Page 12 of In Pursuit of the Truth

The content was typed, and as she re-read the message, the air around her grew hot. She backed against a kitchen chair and sat down hard.

Chapter Seven

Nate ran a hand through his hair and watched with satisfaction as Corporal Conway walked to his car. Natty, a sweet German shepherd mix, trotted alongside him. If the way she kept looking at him were any indication, it would be the start of a beautiful friendship.

This was why he worked for Paws for a Cause. He was one of only three paid employees heading the non-profit organization that relied heavily on donations and volunteers. They all worked hard to train dogs who needed a second chance at a good home and match them with someone like a veteran or police officer who would benefit from the kind of therapy that only a furry companion could give.

When Corporal Conway first came in, he was hesitant and doubted that having a dog would help with anything at all. He’d only agreed to check it out at the insistence of his father.

But after three meetings where he and Natty were given time to interact, it was clear they were the perfectmatch. Corporal Conway said he was happy to be proven wrong.

Nate prayed that they’d be able to help each other heal from the wounds of their pasts.

He’d originally met Minnie through the program. The dog had brought him a great deal of joy, and not being home alone gave him the distraction he often needed to keep him from focusing on his last case before he left the police department.

Now, he enjoyed helping others find that same satisfaction and freedom.

Not for the first time, he thought about Bailey and how she would benefit from having a dog herself. It’d be good for the boys, too. Plus, it would provide an extra level of protection for all of them. Maybe one of these days, he’d be able to convince her to adopt one.

He headed home for the day. The moment he stepped through the front door, Minnie was there to greet him. Her docked tail wagged back and forth at top speed.

“Hey, girl. I missed you, too.” He set his things down and joined her on the floor. “What do you think? Should we go for a walk? Or maybe play ball in the backyard?”

At the mention of ball, Minnie tilted her head to one side.

“Ball it is.” He snatched a tennis ball from her box of toys and led the way outside. He’d only thrown it for her twice when his phone pinged with an incoming text.

Nate threw the ball across the yard and pulled his phone out. It was a group text that included him, Jenny, and Bailey.

“I got this in the mail today.”

The message was from Bailey. A moment later, another text came through with a photo of a type-written letter. Nate clicked the image and increased the magnification so he could read the words.

If Nate were to actually hold the paper in his hand, he’d have a difficult time not crumpling it up and tossing it to the ground. That realtors were asking Bailey to sell her place was bad enough, but how dare someone have the audacity to send her a letter like this?

Combine the letter with the vandalism, and he didn’t feel at all comfortable about the situation. Besides, he’d spent some time looking into her property and the realtor who had bothered her at work.

He texted her back.

“I’ll be right over.”

His message barely went through when his phone pinged again with a response from Jenny.

“Don’t handle it any more than necessary. I’ll come get it and take it back to the station.”

Bailey’s only response was,

“Okay.”

Minnie whined, her ball in her mouth and her eyes on Nate.

“Sorry, girl. I got distracted. How would you like to go play with Seth and Jordan? Where’s your leash?”

The ball fell to the floor, completely forgotten, as she racedfor the back door.

Nearly half an hour later, he put in the code to drive onto Thompson Family Farm. The sun was already beginning to set. Nate liked the cooling temperatures, but he didn’t care for the shorter days that came with them.

He pulled into the driveway in front of Bailey’s home to find that Jenny’s patrol car was already there.

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