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CHAPTER THREE

NED

Lennox listened carefully while Ned and Scarlett transcribed the details of Conrad Fincher's death, her black-tipped grey ears swung forward attentively.

"Very well then" she ran a paw over her mane, which was tied back formally. "This is Arkady's case, and I'm assigning the two of you to it as well. Arkady's going to have a talk with Fincher's SO.....we'll give him a little time after the plane lands, but we need him to file a statement. Last things the victim said to him, did anyone threaten them, known enemies, the works." She paused, eyes wandering down to her desk. "He can fill you in on the details afterwards."

Ned forced his tail not to wag, but the tip of it still rustled against Lennox's potted palms. In the corner a fan was humming noisily, swirling the leaves of the palm, and blowing through the fur of Ned's tail. "Thank you, Lieutenant" he said politely, eyeing Scarlett, who was struggling to hide a grin, her momentary sadness evaporated. "Anything else?"_ Besides the Harman report_, he thought, but I'll have it done in fifteen minutes.

The wolf frowned. "Yes, actually." She lifted a folder from her desk. "I picked up your report on the Harman homicide." Uh oh. "Your theories are sound but while you were gone we got a new witness who claims he can clear Miss Rogan. I've called both of them in, and you're to interview them. See if it checks out."

"So much for that" Ned muttered after Lennox had dismissed them. "First time I try to solve a case on my own and just when I make my statement, some idiot shows up to disprove it."

Scarlett gave that high chortle that coyotes make when they laugh. "You're not a detective yet, wolf."

"Neither are you" he pointed out.

"No, but this case...."

She had a point. Arkady had hinted a few times that the police commissioners were only willing to add two more detectives to SF Metro, so Ned and Scarlett were more or less in a race with Milo and Jason as to who earned the two shields. And since he and Scarlett were the ones assigned to this case - the first celebrity murder during their time at SF Metro - that gave them a chance to impress Lennox enough that she'd give the shields to them.

"I'm still gonna race you for it" he said, just to be a tease. "You have an unfair advantage anyway, dating a detective."

She snorted. "If anything that makes it even more important that I stand out as an individual, because.....holy fuck, will you look at her!"

Ned set the paperwork on his desk and followed Scarlett's gaze to the sliding doors in front of the elevator some distance across the room. Scarlett's boyfriend, Nolan Goodwolf, was talking to....

He'd seen a mug-shot photo of Olympia Rogan on the computer before, but that had done little to prepare him for meeting the wolf in person. Nolan had turned, politely smiling an easy lupine smile, and pointed in Ned's and Scarlett's direction, stepping aside so Olympia and her witness, who was obviously a coyote, could pass. As the pair crossed the room, eyes were turning, and even if Ned didn't find women attractive himself, he could tell without doubt that Olympia was drop-dead gorgeous, or was by Hollywood standards anyway. She wasn't as tall as Lennox, but her waist was narrow and the front of her black leather jacket was pleasantly curved, judging anyway by where some of Ned's fellow male officers were looking. Her fur was as white as a December day, and like many female wolves, she had a long mane, which was threaded with at least a hundred black and red beads.

The coyote with her seemed somewhat familiar, but there had been a lot of coyotes in Ned's home state of Montana, so that did not necessarily mean anything. He was probably in his early twenties, if Ned had to guess; good-looking, slender, and wearing a black leather jacket and jeans similar to Olympia's, both of the slim-fit style that fits snug on the fur. Remembering how unpleasant the sun had felt on his black fur, Ned wanted to scoff at them, wearing black on a warm day, but maybe it was meant to make an impression on people - and if that was the case, they had certainly succeeded. Between their flawless good looks, the perfectly fitted leather, and the confident manner in which the pair crossed the room, they resembled a pair of greasers from a James Dean movie, only lacking guns and fast cars.

Scarlett sucked in a breath. Ned could hear her tail swishing against his desk. "That's Garrett Dyckert!"

"Who?"

"The actor. Floyd Sinclair. From Carmen Barbosa!" she whispered, but not quiet enough, because the coyote's ears pricked as he and Olympia halted in front of them.

"That I am, miss" the coyote allowed, eyes flicking over to meet Ned's. He had dark yellow eyes, and there was a flash of something - interest maybe - in them before he turned back to shake paws with Scarlett, who was trying desperately to control her inner fan-girl.

"So you are the officer who believes I'm a murderer?" Olympia spoke for the first time, levelling cool dark eyes at Ned. "I must admit I wasn't expecting a wolf. Whatever happened to species loyalty?" The dry sarcasm was unmistakable in her voice, just as was her strong British accent.

"Species loyalty means nothing when murder is at stake" Ned said firmly, frowning. He'd met people like these two before, usually rich folks, although not always. They radiated confidence and self-assurance, instinctively aware that the law posed no threat to them.

"Not murder though, or at least not in the case of my colleague" Dyckert countered, flicking his ears. Ned did recognise him, now - he had the same slight British accent that his character, Floyd Sinclair, did on HBO's adventure drama Carmen Barbosa. "The simple fact of the matter is that Olympia's car was stolen."

Several of the other officers were still staring their way. "Let's go somewhere more private, shall we?" Ned suggested. Plus it would be best to have a camera on this distinctive pair, lest they need to examine footage of them later.

When he'd sat the pair of them down in one of their interview rooms, he and Scarlett on one side of the table; Olympia and her coyote on the other, he tapped his fingers on the table and cleared his throat. "So. You say your car was stolen?"

Garrett Dyckert nodded seriously. "Yes. That is, _her_car was stolen."

"Why didn't you report it, then?" Ned asked.

"Because I was out of town," Olympia said, in a tone that suggested Ned should have figured that out on his own.

"We've been at Tahoe for the weekend" Dyckert added. "We drove my Mustang - as warm as it's been, a convertible was ideal."

"Can anyone verify that?" Scarlett asked, but Ned had already guessed the answer. Olympia and Dyckert were too smug in their certainty to not have backup.

Sure enough, the coyote pulled an iPhone from his pocket. "Here, see the dates?" He handed the phone across the table. The screen was open to Facebook, and showed several photos of Olympia or Dyckert or both, in a boat and on shore with the lake and pine trees in the background. The dates telling when the photos had been posted confirmed that neither of them could have been in San Fernando the night Toby Harman had been killed.

Ned glanced at Scarlett, who shrugged. "I guess you're free to go, then" he admitted, sighing. Case reopened - but then again, with something like the Fincher homicide to worry about, why should he be concerned about whether the Harman case was solved - let Jason have that case. There was bigger fish to catch.

"Thank you, officer" Olympia murmured, getting up from her chair. "Do have a good day." Ned nodded as the wolf left, but before the door closed, Dyckert looked back at him, and that time, Ned was certain of it. Interest. Of course, that could have meant nothing.

No sooner had the pair left than Scarlett grabbed his arm, ecstatic. "Can you believe Garrett Dyckert was in our office?" She had started panting. "Oh god, I thought I was going to starting drooling. He's totally delectable!"

"You already have a boyfriend" Ned reminded her. 'Who doesn't dress like he could be a character from Matrix."

She was oblivious. "I bet that Olympia is some actress, traveling under a false name. Or maybe a model. Wait, I know!" she grabbed his arm again. "They're probably gangsters. That would explain all the leather."

Ned laughed. "You watch too many cop shows" he told her, shutting off the light as they went back to the main office.

She flicked her ears at that. "And where do you think I learned how to solve mysteries? Certainly not at the academy." She swished her tail and spun around to face him. "Besides, you are the one who couldn't keep your eyes off of Garrett!"

But he hadn't.... "What?" he snapped, hackles rising defensively. "I did not."

"Deny it all you like" she waved a paw dismissively. "It won't change the fact."

"He's not my type," he said. Actually, Dyckert sort of was - Ned preferred canines - but Scarlett didn't need to know that.

"Another lie" the coyote said wistfully. "You know, when was the last time you went on a date?"

"I don't have time for dates" Ned said. "Or for this conversation." Montoya and Diego were starting to glance up from their desks, and if there was anything Ned didn't need, it was the entire division knowing he was gay.

"You live in fucking queer heaven" Scarlett said in a matter-of-fact tone, shaking her head. "But! If you want to live a long life of loneliness, be my guest." She turned saucily and went back to her desk, leaving Ned to meet Montoya's and Diego's raised eyebrows.

"She's upset she didn't get that actor's autograph" Ned told them, ignoring the glance the two detectives shared, and returned to his desk, putting the Harman report back in its folder. He'd tell Lennox to give it to Jason and Milo - that would keep them busy, and out of the Fincher case.

As for Scarlett's claim....well, yes, Garrett Dyckert was an attractive coyote, but he was also cocky and sly, most coyotes were, and anyway he was probably boning Olympia. His character Floyd Sinclair was bisexual, but that didn't mean much since it seemed like most gay characters were played by straight actors anyway. And besides....Ned had learned not to follow through with romantic interest, anyway. His life was simpler without a boyfriend, and the guys he liked always ended up being straight - hell, the last crush had been Diego, but one day when he'd taken the stairs by chance instead of the elevator, he'd stumbled upon the wolfdog making out with that cute cheetah detective from Narcotics - Melody Simms, that was her name. And after that he'd stopped bothering with guys. He was finally a policewolf, and that was enough for now.

That's why Garrett Dyckert was far from his mind when he left the station and walked out to where his truck was parked, a little green Ford that was almost as old as he was, but still seemed to have some life left in it. He yawned, waving goodbye to Nolan and Scarlett as they got into their own vehicle, and pulled his keys from his jean pocket. Satisfying day at work, now maybe he'd head on home, grab a beer, and relax for a while in the reclining lawn chair he kept in the shade of the weeping willow in his tiny backyard.

The coyote was leaning against the hood of the Ford, and he looked up as Ned approached. "Afternoon, Officer Parker." His voice was cool and friendly, and when he smiled the sun glinted off perfectly white fangs.

Ned frowned, his ears falling back. What does he want now, he thought. Best be professional. "Can I help you, Mr Dyckert?"

The coyote pushed himself off the truck's hood. "Just call me Garrett," he said easily, folding his arms. "I just wanted to ask you one question before I left."

His voice was steady, but Ned noticed the slightest quivering of his ears, and his tail wasn't quite as high as it could have been. Maybe Garrett wasn't as confident as he made himself out to be. "One question? Go for it." And quickly, please.

"Are you single?"

What?

Again, Garrett's voice didn't waver, but in the brief moment of silence that followed, something flickered through his eyes. His ears fell back. "Um, I'm sorry-"

Ned held up a paw. "No, wait. Are you...asking me out?" He realised he was smiling.

The coyote gave kind of a half-smile. "...yes...that was my intention." He tried to laugh. I'm sorry, I must have read you wrong." He smiled apologetically. "I've never had very good gaydar."

He started backing away. "No, stop" Ned raised a paw, wondering at this new development. He had to admit to himself he hadn't seen this coming. Guys hit on him occasionally, but they were not usually handsome actors. "Honestly, you're asking me out? You're an actor!"

Garrett paused, eyebrow up. "So?"

"I'm a rookie police officer. Not necessarily the cream of the crop."

The coyote actually laughed. "Compared to what, the others of my profession?" The confident grin was back now in full force. "Haven't you noticed how relationships between actors never seem to last long?"

Ned couldn't really argue with that one, so he ventured a different question. "So you're...gay?" Somehow he knew he wasn't handling this conversation the way a professional policewolf would, but then again, it wasn't every day he had an actor asking him out.

Garrett smiled a dashing toothpaste-commercial grin. "Bisexual, if you have to put a label on it. I could really go for either you or Miss Lewis, but I hear she's already got herself a man."

"Yes. Nolan. The grey wolf you talked to as you came in," Ned explained. "But how'd you know that?" He'd moved to lean against the front of the truck, so he and the coyote were facing each other, hands stuck in pockets.

The perfect grin flashed again, and he gestured at his muzzle. "This, actually. The receptionist on the first floor of your station was quite willing to provide some details, namely whether you or Miss Lewis were single, and what your respective vehicles looked like so I'd know where to wait."

"You're a cocky bastard, that's for sure" Ned muttered.

Garrett's ears sprang down. "I'm not normally like this, actually." The ears came up again. He had piercings in each - a little hoop earning in one and two industrials in the other. "Typically I'd never dare ask someone on a date unless I knew them at least somewhat well, and I'd wait for them to do the asking."

Ned found himself smiling again. "What changed?"

The coyote shrugged. "Felt like doing something different?" He smirked. "Besides, I have a weakness for wolves, black ones especially, and you're hot."

Ned swallowed. "I suppose I should say 'thanks.'"

"Probably" Garrett agreed. "At any rate....I'm not available tomorrow but the next day...would you be free in the evening?"

"I think I can manage that" Ned said, his head spinning. Was he seriously agreeing to a date? "I'd better give you my number."

"I was going to ask for that. I'll call you to let you know where to meet."

Ned wrote his name and cell number on the pocket notepad he kept for interviewing on-scene witnesses, ripped off the page, and handed it over. "You're deciding where we meet?"

"I asked you out....Ned" Garrett smiled, reading his name off the page. "Have a great evening - you'll be hearing from me."

"The same" Ned said, but Garrett had already turned and walked off in the direction of the civilian parking area, his tail swishing contentedly behind him. Ned realised for the first time that his own tail was wagging. He wondered how long it had, and whether Garrett had noticed.

A date. Huh. He grinned to himself. Well, it would give him something to tell Scarlett about, at any rate. Wouldn't she be jealous!

He pulled out of the parking lot with the window down, left arm on the edge of it, radio turned on to the alternative station, wondering why he hadn't thought to ask Garrett out tonight.