Heart thumping, Reese heard his feet pounding over the hard ground. He broke through the dense tree line, playing tag with the trees scattered along the edge of the crescent-shaped shoreline, using them for cover as he kept pursuing the fleeing figure. Slim glanced back over his shoulder, and Reese was close enough to see determination stamped on the man’s features.
Then he stumbled and went down. Propped himself up and tried to keep going. Fell again, then turned the gun on Reese who came within thirty yards. Reese darted behind the nearest tree as he lifted his weapon and yelled, “Freeze! Drop your gun!”
Slim slung the rifle around and pulled the trigger. Bark flew from the tree, and Reese flinched as he felt his cheek sting. As the man took a few precious seconds to aim for a better shot, Reese squeezed the trigger. Slim screamed and went down, his rifle landing beside him as he clutched his leg.
Reese looked over his shoulder to see Eli and backup racing toward him. Keeping his weapon trained on the man now writhing on the ground, he strode to him and kicked the rifle out of reach.
As Slim cried out his agony, Reese stated, “You’re under arrest. You have the right to remain silent.” As Reese quoted him the Miranda rights, another siren bit through the winter air. An ambulance, guided by Eli on the phone, headed their way. Fortunately, the injured party was the one on the ground and not any of his intended victims.
As Eli reached his side, Reese holstered his weapon. Eli patted the suspect down and came up with nothing but a piece of paper with a phone number on it in the man’s left front pocket.
Reese pulled his cell phone out and called the number.
“Anything?” Eli asked.
“Straight to voice mail. Phone’s turned off and the voice mail is an automated one.”
EMTs approached on Eli’s signal and went straight to the moaning man. Cal stood next to him to make sure he didn’t try anything, but Reese didn’t think he had the ability to do much. The bright flush on the shooter’s cheeks and the harsh panting breaths didn’t fit with the short sprint along the edge of the lake.
“Reese, are you okay?”
He turned to see Maggie jogging toward him, concern and fear on her face.
The blood on her arms was still there. He said, “I’m fine, but let’s get you looked at.” Reese gestured toward one of the EMTs, who came over. “Can you take a look at her arms?”
She flushed. “They look worse than they are, I think. They just sting really bad.” She frowned. “You’re bleeding.”
He lifted a hand to his cheek. “It’s nothing. We need to get your arms taken care of.”
A protest still on her lips and concern in her eyes, she walked with the paramedic toward the truck, Reese close on her heels. When they passed the man who’d tried to kill her, she came to a stop and looked down at him. The shooter met her gaze and smirked through his pain. Maggie’s expression didn’t change. She simply stared at him.
It seemed to unnerve him. “What?” Slim gritted out.
“Was it worth it?”
Confusion flickered in his bloodshot eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“The bank robbery. Trying to kill us? Possibly killing a baby. Everything. Was it worth it?”
He grunted then glared. “If you hadn’t interfered, everything would have gone as planned. And yeah, it would have been worth it.”
Maggie didn’t flinch, didn’t blink, didn’t move. She simply stared as she processed the man’s words. Reese frowned, wondering what was going through her head. Then she said, “But you got away. You could have kept going and never looked back. You could have hit another bank and probably gotten away with the money. Why keep coming after us? Why take a chance on getting caught when you knew I had deputies watching my every move?”
He shut his mouth and looked away.
“What’s your name?”
“None of your business.”
Maggie didn’t budge, just kept her gaze on the man.
Again, her unwavering stare seemed to make him uncomfortable and he sighed, then coughed, a harsh hacking cough. A groan escaped him and he said, “I’m in the system. All you gotta do is run my prints.”
“So what’s your name?” she pressed.
“Doug Patterson. Can I have some water?”
Reese wrapped his hand around Maggie’s upper arm and gently pulled her toward the waiting paramedic. This time, Maggie didn’t protest, but the frown between her brows remained.
“We got him. It’s over.”
A laugh sounded from behind him. He turned to see the EMT working on Patterson, but the man’s hard eyes said he had something else to say. Reese lifted a brow in his direction.
“Over?” Patterson gave a humorless snort then licked his dry chapped lips. “You think this is over? You ruined the chance of a lifetime for me,” he snarled. “It’s far from over. A lot of money was lost on this job.” Fury turned his blue eyes to chips of ice. “And my boss isn’t going to let it just be over. So you’d better watch your back and sleep with one eye open.”
“Shut up!” Shannon yelled as she stomped toward them, Belle in her arms. “Just shut up! How can you do this to people? To a baby? You could have killed her!”
Reese stepped in between Shannon and the man now glaring at her. She looked mad enough to do him bodily damage. Belle sucked on her pacifier and seemed content until she spotted Maggie with the EMT. Belle let out a cry and held her arms out toward Maggie.
Reese reluctantly took the baby from a glowering Shannon and walked over to Maggie. Another officer led a still-furious and vocal Shannon away.
Belle squirmed in Reese’s arms, wanting her mother. Maggie looked at Belle and crooned, “Just a minute, baby.”
Her wounds didn’t look as bad as he’d feared when he first saw all the blood. Now that they were almost cleaned up, he could see that the cuts weren’t too deep. As the EMT began to bandage the worst ones, he concentrated on soothing Belle, knowing his attempts were awkward and unwanted.
Screeching, Belle strained against him and lunged for Maggie. Reese prayed the paramedic would hurry up.
Maggie finally pushed the helping hands away with an apology and reached for Belle.
Reese let her go, the heat from her small body nearly singeing his palms. The baby quieted the moment her mother’s arms closed around her. Maggie placed a kiss on her daughter’s forehead and whispered soothing words in her tiny ear. Reese’s heart jerked in his chest, and he swallowed hard. What would it be like to be on the receiving end of Maggie’s love?
The thought nearly overwhelmed him and he turned away to concentrate on what he needed to do to get information out of the now-subdued Patterson.
Subdued due to pain medication. Reese wanted to jerk the IV out of the man’s arm.
The EMT working on him looked at Reese. “This guy has a bad infection in his left shoulder. Looks like it’s from a previous gunshot wound. He’s got a fever and is one sick dude.”
“Yeah, well, today’s not the first time I’ve shot him.”
The EMT lifted a brow. “Ooo-kay.”
Reese didn’t bother to explain as they loaded Patterson into the back of the ambulance. Cal holstered his weapon and said, “I’ll go with him.”
“I’m going to get Maggie and Shannon settled back inside the house.” He looked at Eli. “Then we’ve got to talk.”
Eli nodded. “Yeah, because while we’ve caught all the robbers, this is obviously not over.”
“Exactly.”
* * *
Maggie paced the floor of her kitchen, her sneakers making a squeaking noise on the linoleum with each step. It wasn’t over. Why not?
Reese said to give him a few minutes to finish things up and he’d be in. He’d also called someone to come over to patch up the window that had been shattered by the bullets. Maggie had gotten Belle to sleep with very little trouble, but she was afraid the hammering and banging would soon wake her. She’d practically had to pry the baby out of Shannon’s arms
to put her to sleep. “But I haven’t seen her in six months,” she’d whined. “I’m playing catch-up for all the time I lost with her and she’s had a rough night. Let me put her down.”
“No.” Maggie had needed to hold Belle, needed her reassuring weight in her arms, her soft baby breath blowing on her neck. “She needs her mother tonight.”
So Shannon had agreed with a grimace then glanced at her watch and gave a low shriek. “I’ve got to go.”
“What? Where?” Maggie frowned. How could the woman think about going somewhere after all that had happened?
But Shannon was already in her bedroom.
Maggie shook her head and walked into the kitchen. She peered into the refrigerator and wondered what she would fix for dinner. But she didn’t want any food right now. What she wanted was a nap.
Shannon entered the kitchen, hair swept up into a professional bun. She wore a knee-length skirt and a white blouse and brown blazer. Matching brown pumps completed her outfit. Maggie stared. “What are you all dressed up for?”
“I have a meeting in Bryson City. I’m thinking of getting a job nearby so I’m heading over there to talk to the CEO of an advertising firm there. Guess it’s time to see if I can put my degree to work again.” She shrugged. “I don’t have to work, of course, but what will I do all day without a job?” She held up a hand as though to forestall any protestations. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you out with Belle until then, but I need to find a job or I’ll be bored silly.”
“Oh.” Maggie blinked. “All right. Do you want to eat first? I was just thinking about fixing something.”
“No, thanks. It’s a dinner interview. I may be late.”
With a wave and a smile, she turned on her heel and went out the door.
Relieved to have some time for herself to just think, Maggie’s brain tumbled like crazy as she’d rocked Belle to sleep.
Once Belle was down, Maggie grabbed a quick shower. Coming out of the bathroom, weariness tugged at her. Her bed tempted her. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. She’d like nothing more than to curl up on her own bed, pull the covers over her head and hide from the world.
But she couldn’t. Because something kept niggling at her. She pulled her still-damp hair up in a ponytail and walked into her office. She spent the next forty-five minutes working on school paperwork to prepare for the three meetings she had next week.
Maggie shivered. The hole in her window had been covered with plastic, but it was still cold in the house. She hoped the window was fixed fast.
A knock on her door pulled her from the computer and into the foyer. She opened the door to find Reese standing there looking battle-worn and tired. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He held up several bags of food.
She inhaled and her stomach rumbled. “I smell something good.”
“I didn’t figure you felt much like putting together anything, so I had one of Holly’s helpers bring this out.”
Touched by his thoughtful gesture, she opened the door wider. “You seem to like bringing food to my house.”
He lifted a brow and smiled. “Gives me an excuse to see you.”
Maggie felt the flush rise on her cheeks. “You don’t need an excuse. And don’t worry, I’m not complaining. I appreciate it. Come on in.” She took the bags into the kitchen, set them on the counter and said, “Come with me.”
At his questioning look, she pointed to his cheek. “You never had anyone clean that up, did you?”
He raised his hand and touched the wound, surprise in his eyes. “No, I guess not. I forgot about it.”
“I have a first aid kit in my bathroom. Let’s wash that before it gets infected.”
“I can take care of it later.”
She paused and looked into his eyes. “Reese, I can’t stop bank robbers and I can’t chase down men with guns, and I can’t even do much to protect myself against someone who wants to hurt me and Belle.” She bit her lip. “But this is one thing I can do for you. Will you let me?”
At her gentle question, his expression turned tender. He gave a slow nod. “Sure.”
He followed her into the master bedroom and on into the bathroom where he seated himself on the edge of the tub. “It’s cold in here. Are you sure Belle’s warm enough?”
Maggie smiled. “I put the little portable heater in her room. She’s fine.”
Maggie opened the small linen closet, pulled out the hard plastic box that held all her first aid items and placed it next to the sink. She held a washcloth under the warm water and felt Reese’s eyes following her every movement.
It made her extremely self-conscious, and her fingers trembled as she held the washcloth to the wound, soaking away the dried blood. His hand came up to cover hers and he said, “Thank you.”
Her smile felt shaky, but she forced it wider. “Sure.” She pulled the washcloth away and tossed it into the dirty clothes basket. After applying some antibiotic cream, she opened a small bandage and placed it over the cut. His hands came up to rest on her shoulders, his face inches from hers.
All of a sudden the bathroom felt too small, his size dwarfing her, his presence surrounding her. His right hand slid from her shoulder to cup her chin. Then he leaned down and placed his lips over hers. A gentle caress filled with gratitude, comfort...and a restrained passion.
She went still, savoring his nearness, the security he represented, relishing everything about him. When he lifted his head, she simply stared up at him. He gave a small sigh. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now, but was afraid if I did you’d smack me.”
Maggie couldn’t help the smile that slid across her tingling lips. “I’m not going to complain.”
Full-fledged laughter rumbled from his chest and he pulled her close for a hug. She rested her head against him. “Thank you for all you’re doing, Reese. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know what—”
His finger over her lips cut her off. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Maggie nodded. Another rumble sounded and she giggled. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved,” he admitted with a self-conscious quirk to his lips.
She closed the first aid kit and opened the linen closet once again. She moved aside a few towels and placed the box on the shelf.
Then Reese looked up, studying her. “You okay?”
“I will be.” Maybe. When time passed and this was all behind her. Assuming she was still alive at that point. Together, they walked into the kitchen.
“I need to ask you a few questions,” he said.
She frowned. “Okay.”
“I’ve been thinking about something for about the past thirty minutes.”
“What’s that?”
“Your husband’s murder.”
THIRTEEN
He saw her flinch and regretted the lack of finesse in his delivery. Reese rushed to apologize. “I’m sorry. Let me back up a bit.”
She waved his apology away as she set the food on the table. Maggie waited while Reese said grace then asked, “It’s all right. What do you want to know?”
“I’ve been going over and over this bank robbery in my mind. Plus I’ve watched the security videos. I’ve played it scene by scene. The robbery, your response. My response. And something keeps nagging at me.”
“What?”
“That’s the problem. I don’t know. I always say the best way to solve a case is good investigative work and listening when your gut sends you warning signals. My gut is sending signals and is telling me to find out more information about your husband and the possible suspects involved. Will you tell me what happened? Everything you remember about the night he died? Who the police questioned—everything.”
Maggie wiped nonexistent crumbs from the table and sighed. “You could look it up. It’s all in the police report.”
“I want to hear it from you. You’ll give me stuff I can’t get from the file.”
Maggie glanced down the hall toward the nursery and he figured she was c
alculating how much time she had before the baby woke. “Fine.” She paused to take a bite of her sandwich.
While she nibbled at her food, Reese devoured his. He couldn’t remember if he’d had lunch or not.
He ate the last fry on his plate and studied her. She appeared fragile on the outside, but he’d witnessed her inner strength more than once. He realized that he admired her.
Once they were finished, she placed the dishes in the dishwasher while he tossed the empty food bags. She turned to say something.
And Belle hollered for attention.
Maggie snapped her mouth shut and started for the hall. Reese snagged her arm and took a deep breath as he felt the words hover on the tip of his tongue. He finally spit them out. “Let me.”
Before she had a chance to ask all the questions brewing in her eyes, he was down the hall and in the nursery.
Belle wasn’t unhappy. She was just awake and ready to get out of the crib. And Reese figured she probably needed a diaper change. When he’d found out Keira was pregnant, he’d read everything he could get his hands on about pregnancy and the first year with a baby. If he remembered correctly, the books said to change the baby upon waking.
“Hey, there, Belle, did you have a good nap?”
Her brown eyes went wide, then she smiled at him and his heart stuttered a beat.
Reese took a deep breath then slipped his hands under the small arms and picked her up. Then grimaced. Yep, the books were right on. A change would be the first order of business.
He laid her on the changing table and got to work while he talked to her. “Wish I could take a nap. You have it easy, kid. Hope you appreciate all your mom does for you.”
She waved a tiny fist at him and he caught it, staring at the perfect miniature. Small, perfect fingers and a beautifully shaped hand. Delicate. Fragile. Breakable.
Danger on the Mountain Page 13