I’ll remind them all of the agreements they made last week in case there are any issues. “When we took your fingerprints, you also signed a participation waiver, allowing us to search your person should the need arise. If one of our detection K-9s alerts on you, you’ll get to experience a pat-down firsthand.”
Larry outright laughs while the rest of the class only murmurs in response.
I glance the lawyer’s way, daring him to bring up arguments of what’s admissible in court.
He settles in his seat, but the huge grin on his face tells me he’s entertained by what I consider a very serious subject.
I ignore him—for both our benefits. “If everyone will simply follow the rules, you’ll be saving us time and keep yourself from the close scrutiny of a protective search.”
Charlie elbows Kai. “I don’t know. Gemma might enjoy getting frisked.”
I assume he thinks he’s speaking in a quiet tone. Only he doesn’t do quiet, so he’s just announced Gemma’s infatuation with me to the whole class.
They all seem to chuckle in unison. Then they watch for my reaction. The woman isn’t even here, and she’s causing issues.
“I’m here.” Right on cue, she sails in, long ponytail flying from the top of her head.
Now everyone focuses on her, and it’s clear by the warm smiles they offer that they adore her.
I’m annoyed nobody else is annoyed.
Gemma squeezes behind chairs down the row to sit with her movie crew. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I came from a different direction and didn’t realize how long it would take.”
Charlie rolls out her chair.
She plunks down, flips open her journal, and clicks her pen, preparing to write. She looks up, wide blue eyes expectant. “What’d I miss?”
I take a deep breath, thankful I can’t smell her tanning oil from here. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop me from imagining all the summer fun that must have kept her from being punctual. Whitewater rafting the Deschutes, windsurfing in the Gorge, waterskiing the Willamette River. With all the options a beer commercial might feature, why is she even here?
Erin spins sideways in her chair, faces Gemma, and pats the ginormous purse by her side. “Karson was just saying that if you have any food in your purse, you’ll want to leave it in the classroom during K-9 demonstrations.”
“… unless you want to get frisked,” Aaron finishes with a smirk.
A few snickers don’t even faze Gemma. Completely unaware of the insinuation, her shoulders sag in relief. “I’m glad I made it in time for the demonstrations. Where do you get your dogs?”
And just like that, she puts us back on track. I clear my throat to give the lesson I’d prepared. “Some of our dogs are bred and trained internationally, but we also find dogs at the pound. The ones with such high energy that make them horrible pets are perfect for us. They always want to play and please people, and they put that same energy into their work. They actually never stop working. When Officer Harris takes his German shepherd home at night, Blaze will search the whole house before settling down.”
Gemma scribbles everything I say into her journal. When she looks up, her lips seem to be parted in wonder. “Do you have a dog? Have you ever been a K-9 cop?”
“No.” I’d always felt like I could make a bigger difference in the management track. I don’t only want to arrest criminals one at a time, but I want to make sure that they are all getting arrested. Thus, I focused on moving up to sergeant and lieutenant as quickly as possible. “I’ve never been in the K-9 unit, but I have helped Harris, and I do have the scars to prove it.” I hold up my right forearm and point to two thick pink spots of skin where the padded sleeve had slipped and Blaze’s teeth punctured my flesh. That was fun.
Gemma lets go of her pen to cover her mouth in horror. Others murmur their own concern.
I quickly explain away my pain. “It was an accident, but I wouldn’t want to be the suspect Blaze is ordered to apprehend.”
Chuckles.
“There are four different divisions of dogs. German shepherds, like Blaze, and other herding dogs are great at catching suspects and holding them hostage. Then we have our detection dogs. Labs, beagles, basset hounds, and other soft-mouth breeds are used for drug or bomb sniffing. Third, we have our tracking dogs, which perform search and rescues. Bloodhounds and retrievers are good at this. Last, we have our cadaver dogs, which can hunt down dead bodies, even underwater. Among the other dogs I’ve mentioned for tracking, collies are also common.”
Gemma isn’t looking at me anymore. She’s biting the end of her pen and staring into space, and I have the impression she’s going to write some new K-9 character that will give Lassie a run for her money. I try to think of tidbits of information that can help her. Not because I care about her career success, but because I want the next K-9 film to be more believable thanTurner and Hooch.
“Our K-9 units include SUVs designed to keep our dogs cool when they are left in the vehicles. Even their water bowls are chilled. And they have to be trained to remain calm when a suspect is acting crazy.” I think back to helping Blaze with that as well. A small smile stretches my lips. “When Harris was training Blaze, he’d have me scream and thrash about to test him. It was actually one of the most cathartic things I’ve ever done. Sometimes, when I’ve had a bad day, I ask if any of the officers in the K-9 division need to give their dogs a little extra training.”
Gemma’s eyes zip back to me as if my emotional baggage just sprang open in front of TSA.
Perhaps I’ve overshared. Change of subject. “Any questions?”
Charlie’s hand. “Do you ever get compared to Mel Gibson inLethal Weapon?”
