That was an exaggeration, Whitney admitted to herself. She’d called her cousin to let her know she was back in town, but hadn’t invited Miranda over or gone to see her. She’d behaved shamefully. She could blame it on Ryan, but in truth, it was her own fault that Miranda no longer had been part of her life.

“Like my uncle,” Adam replied, his voice low. “I knew him but I had almost nothing to do with him until recently. Then suddenly he’s gone.”

She heard a heartfelt note of regret in his voice that mirrored her own feelings. She wouldn’t have believed she had anything in common with the man who’d tackled her, but she was wrong. They both realized they’d missed an opportunity to develop a close relationship with a relative. She might have a second chance with Miranda, but Adam never would with his uncle.

“I regret not seeing more of my cousin. I should have made the effort. When I left my husband, Miranda took me in immediately. But now, I think she’ll be busy with her own life. I doubt I’ll see much of her.”

“You never know,” Adam replied, but he didn’t sound convincing.

They walked a short distance in silence. Whitney couldn’t see Jasper but she could hear him ferreting around in the underbrush.

“You know to be careful that coyotes don’t get Jasper,” she told him. “It’s a big problem in these hills.”

“You’re right. I’ll take better care of him. I always had large dogs that coyotes wouldn’t bother.” He whistled for Jasper and the little dog scampered out from the brush.

“Speaking of dogs. I’d better go feed my mine.” She turned to head back toward the house.

“Why don’t you feed them, then come up to the house? I’m ordering a pizza from Mama Gina’s. The works. Everything on it, if that’s okay.”

Say no, cried an inner voice. What’s the harm, she decided with her next breath. Adam had been a policeman and he’d served in Iraq. Just because they’d gotten off to a bad start didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends.

“Mama Gina’s makes the best pizza. The works is great. I’m easy. I even like anchovies,” she finally said.

“So do I.”

It was too dark to see his face, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

CHAPTER TEN

ADAM HAD PHONED in the pizza order and was opening a bottle of Chianti he’d found in the sparsely stocked pantry when he heard Whitney calling to him.

“Adam! Adam! Have you seen Lexi?” She rushed through the door, a frantic look in her eyes.

“No. She wasn’t in the yard?”

Whitney shook her head. “No. The gate was ajar. I’m sure I shut it, but she may have nudged open the latch.”

“Are the other dogs there?”

“Yes. Just Lexi’s gone. She may have come looking for me. We’ve only been here a few days. She really isn’t used to the area.”

“Let’s turn on all the lights in the yard. She’s probably sniffing around out there.” He flipped the switches on the panel next to the door. Light flooded the back and side yards of his uncle’s home.

“I don’t see her,” Whitney said as she stepped outside. “Here, Lexi. Here, girl.”

Adam followed Whitney into the backyard, but the Golden retriever wasn’t in the pool area, and there was no sign of her in the well-manicured bushes.

“I don’t think she could get into the dog run along the side of the house,” Adam told her. “It’s only accessible from the dog door off the kitchen. That’s how Jasper comes and goes, but let’s check.”

There was no sign of Lexi in the dog run. Whitney kept calling and calling but the retriever didn’t respond. Adam had a bad feeling about this. Lexi was a female, small for her breed. If she’d followed them out onto the trail, a pack of coyotes could have taken her down.

“I saw a Mag flashlight in one of the kitchen drawers. I’ll get it, then let’s check out the trail.”

“Good idea,” Whitney answered, a quaver in her voice. “She may have followed my scent in that direction.”

It took Adam a few minutes to locate the flashlight and determine the battery was still working. He ran out of the house. Whitney was standing at the edge of the trail, calling for Lexi. The hollow tone of her voice told him that she didn’t expect her dog to come.

“No sign of Lexi?”

“No. I’m just kicking myself for not double-checking the gate.”

They hurried onto the trail. The wide beam of the Mag light illuminated the path and the brush alongside it. Ground squirrels skittered away from the bright light, but there wasn’t any indication Whitney’s dog was out here.

“Could she have gone the other way toward the street?” he asked.

“I guess, but I don’t know why she would. I walk her along the trail or around my clients’homes. We haven’t used the street.”

Adam understood. This section of Torrey Pines was hilly and didn’t have sidewalks. Cars traveled faster than they should. It would be dangerous to walk along the road. That’s why whoever had called 911 for his uncle must have been walking along the trail or had driven up to the house in a car. They heard his uncle cry out for help…or something. They’d gone upstairs to the study, found the body sprawled across the floor and called 911.

That was one scenario. But if his uncle had been murdered, the killer could have been in the house. The first responders on the scene found the front door unlocked. That didn’t sound like Uncle Calvin, but Adam didn’t know him well enough to be positive. This was a safe, affluent area. The neighbors might not have been concerned about safety, but Calvin must have been, considering what he’d told Adam in Greece. Could Calvin have been expecting someone and left the front door unlocked for that person? It could have been a fatal mistake.

“Why don’t I drive you through the neighborhood?” he asked. “Flash the light into the bushes and call to Lexi.”

They searched the area for over an hour but couldn’t find a trace of the dog. They drove back to his uncle’s house in silence.

“Now what?” he asked. “Animal control doesn’t pick up strays at night.”

Whitney’s lower lip trembled as she spoke. “Lexi’s chipped so if she is picked up by animal control, they’ll wand her and call the chip center. All the chip shows is an ID number. The center has my updated info. They’ll call me right away.”

“Let’s leave on the yard lights and your porch lights. That way if she’s out there somewhere, she can find her way back.”

“I will,” Whitney replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t suppose you want any pizza.” He’d given Mama Gina’s his credit card. He was sure they’d left the pizza while he and Whitney were out. “It’s probably cold, but we could zap-”

“Thanks, but I’m going to keep looking for Lexi. Miranda didn’t mention any dognapping problems around here, but L.A.’s had a lot of trouble. I’ve dropped off many dogs at groomers’. They’re usually the first to know if there’s a snatch-and-run scam operating in the area. Owners put up reward signs at groomers’on the off chance whoever took the dog will bring them in for a bath.”

“You mean thieves snatch dogs, then ransom them?”

“Sometimes, but there are rings that grab dogs and pass them to someone else who takes them out of the immediate area. That person often gives the dog to yet another person. The animal is sold quickly for less than market value.”

“It wouldn’t have papers.”

“Not necessarily,” she reflected with bitterness. “A computer can generate a document that looks amazingly like an AKC certificate. People don’t ask questions because they’re glad to get the dog at a bargain price.”

Adam was amazed. “I thought people just wanted puppies.”

“No. The thieves have great stories about owners who’ve been transferred or died or something to explain why they’re selling a full-grown dog. This appeals to people who want to bypass the house training ordeal. The new owners get a pet that’s housebroken and well trained.”