7. Jessica
Jessica
Chase was particularly excited that Thursday afternoon.
Jessica corralled him through the first gate, then took off his leash.
When she opened the second gate, he went zooming into the pen with the rest of the dogs.
She smiled as he bounced around and sniffed the others, immediately hitting it off with a chocolate lab with as much energy, it seemed, as he had.
When she exited the pen, she found Renee standing near an empty bench under a tall tree with a wide canopy.
Renee waved, and Jessica felt the stirring of something more than just seeing the private investigator she’d hired.
She blamed the feeling entirely on that navy blue tank top hugging Renee’s curves and showing off the lean muscles of her arms.
“Want to sit?” she asked. “This is a good spot. I can watch him from here while we talk.”
“Sure.”
Renee sat beside her, and Jessica felt a tiny shiver as their pinkies grazed one another while they fumbled for seating close enough but not too close. A respectable professional distance.
It was unfairly hot outside, given it was early October, but the gorgeous display of sunshine and the crisp cerulean sky made it difficult to complain. Children squealed from the playground equipment across the open field as people walked the track path behind them.
“This is a nice park,” Renee said. “You come out here with him a lot?”
Jessica tried to be polite and patient. “Yes, at least once a week. Socializing is good for him.”
“Socializing, huh?” Renee looked puzzled. “I didn’t know dogs were supposed to do that.”
“Most dogs need to, but Chase especially. It’s mentally and physically stimulating.”
Renee nodded and looked out at the pen where Chase was running in circles around a couple of other dogs.
Having exhausted her patience already and given her deep need for information, Jessica asked, “So, what did you find out?”
She wasn’t sure why Renee couldn’t just tell her what she saw over the phone. Naomi had said it was probably so she could bill her more, but Jessica didn’t get that feeling. Renee gave off honest vibes. Jessica couldn’t imagine her playing games for a few extra bucks.
Renee pulled her tablet from a large handbag and tapped the screen. Photos of Claire with Chase appeared. Renee pointed at the screen.
“They’re all time stamped if you want to see, but there were only a couple of minutes between the leaving and returning photos.
” Renee’s tone was firm and forthright. There wasn’t a wobble to be found in any of her words, as if she’d given this kind of news a thousand times.
“I observed her taking your dog out on three occasions, and all three times it was only for a quick trip outside the door for him to go to the bathroom. No long walk. No fetch. Just peeing and… well, you know. To poop.”
Jessica’s heart sank. She’d suspected as much.
Obviously, since she’d hired someone to look into it.
But part of her still hoped she was wrong.
That Chase was only acting out and stressed because of their arrangement—the difficulty of his two people not being together and going back and forth between two homes.
But that wasn’t the case. Or at least it wasn’t the full picture.
The question was what she would do with this information now.
“Thank you.” She couldn’t think of much else to say to this stranger who had brought her the bad news.
“Can I ask you something?” Renee’s voice had softened. When Jessica nodded, she said, “What do you plan to do with this?”
“I don’t know.” Truthfully, she hadn’t thought that far ahead. She’d only wanted to know if Chase was being taken care of. She hadn’t planned what to do next, whether she’d been right or wrong about her suspicions. “What do people normally do?”
Renee laughed. The sound was more like a light cackle. “Didn’t I mention you’re my only dog custody case? Like… ever. I don’t exactly have a data set of how other people handle this to share with you.”
“Oh, right.” Jessica felt herself floundering. “What about when it isn’t a dog?”
Renee’s mouth turned downward along with her tone. “Regular custody cases are all different. But usually they call me when they want evidence to take to court.”
Jessica felt the knot in her stomach tighten.
The last thing she wanted to do was go to court.
They’d been working together with a mediator to avoid just that.
Chase had been the only sticking point so far, but it had seemed only fair that they both get to see him, so Jessica hadn’t been contentious about it.
Knowing Claire wasn’t properly taking care of things could change all of that.
But court?
“I don’t know about that,” she said. Then she sat up a little straighter. “But I’ll do anything to make sure Chase has a good life.”
“Sure, you will.” Renee looked into the pen and watched Chase sniff at a new dog that had just entered. “I don’t know much about animals, or relationships for that matter, so don’t look to me for divorce advice. But in a fight for that dog? My money’s on you.”
She’d never been called a fighter in her life. Much the opposite. So she didn’t have much faith that she’d win a fight.
“I don’t know if I’d bet money on that,” she said. “You don’t even know me.”
“Sure, I do,” Renee said with as much confidence as anything she’d ever heard. “You hired me, didn’t you? You already threw the first punch. And a sucker punch, at that.”
“I guess.”
Jessica didn’t like where this metaphor was going. But she did like Renee’s fierceness. And her faith in Jessica, even if it was unwarranted as far as she was concerned.
“I’m afraid this evidence won’t do much of anything, though. It’s just one day. What if she says she just had a bad day?”
“I guess she could argue that,” Renee said.
Jessica squeezed the bench and made her decision. “I’d like you to get more evidence. If you can fit me into your schedule, that is.”
Renee narrowed her eyes at her and assessed the situation. Jessica squirmed internally under that stare.
“You don’t want to do this. I mean, I think this is an… unusual request for anyone, but for you in particular.”
“What’s wrong with me?” Indignation seeped through each word.
“Nothing’s wrong with you. It’s just that I’ve seen a lot of custody-type cases get ugly. I think you’d fight with everything you’ve got for that dog, but at what cost?”
In a wobbly voice, Jessica said, “I can handle it.”
“Uh-huh.” Renee frowned. “Listen, I don’t want to take your money for no good reason. If you’ve got a plan for all of this surveillance, then sure. I’m in. But otherwise, I won’t take your money just for curiosity’s sake.”
Jessica shook her head quickly. “No, no. I plan to confront her, one way or another. And if this is a pattern, then I want my dog back. Full-time. If we have to go to divorce court over it, then so be it. That’ll be her choice.”
Renee took a moment to size Jessica up. Her forehead wrinkled in adorable seriousness, and Jessica had to remind herself that she was here in a professional capacity, not to ogle a woman’s forehead.
“Okay, then.” Renee gave a quick nod. “I’m in if you are.”