Page 79 of Tear Me Apart

Juliet smiles, and her face shifts, at once warm and genuine, no longer scared. “Mindy is a world-class downhill skier. We’re talking World Cup, Olympic level. She has a spot on the US ski team if she can beat this.”

“You’re sure she’s ours? Neither Vivian nor I were terribly athletic. Healthy, but not competitive.”

“Pretty sure,” she says, with a small laugh. “Go pack.”

41

Zack moves as if underwater, in a dream state. Underwear folded—She’s alive. Toothbrush in his toiletries kit—She might die, hurry, hurry. Leather jacket, where the hell are my gloves—Oh, Vivian, we might have found her at last.

He makes a quick call to his friend Blake Malone, Kat’s vet, who promises to come by in a couple of hours and take Kat to his house for a few days, then sets out her food and bones on the kitchen counter. He kisses her goodbye, promises he’ll see her in a few days, then nods at Ryder.

“I’m ready.”

She takes in the rucksack on his shoulder. “A man after my own heart.” She shoulders her own small pack. “I travel light myself. Dog’s not coming?”

“She’s staying. A friend will come get her.”

“Too bad you don’t have one of those service dog jackets for her. She could come on the plane no questions asked.”

“She does have one.”

Ryder doesn’t miss a beat. “Then why leave her behind?”

Kat is looking at him as if she is wondering the same thing.

“I...” Why is he? Kat serves a number of purposes for him, companionship aside. He is about to step into an emotionally fraught situation with a bunch of strangers. She is good with weapons and with words. And as he’s been told over and over again, she makes him strong, not weak. Lord knows he doesn’t like parading into the unknown without backup.

“Mindy loves dogs,” Juliet says, scratching Kat’s ears.

Zack needs no more persuading. He packages up some bones and food, and ten minutes later, they are in the back of an Uber, heading to the airport, Kat’s head out the window, tongue lolling.

Zack calls his friend again and cancels the dog sitting, and then calls the airline and warns them he will be bringing an emotional support dog on the plane, and yes, he has all the paperwork.

And then he calls Parks.

“I was about to give you a shout, Mr. Armstrong. Any chance I can drop by and have another quick chat?”

“Actually, no. I’m heading to the airport. I’m going to put you on Speaker. I’m in the car with a Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent named Juliet Ryder.”

“What?” Parks says, but Juliet jumps right in.

“I’m Dr. Ryder, Sergeant. Not an agent. I run the forensics lab. Sorry to be stealing your guy, but we have a lead on his daughter, and we’re acting quickly because of a personal situation.”

The confusion is evident in Parks’s tone. “You’re CBI? What’s your role in this investigation?”

“Not official yet, sir, though my next call is to my boss, and I know he’ll be jumping on this immediately. Mindy Wright is my niece.”

“The skier Mindy Wright?”

“Yes, that’s her. You’re familiar with her name?”

“Um... Dr. Ryder, what time does your flight take off?”

Ryder looks at him, permission seeking, and Zack shrugs. He has nothing to hide from the detectives. “We’re on the 5:45 p.m. direct to Denver. Southwest.”

“I’ll meet you at the gate. Don’t fly off before we have a chance to talk, you hear?”

“Loud and clear.”