She started to thank him until she realized what it was—a package of chewing gum with a blue wrapper!
* * *
Sophie did exactly what Ryder had expected. She picked up the gum and stared at it.
“Is this anything like what you say you saw in your yard?” he asked.
“It’s exactly like the trash in the yard, only this is new and the other was unwrapped.” Wide-eyed, she looked up at him. “Where did you find it?”
“In a box in the station,” he said. “Carrie’s personal items were checked for evidence tying her to the murders, then stored. I thought I remembered seeing something blue like that package of gum. When you said you vaguely remembered the same thing, I decided to look.”
Color left Sophie’s cheeks. “She was the one outside my house?”
“Possibly. Can you think of any other reason someone might have been watching you?” He crouched in front of her, willing her to open up to him. Because she began to slowly shake her head he raised a hand. “Stop. Don’t insult me by denying it. You and I both know you’re holding back information. I just can’t decide if it’s because you don’t trust me or because you think you can handle the situation by yourself.”
“It’s neither.” Sophie sighed deeply. “I guess it’s an old loyalty. One person made serious threats but that was years ago. I can’t imagine Stan still blaming me for his brother’s death.”
“He wasn’t on your list, was he?”
“No.” She began to pluck blades of dry grass and crush them between her fingertips. “Stan Allen is the brother of my late partner, Wes. He accosted me at the cemetery after the funeral. At the time, I thought Stan was going to hit me. He might have if my fellow officers hadn’t pulled him away.”
“Have you heard from him since?”
“No. We both left Mesa. I went one direction, and he went another. I never would have thought of him if you hadn’t kept pressing me.”
“All right.” Holding out a hand to her, Ryder pulled her to her feet. “Here’s what we’ll do. First, I want you to tell Louise everything you know about this guy. Then use your own sources to try to track him down while she checks databases. Call old friends in Mesa. Whatever you have to do. Just find him.”
Sophie held up the pack of gum. “What do you want me to do with this?”
“Put it on your desk where you’ll see it every day.”
“Why? If Stan is my stalker, what difference does it make what kind of gum Carrie liked?”
“It doesn’t. I’m hoping it will become a symbol and remind you to be more cautious.”
“No matter who is after me, you mean?”
Ryder’s jaw clenched. “Exactly.”
* * *
Sophie managed to accomplish everything the chief had told her to do, plus introduce Titus to Phoenix without incident. The older dog seemed unconcerned about the energetic Aussie, particularly because Phoenix practically tiptoed once he realized the senior Lab was boss. Not only was there no challenge for dominance, Phoenix flopped down in front of Titus and rolled onto his back, the recognized canine signal for surrender.
Sophie was seated on the cool floor, legs folded, when Ryder came back into his office.
“You were supposed to be looking for info on Stan Allen.”
“I was. I found him. Or, rather, Louise did.”
“And?”
“And, his last known address was an apartment near Flagstaff. Louise called the building manager. Stan still rents there but she says she hasn’t seen him for weeks.”
“Uh-oh. Any idea where he went or why?”
“No. I’ve been giving it some thought, though, and I can see a reason why he might have decided to come after me at this late date.”
Ryder perched on the edge of his desk and looked down at her. “Go on.”
“The news. When you uncovered Carrie’s crimes, this department made all the papers and TV news. They published lots of pictures and all our names, at one time or another. If Stan recognized me, maybe that’s what set him off.”
“Logical,” Ryder told her. He circled his desk and picked up the phone. “I’ll check with Mesa’s chief and fill him in on our suspicions. We can get the state troopers involved as soon as we know a little more.”
“You mean as soon as you catch Stan trying to kill me again?” She couldn’t help sounding sarcastic. “Sorry. I know there’s no proof. It just seems possible.”
Ryder scowled at her. “Yes, it does. Think of how much closer to answers we might be if you’d given us his name sooner.”
She knew he was right, yet felt compelled to defend her decision. “I am responsible for his brother’s death. I didn’t see any reason to cause him further trouble if he was innocent, so I held back.”
It surprised her when Ryder quickly circled his desk and grabbed her shoulders. “Let me explain something to you, Ms. Williams. Criminals who shoot cops are the guilty ones. They make the decision to fire, not you.”
“I should have seen it coming. Warned him.”
“And if you had, he might still have died. Nobody knows why these things happen. It’s so unfair it makes me want to scream at God but that doesn’t do any good.”
He paused and Sophie could tell he was struggling to continue. When he said, “I know. I did that when Melanie was murdered,” Sophie wanted to weep for him. So much pain. So much suffering that continued to haunt him.
Her voice was soft, barely audible, when she said, “I can still see Wes in that dark alley, falling and just lying there.”
“And I see my wife on the path where she died, but I make an effort to remember the other times, the good times. There were plenty of those if I choose to call up the sweet memories. You need to do that. And stop blaming yourself for what happened. It will only hurt you.”
Did she dare voice her innermost thoughts? Was this the right time? Given Ryder’s efforts to temper her own lingering guilt she decided to speak her mind.
“That’s good advice,” Sophie said gently, meeting his blue gaze bravely. “Have you taken it, yourself?”
He abruptly released her shoulders and stepped back. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do. You have always blamed yourself for letting Melanie walk home that night. Everybody knows it. And now that we know Carrie killed her you’re probably thinking you should have seen the symptoms of her mental instability, but none of us did. You are no more responsible for the senseless attack on your wife than I am for Wes’s. If you want me to stop feeling guilty, I think you’d better do the same.”
He turned his back to her. Sophie could tell how close he was to breaking down so she silently left the office, closing the door behind her. Healing of a broken heart was a lot like doing surgery on a real one; sometimes you had to cause more pain in order to effect a return to life and health.
What about herself? Suppose the repeated attacks on her had been Stan’s doing? If so, he believed he had good reason and for that she still could not blame him. She wasn’t going to be foolish and expose herself to his anger, if that were the case, but she couldn’t help wishing he was innocent.
On her way through the main office she was stopped by Louise Donaldson. “We got some info on a print in that black car your perp left behind in the street.”
Sophie brightened. “Carrie?”
“Nope.” Louise shook her head. “It came back as unidentified in local databases so I sent it to IAFIS.”
“It wasn’t Carrie’s?” Touching the small bandage on her temple at the memory, she winced.
“No. Sorry. I’ll keep trying.”
“Okay. Thanks.” What else could she say? If Stan had been a police officer like his brother they’d have his prints. The same went for the military. Since Wes had never mentioned much about his youn
ger brother she was at a loss. All she did recall was how worried her late partner had been about his only sibling committing petty crimes and perhaps starting down the wrong path in life.
Had Stan graduated to felonies? If so, his fingerprints should be on file, assuming he’d been arrested and charged.
And if he hadn’t? What if he had been hardened by a life of minor crimes and was just now progressing to one that could prove deadly? To her?
That notion was enough to set her nerves on edge and keep them there, as if danger lay around the next corner or hid behind every closed door.
In truth, it did.
EIGHT
Passing days seemed to drag. With no more threats to anyone and no sightings of a woman resembling Carrie, even Ryder began to relax a little.
He’d spent some time with Sophie while training Phoenix and was starting to see what the dog was capable of. He was an excellent tracker, even with distractions that might throw off most dogs. And he got along with Titus, another plus in his favor. That was why, when Sophie suggested he take both dogs home with him, he wasn’t too surprised.
“You think he’s ready for that?” Ryder asked.
“If I come along and make sure he and Lily are okay together. She’s used to a dog that lazes around a lot. It’s going to be different to have one that wants to play all the time.”
“Will it spoil him?”
“Not if you never let her take charge when he’s in his working vest and on leash.” She smiled, making Ryder wonder if the air-conditioning in his office had failed. “It was the same with Titus,” she reminded him.
“I know. But he was already used to me by the time Lily started to walk. He let her hang on him when she was just learning to stand. I should have taken pictures. It was really cute to see the two of them together.”
“Well, now you’ll have three. What time do you want me to have him ready?”
Ryder eyed the two dogs lying beneath his desk. Titus had claimed the prime spot in the back of the kneehole while Phoenix shared as best he could. “What do you have to do to get him ready? Pack his bags?”
That made Sophie’s smile widen to a grin. Ryder ran a finger under his collar.
“Don’t let on, but I’m giving him a bath and a pedicure. While I’m at it I’ll do Titus, too, since they’re such buddies.”
“Well, don’t forget his toothbrush,” Ryder quipped. “I know for a fact that Titus hates to share.”
She nodded. “I know you’re kidding but I really will include separate toys for each dog. I don’t want Titus to think he has to fight for the ones at home. Actually, it might be wise for you to gather them up at first.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Not that I can think of, other than making sure Titus doesn’t try to protect Lily. That’s one of the reasons I want to be there.”
Ryder noted the fondness in her expression when she looked at Phoenix. “You could keep him a while longer,” he suggested. “It won’t hurt, will it?”
“Only if he gets too attached to me.”
“Or you get too attached to him? I can tell he’s a favorite.”
“Which is another reason I need to pass him on to you,” Sophie admitted. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of his progress, and of him. He’s a really great K-9.”
“Thanks to you,” Ryder said. “I’ll phone Opal and tell her we’re picking up Lily early today. Do you want to ride with me or drive separately?”
Again, Sophie’s grin lit up his office. “Separately. Definitely. Now that I have my SUV back I want to use it.”
Seeking to ease his own concerns about her, he joked, “Just see that you don’t park it in the middle of another gunfight, will you?”
She mimicked a salute. “Yes, sir.”
Ryder waved her off, managing to keep smiling until she’d gone. Recent peace in Desert Valley had given them all a respite, but he knew their problems weren’t over.
This period was akin to the lull before a storm that brought flash floods to the arroyos and swept away anybody who was thoughtless enough to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He gazed out at a clear blue sky, imagining the seeds of black, roiling clouds just over the horizon. Even when the sun was shining and the air still, the only thing a desert dweller could be certain of was that when the rains did come, they would arrive as a deluge.
So would the danger that was temporarily on hold, Ryder told himself. Until they had Carrie Dunleavy and perhaps Stan Allen in custody, nobody was safe.
Particularly not Sophie.
* * *
Sophie was taken aback when the chief approached her to suggest a change of plans. She was also barefoot and knee-deep in a dog-washing project. When she straightened to speak with him, Phoenix shook, sending blobs of suds flying.
She blew her hair out of her eyes and flung shampoo off her hands. “Phew! That was fun. Take off your shoes and jump right in.”
“No, thanks. Is it safe to get soap in the cut on your head?”
“That’s all healed. I’m fine.”
“Good. I was just thinking.”
“Clever plan. Wandering aimlessly isn’t productive.” She chuckled at her own lame joke.
“I’m serious. I think you should keep Phoenix with you until we have your shooter in custody.”
“You must be kidding. I don’t do all this for fun—although it is—I do it because I want to help law enforcement. That does not include making pets of working dogs.”
“I know, but...”
Leaving the dog tied to keep him from running off, Sophie released the water spray nozzle and faced the chief. “But, nothing. This is my job. Let me do it.”
“I wasn’t trying to stop you. I just thought you’d appreciate having a watchdog in your house at night.”
“If I feel I need a watchdog I can always take one of the younger dogs home with me. I’ve had my eye on those shepherds we got from Marian Foxcroft six months ago.”
“You’re serious?”
“Of course I am.” Truthfully, Sophie had had to force herself to arrange to relinquish Phoenix. That was the main reason she was sticking to her decision. Every day she spent with him was one more day to love him more. If a person and a dog could be said to be soul mates, she and the Aussie were. He seemed in tune with her, and she with him. That kind of bond had occurred in the past, of course, but not often.
“All right. Have it your way.” Ryder started to turn away, then looked over his shoulder long enough to point to the sudsy, dripping dog. “You missed a spot.”
Sophie knew she shouldn’t listen to the urging of her mischievous side. Before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, however, she grabbed the handle of the spray nozzle and squeezed. A spurt of warm water hit Ryder between the shoulder blades. Splat!
He shouted. The look of astonishment on his face when he whirled, hands up in self-defense and eyes wide, was priceless. Sophie wasn’t sure which of them was most shocked; him for being hit or her for spraying him.
Everybody froze. Gina peeked around the corner from the kennel area. Her mouth gaped. Sophie laughed until tears dripped down her already-damp cheeks.
Not Ryder. He slowly stepped away, removed his watch, took off his belt with the holster and laid it aside, too. Then he bent to untie the dress shoes he wore instead of boots when he expected to spend the day in his office. Those went on the seat of a stool to keep them off the floor surrounding the open shower and dog-bathing area.
Sophie watched, incredulous, as he started toward her, arms extended as if he were entering a wrestling match.
“Uh-oh. Sorry, Chief. I don’t know what came over me. My brain must have skipped a beat.” She backed up, nozzle at the ready. “Stop! Don’t make me use this.”
Grasping the nozzle with both hands and taking a shooter’s stance she shouted, “Don’t come any closer. I’m warning you.”
Someone in the doorway let out a whoop. In the few moments it took Sophie to check who was there, Ryder charged for the closest other hose nozzle.
Instinct tightened Sophie’s grip. The blast of water hit him in profile. He didn’t falter. Instead, he grabbed the separate hose, took aim and returned fire.
Sophie was ducking, screeching and laughing hysterically. Any stream that didn’t meet its equal between them hit her hard. Shutting her eyes she tried to regain enough balance to fight back but it was futile. He was dousing her while the rookies in the impromptu audience cheered and applauded. Even Louise got in the spirit of the water fight when she yelled, “Soak her good, Chief.”
“Ack. Eeek. Phooey.” Phoenix had shaken enough suds in her direction that she could taste soap.
All the fight left her at about the same time Ryder stopped spraying. She staggered back against the wall of the shower. Water streamed from her hair, swirling down the floor drain with the soap from the dog.
Sophie gasped for breath. Saw his larger, strong hands resting on the tile beside her. She might look like a drowned pup but he was far from dry himself.
A sidelong glance proved to her that he was no longer feeling playful. He straightened and addressed the watching crowd.
“If anybody mentions this incident outside the office or I hear even a hint of rumor on the street, you will all be in deep trouble. Got it?”
Multiple versions of “Yes, sir. Yes, Chief,” echoed and faded away as the parties dispersed, leaving Sophie and Ryder alone with Phoenix.
She faced him with enough smile to hopefully prove she wasn’t mad but not so much he’d think she was mocking him. Leaning to one side she twisted her long hair to wring it out. “Well, that was different.”
“You shouldn’t start something you can’t finish,” he grumbled.
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