Authors: RM Alexander
Chapter Twenty-One
Cami stood in front of Henry’s with no intention of ever going inside. She didn’t come to eat, and didn’t plan on staying any longer than it took to say what she’d come to say and leave. Suspicions meant something, and now she understood what. It all made sense, the flowers, the invitations, showing up at the sanctuary. Finding him out by Cato’s enclosures. Cami scratched her chin. Paul Schotter was no good. She knew it from the start.
Paul’s pickup pulled next to her, and he stepped out, grin wide. “Hi there. It was great to hear from you.” The smile vanished as he looked at her. “Something wrong?”
“How could you do it?”
Paul’s eyes grew. “Come again?”
“I knew you weren’t just coming by because you were interested. I knew it wasn’t to see me either. You never were interested in me or the sanctuary, other than ruining everything I was working for. But, to do this … Well, now I’ll ruin you. I promise, I will.”
He stepped towards her, eyes searching her. “Cami, what in the world are you talking about? What are you accusing me of?”
“Paul, don’t act like some kind of idiot. I know.” She leaned forward, staring into the blue eyes she’d battled. Attraction versus common sense. Intuition. She’d been smart enough not to fall, but not smart enough to protect the cats. Her jaw clenched. “How could you poison them? They weren’t threatening anyone, the sanctuary –"
Paul’s face contorted from confusion to anger – eyes shifting from clear blue to clouded grey, jawline tightening. He stepped forward. “You think I’d poison the cats? Hurt you like that?”
“It’s not a thought, Paul. I’m going to Tommy now, expect a visit from the police department.”
“This is ridiculous.” He flung a hand in the air, turned with hands on hips, turned to face her. “I can’t believe you’d think I’d do something like that. I’m not a monster, Cami. I thought you knew that by now.”
“I know I never trusted you. Now I know why.”
Paul waved her off and turned away. “Then you can keep thinking that way. I’m not interested in changing your mind. See ya around.”
He marched back to the truck, the tires squealing as he peeled from the parking lot.
Cami smirked, stormed to her truck and headed to the police department.
Tommy’s fingers drummed against the cheap oak desk. The desk top was clean, save the black wired pencil cup and picture held in acheap wood frame angled just enough for her to see the image of his wife and daughter glared by the fluorescents above.
“Cami, I don’t know. I know Paul Schotter, probably better than you do. He’s a pretty nice guy. I don’t see him as someone who’d poison your cats. This is a federal crime, you know that, don’t you? These are protected animals, and the fact that one was killed, it’s a crime against an endangered species. I don’t think Paul is dumb enough to commit that kind of crime.” He chuckled. “Any crime honestly. He’s just not that kind of person.”
Her shoulders dropped back as she shook her head, glancing out the open door into the precinct. Voices blurred from every corner, officers walking back and forth, secretaries. How could anyone think in here? She turned back to Tommy. “He wanted me shut down, Tommy. Fought tooth and nail for it at the meeting and then showed up a day later wanting tours and asking me out for dates. You can’t tell me that’s not fishy.”
He tilted his head sideways, pen twirling between each thumb and forefinger. “Cami, half the town wanted you shut down. What you’re doing out there is intriguing, and you’re a beautiful woman.” She scoffed. “Whether you realize it or not, you are. There’s nothing strange about what he was doing. My guess is he was sincere in his interests.”
Cami rolled her eyes, cocked her head sideways, eyes narrowed. “Can you check him out anyway? Please? I don’t trust him.”
He sighed heavily. “Okay. I’ll check him out, but I’m not spending a lot of time on this.”
She raised an eyebrow as she stood. “Why? Do you have something else?”
He grinned, glanced down at the desk. Then, palms flat against the wood, he stood. “When I have something for certain, I’ll tell you.”
Cami shook her head, looked away and faced him again. “Thanks, Tommy.”
“I’ll find whoever did this, I will. Just let me do my job.”
With a tight smile and weak nod, she walked out the door and past a man struggling with a cop. She sidestepped them, glanced over a shoulder to the glass fish bowl Tommy called his office.
He’s only doing it to pacify me, but at least he’s checking Paul out. He’ll be good and surprised when I’m right.
Regellius remained the same. So did Bianca and Xena. No point in hanging out in the clinic, and going to work in the office felt too confining. The only remaining option was heading out to the stables, taking a good long ride to clear the head. Not the heart, but the head was a good start.
Nugget trotted across the waving blades of grass, obviously reveling in the sun and exercise. Cami, nearly as satisfied, settled back into the saddle, mirroring the movements of Nugget’s stride. Paul’s anger at her accusations, Tommy’s denial to any warrant to the accusations, Regellius. Thoughts whirled in mental tornadoes as she rode, but the muscles in her back relaxed in the freedom of flying on top of the mare. At the property boundary, Cami circled Nugget around and headed back to the house, her hair and Nugget’s tail trailing behind them like wild waves escaping the confines of the oceans that held them. She clicked her tongue and the horse galloped across the field. The ride left Cami refreshed and ready to take the next steps.
Alex waited in the stables, reins for Tradewind in hand, and she steeled for the worse, then relaxed when his lips creased into a smile. “Good news for a change?”
“Regellius has steadied. Even gave Jessica a throated growl.”
She slid off the saddle too quickly and stumbled as her feet hit the ground. Alex reached out to steady her, but she regained balance before his hand touched her back. “He’s awake?”
He shook his head. “No, not now. He never opened his eyes, and fell asleep almost before the growl left his throat. But, hey, it’s a step in the right direction, right?”
She grinned widely, dropped the reins, and wrapped her arms around him. “He’s going to be okay.” She breathed against his neck, feeling Alex’s hands wrapping around her waist. Familiar, but, a new kind of good. With palms against his chest, Cami pushed away, lifting her head, expecting, and startled, to be gazing into Alex’s eyes.
The back of his fingers curled into a hook and grazed her cheek. Cami didn’t need a mirror to know her cheeks flushed by the touch and attention. Lifting her hand, she covered his fingers, held them for a moment, and then gently pushed Alex’s hand down.
“That conversation we had a few days ago?”
She nodded, unable to find the words, knowing any attempt she made to speak would falter with stuttered confirmations.
“I meant it. Finding out if there’s something more to us, it’s worth the risk.”
“Alex, I …”
He nodded. “I know. Not anything you’ve ever thought about. But I have. Many times.” He laughed. “Nearly all my life.”
She smiled.
What can I say to that
? “Let’s get past this, okay?”
A hearty chuckle. “I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little longer.”
Nugget whinnied and nuzzled Cami’s back. She teetered off balance as the horse pushed her, hard, against Alex. With her face buried in his chest, nose inhaling a cologne Cami’d been smelling for longer than she could remember, her heart lurched. She never realized how good he smelled.
Alex’s hands wrapped around her shoulders, an awkward laugh and reluctance as he eased her upright. “You okay?”
She giggled nervously. “Yeah, sorry. You’d think I’d be used to Nugget’s nudges and pushes by now.”
“I don’t know. I think I owe her a giant ‘thank you’.”
Cami glanced away and then back at him. “I don’t know what to think of this … between us.” Her hand waved in the narrow space between them. “We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. And to ruin a relationship like that on a chance.” Her voice trailed off as she stared into Alex’s eyes, thoughts getting lost.
He leaned down, pressed his lips against a cheek, catching the corner of her mouth. “Some chances are worth taking,” he breathed, then pulled away with a soft smile. “You know that. Look at what you’ve done here. This was a chance you took, and look how great it turned out.”
She snorted. “Not so great. One tiger dead, the others fighting for their lives.”
Alex reached out, palm light against her cheek where his lips had just been. “That was not your fault, and you know it. Or you should. What if that something between us turns about to just as great?”
Cheeks heated and she turned away from him. “Maybe it could be. But if it doesn’t, I’d lose the closest friend I’ve ever had. You and I are even closer than I am to Liz.”
“Maybe that should tell you something.”
“That tells me that losing you would leave a gaping hole in my life.”
He leaned back, dropping his hands down and tilting his head. “Are you afraid of losing me, or of us working out?”
She smiled. “You know me too well.” She reached down for Nugget’s reins. “Do you want to come with me to see Regellius?”
He nodded. “I’d love to.”
Walking into the clinic, the tension eased out of her shoulders and neck, Alex at her side, Cami strode to the back holding cages, listening for a chuff or moan. There was none. Her stride slowed, hand reached backwards, searching for Alex’s touch. She edged to the tip of Regellius’ cage, the massive Siberian lying still, chest rising and falling in shallow breathes. Holding the bars, she slid to the floor, watching him.
Alex rested a hand on a shoulder. “I’ll go find Jessica or Alyssa. Stay with him.”
She didn’t answer, full attention locked on Regellius.
“What’s wrong boy?” She whispered, finger reaching through the bars to stroke his fur, the smell of medicine thick in the air. “Alex said you were doing better. I’m sorry I wasn’t here, but you’ve got to fight. I don’t want to lose you, boy.”
Regellius lifted a paw a mere inch, and then dropped it hard against the floor.
“That’s right, boy. I’m here. Fight, Regellius. Come back to us.”
The tiger opened his eyes, looked to her, a strangled sound coming from deep in his throat. A large tongue, pink and dry eased out. Cami pushed a finger closer and the Siberian touched the finger with the tongue.
“I know, boy. We’re special, aren’t we? That’s why you can’t leave me, okay?”
Regellius pulled his tongue back and closed his eyes. Footsteps thudded behind Cami, and she slowly turned her head, fingers still brushing against Regellius’ fur. It rippled like a pebble tossed in a pond.
Jessica’s face lengthened and hollowed. “I’m sorry Cami. When Alex was here earlier, Regellius’ head lifted from the concrete, he even eased up to lie upright, but a little bit ago, maybe fifteen minutes, it seemed to slip away and he returned to this,” she waved at him.
“Is it still the pesticide?”
She shrugged. “It must be. We’ve pumped him with intravenous fluids, but he must have been fed an awful lot of it. Seeing how hard he’s having to fight, I’m amazed it didn’t kill him. The road to recovery might take a lot longer than even I expected.”
“Have you drawn more blood?”
“Yes, of course. There’s still fair traces of poisons in his system. I’m sorry, Cami. I’m trying.” She nodded at the tiger. “He is too.”
She nodded, turned to lean her head against the bars. The only tiger in the whole of the sanctuary with whom she could dare get this close to – be this careless with. Because with any other tiger, head against the bars, fingers poking through the barrier, was a daring death wish. She sighed. Regellius was the only tiger she could dare do this with, and the chances of losing him were still high.
Alex crouched beside her. “Anything I can do for you? Want something to sit on? Something to drink? Just some company?”
She shook her head, eyes never leaving Regellius. She felt the space between her and Alex shift, and turned around. “Wait. Please stay.”
His lips twitched into a light smile before growing serious again, and he sat against the pavement, arm wrapping around her waist. “They’re going to find whoever did this.”
She shook her head, heart heavy. “I don’t know. There’s not much to go on, and Tommy …”
“And Tommy is very good at his job. He’ll find him.”
Cami pulled her hand away from the cat, and leaned against Alex’s hardened body, head resting on his shoulder. “I hope so. And I’m going to press every charge available to press against them. But that won’t save the cats.”
“No. It won’t. You have to have faith. He’s strong and he’s fighting. Reggy is going to be okay.”
Jessica called from the a few cells down, voice dreary. “Cami. It’s Bianca. She’s gone.”
Cami rose to her feet and stumbled to Bianca’s cell, the two year old Indo-Chinese cat, so much smaller than Regellius, still, tongue hanging out the corner of her mouth, eyes wide and glassy.