by Terri Reed
Lord Jesus, please not again, she prayed. I don’t have the strength to do this again.
“Leave her alone, Dan.” Jace approached them, focusing his ice-blue eyes on the younger lieutenant. “I’m the one who found the body, not her. And she was nowhere near here when Miss Brown was murdered.”
The lieutenant reddened, flashing an angry stare at Mel.
“She could’ve still been involved. You know things like that happen.”
Jace scoffed. “Do you really think someone who’s smart enough to pull off an inside job would be dumb enough to show up at the crime scene?”
“I still say it’s suspicious.”
“I know you’ve only been with us for a couple of months, Lieutenant Willis, but you need to understand how things are done here. We don’t harass civilians, no matter what they have in their past. I don’t care what they would have done in Pittsburgh.”
Dan’s face hardened into an ugly mask. “At least in Pittsburgh we don’t let known criminals tag along on investigations.”
Jace narrowed his cold eyes at the belligerent man. “Have you got a problem with me, Lieutenant? Because I can send you back to the station for desk duty anytime you want.”
Dan straightened.
“No, sir.”
“Glad to hear it. Now, we need to process this crime scene with objectivity. If you can’t handle that, I’ll have the chief send me someone who can.” Jace folded his arms and waited. His stance made it plain to all that he meant what he said.
Dan lowered his eyes. “Yes, sir. I mean. I can do it, sir.”
“Good.” Jace nodded briskly. “I want you to return to the scene and start interviewing other residents. Find out if anyone saw or heard anything. The apartment was trashed, like a robbery gone bad, but I’m not buying it.”
Dan turned to follow his orders. Before he walked away, he glared at Melanie. She shivered at the sheer malevolence in his stare.
With very real fear, she knew that things had gotten a whole lot worse.
THREE
Jace pulled the cruiser into the driveway of Sarah Swanson’s house and shut off the engine. The silence surrounding them was eerie. The day had started out cold and wet. Now that it was late afternoon, the wind had picked up with a definite bite. The landscape that had appeared so peaceful and charming just hours before now took on a sinister look as the sun lowered and the shadows lengthened. Tension shimmered in the air between Jace and Melanie, the day’s events hanging heavy in their minds.
Jace turned to face Melanie. He frowned. Even though the light was fading, he could see that her face was pale and drawn. She had proved herself to be stronger than her fragile appearance suggested, but the rough day she’d experienced had to be taking its toll. Unbidden, the image of her using her inhaler that morning popped into his head.
“I don’t like this.” His fierce words shattered the silence. Melanie’s eyes snapped to his, surprise in their depths.
“Don’t like what?” she queried anxiously.
His eyes narrowed as he surveyed their surroundings with suspicion. He blew out a fierce breath. Though he could see nothing worrisome, his instincts told him to be careful.
“I don’t like leaving you here alone. This house is completely isolated. Anything could happen and no one would know.” He threw a concerned glance her way. “Come back to town with me. We’ll put you up in a hotel room for the night.”
She was already shaking her head. He should have known this wouldn’t be easy.
“I know you mean well, but I can’t go into town. All those people watching me, judging me as if they know me. I couldn’t stand it, Jace.” Melanie looked down at her lap. Jace couldn’t be sure, but he thought there were tears in her eyes. He could hear them in her trembling voice.
“Melanie, please be sensible,” he reasoned. “Someone dangerous is out to get you. One juror is dead, and your aunt came this close to sharing her fate.”
A strangled sound escaped from her quivering lips. It might have been a muffled sob. Jace peered closer at her face. His chest tightened when he saw a single tear trace down her pale cheek. It shimmered in the waning light.
“I so wanted to believe that what happened to Aunt Sarah was an accident.”
“You know it wasn’t, though, right?”
She nodded slowly. Then stiffened. Her eyes flew to his, wide with horror.
“Jace,” she gasped, “people will think I tried to kill her. You know they will. Her and that juror.” She choked up. Visibly distressed, she reached out and grabbed his hand.
Jace was fairly certain she was unaware of her actions. Uncomfortable, he carefully extracted his hand from her grasp and shifted so he was farther away from her. She colored and averted her gaze, clenching her hands in her lap. He continued as if he didn’t notice.
“I was with you both times,” he pointed out. “I know for a fact that there was no way you could have poisoned your aunt. Wasn’t I with you from almost the instant you left the prison this morning?”
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head in a confused fashion. “Was that only this morning? I feel like I’ve aged a year since then.”
As if drawn, her eyes again moved to his. Her lips opened as if to ask a question. Then she stopped, and turned her eyes again to the house. Lifting her chin, she reached for the door handle.
“I’ll be fine.”
Jace sighed and unlocked the doors. They both exited the vehicle. Melanie drew her arms tightly around her waist. Jace wondered if it was the cold or fear making her shiver, but decided not to ask. He knew her well enough now to know such a question would not be met with favor. Shutting the car door, he moved beside her.
As they moved toward the house, he kept up his vigilance. If there was a danger present, he was determined to find it before he left her inside by herself. Since she refused to go to a hotel, he knew he would be spending the night in his cruiser, keeping watch.
Jace opened his mouth to try to persuade her one last time to come back to town. His pager went off before he could say anything. Calling in, he learned that he was needed for a situation downtown. The knowledge that he would have to go left him torn between relief that he could leave her disturbing presence and frustration that he would be leaving her unguarded. If only he could have requested an officer to be on guard outside her house, he would have felt better. But he knew that wouldn’t happen. The events of the day had stretched the resources of their small town police department to the limit. There was literally no one else available. He momentarily considered taking her on the call with him and having her remain in the car. He quickly discounted that idea. He was going into a potentially volatile situation. She would be safer locked in the house.
Melanie put her hand on his arm. Her eyes were a little sad, but understanding.
“Go do your job. I’ll be fine.”
Still, he hesitated.
“Let me check out your house first,” he conceded reluctantly.
A quick check of her house and grounds showed nothing suspicious. The broken window had been boarded, he was pleased to note. The uneasy knot in his stomach persisted, but Jace was sure he was being paranoid. Melanie was a grown woman. If she locked her doors and windows, and kept the phone handy, she would be fine until he returned.
“Keep your doors locked. Don’t let anyone in,” he ordered at the door. “As soon as this situation downtown is settled, I’ll be back.”
“Jace, no. You’ll be exhausted,” Melanie protested.
But he saw the relief in her eyes.
“I’ll be back.”
Jace walked out and shut the door firmly behind him. He waited until the sound of the dead bolt told him she had followed his orders. Forcing himself to move, he returned to his vehicle and turned it around. Heading back toward town, he allowed himself one last glance back in his rearview mirror. She would be fine, he told himself. He didn’t need to worry about her. It was probably good for him to get some distance from her, anywa
y. After the day she had had, he was feeling too sympathetic toward her for his own peace of mind. He would protect her—that was his job. But he wouldn’t get emotionally attached. No good could come of letting himself feel anything for her. Thanks to what had happened with Ellie, he knew that affection and duty did not mix. In his experience, affection weakened the ability to look at a situation objectively.
He dragged his mind away from his little sister.
“Lord, help me to focus on the truth,” he prayed. “I think this girl could really get to me. I know I’m attracted to her. Help me to do Your will. Oh,” he added, “and please protect Melanie while I am gone.”
Satisfied, he pushed down on the gas pedal and answered his call to duty.
*
Jace finished filling out his report and sighed. Stretching, he looked at the clock and grimaced. Seven o’clock. Who would have ever thought a Monday evening could be so eventful? Man, he was bushed. And hungry. He had been so busy, he had completely skipped dinner. He decided to pick up a pizza before he headed back to Melanie’s place.
A knock on the door made him look up.
“Jace, got a moment?”
Jace turned, his eyebrow raised as he watched his boss stride quickly toward him. Paul Kennedy was the kind of man who instilled trust and confidence. He did everything with purpose.
“Sure, Paul. What’s up?” Jace greeted his friend more casually than he would if others were about. Even though the two men had been best friends for twenty years, they both strove to keep their working relationship professional. Neither wanted any claims of favoritism when Jace started advancing in the ranks. Good thing, too. Some of the other officers had shown jealousy early on.
“I wanted to know how things were going with the Swanson case. I heard there’ve been some incidents.”
Nodding, Jace brought Paul up to date. Paul’s face went from concerned to astonished to thoughtful.
“Jace, we’ve known each other most of our lives. What are you not telling me?”
Jace sighed. He should have known Paul would sense he was holding back.
“This whole situation makes me edgy. I might have bought that Sarah Swanson had an accidental allergic reaction, but her niece insists that isn’t possible. Sarah was too careful.”
“You trust her judgment?”
Jace shrugged. “Yeah, I do. Add to that the murder of Alayna Brown shortly after she spoke to Mrs. Swanson about being threatened, and my cop instinct is yelling at me that Miss Swanson is in danger.”
“Any chance Miss Swanson is somehow behind all of this?”
Jace stood and started to pace the confines of his office as he assessed the situation, thinking out loud as he did.
“No way. Remember, I was with her from the courthouse to her aunt’s house. On your orders. I saw her face when she found her aunt. There was no way she was responsible for that. And this afternoon? She didn’t have anything to do with that, either. And why would she want to? She’d have nothing to gain from Alayna Brown’s death, and might actually have something to lose if Miss Brown really did have information about having been threatened to give a guilty verdict.” He turned to face his boss’s impassive expression. “I can’t help feeling she’s in danger.”
“We should move her to a motel for a more secure environment. Her aunt’s house is surrounded by a lot of nothing. A perp could close in on her way too easily.”
Jace laughed. There was no humor in the sound. “I already tried to persuade her. She won’t go.”
Paul sighed. Then shrugged. “Fine. Davis is back on duty. I can have him keep watch tonight so you can have a break.”
“Not necessary, Paul. I plan to park my cruiser outside her house and keep watch tonight. I know we’re short staffed.”
Paul raised one questioning brow. “You sure you want to do that, Jace?”
“Of course.”
“Very well. You’re approved to keep watch tonight. I’ll schedule other officers for the next day or so. Can’t let you wear yourself out.” Paul started to leave, then turned back. “My brother-in-law wants to know if he can join us at the hunting camp for the first day of trout season.”
Jace laughed. “I can’t believe he’s willing to leave the house. Isn’t your sister almost ready to have her baby?”
“She still has six weeks.” Paul grinned. “Allen called me last night. Seems Cammie ordered him away for the weekend. Her friends are throwing her a baby shower, and some of them are from out of town, so they’ll be staying the weekend.”
Jace shuddered in mock horror, then nodded. “Yeah, there’s room for one more. I think I have an extra pole and enough bait if he needs it.”
“He will. He’s still a city boy, but we’re working on him.” With a wave, Paul left, whistling the theme song to The Andy Griffith Show.
Jace watched his boss leave his office. Frowning, he turned and moved to his desk. The sooner he could get this paperwork done, the sooner he could be on his way. He glanced at the clock again: 7:07 p.m. If he left now, he could be to the pizza place by seventy twenty, then back to Melanie’s by seven forty. I’d better call her to let her know I’m on my way, he decided. Wouldn’t want to scare her when I drive up the lane.
*
Seven ten.
Mel glanced at the clock and rubbed her arms, which were covered in goose bumps. She checked the lock and slumped against the door. Her heart was pounding so hard, she could practically hear the blood pulsing through her veins. She had been hearing noises for what seemed like hours, but in reality was only ten minutes.
Prior to that she had tried to keep busy. She had cleaned up the hot cocoa, which had been left pooled on the floor. She didn’t think the stain would be permanent. She was grateful that the officers had cleaned up the broken glass from the window and boarded it before they left. She knew it wasn’t their job.
There was only so much work to do, though. Her aunt had never been fond of clutter, and Mel knew for a fact that she had someone come in and clean for her several times a week. When she had done all she could, she went to her old room. She opened her closet and felt tears spring to her eyes. Aunt Sarah had told her that she had brought some of Mel’s things back from the apartment she had once shared with Seth.
Once, she could have various friends to help her feel better. Not anymore. Even if she knew how to reach any of her old friends, and assuming they didn’t hang up on her, what could she say? Her old crowd had abandoned her. It was probably for the best. She hadn’t been a Christian when she went to jail.
She shook her head, determined to dispel these depressing thoughts. Reaching in, she grabbed one of her favorite outfits. The soft light green T-shirt and darker green shrug were roomy, but they were okay. She needed a belt to secure the jeans, though. Funny, she hadn’t realized how much weight she had lost in prison. Sighing, she returned to the living room.
She tried to read one of the paperbacks her aunt had on the coffee table, but she was too aware of the passage of time. Anxiety crept up on her. It continued to increase as the shadows deepened. Several times, she caught herself reaching for the phone, to call Jace and find out when he’d return.
“Control yourself, Mel.” Her voice was oddly loud in the empty house. No, she couldn’t be selfish. Jace took his duty seriously. Besides, it wouldn’t do to grow too dependent on him. “These noises are probably just because this is an old house.”
It was the “probably” that concerned her.
She looked at the clock again and grimaced. How long would Jace be gone, anyway?
She bit her lip as she remembered that moment in the car when she had almost asked him if he still thought she was guilty. She snorted. What a dumb question.
“Don’t read anything into it, Mel. Just because he took your side earlier against that officer doesn’t mean he would believe you now. He is trained to focus on the evidence, not on his emotions.”
Mel cast a wary glance around the room. Funny, this house had always se
emed so warm and welcoming, with its warm yellow walls, the cozy fireplace and her aunt’s skill with creating an inviting space. Now, however, all she could see was how the curtains didn’t completely shut. Anyone could peer in. Biting her lip, she scrutinized the locks. Unlike the doors, which she knew sported state-of-the-art dead bolts, the windows all had the original locks from when the house was first built decades earlier. Weak locks. She should know. She had sneaked in and out of this house often during her teens. Her aunt had never had a clue, or Mel was sure the locks would have been replaced long ago. The idea crossed her mind to go to the kitchen to wait. She rejected that idea almost as soon as it entered her mind. She would feel even more vulnerable if she couldn’t see what was happening out front.
Her eyes looked at the side window. It was boarded up tight. In her mind, though, she could still see that brick flying through it. She shuddered.
Scritch, scritch, scritch.
Yelping, she leaped up from the couch. Her heart in her throat, she frantically looked around the room. This was a new sound. Was that a mouse? Some kind of animal? Or was someone in the house with her? Lord help me. She sent up an urgent prayer.
A weapon. Of course. She needed some kind of weapon. But what? Her aunt had never kept guns in the house. Her eyes alighted on the fireplace tools.
Scritch, scritch.
She whimpered. Terrified, she slowly crept across the room as soundlessly as she could. She grabbed the first tool she touched. It had a nasty-looking hook on the end. Grimacing, she moved in the direction of the sound. When it came again, she realized it was coming from the large picture window in the front room. Letting out an explosive breath, she moved to adjust the blinds. Really, she was such a coward. Terrified by what was probably a tree branch against the window. Scoffing at herself, she peered out into the now-dark yard. Her breath caught. Terror returned. A man was running down her driveway toward the trees.
“No. This can’t be happening.”
When the phone rang, she shrieked. Oh, maybe it’s Jace. Maybe he’s calling to check up on me. She swiped up the phone as if it were a lifeline.