by PJ Nunn
“I’d say that’s a pretty clear threat,” the officer said, carefully placing the note into another plastic bag. “Know what kind of snake this is?”
“It’s a copperhead,” Dani answered before Noah had the chance and both men looked at her in surprise. “It’s missing from Ophidian just like the other one.”
Noah murmured something unintelligible to the man, then escorted her back to the couch. “Tell me.”
Dani raised her hands. “There’s not much to tell. I found out before I left work today that the count was off by one in the copperhead lab.”
“Who do I need to see?” his voice sounded as deadly as the snake’s venom.
She sighed. Mike asked her not to mention it, but neither of them anticipated this. “Mike McKay,” she admitted. “He didn’t want me to tell anyone. I suspect he doesn’t want Crane to know. At least not until he can figure out how it got away.”
Noah sneered at that. “I don’t think it just got away.”
“You know what I mean. Mike’s the only one who works in that lab.”
“Well you sure won’t be working there today,” he said sternly, glancing at his watch.
“I beg your pardon?” She couldn’t believe he’d say that.
“You heard me,” he said, as if that settled it.
Dani stood, eyes blazing. “I most certainly will be working today! I’ll be damned if I’ll let someone scare me away from my only source of income!”
“And I’ll be damned if I let them get close enough to kill you because you’re too stubborn to be careful!” He stood up and faced her with smoldering eyes that softened as his words struck home. “What time do you go to work?”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to answer him, but the concern in his face was real. “I have class at nine, labs at one and Ophidian at four,” she admitted, looking wearily over at the early morning sun creeping through the window. “Maybe I’ll skip class and just go in at one,” she conceded.
“Good idea,” he agreed. “Why don’t you go on back to bed? I’ll stay here until they finish up and come back for you at 12:30.”
She nodded at that. At least she could sleep without worrying that something would crawl out from under her bed when she wasn’t looking. Trudging back up the stairs, she pulled the blinds to keep the sun from streaming across her bed and set her alarm for 11:00, just in case she was still sleeping by then. In spite of the trauma, she was fast asleep in minutes. It didn’t last long, though. Snakes crawled through her dreams. By 9:30 she gave up the attempt.
Chapter Fourteen
“Cold enough for you?” she greeted Beth, joining her at an empty table in the cafeteria. Apparently the university prioritized energy conservation. As a result, it was cold, inside and out. Expecting warmth in the cafeteria at least, Dani wouldn’t have been surprised to see puffs of condensation emerge from her lips as she spoke.
“Oh, honey, just wait,” Beth grinned, moving her bag to make room for Dani’s tray.
“I asked for snow,” Dani concurred, sliding out of her coat and hanging it on the back of the chair.
“Well, I sure wouldn’t want to be snowed in at your house,” Beth pretended to shudder.
Dani smiled, but didn’t offer information about the latest event. Somehow, up to now, it had seemed more like a joke. It wasn’t funny anymore.
As usual, Beth talked enough for both of them, bubbling away about her latest project woes and the best campus gossip. Dani only half listened, enough to nod at the appropriate times and offer an occasional “oh really?” It wasn’t until she heard the word “Ophidian” that Beth grabbed her full attention.
“What?” she prompted.
“Yeah,” Beth nodded. “Who’d have thought I’d ever date a creepy crawler?” she laughed. “But he’s really sweet and I love that accent. Almost like going out with Antonio Banderas!”
Dani dropped the pretense that she knew what Beth was talking about. “Who did you say again?”
Beth rolled her eyes. “Dani, I swear, you never listen!”
“I’m sorry,” she shook her head. “My mind wandered just for a second. Tell me!”
“Emil!” she said emphatically. “We’ve been out three times now and we’re going out again tonight.”
Dani’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Emil wasn’t bad looking, she supposed. Especially if he got rid of the surly expression he usually wore when she was around. But Antonio Banderas? “You really like him, huh?” It was all she could think of to say.
“Oh yeah, he’s great! You’re not the only one with good taste in men, you know.”
Dani tried to pay better attention as they finished up their lunch, but it wasn’t easy. Labs weren’t easy either, with students in a panic trying to catch up and get everything done before the holiday break. Busying herself with student questions and storing unneeded equipment in anticipation of the semester break, Dani hardly had time to think of Noah again until she saw him sneak in the back door and stand leaning against the wall with an insolent expression on his face.
She noticed more than one of the young coeds casting furtive glances his way. No wonder. With his tall, muscular physique and angel face with devil eyes, he’d be quite the catch to take home for Christmas. As if he read her thoughts, he looked up and met her eyes across the room. She offered a small smile and a wave but he didn’t return them. Probably mad because she didn’t wait for him to drive her to school. With a tiny twinge of guilt, she finished what she was working on and urged her students to do the same.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” she offered once the room was cleared out.
“That’s odd,” he said, strolling toward her with his hands in his pockets. “I expected to see you at 12:30. And at home.”
“I couldn’t sleep,” she hedged, pulling on her coat. “I didn’t want to bother you at work so I just came on. No biggie.”
He looked at her intently for a moment. Long enough to make her squirm. “We’re going to talk about this, you know.”
She nodded.
***
Working at Ophidian with Noah parked in a chair in the office was unnerving, and not just for Dani. It was impossible to miss the glares shot at him as one or another stuck their heads in the door. Either she’d gotten used to their attitudes, or they liked him even less than they liked her. When Dani darted down the hall to retrieve a lost file and overheard a heated discussion coming from Crane’s office, she’d had enough.
“Let’s go,” she told Noah, gathering her books and stuffing them in her bag before she pulled on her coat.
“Off early?” he asked, easing up out of his chair.
She glared at him. “This isn’t going to work,” she snapped, following him to the car. “Crane will fire me before he’ll let you stay there and watch me work.”
“Hey, I’m just doing my job,” he shrugged.
“Don’t I have a say in that?” she stopped beside the car and looked up at him angrily. Protection was one thing. A full time bodyguard was another. “Nobody’s going to do anything to me here on campus with thousands of people!” She unlocked her car and got in.
Noah gave her a tight-lipped expression that said he didn’t agree but wasn’t going to argue about it. Wordlessly, he got in the passenger side. The ride home was tense and without comment. When she pulled up in the drive and parked the car, she was surprised to see him head for the path to his house instead of following her inside.
“Where are you going?” she called, wishing she didn’t have to ask, but feeling a little intimidated about going back in the house alone.
He answered without turning around, “I’ll be back later.”
Stunned, she stood on the porch and watched him disappear into the trees, then hurried to get her key in the door, locking it tightly behind her. She didn’t feel much better inside, peeking around every corner and jumping at every sound. Once she’d changed her clothes, she went back downstairs and turned the music on. Maybe it would drown out
the noises she was afraid she’d hear. But nothing held her interest long enough to keep her occupied and she found herself sitting on the couch staring blankly at the front door, wishing it was all a bad dream.
Bandit’s persistent whining and sniffing reminded her that she hadn’t let him out, so she grabbed her jacket again, tucking the .38 Noah left for her in her pocket before pulling on her knit gloves.
“Come on boy,” she told him, desperate to hear the sound of a human voice, even if it was only her own.
Bandit spent a few minutes busily sniffing around the porch, then proceeded to the yard while she watched from the swing. Even though it was windy, cold, and gray, she had to admit it was beautiful out there. Peaceful, even with the undercurrents of danger. She’d given up on the gardens after the second freeze, but the withered plant life would have to be removed and made ready for hard winter.
As she scanned the horizon while Bandit playfully chased leaves, her thoughts inevitably settled on Noah. Somehow, she had to work things out with him. Or maybe with herself. He was the best thing to happen in her life in a long time. Maybe ever. She didn’t want to risk spoiling it. He might be overprotective, but he wasn’t Mark and he was only concerned about her safety. They should be in agreement there. Would be if she’d come out of denial long enough to face facts. But the idea that she was the target of some madman’s obsession was too overwhelming to face, especially when she was out here all alone.
A yip from across the road caught her attention and she squinted, trying to locate Bandit in the dusk of early evening.
“Bandit!” He’d gone off across the road again, no doubt chasing a bunny.
With a sigh, Dani got to her feet and took off after him, calling his name.
“Bandit!”
Once she’d entered the cover of trees, she suppressed a shiver and stopped to listen. Usually, he wasn’t too hard to spot. Not with his white and gray coat in a world that had largely turned brown. Ducking to miss low hanging branches, she examined the ground in front of her carefully before each step. Anything might be lurking beneath the mat of fallen leaves and pine needles. Despite the isolation and threat of danger, there was something comforting about the silence punctuated only by the crackle of dead leaves beneath her feet. It was a world that seemed far removed from the hectic pace of the campus. When a glance over her shoulder showed trees that nearly obliterated her view of the road that ran in front of her house, she knew she’d gone far enough. Reluctantly, she turned around, calling Bandit one more time and willing him to come back. She didn’t need one more thing to worry about.
She hadn’t gone far when a splash of color caught her eye and she changed direction. There, on the branches of a low-lying bramble bush, a piece of red yarn fringe was hung on the thorns. It looked like something that would be found on a winter scarf. Odd. It was large enough for her to notice twenty feet away in fading light. Surely she hadn’t overlooked it the last time she came out this way. Dani scanned the ground around it for anything else, then removed her glove and carefully pried the yarn from the grip of the thorns and slid it in her pocket. Her mind wandered back to that flash of light she’d thought she’d seen early this morning. But would the person who left the snake on her door escape through the woods? Escape to where?
She turned once again and looked into the trees. As far as she could tell, there was nowhere to go. Unless they knew something she didn’t. Still, with darkness falling fast, now was not the time to explore the woods facing her house. Strolling slowly back to the house, Dani called for Bandit periodically but couldn’t even hear him crashing through the underbrush anymore. Wearily, she settled into the porch swing, pulling her coat up around her neck to stave off the wind.
She had no idea how long she sat there, but it was dark enough for approaching headlights to signal what she hoped was Noah’s return. Lights flickered through the trees as he turned into his driveway and she watched expectantly for him to emerge from the canopy over the well-worn path between the houses. Despite their difficulties, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of his form, draped in a black denim coat that nearly reached the ground and the mane of dark hair blowing in the wind. His head was downcast, intent on the ground at his feet. His hands were firmly tucked in his pockets.
He didn’t look up until he’d nearly reached the porch steps. “What are you doing out here?”
“Bandit ran off,” she explained. As if on cue, a bark floated across the road, followed closely by the sound of Bandit racing through the leaves.
Noah glanced over his shoulder. “The prodigal returns.”
“Bandit! You naughty dog!” Dani got up to greet him. Wagging his whole body with his tail, Bandit bounded up the steps and danced around her feet.
“Put him inside and let’s go get some dinner,” Noah suggested.
Obviously, he wanted to talk on neutral ground. Dani opened the door to let Bandit inside, then remembered the gun in her pocket. “Just a sec,” she told Noah who stayed on the porch. She went into the dining room and traded the gun for her purse, then met him back out on the porch.
Noah accepted the keys she handed to him after she locked the door and they made their way to the car.
Chapter Fifteen
“Feel like a steak?” he asked once they were in the car. The Taurus seemed so roomy when she was alone was now filled with his presence. His head nearly brushed the roof and his coat spread over the console that separated the seats.
“Sure,” she agreed, looking at him closely. His eyes were guarded and his face looked tired. Suddenly, she felt like a selfish brat. He was only trying to look out for her and she had to throw a tantrum and drive off by herself just to show him who was in charge.
“Noah,” she put a gloved hand on his arm, “I’m sorry I went to school without you this morning and I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain.”
The tiny grin he offered in return didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s not easy, is it?”
Dani followed his lead and kept quiet until they were seated in the restaurant. Once the waitress took their orders, Dani sucked up what bravado she had left and asked, “So, what’s the verdict, doc? Am I worth saving?”
He studied her face for a moment, then a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You can be a pain, you know that?”
She smiled. “Yeah. But it’s not like I’ve got a monopoly on that trait, you know.”
His grin turned sheepish and he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Point taken. So what do you want to do about it?”
That sobered her up. “Why don’t you tell me?”
He waited a long time before he answered. “I’m in a really awkward position, here.”
Dani didn’t like the way that sounded. “Why?”
Frustration was evident on his face as he groped for the right words. “It’s hard to explain. As a cop, I know exactly what I should do. As a man,” he acted like he was at a loss for the correct term, “I let my heart rule my head sometimes.”
“What were you going to say?”
“What do you mean?”
“As a what?”
“Man will do nicely, thanks.”
“Friend? Lover?” she teased, enjoying his discomfort just a little.
He grinned, reluctantly, then turned the tables on her. “Exactly what would you call me? What do you want from me, Dani?”
Suddenly, she was inordinately interested in her salad.
“Well?” he waited.
How could she answer him when she couldn’t even answer the question for herself?
“And there, my dear, is the root of the problem,” he said softly. “I thought you were a woman who knew what she wanted.”
So did I, she thought. “What do you want?” she asked.
“You mean besides wanting this all to be over?” He watched her steadily, tracing a pattern in the condensation on his glass.
She chuckled. “Yeah.”
“Are you ready to lay all the cards on the tabl
e?” He took her silence for consent. “You probably have no idea what it means, but my relationship with you was personal long before it was professional. Had it been the other way around, personal would never have entered into it.”
“So, you’re saying if you’d met me giving me a ticket or something we’d have never gone out?” Somehow, she found that hard to believe. The connection she’d felt with him was immediate and she didn’t think his line of work would have altered it in any way. After all, he’d looked like some kind of criminal with that big gun strapped to his leg and she’d gone out with him anyway, hadn’t she?
“Well, I don’t like to say ‘never’ but that certainly would have been the plan,” he said.
“I don’t see what difference it makes,” she shrugged, pushing her salad plate away.
“It makes a difference because I care too much what happens to you.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffed. “Are you saying you don’t care what happens to other people when you work on their cases?”
“No,” he raised his hands, “I’m saying I don’t care to the point that it keeps me from being objective. With you, I get to a point where what you want and what you think clouds my judgment about what’s best in the situation.”
Dani rolled her eyes. “So what do you do? Stop seeing me?” Maybe it would hurt less if she said it first.
“That’s kind of impossible since I live next door and someone’s stalking you, isn’t it?”
“The police would assign someone else, wouldn’t they?” she countered.
That struck a chord and his nostrils flared while the muscle in his jaw clenched. “Is that what you want?”
“I didn’t say that,” she snapped, frustrated. “I just don’t know why you can’t do both. If we were dating and you weren’t a cop, wouldn’t you still look out for me?”
“Of course I would. But the lines have to be drawn somewhere. I need to know what you want so I can know where those lines are. One minute you’re totally dependent and the next you act like I’m intruding on your personal life. What am I supposed to do?”