Page 38 of Evil Bones
“Lemme look.”
“Did I hear please?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I handed Skinny the phone.
“Looks like part of it’s rawhide, the rest rubber. There’s indentations along one edge. A round hole at the top.”
Slidell offered the phone back as he extended his palm.
“The indentations are tooth marks,” I said, staring at the magnified object as he had done.
“Human?”
“No.”
A moment of silence, then he snapped and pointed a finger at me.
“It’s a dog toy.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. That’s why I said it.”
“How do you know? You don’t have a dog.”
“I’ve had more dogs than you’ve had girlie cramps.”
I let that go.
“Maybe the guy used this to lure Bear,” I suggested, pointing at Slidell’s palm. “Manufacturers infuse them with a smell that appeals to the canine brain.”
Slidell said nothing.
“How common are these things?” I asked.
“Hell if I know.”
We stood a full minute, swatting at flies and considering options.
“Maybe we could ID the perp by finding where he bought the toy?” I suggested.
“Maybe.”
Slidell’s plan was simple.
Visit every pet store on the planet until we hit pay dirt.
Three hours later we’d been to a Pet Palace, a Pet Wants, two PetSmarts, and a canine café. I’d seen enough geckoes, guinea pigs, goldens, and guppies to last a lifetime. And heard enough grousing about a lunch date in peril to set every one of my nerves on edge.
The early-morning cloud cover had burned off, and the sun was blazing with white-hot intensity in a clear-blue sky. I had no doubt the mercury had clawed its way into the low nineties.
Slidell’s mood hadn’t improved with the rise in temperature. Nor had his appearance. His cheeks were flushed and the capillaries flanking his nose looked ready to burst.
“This is horseshit. After this, I’m done.”
I shared his sentiment but said nothing.
