by Rebecca Deel
This place was huge, three floors of wall-to-wall items. It would take Darcy a long time to clear this place by herself, even if she were in perfect health. Trent would have a fit when he saw this.
Maybe he didn’t have to see it. Durango would pitch in and help her clear the house. Trent was a friend and they owed him for helping them with a mission a few weeks earlier. Making a mental note to talk to Josh, Rio followed Darcy into a large bathroom filled with soap, shampoo, razors, shaving cream, stacks of washcloths and towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Absolutely mind boggling the amount of things in this room.
“Under the window,” Darcy said, pointing at the floor.
Nick slipped by them and knelt by the print. “What size shoe do you wear, Rio?”
“Twelve.”
A quick grin from his friend. “Big feet.”
“It wasn’t Rio,” Darcy said, her words clipped.
“Not suggesting it was, Darcy. I want to use his foot for a guesstimate on shoe size.”
“Sorry.”
Rio fought back a smile. Nice that she felt the need to defend him, though it wasn’t necessary. He’d have no reason to break into this place. And if it came down to a matter of life or death, he could pick the locks in under fifteen seconds from the looks of them. Something else Darcy would have to take care of, replacing the locks and adding a security system. Trent would insist even if she didn’t see the necessity. No Fortress operative took security lightly. Chances were slim their identities could be compromised, but it was still possible.
“Put your size twelve next to the print, Rio.” Nick pulled a small digital camera from his pocket and snapped a picture. “I’ll get my kit. Don’t expect much, though.”
“Whatever you find might help.” Darcy closed the commode lid and sat. In the glaring light, she looked pale. Rio wanted to take her back to the motel soon. He also realized she wouldn’t go before things here were resolved.
He crouched beside her. “You doing okay?”
“Fine.”
He wrapped his hand around hers for a moment. “Darcy.”
She sighed. “I’m tired.”
Definitely needed to do some research on her autoimmune disease.
Nick returned, carrying a black kit in one hand, thin rubber gloves in the other. “Rio, you have a flashlight on you?”
“In the SUV. What do you need?”
“Check around back. See if we have footprints under the window. Watch your step. Ethan will have my hide if you compromise evidence.”
“Copy that.” He stood. “Want to stay here and keep an eye on Nick, Darcy, or come with me?”
“I’ll go with you. If I sit too long I’ll go to sleep.”
Yep, he needed to get her out of here soon. “We won’t take long.” Rio returned to his SUV and opened the hatch. He dug into his Go bag and found a flashlight. “Let’s see what we find.”
He led her around the side of the house to the gate. Instead of hopping the structure, he unlocked the gate and opened it for Darcy to walk through. He reached back and wrapped his hand around hers, worried about her falling. The yard wasn’t well lit and shadows messed with depth perception at night. The yard also needed mowing.
Instead of reprimanding him for his boldness, she let him help her over the uneven terrain. Rio kept his light trained on the ground searching for footprints as they neared the bathroom window.
Five feet from the wall was a bare patch of ground. He found one good print in the hardened ground. Just eyeballing it, the shoe size and pattern looked the same as the one in the bathroom.
Rio approached the window, avoiding the footprint. He shined the beam of light on the window frame. No scratches or obvious signs of forcing the lock, same as the inside.
Nick unlocked the window and lifted it. “Find anything?”
“Hardened footprint leading to the window. Looks the same as the one inside the bathroom.”
“I’ll check it.”
“Fingerprints?”
“Smudges. Whoever came into the house didn’t use this window, Rio. It was still locked.”
“I locked it this afternoon,” Darcy admitted.
Rio glanced along the wall. “Another window, then?”
“We’ll check.” Nick’s eyes twinkled. “If we can get to them.”
“If we can’t, I’d say the intruder couldn’t get through them, either.”
“What about the back door?” Darcy asked. “Maybe the intruder came in through there.”
“Do you know if it was unlocked when you were here earlier?” Nick asked.
“I didn’t come into the backyard. I stayed on the cow path inside the house. The real estate agent might know. She was here when I arrived to look the place over.”
“Who’s the agent?”
“Colleen Watson.”
He have a short nod. “I’ll contact her tomorrow.”
“I can ask her. I’m meeting her tomorrow morning to sign the paperwork.”
Nick handed a business card to her. “Call me with her answer. I’ll meet you at the back door.” He frowned. “If I can find it.”
“Watch your step in the kitchen. There are boxes of food all over the floor.”
The detective shook his head and closed the window.
Rio clasped Darcy’s hand again and walked toward the back door. Along the way, he checked two windows, both locked. At the door, he crouched and directed the flashlight’s beam at the handle.
His gut tightened. Old hardware. New, fine scratches. This wasn’t the work of curious teens. Someone had used lock picks on Darcy’s door.
CHAPTER FIVE
“What’s wrong?” Darcy knew something wasn’t right by the way Rio had gone utterly still.
“Take a look.” The medic shifted so she could kneel beside him.
She crouched beside him, hoped she could get back up. Along with losing dexterity in her hands, she’d noticed an annoying weakness in her joints as a whole. Wouldn’t be the last time she had to accept a hand up. She might as well get used to it if what the doctors told her was accurate. Shoving that aside for now, Darcy peered at the hardware. Looked like a plain doorknob to her. She hated to sound ignorant, but she didn’t see what the fuss was about. “What should I be seeing?”
“Scratches.”
She frowned. “It’s an old house. Everything has scratches.”
“Not this kind. Someone picked the lock.”
Goosebumps surged across her skin. These had nothing to do with the cold breeze blowing across her body. “Why? I couldn’t find anything of value in there if my life depended on it. I’m not sure anyone could.”
“I don’t know why someone broke in, but I can tell you it wasn’t kids.”
“How do you know?”
“Those scratches were made with lock picks, not something kids would have access to. When I use them, they leave marks like that behind.”
Were lock picks standard equipment for Fortress operatives? Of course they were. What was she thinking? Her lips curved upward. Darcy would love to see the training regimen for Rio and his fellow operatives. It was bound to be full of skills that were handy if not strictly legal.
A couple of muffled thumps and boxes being shoved aside preceded the door opening. Nick stared down at them, then shifted his attention to the door. “What do we have?”
“Lock was picked.” Rio focused the light on the knob.
A soft whistle from the detective. “Let’s take a look.” He set down his kit and lifted the lid. He pulled out a tin and a brush. After examining the scratches for himself, Nick dusted the knob for prints. “Nothing. Just like the window frame.”
Rio stood and reached down to lift Darcy. How did he know she needed help? She grimaced as she straightened. Man, her knees hurt.
“Okay?” he murmured.
“I will be.” She wouldn’t give in. She’d already figured out if she did, the next attempt hurt worse.
He squeezed her hands and turned to Nic
k. “I need to take Darcy back to the motel.”
“Sure. I can lock up for you.” He frowned. “Not that it will do much good if the intruder comes back with the lock picks.” The detective glanced back into the kitchen. “Darcy, would you mind if I moved things around a little?”
“Go ahead. I doubt I’d know the difference. Why?”
“I can’t prevent another break-in, but I can make it a lot more hazardous to attempt. I’ll also have Josh drive by here every thirty minutes or so during the night. I’ll drive through the neighborhood as I can. Depends on how busy my night is.”
Small town crime was enough to keep a detective hopping during his shift? “I appreciate anything you can do. The idea someone can walk in any time he pleases makes me uneasy. What if I’m here next time he waltzes in?” Just the possibility of that happening made her feel a little sick. She hoped her brother wasn’t out of the country long. “There was a key under the welcome mat.”
Nick scowled.
“I have it,” Rio said. “Do you want the key, Nick?”
“Yeah, if that’s okay with you, Darcy. Drop by the station in the morning and pick it up before coming here.”
“Thanks, Nick.”
“No problem.” He stood, handed her a card with his name and cell number on the front. “If you notice anything out of the ordinary or feel uneasy for any reason, call me. Rio, I expect to hear from you as well. Don’t go off the reservation to deal with this on your own.”
“Would I do that?”
A snort. “You aren’t out of the country on an op, buddy. Don’t put Josh in an awkward position.”
“I hear you.”
“Yeah, and you aren’t agreeing to anything, are you?”
The medic gave a half smile.
With a shake of his head, Nick turned his attention to Darcy again. “Get some rest, Darcy. I’ll be around if you need me.”
Darcy studied his expression a moment and came to the conclusion the Otter Creek detective meant what he said. Rio walked her to the SUV and helped her inside. Sitting in the luxurious seat was a tremendous relief. Who knew standing took more energy than she could spare?
On the drive to the motel, Rio kept glancing in the mirrors.
What now? “Problem?”
“Nope. Just making sure I don’t create one by leading someone to your room.”
Way to make her comfortable being alone in her motel room. “Did you have to say that?”
“Would you rather I lie to you?”
“I know three people in this town. You, Detective Santana, and Mrs. Watson. Why would anyone want to hurt me? I don’t have anything valuable with me and I don’t carry much cash. My only connection to the break-in is I’m buying the house. I can’t be in danger.”
“Probably not.”
And still he checked the mirrors. Darcy rolled her eyes. She couldn’t fault him for being vigilant. Trent would approve. In fact, Rio was far less aggravating in the protection department than her brother. Trent could be overbearing. Since their parents died, he’d taken his role as protector and adviser all too seriously. She loved him despite his heavy handedness.
He parked in the lot beside her car and opened his door.
“Rio, my room is ten feet away. You don’t have to get out. You can watch me walk to the door.”
He flicked her a glance, walked around the SUV and opened her door.
“Stubborn much, Mr. Kincaid?”
“Makes me good at my job, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart? Darcy’s gaze locked with his. They’d only known each other for a few hours. He couldn’t mean that endearment. Could he? No way, much as the idea appealed to her. He intrigued her. The handsome medic probably called all the women in his life sweet names. She didn’t really know anything about him. Rio might have a girlfriend for all she knew. Even as the thought surfaced, she rejected it. No, he’d never two-time a woman that way. If he did, Trent wouldn’t have entrusted her to him. Her brother was a good judge of character.
He reached in, lifted her from the seat, and deposited her on the ground, all as if she were light as a feather. “I always walk my date to her door.”
“Date?”
“Dinner and conversation is a date. The excitement at your house was a bonus.”
She had to laugh. “Well, our date was fun. Thank you for dinner.”
“Give me your cell phone.”
Her eyebrow rose. She handed him her phone and watched as the medic tapped her screen and called up her contact list. Rio added his name and number, then used her phone to call his. The first few bars of one of her piano recordings sounded in the night air. Shock rolled through her. “You listen to my music?”
“Been a fan for years.” His expression sobered. “I’ll talk to you about that sometime. Will you be okay here by yourself?”
Was he serious? “You have a solution if I’m not?”
“Sure. I can sleep in my SUV or stay in the room next door.”
Warmth bloomed inside Darcy. Oh, yeah. Rio Kincaid had character in spades. “I believe you would do that.”
“What’s it going to be, Darcy?”
“I’ll be fine tonight. Thanks for offering, though.”
“If there’s a problem, call me. I don’t live far.”
“Thank you, Rio.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
The medic’s eyes widened. He slipped his hand behind the back of her neck and brushed her mouth with his. “Good night, Darcy,” he murmured and stepped away, motioning for her to go inside the room.
Heart pounding like mad, Darcy closed and locked the heavy door. A minute later, Rio left the lot. Good grief. The man was a force to be reckoned with.
Fatigue washed over her. All she wanted to do was sink down on the bed and rest a minute. Because that’s what she wanted, Darcy fought to stay upright. If she sat, Darcy wouldn’t get up until morning. She refused to sleep in jeans and a sweatshirt.
She dragged her suitcase to Trent’s bed, opened it, and found her pajamas. After completing her bedtime routine, she turned off the lights and crawled beneath the covers.
Finally lying flat, she realized her body ached, not just the joints, but deep in the muscles. Darcy remained still, hoping the warmth of the blankets would ease the aches. When thirty minutes passed with no let-up in the pain, she sat up with a sigh, threw off the covers, and found over-the-counter pain reliever in her bag. After swallowing a couple, she settled in the bed again and prayed the meds took effect fast. She had a feeling the next day was going to be long and tedious.
When Darcy dragged herself out of the bed the next morning, she felt almost as exhausted as she had the night before. That along with the morning stiffness made her grumpy. Maybe a warm shower would help. She grabbed her clothes for the day and took them with her into the bathroom.
An hour later, she drove into the heart of Otter Creek and found a parking spot near her store. The contractor was waiting at the door with a skeleton crew. “Sorry I’m late,” she said.
“We just arrived ourselves, Ms. St. Claire.” Brian Elliott smiled and lifted his to-go coffee cup. “Have you thought about the plans I outlined with you yesterday?”
“Please, call me Darcy. I did consider the plans.” About three o’clock that morning when she couldn’t sleep. “Let’s do it.”
“Great. We should have you up and running in a month, provided there aren’t delays. If that happens, our time estimate will be adjusted.”
“I understand.” Darcy thought about the house as she unlocked the door to the shop. “Can you recommend a place that rents Dumpsters, Brian?”
“I planned to have one delivered at the back of your shop for the scrap material.”
“This is for the house I bought yesterday.”
“Ah. Give me the address and I’ll have one delivered.”
She opened the door. “I’ll need more than one, the larger the better.” She wasn’t sure one trash bin would hold the excess items from more than a room
or two.
The contractor looked surprised. “How many do you think you’ll need?”
“About a million, but I’ll start with three.”
“That bad, huh?”
“The lady who owned the place was a hoarder.”
Brian winced. “Oh, man. I’ve rehabbed one of those homes. We must have filled fifty large Dumpsters before the place was cleaned out.”
“This is a three-story Victorian house. Every room is filled to capacity with junk.”
The contractor whistled. “I’ll have three delivered by ten. When you fill them up, you can either let me know or you can call yourself to have them switched out for empty ones.”
After giving him the address and handing him a duplicate set of keys to the store, she crossed the square to the police station. The desk sergeant glanced up as she crossed the lobby.
A smile curved his mouth. “Can I help you, ma’am?”
“I’m Darcy St. Claire. Detective Santana was supposed to leave a key for me.”
“ID, please.”
Darcy handed over her driver’s license. After glancing at it, the barrel-chested man returned it to her along with her house key.
“Detective Santana said everything was quiet through the night and he’d be in contact with you later today.”
“Great. Thank you, Sergeant.”
“Have a good day, ma’am.”
She didn’t know if the day would be good considering what was ahead of her, but it was definitely looking up. Would she hear from Rio today? Her cheeks burned as she walked to her car. With all the drama going on in her life, why would the medic be interested in her?
Darcy glanced at her watch. It was almost time to meet the real estate agent. No time for breakfast, not that she wanted to eat this time of morning anyway. There was a convenience store on the way to the house. If they didn’t have something hot to drink, she could always buy a soft drink. Maybe that would hold her until lunch. Her doctor would pitch a fit if he knew she was skipping meals again. After today, she’d make an effort to eat better.
She backed into the square and drove to the convenience store. The coffee pot was empty and she didn’t have enough time to wait for a new pot to brew. They did have hot water and packets of herbal tea bags. Wasn’t green tea supposed to be good for you? Couldn’t hurt. She chose a packet of green tea with lemon and ginseng. Near the checkout counter was a display with fresh fruit. The bananas looked good. She selected two and carried them to the counter along with her to-go cup of hot water and green tea.