12 - Resolution
After stashing Kirkland in the Suburban, Houston went back into the house to find Chuck in the front hallway with the family. Both dogs had apparently been hit with a bat that was in the floor. The German Shepherd was wounded but alive. Unfortunately the Chihuahua hadn't been able to make it through the blows.
"What do you think?" Chuck looked up at Matt as the shepherd whined.
Kneeling down beside the dog he gently ran his hands over its body. "Easy, Daisy." The fur on her head was matted with blood and the left eye was swollen shut. "Think she may have a cracked rib." Pulling his phone out of the pocket of his shirt he quickly went through his contacts, found the number he was looking for, and dialed. "Art, it's Houston. I need your help."
A short time later while the CSU techs were gathering evidence, Matt and a squat older mustachioed fellow carefully loaded Daisy on a stretcher and carried the dog out to a waiting van and eased it inside. Agnes Everhart climbed inside, cradling the dog's head in her lap. "I'm not sure we can afford to pay for this." She looked to the vet.
"Paid in full." He slid the door closed and climbed in behind the wheel.
Matt walked over to where Chuck was arguing with Xavier inside the ambulance. "Now son, you're gonna go get checked out. Don't give your mama any more lip." He started to climb out but was held back by his friend.
"And you're going to ride with him and get that arm taken care of, pard. Sit on down."
"Nah, it's fine."
"Good. So you won't be surprised when the doc gives you some stitches." He ignored Chuck's spluttering. "How ya doin', Xavier?"
The boy still had tears in his eyes. "Scooter…" He wiped away a few escaping tears. "He tried to protect us. Bit Mr. Kirkland."
Nodding, the detective spoke. "He was a good little dog. Did his job. And we'll give him a good send off. But right now you need to go let the doc look at you." His answer was a nod.
"I don't think I can ever thank both of you enough." Zoe was still shaking. "How did you know something was wrong?"
Houston gave a sad smile. "The dogs weren't barking."
While Chuck was at the ER, Matt dealt with the investigation and then went back to the office, meeting Littlebear at the coffee pot. "So just jump in and leave me out of all the fun why don't you?" The cop tried for an angry look.
"I'll let you handle the paperwork."
"Never mind."
"That's what I thought." Sighing, he started toward the interrogation rooms. "This case is depressing as hell."
"Most murders are."
They entered the room where a deputy was keeping an eye on Kirkland. "Mr. Kirkland…" Matt took a seat across from him. "I'd like to remind you of your rights again." He rattled off the Miranda warning. "So I understand you did all this because your daughter didn't get the heart transplant."
Slowly, Kirkland looked up at him, an expression of complete exasperation on his face. "It was supposed to be her turn."
The interview went downhill from there, ending with Kirkland being put into a restraint chair after he tried to break free and attack both of the detectives as well as the deputy. As he went back toward the cubicle Matt could still hear him screaming, "What would you do if it was your kid?!"
"You were right." Littlebear sat down in Chuck's chair.
"About?"
"This case is depressing as hell."
A press conference was held two hours later on the front steps of the office with Martinez, Chief Guzman, Houston, Littlebear, and a heavily bandaged Wylie standing in front of the slew of reporters. Martinez had skillfully filled them in on what had happened and how Kirkland had been apprehended while Guzman thanked the sheriff and her officers for helping with the investigation. All went well until Guzman made the mistake of taking a question from Tamara Placer.
"Chief, what is your take on the Martinez-Houston affair?" The reporter's eyes glinted maliciously as she asked the question, her gaze going from the chief to the sheriff to Houston and then landing back on the shocked face of Guzman.
"Ms. Placer, it's my understanding that reporters report the facts - not personal prejudices. Next question." He moved on to the next reporter as Matt stared at her from under the white straw hat, the fury in his eyes unmistakable.
Back at the ranch, CJ was watching it unfold on TV and caught the expression on her husband's face. "Take it easy, Cowboy."
Madre Rosa had been watching from the doorway. "She needs to be barred from reporting."
"That isn't how freedom of the press works." The lawyer flipped off the television as the press conference ended, and turned back to the laptop in front of her on the study's desk.
"One of these days she's going to end up dead. That's all I'm going to say." Angrily, the older woman turned and went back toward the kitchen. Heaving a sigh, CJ went back to what she had been about to do - which was dig into Matt's family tree.
After the press conference, Houston went back to his cubicle, hoping that the reporters would leave so that he could get out of the building without having to run the gauntlet. His phone rang. "Houston."
"Hi, it's Zoe."
"How's Xavier?"
"He's okay. The doctor said there isn't any damage at all. It's just so hard not to worry about him."
"Yes, ma'am."
"We're heading back to the house. But I wondered if it's okay for us to go back there? I mean…"
Matt understood what she meant. The Stone home on Lakeshore Drive still had a seal on the door.
"I'll head that way and meet you there."
"Thank you."
He got out of the chair and shut off the monitor, making his way to the glass doors. It appeared that the reporters had left. Stepping out onto the steps he looked around the lot, this time looking for more than just the reporters, and seeing nothing unusual he went to the Suburban.
He made it back to the house on Shay Lane before the Stones and saw that the techs had already left, so he leaned against the front of the SUV waiting for the family. A few minutes later mother and son pulled into the driveway along with the grandmother.
"How's Daisy?" He opened the door for the older woman.
"Dr. Mulrooney says she should be fine. Just needs some time."
"Good. He's a good doc."
"But I'm worried about the bill. I-"
"Don't. It's all taken care of - nothing to worry about." They went into the house, finding that someone - most likely one of the techs - had covered up Scooter with a small sheet. Xavier knelt down beside the little dog, laying his hand on top of it.
"Have you got a shovel?" Matt spoke to Mrs. Everhart who silently nodded, leading the way outside to a small shed where the detective picked up the tool.
"You really don't have to do this." She dabbed at tears.
"He was a good dog. Gotta respect that. Where do you want him?" He followed her to the back of the yard where a young oak tree was growing and began digging. It didn't take long for such a small hole, and as he went back in for the Chihuahua a very light rain began to fall. Gently he wrapped the little body up in the sheet and carried it out, carefully placing it down in the hole. A few words were said over Scooter, and as the rain picked up he began replacing the dirt.
After he helped Zoe clean up the blood in the hallway he washed his hands, and then sat down at the kitchen table for a glass of tea, talking with them for a few minutes before standing to leave.
"Guess I better get on home before my kids drive everybody up a wall." He smiled down at Xavier.
"Do you think I could be a cop?" The boy's question had taken everyone by surprise, none more so than Matt.
"Well…" He thought about it. "I don't know. That's something that you would need to talk to your doctor about I guess." A look of disappointment flooded the young face. "But even if you can't, there are a lot of other things that you could do." He saw the disgusted look that followed. "You know there are a lot more folks with the department than just cops. There are lab techs, and dispatchers - all kinds of folks."
"A lab tech?"
"Uh huh. Do you like Science?"
"Yeah." There was a hopeful glimmer in the boy's eyes now.
"I know just the lady for you to talk to then. And here…" He removed another of his cards from his pocket and pulled out his phone, jotting down the number of Michelle Rodolfo. "Here's her number. She's a sweet lady and about as smart as they come."
"I was afraid you were going to tell me I could be a lawyer."
"Hey, now - my wife's a lawyer." He gave the boy a mock look of disapproval as the group laughed. "Guess I better head on. Y'all let me know if you need anything."
The ride to the ranch was rainy but uneventful and as he parked behind the house he could see his entire family sitting on the porch swings, noticing once again that Marty and Sheila were next to each other. "Uh huh," he said to himself. "I wonder…"
Catey and the twins met him at the top of the steps demanding to be picked up. He scooped up all three and took a seat next to CJ on the swing, the pair trying to share a kiss as the kids did their best to keep them apart.
