Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
"I can't believe it." His sister, Elena, sounds incredulous over the phone. "You hired Tori Church as your dog sitter? Of all people, you couldn't find someone better than that?"
"Fancy likes her." Liam glances down at the little shih tzu, who's playing with a new dog toy he got her recently.
"I hope you haven't left that woman alone in your house."
"Stop it, Elena."
"You know what that whole Church family is like. Nothing but trouble. Don't tell me you've forgotten what happened in high school?"
He takes a drink from his coffee. It's Saturday morning, and he's been up since six. He worked out at the gym, then went to the gun range. He has to pass quarterly proficiency tests for work and goes regularly.
"I haven't forgotten anything," he says. "You're not the one dealing with dog piss everywhere. Fancy hasn't peed inside the house even once since Tori started coming here."
Elena snorts. "It's probably a coincidence."
"I doubt it. She seems very knowledgeable about animals."
"So what?" But then she goes quiet. "Please tell me she isn't taking advantage of you in your current state."
"What do you mean?"
"Of being heartbroken."
"I'm not heartbroken."
"I don't trust her. She's weird. Is she still single? I'll bet she's putting the moves on you."
Liam laughs. He only wishes Tori would put some moves on him. "You have no idea what you're talking about. She wants nothing to do with me. Besides, I'm sort of seeing someone."
"You are?"
He tells her all about the blind date, how he's taking her to a baseball game that afternoon.
"You don't think it's too soon after Rachel?"
"She's been gone almost two months."
"That's not very long. You don't want to rush into some kind of rebound situation."
Liam shakes his head. He never told his sister he knew Rachel was cheating, how he was relieved when she finally left. "I'm fine. Believe me, I'm ready to meet someone, or at least have some fun. This is only a second date."
"I have to admit, you work a lot. You're just like Dad. All the men in our family are workaholics."
"The job demands it at times."
"I suppose it's a good thing you're moving on," she muses. He can hear the wheels in her head turning. "Whatever you do, don't get involved with Tori Church."
Liam looks up at the ceiling in amazement. "I told you I'm seeing a woman named Shelby."
"I know, but didn't you ask Tori to homecoming? Isn't that how the whole mess started?"
"It was a mistake."
"Exactly. I don't want to see you make the same mistake twice."
When they finally hang up, he's relieved to get her off the phone. Sometimes Elena takes her big sister act too far.
He sits and reads through his text messages. There are a couple from work, but nothing that requires his immediate attention. He requested a surveillance team be placed on Walter Yates, and it was approved yesterday.
He opens the text Tori sent him last night. It's the phone number of a good dog groomer. He was surprised when he saw it. She was obviously angry when she left, but apparently her anger wasn't getting in the way of her assistance with Miss Fancy Pants.
He lingers over the message. She uses a lot of exclamation marks and emojis. He likes it. It would never occur to him to send such a colorful text.
But then he closes the message and sighs to himself. Elena is right. The last thing he wants to do is make the same mistake twice.
The plan is for Shelby to come over before the game. Liam offered to pick her up, but since she was having coffee with a friend in north Seattle, she told him she'd meet him at his place. She texted once she was on her way over, and he noticed there were no exclamation marks or emojis. Nothing colorful at all.
"Hi." She smiles when he opens the door. "What a nice neighborhood. I really like it."
"Thank you. "
His neighborhood is clean and well-kept. Most of his neighbors are professionals like him—not that he knows any of them. They occasionally wave at each other in passing, but it’s usually so quiet outside, you can hear a pin drop.
Sometimes he wonders if he made a mistake moving someplace so bland and lifeless. There are no kids or old people. Each house on his street looks the same as the next one.
"Come on in," he says, motioning Shelby inside. "I'd give you a tour, but there isn't much to see right now."
She smiles. "You don't have to impress me. Don’t you know that I'm already impressed?"
"You are?" He glances over his shoulder at her.
"An FBI agent who used to play baseball?" She sighs theatrically. "That’s too much for a girl to resist."
Liam laughs, his face growing warm at the compliment. "I'm not sure how to respond."
"And now you're taking me to a game. Do you know my ex-husband never once agreed to come to a baseball game with me?"
"I'm sorry to hear that."
She waves it away. "It's all water under the bridge." Her eyes widen as they enter the living room. "What happened to your couch?"
He glances over at the fiasco. "It's a long story."
"It looks like it was mauled by wolves."
"You're not far off."
There's a barking sound from the hall, and Shelby turns toward it. "I didn't know you had a dog."
"Yes, I do sort of have a dog."
"Sort of?"
Miss Fancy Pants appears at the end of the hallway. She trots out, then stops when she sees Shelby.
"What a cutie." Shelby smiles and moves toward the little dog. "Is she friendly?" When Shelby tries to move closer, she’s greeted by a low rumbling. "She's growling at me."
Liam walks over. "Fancy, that's enough. Behave. "
The dog stops growling but doesn't seem pleased either. Her dark eyes remain on Shelby.
"I guess she's not friendly." Shelby seems baffled. "Most dogs like me."
"Trust me, it's not you. It's her." He explains how Miss Fancy Pants was Rachel's dog and how she left Fancy behind when she ran off to Buenos Aires.
"Why didn't she take the dog with her?"
"I don't know." He figures Dr. Adrenaline Junkie didn't want a dog cramping his style. "Rachel claims she's going to send for her."
Shelby shakes her head. "Dogs are a big responsibility. A lot of work too. That's the reason I never got one."
He nods. It's the same reason he never got one.
They both look down at Miss Fancy Pants, who appears to eye them with disdain.
Liam can't help smiling. The furball doesn’t put up with much.
They head out to his truck, and he watches Shelby walk in front of him. He can’t resist checking her out. Her dark hair is pulled back in a ponytail. She's wearing a team jersey with khaki shorts, and her long legs are tan and shapely.
She's an attractive woman. And they seem to have a lot in common. He should be all in, except he can't stop picturing Tori's hips sway. The way her ass looked in those jeans she wore yesterday. The way she shines so bright it warms everyone around her, including him.
On the way to the game, they talk about some of their all-time favorite players. Shelby impresses him with her knowledge of baseball. She's easygoing and fun to be around.
When they get to the stadium, he leads her to their seats on the third baseline.
"Wow, these are great." She looks at out the field. "Maybe we'll catch a foul ball."
He grins. "It's been known to happen."
The floor is sticky as usual, and the crowded stadium smells like a combination of popcorn, beer, and hot dogs. If he could bottle that scent and use it as air freshener, he would.
Once the game starts, Liam’s having a good time. They're both eating a couple of dogs, commenting to each other about plays. He watches as Shelby licks mustard off her fingers.
"Come on," she shouts during the sixth inning when the umpire calls a strike on an inside pitch.
He has to admit he's never been with a woman like this. They seem perfectly matched. Most girlfriends he’d ever taken to a baseball game were bored and wanted to leave by the fifth inning.
After Seattle wins and Shelby is done cheering with excitement, he tells her he has a surprise.
"What kind of surprise?"
"How would you like to meet Nelson Coby?"
Her jaw drops. "Are you kidding? I'd love to. Do you know him?"
"He's a friend of mine. We played ball together in college."
Shelby seems dazzled. "I didn't know that!"
Nelson was the starting pitcher for the Seattle team tonight. They only played together for a year in Portland, but they’d hit it off and remained friends.
"So where are we headed?" she asks once they're in his truck.
"The Paradise. It's a bar downtown where a lot of the players go after a game. I told Nelson we'd meet him there."
She nods. "I think I've heard of it. This is so exciting! I can't believe I'm going to meet him."
Liam chuckles. "He's a good guy. You'll like him."
They drive over to Pioneer Square. He finds street parking, and the two of them walk up toward the bar. It's after ten on a Saturday night. The area is filled with people out club hopping, and live rock music drifts out from some of the venues.
The Paradise is a two-story hole-in-the-wall, but when they arrive, people are lined up outside the door.
"What do we do?" Shelby asks. "How will we get in?"
"It's all right. Follow me. "
He leads her to the front of the line and tells the bouncer he's on the list for the second floor. The guy asks for his name and then scans his meaty finger down an iPad. Finally he nods. "Can I see some ID?"
Liam shows him his driver's license.
The bouncer opens the chain blocking the way upstairs. "Go right ahead, Mr. Castillo."
Meanwhile, Shelby is taking it all in, looking around with excitement. "So the team has the second floor to themselves?" she asks as they climb the stairs.
"Yeah, typically. It's easier for the players to relax after a game when they don't have to worry about fans."
Once upstairs, he sees the familiar long bar. Tables and chairs are filled, along with the pool tables in back. He's been here a number of times, and it's always crowded. They make their way deeper into the room. Since the team won tonight, spirits are high and everyone's enjoying themselves. A Luke Bryan song plays on the jukebox.
He looks around for Nelson and finds him sitting at a table talking with a few people.
"Liam," Nelson says when they walk over. He stands and they give each other a quick hug. "Man, it's good to see you."
"You too. It's been a while."
"It has. Have a seat." He gestures to the table, and the people who were there moments ago leave.
A server comes by, and Nelson orders beer and nachos for everyone. Once she leaves, his gaze slides over to Shelby. "And who do we have here?"
"This is a friend of mine." Liam introduces them.
Shelby's eyes are shining bright. "Hi, Mr. Coby," she gushes, putting her hand out. "It's great to meet you. You're one of my favorite pitchers."
Nelson chuckles and shakes her hand. "That's nice to hear. You can call me Nelson."
"Great game," she says. "Your fastball was really on tonight."
"Yeah, thanks. It felt good. "
Shelby leans toward him, her expression coy. "I hope this is okay, but do you think I could ask a small favor?"
"And what might that be?"
"Could I get a selfie with the two of us?"
Liam nearly interjects. The second floor at The Paradise is a place for the players to relax and not be "on" for their fans. He thought he'd explained it, but maybe not well enough.
Luckily Nelson doesn't seem bothered in the least. "Sure," he says. "No problem."
They scoot their chairs closer, and Shelby gets her phone out. She has a thrilled expression on her face as she takes a couple photos.
"Could I get a kiss on the cheek too?" she asks with a coy smile.
Nelson's brows go up, and he flashes Liam a questioning look.
He shrugs that it's fine.
"Lean closer," Nelson tells her, then kisses her right cheek as Shelby giggles and takes more photos.
"Thank you so much," she says afterward as they pull apart. She studies her phone with a wide grin. "No one at work is going to believe me when I show them these."
"How do they look?" Nelson asks. "Can I see?"
Shelby holds up her phone as the server brings their pitcher of beer along with three glasses.
"Very nice," Nelson says in a satisfied tone. Liam remembers that tone from when he caught for him in college. As an athlete, his friend was an artist, but he had an ego too. Being Nelson’s catcher required kicking his ass occasionally. "How about you send me one of those," Nelson tells Shelby. "I'll put it on my fan page."
She gives him a flirtatious smile. "I don't have your number."
Nelson takes the phone from her hand. "You don't mind, do you, Liam?"
He shrugs. "Not at all." Another server brings a large plate of nachos, and he helps himself to the food.
Shelby looks like she's died and gone to heaven, and he can't help chuckling. Nelson was always great with his fans—especially the female ones.
After they get the selfie situation sorted out, the three of them talk some more about the game. Shelby gushes over how many strikeouts he had. "Twelve tonight. That's incredible. You were so hot."
"Sure, but this guy here is the real badass," Nelson says, shifting gears and pointing at Liam. "Catching criminals and putting them behind bars. That's no joke."
"I know." Shelby nods. She smiles at Liam, but her gaze fixates mostly on Nelson. "It's super impressive."
Liam pours himself some beer. He should probably be insulted that he's taking a back seat on his own date, but he's not. Shelby seems happy, and it's obvious, for her, meeting the starting pitcher is like meeting a rock star.
There's a buzz in his pocket, and he reaches for his phone. His first thought is it's someone from his squad contacting him about the surveillance on Yates, so he’s surprised to see Tori's name.
His forehead creases with concern. It's late, and she'd never call him socially, so something must be wrong. "Tori?"
She's babbling in his ear and sounds upset.
"Are you okay?" Unfortunately, he can't hear a word she's saying. He covers his left ear, but the bar is too loud. "Hang on a second."
He turns toward Nelson and a giggling Shelby, who have discovered a mutual love of paintball. "Sorry, I need to take this," he tells them, getting up from his chair. "I'll be back."
They nod as he walks off to try to find a quiet corner. The whole place is noisy. Finally he locks himself in the bathroom.
"Okay, talk to me. Are you all right?"
"You're still on your date, aren't you? I don’t know why I’m calling you." She babbles more about how she didn't know what else to do and then makes a sound like a hiccup.
"Tell me what's going on."
Her breath shakes as she quietly says, "They found Mable."
It takes him a moment to remember who that is. "Your minivan? "
"Yes, of course! Who else? The police just called me."
Liam nods. "Tell me exactly what they said."
"They said…." Her voice quivers. "They found her abandoned out near the docks in Seattle. And that she's been… damaged."
"Where is she now?" Liam almost corrects himself to say "it" but decides not to.
"At the police impound lot. They had to tow her there. They said she was undrivable."
Her breath shakes again, and it sounds like she's crying. He’s never liked to hear a woman cry, but coming from Tori, it's terrible. "What can I do to help? Tell me."
"Can you take me there? The police said the lot is open twenty-four hours." She sniffs and then hiccups again. "I know it's a lot to ask, and you obviously dislike me, but I don't have a car."
"Where are you now?"
"At home."
"I'm in Pioneer Square. Text me your address."
"But what about your date?" She sounds upset. "I shouldn't have called you. I don't know what I was thinking."
"The date's almost over." Not exactly a lie, but not exactly the truth either. He can't say no to her though. "I'll take you there tonight."
"Really?"
"I'll pick you up, and we'll go to the impound lot together. Okay?"
"Okay." Her voice softens. "Thanks."
After they hang up, he exits the bathroom, then stops and looks over to where Shelby and Nelson are sitting. She's laughing at something he said. It occurs to him that this is kind of an awkward situation.
"Sorry about that," he says, arriving back at the table. "Something's come up." He turns to Shelby. "It looks like we have to leave."
Her expression changes, and he can see she's disappointed. "Already? That's a shame. We’re having such a good time. "
He doesn't know what else to say. He feels bad, but there's nothing to be done about it.
"If she wants to stay longer, I can take her home," Nelson interjects.
Liam's brows rise. "You don't mind?"
"Not at all." He turns to Shelby. "If that's all right with you."
Her face lights up, and it's obvious she doesn't mind one bit. "That would be great."
"Her car's at my house," Liam points out.
"Oh, that's right," she says. "I forgot about that."
Nelson shrugs. "Then I'll drive her to your house. It's no problem."
Liam's a little surprised that his friend is so accommodating, but the two of them seem to be enjoying themselves. At least he won't have to feel guilty about ending his date early. "Okay," he says. "I appreciate it."
"No worries," she says with a smile. "I understand. When duty calls, you have to answer."
Obviously they think he's been called away for work. Liam sees no reason to enlighten them. "Thanks. I'll text you both later."
It turns out Tori doesn't live that far from where he does, though her neighborhood couldn't be more different. All the homes are small and older, many of them in need of repair. Tori's home is small and older too, but it appears well cared for. The lawn is mowed. Flowers out front. Various clay pots with more plants and flowers by the front door.
As soon as he rings the bell, he hears what sounds like a madhouse of dogs inside. When she opens the door, the sound only increases. "Quiet now," Tori says to them, and surprisingly, the dogs obey.
Right away, he's glad he came. Her face tells him everything he needs to know. Tori's usual brightness has gone dim. Her eyes are red, her cheeks pink. It's like a foul ball to the gut seeing her this way.
"Hi," she says. "Come on in."
He walks past the threshold and three dogs swarm around him, sniffing at his clothes and fingers, clamoring against each other, tails wagging.
"These are my boys," Tori says, then gives their names like an introduction, though he can't hear any of it. He's still trying to get over the fact that she has three dogs when he can barely manage one.
She watches, seeming bemused, as he tries to figure out how to deal with them. "You can pet them. They're very friendly."
"I see that. I just don't know where to start."
"Okay, boys, that's enough." She pulls the dogs back. "Let's not overwhelm Liam."
His eyes go to her face, and an odd sense of elation rushes through him. It’s hearing his name. He's never heard her say it in a context that wasn't angry.
The dogs all move off as she herds them away like cattle.
"You can have a seat," she says over her shoulder. "I need to put out some snacks for them before we leave."
He glances around her house. There's a worn-out looking couch with a lamp on each end. A couple of chairs. Shelves against the wall packed with books and picture frames. A television off to one side.
The room smells like apples, not tangerines. It's all clean and tidy.
He goes over to the couch, where a blond tabby cat eyes him warily.
"Hello," he says.
Unlike the dogs, the cat just stares at him.
He sits and discovers the couch is surprisingly comfortable. Tori’s in the kitchen speaking in a lilting voice to her dogs. He can hear her telling them all to be patient. Fashion magazines are spread out on her coffee table, along with a few bottles of nail polish, most of them various shades of pink and red. There are knitting needles and green yarn. She appears to be knitting a small sweater .
He takes it all in with a rush of excitement. He wants to grin from ear to ear. I'm in Tori Church's house. The sixteen-year-old kid inside of him is thrilled.
The cat gets up and moves closer to him for an inspection. He puts his hand out to be sniffed.
"I see you've met Lita," Tori says, coming back into the room. She glances around. "My other cat, Joan, should be here somewhere too."
"You have another cat?" he asks, amazed, petting the one beside him. "And three dogs?"
"You should see your face right now."
He looks up at her. "Why?"
She only shakes her head. "I think Lita likes you. She's not normally that friendly with strangers."
He glances down at the cat who's draped herself across his thighs like she's claiming ownership.
Tori watches the two of them, then sighs. There's a bleak sound to it.
It gets his attention. "Are you all right?"
"No." She shakes her head. "I'm dreading this, but we should get it over with."
Liam gently pushes the cat off his lap. Tori grabs her large purse and follows him out to his truck. He's been to the police impound lot for work a few times and knows the way.
She doesn't say much on the drive there, and he's not sure what to say either. He knows some people are emotionally attached to their cars, and clearly Tori is one of them.
"Was the detective who called you today the same one we met when your vehicle was stolen?"
"I think so."
"Can you remember anything else he said? Did he say whether they have a suspect?"
She shakes her head. "I can't remember. I don't think so."
He figures he'll call the detective himself. "At least they found her," he offers.
"That's true."
But then she goes quiet again. Liam wishes he knew the right words to make her feel better. He knows from experience how sometimes there are no right words, that it's just good not being alone.
He glances over again. If things were different between them, he'd reach for her hand. He's tempted to do it anyway but worries it might be misconstrued.
Or it might be construed exactly right.
To be honest, he's not sure which is worse.