Valentino Pier (Rapid Reads) Page 6

  “It must have paid well.”

  “Millions,” said the detective. “They would take the boat out to meet cargo ships waiting to come into the harbor. Then they would off-load the animals from Prentice’s boat in Red Hook behind the warehouse. From there they would take them to his office. He would check them out. Give them whatever shots they needed. Then they would be trucked to the zoo or the club.”

  “What went wrong?” Gulliver asked.

  “The animals were all supposed to be knocked out with drugs.”

  “But the night the kid woke up the animals woke up too.”

  “Right,” Patrick said. “The drugs wore off too fast. And it was a shipment of monkeys. I guess the monkeys were pretty pissed off after a long ocean voyage. They musta been screaming their heads off. What I don’t figure is why Prentice fed you that story about the Indian beetles.”

  Gulliver laughed. “He wanted to know if the kid would live. Also if you and Rigo were making progress on the case. I was Prentice’s only source. He had to get me into his office somehow.”

  “It was still dumb, because it got you curious.”

  1" class="tx" aid="K0RQJ">“It’s my height. People underestimate me all the time. Because I’m little, they think I’m stupid. Or deaf. Or weak.”

  “You’re none of those, Dowd. But you should have kept me in the loop.”

  “Sorry about that. I’m stubborn that way. I’ve gotten too used to doing s8221;

  “Forget it.” Detective Patrick’s cell rang. “I’ve got to take this,” he said. “Hang around. It will only take a minute.”

  “Nah,” said Gulliver. “It’s a beautiful day. tuff my way.&#

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to Bob Tyrrell, D+txhohat happenedavid Hale Smith, and Sara J. Henry. Special thanks to Rosanne, Kaitlin, and Dylan. Without them none of this would be worth it.