Ena Ilemoto emerged from the kitchen. “He broke in through the window downstairs. I have officers canvassing the neighborhood, but so far, nothing.”
Three blond girls sat on the sofa, huddled together. Viv looked up. “Agent Snow.”
She hurried toward them and all three tackled her. “Laurel. You know you can call me Laurel.”
Vida looked at her, blue eyes full of tears. “Mom says you’re the smartest person she’s ever met. Is that true? Will you find her?”
Laurel hugged her, just as her phone buzzed. Relief nearly dropped her to her knees when she saw her mother’s face on the screen. She stepped back from the girls and answered. “Are you all right?”
“Sure. I was just shopping for fixings for tonight’s dinner,” Deidre said. “Why? What’s wrong?”
Laurel motioned for the girls to follow her. “I’m bringing three friends over. They need to stay with you for a few hours.” Hopefully no longer.
“Sure,” Deidre said.
“Thanks.” Laurel hung up. “Officer Ilemoto? I’m taking the girls. Please call me after you’ve processed the scene with anything you find.” There wasn’t going to be a thing. This guy was too good. She stepped outside and ran into Monty. “Hi.”
Aeneas barked and lumbered right into the girls, wagging his tail wildly.
They dropped to pet him. The youngest wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his fur.
Monty’s eyes were glazed. “Kate?” he whispered.
Laurel tried to keep her emotions in check. Kate was blond and very pretty, and she worked for Laurel. This guy was going to make a statement with her, and it was going to be ugly. “I need somebody on the girls and my mom until we catch him.”
Monty reached for his phone. “Give me the address, and I’ll send somebody right now.”
She gave him the address and then turned to the girls. “Monty and Aeneas are going to take you to my mom’s.” She gave Monty a look when he started to object, and he subsided instantly. “Maybe you could leave the dog with them?” It didn’t look like Vida was going to let go.
Monty’s gaze softened. “I’ll take them there and leave an officer as well as the dog.”
Laurel paused as an idea hit her. “No. I’ll take the dog.” She looked at the girls. “Kids? The dog is good at finding people, and I need him to come help me find your mom. Okay?”
The girls released the dog and stepped back. “Okay,” Val said, tears on her face.
“Take care of them,” she told Monty, whistling for Aeneas, who followed her out to her truck. “Get Huck released, would you? I need his help,” she called back, letting the dog inside.
The girls watched the dog go and then piled into Monty’s truck.
“You’re good with kids,” Laurel said to Aeneas as the dog panted from the passenger seat. She quickly dialed the sheriff and was put through to him after making several threats she probably couldn’t back up.
“Now isn’t a good time, Agent Snow,” the sheriff snapped.
Laurel bit her tongue. “Kate Vuittron was taken last night. Let Captain Rivers free so he can get to work. I need him on this.”
“The guy fits your profile to aT,” the sheriff said. “Now let me do my job.”
Laurel slowed down before she wrecked the truck. “I’m a half hour from the station, and I’m picking up the captain. We want him on this, not least because he can use his dog for search and rescue.”
“You’re not understanding me. We found the dog’s fur in the victim’s trachea. It’s Rivers’s dog,” York said.
Laurel grunted to keep from yelling at him. “Anybody could’ve gotten a bit of Aeneas’s fur. Give me a break. It’s in Huck’s vehicle, his home, his office . . .”
“That’s just it, Agent,” York said. “It wasn’t just a piece of fur. It was fully intact hair with the follicle. That only happens when somebody is around the dog a lot, or is very close to the dog. Not just some passerby. Let me do my job and go do yours.”
The pieces of the puzzle slammed together. “That’s it,” she whispered, looking at the dog. “That’s it, York,” she yelled, turning into the parking area of a gas station and turning around. “Where is Huck right now? Don’t mess with me.”
“He’s right here glaring at me while we wait for his representative,” York snarled.
