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Jim pulled the truck to a stop, reached back for the cooler and jumped out, slamming the door behind him.
Blair grabbed an armful of camping equipment and followed Jim up to the loft.
“Jeez, Jim, I was laughing with you man, not at you. There is a difference you know.”
Blair sighed. Jim had been cranked up tight before the start of the camping trip – hell, that had been the whole point of this last minute trip away, and the unexpected way it had been cut short hadn't helped matters. His attempt at humour in the truck sure hadn't gone down well.
Jim was in the kitchen pulling the fish out the cooler and slamming them on the counter.
“Hey,” said Blair brightly. “At least we caught some fish. Not a completely wasted trip.” He ignored Jim's glare. “Er, Jim, the fish are already dead, man. You can stop beating up on them. Why don't I cook? You go shower and change.”
“Fine, I'll finish unloading the truck, but Sandburg, I'd appreciate if you'd let the subject drop.”
“Got it, man. Not another word. What happens in Vegas, er, Cascade forest etc.”
Jim looked at him suspiciously. Blair gave him his warmest smile and making a zipped lips gesture, shooed him out the kitchen.
By the time they had finished their dinner of baked fish they were both feeling more relaxed.
“That was great, Chief. Thanks,” said Jim warmly, smiling his appreciation.
“I couldn't eat another thing,” agreed Blair stretching out his legs, and pushing his chair back from the table. “And we're back in time for the game,” he added contentedly, glancing at the clock.
“I'll wash up,” said Jim. “Why don't you grab another couple of beers and go turn on the TV.”
Blair switched on the TV and threw himself on the couch.
“Oh, no!”
“And to finish,” said the anchorwoman brightly, “a couple of Cascade citizens got rather more than they bargained for on their camping trip today.”
Blair groaned as a grainy picture of him and Jim flashed up on the screen.
“What the...?” Jim sat down heavily next to Blair.
“Their peaceful fishing trip was disturbed by the arrival of an escaped black jaguar from a local private zoo. The animal was tracked down and captured by Animal Control Officers Beth Harvey and Mick Russo, who are here to tell us more about it. Beth, over to you.”
“We have to commend Cascade detective Jim Ellison and his partner Blair Sandburg for their calm on encountering the jaguar. Most people would have panicked and run, but when we arrived Detective Ellison was sitting a few feet away from the animal perfectly calm and composed as if it was an everyday occurrence.”
Blair stole a glance at Jim. “I think she liked you, man.”
The other officer interrupted. “We would, however, strongly recommend that members of the public don't approach wild animals. It is always safer to keep a good distance.”
“Him, not so much,” added Blair.
“Yes, but Detective Ellison's admirable calmness kept the situation under control and allowed us to capture the big cat without further incident. Why, he might have been sitting next to own pet kitty,” gushed Officer Harvey.
Blair choked back a laugh.
Jim groaned. “Blair, it could have attacked you. How could I not tell? I can't believe I just sat there.”
“Hey man, don't beat yourself up. It was only a couple of minutes before the wildlife officers arrived. One black jaguar looks pretty much like another, I guess.”
Jim nodded. “It was the spitting image of the... the...” He waved his hand vaguely.
“Your spirit animal,” added Blair helpfully.
“The other one,” said Jim shortly, “but that's not the point. It could have pounced on either one of us.”
Blair shrugged. “It didn't look that hungry. It had only been loose for a day.”
They turned back to the screen as the anchorwoman finished up.
“So folks, Detective Jim Ellison is not only Detective of the year, but Cascade's very own Big Cat Whisperer. Good to know!”
They sat in silence.
“So, what are the chances no-one in the department saw that clip?” asked Jim quietly.
“The last news item before the big game?”
“Yeah,” said Jim, “that's what I thought.”
On Monday morning, neither Jim or Blair were entirely surprised to find a toy black panther sitting on Jim's desk, pinned with a sign saying “Jim's pet kitty”.
The End