Page 99 of Death on Gallows Path

I looked over my shoulder. Yup, Clara agreed.

Teague had assessed what the sheriff’s department had put together by way of a case and wasn’t satisfied.

“You’re witnesses — not to the event, but the day before — and you’re both observant,” he said.

We were also witnesses to a few things after the murder, but bringing that up didn’t need to be decided now.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

We settled in the living room. Teague and I on the couch, with his arm around my shoulders, while Murphy sat pressed against his knee and Gracie rested her ribs on my feet and her chin on Teague’s.

Clara grinned briefly from the easy chair.

“Had you met the Swindells or Georgers before the first training class?” Teague asked us.

That reminded me I’d already given him background unintentionally.

“Not me,” I said.

Clara shook her head. “Can’t swear I haven’t seen them around town. I suppose especially Damon, since he grew up in the county. But if I did, it wasn’t memorable. They didn’t look familiar at that first class.”

“Let’s talk about that first class,” Teague said. “What were your impressions, if you can weed out what came later?”

“Mmm. First impressions.” I closed my eyes, remembering watching their entrance to the training area. No need to distract Teague with Berrie’s involvement. “Damon Swindell made me think of Gordon Gekko from those Wall Street movies.”

“Oh, Michael Douglas,” Clara murmured. “Uh-huh.”

I continued, “He wasn’t as distinguished as Douglas. Blander and without the intelligence behind the eyes. Not even the intelligence for evil like the Gekko character.

“It was like he was trying so hard to seem tough and powerful that it called attention to the fact that he wasn’t. I’d say he had a compulsive need to be admired.”

I opened my eyes.

Clara wiggled her shoulders. “Well, he wasn’t. Admired, I mean. As for the rest of what you said, that’s exactly right. All of it. You are good, Sheila. You caught him exactly.”

“What was your first impression of them, Clara?” Teague asked.

“None of them knew dogs,” she said immediately. She tipped her head. “The two men were more interested in their respective dogs than either woman was, but seemed like that was to score points off each other. Not for the dogs themselves.

“Neither of the guys was particularly adept with the dogs. Damon too harsh, Bryon too bendable. And the dogs knew it. Made them uncomfortable. They’re uncomfortable with Pammy and Zoley, too.”

That sharpened his attention. “How do you know that? I heard Donna had both dogs.”

“She did over the weekend, but Pammy and Zoley must have taken them back, because they brought the dogs to training last night.”

“Did they?’ He hadn’t known that.

“Not that they did much,” Clara said disapprovingly. “The humans, I mean — Pammy and Zoley. You know dogs pick up a lot about people—”

He made a noncommittal sound. Clara took it as agreement.

“—and truly are good judges of character.”

“Not enough studies yet,” I demurred. “Dogs can certainly read body language — human and canine. Likely faster and better than us.”

“Because the early dogs had to in order to survive,” Clara said.

“That’s one theory. They’re also way better than us at picking up pheromones. They have Jacobson’s organ — which we lack — for picking up chemicals that tell them about our emotions, hormones, health.”