by Sharon Dunn
“FBI Agent Trevor Lewis. I rode in with Captain McNeal and saw that you were in trouble.”
He sounded legit. She didn’t have a lot of choices and would have to check his I.D. later.
“Okay. I’ll go down the ladder first,” she said.
Agent Lewis held up his own gun. “I’ll make sure this guy doesn’t try to get off the roof by way of that other ladder.”
She descended the ladder and waited while the suspect followed her. When his feet hit the ground, she pointed her gun at him. “Turn around, on the ground facedown, sir.”
A look of hostility compressed his features, his lips curled. “I don’t wanna go to jail. I’m innocent.” The suspect stepped toward her with his hands out to grab her.
She adjusted her grip on the gun. “I said facedown on the ground, now.”
“Do what the lady says,” came the strong bass voice from the roof.
The perp tilted his head, grimaced and dropped to the ground.
Valerie pulled the cuffs from her belt. “You’re innocent? Like everyone decides to shingle their roof at ten o’clock at night.” She was still mad at herself for having climbed up the ladder. She’d broken a cardinal rule of training by putting herself in a vulnerable place.
Agent Lewis climbed to the bottom of the ladder. “At last, we meet.” As Valerie stood up from cuffing the suspect, he held out his hand to her.
Why would an FBI agent want to greet her? Along the street, another black and white came to a stop, the additional backup dispatch had sent.
The screams of a man and a distant growl alerted Valerie to Lexi’s progress with the other suspect. “Gotta go. Can you watch him until that officer over there can take him into custody?”
No time to wait around for Agent Trevor Lewis to explain why he was with McNeal. She raced out of the yard, pushing through the gate, following the sounds of the shrieking man. She wasn’t worried about the suspect’s safety; Lexi was trained to hold her suspect without biting. She just didn’t want the man to claim police brutality because the dog had her teeth on the man for an excessive time.
She found the man in a grove of trees behind a house facedown with Lexi gripping his forearm in her teeth.
The man screamed in falsetto. “He’s killing me. I don’t want to die. Don’t let that dog bite me.”
“For your information, the dog is a she.” Valerie clicked the dog into her leash. “Lex, off.”
The dog complied but continued to lurch toward the suspect and bark. No one did their job with as much enthusiasm as Lexi. This dog loved to work.
A male officer came up behind Valerie. “That guy over there thought maybe you could use another set of handcuffs.”
Valerie looked over at the man who had saved her life on the roof. Guess it was time to find out who Agent Trevor Lewis was and what he was doing showing up to help her on patrol.
* * *
Trevor watched the pretty redhead walk toward him. Maybe it was the green eyes bright in the evening lamplight, but there was something open and trusting in her expression as she drew close to him.
For the second time, he held out his hand. “Officer Salgado? Valerie Salgado?”
Still breathless from her pursuit, Valerie nodded and held out a hand. Her fingers were softer than silk, but her grip was strong and confident.
“Two suspects in custody, huh? Quite a night.” Her decision to go up the ladder had seemed a little foolhardy, but she had handled herself well in every other way.
“I couldn’t have done it without my partner.” She kneeled, wrapping her arms about the thick-necked Rottweiler. “That’s my girl.” The dog’s bobbed tail vibrated.
Valerie’s shoulder mic made a glitchy noise. She pushed the receive button. “McNeal has the third suspect in custody. He’s on his way over to talk to you as soon as he puts Chief back in the squad car.”
“Copy. I’m standing on the six hundred block of Kramer Avenue. Agent Lewis is with me.” Valerie commanded her dog to sit and turned toward Trevor. “So why did McNeal bring you out to meet me?”
Trevor stared down at the dog, who watched him with a wary eye. The dog was very protective of Valerie. “I just drove in from the San Antonio FBI office. I’m here to apprehend a fugitive...a Derek Murke.”
Valerie shook her head. “The name’s not ringing any bells for me.”
The hope that this would be an easy capture faded. After two years of Murke popping up on the radar and then disappearing, why had he thought he could just breeze into town and Officer Salgado would know right where Murke was? “Captain McNeal thought you might have heard something. Murke spent his teen years here and has come back several times for extended stays. Since the fugitive used to live in some of the neighborhoods you patrol, the captain figured I could get your assistance in finding him.”
“I’ll help you as much as I can, but I can’t neglect my regular patrol duties. What’s he wanted for?”
“A few years ago, he robbed a bank in Phoenix.” He’d spare her the longer version of the story, fearing he wouldn’t be able to keep the emotion out of his voice.
Derek Murke wasn’t just any fugitive. He was the fugitive who had shot rookie agent Cory Smith. Trevor had been Cory’s training agent for his first field assignment. Cory Smith had been a little too eager to prove himself when he’d been a part of the apprehension team that had cornered Murke in a rental house. The kid hadn’t waited for backup to be in place before entering the house. When Cory didn’t assess his surroundings from all angles, Derek had seized the opportunity and shot him. Trevor would always wonder if he had given Cory too much responsibility too soon.
The sooner he had Murke in custody, the sooner he would feel like Cory’s death hadn’t been for nothing.
“I see introductions have already been made.” He recognized Slade McNeal’s voice behind him.
“Slade and I have done some joint drug task force work together,” Trevor explained to Valerie.
McNeal placed his hands on his hips and looked at Valerie. “I thought maybe you could work with Agent Lewis to stir up some leads. He could tag along with you on your patrol, see if you can get any information for him. And in return, you get a little extra protection while you’re on duty.”
A shadow fell across Valerie’s face. “I suppose I could use that.”
McNeal excused himself to go talk to the officer hauling away one of the suspects.
Trevor watched him cross the street and then turned back to Valerie. “McNeal explained to me about the death threats against you.” News about the crime syndicate Sagebrush was battling had reached other parts of the state. Now as he watched the tall redhead’s demeanor change from confident to fearful, all the news stories and police reports seemed a lot more personal. “I’m glad to help out.”
The black and white disappeared around the corner. McNeal walked back toward them.
“I’m on the morning shift tomorrow.” She still seemed guarded. “I assume you have some sort of file on this guy Murke? Maybe there is something in there that will give me an idea of where to look for him.”
She wasn’t exactly warming to the idea of an FBI agent tagging along. “I won’t waste your on-duty time if I don’t have to. I can bring it by before you go on shift. If nothing in the file helps, maybe McNeal has some other ideas.”
“That would be fine.” Valerie wrote down her home address. As she was handing him the card, her gaze shifted from his face to over his shoulder. Her eyes grew wide as a look of apprehension clouded her features.
Trevor turned, following the line of her gaze. Across the street, a black car with tinted windows slowed to a crawl before speeding up and disappearing around a corner. Alerting on something, Lexi rose from her haunches.
He turned back toward Valerie. Her lips were drawn into a hard, straight line. Something about that black car had upset her.
“Is everything okay?”
She took a step back, shaking her head. “It’s...it’s nothing
.” She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, but her effort at bravado fell short. He could see the fear in her eyes.
Valerie Salgado was living with a death threat hanging over her head. Maybe the car had just slowed down to look for an address, but it had bothered her. Anger flooded through him over the syndicate’s stronghold on her life.
If they did end up working together, she wasn’t going to die on his watch.
TWO
Valerie peered out the front window of her house. In the early-morning light, she could make out the outline of the police car parked outside. She drew her eighteen-month-old niece, Bethany, closer.
Would she ever get used to that sight? Would there ever be a time when her life wasn’t shrouded in danger?
Knowing that the car with the dark windows had been following her last night drove the point home. The syndicate wasn’t going to go away. They were just waiting for the right moment to get at her. Sagebrush police knew that one of the middle managers was a woman. That woman, whose street name was Serpent, was most likely the woman Valerie had seen. The Serpent had no way of knowing Valerie couldn’t identify her yet. She probably thought it was just a matter of time before she was picked up.
A chill skittered over Valerie’s skin when she thought of the woman’s eyes meeting hers on the street. Seemingly yellow in the lamplight, they bore right through Valerie. The memory still invaded her thoughts and sent a current of fear through her.
Bethany shifted in Valerie’s arms. She jerked her head back and blinked several times. She was all blue eyes and soft downy hair, just like her mother. Kathleen’s funeral had been more than a month ago, but it still felt so raw. While the cancer had slowly drained the vitality out of Valerie’s older sister, it had given her time to express that she wanted Valerie to take care of Bethany. The child’s father had never been in the picture and had signed away rights even before Bethany was born. Though she felt ill equipped for the job, Valerie intended to keep her promise to her beloved sister.
Valerie held Bethany close, absorbing her softness and that sweet baby smell. Over the months, Valerie had slowly been taking over mothering duties as Kathleen grew weaker. But since Kathleen’s death, Bethany had not slept through the night. Though the little girl couldn’t articulate it, Valerie knew she was mourning.
Even now, Bethany clung to the stuffed pink rabbit Kathleen had given her. She hardly ever let go of the toy. Valerie swayed back and forth. “I know, you miss your mama.” A lump formed in her throat. “I miss her, too.”
Bethany melted against Valerie. After a few minutes, the little girl relaxed and her breathing steadied, asleep at last. Valerie padded on stocking feet toward the stairs that led to the bedroom, careful not to jostle the sleeping baby. She glanced at the living room clock.
She stopped so suddenly that Bethany wiggled in her arms. Where had the time gone? She should have been ready for work by now. The sitter would be here any minute. It was easy enough to lose track of time when you got up four or five times in the night to deal with a fussy toddler.
A knock came at her door, loud and intense. Lexi sauntered out of her crate positioned by the sliding glass door. She raised her head and looked toward Valerie, expecting instructions.
Valerie turned toward the door. “Who is it?”
“Trevor Lewis.”
And she was still in her bathrobe. What had she been thinking when she had agreed to him swinging by before work? Now that she had Bethany, it took her twice as long to get ready in the morning. Valerie gave the Rottweiler a reassuring look. “Go back to sleep, Lexi. It’s okay.”
“Just a second.” After placing Bethany in her playpen, Valerie took a breath to calm her nerves. She hoped she hadn’t seemed too standoffish to Agent Lewis last night. McNeal had been looking out for her when he suggested she work with Trevor, and maybe she’d be able to help him. She probably needed the extra protection, but the partnership was a bitter reminder of how hard the syndicate was making it for her to do her job.
She swung open the door. Trevor looked fresh in a crisp, French blue button-down shirt. His dark curly hair was clipped close to his head and his brown eyes had an intensity she hadn’t noticed last night.
His gaze fell to her bathrobe, and heat rushed up her face. “My little one has me running behind schedule.” She turned slightly away from the door so Trevor had a view of Bethany shaking the sides of her playpen.
Barely acknowledging the child, Trevor lifted the computer tablet he had in his hand. “I’ve got Murke’s file.”
“Come in. I need just a minute to get ready,” she said.
Trevor glanced around the room. “Where’s the dog?”
“She’s resting in her crate.” Valerie sighed as she looked at the crate and then at the playpen not too far from it. Lexi had never shown any aggression toward Bethany, but the dog was keeping her distance. Though Lexi was protective of Valerie, it would be a shame if she didn’t bond with Bethany. The trainer at the K-9 facility had assured her that dogs were just like people—it took time for them to adjust to new situations.
“Take a seat, Mr. Lewis.”
“You can call me Trevor.”
Bethany babbled and held her hands up. Valerie gathered her into her arms and grabbed her bottle off the counter. When Valerie offered it to her, Bethany shook her head. She hadn’t eaten anything yet this morning. Valerie tried not to give in to worry. She bounced Bethany in her arms. “We don’t want you losing weight.”
She had fifteen minutes before her neighbor, Stella Witherspoon, came over to watch Bethany. Not enough time to get everything done. This motherhood thing was a juggling act and so far she had dropped all her balls.
She sat Bethany on the opposite side of the couch from Trevor. Valerie smoothed Bethany’s silky, soft hair and then handed Trevor the bottle. “If Bethany starts to fuss, see if she will take this.”
Trevor’s eyes grew wide with fear. “Give her the bottle?” His voice slipped up half an octave.
Valerie shook her head. “It would be a help.” You’d think she had asked him to split an atom.
Still flustered by all she had to get done in a short amount of time, Valerie went up the stairs to where her uniform was laid out.
* * *
Trevor Lewis shifted uneasily on the couch. The little girl stuck two fingers in her mouth and watched him. With her free hand, she held on to a stuffed pink bunny that had seen better days. One of its ears dangled by a thread. He didn’t know that much about kids, but she looked at him like he was a pinned insect.
“Is your name Bethany?”
She continued to stare and suck her fingers. Did kids this little talk?
Valerie seemed distracted. Did she even want to work with him? He stared down at the tablet where he had opened Derek Murke’s file. Trying to catch a fugitive without the cooperation of the local police department never went well. She was the most likely candidate to help him. McNeal had mentioned that Salgado was a rookie...just like Cory Smith had been. Icy pain stabbed at Trevor’s heart. Could he keep this rookie safe?
Trevor let out a heavy breath and looked at Bethany. And she had a kid.
He held up the bottle to Bethany. “You want this?”
Bethany popped her fingers out of her mouth. She pointed at something across the room and said, “Gaga.”
He had no idea what she was talking about. Being around babies made him feel awkward. They seemed so fragile. As if they would shatter like glass if you didn’t hold them right. Bethany flipped around to her belly and slid off the couch. She tottered over to him, blue eyes still assessing him.
Her hand rested on his leg with a touch that was barely heavier than air. He held the bottle toward her while she was still standing and fed her as though she were a newborn lamb. She looked up at him with eyes that were filled with trust. He felt a fluttering in his heart. How unexpected that this delicate child was okay with him feeding her.
When he glanced around the room, Valerie sto
od at the base of the stairs watching them. Without the utility belt, the uniform accentuated her curves. Her red hair had been pulled up into a ponytail, revealing the soft lines of her face and clear green eyes.
“You can hold her, you know.” There was a hint of amusement in her voice.
“We’re doing just fine,” Trevor muttered.
Bethany pulled away from him and tottered toward Valerie just as the doorbell rang. An older woman with white, fluffy hair that had a tint of blue to it stepped across the threshold when Valerie opened the door. Valerie introduced the babysitter as Stella Witherspoon.
“There’s my little Bethie.” Mrs. Witherspoon’s voice had a charming bell-like quality.
The little girl squealed with delight and kicked her legs while Valerie held her. “Thanks for coming, Stella.”
Bethany nestled against Valerie while she gave Stella instructions for the day. Valerie ran a finger down Bethany’s cheek and rubbed noses with her when the little girl tilted her head up. She seemed like a natural at being a mom. Where was the baby’s father in all this? He hadn’t noticed a wedding band on her finger.
After Valerie handed Bethany over, she turned toward Trevor. “Since I’m running late, I can look at the file on the way to the station.” She turned back toward the kitchen. “Lexi, come.”
The dog trotted out from her crate by the back door.
Valerie grabbed the leash and canine vest by the door and proceeded to put them on Lexi. She rose to her feet. “I hope you don’t mind. She goes everywhere with me while I’m on duty.”
Trevor nodded. “I understand.” He opened the door for her when she had clicked Lexi into her leash.
As they stepped out into the early morning, light shimmered across Valerie’s coppery hair. She stopped and stared at where the police car used to be.
“I sent him home since you’re with me,” Trevor said.