JACK AND THE GIANT KILLER Read online

  Castillo spoke to the ME, nodded, and then turned to Morrison.

  It looks like a regular trash bag, but Donald said they found a body?

  Morrison and Castillo spoke briefly and then headed back up the hill toward Jack. As Castillo approached, he put his notebook in his left hand and stuck the other out. “Ed Castillo.”

  “Jack.”

  Castillo eyed Jack up and down, and then looked down at the picture Jack gave to Morrison. “Jack, Bob gave me the CliffsNotes version. I’d like to talk to you about…” he looked at his notebook, “Daniel Branson. Do you mind coming down to the station for a few minutes?”

  Even though it was standard procedure, part of Jack bristled at the request. “That’s fine,” Jack muttered as he looked past Castillo to the green bag. “What did you find?”

  Jack felt the sweat form on his back as he waited for one of them to respond.

  “I don’t think we’ll be able to tell anything until they get him back to the lab,” Castillo said. “It’s going to be a lot of forensics. You said Daniel Branson was tall?”

  “Six eight.”

  Jack heard the dog bark in the car.

  “Do you have the dog with you, Jack?” Morrison asked.

  Jack nodded as he looked back at the medical examiner. He wished he hadn’t. A tech lifted up part of the torn bag and Jack saw the reason the bag was so small—there was only a torso in it.

  Mixing with the smell of the pines was the odor of death. Because of his tour in Iraq, Jack was all too familiar with the fragrance.

  “Is it just the torso?” Jack asked.

  Morrison set his hands on his hips and watched the crime scene. “Yes. It’s lying chest down. They’re debating whether to do some processing here or move it to the lab. We’re expanding the grid, but there’s no sign of the other body parts.”

  Castillo took Morrison by the arm and walked away from Jack, but he spoke so loudly Jack couldn’t help but overhear. “I’d appreciate it, Bob, if you don’t say anything to him until I finish talking to him.”

  Morrison looked at Castillo but before he responded, a loud howl split the air. The patrolman at the end of the path started to yell. The dog was out of the car, and it now raced down the path, with Replacement chasing after it. The cop rushed to block the dog’s way, but she bounded around him.

  Jack sprinted over to grab her, but the dog suddenly stopped on her own. She let out a twisted whimper and started moving from paw to paw. She whimpered again as Replacement ran up.

  Replacement stared wide-eyed at Jack. “She started totally freaking out. I tried to get her to calm down but—”

  The dog howled. It was a sound that Jack would never forget. She tilted her head back, and the noise that came out of her throat was the sound of pure grief. She clawed the ground once, turned, and bolted off into the forest.

  Replacement looked desperately at Jack and then dashed after her. Jack followed. As he sprinted after the fleeing dog, the soft pine needles covering the ground made his feet slide. In a frenzied dash, the dog leapt over rocks and darted under bushes as she distanced herself from the discovery.

  The undergrowth got thicker, forcing all three to slow down. Jack growled as a branch raked his face. Replacement bobbed and weaved her way around, over, and under the obstacles in her path so quickly that she steadily gained on the dog.

  They reached a clearing with thick briars at the end. The dog stopped, tipped back her head, and howled. As Replacement rushed forward, the dog spun around. Her ears flattened against her head, and she snapped and barked. Replacement froze, but she didn’t back away. She stood with her legs shoulder width apart and watched the dog.

  Whimpering, the dog turned back around and lay down in the grass. Replacement started to cry. The dog curled up on the ground. Replacement slowly walked over and knelt beside her. She rubbed her neck, but the dog kept her eyes closed.

  After a few minutes, Replacement stood but the dog didn’t. Instead, it pressed its body closer to her and whimpered.

  Replacement turned to Jack. “What should I do?”

  “Lady,” Jack softly called.

  The dog raised her head.

  “Why did you call her that?” Replacement’s voice was just above a whisper as she reached down and then stroked the dog’s fur.

  “It’s her name. Do you remember the woman at the park? When the dog rushed her, I yelled Lady. The dog stopped. Same thing at Sandra’s.”

  “Lady?” Replacement called her name. The dog pushed her muzzle against Replacement’s leg.

  Jack put his arms around Replacement while she continued to pat Lady. He closed his eyes and listened to the soft noises of the woods. He moved closer to Replacement and she looked up at him.

  “She knows,” Replacement said.

  Jack nodded.

  Replacement started to cry again. “Is there any chance it’s not him?”

  Jack shook his head. “Lady confirmed it.”

  **********

  Replacement, Lady, and Jack walked out of the woods near the little blue Bug. Morrison stood on the top of the hill, talking into his phone. He turned and waved to someone and then walked toward Jack.

  Jack put Replacement and Lady in the car.

  “What the hell was that?” Castillo grumbled as he ran up.

  Morrison shot him a look, and Castillo’s mouth snapped shut.

  Jack turned to Morrison. “I need to take them home, and then I’ll come down to the station to give you what I found out. My apartment’s on the way to the station.”

  Castillo nodded. “I’ll follow you.”

  Morrison reached in Replacement’s window and squeezed her shoulder.

  As Jack walked around to the driver side, he turned to Castillo and Morrison. “Have you turned the body over?” Jack asked.

  Morrison shook his head.

  “When you do, he’ll have a tattoo on his right chest. It’s a quill and inkwell.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  A Walking Wrecking Ball

  Jack brought Replacement and Lady into the apartment. Lady walked with her head down straight into Jack’s bedroom and curled up in the corner. Replacement picked up the dog’s food and water bowls in the kitchen.

  Jack cleared his throat. “You should leave them out here.”

  She looked at him with disappointment in her eyes.

  “I don’t care about dog food in my bedroom, it’s just…if it were me, I’d stay in my bedroom for the rest of my life. If you leave the food and water out in the kitchen, then the dog has a reason to come out.”

  Replacement set the bowl back down. “I’m going to go lie down in your room.”

  Lady didn’t look up as they entered. Jack pulled the blankets around Replacement and leaned down. “I have to go down to the station for a little while but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  She nodded and pulled the blankets tightly around herself. Jack kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  **********

  Half an hour later, Jack sat on a metal table bolted to the floor in the interrogation room. Morrison and Ed Castillo spoke heatedly in the corner. After a few more words, Castillo walked over to the table and glared down at Jack. “I’ve heard all about you.”

  “Really, Ed? What did you hear about me?” Jack leaned back.

  “That you’re a walking wrecking ball with a disdain for authority who doesn’t follow the rules.”

  The corner of Jack’s mouth curled up. “There’s some truth to that. But right now,” Jack’s face hardened, “it doesn’t matter. A man was killed. It’s your job to find out who did it, not mine. I’m just giving you what I have. Let’s get started.”

  Castillo turned to Morrison. “I got the heads-up to stay away from him, Bob. I’m writing that in my report. I don’t feel like starting this job and the first big case I get flushes my career down the drain because I ticked off the sheriff.”

  Jack’s chair scraped the floor as he pulled it forw
ard. “My involvement started when the dog was found. Are you ready for my statement?”

  Castillo dragged his chair back. He sat down at the table, turned the recorder on, and flipped the notebook open. Morrison sat beside him.

  “What was the woman’s name who found the dog?” Castillo asked.

  “Mrs. Ida Sawyer. She lives on Acorn. She hired Alice to find the dog’s owner.”

  “Daniel Branson?”

  Jack nodded. He ran them both through everything he and Replacement found out—the broken leash at the park, the lumberyard, Sandra—he didn’t leave a detail out. When he finished, Castillo asked him to go over all of the facts a second time.

  “I have a patrolman over at Branson’s apartment now,” Castillo said. “You didn’t touch anything inside, did you?”

  “At the time, we did think we were only doing a wellness check on the owner of a lost dog.”

  “What about the ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend?” Castillo asked. “The coworkers said he threatened him.”

  Jack nodded. “I haven’t talked with him.”

  “What about the girlfriend?” Morrison asked.

  “I just…stopped by. She hadn’t heard from him.” He didn’t look at Morrison, but he heard him exhale.

  Castillo thrust out a hand. “Thank you.” His lips pinched together. “I’m going to go back over my notes here, and I’ll contact you if we have additional questions.”

  Jack exchanged a look with Morrison, who rose.

  “I need to make a million phone calls. Let’s get together at three o’clock, okay, Ed?” Morrison asked.

  “Three? Okay. I need to call the lab.” Castillo shook Jack’s hand again and then hurried out of the room.

  “Seems like an eager guy,” Jack said.

  Morrison sighed. “I haven’t really worked with him and if I had to pick a first case, it wouldn’t have been this. You know when Collins hears you’re involved in this—”

  “What Collins thinks doesn’t matter. I’m not a cop anymore.” Jack took the piece of gum Morrison handed him. “Do you have a cause of death?”

  Morrison popped two sticks into his mouth. “Multiple stab wounds to the back. Because we only have the torso, there’s a lot of speculation at this point. Forensically, they have a lot. We’ll get the guy.” Morrison tapped the table. “Do you want me to notify animal control? I can have them come and pick up the dog.”

  Replacement’s going to be beyond hurt.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  I Have a Plan for That

  Jack stared at his apartment door. He took a deep breath and slowly started to let it swing open while he kept his hand on the doorknob. He scanned the living room and kitchen before he carefully slipped into the apartment. Replacement furiously typed at the computer. She didn’t look up or turn around. The dog was nowhere in sight.

  He put the steak he was carrying down at the end of the counter and shifted the flowers and chocolate to his other hand. As he walked over to Replacement, he looked over her shoulder at the monitor and a picture of a thin, smiling man in his fifties.

  “Hey, I—”

  When he touched her shoulder, she screamed and then jumped up. The earbuds plugged into the speakers ripped out. She swung before she turned around to look at him. The punch landed right at the tip of his nose and his eyes immediately flashed, but he managed to hang onto the flowers and chocolate. Replacement screamed again. Her hands went to her mouth; she gasped, and then spun around and shut off the monitor.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Her hands trembled.

  Jack shook his head and blinked rapidly. “You’ve got a good hook.”

  “Are you all right?” She reached up to hold both sides of his face and burst into tears.

  “No, no, no.” He fired off the words like a machine gun as he tried to lift up her chin. “I’m fine. Fine. Look.” He leaned back and showed her the flowers and chocolate.

  She cried harder and hugged him.

  Mission to cheer her up ends in—failure.

  He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back.

  “I’m so sorry. You scared the crap out of me.” She sniffled.

  “I thought you were just focused. You don’t normally wear headphones when you listen to music.”

  She looked up and stared at his nose again as she wiped hers. “The music was bothering Lady. Are you okay?” She brushed his cheek.

  “I’m fine.” Jack crookedly grinned. “Where’s the dog?”

  Replacement sighed. “She’s in the bedroom. She hasn’t come out. She won’t eat.”

  Jack winked. “I have a plan for that.”

  “How’s your nose? I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You hit like a girl.” She shoved him and he dropped the chocolate. “Darn it.”

  “Your fault.”

  Don’t pick it up. Give her something to do to get her mind off crying. Show her the steak.

  He hurried over to the kitchen, grabbed the huge steak and turned proudly around. Her lip trembled again.

  Damn. “It’s a good thing. It’s a good thing.” He waved his hands and put on an extra-large smile.

  She flew across the room and wrapped her arms around him. He stumbled back a bit from the impact.

  “I know. You’re such a good man.”

  Jack shook his head. “I just want to make you happy, kid.”

  She squeezed him tighter. “Thank you for thinking about Lady.”

  He kissed the top of her head, turned, and grabbed a pan. “How do you think she likes it? Medium rare?”

  Replacement nodded, moved behind him and clung to his back. As he cooked the steak, she leaned up against him with her head pressed against his back.

  “What were you working on?” Jack asked.

  She let go and went back to the computer. “I was just looking up some stuff.”

  “About Daniel?”

  She shook her head.

  Jack put his hands on the counter. “Who was the guy?”

  Replacement’s head slumped forward. “It’s personal. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Personal? Jack went back to the stove. He looked down at the steak and flipped it. Now’s not the right time to push her. “Do you want me to make part of this for you?”

  “No, thanks. Give it all to Lady.”

  Jack fanned the smoke from the steak toward the bedroom. “I’m surprised the dog hasn’t come out with all this racket.”

  “She’s super sad. Did you find out anything at the station?”

  “The guy in the suit—his name’s Ed Castillo. He’s Davenport’s replacement. He had a little of an ‘I’m the new guy–hear me roar’ attitude.”

  “You’re going to keep looking, right?”

  Jack froze. “That’s the police’s job,” he muttered.

  Replacement walked back over to him. Her fingers tightened on his shirt as she gently pulled him to look at her. Her emerald green eyes searched his. “Daniel was a good man. We need to find who did that to him.”

  All of the excuses went through Jack’s mind like a bullet train, but they didn’t matter. Jack’s jaw set and he felt his hand tighten around the handle of the frying pan. She’s right. Daniel Branson didn’t deserve that. No one did. I can’t stop now. “Yeah. We’ll find who killed him,” Jack said.

  She kissed his cheek.

  He turned back to the steak. “Should I cut it up for her?”

  She kissed him again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Mouthwash

  Jack yawned and rolled over. Replacement had gone into her bedroom an hour ago, but he still couldn’t sleep. He just lay there and watched the dog. Lady hadn’t moved. He’d taken her out once, but she’d behaved like a walking zombie. Now she just lay on the floor with her head on her paws. She hadn’t even touched the steak. He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling.

  How am I going to tell Replacement? She’s a beautiful dog, but she’s just so big, there’s no way
I can keep her here. It just couldn’t work. I’m sure someone will adopt her…Who am I kidding? Who’d take her? She’s a moose with fangs. They go for puppies.

  Jack looked back at the huge dog and his heart sank. He lay there and watched her until his eyes finally closed.

  IRAQ

  Jack watched the sun starting to set in the distance. The heat was still almost unbearable and sweat rolled down his back.

  He leaned against an old, half-broken-down wall, part of the remains of a farmhouse at the edge of the base. A small dilapidated shed stood about twenty yards away. Jack looked at the weather-beaten roof and wondered what kept it from caving in.

  Even though the ground was as flat as a board, the place had been nicknamed the Pit. Jack dropped his water bottle cap into a hole in the wall and leaned back. They were all supposed to meet here tonight and then head to a volleyball game and barbeque but so far only Jack, Butcher, two of Butcher’s buddies—Dale and Eric—and Joy arrived.

  Jack clenched his jaw. He knew why Joy came, but he didn’t like the way Butcher kept looking at her. Butcher had thanked her when they got back to base. He’d begged her to come and hang out with them before the game, but now that she was here, Jack was quickly getting uncomfortable.

  They passed around a bottle of mouthwash. It was an old trick for smuggling booze past security onto an Army base in a dry country—mix vodka and green food coloring in a mouthwash bottle. They’d started pounding it back when they got back to base and were already slurring their words. Jack turned it down when they offered it to him.

  Butcher kept going on and on about how Joy’s suggestion to pull an AC-130 as backup had saved all their lives.

  He’s right. But he’s still a creep.

  Dale asked Joy about some new communications tool. Joy animatedly talked about it while Jack alternated between keeping an eye out for Chandler and an eye on Butcher and his friends. What started out as Butcher patting her on the back had now escalated.

  “Hot damn, we’re alive.” Butcher whooped at the sky. “And it’s all ’cause of you, darling.” He swayed as he held his cup out toward Joy before he drained it. “Whoo,” he hollered before he rushed over to her.