“It’s not the first time I’ve been wet tonight,” he quipped. Lifting his head he pointed with his chin. “Go on up whenever you’re ready. I’ll wait right here and watch until I see you’re safely inside.”
Managing a smile she wiped her damp cheeks with her fingertips. “I thought you were coming with me.”
“I still will if that’s what you want. I just thought it might be awkward, considering...”
This was his standard reaction to being too close to her, she recalled, feeling a little miffed. Well, she could hardly blame him. After all, she had just spent far too long clinging to him and crying her eyes out. Yes, her motives were innocent but it was perfectly natural for him to be uneasy. In view of the fluttering in her veins and an undeniable sense of excitement, she wasn’t all that comfortable with their present situation, either.
Her smile widened and she patted his arm. “I get it. You’re right. I would rather go up alone. I assure you, I’m quite capable of unlocking my own door. Been doing it for years. Good night, Adam.”
“Good night.”
Without further delay Sara completed her climb and fitted her key in the lock. Hesitating on the landing, she waved goodbye to him, hoping her crying jag hadn’t permanently spoiled his good opinion of her. Adam had always been a reliable friend. A rock. Even if he never chose to see her as anything more than a buddy she’d have to be content.
Blanketed by her errant thoughts and feelings she broke eye contact.
Opened the door and took a step into the apartment.
Gasped. And screamed!
Adam was taking the stairs two at a time before he even realized he was moving. He burst in behind her, expecting a flesh-and-blood adversary. Instead, he was looking at the worst job of vandalism he’d ever seen. Furniture was slashed and overturned. Cupboards gaped open with their contents strewn on the floor, much of it broken. A fractured floor lamp lay across the end of the coffee table as if it had been used as a battering ram.
He pushed Sara behind him. “Stay here while I check the way I should have in the first place.”
A crimson footprint low on one wall showed clearly because someone had dumped a gallon of red paint onto the hardwood floor and stepped in the puddle before kicking anything in the way. Paint was also flung up the walls and onto the sofa. What looked like the remains of all of Sara’s clean nurse’s scrubs had been stomped into the sticky mess until the fabric was hardly recognizable.
Circling the carnage as best he could, Adam checked the small bedroom and bath before returning to her.
“Anything else?” she asked with a tremor in her voice.
“Nobody’s here but us, if that’s what you mean,” Adam assured her. “Call the police.”
“I already did. They’re pulling a couple of guys off the investigation of the shooting.”
“Good. I don’t expect them to find anything out there anyway. There’s a better chance of turning up clues in here.”
“Do you think the incidents are connected? I mean, the methods are very different.”
“It’s more likely than not. Whoever broke into your apartment must have figured you’d be gone with the volunteers and he’d have plenty of time to do this damage.”
She wavered and he cupped her elbow to steady her. “You okay?”
“Not really. What am I going to do?”
“Take one thing at a time. Let’s go back down to my truck to wait for the cops. You can’t stay here.” He could tell she was staggered by the avalanche of problems. “Look, why don’t you call an out-of-town friend and see if she can put you up for a few nights? Leave Paradise until the cops have some answers.”
“And chance bringing this kind of disaster on somebody else? No way. I suppose I can get a motel room. Or crash at the hospital in the employees’ lounge.”
“Neither of those choices is any safer for you than sleeping on one of the benches on the courthouse lawn across the street,” Adam countered. A heartbeat later he added, “All right. You’re coming to the ranch with me.”
Sara rolled her eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” He gave her his best skeptical look while wondering what she’d come up with for a plausible argument.
“Because it’s not right.”
“If it’s okay with me and my brothers I don’t see a problem. Besides, if you’re uncomfortable being alone with me I can ask Carter and his wife to give you a place to sleep over at their house.”
“No way. They have small children. I’d never take the chance they’d be put in danger.”
Adam sobered. “So you do agree this is some kind of vendetta?”
“It must be,” she answered softly. “I mean, look at my place. I won’t be able to salvage any of my uniforms and the furniture is too spoiled to use again.”
“That was yours, too?”
“Some of it was. Most came with the apartment. I didn’t need much room when my folks were still in Paradise, so I rented this place from Cynthia. Any time I started to get claustrophobic I could always drive to the farm and chill out in Dad’s woods or fish in his pond. I suppose I should have looked for another place to live after they retired and moved to California, but I never got around to it.”
“Your dad has a brother there, right?”
“Yes. And speaking of brothers, what are Carter and Kurt going to think when you show up on the ranch with a surprise houseguest?”
“I will be teased unmercifully until we tell them why you’re there, but I’m willing to take the heat if you are. Mrs. K comes in a few days a week to cook and clean for me. I can ask her to stay over if it would make you more comfortable.”
“We don’t need to add another potential victim.”
“Right.” He had been smiling as he pictured being teased. Now, he sobered and sighed. “You really can trust me, you know.”
“I know I can. It’s not you—or your brothers—I’m worried about. It’s town gossip. The Bible says we shouldn’t do anything that gives even a hint of sin because it reflects poorly on our Lord.”
“So, you’re not avoiding me?”
Sara was shaking her head and Adam spotted fresh tears pooling in her eyes. “Of course not. We’re old friends. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather count on.”
He was touched. “Thank you.”
She swayed toward him for an instant and he imagined her falling into his embrace once again. Was that what he wanted? Was it fair to get involved with her, or with any woman, when he knew the fighting and killing he’d endured as a marine had hardened his heart and changed him in ways he was still discovering?
Getting down to basics, the most important thing was staying close to Sara until whoever was causing all the trouble was unmasked. How he was going to do that when they went to separate jobs was not going to be easy. Truth to tell, nothing about his relationship with Sara Southerland ever had been, even when they were kids and he had called her a little squirt.
Adam placed a hand at the small of her back and reached toward the door handle of his truck cab. “I think you’d better sit down before you fall down. Get in.”
Her quick glance of consternation pleased him. Better she should be thinking about him than about her circumstances.
Braced with one hand on the door, one foot inside on the floorboard, Sara hesitated. “I hear sirens. Must be the police.”
“Probably, since my pager hasn’t gone off,” he replied, feeling a sense of relief, short-lived though it might be. Paradise was always quiet at this time of night, so the curious would be peering out windows or trying to learn the reason for the sirens by listening to scanners and calling friends. Soon, they’d have plenty of company on the square and he’d have an even harder time keeping Sara isolated.
The wail of the patrol cars grew louder. Sara had remained standing, half in, half out of his pi
ckup. Watching for the police, Adam noticed a white sedan cruising past followed by a dark-colored SUV. Both drivers were moving slowly and peering out at the area around the apartment.
Hair at the nape of his neck prickled. Few locals were yet aware of the location of the break-in, so why were these drivers acting so interested?
Windows of both vehicles were rolled down, something he found a bit unusual considering the cool April night. Still, there was no law against getting fresh air.
Sara’s drawn-out “Adam...” temporarily redirected his attention to her—only she wasn’t looking at him, she was staring at the passing cars.
Suddenly her hands shot out. Her fingers fisted handfuls of his shirt like the talons of an eagle and yanked.
Adam tried to halt his fall but Sara had simultaneously thrown herself on to the truck seat, and momentum carried him down with her.
Then he felt the reverberation of multiple gunshots, heard a window shatter above his head and got the true picture.
Sara’s quick thinking and decisive action had just saved his life. She might not know why thugs were pursuing her but in some ways she was behaving more rationally than he was. He couldn’t believe he’d actually let her go alone to open that apartment door without backup.
Sounds of at least one engine revving echoed through the still night air. Tires squealed.
Adam pressed his cheek to Sara’s and held her as tightly as he dared. Even a marine couldn’t fight bullets with his bare hands. This was the last time he’d go anywhere unarmed until they were sure this threat had passed. Anybody who wanted to get to Sara Southerland would have to take him out first.
FOUR
Seconds crept by as if time had all but stopped. Sara made a token effort to wriggle free. Her back was bent against the edge of the seat and muscles were starting to cramp but, truth to tell, she was in no hurry to escape Adam’s up-close-and-personal protection.
His voice was raspy. “You okay?”
“I—I think so. Are you?”
“Apparently.”
She held very still as he levered himself onto his elbows and peered out at the street. “Are they gone?”
Nodding, Adam stood and held out his hand to her. Nothing pleased Sara more than the chance to grab it and hold on. His grip was firm and she could feel calluses from his hard work at both the fire station and his family-owned ranch. Yes, his touch was tender but there was also comforting substance and power to it.
Sara slid off the seat to stand beside him, keeping hold of his hand and helping Adam brush tiny glass crystals off his head and shoulders. “Did you see who it was?”
“Not clearly enough for an identification. How about you?” He ran a hand over his military haircut, then told Sara to bend forward so he could ruffle her hair, just in case there was glass in it, too.
She couldn’t help shivering. “I hardly remember a thing. All I saw was the barrel of a gun pointing at us and I panicked. What a night.” And judging by the sound of approaching sirens it wasn’t over yet. “I didn’t recognize anything about the cars. Did they have Missouri plates?”
“Don’t know.” Adam tried to let go of her hand. Sara resisted until he said, “I need to go talk to the sheriff. I’ll be right over there.”
“Then we both will be,” she countered. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
To her relief he looped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “Never crossed my mind...”
She was ready to set aside her misgivings about the way Adam felt regarding their relationship until he added, “Buddy,” instead of using her name.
Of course they were friends. That went without saying. And, if she were honest with herself, there was comfort in such camaraderie. Sara couldn’t help it if her emotions had soared higher and faster than his. Or that no other man in her life had ever come close to measuring up to her childhood friend. Adam was not only handsome. He was kind and intelligent and could practically read her mind.
Except he was overlooking her when it came to romance, wasn’t he? She sighed. There had been a time when she had thought his heart belonged to Vicki, yet he didn’t seem to be grieving as much as Vicki’s poor family. Then again, he’d been a marine and had seen combat so perhaps he was just good at hiding his feelings.
“I wish...” Sara muttered, surprised when Adam took notice.
“What?”
“I was talking to myself,” she alibied, keeping her head bowed so he couldn’t see her flaming cheeks.
He gave her a little squeeze. “Hang in there. As soon as the police let us go I’ll get coverage for the last few hours of my shift and we’ll go to my place.”
Her wry wit surfaced and she gave him a lopsided smile. “You mean like a stray pup. It followed me home—can I keep it?”
“Yeah. Something like that.” They joined a sheriff’s deputy at his patrol car while other police officers were cautiously climbing the stairs to Sara’s apartment, guns drawn.
Sara realized she had actually gone to school with this man, too, although she would never have predicted that such a troublesome kid would end up on the right side of the law. She nodded to him. “Hi, Tiger.”
He stammered and cleared his throat. “You can call me Elmer. I don’t use that nickname anymore.”
“I thought you hated Elmer.”
“I did. Still do. But my boss thought it sounded bad to go by Tiger, so I don’t.”
“Understandable.”
Elmer eyed Adam. “Rough night, huh?”
“You have no idea. So far, Sara has been shot at three times, once here and twice at the scene of the fire we just put out over on County Road Seventeen.”
“That’s why they sent me this time. I heard there was a fatality out there.”
Sara spoke up. “He died of smoke inhalation. Has the victim...has Rodrigo been sent to Springfield for an autopsy?”
“That’s what we usually do, so I imagine so,” Elmer replied. “Tell me about what happened here.”
“It was a drive-by,” Adam said. “We’d just discovered the vandalism in Sara’s apartment and were waiting by my truck for the police.”
“Did you recognize the vehicles involved?”
“No. One was an older car and one a fairly new, dark-colored SUV,” Adam said while Sara nodded agreement.
“Maybe it was just teenagers stirring up trouble.” As he spoke he was making a show of examining the truck with a flashlight. “Looks like the only damage was the busted window.”
Despite her normally level temperament, Sara was beginning to get upset. “Listen, Tiger, you may have done that kind of thing when you were a kid but these shooters were not young. At least one of them wasn’t. Part of his arm was sticking out the passenger-side window and I saw dark, splotchy colors on it, like maybe a tattoo, so don’t pass this off as simple teenage mischief. My apartment is soaked in red paint, my furniture was slashed, and somebody has been taking potshots at me tonight. This is no little, inconsequential prank. Okay?”
“Got it. Sorry.” Hands raised, he took a backward step toward his cruiser. “I’ll radio what you told me and all units will keep a lookout, but with such generic descriptions of the vehicles I don’t expect results. Come daylight we’ll see if we can find what’s left of the bullets that passed through your truck window. If you think of anything else, give dispatch a call.”
Adam raised a hand in parting. “Will do. If you need us we’ll be out at the ranch.”
Sara noticed the officer’s momentary pause before he entered his car. “I wish you hadn’t told him that. It’s going to be all over town by dawn, you know.”
“Everything always is,” Adam countered. “It’s only when folks try to hide what they’re doing that it becomes suspicious.”
“I suppose you’re right. At any rate, when they spot my car out at your
ranch there will be no doubt.”
“I said I’d drive you.”
“I know. I just want my own wheels.” Looking toward the diagonal parking spots across the street she frowned. “Hold on. Does my car look strange to you?”
He took a moment. “Yes. I’d say it has at least two flat tires.”
“Terrific.” Her shoulders sagged under the added burden. “I thought all they were aiming at was us and your truck. How could a stray bullet have hit more than one wheel?”
“We don’t know that the shooting here has anything to do with your flats. Come on. As soon as we’ve reported the latest damage and I’m free to clean the glass off my truck seats, I’ll check at the fire station and make sure there’s enough coverage tonight.” He looked at his watch. “It’s only a couple of hours till my shift is over, anyway.”
“Then how much time do you have off?” Sara asked, hoping it would be more than one day.
“Normally, we do three on and four off,” Adam explained. “Under the circumstances I can probably take a little more time off than that.”
“No. I don’t want you to jeopardize your job. Besides, do you actually believe a few days will be long enough to solve these crimes?”
A shiver skittered up her spine when Adam looked straight into her eyes and said, “No. I’ll be surprised if we ever figure everything out.”
Sara was fighting tears when he added, “But I’ll look out for you as long as you’re in danger. I promise.”
* * *
Adam already had firefighting gear with him in case of an emergency callback so he was able to arrange the scheduling change by phone.
He glanced over at Sara, seated beside him in the cab of his pickup. “It’s all set. We can leave right away.”
Although she didn’t argue he could tell she was brooding. She proved it by saying, “I wish they’d let me back in my apartment to at least grab a change of clothes.”
“You can borrow what you need from Carter’s wife, Missy. I think she’s about your size.” Adam smiled, hoping to lift her mood. “I imagine the crime-scene folks will release your apartment in a day or so, but it will still be a mess.”
Fatal Threat Page 3