Bound by Duty

by Valerie Hansen

  He reached for the panel and flipped the switches. Banks of overhead fluorescent lights flickered, then steadied, illuminating the entire warehouse.

  Linc’s first act was to ensure that there was no imminent threat. His gaze swept the building contents, then came to rest on Zoe. Star was seated at her feet, panting and totally unconcerned, meaning she sensed no danger lurking nearby.

  In contrast, the flight instructor was standing there with her hazel eyes wide and her mouth hanging open, looking as though she was about to keel over.

  Linc followed her line of sight to the base of the roll-up door. The concrete was spotless.

  No dust.

  No blood stain.

  And no body.

  TWO

  Zoe took a shaky breath. “That’s impossible!” She wanted to explain what had happened but couldn’t. She had seen the shooting with her own eyes. Had watched the victim fall and bleed. So where had the injured woman gone?

  Her companion reached for his mic. “Colson here. False alarm at the warehouse.”

  Watching his expression removed all doubt that he blamed her for the false alarm. Only it wasn’t her fault. It hadn’t been. She knew what she’d seen, how she’d felt when the assailant had turned and come toward her. Imagination or hallucination or whatever a person wanted to call it was not enough to scare her that much.

  The K-9 handler raised a dark eyebrow. “Well?”

  “Oh, no. You’re not going to blame me for this, Colson. I don’t know what really happened, but I am not making anything up. I heard a shot. I saw a victim fall and watched a red stain blossom on her back. There is no way this floor can be this clean and dry after that. Not this fast. There has to be a logical explanation.”

  “I’m waiting for it,” he said.

  Zoe took a deep breath and exhaled noisily. Slowly shaking her head, she glanced down at the imposing patrol K-9. “I’d rather try to explain it to your dog. She looks more likely to believe me.”

  “Don’t let her temporary relaxation fool you. One word or signal from me and Star will be a formidable adversary.”

  “I know. It’s just that sometimes I tend to relate to animals better than I do humans. And see her cute tan eyebrows? She’s not scowling at me the way you are.”

  “Maybe that’s because you didn’t lie to her.”

  “I didn’t lie to you either.” Zoe knew there was pathos in her tone, but she didn’t try to hide or excuse it. “There has to be a clue here. A drop of blood or something. Please. Bring in somebody who can test the area for it. At least give me the benefit of the doubt.”

  “So you can waste our time and resources?”

  Her voice became strident. “Me? You’re the ones who are wasting time by focusing on my life when you should be trying to track down my stupid half brother before he does something else too horrible for words. I haven’t seen him since before he escaped, and I only went because I felt sorry for him. I don’t want to see him on the outside of prison walls. I have my little boy to protect. Do you think I want Boyd anywhere near Freddy?”

  “Why not? You sure visited him plenty.”

  “That’s different. Boyd’s all the family I have left since Dad died. I suppose I should have stayed away, but I kept hoping he was worth redeeming.”

  “By you?” She heard him huff.

  “No. By God and Jesus,” Zoe said, and this time there was new gentleness in her speech.

  “Some people aren’t worth it,” Colson countered drily.

  “I disagree. Everybody should have the chance to reform, no matter what they’ve done.” Her heart clenched. Too bad it was too late to help Freddy’s daddy.

  That all-encompassing statement apparently convinced the cop to turn away and once again use his radio. “Give me Captain Blackwood,” he said. After a short pause he followed with, “Linc Colson here, sir. I’m at warehouse W-16 behind the BX. Sullivan insists she saw a crime committed and is requesting a tech team. Do you want me to stay here until you give me further orders or shall I relinquish the scene?”

  Zoe couldn’t hear the reply because the sergeant was wearing an earpiece, but judging by his grim look, he wasn’t happy with the captain’s decision. She waited expectantly for him to end the call and explain.

  “They’re coming,” he grumbled. “You win. This time.”

  “I’m not trying to win anything,” she insisted. “I just don’t want a criminal to get away with murder.”

  “Right.”

  Zoe could have brought up the sacrifice of personal happiness she’d made when she’d turned in her former husband, John, for possible espionage, a transgression, which may have been responsible for his untimely death, but since those records were sealed, she figured it would be best to keep that part of her past to herself. Her rotten brother was plenty for now. Between relatives she couldn’t help knowing and choosing the wrong man to marry, her record of discernment was pitiful.

  She decided to try changing the subject. “So, Linc is what the L on your name tag stands for? Is that short for Lincoln?”

  “Not anymore. It’s just Linc now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I got tired of being called Abe. Nicknames are bad enough in the air force. They were lots worse when I was a kid.”

  She had to smile at him. “Gotcha. Boyd liked to call me Baby Sister, and the kids in the neighborhood and at school picked it up. Thankfully, it didn’t follow me into the air force, even if my brother did.”

  “You got off easy when he washed out.” He gestured to some cardboard cartons piled near the open bay doors. “We might as well sit down.”

  “Your dog is tired, right?”

  One corner of his mouth twitched for a moment as if a smile was trying to get out before he regained control and answered, “Right. My partner is.”

  “Sorry.” Zoe led the way to the stack and tested it to make sure the carton was strong enough to support her before sitting. “I had forgotten you guys considered your K-9s partners.”

  Linc took a seat with Star between them. “We’re classified as teammates. She’s an MWD, Military Working Dog, and I’m her handler.”

  Zoe gazed down. “She’s beautiful.”

  “And intelligent and trained to be lethal if necessary,” Linc cautioned.

  “I don’t doubt that for a second.” Meeting Star’s upturned face with a tender look of her own, Zoe dangled the tips of her fingers over the edge of the box. The dog noticed but didn’t seem upset, so she took a chance and wiggled them.

  Star had apparently realized she wasn’t a danger, because she sniffed Zoe’s fingers, then gave them a quick lick.

  Zoe giggled. Linc did not. “It’s a good thing for you that Star has been socialized more than some of our other dogs or she’d never put up with that. What are you trying to do, recruit her over to the dark side?”

  That opinion deserved a hearty laugh. “Not at all. Actually, I’m very impressed with Star. She’s a lot smarter than you Security Forces people are. She’s already decided I’m one of the good guys around here.”

  “Then it’s a good thing she’s not the one in charge.”

  * * *

  Linc was not pleased by Zoe’s conclusion, but he had to give her credit for having a kind enough heart to make an emotional connection with the dog, despite the fact that such interactions were usually unsuccessful. Nevertheless, that didn’t prove her innocence. She’d already admitted having a soft spot where Boyd was concerned. She could have helped him sneak on and off the base at the very least, although Linc couldn’t imagine why she would, particularly since she seemed worried about the safety of her little boy.

  Truth to tell, Zoe may not have had anything to do with an actual crime or with Boyd’s latest victims, other than the fact that they were all connected to Canyon. Two dog trainers, a basic training i
nstructor and a base cook had all died during the previous month and warning notes had been delivered to other potential targets. The trainers and one other, Chief Master Sergeant Clinton Lockwood, were found with red roses the way past victims had been. Boyd could have done all that himself and probably had, particularly if he was actually inside the base’s perimeter fence as they suspected.

  Which brought Linc’s musings back to Zoe Sullivan. She might have helped her half brother gain access if she thought she was doing the right thing and could handle him. There was certainly a stronger possibility for her to have given assistance than there was for any of Boyd’s former cronies who were still serving at CAFB to do so. They might have supported his illegal activities when he was still enlisted, but those who had stayed on after his discharge and had advanced in rank now had promising careers to consider.

  Linc’s pondering was interrupted by the arrival of Captain Justin Blackwood, accompanied by a lone evidence technician and base photographer, Staff Sergeant Felicity James. Linc snapped to attention, as did Zoe. Blackwood returned the salute. “As you were.”

  “I didn’t mean for you to bother about this personally, Captain,” Linc told the captain.

  “I wanted to see the scene for myself.” Blackwood was eyeing Zoe as if he expected her to say or do something odd. “Show me what you found.”

  “It’s more what we didn’t find.” Linc stepped forward with Star, angling so he could also keep an eye on Zoe. “Sergeant Sullivan said the shooting happened here. She insists there must be evidence.”

  When he pointed at the base of the door, she spoke up. “I was in the back of the building, sir. I couldn’t tell exactly how close to the opening the two people were standing, but I could judge left and right. I put the shooting victim a foot left of center with the shooter to the right of that. Any blood spray patterns should be near the bottom edge of the door.”

  The Captain looked to the tech, who was opening a forensics test kit. “Okay. Colson will run the door up a few feet so you can check the cement apron, too, and Sergeant James can snap a few pictures for the record.”

  Complying, Linc wished he had thought of that. Normally, he would have, but he had been so sure the Sullivan woman had fabricated her story he’d been lax. That wasn’t good, nor was it fair if she was telling the truth.

  Which she isn’t, he assured himself. He wasn’t sure exactly what her motives were. He didn’t have to know. All he was supposed to do was follow her in case her murderous brother tried to make contact.

  That was a task he relished. Capturing an escaped serial killer was worth working overtime and putting up with a clever woman’s tricks. In a way, it was too bad that Sergeant Sullivan was using her superior intelligence and quick mind to thwart the law. Given different circumstances, he would have admired her.

  * * *

  Watching Captain Blackwood oversee the testing of the base of the roll-up door, Zoe felt her confidence waning. Clearly, they weren’t finding the clues she had expected.

  When the tech straightened, picked up his gear and shook his head, she knew she’d been bested. But by whom? By what? She was positive she’d witnessed a shooting. The chances of such a violent act leaving no trace were slim to none. There had to be something there. There simply had to be.

  Unfortunately, she wasn’t trained to find it. She was trained to teach basic flying. Period. Frustration brought unshed tears to her eyes, and she fought to remain stoic. “I saw two people. One shot the other. A body fell.”

  Linc’s left brow arched. “You’re sticking to that fairy tale?”

  “No, I’m sticking to the truth as I know it. There’s a big difference.”

  Although rancor in Colson’s expression was evident, he didn’t counter. Instead, he turned to his superior and apologized as if the callout was his own error.

  “Sorry, Captain. This false alarm was my fault. The subject was out of my sight for a few minutes, so I can’t verify anything that took place during that time.”

  “Well, see that she isn’t again, Colson.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The look that the K-9 cop shot her gave Zoe the shivers. She didn’t know how her surveillance could get any worse but figured she was about to find out.

  She desperately wanted to counter with a statement of her own but managed to hold her tongue. It was doubtful that either man would believe she’d merely been blowing off steam and overreacting in righteous anger regarding the unfair surveillance situation.

  Someday, perhaps she’d have a chance to speak her mind, but this was certainly not it. She was already in enough trouble due to her relationship with her nefarious brother, however strained. Considering all the pressure she’d been under lately, there was also a one-in-a-million chance she might have been imagining things. There had been times recently when confusion over minor things had worried her.

  If there was a chance that her mind was playing tricks again, her wisest choice would be to let everyone continue to believe she had made up the shooting story as a distraction. Otherwise, someone might deem her unfit—both as an aviation instructor and as Freddy’s mother. No way was she going to allow that to happen. Her job was important, yes. She loved her country and was eager to serve. But her little boy was everything.

  THREE

  “I can call a cab and escort you home,” Linc told Zoe after the captain and tech left.

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  “You’re right. It isn’t. But if you’re really as upset as you’ve been acting, it’s sensible.” He could almost see the wheels turning in her brain before she nodded.

  “I’ll walk. But I would like the company, just in case. I have to stop at the side door and pick up my groceries.”

  The change in Sullivan’s demeanor bothered him, not because she had stopped arguing but because she seemed so downtrodden. Still, she’d fooled him before, much to his embarrassment, and could easily be acting again. Making comparisons to her criminal brother was natural. Boyd had been charming when it suited him, then he’d changed into a self-serving killer.

  Not that Linc believed Zoe was that bad, he assured himself. But it would behoove him to remember she was kin to a serial killer. She and her brother had had the same father, so there was a chance she had inherited whatever genes that made Boyd so dangerous. That judgment wasn’t a lot different from their process of choosing likely candidates for K-9 service. The tendencies for action had to be there before training began or efforts for tight control over those instincts might be time wasted.

  Ahead of him, Sergeant Sullivan paused to reclaim her grocery totes and started out the door. Linc tensed, wondering if she’d try more evasive tactics and was mildly surprised when she waited for him to clear the exit with Star and fall in beside her.

  “You were right,” Zoe said with a sigh. “I should have driven. I’m suddenly exhausted.” She paused for a heartbeat. “And, no, I’m not asking for that taxi or hinting that I want you to help carry anything while you’re on duty.”

  Linc harrumphed. “It takes a lot out of you to evade the police, huh?”

  “Dodging you wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “They why did you do it?”

  “Frustration, I guess. I got tired of being treated like a criminal and decided to rebel a little.”

  “Not a good idea.”

  She sighed again, this time more loudly. “Yeah. It seemed kind of okay at the time. At least until the shooting.”

  Pacing her by shortening his strides, Linc remained silent and waited to see if she’d confess more. Instead, she gave him a cynical glance and said, “I really goofed. I liked it better when you and your cohorts were hiding and just shadowing me.”

  “You may have seen us once or twice, but most of the time we were out of sight.”

  She laughed.

  Linc was n
ot amused. “Are you insinuating you knew we were keeping you under constant surveillance?”

  “Absolutely. For one thing, the fact that I was being watched made me edgy, made my senses tingle the way a hare reacts to a hungry coyote.” Pausing, she blushed. “Why do you think I started keeping my blinds closed?”

  “Because you were hiding something.”

  “Yeah, my private life.”

  “We watched the doors for signs of your brother. We weren’t peeking in your windows.”

  “Says who?”

  “Says me. You don’t have a very high opinion of our Security Forces, do you?”

  They had reached Zoe’s four-story apartment building. She stopped at the foot of the concrete walkway to answer. “I think the police, both civilian and military, do an amazing job keeping order and tracking down criminals. What I don’t like is being considered one of the bad guys.”

  Linc had to admit she had a point. Assuming she was innocent, of course. He nodded in tacit agreement. “I get that. I do. But suppose you were positive a student pilot was unstable. Would you allow him or her to fly or would you wash them out?”

  She made a face. “I’ve washed out more than one.”

  “Because that’s your job as a flight instructor.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then bear with me here,” Linc said. “Watching you for clues to finding your brother, Boyd, is my job. Even if you haven’t been helping him since he escaped from prison, you can’t be certain he won’t show up looking for you. We know he or someone mimicking him has been on base or we wouldn’t have had threats and killings identified by red roses and predictable notes.”

  He sensed he was getting through to Zoe. “Do you plan to spend the rest of the afternoon at home, Sergeant Sullivan?”

  “Yes. As soon as I send the babysitter home, Freddy and I are going to play a few games.”

  “All right. I’ll go up with you and check the place over.”

  “Seriously? You want to search my apartment?”