by Marta Perry
“He was really shooting at us?” she wondered aloud.
He was shooting at you. Maybe that was another thing better not said, not to her. He’d tell Carmichaels his opinion. When the first shot came, he’d already been down at ground level. Deidre had been standing on the porch, and the bullet had slammed into the siding, missing her by inches.
He felt a shudder run through Deidre and tightened his grip on her, pulling her close against him.
“How long will it take?” Her voice was muffled against his shirt.
“Soon.” And even as he said it, he heard the wail of a siren.
* * *
BY THE TIME the police were there and satisfied it was safe, Deidre didn’t have enough strength left to pull herself out of the water. Jason lifted her while Chief Carmichaels grasped her shoulders and pulled. The ground beneath her had never felt so good, and she sank down and watched while Carmichaels helped Jason up the steep bank.
She was vaguely aware of voices, and then Sam Jacobson came running from the patrol car with blankets. He wrapped one around her, and she huddled into it, grateful for its rough warmth.
“I’ve sent for an ambulance.” Ben Carmichaels squatted next to her, patting her shoulder in an attempt at comfort.
“I don’t need an ambulance.” The words came through chattering teeth, but at least she managed to say them. “In the cottage. There’ll be something dry we can put on.”
“She’s right.” Jason half helped, half lifted her to her feet. “We need to warm up, and you need to get moving on identifying the shooter.” Jason was obviously too upset to be tactful, but the chief didn’t seem to take offense.
“I’ve sent the township officers up on the ridge to locate the spot and look for evidence. I’m not going to overlook anything, but the shooter’s bound to be long gone.”
Jason’s jaw hardened. “You think the township boys are up to it?”
Carmichaels grinned. “Toby Morgan is retired state police. Took the township office because he figured it’d be a nice little retirement job, but he’s capable. If anything’s there, he’ll find it.” He took Deidre’s arm. “Let’s get you inside and warmed up. Then we can talk.”
Sensing a retort building in Jason, she squeezed his hand in warning. Nothing would be gained by alienating Chief Carmichaels. Something she’d thought impossible had happened. Someone had actually shot at them, and they’d need all the help they could get in dealing with it.
The first few steps were a struggle, but once the feeling in her legs returned, she managed to walk with the chief’s support on one side and Jason’s on the other. Unfortunately, the return of feeling meant pain. She’d never felt such cold. Not even the hardiest soul would go wading in a mountain stream in May.
It was marginally warmer in the cottage, but luckily firewood and tinder were stacked by the fireplace. Leaving the chief to start a blaze, she and Jason stumbled up the stairs. She pointed at the chest in the kids’ room. “There should be something in there you can put on. Not guaranteed to fit, but at least it’ll be dry.”
Jason paused, brushing her hair back from her face with gentle fingers. “You sure you can manage on your own?”
Her face warmed at the thought of having him help her out of the sodden jeans, imagining his touch...
“I’ll be fine,” she said firmly, and walked as steadily as she could manage into the other room, closing the door.
They were alive and in one piece. Surely it was enough to just be thankful right now. She stumbled to the bed and sat down, staring ruefully at her sneakers. Just getting them off was going to be a job.
Wet shoelaces, she soon found, were impossible to untie. At last she managed to yank the shoes off, then her soaked and muddy socks. The jeans were another challenge, but she peeled them off and left everything in a sodden pile as she rummaged through the dresser, still shivering.
The family usually left a few things here, and eventually she came up with a pair of sweat pants that weren’t too bad once she’d doubled the waist over and a heavy sweatshirt that felt good. No shoes, but a heavy pair of hiking socks would do, so she pulled them on.
When she stepped back out into the hall, Jason was leaning against the wall, waiting for her. Like her, he’d settled for thick socks in lieu of shoes, and his jeans, an old pair of Frank’s, were only a little too short.
“Better now?” He studied her face, his gaze intent.
“Almost stopped shaking.” She tried to produce a smile.
“Good.” He put his arm around her. “We’d better go down before Carmichaels decides to come up.”
They went down the steep stairs together. Jason’s hand at her waist gave her a fleeting sense that there was nothing coming that she couldn’t face. But the certainty faded when she saw the grave expression on Chief Carmichaels’s face.
“How are you, Deidre?” He came to escort her to a chair near the fire. “You sit here and warm up, and we’ll try to make this as quick as possible.”
She sat down, relieved when Jason grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to hers. Carmichaels frowned, as if he’d intended to sit there, but then took the chair opposite them.
“Now, let’s start with what brought you up here today.” He leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees.
“We... I just wanted to check out the cottage. I didn’t come inside the last time I was here, so no one had been here since last fall.” She was editing the facts a little, but she didn’t want the chief to go pouncing on Billy and get him all upset.
“You just came along for the ride, Counselor.” He shifted his focus to Jason.
“I didn’t think Mrs. Morris ought to go anywhere alone.” His jaw hardened. “It looks as if I was right.”
Chief Carmichaels gave a noncommittal nod that could have meant anything. “How long were you here?”
“Not long.” She glanced at Jason, questioning. “Maybe fifteen minutes or so?”
He nodded. “Just long enough to be sure nothing had been disturbed. Mrs. Morris had mentioned that you sometimes have trouble with thieves or vandals getting into this kind of place.”
She had said that, but it hadn’t been in quite the way he implied. Still, he seemed willing to go along with keeping Billy out of it.
“Can’t be everywhere at once, can we? And properly speaking, that job belongs to the township.” Carmichaels glanced around the room. “So you found everything was all right in here, and then you went out. That’s when the shooting started?”
A shiver went through Deidre, and she rubbed her arms, nodding.
“I was already down the steps.” Jason took over the story. “Mrs. Morris had stopped to lock the door, and she was just about to step down when the first shot was fired. It smacked into the cottage not a foot from where she was standing.”
Carmichaels looked from Jason to her, considering. “Could have been someone hunting illegally. Or target shooting.”
Jason seemed to hold on to his temper with an effort. “That doesn’t account for the other two shots he fired, also too close to be accidental.”
Remembered fear swept over her, nearly as strong as when she’d been living through it. “If it hadn’t been for Jason...”
She couldn’t finish the sentence. What would happen to Kevin if something happened to her? It had been so close. She hugged herself, suddenly needing to see her son, to touch him, to hold him close.
“I have to go home,” she said abruptly. “Kev will be coming home from school. I have to be there.”
“I can have an officer meet him,” Carmichaels began, but she interrupted him.
“Absolutely not. Do you think I want him scared to death?” She shot to her feet. “I have to go now.”
“My questions...” Carmichaels began, but the wave of panic she felt drowned out his
words. She had to be home when Kevin was dropped off. She had to put her arms around him and know he was safe.
“Look, I can stay and answer anything you have to ask.” Jason stood, putting a steadying hand on her arm. “Let one of your people drive Mrs. Morris home now. She’s been through enough lately.”
Carmichaels frowned, but he nodded. “All right. Sam will drive you home.” He gestured to the young patrolman. “See that Mrs. Morris gets home okay. And check the house for her.”
“Yes, sir.” He looked gratified at being trusted with the responsibility. “Anything else?”
“No siren. No point in upsetting the neighbors.” He turned to Deidre and took her hand. “Now, don’t you go worrying yourself about this. We’ll find him, whoever it was. If I need anything else, I’ll stop by the house later.”
She nodded, suppressing the longing to remind him that he hadn’t yet found the person who’d killed Dixie.
If it was the same person...
Deidre thrust that thought away. Because if it was, that could only mean he thought she was a threat to him. Didn’t he realize that if she knew anything she’d long since have told the police?
Jason put his arm around her shoulders and walked with her toward the door. “I’ll come out with you.” They crossed the porch and walked down to the waiting police car in silence.
“Stay safe, and don’t worry.” Jason spoke quietly as they reached the car.
“You’ll come by later?” She hated sounding needy, but she couldn’t help what she felt.
“I’ll come by as soon as I can.” He glanced back over his shoulder at Carmichaels. “I want to make sure they’re not letting anything slip through their fingers. And when I leave here, I’ll check the motel where Hanlon was staying. If he’s back in the area, I want to know.”
His expression was grim, but it softened when he looked at her, his eyes seeming to darken, his lips to soften. Heedless of the police, he took both her hands in his and lifted them to his lips. The touch warmed her more than any fire could, rippling through her.
“Stay safe,” he murmured against her skin, and then slowly let her go.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
IT WAS LATER than Jason had expected when he reached Deidre’s house—nearly five. She’d probably be getting supper for Kevin about now, but maybe they could find enough privacy for him to tell her the latest on the investigation.
But when Deidre opened the door and he stepped inside, he discovered he wasn’t the only visitor. Adam Bennett rose from the sofa, nodding to him. Jase’s jaw clenched. Hadn’t he done enough damage already?
“Bennett.” His voice was chill.
“I was just leaving,” he said quickly, obviously embarrassed. “I just had to be sure Deidre was all right after what happened.” He shifted uneasily and came toward the door. “Be sure to call if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Adam.” Deidre didn’t promise to call, Jase noted with approval. At least she was conscious of the danger of being seen with him.
The door closed behind him, and Jase looked at Deidre, brows lifted.
“I couldn’t very well refuse to let him come in.” Exasperation threaded her voice. “What else could I do?”
“Nothing, I guess. But I wish he’d exercise a little discretion.” He glanced around, realizing the house was too quiet to contain a busy five-year-old. “Where’s Kevin?”
“Judith came over and took him home with her.” Deidre pushed her hair back with a nervous gesture. “And just in time, because the judge stopped by. He’d heard already, and he insisted that Kevin shouldn’t stay here. He wanted to take him back to Ferncliff, so I was glad to say I’d already made other arrangements.”
He wasn’t surprised that the judge had jumped in so quickly. He wanted his grandson in his house, and this situation had lent him ammunition.
“Are you going to pick him up later?”
Deidre shook her head. “She’s going to keep him overnight. I know I shouldn’t let him sleep over on a school night, but it seemed like the best solution. I’m so rattled I don’t know what’s safe and what’s not. But Judith and Eli will take good care of him.”
He studied her face as she led the way into the living room. “What about you? You’re not staying here alone.” He made it a statement, not a question.
“Judith wants me to stay over, as well. That’s cowardly, I guess, but at this point I don’t care.” Her smile was rueful. “I think I’ve run out of courage.”
He sat down on the sofa next to her and took her hands in a firm grip. “You’ve got plenty of that, but you’re being sensible. Besides, Chief Carmichaels wants to keep an eye on the house tonight, so he’ll be just as pleased if you’re safely tucked away elsewhere.”
Her blue eyes widened. “He thinks the person who shot at us might make another attempt?”
Jason didn’t want to frighten her, but she had to be on her guard. “It’s possible.”
“But it’s crazy!” That was almost a wail. “The only reason he could have would be if I knew something about Dixie’s murder, and I don’t.”
He rubbed her hands, hoping to soothe her. “Apparently he thinks you do.”
“If I did, I’d have told the police already. What could I know? The police have already announced Kevin doesn’t remember anything. Maybe I should put a sign on the door, saying I don’t know anything.” Her voice had regained its tartness, relieving him. Better for her to be fighting mad rather than frightened.
“Maybe we should try that,” he said lightly. “It would at least confuse the neighbors.”
Deidre almost chuckled at that, some of the color coming back into her cheeks. “They’re already interested enough in what I do.” She leaned back. “Seriously, what would someone think I know that would make me a danger?”
He’d given that considerable thought. “You are the one who sorted through Dixie’s belongings. And you were a person she confided in. He might think there was something to give him away in that.”
“If there is anything, I haven’t recognized it.” She rubbed her forehead. “We were friends, but Dixie wasn’t one to confide in others about her private life. She’d mention guys she dated or ones that hit on her, but never by name.”
“Whether it’s true or not, the killer seems to see you as a threat.”
She was still for a moment, frowning. “I almost wish I were. Then maybe there’d be an end in sight to this terrible situation. What happened after I left?”
“Not much. I had a heated discussion with Carmichaels over whether it could have been a mistake—someone just out shooting who didn’t realize we were there.”
“Maybe...maybe he’s right.”
“I know it’s tempting, but it would be dangerous to believe that. I don’t really think Carmichaels took it seriously himself.” He frowned, trying to find the right words for his impressions. “He’s a good guy. Conscientious. But he may be out of his depth in this business. Don’t get me wrong—he took all the appropriate steps. Right now he’s got every man he can spare checking the hunting cabins in that area, in case the shooter broke into one of them for the gun.”
“I hadn’t thought of that, but I guess if you’re going to shoot at someone, you don’t want to use your own gun, do you?”
He shook his head. “They recovered the shell casings, so they know what they’re looking for. And it was Carmichaels’s idea to keep a watch on your house tonight, just in case.” He let go of her hands to pull out his cell phone. “I should let him know what you plan to do, in case he wants to talk to you before you go to Judith’s.”
But when he called Carmichaels didn’t seem to see any need for that. He was too excited about his find—a hunting cabin that had been freshly broken into, and a gun case with one rack empty. He was preoccupied with tracking do
wn the owner to find out exactly what they were looking for.
“So that’s that,” Jason concluded once he’d clicked off from the call. “He’ll stop by tomorrow to check on you. And he has one car cruising around town, trying to spot Mike Hanlon.”
“Hanlon?” She straightened. “I thought he left town.”
“So did the police,” he said, jaw tightening in irritation. “I stopped by the motel where he’d taken a room for the week, and it turns out someone had slept in the room last night. The manager claimed he didn’t see Hanlon.” No point in telling Deidre he’d slipped the man a fifty to ensure that he called Jason immediately if there was any further sign of him.
“If it was Hanlon...” Deidre considered, a line forming between her brows. “That must mean he didn’t find what he wanted when he searched the box I brought from Dixie’s. Assuming, of course, that it was Hanlon who broke in here.”
“He seems the most likely suspect. There aren’t exactly a lot of people who were involved with Dixie, unless there’s someone nobody knows about.”
She rubbed her forehead, banishing the line. “I guess there could be. I probably didn’t know about every guy she went out with. She might have met someone where she worked.”
“Wouldn’t she have told you? I had the impression you talked a lot.”
“We did, but as I said, Dixie had her privacy zone. There were things she didn’t discuss. Her marriage was one of them. Aside from saying Mike had been a mean drunk and she was well rid of him, she didn’t talk about that. Mostly she joked about the guys she went out with, but without naming them.”
“Making fun of them?” That opened up a thought he hadn’t considered. If she’d humiliated the wrong person—But then why would she open the door to him? The trouble was, that question applied to almost anyone who’d have a reason to kill her.
Deidre looked troubled. “Dixie had a kind heart. I don’t think she’d have done that to them. It was just...you know, girl talk.”