Arouse Suspicion

by Maureen McKade

  Suddenly Gilsen swung around toward them and fired two more muffled rounds. Nick and Danni ducked behind the Jeep's protective cover, but Danni popped up to return fire.

  "Shit. He's making a run for it," Danni announced, flowing to her feet. "C'mon."

  Although worried about Gus, Nick followed Danni. He was glad to find she'd learned her lesson since going after Gary alone. Nick wasn't certain what he could do without a weapon, but he had no intention of letting Paddy's daughter pursue a murderer without backup.

  Without him.

  Nick matched his pace to hers and found it was no easy feat, especially with his protesting knees. Tall and athletic, she had kept herself in shape since her days with the police department, while Nick had spent hours sitting in front of a computer since leaving the army.

  I definitely need to start working out again.

  They ran past the neat rows of houses until Gilsen cut through a yard. A seven-foot wooden fence loomed in front of them. Gilsen jumped up, caught the top, and hauled himself over it. The tear of cloth followed by a muttered curse told him Gilsen had run into something sharp.

  Danni slowed down enough to tuck her revolver into the back of her waistband and then launched herself at the wall. She curved her fingers over the top... only to cry out and drop to the ground.

  "What?" Nick demanded.

  "Barbed wire or something like it along the top of the fence." She shook her head, and in the dim light, Nick saw her angry frustration. "Gilsen had gloves on or he wouldn't have made it over."

  "Are you all right?"

  Danni glanced at her hands and answered wryly, "No gushing blood." She kicked the fence, then turned to Nick. "Let's get back to the house. The police should be arriving."

  Nick and Danni used the sidewalk this time as they jogged back to Paddy's.

  "Did you get him?" Mrs. Countryman shouted from her own porch as they entered Paddy's yard.

  "He got away," Danni replied.

  "Drat. I was hoping if I let the air out of one of his tires, he'd be easier to catch."

  Nick laughed. "Good thinking, Mrs. Countryman. But don't you worry. We know who it is, and the police should be able to find him."

  "Good. Then you can ask him why he was here the night Patrick died, too."

  "Don't worry. They will," Danni said grimly, exchanging a look with Nick. "The police will probably want to talk to you, too."

  "Goodness gracious. I'd best make myself presentable." The retired schoolteacher disappeared back into her house.

  Nick and Danni walked the remaining distance to the house, and Nick turned the doorknob, not surprised that it was unlocked. He eased the door open as his earlier apprehensions returned and his heart hammered. Gus should've met him at the door. She also should've been barking like crazy at Gilsen. She'd done neither.

  "Gus!"

  Hushed silence.

  Nick fumbled for the light switch, and when his fingers found it, he flicked it on. His gaze immediately fell on Gus... and the blood staining the carpet beneath her body.

  Chapter Twenty

  Danni stood on her father's porch, watching Nick drive away like the hounds of hell were on his heels. She crossed her arms against the cool, damp drizzle and hoped he'd arrive at the animal hospital in time. Gus was losing blood rapidly and, as with a human, if she lost too much blood, she would die.

  Sergeant Rodgers came out to stand beside her. "If Sirocco gets his dog there quick enough, he should make it."

  "She," Danni corrected absently.

  "You should go inside before you get pneumonia, Hawkins," Sarge said.

  She nodded numbly and returned to the house, keeping her gaze averted from the darkening bloodstain where Gus had lain.

  Sarge thrust a warm metal cup at her. "Here."

  For all his cantankerousness, Sarge wasn't nearly as thick-skinned as he pretended. She sipped the steaming coffee gratefully, and it warmed her from the inside out, although a core of icy dread remained for Nick's dog.

  "Think you're up to giving your statement?" Sarge asked.

  Danni nodded, then suddenly realized Sarge didn't normally come out on calls. "What're you doing here?"

  The veteran cop shrugged. "I heard the call come in from your neighbor and decided to come out with one of the rookies." He pulled out his notebook and a pen. "Go ahead whenever you're ready."

  She fixed her professional mask in place. "Sure." Knowing the drill, she told him everything from the moment they pulled onto her dad's street to chasing Gilsen to returning to the house to find Gus bleeding on the floor. "I should've had Gilsen."

  "You tried." It was the closest thing to consolation she'd get from the sergeant.

  With her statement complete, she gave him her cell phone number in addition to her address and apartment phone number.

  "So you figure it's Gilsen behind your dad's death?" Sarge asked.

  Danni wondered how trustworthy the crusty sergeant was. Had he come out on the call because he was concerned for her and Nick, or was there another reason? She chose her words carefully. "We think so. We suspect he's working a grand theft auto ring dealing with only high-end vehicles, and Dad found out about it from Matt Arbor, the kid who supposedly committed suicide."

  Sarge scowled. "And how did you figure this out?"

  "Do you really want chapter and verse now? Or wait until we can give you more than speculation?"

  The sergeant didn't look happy, but he didn't press either. "So, you figure Gilsen killed both Paddy and that kid to shut them up."

  "More than likely. Only he made them look like suicides, which brings me to the next question. How did he get close enough to both Dad and Matt to kill them without a struggle? Or was it an accomplice who took care of them?"

  "Maybe a female accomplice," Sarge murmured. "Paddy was found in his bed."

  It was naive for Danni to believe her father had been celibate since her mother left. However, she'd never asked him about his personal life. Truth be told, even as an adult, she didn't like putting her father and sex in the same brain hemisphere.

  "The coroner's report didn't say anything about sexual intercourse before his death," Danni said, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt.

  Sarge's eyes narrowed. "How did you see the report?"

  Oops.

  "That's not important," Danni said quickly. "What is important is there was no sign of a struggle, nor of sexual activity, but his body was found in bed. And Dad's neighbor saw a light-colored car at his place the night he died. She said it's the same one that's sitting out there with a flat tire. But she saw a person with blond hair, not dark like Gilsen's."

  "Maybe Gilsen's accomplice is also his girlfriend."

  Danni blinked. She hadn't considered that angle. "I'll ask Nick if Gilsen has a girlfriend."

  Sarge glanced at his watch, then at the CSI, who was still working. "There's an APB out on Gilsen, and we'll be getting a search warrant for his place. It's only a matter of time until we get him. But we won't be able to charge him with Paddy's murder, not without evidence."

  "But he can be charged with attempted murder, B and E, and animal cruelty. That should hold him long enough for us to find something linking him to Dad's death. And Matt Arbor's."

  "So you think they're related because of this auto theft ring you won't tell me about?"

  Danni ignored his jibe. "Their deaths and Marsel's so-called accident are all related."

  Sarge whistled low. "Sounds like some goddamned conspiracy."

  Her gaze met the sergeant's. "We find Gilsen's partner, and we've got our conspiracy." She glanced over at the female CSI who was gathering physical evidence and the rookie who was watching with undisguised interest. "How much longer?"

  "Ten or fifteen minutes," Sarge replied.

  She nodded and handed him back the thermos cup she'd been drinking from. Then she went upstairs to clean the cuts on her hands from the fence, change her shirt, and throw some of Nick's clothes into a bag. She glanced ar
ound for her backpack and remembered she'd left it in Nick's Jeep.

  She walked into her father's room and blanked her memories to stem her grief. She dug in the back of his closet and found the lockbox containing his backup revolver. Either it didn't interest Gilsen, or he hadn't made it to the second floor to search for Nick's book notes. And Danni had no doubt that was what Gilsen had come to find. She returned the box to its hiding place, then carried Nick's bag downstairs and rejoined Sarge.

  "My license is in Nick's Jeep, and my truck's got a broken window," she said. "Any chance you could give me a lift to the Ivywood Animal Hospital?"

  "No problem," Sarge said. "It's on my way."

  Danni nodded her thanks.

  "I'm done here," the CSI announced.

  Danni glanced around, her gaze moving quickly across the bloodstain. "I'll lock up."

  Once outside, she noticed a tow truck hitching up Gilsen's Audi. She recognized the towing company as one contracted with the police department, which meant the car was being impounded as evidence.

  The CSI left in her sedan, but Sarge, the rookie, and Danni waited until the tow truck was ready to go. Danni was anxious to join Nick and chafed at the delay. Even her desire to find her dad's killer became secondary to her need to be with Nick.

  Finally, the tow truck left with Gilsen's Audi rolling behind it. Ten minutes later, Sarge stopped in front of the unassuming animal hospital, and Danni got out of the car.

  "Thanks for the lift," she said, leaning into Sarge's open window.

  Sarge grimaced, his version of a smile. "If you need anything, give me a call. I'll let you know what the lab comes up with."

  "Will do." Danni slapped the door lightly and turned away, eager to see Nick and hear how Gus was doing.

  "Danni," Sarge called.

  She stopped abruptly, startled that he'd used her first name. Shocked that he even knew it. "Yes?"

  "Be careful."

  Too stunned to speak, she nodded, and Sarge drove away.

  Danni hurried into the small hospital. Right inside the entrance was a small waiting room with a sofa and two chairs. Nick perched in a corner of the couch, his elbows propped on his thighs and his face buried in his hands. He looked troubled... and alone.

  She crossed to him and said softly, "Nick?"

  He jerked his head up, and it took a moment for his bleary gaze to focus on her. "What're you doing here?"

  Hurt for some unaccountable reason by his question, Danni nearly answered with a sharp retort. But the smear of dried blood on Nick's face and the rust-colored stains on his shirt and jeans extinguished her sarcasm. She sat down beside him. "How's Gus?"

  He shook his head and raked a hand through his short, tousled hair. "They just took her into surgery five minutes ago. You didn't have to come down here."

  Danni took his hand in hers and met his gaze evenly. "I wanted to. We're in this together, remember?"

  "But—"

  "No buts." Danni glanced down at their intertwined fingers, at Nick's thumb that caressed the back of her hand. She doubted he was even aware he was doing it. "Besides, Gus isn't so bad. For a dog." She lifted her gaze, smiling gently.

  He stared at her, and Danni's stomach fluttered with nervousness and something else, something far more than attraction or desire.

  "Thank you," he said.

  "You're welcome." Her voice was husky.

  Nick slumped on the sofa, his muscles seeming to melt like hot butter. "Did the police find Gilsen?"

  Danni leaned back, her shoulder pressed against Nick's, and their hands still clasped between them. "Not yet, but Sarge thinks it won't be long."

  "Paul's smart. It may not be that easy."

  She listened to the squeak of rubber soles beyond the waiting room and the occasional bark of one of the hospital's patients. Disinfectant couldn't completely cover the unmistakable animal odor, but it wasn't an offensive smell. Merely different to Danni's unaccustomed nose.

  "I found Gus at an animal shelter." Nick's voice startled her. "I'd just moved back here after getting out of the army. The moment I saw that little gold bundle of fur, I knew we were meant to be together." He chuckled. "Sounds like a line from a bad novel, but it's true. She's been with me ever since." He paused, and his gaze became distant. "She's the only friend who's stuck around longer than a year or two."

  Moisture burned in Danni's eyes. "She'll be all right, Nick."

  He gave her hand a squeeze.

  "I brought you some clean clothes." Danni brushed her thumb across the bloodstain on his cheek. "You might want to wash your face, too."

  "Thanks." He took the bag from her and walked down to an alcove that had a rest room sign above it.

  When he returned with a scrubbed face and wearing clean clothes, he resumed his place by Danni. Seconds ticked into minutes into an hour then another.

  Danni shifted her position and eyed the clock on the wall for the umpteenth time. It was nearly two-thirty in the morning. She tried to stifle a yawn, but it escaped with a jaw-cracking pop.

  "You should go home," Nick suggested.

  "We stick together."

  His lips curled upward. "Stubborn woman."

  Warmth flared in Danni's chest at the fond teasing, but before she could speak, a woman dressed in scrubs came out from the back.

  "Are you here for Gus?" she asked.

  Nick and Danni stood.

  "How is she?" Nick asked.

  The middle-aged woman smiled. "Better than expected. She came through the surgery with flying colors. The anesthesia will keep her doped up for another two or three hours, but my professional opinion is she was a very lucky lady."

  "When can we take her home?" Danni asked.

  "We'll see how well she responds, but I'd say in four or five days."

  Nick dropped his chin to his chest and released a relieved sigh, then raised his head. "Thank you, Doctor. Can we see her?"

  "Just one of you."

  "Go ahead, Nick," Danni said. "I'll wait here."

  He gave her a hug, and she clung to him for the too-brief moment.

  "I'll be back in a minute," he said.

  Danni watched him follow the doctor and sank onto the couch. She tipped her head back and said a short prayer of gratitude for Gus's life. Then the long day caught up with her, dragging her toward sleep.

  "Wake up, Danni."

  She blinked up at Nick, who stood above her. "Wha— How's Gus?"

  Nick's smile was a shadow of his usual one. "She looks like hell."

  "Do you want to stay and make sure she's okay?"

  "No. The doctor says she's doing well, all things considered. If Gus's condition changes, they'll call me." Nick extended his hand to Danni and pulled her to her feet.

  He picked up his bag, then wrapped his arm around Danni's waist. She leaned into his welcome strength as they walked out to his Jeep in the night's darkness. Although she was tired, Danni knew Nick was exhausted emotionally and physically. She held out her hand. "I'll drive."

  Danni prepared herself for an argument, but Nick dropped the keys into her palm without a word. She hid her surprise and slipped in behind the wheel. As soon as she pulled onto the street, Nick tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Smiling fondly, she remained quiet as she drove.

  "We're here," she said to Nick.

  He jerked awake and looked around. "Where's here?"

  "Since Gilsen knows where we've been staying, I figured it wouldn't matter if we came here instead." She didn't mention the real reason—Gus's blood staining the living room carpet at Paddy's.

  "Your place?"

  She was impressed he recognized it, since he'd only been here once during the day. "That's right."

  He shrugged. "Okay."

  Danni heaved a mental sigh of relief. She grabbed her backpack, and Nick took his bag.

  Without the dirty clothes lying around, her place didn't look too bad. The air, however, was stale inside, and Danni cracked open some windows.

&nb
sp; Nick lowered himself to the sofa. "Do you have a spare pillow and blanket?"

  "Yes, but they're on my bed." She held out her hand. "C'mon, let's go."

  After a moment's hesitation, he took her hand and allowed her to lead him into her bedroom.

  Once there, Nick stripped down to his underwear, then crawled into Danni's bed. Without a word, she changed into an oversized T-shirt and slid in beside him. She lay down on her side, and Nick spooned behind her, putting his arm around her.

  "Good night, Danni," he whispered and kissed her cheek.

  She clasped his hand that rested between her breasts. "Good night."

  Despite everything that had happened that night, she felt safe and protected, and sleep claimed her within minutes.

  "Danni," Nick said, giving her a gentle nudge.

  She opened her eyes blearily and tried to remember where she was. The disorientation evaporated as she recognized her familiar apartment bedroom and her increasingly frequent bed partner. She focused on Nick's face close to hers. "Wha—"

  "Where's your cell phone?"

  A ring penetrated her sleep-fogged brain. Groping blindly for the phone on the nightstand where it'd been recharging, she nabbed it and brought it to her ear. " 'Ello."

  "Hawkins?"

  Danni shook her head to clear the lingering cobwebs. "Sarge?"

  "Yeah. Thought you might be interested in what I found out about Gilsen."

  She scooted up and leaned against the headboard. "Go ahead."

  The cobwebs disappeared completely as Sergeant Rodgers gave her a rundown of what he'd learned. Despite the power of Nick's gaze on her, she kept her attention on the phone conversation.

  "Thanks, Sarge. I owe you a big one," she said, once he'd finished.

  "Yeah. I should've been home hours ago."

  Although his tone was blustery, Danni knew he wasn't angry. "I'll get you tickets for the next baseball game."

  "Make it wrestling, and it's a deal."

  "You got it."

  She punched off her phone and turned to look at Nick, who was reclining on his pillow gazing up at her with incredibly blue eyes. Only a sheet draped him, outlining every angle and curve of his six foot-plus frame. Danni's libido kicked into overdrive, reminding her that his hard, hot body had pressed against her all night.