With trembling fingers, she clutched the phone to her ear, hoping it wasn’t too late to find Cocoa.
* * *
“Hey, Gallagher!”
Finn stood and looked over the edge of his cubicle. “What?”
“Pick up line three. Something about a missing dog.”
K-9 Officer Finn Gallagher abandoned the notes he was reviewing on Chief Jordan Jameson’s murder to pick up the phone. “What’s going on?” The NYC K-9 Command Unit headquarters was located in the Jackson Heights area of Queens but served all five boroughs in New York City.
“One of Stella’s puppies has just been stolen,” Officer Patricia Knowles informed him. Patricia manned the front desk of headquarters, ruling the place with her no-nonsense attitude. “The pup that’s missing is Cocoa, the one donated to the guide dog program.”
“Stolen?” Finn scowled and glanced down at his yellow Labrador retriever, Abernathy. His K-9 partner’s specialty was search and rescue, fitting for finding a stolen puppy. Finn clipped a leash onto Abernathy. All the K-9s were named after fallen K-9 officers, and his was no exception. Abernathy was named in honor of Michael Abernathy, who was killed in the line of duty while trying to rescue a child from his suicidal father. The child had survived, but Officer Abernathy had been hit in the cross fire and ultimately died. “I’m on it. Thanks.” He hung up the phone. “Come, Abernathy.”
Wearing his K-9 vest identifying him as a law enforcement officer, Abernathy was all business, keeping pace beside Finn as he left the K-9 Unit headquarters. The guide dog training center was located in Forest Hills, a ten-to-fifteen-minute drive from Jackson Heights. Finn opened the back of his white K-9 SUV for Abernathy and then slid in behind the wheel.
Rush hour made the ride to the training center take longer than he’d hoped. A beautiful blonde hovered just inside the doorway, anxiously waiting for him.
With Abernathy at his side, he assessed the woman. She appeared to be in her late twenties, her heart-shaped face and stunningly beautiful features framed by long straight blond hair. He scowled as he noticed she was holding an ice pack against a dark bruise marring her cheek. She stepped back and gestured for him to come inside.
“I’m Officer Finn Gallagher. What happened?” he asked with concern. “You were assaulted? I was told that Stella’s puppy has been stolen.”
The blonde offered a lopsided smile. “I’m Eva Kendall, and I’m the one who reported the puppy-napping.”
“You’re hurt. I’ll call an ambulance.” Finn reached for his radio.
“No need,” Eva said quickly. “It’s more important to find Cocoa.”
Finn knew Cocoa was a chocolate Lab. A valuable animal, sure, but worth stealing? He had to believe the other guide dogs at the facility might be worth just as much, maybe more. He looked at Eva. “Tell me what happened.”
She moved the ice pack so she could speak, and he was struck anew by her clear porcelain skin and brilliant blue eyes. He did his best to avoid being distracted by her beauty, focusing on her story. “I came in early to work with Cocoa. The minute I entered the building, I heard thumps and loud barking from the dogs. I feared something was wrong, so I headed back toward the kennels.”
“Alone?”
She lifted a shoulder, then winced as if the motion hurt. “I convinced myself that it was nothing, until I found a stranger grabbing Cocoa from his kennel.”
Finn clenched his jaw, imagining the scenario. Was it possible the chocolate Lab had been targeted on purpose?
“I shouted at him to stop, but he didn’t listen.” Distress darkened Eva’s blue eyes. “He punched me in the shoulder, knocking me to the floor, but I managed to scratch him with my keys.” She gestured to the key ring sitting on the counter. “I thought you might be able to get a DNA sample from them.”
He lifted a brow, secretly impressed she’d thought of that. “We can try. Go on, what happened next?”
“I ran after him and grabbed him from behind, but he hit me again and got away.”
Hearing that the perp had hit her twice had him grinding his teeth in a flash of anger. It deeply bothered him when men used their strength against women. “Are you sure about not calling an ambulance? I think it’s best if you get checked out at the ER.”