Page 10 of Shenanigans

Tinkerbell barked her concern and all the other dogs started howling.“The cops won’t shoot us.”I hoped.

The truck veered sharply to the right and stopped.

“Everyone shut the hell up.”

All the dogs fell silent.

The rear door rolled up.

Harry surveyed the dogs. “Any of them in need of immediate vet care?”

“All of them need to be checked over, but nothing critical. Did you ditch the police?”

“Yep. Seems they got an anonymous call that a cop had you under arrest at Roosevelt and twenty-second street.” Harry’s voice suddenly became an older Hispanic female’s, “Dios mio. Dios mio. Muy bad dogs are attacking them. Dios mio. Dios mio. Come quick.”

I grinned. “Your mimic talents are useful.”

“Try awesome. When the cops split, I had Jerry, the repo guy, retrieve your van.”

“You’re the best. Does the North Phoenix Animal Rescue have room for all these dogs?”

“They do. Do your mojo and I’ll get them safely tucked away.”

I summoned my psychic powers and focused it on the dogs.“You are safe now. Those men will never hurt you again. You don’t have to fight any longer or be afraid. Harry is going to take care of you and find you a forever home. You will obey him. Do you understand?”

All the dogs barked.

I smiled.“Good doggies.”

“I wish you could teach me that,” Harry said.

“I have tried.”

“True.” Harry pointed to a shiny black hearse. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

My shoulders sagged. The first time we had used a coffin to sneak me out of a police perimeter, I had almost suffocated. Knowing my tendency to attract trouble, Jana Kismet, my very best friend and mortician extraordinary, had a special casket made just for me. It was even equipped with an emergency cellphone, chocolate and a gun. So far, I hadn’t needed the gun. “God, I hate coffins. When I die, I’m going to be cremated.”

“Quit whining. It’s the only way through the roadblocks,” Harry retorted.

“Fine, but this is the last time.”

Harry laughed. “If you say so, Doolittle.”

Tinkerbell barked at me.

“Yes, I’m gonna take you home.”Picking up the mouthy dog, I walked over to the hearse where a tall, stunning black woman waited. Jana wore what I called her limo driver’s uniform. How two women could be so different and be besties forever was a mystery to me.

Jana’s makeup was flawless, her magenta hair perfect and her suit impeccable. She had a master’s degree in business and ran a thriving chain of mortuaries.

My usual attire was t-shirts and jeans. Rescuing critters was dirty work, and some days I ended up with chicken poo and feathers in my hair. The only makeup I wore was mascara. I had three years of community college under my belt and ran a semi successful pet detective agency.

“Hey Jana.”

She shot me an angry glare. “You promised me it was a simple rescue.”

“It was until the bad guys and Dutch showed up. On the bright side, the dogs are safe, so everything’s good.”

“Everything’s good? Are you kidding me? This is a major cluster fuck. Every cop in Phoenix is looking for you,” Jana shot back.

---