He swiveled to face her and gave her an encouraging smile. “How old were you?”
“I was sixteen. Nikki was almost three.”
“Must have been hard on both of you.”
“It was, but the officer who responded to the call helped us. In fact, she changed our lives.” A gentle smile graced her lips. “Vicki—the officer—called social services, but she knew since this was the first report they’d probably give my mom the benefit of the doubt. They did. But Vicki didn’t leave it at that. She told me about her church and asked if it would be okay if she arranged for Nikki to go to preschool there for free while I was in school. So I didn’t have to worry about her staying with my mom.”
“That was a very generous offer.”
She gave a vigorous nod. “What I didn’t know at the time was that Vicki paid Nikki’s tuition, not the school. I’d pick Nikki up after school and started hanging out at the church. Through the generosity of the people there, Nikki and I both came to know God.”
“This’s why you went into law enforcement.”
“I want to give back the same way Vicki gave to us.”
Russ let the warmth of her soft smile chase years of darkness from his heart. He’d only spent a short while with her, but could already tell she was a special woman. A woman he was as attracted to now as he had been in college. Maybe more so. But also a woman who deserved someone who wouldn’t hurt her any more than she’d been hurt so far.
As their eyes met, the same feeling charged between them as last night. He wished he was the guy for her, but he wasn’t. Never would be.
Sydney had done it again, but she didn’t know what it was. Russ seemed so open for a while, but now he’d closed down tighter than Fort Knox. She hoped he would ease up when they talked with the foreman and Dixon’s coworkers.
As they climbed the hill toward the area not cordoned off by crime-scene tape, the rapid fire of pneumatic nail guns filled the crisp fall air. Their feet crunched over colorful fallen leaves. Sydney couldn’t help but contrast the fresh feeling of the day with the terror she’d felt in this same location last night. She followed Russ’s confident stride up the hill. He gave her hope that he could put an end to this mess.
The crew was confined to one small area in the middle of the site, where they worked on framing garages. Russ and Sydney found the supervisor and pulled him aside. Sydney didn’t miss the workers’ skeptical gazes fixed on her as she passed. But she could handle it. She’d dealt with men on the street who’d tested her resolve on the job. This wasn’t any different.
Russ introduced himself to the supervisor and offered his hand.
“Nate Johnson,” the man responded.
“Tell us about your relationship with Dixon,” Russ said.
“Not much to tell. He wasn’t an ideal employee. Came in late, liked to take long breaks. But when he did work, he framed faster than any of my other men, so he made up for the slacking off.”
“We noticed on Dixon’s phone logs that he called you quite often.”
“Like I said—he was a slacker. Kept trying to make excuses about missing work. I put up with it because of his skills, but once we finished framing, I knew I’d have let him go.”
“Dixon know that?”
He shrugged. “Not likely. The guy lived in the moment, ya know?”
“Can you think of anyone who might want to kill him?”
He shook his head. “Nah. He wasn’t a real stand-up kinda guy, but he was well liked around here.”
Russ nodded. “Anyone in particular he hung around with?”
“Dixon and Eustis were pretty thick.”
“Eustis here today?” Russ asked.
Johnson jerked his head toward one of the men. “The one with the red bandana.”
Sydney followed his line of sight and found the guy watching them, his gaze uncertain. A quick glance at Russ told her he’d seen the same nervousness on Eustis’s face.
Russ pulled out a folded copy of the picture of the motorcycle. “You recognize this bike?”
Johnson took off his gloves, tucked them in the back pocket of his overalls then took the paper. “Yeah. Belongs to Eustis.”
She and Russ swung their gazes to Eustis. His eyes flashed open. He searched the area then backpedaled slowly as his expression turned wary.
“He’s gonna run,” Sydney said and took off in his direction.
She raced across the hilly terrain, Russ’s footfalls pounding down the hill toward the parking lot. If she didn’t catch Eustis, Russ would cut him off before he could reach his vehicle.
Pain from her knee shot up her leg, but she ignored it. Eustis was quick, but with heavy boots weighing him down, she gained on him. Just as he would dart into the lot, she launched her body from above and tackled him.
He landed hard, but his body cushioned her fall. Adrenaline giving her strength, she pressed her good knee into his back and dragged his hands behind his back then cuffed them.
“Good work, Syd.” Russ came up beside her, breathing hard.
She shrugged it off, even though his praise meant a great deal to her.
“I mean it. Really good work. There are seasoned officers who wouldn’t have picked up on the guy’s signals.” Russ grabbed Eustis’s arms, and together they hefted him to his feet.
The other workers came down the hill and stood watching the two cops haul off their coworker. Their faces held a measure of respect instead of the patronizing stares she’d gotten earlier. She’d redeemed herself a bit, but the guilt over failing last night when a life hung in the balance managed to overshadow it.
Russ put Eustis in the backseat. “We might as well head straight to county.”
Everyone arrested in the city was processed through county, but Russ could’ve taken Eustis back to his office to question him first. She didn’t know why he was passing up that opportunity, but she wouldn’t question him in front of Eustis. So she settled back and rode in silence.
When they arrived at her office, Russ smiled at her. “He’s your collar. Go ahead and take him in while I make a few calls. I’ll meet you inside.”
He was letting her haul in Eustis to repair her reputation. Something he didn’t need to do. But she was incredibly grateful nevertheless. Without thinking it through, she put her hand on his.
Surprise flashed across his face, but instead of pulling away, he gave her hand a quick squeeze and looked deep into her eyes. A quick shiver of awareness flared. She lost herself in the moment.
“It’s gettin’ hot back here,” Eustis snapped from the back.
A shutter went down over Russ’s eyes, and he released her hand.
Hissing out her emotions, she climbed out to retrieve Eustis. How had she so easily let Russ get to her? Was it because she saw the same longing for a relationship in his eyes as she knew filled her heart?
What difference did it make? He was not an option for so many reasons it wasn’t even worth thinking about the possibility of a relationship with him.
She jerked Eustis from the backseat more forcefully than necessary, taking out her frustrations on the man. She needed to do a better job of focusing on the case. Not on Russ. She couldn’t handle being hurt again as she had last year when her boyfriend bailed, saying he couldn’t imagine a future that included Nikki. Her work and caring for Nikki would have to be enough right now, because Russ was totally off-limits.
EIGHT
Several hours after interrogating Eustis, Russ sat across a wide conference-room table from Sydney. Stolen-vehicle reports from Portland P.D. littered the table. Eustis admitted that the motorcycle in question had been in his possession, but he claimed he’d stolen it on a trip to the city a few weeks ago. DMV records didn’t have a bike registered to Eustis, so they were inclined to believe him.
His other claim, that the bike had been stolen from the street outside Dixon’s house while he sat in jail the night of Dixon’s arrest, couldn’t be verified as easily. Nor had they been able to confirm his alibi yet, so Eustis w
ould remain in jail for the time being.
As Sydney focused on the reports, Russ used the time to study her. He couldn’t help but smile at the memory of her interrogation of Eustis. She’d been strong. In control. Unflinching when Eustis tested her. The soft woman who’d tempted him in the car had been long gone.
His smile disappeared. He’d tried to suppress the feelings that had taken over his common sense so quickly, but they still lingered. He’d wanted to drop her hand in the car, lift his fingers to her face, smooth out the worry lines on her forehead and tell her everything would be okay. He didn’t know what would’ve happened if Eustis hadn’t been in the backseat.
Would he have followed through on his urge? Or would he have been able to do the right thing and resist like he had back in college? Did it even matter? Not hardly.
Sydney looked up and caught his staring. “What?”
“I was just thinking about how well you handled the questioning.”
“I had good training. I watch Law & Order every week.” She grinned, a sweet little smile that lit up her face.
He nodded at her hands. “So did you find anything in the reports?”
“Nothing yet.” She stretched her arms behind her back and rolled her neck. “This is the part of detective work that’s too boring to show on TV.”
“Boring but necessary.” He went back to looking at the papers before he let her distract him from their mission.
Eustis had given them the general location where he’d boosted the bike. Russ hoped to find the owner’s name in these records. Since the bike was so expensive, the owner might’ve installed a GPS tracking device and it could lead them to their killer.
Russ’s phone rang. “What’s up, Garber?”
“A break in the case, that’s what.”
“I’m putting you on speaker so Deputy Tucker can hear this.” Russ clicked the speaker button and set it between them on the table. “Go ahead, Garber.”
“Baker just got back from talking to the parents of the girl who came in this morning.”
“Rachelle,” Russ said.
“Exactly. So the parents tell Baker she’s an addict. They’ve tried everything to help her kick the habit but it hasn’t worked because of the boyfriend. They get her clean and she goes back to the boyfriend, who is also her dealer.”
“She dating Dixon?”
“Uh-uh. Your man Eustis.”
Russ let the news settle over him and got a big smile on his face. “So if Eustis and Dixon were both dealing, maybe they were fighting for turf and Dixon lost the fight.”
“Looks like it. Oh, and your search warrant for Eustis’s place came through. I contacted the building manager. He’s in apartment seven and will let you in.”
Excitement over a real suspect filled the air.
“Good work, Garber. We’ll head straight over there.” By the time Russ ended the call, Sydney had moved to the door.
“Eager much?” he asked with a teasing tone.
“Are you kidding me? This could be the lead we were looking for. All we have to find is a gun or the phone he’s been texting me on and this case is closed.” She entered the hall at a quick clip.
They stepped into the brisk air. Russ kept his eyes alert. The killer could be hiding. Watching. Waiting to strike. One bullet was all it took. Despite Sydney’s protest of being treated as less than an equal, he eased as close to her as he dared. They were moving too slow. She was at risk.
He laid a hand at the small of her back, urging her to move faster. He got a warning look from her, but he kept pushing until they reached the car. He opened her door. She cast him a stern reprimand with her eyes.
He didn’t care. They’d made it this far…and he didn’t intend to lose her.
And he kept the same viewpoint even though Sydney argued with him about it from the moment he climbed into the car until they reached the manager’s door, where the burly man stood in an undershirt and torn jeans.
“I’m not climbing those stairs.” The manager jerked his head at rusted metal stairs. “Here’s the key. Bring it back when you’re done.” He slammed the door and bits of peeling paint slivered to the concrete.
“Nice.” Russ held his hand out for Sydney to go before him.
Not liking this run-down complex, he surveyed the area and climbed the stairs next to Sydney, keeping his body between her and the parking lot. He switched sides on the landing until they found the apartment. If she noticed his protective actions, she didn’t comment.
He opened the door. The stench of rotting garbage hit him in the face, but it was better than many of the odors he’d faced as a homicide detective.
Sydney held her hand over her mouth and nose and joined him in the combined living, dining and kitchen space. He gave the place a quick once-over. He would take pity on Sydney’s sensitivity to the smell and let her stay by the door.
“You do this end of the room.”
She moved closer to the door. “What would any girl see in this guy? I mean, this place is a pigsty.” She shuddered. “And it’s not like Eustis is so attractive or charming that she’d overlook all of this just to be with him.”
He felt along the bottom of a table and pulled up a baggie of cocaine. “This is what she sees in him.”
“But if what her parents said is true, she’s been clean and still comes back. She has to get a good look at him and this place when she’s sober.”
“The craving for the drug is so strong she doesn’t care.” His struggle to overcome his addiction to alcohol rang through in his tone. He regretted saying anything the moment the words left his mouth.
Looking up, Sydney peered at him for a few long moments. Searching. Testing. Her eyes seemed to pierce through to his soul before he looked away.
“Sounds like you’re speaking from personal experience,” she said.
He had the urge to blurt out his past, but couldn’t stand to think of how she’d react. “Something like that.”
“Something like that, or you’ve had firsthand experience?”
He glanced at her. Saw only caring, not judgment, so he shared a little more. “Alcohol, not drugs.”
“Someone close to you.” Her eyes were so soft, warm. Encouraging him to get to know her better by sharing his life with her.
And he wanted to respond. To tell her about his past. To see if she could look beyond his failings to see the man he was today. But he had to stop thinking that way. He couldn’t involve her in his mess of a life. It would do neither of them any good if he told her about his past.
“You find anything yet?”
Flashing a look of disappointment at him, she shook her head.
He jerked out another drawer, slid his fingers under papers and along the sides. Nothing. Frustration started to bubble up.
“I found a laptop.” Her voice rang with the thrill of discovery. “I’m gonna boot it up to see what we have.”
She pulled a silver notebook computer out from under the sofa and sat. She opened it and he went back to searching. He systematically made his way around the space, finding nothing of interest.
“Jackpot,” she cried out. “I think this is Dixon’s missing computer. Did you notice the brand on the power cord you found at his house?”
“Sony.”
“Then change that from I think to I’m almost positive.” She looked up, her eyes burning with excitement. “The question is why did Eustis have Dixon’s laptop?”
“I’m finished here. Let’s take it back to the office and check it out.”
They closed up the apartment and returned the key to the manager. In the car, Sydney opened the laptop again and clicked on keys. He didn’t know if she was so intent on searching the computer to find a lead or if she was hurt because he’d clammed up earlier. Either way, they made the ride back to the sheriff’s office in silence.
Just as well. It allowed him to focus on their surroundings and make sure no one followed.
As they pulled into the lot, his ce
ll rang. He checked caller ID. Garber. “What’s up?”
“There’s been an assault at 113 State Street,” the officer said.
Russ’s gut tightened. That was Sydney’s street.
“Hold on.” Russ clamped his hand over the mouthpiece. “Isn’t 113 State Street the other side of your duplex?”
“Yeah, my friend Kate Cleary lives there, why?”
“Dispatch just reported an assault at that address.”
Her face paled. “Someone hurt Kate?”
“Looks like it.”
Russ resumed his conversation with Garber, confirming his officer was en route to the scene before disconnecting and looking at Sydney. He could almost see her thoughts racing through her head.
“This is because of me, isn’t it?” she choked out.
“Not because of you, but this’s probably related to Dixon’s murder.”
“I need to go see if Kate’s okay,” she insisted.
“I wouldn’t advise that. This could be a setup to bring you into the line of fire.”
“I don’t care what it is.” Fierce determination filled her voice. “Kate is my friend. I’m going. If you won’t drive me, I’ll get one of the guys here to take me.” Their eyes met. A dance of wills ensued.
“I’ll take you under one condition,” he said, letting her know by his tone that he wasn’t doing so willingly.
“Name it.”
“You will listen and follow every directive I give you at the scene.”
“Fine,” she reluctantly agreed.
“Fine or yes, Russ, I promise to listen to you?”
“I promise.”
“Then let’s go.” He pulled back onto the road and they drove in silence.
His phone rang, startling both of them. He answered the call, listening intently as Garber explained what happened at the duplex.
“Good work,” he responded. “I’m three minutes out. Establish a perimeter, clear the house and don’t touch anything until I get there.” He clicked off his phone. “Garber’s at the scene. Your neighbor will be fine. Looks like a head wound. Maybe a concussion. She’s already on the way to the hospital.”
Sydney sighed out a shaky breath. “Did he say what happened?”
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