“Yes. My big dream was to have a dog. It took years until I could, but Bentley,” The dog looked over his shoulder at the sound of his name. “Bentley,” Daniel repeated, teasing the dog, “Bentley’s the best.”
“He sure is.” Nic stepped forward and patted the dog on his head.
As the three of them passed the cafe, Nic’s new phone rang. She pulled it out. “It’s Thomas.” She said to Daniel.
“Yo!”
“Hey, Nic. What are you doing?”
“Daniel, Bentley, and I are heading down to look at the construction sites.”
“Can you put Daniel on, please.” It wasn’t a request.
Puzzled, Nic handed the phone to Daniel. “Thomas wants to talk with you.”
Daniel looked startled but took the phone. “Thomas.”
Although trying hard to eavesdrop, all Nic could hear was the buzz of Thomas’ voice at the other end of the call.
Daniel slowed and stopped, his conversation consisting of, “Okay. I can do that. What do they think?”
Nic found her frustration level growing. At the point that Daniel said, “I’ll tell her.”, she tapped his shoulder and held out her hand.
She put it to her ear and demanded, “What’s going on.
“Daniel will fill you in.” Thomas hung up.
Daniel glanced around. They were about halfway through town on Tumpline Road, the main street of Warfield’s Landing. The school was just a few blocks ahead. There was a fair amount of foot traffic, mostly tourists.
Daniel put a hand under Nic’s elbow, and moved her along, gently. “Let’s get to the school where we can have some privacy and I’ll tell you.”
*****
At her suggestion, they were across the street at the picnic spot beside the river. Nic didn’t know what Thomas had said to Daniel, but she could tell that the news wasn’t good.
Daniel surveyed the lovely views from the empty lot and eyed the orientation of the school’s windows. “I’m glad you bought this, too. It would be a shame if someone built here and the condos lost these views.”
She accepted the respite he offered. “I don’t think I mentioned it yesterday, but while we aren’t including gallery space in the school renovation, we will have classrooms on the first floor at this end of the building where the school offices were. The plan is to offer workshops with national teachers. If the co-op residents want to participate, they can... for free, but we’ll also open the workshops up for the public at large. Havre de Grace is close enough to provide housing. We’ll probably offer lunch and they can eat here if they wish. It will be good publicity for the co-op, as well.”
Daniel nodded. “How will you handle the meals?”
“We’re talking with Ruth Ann at the Riverside Cafe, as well as Willow, who owns the health food store. We want to provide as much business for everyone in Warfield’s Landing as we can.”
Now Nic scowled playfully at Daniel. “Stop distracting me. What did Thomas say to you?”
Daniel glanced around. “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll tell you.”
Sitting on the picnic bench, Nic felt cold despite the July heat. “That bad, huh?”
“I’m afraid so.” He paused, then said baldly, “Someone threw a fire bomb into your apartment last night.”
Nic felt the color drain from her face. “Did the building burn? Was anyone hurt?”
Any fire in Old Town Alexandria had the potential to be catastrophic. Many of the buildings were very old and all were tightly packed, with no space between them.
“No. The firebomb fizzled. Your neighbors heard the crash and called for help immediately.”
He squatted down, putting himself at her eye level. He took both her hands in his. Bentley pushed a large reassuring head under their clasped hands and she gave a shaky laugh.
“Nic... this guy, whoever he is, is escalating. Thomas suggested that I stay here with you for a while. At least until they catch your stalker” He added... “I’d do it even if Thomas hadn’t asked. I love you, Nic.”
Before she could respond to his declaration, he went on, “They lifted prints and your neighbors were able to give some sort of description. Thomas said the detectives would be coming to talk to you, probably tomorrow.”
He released her hands and patted Bentley’s head. “I think the best way to handle things is for Bentley and me to stay again tonight. Tomorrow morning, the three of us can head back to Alexandria and pack for an extended stay.” He tugged one of the dog’s ears. “I’ll also get food for the big guy.”
“Unfortunately, I have an appointment tomorrow with the landscape architect. Time is tight and her schedule isn’t very flexible, so I don’t want to cancel.”
“Hmmmmm.” Daniel frowned while he considered. “Alright, I’ll go by myself but I’ll leave Bentley with you. If nothing else, he can act as a deterrent. Promise you’ll take him with you if you go anywhere and I’ll make my trip as short as I can.”
“Okay,” she said. “That sounds like a good plan.” She looked around, feeling vulnerable. “How long till they know who it is? If they have a fingerprint?”
“Thomas didn’t know. I gather the big issue is whether the guy is in any of the fingerprint databases.”
“Let’s hope he is. This is getting scarier and scarier.” Then she grabbed his hands and said simply. “And... getting back to the most important thing you said...”
He looked puzzled and she laughed. “Daniel, I love you.” The smile he gave her was one she would treasure forever.
He tugged her off the bench and pulled her up into a deep kiss, while Bentley danced around them, barking madly.
CHAPTER 33
The next day in Warfield’s Landing, MD
Daniel fixed breakfast while Nic sat at the kitchen’s breakfast bar. She was sketching him while he worked, and he admitted to himself that having her attention on him was a turn-on. Unfortunately, they’d decided that he would drive back to Alexandria immediately after breakfast, so there wasn’t time to do anything about it... but when he got back... He grinned, and she caught it.
“What are you smiling about?”
He winked at her as he plopped the scrambled eggs onto plates. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and he laughed. “C’mon. Time to eat. What’s your schedule for today?”
“Bentley and I,” the dog looked up when he heard his name and they laughed. Nic started again, “Bentley and I have a pretty busy day. We’re heading down to Liv’s to check on my van.”
“Liv’s?”
Nic explained. “Liv owns the River Garage. She’s been spending time with Stevie, Karyn, and me this summer. She’s getting to be a good friend.”
She glanced at the kitchen clock. “I figure that we’ll do that as soon as you leave. Then we’ll walk from there over to the school site and meet with the landscape architect. After that, we’ll swing by the storefront and check on how that’s going. That should get us to lunch time, so we’ll stop and pick up a sandwich for me at the Cafe.”
“And after that, you’ll stay here until I get back?”
“After that we’ll stay here and wait for you.” Nic confirmed, to his relief. “I haven’t heard from the detectives yet, so I might have to adjust things, although, the appointment with the landscape architect has to be non-negotiable. She’s been kind enough to fit this project into a very busy schedule and I want this done before winter. Any delay and there’s a strong possibility it won’t happen until spring. My goal is to have the whole project finished as quickly as possible.”
Daniel gathered up the dishes, rinsed them, and put them in the dishwasher, while Nic watched.
“You do know that the guaranteed way to a woman’s heart is to cook AND do the dishes?”
“That’s my plan.” He winked as he said it and closed the dishwasher.
*****
Half an hour later, Nic was waving goodbye as Daniel pulled out onto Tumpline Road. She had Bent
ley on his leash. She’d been worried that Bentley would stress when Daniel left him, but he seemed unconcerned. At that moment the dog looked up and gave her a big doggy grin.
“Let’s go check on my van. Are you ready?” Together, they made their way down the condo sidewalk and turned toward the little garage and convenience store.
As she saw them, Liv stepped away from the car she was working on. Bentley settled with a sigh on the cool concrete floor of the garage. “Nice dog.”
“This is Bentley. He’s visiting me for a few days.”
“I’ve ordered the parts for the sliding door... twice.” Liv rolled her expressive eyes. “I hope this isn’t going to inconvenience you?”
Liv had been one of the wonderful discoveries since moving into Warfield’s Landing. She’d gotten her engineering degree and worked for a few years. Recently, she’d moved back to town and bought the business from her surrogate father, Charles, after he had a health scare. She was the mechanic, while Charles and his buddies ran the convenience store.
“Nope. No inconvenience at all.”
The two women spent a few minutes talking about the ongoing renovation projects.
After their chat, Nic woke Bentley who’d been snoring at her feet and the two of them headed back into town for the meeting with the landscape architect.
As they walked, Nic’s phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hi Nic, this is Detective Griffith.”
“Hi, Detective.”
“My partner and I would like a chance to talk with you today.”
“That would be fine, but my van is at the shop so I don’t have transportation.”
“No problem, we’ll come out to you, but I need directions.”
Nic told the woman how to get to the condos. “I’ll be back at my apartment around lunch time.”
“That works with our schedule here. We’ll meet you at your apartment.”
Nic looked down at the patiently waiting dog. “Looks like we’re going to have company. I think you’ll like them. Now we need to get on to our meeting.”
With a shrug, the large dog hauled himself back to his feet and they resumed their walk down the main thoroughfare of Warfield’s Landing.
*****
Nic and Bentley were once more on the road. Nic had finished her meeting with the landscape architect and the project would be completed at the same time as the school and storefront renovations. While he waited for Nic, Bentley had enjoyed his time exploring the empty lot beside the river.
Now they were walking back to the condo, with a stop at the cafe to grab a sandwich for Nic’s lunch.
CHAPTER 34
Lunchtime the same day, in Warfield’s Landing, MD
Nic smiled at Bentley and he smiled back. They’d had a good morning and they were home to get another drink of water and a nap - Bentley, and to eat lunch and wait for the detectives - Nic.
The condo complex was quiet. Boaters were already on the water, working residents were at their jobs, and Jaden and Madison’s absence suggested they’d gone home. Nic was disappointed. She’d been looking forward to another girls against the boys water fight. Oh, well.
She got to her apartment door and juggled with her keys, lunch, and Bentley’s leash.
“Come on, boy. We’re home. Let’s enjoy the air conditioning. I’ll give you a cookie and you can take a nap.” Nic walked through the open plan living room and into the kitchen. She put her lunch on the counter and reached up in to the cupboard which had been designated as Bentley’s. Pulling down the box, she felt around for a treat.
The leash was still looped over her wrist. She felt it pull and then heard a low sound coming from the dog. At that moment, she also realized that the air conditioning was laboring loudly. “Do you hear that, big guy? I hope we aren’t going to have to call the HVAC repairman.”
Even as she spoke the words, her mind identified the sound from the dog as a growl. Startled she put the box on the counter, grabbed the lead, and spun around.
In the large and open sliding doors leading to the balcony Nic saw someone silhouetted against the bright sun. She squinted and focused, as the figure took a step into the room.
“Hold the damn dog.”
Hearing the voice, Nic recognized it. Confused, she asked, “Lynn? Lynn Masters? What are you doing here?”
Why on earth was one of her Torpedo Factory drawing students standing in her Warfield’s Landing apartment?
“I’m here for you. Hold the damn dog”
Nic tugged on Bentley’s leash and finally got him to sit at her feet. What WAS Lynn doing here and how had she gotten into the apartment?
Was Lynn the stalker? Nic’s brain stuttered to a halt with that thought. No! It couldn’t be... could it?
Was Lynn here to hurt her? Could she use Bentley as a delaying tactic? Kneeling beside the dog and talking to him, she kept him between herself and Lynn.
“You changed your phone number.” Lynn sounded different... petulant and maybe, threatening.
“I was having a problem with threatening calls.” Following her instincts, she kept her voice calm and matter of fact.
“You needed to do as you were told. You knew that you were mine.” Lynn’s voice was starting to rise. The normally unflappable, tightly wrapped doctor’s wife and soccer mom was starting to unravel.
Nic was still trying to figure things out. Lynn? Lynn was her stalker? Really?
And when the hell were the cops going to get here?
Nic gave Bentley one more pat and rose, turning slightly to check the time on the kitchen clock.
If they’d left when they called her, they should be arriving any minute.
She needed to stretch things out until the posse arrived... keep Lynn talking, and keep Bentley under control...
“I’m sorry.” She made every effort to sound sincere. “I didn’t know it was you who was calling me.”
“You should have. You knew we were soul mates. You said so.”
Before Nic could puzzle that one out, Lynn stepped forward and Nic went cold.
Lynn was holding a gun.
Nic’s vision narrowed until all she could see was the weapon. Lynn had a gun. Abruptly something snapped and she was back in the full scene.
Keep her calm.
She had to keep Lynn calm.
The woman took another step toward her and waved the gun. “Put the damn dog in another room or I’ll shoot him.”
“No. No. Hold on. Hold on. I’ll put him in the bedroom.” Nic tugged on Bentley’s lead and started down the hall. “C’mon, boy. C’mon.” She urged the dog across the living room and toward the bedrooms.
Her mind whirled as she considered the options. There was no way out of the apartment from the bedroom wing. Lynn was blocking the door to the balcony and facing the front door.
And she had a gun.
Lynn had a gun?
This was nothing Nic had expected... Even in her wildest dreams, and she’d had some doozies recently.
“C’mon, Bentley” she crooned, trying keep both the dog and the woman calm. “I’m going to put you in here and you can take a nice long nap.”
She pulled the reluctant dog into the bedroom, talking louder and louder, hiding the fact that Bentley was growling under his breath. Thank goodness the air conditioning was noisy as it struggled to push air out in response to the heat from the open balcony doors.
Nic pulled the door shut on the poor dog and went back to the living room.
The Alexandria detectives would be here any minute. Right?
Keep Lynn calm and talking...
The agitated woman had watched every move she’d made with the dog, Nic realized. She’d placed herself with a clear line of sight to the bedroom.
Nic thought quickly. What were her options?
The balcony was too high to go over the railing. That left the front door leading to a long hall and a staircase down to the ground floor.
Lynn worked out and was in good shape. She was
also about four inches taller than Nic. But maybe, Nic’s smaller size and dancing experience would make her faster if she did have to run for it.
Of course, that possibility completely ignored the gun issue. Well... maybe she’d be a lousy shot? Did she dare hope that Lynn couldn’t hit the side of a barn? Nic tried to gauge Lynn’s experience by how she was holding the gun.
“Sit down.” Lynn gestured with the gun and Nic quickly obeyed.
“You’re going to come with me.” As she talked, Lynn paced in front of the couch where Nic was perched. “Why did you get involved with that user, Sterling?”
It was obvious that Lynn didn’t expect a reply, so Nic stayed quiet. Unobtrusively, she slipped off her brightly decorated Keds and pushed them out of sight under the sofa. If she needed to run, bare feet seemed a better bet.
She sat motionless, trying not to draw Lynn’s attention. This was surreal... Lynn? Nic remembered the other woman’s family — her doctor husband and bright teenagers... how would this affect them? Clearly, the woman needed professional help.
Walking back and forth, Lynn got more and more agitated. Then, she whirled and moved over to Nic.
She grabbed Nic’s arm roughly and jerked her to her feet. Lynn let her gun hand drop, pointing to the floor, just as there was a crash from the bedroom.
Lynn started to raise the gun as a heavy, fast moving 75 pound dog barreled into her, knocking her off her feet.
Instinctively, Nic fell away from Lynn and Bentley, and was able to break free from the crazy woman’s tight grip.
While the dog pinned the woman and was worrying at her with sharp teeth, Lynn awkwardly hit at the dog.
Taking advantage of Bentley’s courage and sacrifice, Nic sprang to her feet, running to the front door. Her hand closed on the handle as there was a shot and a terrible yelp from the dog.
Nic didn’t dare look over her shoulder. She dropped her head and ran full tilt down the hall.
In ballet mode, she flew down the stairs in a series of jetes.
Lynn burst from the apartment, chasing after her. There was no sound from the dog and Nic was heartsick.
Hitting the apartment building’s front door at a dead run, pushing it open with her full weight, Nic turned down the sidewalk toward the water and away from the parking lot.
Dreams Claimed (Warfield's Landing, #1) Page 14