A shadow danced over the light entering through the cracks in the closet doors as Pierce walked in front of them.

"Katy, are you hiding a dog in the closet?" he asked with his hand on the handle, as if scared to open the door and find out.

I pushed Not Brent and myself further into the corner and tucked a winter coat in front of us to hide my face. If I didn't see Pierce, he couldn't see me. Right?

Katy snorted at his question. "Why would I have a dog in the closet, Pierce? Don't be ridiculous."

Not Brent barked.

"No," I shushed and snatched him up in my arms, but the little white and brown dog wiggled like he had an army of fleas biting him. Shit, did he have fleas?

Pierce let out a giant sigh and pulled open the closet doors. "Vonnie?"

I popped my head out from behind the coat and pushed it back into place, trying to look like I'd been busy helping Katy unpack. "Oh, hey, Pierce. Funny meeting you here."

"I live here," he deadpanned.

The closet doors were wide open, but Pierce stationed his body right in front of the opening so I had to slink off to the side with a squirming Not Brent in my arms.

Pierce had on a suit with perfectly styled hair, classic billionaire, but the frown marring his face didn't match the rest of him.

"Well, I guess I'll be going then," I said, pushing past Pierce and heading toward the front door.

"Don't forget your box," Katy called after me.

I stopped and spun around. "Oh right, my box. I can't forget Samantha. Thanks." I darted into the closet, setting Not Brent on the ground to use both hands to carry the outrageous box.

Pierce stood guard by the front door, watching me struggle with the package. "What's in the box?"

I stepped past him into the chilly winter. "Tampons."

His answering sigh followed me all the way to my car. Pierce really had to learn how to go with the flow, or he'd never survive Pelican Bay or dating Katy.

Once Not Brent peed on the bushes again, I piled everyone into the car and set off for Dr. Pike's office.

Pelican Bay only had one veterinary office, but he was the best in the state, so it worked out well for us. Dr. Pike was unlocking the office door as I parked in the lot. An older man with white patches of hair he was practically a giant.

The doctor had to be way over six feet. His white lab coat hit him mid-thigh, and he returned my wave as I walked Not Brent and Samantha up the steps and into the office.

"What can I do for you today, Vonnie?" he asked, leading us right up to the receptionist desk, with no one stationed behind it at the moment.

I set Samantha on the ground by my feet, picked up Not Brent, and placed him on the counter. "I rescued this Brent for Mrs. Coogs, but she says this isn't him."

Dr. Pike stared at Not Brent-or hopefully just Brent soon-with a head tilt. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small dog treat, feeding it to Not Brent and patting him on the head. "Yeah, she's right. This isn't Brent. His smile is all wrong."

"What?" Dogs didn't freaking smile.

Ugh.

The whole town had lost their minds. I wanted to throw my hands up and scream, but I didn't have the energy. I hadn't had a morning iced coffee yet. Dr. Pike stuck his hand in his pocket again and pulled out three more treats. He popped one in his mouth, passed one to me, and when I shook my head refusing the offer, he let Not Brent lick them both off his hand.

Listen, I said he was a great vet. I didn't say he wasn't freaking absolutely crazy.

There is a difference. A fine line, if you will.

"Mrs. Coogs had Brent micro-chipped after she brought him home. Let me get the scanner and we'll give him a whirl."

"Okay," I said out loud as he dug through a small storage closet behind the front desk. My response was pleasant on the outside, but inside sounded more like, "Thank you, fucking eh. It's about time someone made some sense around here."

And really, when it came down to me asking for people to make sense, we were in trouble.

Dr. Pike returned with a hand-held scanner, one that looked like something workers used at the grocery store to check prices. He rubbed it back and forth over Not Brent's shoulders, but nothing happened.

"This dog is not chipped. He's definitely not Brent."

I shook my head. "I know."

"If you knew, why did you bring him here?" he asked.

"No, I mean." I stopped mid head shake. "Never mind. What am I supposed to do with Not Brent?" I asked as the dog sniffed at Dr. Pikes' pocket until he fished out another treat for him.

After he finished his pocket treat, Not Brent scooted over the counter into my arms and resumed his earlier licking of my elbow.

Dr. Pike watched the exchange. "He's a weird dog."

"Yeah." Although the comment lost half its momentum coming from Dr. Pike. "Any of your clients missing a Jack Russell?"

"Nope," he said and popped a pocket treat in his mouth. "Since he's not chipped, the next thing to do is call the pound. Unless you want to take him in."

I squeezed Not Brent to my chest. "The pound?"

He couldn't go there. All those cages, the big dogs. No way. Not Brent was too special. They'd make fun of him.

"It's too cold outside, so either your place or the pound for the little guy," Dr. Pike said, giving him another treat. "I'm already three dogs over the maximum at my house."

What was the maximum?

Not Brent looked at me and his lip quivered. Fuck me, now I was buying into the dog's lips thing. "I guess he'll have to stay with me."

Dr. Pike eyed my make-shift leash. "You're going to need some supplies. It's embarrassing for a dog of his breed to be carted around with a bathrobe belt."

"I haven't had time to run to the store." The closest animal supply store was outside of town and took at least twenty minutes to get to. I'd have to make a supply run later in the day.

"I think I've got a few extras in the back and maybe a bag of food. Give me a minute," Dr. Pike said, giving Not Brent a pat on the head and leaving us alone while he went in search of supplies.

"What am I going to do with you, huh?" I asked, Not Brent while we waited. "I either have to find your parents or go shopping."

He licked me on the face, leaving a wet trail in his wake.

A few minutes later I clicked Not Brent's new leash to the hook on his equally new collar.

"Thanks, Doc."

"No, problem. Just doing my duty. I'll mail you the bill," he said, dropping the heavy bag of dog food in my arms.

I jerked forward with the weight and struggled to find my balance. "What?"

He waved a hand. "Don't worry about it now. Just pay when you can."

Great. More bills.

Dr. Pike held his office door open and Not Brent tugged me out and immediately peed on the first bush we passed. At least it seemed he was potty trained.

**

A steady beat of a drum rattled the door of my office building. Not Brent sat on the sidewalk in front of the door, refusing to go inside when I held the door open.

He moaned and laid his head on the ground.

"Listen, buddy. I feel the same way, but I have to get some work done today," I said, repositioning Samantha in my arms and giving his collar a gentle tug to get him over the threshold.

I still had crimes to solve, people to jail, dogs to find. A woman's work was never finished.

Jalinda's murder had many clues, but none of them panned out so far. Her killer was still walking the streets, buying muffins at the bakery, or teaching school children. With Brent's case still wide open and an imposter Brent sniffing the fake plant in my office's corner, I had more work to do.

Not Brent sniffed the large green leaf on the fake palm and his back leg rose. "No!" I said and pointed a finger at him. "It's fake. We don't pee on fake plants."