Following Paige and the dog, which hadn’t left her side since his arrival, he was led into the kitchen. Like the living room, it looked as if it had been cut from the pages of a decorating magazine published forty or fifty years ago. The counter was made of the kind of material that was supposed to resemble butcher block. The cabinets were of the same blond color. So were the closed shutters.
He wiggled the knob of the back door out of habit and made sure it was locked. “After you called me, did you hear or see anything else?”
“No. Nothing. I think the prowler is gone.”
“Probably. I didn’t see anybody lurking around outside when I drove up. I’ll check closer later. First, I want you to sit down and tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning, so I know what I’m looking for.” He motioned to the chrome-edged dinette set and pulled out a chair for her.
Paige started to join him, then paused. “Would you like some coffee?”
“If you think it will help you focus better, fine. Otherwise, never mind.”
As he watched her jerky motions at the sink he realized how close she still was to being scared out of her wits. And the enormous dog seemed to be in much the same condition. It had not left her for a second, not even to give him a quick sniff and check him out the way most dogs would have. It was as if both animal and owner were traumatized.
“Look. Forget the coffee and just come here,” Cade said as he unzipped his leather bomber jacket and draped it over the back of an empty chair. He was not a patient man, especially in cases where he didn’t have enough hard facts to be certain he could avert further problems.
“Okay.” Paige sat and folded her hands in her lap while Cade circled to the opposite side of the small kitchen table. “Everything seemed fine when I got home. When Angela—that’s my roommate—left. Max was outside in the yard.”
Cade had taken out a pad and pen to jot notes as she cited the prowler’s approximate age, height and weight.
It was when she began to relate the rest of her story that he leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table and closely studied her. In view of the fact that nothing disastrous had occurred, he was wondering why she hadn’t regained a little more of her composure during the fifteen or twenty minutes it had taken him to reach her.
“When I called Max and he didn’t come, I went outside to look for him,” Paige said. “That’s when I spotted a strange man in the bushes.”
“And you ran.”
Her green eyes misted and widened. “No! He caught me.” Extending her left arm and resting it on the table, she displayed the beginnings of a wide band of bruising near her wrist.
Cade was astounded. No wonder she was still so upset. Without thinking, he reached out and traced the injury lightly, gently, with one finger. “I’m sorry I was so short with you. I had no idea he’d actually made contact.”
To his surprise, the corners of Paige’s mouth started to twitch. Was she thinking of smiling? Now? After all the shaking she’d been doing?
“He made contact all right,” she said with a nod. “And he had a good, strong hold on me. His hands were enormous. You can see that from the marks he left.”
“So, how did you get loose?” Cade glanced down to recheck his notes. “If he was as big and strong as you say, he should have been able to easily overpower you.”
The smile was now unmistakable. “I know. He shouldn’t have started to laugh at me. That made me so mad I went a little crazy. That was what saved me.”
“Really? What happened?”
“I’m not sure. All I remember is being absolutely furious and then cutting loose with more force and strength than I’d ever imagined I had. First I kicked him in the patella—the kneecap. Then, when he bent over to grab his leg, I straight-armed his face. Caught him right under the nose with an upward thrust from the heel of my hand.”
“Ouch. Did you break his nose?”
“If the cracking sound was any indication, I sure did.” She sobered. “I know I shouldn’t be happy about inflicting pain on anyone but this guy deserved everything he got. And more.”
“Did he say anything?”
“Nothing I care to repeat, thank you.”
Cade had to chuckle. “I don’t mean when you busted his nose. I mean before that. When he first grabbed you. Think. Anything? Anything at all?”
She paused and closed her eyes, her lips pressing into a thin line. Finally, she looked at him, shook her head and said, “I can’t recall a thing. Not even a threat. I wish I could.”
“Okay. Tomorrow we’ll…” He broke off, grinning.
“What?”
Stressing the humorous aspect of his random thoughts, mostly for Paige’s sake, he admitted, “I was just making plans to take you to see a sketch artist. Then, I remembered that you are one.”
To his relief her smile returned. “That’s actually how I got my start with the Rangers. I can start drawing the man I saw in the bushes right away, so I won’t take any time away from work on the skull. If I hadn’t left my laptop at work I could use it, too.”
She pushed back her chair and got to her feet. “First I’ll make us both some strong coffee, then I’ll go dig out my artist’s materials.”
“I’ll make the coffee, if you want, as soon as I get my evidence kit out of the truck. I intend to have a good look around your yard and see what I can pick up before we notify the local sheriff.”
“And tell him what? That I was dumb enough to go outside and confront a prowler?”
“I wouldn’t put it quite that way.”
“Doesn’t matter. There’s more to this attack than just some lowlife hiding in my bushes.” Paige was scowling. “You see it, too. I know you do. Or you wouldn’t have asked me if the man made any specific threats.”
It was only fair to level with her. Cade nodded as he took a few steps toward the living room. “Yes. I think it’s likely that all the peculiar things that have been happening to you, and to me, are related to the Pike case. That’s the most logical theory. I hope I’m wrong.”
“I hope you are, too, but I’d had the same idea.” She managed a smile that he could tell was partly forced. “Hurry back, okay?”
“Will do. I think you’d better follow me to the front door and lock it after me so nobody can sneak in. I won’t be out there long.”
The smile she’d displayed before became softer, as if muted by new tenderness. “Max and I will miss you.”
“I’ll only be gone for a minute or two.”
The smile widened. Her eyes twinkled. “We’ll still miss you.” She reached for her dog and began to scratch behind its ears. “Won’t we, Max?”
The kitchen table became Paige’s drawing board, the Ranger hovering in the background, her catalyst. Taking information from another person and putting a suspect’s face on paper or inputting data into a computer program was a lot easier when she wasn’t the victim, she realized belatedly. Nothing about this sketch seemed quite right. She kept wanting to imbue the assailant’s face with the evil she’d sensed rather than sticking to his basic features.
Cade handed her a fresh mug of the coffee they’d been sharing. They were already on their second pot. She glanced up at him and lifted her eyebrows. “Do you live on that stuff?”
“I’ve been known to, especially when I have night duty.”
“Is that what this is? Are you on duty?”
“Might as well think of it that way,” he said amiably. “Just because I didn’t find any clues in the yard tonight doesn’t mean he won’t come back and try again.”
“I sure hope not.” She laid aside her drawing pencil. “I still don’t get it. Why me? I’m harmless.”
Pointing to the sketch she’d been laboring over, Cade said, “Not from where I stand. If I were a criminal, I sure wouldn’t want somebody with your talent and memory for faces drawing my picture.”
“Thanks.”
The notion of someday portraying Cade’s likeness struck her as a good one, alt
hough if and when she did decide to sketch him, she didn’t intend to let him know what she was up to. This Ranger’s portrait should be done the way she’d done Amy’s, she decided. With more than just features and color. It needed feeling. The sense of strength and uprightness she felt when she was with him. She didn’t intend to drape him in the Texas flag or add a superhero’s cape, but that was the overall impression she intended to convey.
“So, how much longer do you plan to keep working on that sketch?” Cade asked. He was leaning nonchalantly against the kitchen counter, his boots crossed at the ankles, as he took cautious sips from his own mug.
“I don’t know. Maybe all night, unless I can get it right before then. Why?”
“Because it seems sensible for at least one of us to grab some shuteye. Your couch looks pretty comfortable. Mind if I bunk there? I’m not wearing my spurs so it shouldn’t hurt a thing.” He held up one foot. “See?”
“Nothing except my reputation,” Paige countered.
“Suit yourself. One way or another, I’m staying.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no reason to put yourself out like that. I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not open to discussion.”
She glanced past him into the living room and shook her head. “No way.”
“Why not? I’m totally trustworthy.”
“I don’t doubt that for a second. So am I. The trouble is, it would give the neighbors the wrong impression about me.”
Cade nodded. “Understood.”
“But…?” Paige arched her eyebrows. “I know you’re going to keep arguing. I can see it in your face.”
“Um.” He began to give her a lopsided grin. “I thought I was better at hiding my motives than that.”
“You’re as transparent as Max is.” To her chagrin, that comparison seemed to amuse the Ranger further.
“I see. Well, I guess I’m in good company then.” He set his mug in the sink and picked up his jacket. “You win. I’ll bunk in my truck tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss making other arrangements.”
“Like what?”
“Like moving you closer into the city for the time being. I can get you a motel room next to mine so I’ll be handy in case you need me.”
“Oh, no. I’m not running away. This is my home.”
“What about Max? Don’t you want to protect him?”
“Sure I do. He can come to work with me.” Paige could tell by the stubborn set of the Ranger’s jaw that he wasn’t planning to back down. He had raised some logical concerns, ones she hadn’t considered before. And now that he’d started her thinking along those lines, there was also the question of how she’d know the house was secure when she returned to it after having been gone all day with Max.
She capitulated with a sigh of resignation. “Okay. I’ll think about moving. Do you need to borrow a pillow or blanket or anything for tonight?”
“Nope. I carry everything I need with me in case I have to spend the night camped on the prairie.” His smile returned. “Or the wilds of a pretty artist’s driveway.”
He’d bid her a quick good-night and was gone before she had time to react to his characterization of her as being pretty. Wondering if he’d slipped or had delivered the compliment on purpose, Paige locked the door, then stood at one side of the front window, pulled the drapes aside a smidgen and peeked through that slit until she was certain he was settled.
She’d never admit it, especially not to the Ranger, but she was very glad he’d stuck around. There was something amazingly comforting about knowing that one of Texas’s finest was personally looking after her.
Returning to the sketch, she sat there and stared at it till her eyes refused to focus. Her eyelids were heavy but she refused to surrender to sleep. There was too much to think about, too many unanswered questions.
Whoever had attacked her had left them with no tangible clues. Neither did whoever had run Cade off the road and had probably followed him all the way to her office.
Between her and the Ranger, however, she was certain they’d be able to outwit whatever adversaries they might have. Their only real problem was going to be getting the skull copied in resin and the face reconstructed before something happened to disrupt the process. As long as the original skull stayed locked in her safe when she wasn’t working, and Cade continued to act as her bodyguard, everything should turn out fine.
Another concern was making sure Angela didn’t come home unexpectedly and get sucked into the same touchy situation.
“That’s easily remedied,” she muttered. “But what should I do about Cade Jarvis?” Paige could still recall his parting words so clearly it was as if he were standing beside her.
“Keep your cell close at hand and be sure I’m on speed dial,” he’d said. “Any little noise, any sign that Max is upset, call me.”
Even now, hours later, Paige was continuing to draw strength from him. The man’s persona had seemed to fill her home completely. Overwhelmingly. Unmistakably.
It wasn’t just because of his badge or the gun holstered on his right hip, either. It was much more. He was a Texas Ranger. The best of the best. Someone she not only admired, but trusted implicitly.
Like it or not, Paige knew she’d rather place her future in the hands of a man like Cade Jarvis than trust it to anyone else.
FIVE
It was sunrise before Cade awoke and pushed his hat off his face to greet the day. There was a kink in his neck and one shoulder was stiff, which was not surprising since he’d slept slouched on the seat of his truck instead of unrolling his sleeping bag in the truck’s bed. The way he’d had it figured, if he stayed sitting he’d be able to race back to Paige faster, just as he had the evening before when he’d left the motel on the run.
Thankfully, she hadn’t felt the need to phone again. That was a good sign, considering the very real threat she’d experienced the night before.
He checked his watch, then stretched and wiped condensation off the inside of his truck windows so he could scan the quiet neighborhood. Should he knock on Paige’s door and take a chance on waking her? Why not? If she hoped to be at work by seven, as she’d said, she’d have to rise and shine pretty soon anyway. Besides, he wanted another chance to check her yard, in the daylight, and see if he could find any drops from the bloody nose she thought she’d given her attacker.
Cade left his hat on the seat of his truck, grabbed his evidence and shaving kits and started for the house.
His hand was raised in preparation to knock when Paige opened the door with a smile and a cheery, “Good morning.”
She was wearing a pink sweater this time, and hoop earrings that he hadn’t noticed before, but the rest of her outfit looked pretty much the same.
Cade grinned. “Morning. Can I come in and freshen up?”
“Sure. There’s still a little coffee left over from last night, too, if you want a cup.”
He made a face. “Ugh. You’re kidding, right?”
“Yes.” Paige stepped back and gestured with a sweep of her arm. “Come on in. I usually grab a quick breakfast on my way to work but since I knew you were going to be here this morning, I made fresh coffee.”
“Mmm, I can smell it.” His eyelids partly closed as he took a deep breath. “Can’t start my day without java.”
“I wondered if either of us would be able to sleep after all we drank last night. At least it wasn’t true cowboy coffee. The stuff the Rangers brew in the break room at work is strong enough to dissolve a spoon.”
“You know I’m not fussy,” Cade said. He bent to offer a pat of greeting to the dog at her side. “How’s Max this morning? Better?” His friendly tone and gesture were received with a wiggle and a lick at his outstretched fingers. When Paige’s eyes widened in apparent disbelief, Cade asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, I guess. I’m just not used to seeing Max warm up to strangers that way, especially not men wearing badges and carrying weapons. I think he has dog-ca
tcher issues left over from his murky past—among other problems.”
“Ah, I see. Well, he’s clearly aware that Rangers are the good guys so it looks like that won’t be a problem for me. I’m glad. It would be harder to babysit you if he didn’t like having me around.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Cade felt his cheeks flushing and wished he’d brought his hat inside so he could have masked some of his embarrassment under the wide brim. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” He changed the subject. “So, point me in the right direction and I’ll get cleaned up as well as I can. I really do need that cup of coffee ASAP, please. Maybe two.”
“Maybe three,” Paige said with a wry smile. “A good dose of caffeine might help keep you from putting your foot in your mouth again.”
Laughing and smiling, he agreed. “I sure hope so. I hate the taste of boot leather and I can’t afford to alienate the only forensic artist we have.” Pausing, he sobered. “I will have to stick real close to you for a while, like I said. You do realize that, don’t you?”
“Yes.” Paige laid her hand on the crown of Max’s head without having to bend over. “And while you’re at it, I expect you to look after my dog, too. We’re a package deal.”
“That suits me. He’ll be helpful in spotting anything out of the ordinary. At least I hope he will. If he’s as friendly to everyone as he is to me, it may not help much.”
“He won’t be,” Paige assured him. “He’s pretty discerning, especially in regard to folks I don’t like.”
That made Cade’s smile widen appreciably and he arched his brows. “Really? Is it possible he’s accepting me for the opposite reason? Maybe he knows you like me.”
“Get real,” Paige said, rolling her eyes and laughing. “I do not let my dog pick my friends.”
Cade was amused by the way her cheeks grew rosier when she countered his suggestion. She might have a theoretical wall built around herself as thick as the real one at the Alamo, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t started to chip away at it. Truth be told, he liked Paige Bryant. It was not going to be a chore to spend time with her. On the contrary, he was looking forward to getting to know her better.
Face of Danger Page 4