“Did you suggest it or did the police?” Evy forced herself to ask.
Bunny stood straight, and Evy finally got a real look at her face. It wasn’t coldness or disinterest like she’d initially thought. Bunny was suffering from bone-deep exhaustion.
“My insurance adjustor suggested the reward. They even offered to cover half the amount.”
Bingo. Vivian was right; Bunny had already called her insurance.
“Interesting.” Vivian was all ears. “I haven’t thought about insuring dogs, but of course you’d have to if you’re a professional dog breeder.”
“Baron is priceless.” The look on Bunny’s face was genuinely heartbreaking, and Evy felt a corner of her heart thaw for the woman. “If we don’t find him, I don’t know if Zara will be able to recover. First she lost all her children—”
“Wait, what?” Julia frowned. “What happened?”
“Oh, Stewart and I had quite the kennel, and of course Baron and Zara were the foundation of it. Well, Baron first, and we have two of his dogs from other bitches before we found Zara. The pups they produced though.” Bunny sighed. “Exceptional dogs, every last one of them. Stewart took them all. He left me with Baron, Zara, and Roman here, who is a wonderful companion and guard but clearly not a show dog.”
Roman came and sat at Bunny’s feet.
Julia asked, “How many dogs did you have?”
“We’d built up a kennel of over a dozen champions, being very careful with our breeding program of course. Stewart took them all. Built some massive indoor complex over in La Quinta.” She shook her head. “He’ll be at the show this year with Hercules, Baron and Zara’s oldest.”
Evy closed her eyes and began to filter the inevitable background noise that had crept into her mind. She recognized Julia’s and Vivian’s head voices. Vivian thought in linear phrases and made the most sense. Julia thought in bubbles, her mind an unpredictable mix of words related to the images and sounds Evy couldn’t see. Julia was difficult to read unless she concentrated.
“Miss Lane, are you feeling quite well?”
“Oh, I’m fine.” Evy forced a smile. “I imagine you’re feeling the same way, just exhausted from the show. It’s such a huge production.”
“It is, but we’re right on the cusp of having a real national presence, don’t you think?” Bunny’s eyes lit up. “For too long the most highly regarded shows were on the East Coast. Even though every year, more breeding excellence moves west. Giving western breeders the recognition they deserve is so much bigger than my own problems.” She drew a ragged breath. “Which is why the show must continue. No matter what happens with Baron.”
Snatches of Bunny’s thoughts were filtering through the dull roar, and she and Vivian took four wineglasses from the cupboard and made small talk.
…nice women…
…more time for friends…
…mistake. It was such a mistake…
…Zara, forgive me.
Bunny’s thoughts were a mix of exhaustion, regret, guilt, sadness. There was definitely information she wasn’t sharing with the police.
Evy wanted to run away, but she couldn’t without making a scene. She drifted to the back of the kitchen where a breakfast nook looked over the extensive grounds behind the house. The black-and-grey poodle, Roman, who had greeted them on their arrival, came and sat at her feet, staring out the french doors and into the darkness.
A low growl built in his throat just as an unfamiliar voice drifted into her mind.
…oh God…
…dying…
…Sarah…
Evy’s heart began to race when she realized what she was hearing. “There’s someone in the back.”
“What did you say?”
“Who—?”
Without waiting to ask, Evy flung the french doors open, and Roman tore out of the house without looking back. She raced after him, trying to follow the dying thoughts of someone she couldn’t see.
Roman barked over and over. Evy ran toward him and saw a dark shadow lying in the grass under a billowing willow.
“Call 911!” Evy yelled. “He’s still alive!”
Chapter Five
Once again, Vivian, Evy, and Julia sat in lounge chairs on the pool deck of Casa de Lirio while John Marcos questioned them and patrol cars flashed their lights next door.
He leaned against the patio table and tapped a pen on his notebook. “Why is it always you three?”
“This time it was Bunny.” Evy pointed at the Barker house. “We just happened to be there when she found him.”
“How is he?” Vivian said. “Did he wake up?”
“No.” John fixed the frown on his face. “White guy, midthirties I’m guessing. No ID. No phone or wallet on him. Blunt force trauma all over the body. Someone absolutely whaled on him. We have no idea who he is, so until he wakes up—if he wakes up—we’re out of luck.”
Julia said, “Shouldn’t you be thanking Evy?”
He cut his eyes toward Evy. “Did you hear him? I thought you said you turned all that off.”
“It turns out three Palomas and enough exhaustion will turn it on again.” She curled her lip. “The dog heard him first. Or smelled him, I don’t know.”
“What did you hear?”
“Nothing clear.” Evy tried to think back. “He thought he was dying. Thought about the name Sarah.” She shook her head. “That’s about it.”
“If he was thinking about a wife or girlfriend, there should be someone out there to report him missing. We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Also, Bunny’s hiding stuff from you,” Evy said. “I don’t think she’s involved in this guy’s attack, but I’m pretty sure she’s hiding something from you.”
Vivian nodded. “I felt a huge wave of exhaustion from her, but that was mixed with a lot of guilt. Now the question is, is it guilt because she made Baron a target or was she involved in his disappearance somehow?”
John frowned. “How did she make Baron a target?”
Evy touched her collarbone. “The collar. It was practically a red flashing sign that said ‘steal me!’”
Vivian turned to Evy and Julia. “Was Zara wearing her fancy collar?”
Julia frowned. “I didn’t notice it.”
“If it had been her old collar, you would have,” Evy said. “Bunny must have taken it off.”
“I say it’s an open question,” Julia said. “Was the guilt you and Vivian got off Bunny because she was involved in Baron’s disappearance or because she’d put that collar on him and made him a target for thieves?”
“There’s no way of knowing at this point,” John said. “What about Bunny’s reaction to the man in her garden?”
“Shock,” Vivian said. “Pure shock.”
“Any recognition?”
“No,” Vivian said. “But we couldn’t see his face very well.”
John turned to Evy. “You?”
“I wasn’t concentrating on Bunny,” Evy said. “I was focused on keeping a link to the almost-dead guy’s thoughts. I don’t know if it helped, but I kept thinking if I could keep a connection until the paramedics came, he’d have a better chance of making it.”