put the guys on the scene in danger by telling them not to
kill that animal.”
I paused in my search for a hair tie. “Remember about three years ago, there was a
guy breeding exotic animals up in Georgia?”
“Yeah, he got mauled to death by a tiger, or something.”
“It was a jaguar.” I quickly looped my hair up away from my face and twisted it into
a haphazard bun. “When the breeder got word that the authorities were onto him, he
panicked. He tried to take the healthiest animals with him. Somehow the male jag got
a hold of him—he’d been dead two days when we got there.”
“We? You were involved in this?”
“Along with handlers and investigators from the ASPCA and the Humane Society.” I shuddered,
remembering the appalling scene. The half-eaten man, the stench of disease and decay.
“It was terrible. The animals were all in such bad condition, most were starving,
or dead.”
I felt a lump rise to my throat. I paused and swallowed hard. God, the poor things
had all been so scared and in so much pain. And of course, I’d felt all of it.
When I spoke again, I wasn’t surprised to hear that my voice was barely more than
a whisper. “There wasn’t much we could do.”
“What happened to the survivors?”
I glanced at him and saw true compassion in his face. It made it easier to tell the
story, knowing he cared, and didn’t just want to know out of morbid curiosity.
“The male jaguar was taken to a rescue facility in Kentucky. The female had been dead
for at least three weeks, as were two of her cubs. The only other animals that made
it where a couple of male dogs, a female timber wolf, two of her pups, and a jaguar
cub.” I looked over at Kai, watched as he pieced it together. I shouldn’t have been
surprised. After all, he was an investigator.
“So that’s where you got Moss.”
“And that is where LaBryce got Charm.”
Kai looked at me with raised brows. “Charm? As in Lucky?”
“Hugh Murray, the zoo vet, came up with the name because she was lucky to be alive.
Somehow, she’d managed to squeeze through a gap in her cage and had gotten out to
where the timber wolf had been tied to a tree and had been nursing with the wolf pups,
but she was still very sick. She had a severe respiratory infection and was blind
in one eye. Zoos wouldn’t take her, and the rescue centers couldn’t take a cub with
so many problems. A group of volunteers took turns looking after her.”
“I don’t get it. How did Walker end up with her?”
“The local news ran a story on her. LaBryce saw it. He called and asked if he could
adopt her.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.
“Why would you go into LaBryce’s house anyway?”
“We have a search warrant.”
“You think LaBryce had something to do with Mark Richardson’s murder?” It was hard
to imagine. I’d known LaBryce for years; he’d never shown even an ounce of temper,
especially to his friends.
“You look shocked,” Kai said.
“I am.”
“Can’t picture LaBryce as a killer?”
A yes or no would be too simple. I thought for a moment and asked, “Why do you think
LaBryce wanted a jaguar? Aside from it being his team’s mascot.”
Kai lifted a shoulder. “Because he’s a macho football player who wanted a cool status
symbol?”
I shook my head. “I thought the same thing when I heard he wanted her, but no.”
“To get chicks?”
That made me smile. “Maybe some. But truth is, he cares.”
“Are we talking about the same guy?” Kai’s voice was dripping with skepticism. “The
LaBryce Walker who stars in gangsta rap videos and hangs out with thugs?”
“That’s just publicity stuff. He sells a lot of merchandise based on an image that
isn’t real.”
Kai scoffed. I ignored it. “The first time he came to see Charm, I knew his thug persona
was just an act. You should have seen him.” I smiled, remembering how enamored the
giant
kill that animal.”
I paused in my search for a hair tie. “Remember about three years ago, there was a
guy breeding exotic animals up in Georgia?”
“Yeah, he got mauled to death by a tiger, or something.”
“It was a jaguar.” I quickly looped my hair up away from my face and twisted it into
a haphazard bun. “When the breeder got word that the authorities were onto him, he
panicked. He tried to take the healthiest animals with him. Somehow the male jag got
a hold of him—he’d been dead two days when we got there.”
“We? You were involved in this?”
“Along with handlers and investigators from the ASPCA and the Humane Society.” I shuddered,
remembering the appalling scene. The half-eaten man, the stench of disease and decay.
“It was terrible. The animals were all in such bad condition, most were starving,
or dead.”
I felt a lump rise to my throat. I paused and swallowed hard. God, the poor things
had all been so scared and in so much pain. And of course, I’d felt all of it.
When I spoke again, I wasn’t surprised to hear that my voice was barely more than
a whisper. “There wasn’t much we could do.”
“What happened to the survivors?”
I glanced at him and saw true compassion in his face. It made it easier to tell the
story, knowing he cared, and didn’t just want to know out of morbid curiosity.
“The male jaguar was taken to a rescue facility in Kentucky. The female had been dead
for at least three weeks, as were two of her cubs. The only other animals that made
it where a couple of male dogs, a female timber wolf, two of her pups, and a jaguar
cub.” I looked over at Kai, watched as he pieced it together. I shouldn’t have been
surprised. After all, he was an investigator.
“So that’s where you got Moss.”
“And that is where LaBryce got Charm.”
Kai looked at me with raised brows. “Charm? As in Lucky?”
“Hugh Murray, the zoo vet, came up with the name because she was lucky to be alive.
Somehow, she’d managed to squeeze through a gap in her cage and had gotten out to
where the timber wolf had been tied to a tree and had been nursing with the wolf pups,
but she was still very sick. She had a severe respiratory infection and was blind
in one eye. Zoos wouldn’t take her, and the rescue centers couldn’t take a cub with
so many problems. A group of volunteers took turns looking after her.”
“I don’t get it. How did Walker end up with her?”
“The local news ran a story on her. LaBryce saw it. He called and asked if he could
adopt her.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered.
“Why would you go into LaBryce’s house anyway?”
“We have a search warrant.”
“You think LaBryce had something to do with Mark Richardson’s murder?” It was hard
to imagine. I’d known LaBryce for years; he’d never shown even an ounce of temper,
especially to his friends.
“You look shocked,” Kai said.
“I am.”
“Can’t picture LaBryce as a killer?”
A yes or no would be too simple. I thought for a moment and asked, “Why do you think
LaBryce wanted a jaguar? Aside from it being his team’s mascot.”
Kai lifted a shoulder. “Because he’s a macho football player who wanted a cool status
symbol?”
I shook my head. “I thought the same thing when I heard he wanted her, but no.”
“To get chicks?”
That made me smile. “Maybe some. But truth is, he cares.”
“Are we talking about the same guy?” Kai’s voice was dripping with skepticism. “The
LaBryce Walker who stars in gangsta rap videos and hangs out with thugs?”
“That’s just publicity stuff. He sells a lot of merchandise based on an image that
isn’t real.”
Kai scoffed. I ignored it. “The first time he came to see Charm, I knew his thug persona
was just an act. You should have seen him.” I smiled, remembering how enamored the
giant
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