Page 12 of In Cold Blood (High Peaks Murder, Mystery and Crime Thrillers #1)

As the door opened, a male deputy stepped into view, holding Axel.

His nails tapped on the ground like rain. He was still wearing a muzzle and pulling on the leash. “Hey, Kerri. Well, here he is.”

Noah noted the name tag. Deputy Hendrix.

The deputy looked at Noah.

“Thanks, Simon,” Kerri said, moving toward him to help.

As soon as Axel saw Noah, he whined and wagged his tail, clawing at the ground to get near him. “Seems you’ve gained a friend,” Hendrix said. “Must think you’re Luke. By the way. My condolences, Luke was a great deputy sheriff and would have been elected for sure.”

Leaning up against the doorframe, he watched as Kerri struggled with the dog to get him to go through a doorway into an area that was used for the kennel. “Come on, Axel. That way!” she bellowed.

The dog kept looking at Noah.

“Here, let me give you a hand,” Hendrix said, thinking he could help.

He couldn’t. It was like wrestling a wild bear.

Axel refused to take his eyes off Noah. He had every intention of getting close, and hell or high water he would.

Like a deep-sea fisherman grappling with a net, Hendrix glanced at Noah as he tried to hold onto Axel.

“You think you could give us a hand? It might be easier if…”

As soon as Noah took a step in his direction, Axel stopped pulling as hard.

When he was within reach of his muzzle, the dog sniffed him but instead of going nuts as he might have around Luke, he simply relaxed.

“Well look at that. That’s quite the reaction,” Hendrix said.

“Now if you could have been with us today, that would have been great.”

Noah slipped by them and without any hesitation, Axel followed him into a room where there was a large crate, big enough for the dog to walk around in.

It took up most of the room. Kerri opened the latch on the gate and Noah took the leash and led the dog inside.

He crouched and stared into his eyes for a second, a moment of hesitation before Noah removed his muzzle. The dog licked his face.

As Noah turned to walk out, the dog followed.

“Oh no, buster, you stay in there,” Hendrix said. “Stay.”

The dog didn’t listen so Noah said stay .

Immediately, the dog obeyed.

Hendrix stared in amazement.

“Well, dang, I hope for your sake, Kerri, he’s sticking around,” he said, smiling as they closed the gate. “We haven’t been introduced,” Hendrix said, holding out his hand. “Simon Hendrix. A close friend of Luke’s.”

Noah shook it. “Pleased to meet you.”

“All right, well, unless there’s anything else you need, that’s that. Again, Kerri, if you have any trouble with Axel over the next week or two, just let me know.”

“I will do. Thank you.”

“Pleased to meet you, Noah.”

For once, Noah was glad he didn’t say he looked like his brother. Hendrix turned and headed out, leaving them in the mud room. Once he was gone, they returned to the kitchen, listening to the sound of Axel whining.

“Do you have a place to stay? I could make up the spare room.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ve made arrangements. A cabin by the lake.”

“Huh. Sounds nice. Look, tomorrow we’re heading out. I’m taking the kids for a week up to my mother’s place, mostly to avoid speaking with media and I think we could all use the break. ”

Noah nodded. “Sounds nice. So you’ll be taking Axel, then?”

“Well, that’s where I was hoping you might be able to help.”

Noah raised an eyebrow.

“The way he responded to you. I mean, don’t get me wrong. We love Axel. He’s a part of the family, but he’s not your typical dog. He’s got a lot of energy. He’s a working dog. And at the best of times, Luke was the only one who could restrain him.”

Noah raised his hands. “Whoa, you’re asking me to take him?”

“Could you? I mean it would just be for a week. You’re on vacation, right?”

“Yeah, but Kerri…”

“He listens to you. You saw the way he was with you.”

“I know but… what about what Hendrix said? You know, if you have any trouble to call him. Maybe he can take him.”

She shifted from one foot to the next. “That wasn’t what Hendrix was referring to. The reason he’s back here is because if we couldn’t take him the other option was for Axel to go to another person or be euthanized. And I’m really not sure anyone could handle him now.”

“There has to be a temporary kennel.”

“Sure, but that dog has had the rug pulled out from underneath him as much as we have. I won’t do that to him. I’d rather he be with someone that he knows.”

“He doesn’t know me.”

“He acts as if he does.”

Noah groaned and closed his eyes, seeing where this was heading. “I don’t even know all the commands.”

“You did okay a moment ago.”

He scoffed. “Beginner’s luck.”

“Look, I could write them down,” she said. “It’s pretty straightforward.”

He gave her an apprehensive glance and grimaced. “What about your kids? Don’t they want him around … you know, for comfort?”

“It’s just for a week, Noah. Luke was the one that took him out. The one that bonded with him the most. They’re too young to handle what they are feeling right now. And the dog, well, it would be down to me, and …” She sighed, running a hand over her head.

“It’s bad timing,” Noah added.

She nodded, tears welling up.

Noah knew he was going to regret this. Whether it was the show of emotion or the least he could do for his brother, he reluctantly agreed.