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Greta shook her head. “Only Mrs. Wanton-Klapper has access to those, and her husband. He’s away on a business trip, though.”

“I can get you in,” Cora said, coming into the kitchen. She set her juice glass in the sink.

Rowdy was surprised she’d come back. Maybe she was curious. Or maybe she wanted him to see something. “I would appreciate that.”

She left the kitchen and returned a few minutes later, carrying a tablet. She swiped through a few pages, then pulled up a common security app. Rowdy watched over her shoulder as she found the appropriate camera and started cycling through the footage. “It would have been three days ago, approximately ten at night.”

Cora scrolled back through the footage, then slowed.

“Stop there!”

On the screen, at the very top, a figure appeared. The cameras recorded in color, but the figure seemed to be dressed in black. From Rowdy’s point of view, it looked like he was in the King’s back yard. The figure appeared to step up onto something and lean over the back fence, obviously making motions to the barking Cookie. Eventually, the figure jumped over the fence, grabbed the dog, and hoisted him back over the fence. Exactly where Rowdy had spotted the white tuft of fur.

Pulling out his phone, he pointed it at the tablet and snapped a couple of pictures. “Can you send me this video?”

“Yes,” Cora murmured. She flicked through screens, copied a link and sent it to the email he read off.

“Thank you, Cora. This is a fantastic starting point. I don’t think your mother would have helped me.”

Cora shook her head. “No, she wouldn’t have,” she confirmed. “The King’s have a son living with them. His name is Casper. He dropped out of school, and likes drugs and money.”

Rowdy looked at her, trying to understand what she was trying to tell him. “Okay.”

Without saying anything, Cora went back through the video feeds. She paused at one section, taken during early morning hours two days ago. On the screen there was a figure. Rowdy could only see the top of the person’s body, but he seemed to be motioning to something. Was he trying to get a dog to go potty? That’s what the motion made him think.

It would have been so much better if he could see what he was doing. And if it was Cookie, why wasn’t the dog barking like he always did when he was released into the backyard?

“My mother hates that dog,” she said softly, then she looked up at him.

Rowdy understood what she was trying to say. Without completely betraying her mother, she was telling him that she was behind the dognapping. Rowdy rested a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for the email. If there’s anything else that pops up, send it to that same email.”

Cora nodded, then circled the kitchen island to the housekeeper. As he walked out, he saw Greta wrap her arms around Cora. And he felt bad for the kid for whatever might happen.

5

Annabelle made sure she answered the door as soon as Rowdy returned. Her curiosity was burning through her. “What did you find out?” she whispered.

Rowdy lifted a dark brow at her enthusiasm, but shook his head, frowning. “Let’s go to your office.”

Well, damn. It didn’t seem like he’d discovered anything, but then, it had been kind of a long shot anyway. Her heart sank as she thought about calling all the shelters again to look for Cookie. She didn’t know where else to look. In a little while she’d go out and post the reward fliers, but she doubted they would work in such an isolated community.

Once in her office, Rowdy shut the door behind himself and leaned against it. “No screaming,” and he held up a finger.

Excitement leapt in her gut, and she nodded.

“I think I found him.”

He stepped forward and held out his phone. The video was already set to play, and she tapped the arrow. Then gasped. “That’s Cookie! Oh, who is that! Is that one of the King boys?”

“I believe so. I never get a good look at the dog, but I’ll do that tonight.”

Annabelle blinked. “How are you going to do that?”

He cocked his head at her. “I’m going to stake the property out, of course. I can’t make any kind of move until I confirm it’s actually Cookie in that video.”

Annabelle frowned. “So, you’re going to sit in the back yard and hope you see him come out? You could be waiting for hours.”

Rowdy shrugged his big shoulders. “Mrs. Dodd is paying our company to do a job. We have to get it done, one way or the other.”