Page 63 of Monk
“Come in,” I say.
She steps in and as if he can smell her, I hear the tick-tack of Bo’s feet on the hardwood floor, and when he rounds the corner and sees her, he lets out a sharp yelp of joy. Bo turns in a circle then dashes over to her, bumping up against her legs so hard, he throws her off balance.
Kasey laughs and as I shut the door behind her, she drops to her knees and throws her arms around Bo, burying her face in his thick neck. Bo turns his head enough to lick her, but only manages to get her ear, which makes her laugh harder.
Eventually, she stands up and follows me into the living room, Bo staying on her heels. She sits down on the couch and the big dog jumps up and lays his head in her lap, as if sensing she needs some comfort. She idly strokes his head, looking down at him with a small, sad smile on her face.
“He usually doesn’t take to people the way he has with you,” I say.
“He’s a good boy.”
I nod. “He is.”
A moment of silence passes between us and I can see her struggling to keep her emotions in check. She lets out a long breath and looks up at me.
“I’m sorry to bust in on you like this. I just didn’t know where else to go. To be honest, I didn’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Nothing for you to be sorry about. I’m glad you’re here,” I reply.
She gives me a tight smile and nods, an expression of gratitude on her face. Kasey wipes at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Seeing her looking so lost and upset stirs something in me. It’s not just that I feel sorry for her, it’s that I’m enraged at whoever made her feel this way. Part of me wants her to tell me who it is so I can go beat the snot out of them. But I know that won’t help anything right now. On an instinctive level, I know right now, she just needs somebody to listen to her.
“Coffee?” I ask.
“Got anything stiffer?”
I get to my feet and head into the kitchen. Booze is probably the last thing she needs right now, but I’m not going to deny it from her. I grab a bottle of Maker’s Mark and a couple glasses out of the cupboard and head back into the living room.
I take one of the chairs opposite the couch and set the bottle and glasses on the coffee table between us. Bo raises his head and looks at me, so I take one of the biscuits out of the jar on the coffee table and toss it to him. He munches on it happily as I pour out a couple of drinks, then slide one of the glasses over to her. Kasey gives me a thankful smile then takes a long swallow. I watch her face turn a light shade of red as the amber liquid burns its way down her throat.
“So, tell me what’s happening. What’s got you so screwed up right now?” I ask.
She takes another swallow, draining the last of her glass, so I pour her another. Kasey sits back on the couch and Bo drops his head into her lap again. She gives him a soft smile and strokes the fur on his side. She takes a sip of her drink and then launches into her story.
Kasey talks for a solid hour and a couple more glasses of bourbon. She tells me all about her marriage. She tells me all about Spencer. Personally, I think he sounds like a first-grade dick, and if I see him, I’m going to beat him senseless. But when she starts telling me about his ties to the cartel and the events that led her to run back here to Blue Rock, even I’m a bit shocked. She is the last person I will have ever figured to be tangled up with a cartel.
Well, it’s not her. It’s that piece of shit she’s married to, but still. And if I happen to run into him, I am definitely going to knock his dick in the dirt for bringing that kind of shit into her life.
And when she’s done, she looks wrung out. Bo is snoring peacefully in her lap, content and comfortable, but she looks entirely spent. She gives me a watery, wavering smile, but her eyes shimmer with tears I can see she’s fighting to keep from falling.
“So, he’s here? In town?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. All I know is that I need to figure out what I’m going to do by the end of day tomorrow. But if I run, he’s going to turn my dad over to this animal Zavala.”
I’ve had my disagreements with Sheriff Singer over the years, but not even I want to see him turned over to the head of a cartel. I’m not that big of an asshole. And I know enough to know that Kasey’s right, if she runs, her dad is going to pay the price. But I also know that I can’t let her handle this alone. I have to help her.
“We’re going to figure this out, Kasey.”
“I wish I knew how.”
“The first thing you’re going to do is get some rest. You look wrecked.”
“Gee, thanks,” she says, a wry smile on her face.
“You know what I mean.”
A quavering smile touches her lips, and she nods. A moment later, the tears start to fall. She buries her face in her hands and tries to sob quietly, but a choked gasp bursts from her mouth. Bo sits up and whines, leaning his big body against her. Kasey throws her arms around his neck and cries.
I know I have to comfort her, and I want to, but given how things went earlier today, I don’t know that it’s a good idea. It might not be very well received. Instead, I sit here like an idiot, watching my dog giving her the comfort and reassurance she needs. In his defense, he’s pretty good at that. He’s always been a reliable companion and his presence has always brought me some measure of solace. It’s one thing my counselor was right on the money about.
