Page 24 of Tough Justice

“Who knows?” Brett likewise looked to the south. “Gasoline, any accelerant picked up on the wind. Could be there’s enough smoke blowing up here from the fires down in the Springs.”

Above them, Thor remained watching with nothing short of cocky, canine satisfaction gleaming from his eyes. Deck could swear his dog’s chest was puffed up with pride. “Thor, down.”

With as much speed and agility as he’d displayed going head first up the ladder, he showed off coming down backward. Thor ran to Deck’s side and sat.

“You think you deserve something special after that?” Thor bobbed his head up and down. “You know where to find it.”

Thor ran to the scarecrow Deck had erected in the center of the field then stood on his hind legs and dug one of his paws into the scarecrow’s pants pockets. Less than five seconds later, he pulled out a small dog treat Deck had hidden there earlier.

“I swear, that dog might as well have fingers,” Brett said.

When Thor loped back to him, Deck leashed his dog, giving him a sound patting on his back. “We still on for beers and foosball at Mick’s Saturday?”

“Absolutely.” Evan unleashed Blue to sniff out a scent rag he’d hidden in a tree.

As he watched Evan and Brett put their dogs through their paces, Deck wondered if Tori was on duty today. It had been three days since the warrant, and he hadn’t spoken to her since. His innate skepticism had him doubting she’d actually call him if an overdose patient was willing to talk. Could be she was still pissed at him for reprimanding her at the warrant. It had been kind of a dick move, but he’d only been concerned for her safety.

“I heard what happened at the warrant,” Brett said as they both watched Evan work Blue around the field until he sat at the base of the tree and looked up. “Sorry I missed all the action. Heard your girlfriend saved the day in more ways than one.”

“Funny,” Deck muttered under his breath. Although she had kicked ass. Without her interference, even if it was against his direct orders, he never would’ve gotten those descriptions from Jones.

“What’d I miss?” Evan and Blue rejoined them.

“Not much,” Deck said. “The descriptions we got from Alonzo Jones on his supplier and the distributor were helpful, but we still don’t have names or a location where this new cocktail is being made.”

“He couldn’t pick these guys out of a mugshot array?” Evan asked.

Deck shook his head. “I think Jones knows the name of his supplier, and he’s afraid of him. The distributor, I’m not so sure about. Whoever the supplier is would have to be someone known to the drug world, probably someone with a record. We also can’t discount the possibility that the source doesn’t have a mugshot. Yet, anyway.”

“Why do you say that?” Brett asked.

“It’s only a theory,” he began. “Based on the lab reports from that DEA case in Pennsylvania, the drug we’re dealing with is very similar but not quite as potent. It’s as if someone’s been tweaking the drug, trying to make it less deadly but still addictive to the point where users need something that strong to get the high they want.”

Brett hooked a leash onto Blaze’s collar. “You said that case was never solved. What happened with that case?”

“It’s still open. It was only when people started dying that we opened that case in the first place. The Philadelphia SAC office thought they were getting close.” That’s when the trail went cold. “What if whoever was making that drug in Pennsylvania decided things were too hot, closed up shop, then moved here with a new recipe? What if it’s the same guy?”

“Or gal,” Evan suggested. “Let’s not be sexist here. Remember Thelma Wright?”

“Who’s Thelma Wright?” Brett asked.

Every DEA newbie learned about Wright in training. “Back in the 1990s, she was the drug queen of Philadelphia, transporting enormous quantities of cocaine and heroin between that city and L.A.”

“Speaking of women,” Brett said to Evan, canting his head toward Deck, “we were discussing Deck and Thor’s hot new doctor partner.”

“Is she married?” Evan asked. “A lot of tongues were wagging at the seminar the other day.”

“Not that I know of.”

“Wonder why,” Brett said.

Deck had wondered that, too. Not my business. So he hadn’t asked.

Evan stooped to give Blue his reward—a rolled-up towel. “Well, I can’t imagine that lasting long. Seems like a catch.”

“Heard she saved a little girl.” Brett uncapped a bottle of water for Blaze and poured it into a bowl. “Sorry I missed that.”

Deck shook his head, still amazed at how she’d taken charge of the situation like a quarterback yelling at his team. “You should’ve seen her. The kid was lucky she was there.”