Page 28 of Don't Cross Mo Ellery

“I think what she means,” I jump in, “is why use good taxpayer money when you have someone who will take them for free?”

“This is your second warning,” he says to me.

What thehell?

Luckily, the cop looks like he wants nothing more than to get the heck out of here. He clicks his walkie-talkie again. “Forget it, animal situation contained.”

For the first time ever, I see Claudia smile. It doesn’t quite reach her eyes, and there’s some kind of threat behind it. I would not mess with her, personally. “Great,” she says.

Someone calls a string of numbers over Officer High Life’s walkie-talkie and Claudia takes the opportunity to look at me meaningfully, which is terrific except that I have no idea what the meaning is.

The cop reaches in his shirt pocket. “Here’s my card if you have any more trouble. Don’t abuse the privilege.”

“Don’t worry,” Claudia says. She plucks the card from him and, while maintaining eye contact, drops it in the sinkhole. “We won’t.”

It flutters into the abyss, and he does that thing where he points at his eyes and then at me, likeI’m watching you. Then he heads back to his car.

“Yeah yeah, we’re watching you, too, buddy. Watching you walk away.” Claudia gives a loud wolf whistle.

Despite everything, I’m actually starting to like her.

“Here,” she says. “Give me your phone. I don’t give a flying fuck about calling that guy, but you and me are friends now.”

I hand over my phone, marveling at the bonding experience one small fatal accident can be between strangers. The tow truck goes to work pulling the Kia out of the sinkhole as the two of us watch. At my side, the affectionate poodle licks my hand sweetly.

“That was nice of you,” I say, petting this poodle who now fully adores me. “To take his dogs. I don’t think they’d die with Animal Control, but I’m sure they’d prefer a real home.”

“Oh, I’m not taking them,” she says as she types her number into the text app and then sends herself a text before handing it back to me.

“But you said—”

“Youare,” she interrupts casually.

I laugh.

Then I stop laughing.

“Wait, what?” I ask.

She watches the cop car screech around the corner. “Fucking cops,” she says, shaking her head. “We’re on our own, kiddo.”

“Ican’ttake the dogs,” I say, even though I know instinctively that I shouldn’t argue with Claudia. “I don’t know how to dog.”

“Well, I’m sorry but you have to,” she says. “They’re our only witnesses.”

“I’m sorry, witnesses to what?” I ask.

“It’s just for a short time, sweetie,” she says, patting my hand like a grandmother. “Just until we figure out who murdered Cran Johnston.”

Chapter 10

“Murdered?” I say. “This was a car accident, Claudia. Of the sinkhole variety.”

“That’s just what they want you to think,” she murmurs, bending down and rubbing some grass between her fingers before smelling them.

Ooookay.

The nice thing about living in a city is that you meet all kinds of people.