When a cop and a newly released convict cross paths, few cons can expect anything positive. Struggling toward a home he knows no longer exists, Ike Hernandez meets a cop who seems different. He isn’t sure he can believe the kindness, but he wants to learn to trust again and regain his lost self-respect.<br><br>Perry Parker became a law enforcement officer to help people. He learned there wasn’t much he could do, but now and then he found someone he could help. Would the lost man with the little dog that he picked up one stormy night be one of them?<br><br>Pursuing tales about a new drug dealer, Perry starts to doubt the man he’s befriended, but something inside him still feels Ike is a decent person. When the real dealers take advantage of the convict’s past, Perry, his unofficial canine partner, and the little stray Ike adopted save the day. Can a cop, a con, and two dogs make an unorthodox family?

A Cop and a Con

“Thanks, Marco. That’s exactly what I needed to find out.” He wheeled around and almost ran back to his unit. Time to go up the Esperanza road again. Given what Julio had told him, he knew where to begin his search. 7


Shortly before Perry reached the Esperanza town site, he found a faint track leading off from the main road. He pulled into it and followed the dim mark around behind a clump of bushes and scrubby juniper trees. There, he parked. It was a warm day for December, so he rolled the windows down about a quarter of the way. Badger would not try to get out if they were halfway down or more, but he wasn’t sure about Ike’s dog. He didn’t want either of them running loose while he did some reconnaissance.


Chapter 21