“But, what about the police?” I asked.
“I’m already on it,” Aero replied as he pulled out his phone and dialed. “Hey, I need a cleaning crew near the main entrance of the Denver Zoo.” He met my eyes and cupped my jaw. “Go, baby.”
“I need my phone,” I whispered. “I think it’s still in my car.”
“Get it, then get the fuck outta here.”
I nodded, finding my phone just under the driver’s seat where it obviously fell, then I headed back into the zoo, putting a pin in my need to completely freak out. I needed to compartmentalize for the moment and help Joe. Making a run back inside, I found Joe limping toward the staff building.
“Joe!” I called out. “Are you okay?”
He faced me and leaned over, settling his hands on his knees. “Was that you doing the Tarzan yell?”
“Yeah. Sorry. I just wanted them to leave you alone.”
“You saved my life, Letti. Swear to Christ, they were ready to shove me in with Brady.”
Brady was our oldest lion and had been with us since the day he was born. He was relatively docile, but you still wouldn’t want to be stuck alone with him.
“Why are you limping?” I asked.
“Cut my leg on the iron fencing. I managed to get free, but slashed my leg in the process. I was gonna see if I could bandage it up.”
“I’ll help,” I said, wrapping an arm around his waist and helping him toward the first aid area. “You think you can do me a favor?”
“Anything for you, Letti girl.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Violet
Three hours later, any evidence of illegal activity had been scrubbed from the record so to speak. Mara arrived, apologizing profusely that she didn’t call anyone. Her brother had been in a car accident and she needed to help with her nephew and ended up getting in a little over her head.
She said nothing about two dead bodies, so I could only assume she either didn’t park in the platinum lot, or Aero had already taken care of them.
I hoped it was both.
