Page 65 of Endeavor

Barb gasps. “You don’t think someone was trying to hurt her, do you?”

“I don’t know. It was probably just an accident, but it could have been some kids messing around. Just be mindful.”

“My poor baby. Can I see her?” Barb asks while Wayne rubs her back.

“Of course, come on into exam room seven and I’ll bring in. You know, this would be a good time to go visit your niece in Palm Desert. That nice dry heat would be good for Muffin. And you two haven’t had a vacation in a long while.” Dr. Kneely looks over at me and I know that’s my cue to help her.

“I agree. You should go see Jenny. It’s been a while. I can keep an eye on your house. Plus, I have a new security firm and I can make sure they keep an eye on your house too.”

“Really?” Barb asks.

I nod. “Of course. You guys have been like family to me. It’s the least I can do.”

“Oh, you two kids are so nice. Maybe I will call Jenny, but first, I need to see Muffin.”

Dr. Kneely ushers them to room seven after I get hugs from Barb. She turns to me before she goes in the back.

“I’m serious, Mr. Daniels. Be careful. This person is dangerous. I just feel it.”

Something about her warning seems particularly ominous. I nod and leave. My nerves are shot, and my mind is going a million miles a minute as I head back to my house.

By the time I get there, Detective Benson is there, a cop car, and my window guy and his assistant are still working.

I get out of my car and start toward the police.

“Your window is almost done,” the contractor calls out to me from the front porch. I glance over and nod.

“Looks good. I’ll come to look in a minute.”

“Mr. Daniels?” Detective Benson calls out from my neighbors’ yard.

I head over and see him and a cop who is busy taking prints from around a small loose piece of screen.

“Did you find anything?” I ask, running my hand through my hair that’s in desperate need of a trim.

“Not yet. But…I’m not going to beat around the bush on this, Grady”—he looks me in the eye—“this just got a whole lot more serious.”

I know his words are true. A monster who would intentionally threaten to hurt a defenseless animal is a dangerous monster indeed.

“Is the dog OK?” he asks, showing me for the first time that maybe somewhere beneath his tough-cop persona he might actually be a human.

“She’s fine, thankfully. I just feel awful. I mean seriously. I don’t know what to tell the Johnsons.”

Benson nods to the platform where I found Muffin. “Clearly, it wasn’t accidental, but since I didn’t see any photos yet, I’ll let them know it looks malicious but could be vandals or delinquents.”

“The vet and I talked them into going away for a few weeks,” I add.

“Good. Better to have everyone you know vanish until we can find this fucker,” he says as he pulls out his phone. “Have you called the band yet?”

I shake my head. “I…shit. I’ll call them now. They are coming over here later for the call with our new security firm.”

“Good.” He hands me a card. “This is the lieutenant for your precinct, make sure the firm reaches out to him to coordinate any increased police presence that may be needed for your street. Now that this guy has threatened to hurt a neighbor’s dog, I’d say the whole damned street is possibly at risk.”

I pale. “Maybe I should leave for a while. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“Where would you go?” Benson asks.

I shrug. “I could go to my mom’s Malibu house.”

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