H: A Time for Healing

Chapter 29

Four Weeks Later

Horatio scanned the four reports spread out across his desk. Each one showed a similar graph of various substances found in the victims' bloodstreams. It was becoming evident that while Horatio had taken one drug pusher off the streets, another had set up shop near the University of Miami resulting in two deadly overdoses and two young women fighting for their lives in Miami General. The tox reports from these victims resembled those of the young men that Jo had helped pull from the Lagoon weeks ago. 'So what was he not seeing here?' Horatio wondered irritably.

Running his hand through his hair, he swung his chair away from the desk and stood, staring out the floor to ceiling windows that made up the walls of his office. Before him, the city traffic went about it's daily business, never looking up to see the watchful blue eyes looking down at them. As the traffic came and went, stopped and started, Horatio let his thoughts drift to a certain blonde, blue-eyed woman who seemed to have infiltrated his life, slipping stealthily past his carefully built defenses. While getting ready for work this morning, his gaze had fallen on her toothbrush and watermelon-basil body scrub tucked into a corner of the vanity.

"Why don't you keep some things here?" he had asked her softly one Saturday evening, his blue eyes wary.

"Horatio …" Jo's voice had trailed off and she shook her head. "I can't …" she had finally answered, looking away from him for several moments.

"Why not?" The question was out before he could stop it and she looked at him quickly

"Because, that would imply that we are something we're not." Jo had answered him, her fingers fiddling with the buttons on his shirt, her blue eyes looking into his blue ones. He had been unable to coax or cajole anything further from her and Jo had slipped out of his arms, murmuring she had to let Jezebel out. He had been pleasantly surprised to see her personal things appear a week later.

"What's changed, Josie?" he asked her curiously, sliding his arms around her from behind, pulling her gently against him. Her head moved back and forth against his chest and he had to bend close to hear her murmured answer.

"I realized I was being silly," Jo answered softly. "Are YOU okay with this Horatio? I don't want to bring back any sad memories," she added, tilting her head up to look at him. Horatio shook his head and Jo felt his warm breath feather her ear.

"I'm okay with it, Josie. And while I appreciate you thinking about my feelings, I don't buy your explanation completely. However," he paused, kissing the sensitive spot on her neck just below her ear, "I'm willing to go along with that answer for the time being."

Jo pulled into the driveway, noticing the shade was drawn in the front window. As soon as the garage door had gone up, the absence of her aunt's van made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in alarm. Gathering up her bag and several canvas totes containing her purchases, Jo hurried to the door, Jezebel and Roxie barking all the while she fumbled to fit the key in the lock. At last the door swung inwards and Jo almost fell inside the kitchen.

"Auntie? Hello Jez, what's going on here?" As if she understood, the big shepherd tossed her head and backed away from her mistress. Feeling more and more worried, Jo dropped her things and moved further into the kitchen, attempting to calm the bouncing Roxie while moving toward the sheet of paper on the kitchen table. As her eyes skimmed the spidery handwriting, Jo felt her heart sink.

Josie,

Don't worry. I've gone with Mr. Grundle to pick up a couple new dogs for him to foster.

Spend the evening with your handsome Lieutenant. See you tomorrow.

Love,

Aunt F

"What was she thinking?" Jo said out loud as she began sorting through her purchases. Looking up, Jo saw Jezebel watching her with calm dark eyes. "I'm not overreacting you know," Jo told her pet. "She certainly can't drive! I know she wants to be involved and help Mr. Grundle, but I don't think this is how to do it! Her sight's not good and her knee is still rehabbing. Oh Aunt Florence, I hope you know what you're doing," Jo sighed as she headed down the hall to her room to get ready for her shift at the hospice.

"I do hope we don't have any trouble this time Arvid," Florence Bradley's knitting needles clicked as the van sped along I-70 towards Tampa. "As much as I want to help out all those lost dogs, I think this is just getting too dangerous. We may have to tell Mrs. Overland this has been our last trip." The elderly man driving didn't take his eyes off the road, but nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but she won't like it. Remember how upset she got when I asked if we could skip a trip? I wish there was another way to get these medicines to the vets and animals that need them without all this cloak and dagger business. We are just getting too old for this Florence."

"Agreed," Florence answered and for some time all that was heard was the soft clicking of knitting needles against the background noise of the engine.

"Hey H! You got a minute?" Horatio looked up quickly and saw Erik standing at the doorway to his office. With a wave of his hand, he beckoned his CSI inside, wondering if the "minute" was going to involve good news about these overdoses.

"We got a break!" A wide smile creased the younger man's features as he came to a halt in front of his bosses' desk. "Dog biscuits!"

Horatio looked at his CSI, his expression plainly saying 'you've got to be kidding me.' An image of one of the mailman shaped dog treats that Jo fed her pack of pups rose up before his eyes and he blinked it away.

"Calleigh was going over the stomach contents of our vics and it turns out every one of them had eaten a Pupcake Dog Biscuit." Erik shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't see how a dog biscuit could make an otherwise healthy young person sick enough to land in intensive care, or worse." Horatio said, eyes narrowing as he rose from his chair.

"We thought the same thing, H." Erik was nodding. "The treats are made local, a little storefront bakery café near Miami-Dade U, the Yuppie Puppie."

"That may be the source of the drug, Erik." Horatio was headed out the door, slipping his sunglasses on as he reached the hallway. Glancing at the younger man keeping pace beside him, Horatio said, "Let's go see what they put into those biscuits that make otherwise sane people eat dog food." Reaching for his phone, he added with a small smile, "I think I'll give my friend at the K-9 unit a call. They might enjoy working on this one."

'That sounds like the Horatio I once knew,' Erik thought with a smile of his own. As he followed Horatio to the Hummer, Calleigh's words from this morning in the break room echoed in his mind.

"Something is going on with Horatio, Erik, I know it." He blew on his steaming cup of coffee, before answering.

"Okay, Cal, I'll bite. Going on how?"

"I think he's seeing someone. A woman," she added when his expression told her he was about to fend her off with a flip answer.

"It's none of our business, Cal." He finally answered, but almost choked on the hot liquid he swallowed too hastily. Calleigh had closed the gap between them, lightly laying her hand on his arm.

"I can't imagine how you feel Erik. But Horatio deserves some happiness as much as you and I," she said, widening her eyes meaningfully. "I've noticed he's lost a little weight, he doesn't look so tired all the time and Alexx said he's been at the gym at least once a week."

"Alexx is stalking Horatio now?" Erik asked with a reluctant grin. Calleigh punched him lightly in the arm then.

"Of course not Erik!" she hissed. "Her son happens to play on a basketball team and he practices there in the mornings. Alexx has seen Horatio leaving some mornings when she drops her son off."

"And that translates into a woman in his life how?" Erik widened his own eyes innocently.

"You'll see that I'm right all in good time." Calleigh nodded with a grin.

"Violet, I'll bring Jezzie in on Saturday. The Mother Superior only allows her to visit and be a therapy dog once a week." Jo busied herself setting the small room in order, setting some juice and crackers on the elderly woman's bedside table. "If you're looking for some company of the feline kind, I saw Rumpleteaser sunning himself out in the lounge. I could bring him in here for you. He's always agreeable to having someone stroke that beautiful fur of his." Jo smiled, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Hummpphh! I'm not a cat person and you know it, Nurse Jo!" The patient waggled a finger at her nurse. "This place needs a dog, not another cat. Doesn't your Aunt have any strays we can give a good home to here?" Jo shook her head as she reached over to fluff the woman's pillows.

"It doesn't work that way, Violet. Besides," Jo lowered her voice, "the Mother Superior isn't all that crazy about Jez visiting once a week. I don't think she's a dog person."

"Well, you just keep after her, young Jo! My beautiful Brandi saved me from more lonely days than I can remember back when I was a new widow. Broke my heart when she died," the woman's voice drifted off. Jo nodded sympathetically. Anything else she was about to say was cut off as a friendly knock sounded at the door.

"Can I interest anyone in a manicure?" The cheerful woman who came around once a week to give the residents haircuts and do their nails, poked her head into the room.

"Violet, I think that sounds wonderful!" Jo beckoned for the woman to come inside. When she left the room ten minutes later, Jo stopped off at the small lounge for staff and pulled out her phone. Perhaps she might be able to coax that handsome Lieutenant into having dinner with her tonight.

"Welcome to the Yuppie Puppie!" The chirpy young woman behind the counter announced. "Would you like to try one of our Key Lime & Blueberry Lemonade Pupcakes? It's the Special today."

"Thank you, but … NO," Horatio said mildly, moving his hand to reveal the badge clipped to his waist. "But I WOULD like to speak to the manager." As his fingers drummed on the badge, Horatio scanned the small, cramped shop, his expression inscrutable behind the dark lenses. Erik turned his attention to the glass cases filled with cupcakes and cookies. Leaning closer, he wondered which treats were for humans and which were destined to be consumed by their four-legged companions. Horatio had been taking in the built in shelves which ran the length of one wall, each filled with "organic" products for owner and pet. Rows of vitamins and supplements filled one shelf alone. Before he could point them out to Erik, the owner of the shop herself appeared from the back room, hand extended.

"Good Afternoon," the perfectly made up woman glanced at his badge, "Lieutenant. What brings you to my humble shop? A dozen Dognuts for the K-9's perhaps?"

"No Ma'am," Horatio answered, stopping her in her tracks. "I'm Horatio Caine, with the Crime Lab and I'd like to ask you some questions about your bakery. And you are...," he finished smoothly, his blue eyes appearing over the lenses of his sunglasses.

"Mrs. Tiffany Overland," the woman answered, folding her hands on the counter, looking much less friendly than she had been a moment ago. "Of course, Lieutenant," the woman continued evenly. "The Health Inspector paid us a visit last week. We passed with flying colors, so I must ask the reason for your visit."

"Arvid, do you see anyone?" Florence Bradley's voice rang out in the stillness of the van.

"No," the elderly man beside her peered through his binoculars into the fading light. "It's pretty quiet here, Florence. I don't see anyone. What time was the gentleman supposed to meet us?"

"6:00, and it's already … half past that now." She tsk, tsked beside him, remarking that people today didn't have any respect for timeliness.

"Well, I wonder how long we must wait?" Arvid murmured nervously. "I don't like this Flo. The parking lot is empty, the building looks like it's closed up tight. It's pretty deserted here. The veterinary office was supposed to be open when we got here."

"Maybe we should try the door Arvid. Perhaps something has happened and the dogs are inside?"

"I've hung up my running shoes these days, Flo. Even if I parked the van in front of the door, it would take me a couple minutes to get back to the van if something should go wrong. I've got a bad feeling about this one." Before his companion could answer, the screech of tires and rumble of an engine signaled the arrival of a car.

"It's about time," Florence said, packing up her knitting needles. "Let's get these dogs and get out of here." Her companion's heartfelt agreement was lost in the sound of the van doors opening.

TBC