Dog Gone Lies (Pacheco & Chino Mysteries Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

cautious man after spending many years in law enforcement and never invited unnecessary risk, but he didn’t sense danger. Maybe this was like Tyee’s magic, but Ray trusted his gut when it came to danger. He thought all people had this instinct—it was just that most lost it because they didn’t use it. So with an inner signal that it was safe, he climbed the steps to the porch.
    As Ray stepped onto the porch, he could hear the
thump-thump
sound very clearly. He looked down and there was a beautiful all-white dog. Could be part Labrador or some kind of sheepdog—he wasn’t sure—but he could tell it was a very expensive dog and didn’t belong out in the woods alone. The dog looked up at Ray and wagged its tail, beating the floor:
thump-thump, thump-thump
. Ray could have sworn the dog was smiling at him. He reached down and petted the dog and got a double time
thump-thump
in response.
    Ray knew there was a problem with people letting dogs go in the countryside when they didn’t want them any longer, but this dog was obviously a purebred and very valuable. Made no sense that someone would just dump him off in the woods. He got the dog some water, which was noisily appreciated. He had no dog food, but managed to find some cans of Vienna sausages that were well received. If Ray had thought the dog was smiling before, now the animal was almost laughing. He petted the dog and found him to be very friendly. When told to sit, he did. Ray walked away and told the dog to stay—he did. So the dog looked expensive, was well groomed, and had been trained. That’s not an animal that shows up loose in the wilds. He would have to visit the sheriff’s office tomorrow to see if anyone was looking for it.
    Ray debated, but eventually decided to let the dog into the cabin. Not being an outdoor dog could mean he was at risk, being on his own in this remote setting. The dog sniffed everything for some time and finally found a comfortable place in front of the large fire and went to sleep.
    Ray wasn’t sure what to think about a dog just showing up. As he sat there watching, he realized that having the dog sleeping in front of the fire made him feel happy.

Sunday
    Ray’s schedule with Tyee was three times a week and no Sunday, so he wasn’t fishing today. First thing he did was let the dog out. The beast ran off in something of a hurry, and Ray thought maybe he was gone for good, but about five minutes later he was back at the door, giving a small bark of request. Ray opened the door and he came in and returned to his spot in front of the fireplace and went to sleep.
    After making his coffee, Ray found some more Vienna sausages—although he wasn’t sure if it was really an appropriate food for dogs. He decided that there had to be some kind of resolution this morning—if the dog was staying, Ray needed to get some dog food. He went about getting ready to leave for the day.
    When he headed out the door, the dog followed. He opened the back of the Jeep and the dog jumped in like he’d done it a thousand times. The old blanket in the back was perfect, and the dog nuzzled around on it and finally lay down.
    Ray headed to the Sierra County sheriff’s office. The county was currently without a sheriff since the last one had been arrested for drug smuggling. Ray had been involved in that matter, and no doubt the old sheriff, Hector, wasn’t a fan of Ray’s. He understood that they were holding a special election in a few months to find someone to take Hector’s place.
    Ray pulled up in front of the sheriff’s office. He opened the car door and the dog jumped out and went with him. He didn’t run off or appear to be dangerous, so Ray let him tag along.
    “Good morning, my name is Ray Pacheco. I had a stray dog come to my cabin yesterday and I was wondering if you’ve had anyone looking for a dog.”
    “Well good morning to you, sheriff. I’d heard you were living up here now—welcome.”
    “Hey thanks.”
    “My name’s