Free Spike by Kathy Reichs, Brendan Reichs Page A

spat. “It was a very common medicine. Every LIRI employee here knows about ipecac syrup!”
    Corcoran swung to Kit. “You keep some of this stuff on your crazy monkey island?”
    Kit nodded. “A little. In reserve, in case we need it for something in the future. As Tempe said, pharmaceutical companies stopped making ipecac syrup in 2010, so I thought it’d be wise to stockpile a few bottles.” He looked coldly at Iglehart. “Only senior employees like Mike have access to those stores.”
    Everyone watched the weasel squirm. Chance and Ella were now whispering with Jason and Madison, while Courtney and Ashley looked as happy as toddlers at the circus. Some people just love drama.
    I caught Chance’s eye, and he shrugged apologetically.
    I nodded. I’d never suspected him. Chance was a lot of things, but spiking a cake to make people vomit wasn’t in his playbook. I briefly considered Courtney and Ashley, snickering behind him, but this didn’t feel like their style either. They’d have come at me directly somehow, and would want me to know who’d done it. Anonymously ruining my dad’s wedding just didn’t track.
    Tempe had moved to Whitney and was trying to calm her down. My stepmother was close to hyperventilating. After a few moments Tempe glanced back at Corcoran, who continued to hammer at Iglehart. She wore a small frown. I shared her disapproval. The captain was getting ahead of himself in an attempt to grab the spotlight.
    As much as I despised Iglehart, we didn’t have proof he’d done anything.
    Yet.
    Which is why I’d called in reinforcements.
    Here
.
    The swinging doors nudged open.
    A hundred-plus-pound gray-wolf hybrid slipped into the ballroom.
    At first no one noticed. Then heads turned. Shouts erupted. A distant cousin of Kit’s leapt onto a table, screaming silently as she gaped at my furry friend.
    My wolfdog glanced up and bared his teeth, but I could sense his amusement.
    Coop, heel. And stop
showing off.
    Foolis
h human
.
    Dismissing the skittish woman, Coop trotted through a rapidly expanding gap in the circle of onlookers. “Everyone relax!” I shouted,patting his head as he reached my side. “Cooper is very well trained.”
    “KIT HOWARD!” Whitney recovered enough to jab a finger at Cooper, her face aghast. “The
dog
is inside our
wedding
reception
!”
    Kit shot me an exasperated look. “Tory! What are you thinking? Coop can’t—”
    “He can help,” I said quickly. “Just give me a second.”
    The doors swung open a second time. Shelton hustled in, carrying the infamous metal bowl he’d been sent to retrieve. “It was still in the trash,” he said breathlessly, “but I watched Biggs wash this out pretty good. Won’t the ipecac odor be gone?”
    “Let’s hope not, or it’s my funeral.”
    Kneeling, I placed the bowl under Coop’s nose. The crowd watched with sick fascination as he snuffled the shiny object. All in all, it had been a pretty eventful cake-cutting ceremony.
    Got it, boy?
Stroking Coop’s head.
    Faint. Sweet
. He rose.
    “Track!” I said aloud, worried people might wonder if I didn’t issue a verbal command. “Find the scent!”
    Check
him
f
irst
, I added silently, nodding at Iglehart.
    Coop yapped once, then stalked slowly toward our target, testing the air with his nose.
    “Get that monster away from me!” Iglehart yelled, but he didn’t dare move.
    “Why?” Corcoran asked menacingly. “You got something to hide, fella?” The fat captain was definitely enjoying himself.
    “Of course not!” Iglehart shot back peevishly, swallowing hard as he tracked Cooper’s approach. “But if this mongrel bites me . . .”
    Coop reached the man. Halted. Thrust his snout to within an inch of the cringing scientist. The hairs on my neck stood as my friend took a sharp sniff. The room held its breath.
    Coop blinked twice. Snorted. Moved past Iglehart toward the buffet tables.
    My face soured.
Coop?
    His head swung my way.
    No
t him?
    No scent
.