Ryan was approaching the camp. He waved, and Jillian raised her arm in return. Instead of coming closer, he detoured off behind the tents.
Dave stood. “Can you think of anyone else—anyone who’s made you feel uncomfortable in the last few months?”
She huffed out a sigh then shrugged. “Not really. Unless maybe Penny.”
Dave raised his eyebrows.
Jillian wished she’d said nothing. She glanced toward her tent, but it was far enough away that their soft tones wouldn’t carry that far. “You said uncomfortable. I didn’t mean that I don’t trust her.”
“What’s the story with Penny?” Dave asked quietly.
“Sometimes I’ve felt she didn’t really like me.” It sounded silly, and Jillian leaned toward him, eager to explain. “She’s always respectful, but…well, being a woman in a public position, sometimes it’s hard to read other women. I wonder, does this person like me, or is she just doing her duty? And with Penny, sometimes I feel as though she’s taken a personal dislike to me. Occasionally, I’ve thought that it might have something to do with you, Dave. With our friendship, I mean.”
“Do you mean…”
“It seems like maybe she has feelings for you. And I’m guessing she’s perceived something between you and me.”
Dave nodded, not meeting her gaze.
“Do you think I’m right?”
“Let’s just say that there have been times when I’ve questioned her motives, too. But for whatever it’s worth, Jillian, there’s nothing between Penny and me. Nothing,” he said again, staring at her intensely.
“Here comes Ryan,” she said quickly.
He smiled—the crooked heart-stopper that she’d dreamed about for months—and stood.
Jillian watched him walk away, wondering if everyone else could see the obvious. She exhaled carefully. Could she be with the man she loved without costing him his job?
Had she truly just thought of him as the man she loved?
She had. And a smile spread across her face that she knew would be with her the rest of the day.
NINETEEN
On Sunday afternoon, Dave and the other officers stood back while Jillian made the rounds, hugging her friends on the gravel beach.
“Thanks so much for coming. This weekend was wonderful.”
Margaret returned her embrace and kissed her cheek. “Yes it was. Are you sure you want to stay out here alone tonight?”
Jillian laughed. “I’ll hardly be alone. I just hate to leave this paradise a minute before I have to.”
“Right. Well, catch a big trout for me.” Margaret squeezed her and turned toward the canoes.
Jillian held out her arms to Jon Scribner. “Thanks for being here, Jon. I hope you had fun.”
“The best, Jill. Thanks for having us along.”
Bette claimed the last hug. “I wish we didn’t have to leave, but Jon promised his folks we’d be at their house tomorrow morning to watch the parade with them.”
Jillian crinkled up her nose. “Enjoy it. I know my critics think I should be making the rounds of the parades in different towns, but I’m taking one more day to relax.”
Bette nodded. “You may not get another chance for a while. And with all of us gone, it should be even more peaceful here tonight.”
Ryan drew Dave aside. “Are you sure you’ll be okay taking them down to the vehicles?”
“Sure,” Dave said. “I’ll get them down to the warden camp, pack them off for home and then come back here.”
Ryan nodded. “I know this was part of the plan, since the legal eagles have to leave early, but I wish I could send Jerry.”
Dave shook his head. “It’s best this way.”
Ryan’s radio beeped, and he turned aside. “Bronte One, over.”
The dispatcher in Augusta spoke, and Ryan walked away. Dave watched as Ryan stopped, clearly distressed.
“Are we all set?” Eric Harris called.
“Just a sec,” Dave said.
Ryan walked toward him frowning. “Dave, can I talk to you?” Dave walked toward the fire pit with him, and Ryan lowered his voice. “My dad had a heart attack.”
Dave laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. Is he—”
“He’s in the hospital. They’re not sure he’ll make it. I need to go.”
“Yes, you do.” Dave looked toward the others waiting on the beach. “Look, you go with the lawyers. You’ll be able to call your mother on your cell phone when you get down to the warden camp. She needs you. Don’t worry about us.”
“But the governor—”
“She’ll still have three of us tonight.” Dave squeezed his shoulder. “Ryan, you need to go. The colonel will understand.”
“I can’t put you in charge.”
Dave knew he was right. Smith would go ballistic if he learned Dave had been directly responsible for the governor at any point during the weekend. “Put Penny in charge. Jerry’s too new.”
“Maybe we should all go back.”
“No, we’ll be fine. Really.”
Ryan pulled in a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll call Augusta and tell them. You’ll have to get Bronte down safely tomorrow.”
“We will. Penny, Jerry and I can handle it. And headquarters can send another officer to meet us in the morning if they want to.”
Ryan completed his radio call to Augusta while Dave switched Ryan’s gear for his and explained the situation to the others. The Scribners settled in their canoe, with Ryan in the stern. Dave waded into the water, shoving them off. He glanced over at Jillian. She watched the canoeists, holding up one hand in salute. Margaret looked back and waved her paddle.
Jillian’s golden hair fluttered about her face, and her forest-green sweater and brown corduroys gave her a wholesome, athletic air. Her blue eyes reflected the clear sky and water. Dave didn’t even try to stop watching her. His heart was hers. He was almost ready to consider going back into the regular state police, if that would mean he could see Jillian without repercussions. And if the governor didn’t mind having a detective for a boyfriend. Would she? How would it look? Would the media make her miserable?
She turned and smiled at him, and his face flushed as if she had just read his mind or something. Silly. She had no idea what he was thinking.
“You’ll miss your friends,” he said.
“Yes. You three will have to keep me company tonight so I won’t be lonesome.” She turned to Penny and Jerry. “I’m not nearly as good a cook as Margaret. Will someone help me cook those trout tonight?”
“Sure.” Penny stepped toward her. “Let’s make sure we’ve got plenty of firewood.”
“Don’t go far,” Dave said.
Penny made a face at him. “We won’t. But we’ll be fine.” She patted her side, where her pistol and portable radio rested.
Dave said to Jerry, “What do you say we tighten up the camp? Pull our tent in closer to theirs.”
Jerry nodded. “Good idea. And we need to decide how the three of us will split up the watch tonight.”
By the time the men had the camp battened down to their satisfaction, Penny and Jillian had gathered enough wood to last all night, provided Dave would chop up a small fallen tree they’d dragged into the clearing. He went at it without complaint. As he worked, the tantalizing smell of frying fish wafted across the camp.
Jerry approached as he stacked the last of his split logs on the woodpile.
“There’s a boat at the far end of the lake.”
Dave straightened and squinted, but he couldn’t see anything. Without speaking, he ducked into the men’s tent and grabbed his binoculars. He and Jerry walked down to the beach together.
Dave looked and then handed Jerry the binoculars. “Anyone can come up here. Just because there’s only one campsite doesn’t mean they can’t fish on the lake.”
Jerry adjusted the glasses. “They seem to be sitting down there near the outlet. I think I see a fishing pole.”
Dave called Ryan on the
radio, hoping he had some information for them. Ryan answered, saying he was helping the lawyers load their Jeep.
“Yeah, we saw a couple of guys in the boat at the bottom of the stream,” Ryan reported. “Didn’t think they’d go all the way up there.”
“Let’s keep an eye on them,” Dave said to Jerry.
“What do you want to do if they come up here?” Jerry asked.
“Put Jillian in her tent and shoot the breeze until they leave.”
Jerry pressed his lips together and handed the binoculars back.
“And don’t say the word ‘governor,’” Dave added.
“We’d better tell Penny.”
“We should tell them both.” Dave looked toward the fire pit. “Jillian needs to be ready if they come closer.”
Jillian wished she’d gone back with her friends. Dave’s announcement that someone else was on the lake made her stomach churn, the way it had after the sniper shot at her in the Blaine House yard. Dave walked down the shore with a pair of binoculars around his neck. She could just see him sitting on a rock a hundred yards away, watching the far end of the lake.
The sun lowered, and with the chilly evening air, an uneasy mood descended. Penny pitched in on the cleanup without her former perkiness.
As the shadows lengthened into twilight, Dave returned to the camp. “They headed down the river about twenty minutes ago. I waited to make sure they were gone. I think Jerry and I should paddle down there and take a look around. Would you feel safer tonight if we did?”
“Would you?” Jillian countered.
Dave gritted his teeth. “To be honest, yeah.”
“I’ll go,” Penny said. “Jerry should stay here with Jillian. Two women in the wilderness would look more vulnerable than a man and a woman.”
Dave eyed her pensively, then nodded. “Agreed.”
“You two be careful,” Jillian said.
“I’m sure there’s no reason for alarm,” Dave said. “Just a couple of avid fishermen who’ve now headed home.”
Still, it was enough to put them all on edge. Jerry prowled the camp as dusk deepened. Twice Jillian heard him speaking into his radio. She loaded wood onto the fire until the flames burned high, then poured herself a mug of coffee. She sat watching the blaze and praying silently.
An hour later, Dave and Penny paddled quietly up to the shore and beached the canoe. Jillian set her mug down and hurried to them, and Jerry came from patrolling the edge of the woods.
“All clear,” Dave said.
Penny hopped out of the canoe and unfastened her lifejacket. “It was dark by the time we got down there, but they’re gone.”
“We looked down the stream,” Dave said. “Couldn’t see any lights or anything.”
They sat by the fire for another hour, Penny taking the early watch. Dave and Jerry told a few stories about their experiences as police officers, and Jillian gradually relaxed. But the easy camaraderie had an edge. She never quite forgot that she had to be careful, or that the three sharing the camp with her had come along only to protect her.
Jerry pushed the light button on his watch. “Guess it’s time for me to relieve Penny.” He stood and stretched.
“Are you tired?” Dave asked Jillian.
“I think I could stay awake for a s’more.”
“Did someone say s’mores?” Penny called as she came toward them out of the darkness. “I’ll get the marshmallows.”
They sat up another half hour. Jillian made a s’more for Jerry and called him over when his patrol brought him near the campfire.
“I think I’d better quit,” Penny said. “I am sugared out.”
“Me too. You want any more, Dave?” Jillian held up the bag of marshmallows.
“No, I’m good.”
She put the bag in the cooler and turned the clasp. “Do we need to float the cooler in the canoe tonight?”
Dave rose. “I’ll take care of it.”
Jillian yawned. “I think I’ll turn in.” She moved her chair away from the fireside. “Thanks for doing this with me. It’s been really fun.”
“It’s the best three days on the job I’ve had all year,” Penny said.
Jillian smiled. “Glad to hear it.” She nodded at Dave. “See you in the morning.”
She turned toward the tent and a sudden thought popped into her mind. “I remembered that name, Dave. Kendall,” she said.
Dave swung around and stared at her. “What?”
“Jack Kendall. Sorry, it just came to me. That’s Naomi’s new boyfriend.”
Dave’s expression froze. “Are you sure?”
The look in Dave’s eyes sent chills up Jillian’s spine. “Yes. Why? Do you—”
He set the cooler down. “Penny, stay with her. I need to call HQ.”
“What is it?” Jillian stared at his stony face and her pulse thudded. “You know him?”
“He’s Tanger’s son.” Dave already had the radio in his hand.
“How can that be?” Jillian gasped.
Penny hurried to her side. “Roderick Tanger had two children, but his wife divorced him and remarried ages ago. Long before you put him in prison.”
“So his children’s stepfather could have adopted them.”
Penny nodded. “Have you met this man? Did Naomi ever bring him to the Blaine House?”
“No.” Jillian’s stomach lurched. How did she know what Naomi did while she was gone all day? As a resident, Naomi had permission to bring personal guests into the house. “If she asked him to come, wouldn’t the EPU do a background on him?”
“Yes, unless she got around that somehow.”
Jillian seized Penny’s arm. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. He may not be the same person. And Naomi wouldn’t date him if she knew he was related to Tanger.”
Penny held her gaze. “Do you know that for sure?”
Jillian felt light-headed. She looked over at Dave.
“That’s correct. Jack or John Kendall,” he was saying into the radio. “We need to know where he is. Pick him up.”
“Come on,” Penny said. “Let’s get ready for bed.”
With shaking hands, Jillian stowed her boots and snuggled into her sleeping bag fully clothed. Penny lay still beside her. Jillian began to pray silently. Lord, calm my spirit. Keep us safe. Help me to quit worrying. And whatever happens, protect Naomi. Draw her close to You, Lord.
Dave and Jerry’s low voices drifted on the quiet breeze, along with the gentle slap of waves on the rocks and the rustling of the pine branches. Jillian concentrated on relaxing, muscle by muscle. In spite of the coffee she’d downed, she started to slip into sleep.
Crack!
She sat bolt upright in the darkness, her heart crashing around in her chest.
Dave threw himself to the ground and listened.
He couldn’t take a risk by calling out to Jerry. The stillness was broken only by the wind and the waves.
Dave rose on his knees and looked carefully all around the camp. Only a couple of minutes ago, he’d seen Jerry go silently toward the back of the tents to continue his patrol. Was Penny still in the tent with Jillian?
What if she’d slipped into the woods to ambush them?
He hated the fact that he’d even had the thought. And yet Jillian had felt ill at ease with Penny, and Dave had recognized Penny’s jealousy. On this trip, she’d seemed to have gotten past that, but what if she’d simply learned to hide it well?
He scurried toward the women’s tent, bending low. Soft rustlings came from within.
“Penny?” he called softly.
“Yeah. What’s going on?”
Dave breathed again. “Gunshot. I’m not sure where Jerry is.”
“I know I’m technically in charge here, but I’ll defer to you,” Penny said, sounding shaken.
“Call Augusta. Both of you get down to the shore. Stay away from the fire. Try not to let yourselves be seen or heard. If I don’t show in five get moving.”
“Got it.”
Dave scanned the area around him. He had to find Jerry—fast.
“You heard him,” Penny whispered.
“Yeah. I’m tying my boot.” Jillian fumbled with the laces in the dark.
Penny spoke into her radio. “We have a shot fired by an unknown shooter near the camp,” she told the officer at headquarters two hundred miles away.
“Stay in contact. I’ll put the backup team in motion now. Call if not needed.”
“I copy. We may need to go silent for a while.”
“Check in within ten minutes.”
Penny signed off and made some rummaging noises in the darkness.
“I’m ready,” Jillian whispered.
“Let me go out first. Keep low and look ahead for cover.”
“Are we safer in the open?” Jillian’s heart thundered as she rose and felt for Penny. Her hand grasped a fleecy sleeve.
“We’re sitting ducks in here.” Penny edged to the tent flap and stood still for several seconds before she cautiously unzipped it halfway.
Jillian waited behind her, tense and shivering.
“Okay,” Penny whispered over her shoulder. “Let me get behind the picnic table. If everything’s quiet, follow me.” She ducked out of the tent.
Jillian crouched at the flap and peered outside. The moon shone over the lake between wispy clouds. After Penny’s footsteps ceased, all was still. Jillian sucked in a breath and dashed out of the tent. She bumped the edge of the picnic table bench and fell headlong next to Penny.
“You okay?” Penny laid one hand on her shoulder.
Jillian rolled over and looked up at her. “Yeah.” She’d probably have a beauty of a bruise on her shin tomorrow. “Do we know where Dave is?”
“No.” Penny raised herself to look over the top of the table. Jillian lay still, trying to calm her heart and the sound of her breathing. After a long minute, Penny whispered, “Our next cover is that stunted tree where we hung our dish towels.”
Jillian looked toward it. “All right. You first?”
“Yeah. Get ready, but stay here until you’re sure I’m safe behind the tree.”
Hearts in the Crosshairs Page 16