes had already adjusted to the darkness, Buck couldn’t immediately see anything.

Which made him question Cooper’s watchdog skills.

Was the kind of awareness he was reading into his new puppy’s actions even possible? Were dogs this young ever in tune enough with what was around them to hone in on anomalies?

Buck erred on the side of caution, ducking back down and remaining quiet. Cooper followed suit, seemingly taking cues from his owner.

When, after a few more minutes, Buck heard a twig snap in the tree-line to the side of the house, all doubts fled. There was definitely?—

The first small noise was suddenly followed by a bigger sound—a trip and a swear.

Shit. There was someone out there.

If Buck had to guess, he’d say it was either one or both of Bobbie’s brothers. They must have found out where he lived, and were staking out the place. But for what?

Was theirs a simple recon, to get the lay of the land for later crimes?

Did they have plans to sabotage something tonight?

His van, perhaps? Or had they trashed a business in town earlier, like they had years before, and were planting evidence on his property right now, to blame whatever it was on him?

Like hell.

One thing was immediately clear to Buck.

He needed to call the police right the fuck now, if just for documentation.

The problem was, this cottage was not in Orono’s jurisdiction, so he’d have to deal with an unknown department.

Not the worst thing, but it would have saved time if he could have spoken to a familiar voice, and didn’t have to explain the possible ramifications.

But now was not the time to equivocate.

Quietly, with Cooper in his arms, Buck used the cover of the bushes to inch around his house, opposite to the side where he’d heard the noise.

He headed for his back, screened porch, toward the door which thankfully didn’t squeak.

A key was kept hidden at the roots of an adjacent hydrangea.

It was easily found, even in the dark, and Buck palmed it.

Once he was inside, he’d call the cops.

It took only a minute before he’d silently executed his moves and was hunkered down in his dark kitchen, phone in hand, already dialing.

Not 911, though. He wanted local dispatch.

“Hampden police,” a voice answered. “Your call is being recorded. How may I help you?”

“My name is Buck Sothard.” Buck quickly gave his name before rattling off his address which was almost at the northern most border of town. “There’s someone outside my house. My dog let me know, then I confirmed it when I heard a voice.”

“Okay, Mr. Sothard. Are you inside with the doors locked?”

“I am,” Buck affirmed.

“Stay right there. I have a squad car on the way. ETA is seven minutes.”

“Thank you,” Buck sighed.

Would he rather go out and deal with this on his own? Punch one or two ugly mugs? Yes. But he knew his brother and Chief Ildavorg would have a fit if he went rogue. For future prosecution options, they’d need things done legally.

“Do you want to stay on the phone with me while you wait, sir?” the dispatcher asked. “Do you feel unsafe?”

Buck almost snorted, but caught himself. He knew the question was sincere, and it was most likely protocol. “No. I’m fine. Thanks for your help.”

“Okay. I’m hanging up now. But if you hear someone trying to enter your home, please call back, immediately.”

“Will do,” Buck answered, then disconnected.

He wondered briefly if the cruiser headed his way would use their siren, but after a few minutes, when he didn’t hear anything in the distance, he figured they must be coming in quietly.

Buck, crouching, moved to his living room windows which overlooked the road and his driveway, lifting up a bit to peer out.

There. A single shadow. Was it…headed toward a truck parked just down the street?

Goddammit. Maybe the cops weren’t going to arrive in time to get the guy.

It looked like whoever had been casing his place, or carrying out whatever other nefarious thing they’d been doing, had finished up?

He looked at his watch. Four minutes until the squad car arrived.

By that time the intruder could be long gone.

Buck thought over his options for less than a second.

He was going out. Not to confront the perp, but to take pictures of the truck and license plate before it took off.

Wasting no time, Buck hastened back across his living room, through his kitchen, and out the back door, closing it behind him so Cooper couldn’t follow.

He bent and sprinted to the trees on the side of the yard beyond which the car was parked, and eased his way through the scrub until he had sight of the vehicle.

Crap.

There it was. And it didn’t make Buck happy.

He’d been right.

The junkheap was familiar.

It belonged to Bobbie’s brothers, and one of them—Buck believed it was Jeff, even with a cap pulled low over his face—leaned over the side to get something from the overflowing bed.

Buck quickly raised his camera and snapped a few pictures, but while doing so, his foot slipped, and a branch cracked under his not-so-stealthy flip-flop.

The poorly disguised Follster’s head came up.

The man swore, and like the coward Buck knew he was, Jeff scrambled into his truck, started it up, spun his wheels and drove away.