“She might have been visiting Michael and left before Harland saw her,” Chase responded.
“Could be.” One way or another, Gavin found it interesting that his coworker felt the need to defend a woman he’d dated over a decade ago. “If that pendant really is hers, we know she was there tonight. We need to find out why and when. We need to know if she saw anything, heard anything. The sooner the better.”
“Want me to question her?”
“I need you out here. I’ll send Brooke to her place.”
Somewhere behind them, a branch snapped, the sound discordant in the midnight silence.
Both dogs alerted, their ears twitching, their tails still and straight as they shifted their gazes to the deep woods they’d just come through.
Another branch snapped.
Glory growled.
She knew what she was hearing. Not the stealthy movement of a deer. Someone was in the woods, and whoever it was seemed to be between Gavin and All Our Kids.
That didn’t make him happy.
He gestured to Chase. “The suspect might be heading back to the foster home,” he mouthed.
Chase nodded. “What’s the plan?”
“Let’s separate. Try to hem him in.”
Chase nodded, taking two steps away and melting into the trees. There one minute. Gone the next.
Gavin issued a short quiet command, and Glory took off, moving through trees and foliage with unerring purpose. She had the scent. She was going to find the perpetrator, and the person who’d shot and killed Michael Jeffries was going to be made to pay for it.
*
Like Cassie, most of the children staying at All Our Kids didn’t trust the police. They’d come from a variety of homes, foster placements and difficult situations, but the one thing they all had in common was a deep-seated distrust of authority. In her three years working as housemother, that seemed to be the one and only overriding theme, the piece of baggage every single one of her kids brought into the home. She spent a lot of time working with the kids to help them overcome that, and each child spent time with counselors and therapists.
That was all well and good, but right at that moment, it didn’t matter. In the wee hours of the morning, with darkness pushing against the kitchen window and sleep still fogging their brains, there wasn’t one of the seven kids who wanted anything to do with Officer Anderson.
With Virginia upstairs trying to settle Juan back down, Cassie was having to deal with the attitudes, the silences and the tears on her own.
It probably would have been a good idea if a female officer had conducted the interview. Most of the kids responded better to female authority, but Officer Anderson hadn’t wanted to waste time bringing someone else in.
She’d warned him, told him it wouldn’t be a waste of time if it helped open the mouths of her charges.
He’d insisted on doing things his way.
And, now they were all in the kitchen, the sharp scent of gasoline seeping in from under the back door.
The dead-eyed guy had been trying to burn the house down.
The smell was a constant reminder and a distraction. One Cassie didn’t want or need. The Hazmat team would be there eventually. For now, she had to fight to keep from gagging every time she inhaled. She eyed the kids, all of them seated at the oversize table, their eyes sharp, their faces set in an array of scowls. They looked like a mutiny getting ready to happen.
“Your silence doesn’t change anything. Someone,” Officer Anderson said, his voice just a little too loud, “was outside of the house tonight. That person needs to own up to it.” He speared each kid with a look meant to melt their defiance.
None of them even blinked.
“Confess to it,” he continued. “Before you find yourself in more trouble.”
“You’re not in trouble,” Cassie broke in, knowing full well that threatening the kids wasn’t going to help. “You won’t be in trouble if you admit you were outside.”
Nothing.
Not a peep from anyone.
There was strength in numbers, the silence of one bolstering the silence of the others. They should have talked to each child individually, but Officer Anderson had wanted to save time. Another mistake on his part. The guy seemed kind enough, but he hadn’t wanted to listen to anything Cassie had to say.
Typical, her childish self whispered. The piece of her that was still the young kid being yanked from her bed every other night, police streaming into her room and demanding that she get up, wanted to tell Officer Anderson that they were done playing twenty questions.
The more mature part, the part that wanted to keep her kids alive, the part that wanted to stay alive with them, knew she needed to keep her mouth shut and let him do his job.
“Right. Sorry. I shouldn’t have said trouble. No one is in trouble,” Officer Anderson agreed, his gaze jumping from one child to another. “I just need to know where you were, what you saw.”
“Destiny?” Cassie prodded. She doubted the young girl would have wandered to the congressman’s house, but the kid seemed to know everything about everyone in the house. If someone else had left, she’d probably know it.
“What?” Destiny asked, studying her nails like they were way more interesting than Cassie or Officer Anderson.
“Did you hear anyone leave the house tonight?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“I was sleeping like a baby until you started screaming, and truth be told, I want to be sleeping again.”
“How about everyone else?” Officer Anderson’s asked. Maybe he thought he could read guilt or fear on their faces.
They just kept staring at him like he had two heads.
“Look.” He raked a hand over his hair, paced to the sink and turned to face the kids again. “A blue mitten was found over near the congressman’s house. One of you dropped it. You might as well ’fess up.”
“I have blue mittens,” David piped up. “But I wasn’t wearing them tonight. They’re in my coat pocket.”
“Where’s your coat?” Officer Anderson asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Son, you don’t just misplace a coat. Obviously, you wore it recently. How about you think about it a little more carefully?”
David shrank back, sliding down so low in his chair, Cassie thought he might slip right under the table.
“It should be in the closet,” Cassie offered. “How about you go look for it?”
David scrambled out of the chair and ran from the room. It would only take him a couple of seconds to reach the coat closet. He’d probably take longer. If he came back at all.
“These kids leave the house at night very often?” Officer Anderson asked.
More than she wanted. She’d thought about putting an alarm system in, but too many of the kids had been in homes where there were bars on the windows, security systems, guard dogs. “Occasionally.”
“You ever think of putting in a security system?”
“I’ve thought about it.”
“You might want to think on it some more. This neighborhood is safe, but that doesn’t mean young kids can’t get into trouble.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but she wasn’t sure she was successful. She’d spent the past three years proving that she could do her job and do it well. Harland had always believed in her, but there were plenty of other people who’d doubted. There were plenty of people who still doubted. Based on Officer Anderson’s comment, she’d say he was one of them.
“You want some help with it, I can give you a hand. I have a friend in the security business. He’ll put it in for free. Just cost a weekly fee for the security monitoring.”
His offer stole away some of her frustration. He might be going about things in the wrong way, but his heart was in the right place. That was what counted. That was one of the things Ms. Alice had taught her. To look at the heart, to judge according to motive rather th
an outcome. Everyone messes up, she’d always say when Cassie found herself in trouble again. But, if the heart is right, mistakes can be fixed.
She took a deep breath, tried to smile. “I appreciate that, Officer Anderson. Once Harland recovers, I’ll ask what he thinks. I usually run things by him before I make any changes to the house.”
“The way I hear it, the congressman is doing well, but he might not be out the hospital for a couple of days. I’m not sure you want to wait that long.”
“I—”
“Cassie.” David appeared in the kitchen doorway. “My coat isn’t in the closet.”
“You’re sure?” She’d hung it there after their trip to the doctor’s office. She was certain of it. With eight kids to take care of, she couldn’t afford to waste time searching for things like coats or shoes.
“I looked about sixteen times,” he responded.
She wasn’t sure he’d looked that many, but he was young and it was easy to miss things. “Destiny, would you mind—”
She never finished.
The window exploded, glass flying across the kitchen, kids screaming. Officer Anderson dropped to the ground, blood spurting from his shoulder or his chest. Cassie didn’t know which, didn’t have time to think about it. She yelled for the kids to run, then darted forward to grab Officer Anderson by the arms. Another shot, this one whizzing past Cassie’s head.
She dragged Officer Anderson out of the kitchen and into the hall, the kids’ screams ringing in her ears.
“Everyone up the stairs,” she shouted, her heart thundering as she dragged Officer Anderson further away from the kitchen.
He groaned but didn’t open his eyes.
Something slammed into the back door.
Once. Twice. Again.
Please, God, let the kids be hiding. Please keep them safe.
“I called the police. They’re on the way!” Virginia pressed in beside her, grabbing at Officer Anderson, frantic sobs coming from her throat as she helped drag him back.
The banging continued, the sound reverberating through the house. They made it to the stairs before the back door crashed open with so much force the entire house seemed to shake. Or maybe it was Cassie who was shaking, fear stealing her breath and making her heart skip frantically. She met Virginia’s eyes.
“Go get the kids. Hide them until the police arrive,” Cassie whispered as she pressed the hem of her sweater to a wound in Officer Anderson’s right shoulder. His eyes were still closed, his body slack.
“I can’t leave you here,” Virginia cried, tears streaming down her face.
“You can’t stay!” Cassie hissed. “Someone has got to protect the kids.”
“But—”
“Go!” she mouthed.
Virginia took off running, up the stairs, out of sight.
And it was just Cassie and Officer Anderson.
And whoever had broken through the back door.
FOUR
Gavin crept around the side of the house, Glory moving silently beside him. Chase was close. Maybe a quarter mile back in the woods, running toward the house and the gunshots they’d heard. There wasn’t time to wait for him.
The back door of the house had been kicked in and hung listlessly from the top hinge. He motioned for Glory to heel, then eased into the room. Glass on the floor near the sink. Pool of blood nearby. More blood in a swath that led from the sink into the hallway. His jacket lying near the table.
Glory stood facing the hall, her scruff standing on end, every muscle in her body taut. She didn’t make a sound, though, and Gavin listened. No movement in the hallway. No sounds from upstairs.
Gavin unhooked Glory’s lead and gave her the hand signal. She took off, nearly flying through the open doorway and into the hallway. Gavin followed, gun drawn, adrenaline pumping. A man stood near the front door. Tall. Broad. Strong. Those were Gavin’s first impressions. A dark ski mask covered the guy’s face, and he glared out from it, eyes icy blue as he held Cassie with one arm locked around her arms and chest, a handgun pressed to the underside of her chin. A few feet away, Paul lay on the ground, blood spreading in a crimson stain under his back. If he lost much more, he’d die.
“You come any closer, cop,” the perp said, “and I’ll kill her.” He jabbed the gun against Cassie’s jaw to emphasize the point. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t panic. There were no tears, no wide-eyed pleas for help. In all the years he’d worked as a DC cop and all the years he’d been part of the Capitol K-9 team, Gavin had never seen her kind of calmness in a civilian.
“Put the gun down,” Gavin responded, not moving closer, but not stepping back. He’d had training with hostage negotiation teams. Not enough to be an expert, but enough to know that he needed to make himself as unthreatening as possible.
“I don’t think so,” the man snarled, jabbing Cassie with the gun again. “Call off your attack dog.”
Glory wasn’t on the attack.
If she had been, the gun would have already been out of his hand. Gavin could have signaled for Glory to take the guy down, but the gun was too close to Cassie, the risk was too high.
“Let the woman go,” he said instead. “Walk out the door. Leave now before things get worse for you.”
“I’m not the one who needs to worry about things getting worse,” the guy mocked. He was confident, and that was going to play in Gavin’s favor. He’d make a mistake. Overestimated his chance at success. Gavin was ready to take advantage of that. Glory was ready, too, a constant low-level growl emanating from deep in her throat.
“You wait much longer to leave, and you’ll be trapped. I’ve got backup coming.”
The guy shrugged, but he was edging closer to the door, his gaze on Glory. “They’re not going to do any more than you are. No cop wants a civilian killed.” He jabbed Cassie again.
She didn’t flinch.
Didn’t meet Gavin’s eyes.
Was she in shock?
“And no criminal wants to die. You kill her, and that’s what’s going to happen.”
“Right,” the guy said, but the words had gotten to him. Gavin could tell by his tension, the quick darting of his gaze from Glory to the hallway beyond.
“Just let her go and—”
“Shut up and let me think! I’m the one in charge!” the man shouted. “I have her life in my hands, and you’re too much of an idiot to know it!”
Glory snarled, the sound low and deep and meant to intimidate.
“Call off your dog! You don’t, and the woman gets it first, then the mutt.”
“Cease!” Gavin commanded, not because he was afraid of the threat. Glory could take the guy down in seconds. He was afraid of how much damage could be done to Cassie in those heartbeats of time it took his partner to lunge.
Glory settled onto her haunches, her dark gaze glued to the perp. She was ready. Gavin was ready.
Was Cassie?
He met her eyes. Not even a hint of terror in her dark green gaze.
“That’s better,” the perp muttered. “That’s what I like to see. Now, you just stay here, and I’ll take our friend for a little walk. I get a little away from you and that dog, and I’ll let her go. Simple and easy. Everyone will be safe. Everyone will be fine.”
Except for Anderson who groaned quietly, his skin ashen.
The perp shifted, the gun pressed so deeply into Cassie’s flesh, her skin bulged around the barrel. “Open the door!” he commanded.
Cassie reached for the knob, eased the door open. A screen door lay beyond, still closed, the black night pulsing behind it. There were officers out there, moving in. Gavin was certain of it. If the perp suspected anything, he didn’t show it.
He kicked the storm door. “This one, too! Quick!”
Cassie moved, something in her face, something in the complete and utter stillness of her expression warning Gavin that she had no intention of walking outside.
“Cass—” he started to say, but she was already dropping, her weight breaking
the perp’s hold. The gun went off, the bullet barely missing her head as she fell to the floor.
“Protect!” Gavin commanded, and Glory leaped forward, teeth bared as she crashed into the perp. He fell against the storm door, and it flew open, the gun dropping from his hand and clattering onto the porch.
Glory snarled, teeth sinking into the guy’s arm.
The guy let out a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush, his feet kicking at the shepherd as he tried to yank his arm out of the dog’s mouth.
“The more you struggle, the harder she’s going to bite,” Gavin said.
“Then maybe I’ll just have to make sure she can’t bite anymore,” the perp growled, pulling something from his pocket and jabbing it into Glory’s side.
She collapsed, and Gavin’s heart nearly stopped. Glory wasn’t just a dog. She was family. He wanted to run to her, but protocol dictated he take down the perp before he helped his injured partner.
Gavin aimed his gun.
“Freeze!” he shouted, issuing the warning because training demanded it.
The perp yanked something from his jacket pocket tossed it onto the floor. There was a flash of light, the harsh scent of smoke. Flames licked at floor and the door frame, and Gavin fired a shot, knew he’d missed his mark.
The flames ate at the hardwood, and he stomped them out, Cassie right beside him, her breathing frantic and uneven.
It only took seconds to put out the small fire, seconds to run out onto the porch. The perp had disappeared around the side of the house or into the tree line. Gavin flashed his light into the shadows, searching for movement, some clue as to which direction the perp had gone.
“Gavin!” Chase called as he sprinted around the corner of the house, Valor loping beside him. “I heard another gunshot. Everyone okay?”
“Glory’s down. One DC officer down. Call for an ambulance and the vet,” he responded as he flashed his light into the darkness, praying that he’d catch a glimpse of the intruder.
Nothing. Not even a whisper of movement in the trees. The guy was close, though. He had to be. Gavin took off across the yard, running toward the trees, his gut telling him that the perp had headed there.
Sirens screamed and two police cruisers raced into view. Both DC police. One of them a K-9 unit. Good. They needed more officers and dogs on the ground. And Gavin needed Glory. They were a team. Tracking a suspect without her felt odd and a little disorienting. He’d do it, though. He’d put everything, every fear for his partner, every worry aside to get the job done.
Love Inspired Suspense March 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: Protection DetailHidden AgendaBroken Silence Page 4