by Laura Scott
“This is everyone’s first stop,” Nate said. “Need to talk to an officer, report a crime, offer a tip? You speak to Penny McGregor. She’s very important to the team.”
Lucy’s eyes widened with admiration at Penny, who’d returned to her seat.
“And behind Penny’s desk is where all the police work happens,” Nate added.
Willow took in the many desks, officers hunched over computers and phones, typing, taking notes, talking, comparing information, dashing from one desk to another and to the back offices. And a lot of sipping from take-out coffee cups. The big room was hopping with activity. Last night, Nate had told her about his unit and his colleagues, and it was clear from the warm way he’d described them, sharing a bit about why each had become a cop, that they were already close, despite being a new unit operating for only a few months. As she glanced around the big room, she recognized some of the team based on his descriptions.
Tall, lanky Raymond Morrow, a narcotics K-9 officer who’d been poring over reports for evidence in a drug case he was working on, stood up and came around his desk. He smiled at Willow, then knelt in front of Lucy and extended his hand. “You must be Lucy. It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Ray. My partner, a furry springer spaniel named Abby, is in the kennel right now, but she’d love to meet you when you head over.”
“I’d like that,” Lucy said shyly.
Willow watched Nate send Ray an appreciative nod. Nate had mentioned he didn’t know too much about Raymond’s past, but he knew the dedicated officer had a difficult family background related to why he became a narcotics cop. His kindness to Lucy was touching.
Next they ran into bomb detection K-9 detective Henry Roarke, who at six foot four towered over Lucy to the point that she had to tip her head way back. Henry was African American and wore his curly black hair military short, but despite his height, he laughed and knelt down, too. He told Lucy a cute knock-knock joke and Lucy giggled. A warm, funny guy, Henry seemed a natural around kids, probably due to having raised his teenage sister after the loss of their parents. Willow was surprised she could remember so much about what Nate had shared.
Nate glanced around and reminded her she’d already met K-9 transit officer Belle Montera and her German shepherd partner, Justice. Willow recognized officer Vivienne Armstrong, with her short dark hair, on the phone at her desk and taking furious notes.
Willow couldn’t recall what Nate had told her about the tall, dark-haired, green-eyed officer walking toward them. He introduced himself as Jackson Davison, who also worked in Emergency Services, and shared a cute story about his chocolate Lab partner, Smokey.
“Hi, Lucy!” said blond K-9 detective Tyler Walker once he got off the phone. He spun around his desk chair. “Want to see a photo of my partner, Dusty? She’s a golden retriever and a great finder.” Willow remembered Nate mentioning that Tyler was the single parent of a toddler daughter.
“I’m good at hide-and-seek, too,” Lucy said, her shyness evaporating.
Tyler grinned, and his phone rang, so he grabbed it.
Nate glanced around again, and Willow had the feeling he was looking for K-9 detective Bradley McGregor, Penny’s brother. From what Nate had shared, Bradley had been through so much as a teen when he and Penny’s parents were killed. Willow didn’t see anyone matching his description. Bradley must be out on a case.
Penny stood up and let them know the training center next door was all set for Willow and Lucy’s tour.
Nate thanked Penny, then turned to Willow. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.” He lightly squeezed her shoulder before turning away. “Come, Murphy.”
Willow watched as Nate left the precinct with Murphy. She found it hard to believe Damon had anything to do with ransacking her home, but the man had been photographed with the guy who’d tried to wrestle her into the black car. Maybe Damon had nothing to do with it, and Craggy Face had simply noticed her taking pictures, realized she must have gotten one of him and panicked. Why, she had no idea. Hopefully Nate would get some information about the guy out of Damon. He wasn’t the nicest person but he’d always been reasonably fair.
This weird loneliness she felt watching Nate go had to be related to the danger surrounding her.
It was nothing personal. She knew from past experience with men, including her father, who’d walked out when she was only two years old, that once Nate had Craggy Face in custody, she wouldn’t see him again.
* * *
Nate couldn’t believe how difficult it was to walk away from Willow, feeling her gaze on his back. It was strange how close they’d gotten in such a short period of time. Even from this distance, he could pick up the lilac scent of her.
Or maybe it was all in his head.
He shook off the strange and unwelcome sensation and focused on what was important. He couldn’t afford to get emotionally involved with Willow or her adorable niece. She and Lucy deserved to be safe, and that meant he needed to remain professional. Getting emotionally involved increased the chance of making a mistake. He needed to focus on the two cases. The Emery murders and the attempted abduction of Willow.
He knew better than to hope for success on the fingerprint found on the sedan, but he’d try to get a name out of Damon Berk, the manager of the Burgerteria.
Outside, he glanced up, taking note of clouds gathering overhead. Spring could be dicey, the temperature rising like the sun, then falling like a rock. He quickened his pace, knowing that a rainstorm could easily wash away any remaining scent left behind by Craggy Face.
“Up, Murphy.” He lifted the back hatch for his partner. Murphy jumped gracefully inside the crated area.
The drive to the Burgerteria didn’t take nearly as long as it took to find a parking spot. He would have walked, if not for the impending storm. When he found a spot, he let Murphy out.
They were still fifty yards from the restaurant, which was fine with him. He once again opened the evidence bag containing the gas receipt. “Seek, Murphy. Seek!”
It only took Murphy a moment to pick up the scent. His partner followed the same path he had the evening before, the scent trail leading to the doorway of the restaurant where Willow once worked.
“Good boy.” He leaned down to give Murphy a brisk rub. Then he opened the door to the restaurant. “Seek!”
Murphy eagerly complied, nose to the ground as he crossed the threshold.
“Hey! We don’t allow dogs in here!”
Nate glanced up from Murphy to find Damon Berk scowling at him from across the room. He held up his badge. “Police business.”
“Wh-what?” Damon sputtered. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a cop. I run a restaurant. Having an animal in here violates all kinds of health codes.”
Nate ignored Damon’s mini rant, his gaze centered on Murphy. His partner had followed the scent to a vacant table near the door and sat, waiting expectantly for his praise.
“Good boy, Murph.” He again rubbed the animal’s silky coat. This time, he walked the animal farther inside the restaurant. “Seek, Murphy.”
Murphy put his nose to the ground, sniffing around the area. They were garnering attention from the other customers, but Nate didn’t care. Despite his attempt to widen the search area, Murphy eventually ended up back at the entrance to the restaurant. Within minutes, his partner quickly returned to the same spot as before, sitting right in front of a high-top table with two seats.
“Good boy.” He gave Murphy a final pat, then straightened. He caught the manager’s attention by raising his voice. “Damon Berk? I have a few questions for you. We can talk here or outside, your choice.”
“What is this about?” Damon was clearly put off by his arrival. “I have a business to run.”
“This shouldn’t take too long.” Nate gestured to the vacant high-top table. “Here? Or outside?”
Berk glanced over his shoulder, taking
note of how many of his customers were watching them with frank curiosity. “Outside.”
“Fine with me.” Nate opened the door and waited for Berk to pass through first. He followed with Murphy at his side. “Heel.”
Murphy sat.
Damon Berk didn’t seem impressed. “What do you want?”
Nate raised a brow at his curt tone. “My name is Detective Slater and I have a few questions. What is your role here and how long have you been employed?”
“I’m the manager and have been since we opened.”
“And when was that?”
“Three years ago.” Despite how the air had cooled beneath the gathering storm clouds, Nate noticed a bead of sweat forming at Berk’s temple.
“Is that how long Willow Emery was working here before you fired her?”
Damon blanched. “Yes. Is that what this is about? Listen, I didn’t fire her, she quit.”
Nate wanted to badger him more about that, but decided it was better to get to the point about Craggy Face. “Okay, now I’d like to ask about one of your customers.” He pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen, bringing up the photo Willow had taken of Craggy Face. “I need to know this man’s name.”
Damon barely looked at the screen. “I don’t know him.”
“Really?” Nate glanced at the photo again, then captured Damon’s gaze. “Because you’re talking to him here in what appears to be more than a casual conversation. Take a closer look.”
Damon shifted his feet nervously, a bead of sweat rolling slowly down the side of his face. But he obeyed Nate’s request, leaning over to peer intently at the screen. Damon’s brow was furrowed with what was supposed to look like concentration. Nate wasn’t buying it; he felt sure the manager knew the guy who’d tried to abduct Willow, but wasn’t surprised when he once again repeated, “Sorry. I don’t know him.”
“You don’t remember what you were discussing with him?”
Damon’s gaze darted right and left, as if fearing they were being watched. “I talk to a lot of my customers, but it doesn’t mean anything. Schmoozing is part of the hospitality business. I’m always hoping they return to the restaurant again—that’s part of keeping this place afloat. But I don’t ask their names or get any other personal information from them. That would be crossing the line.”
“Funny, but this doesn’t look like schmoozing to me.” Nate tapped his index finger on the phone screen. “Looks like an intense conversation, maybe even an argument.”
Another bead of sweat rolled down Damon’s face. “Maybe he was upset by the food. I often reassure customers that if they don’t like their meal I’ll give them a discount to return.” Berk brightened. “Yes, now I remember! This man requested to speak to me about a problem with his burger. He’d cracked his tooth on something hard inside the beef and was demanding I do something about it.”
“Did you pay for his tooth?” Nate planned to ask for proof of payment, even though he didn’t really believe him.
“I—uh, well, no.” Damon didn’t fall for his trap. “I didn’t charge him for his meal and told him he could return anytime for a free lunch or dinner on me.”
“And you didn’t get his name?”
Berk spread his hands wide. “Why would I? I wasn’t even sure he’d take me up on my offer. He was pretty upset about his tooth.”
“Right. When was this broken tooth incident, exactly?”
Damon waved a hand. “I don’t know, not recently.”
“That’s interesting, because Murphy picked up his scent at the high-top table near the door.” He wasn’t about to let Berk know that Willow’s photo was stamped with a date and time.
Damon paled, then backpedaled. “Well, it could have been the past week or so, I didn’t exactly take the time to write the complaint down on my calendar. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do. With Willow gone, I have a trainee in the kitchen.”
“Just one more question,” Nate said. “Where were you on Sunday evening?”
“Here at the restaurant, then at home.” Another bead of sweat rolled down his face. “Why? Are you accusing me of something?”
“Just curious. But I do need something else from you.”
Berk looked impatient. “Now what?”
“If this man shows up again, I’d like you to call me.” Nate fished out a business card and held it out for him. Damon stared at it as if it might bite him before he reluctantly took it.
“Fine. But I doubt he’ll be back anytime soon. It’s not like he’s one of my regular customers.”
“Still, I’d appreciate a call when he does return.”
Damon shoved the card into his pocket, then hurried back inside the restaurant. Nate watched through the window as Berk quickly wove his way toward the back of the restaurant.
To check on his trainee cook? No, he felt certain Damon had gone straight back to call Craggy Face. Too bad he didn’t have enough evidence to request a search warrant for Berk’s phone records. The photo alone wasn’t enough; Berk claimed he was a disgruntled customer, and he didn’t have any way to dispute his claim.
Nate wasn’t sure what business the two of them had together, but sensed it was illegal.
Why else were they so desperate to get their hands on Willow’s photograph?
NINE
The K-9 training center was an impressive facility, but Willow couldn’t help glancing at her watch every few minutes, wondering when Nate would return.
This strange attachment she was feeling toward him bothered her. She and Lucy were safer here, surrounded by two-legged and four-legged cops, than anywhere else.
Still, she felt oddly vulnerable without him. Which wasn’t good. She really needed to find a way to put distance between them.
At least Lucy was enjoying herself. Penny had given them a tour of the kennels and the indoor training yard, and now they were in the outdoor yard, which was fully fenced in. The little girl had managed to shake off the effects of the interview and had run through the K-9 obstacle course pretending to be Murphy.
“I’m a doggy, woof woof!” Lucy went down on her hands and knees and crawled through a colorful flexible tunnel.
She couldn’t help but smile at her niece’s antics. The little girl displayed an incredible imagination and she couldn’t help wondering if that was related to how much time Lucy spent alone without parental supervision. Just remembering how Lucy had been outside by herself when the killer had approached was horrifying.
Her smile faded as the reality of her situation hit hard, stealing her breath. When exactly would the woman from Child Protective Services, Jayne Hendricks, show up for a surprise visit? What if Ms. Hendricks learned about her close call with Craggy Face? Would she decide that leaving Lucy in Willow’s care would be too dangerous? Would she demand the little girl be placed into foster care until the threat against Willow was gone?
As much as she couldn’t bear the idea of Lucy being in danger, she felt strongly her niece needed to be with someone familiar, not a houseful of strangers.
She closed her eyes for a moment, silently praying that God would continue to look over them, keeping them safe in His care, and allow Lucy to remain in her custody.
“Lucy, sweetie, that hurdle is only for furry friends, not humans.”
Penny’s voice caught her attention. She glanced over to see Lucy reaching up to grab on to a small hurdle that was used for the dogs to jump over. Willow pulled herself together and hurried to her niece, sweeping Lucy into her arms, trying to make a game out of it.
“I’ve got you!” She twirled in a circle before setting Lucy back on her feet. “We have to be careful, Lucy, these are set up for the doggies, not for kids to play on.”
“I’m a doggy, woof!”
She stifled a sigh, startling when her phone rang. When she pulled the device from the pocket of
her pink hoodie, her heart gave a betraying thump when she recognized Nate’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Willow, I just wanted to let you know Murphy and I are on the way back to the precinct. How are things going?”
“We’re fine. Lucy is pretending to be a dog. Can’t you hear her barking?”
“Woof! Woof!” Lucy shouted.
Nate’s low chuckle sent shivers of awareness down her spine. “Cute. I should be there in ten minutes, maybe less depending on traffic. I thought we might want to make good on our promise to have hot dogs for lunch.”
“Fine with me. Thanks.”
“See you soon.” Nate disconnected from the call.
Penny crossed over to stand next to Willow and gave her an assuring smile. “Well, Lucy,” she called, “it’s time to go back to the station. I hope you can come visit the doggies again.”
“I hope so, too!” Lucy said with a grin, taking one last look around at her new furry friends as she crawled over on her hands and knees, still in her doggy persona. Willow smiled and decided to let her continue at least until they were outside the building.
Penny led the way and when they reached the concrete sidewalk, Lucy must have decided the cement hurt her knees because she scrambled to her feet. “Aunt Willow, I’m hungry.”
“I know. Don’t worry, Detective Nate will be here soon. Do you remember what he promised you could have for lunch?”
Lucy scrunched up her face, thinking. “Hot dogs?”
“That’s right. We’re having hot dogs for lunch.”
Penny glanced at her with a warm smile. “Sweet of Nate to take you and Lucy out for lunch.”
Willow felt her cheeks burn and quickly shook her head. “It’s nothing, really. He’s just being nice while protecting us.”
“Hmm.” Penny’s knowing expression indicated otherwise, but Willow sensed arguing further would only reinforce her beliefs. Better not to bring that on.