by Honor Bound
Then in the very early morning hours on Friday the sound of a police siren woke her from the first deep sleep she’d gotten in a week. For a minute she thought the noise was an extension of a dream before figuring out that the commotion was all too real.
As Kelly threw back the comforter, her pulse sped into overdrive. She stumbled to her office at the front of the house and looked out. A police cruiser sat diagonally across the road with its lights flashing.
Goose bumps rose on her arms.
She dressed hastily and returned to her vantage point as a second cruiser arrived, just seconds ahead of Ben’s Jeep. Opening the window, she heard him issuing orders as he strode toward the house, his gun drawn.
“Kelly, are you there?” he shouted.
“I’m here,” she called down, her voice shaking. “What’s going on?”
“We’re figuring that out. Let me in. I want to search the house.”
Search it?
All at once Kelly realized that someone could be inside the house with her…with the police outside. She gulped.
“I’ll be right down.” Yet it was harder than she could have imagined to descend the staircase, not knowing what might be waiting for her. She fumbled with the locks, then finally managed the simple task and opened the door.
Ben promptly thrust her behind him.
“Get in the Jeep. Do not follow me,” he ordered. Kelly hesitated.
“Damn it,” he cursed. “I have a gun. You don’t. You’re just in my way.”
It would have been insulting if she hadn’t been so terrified, Kelly thought as she ran for the Jeep in her bare feet. The motor was running and she turned up the heat. She shivered despite the blast of warm air, watching the police direct her neighbors back to their houses. Another patrol car drove up, followed by Henry’s Chevy Blazer.
The flashing lights made his white hair seem to glow and for a second Kelly wanted to be a child again…to know that everything would work out because Henry was there.
No.
A different kind of panic hit her, fueled by the adrenaline already charging through her veins. She didn’t want to need anyone. Everybody kept telling her to find someone, saying it was what Mitch would have wanted, but it was too difficult, always starting over, losing the people she loved. Ben, her mother, Mitch… The aching void that came with loss was too hard. Ben hadn’t died, but he’d left, killing her youthful dreams and hopes. She couldn’t go through it another time.
“Kelly, honey, look at me.”
Swallowing, Kelly looked at Henry and her panic subsided.
It’s all right.
A moment of weakness didn’t mean she couldn’t cope. It didn’t even mean she couldn’t have friends she cared about as long as she knew to depend on herself.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
“One of the patrolmen was up the road when he spotted someone hiding on your property. The officer gave chase, but lost him two streets over. They’re combing the area.”
“It’s not surprising he got away with all the trees and brush we have on our properties,” she said, proud that her voice sounded almost normal. “How did you know something was going on?”
“Ben. He got a call from dispatch that they were chasing a prowler. He needed Gina to stay with Toby so he could get over here.”
“Oh, right. I didn’t think of that.”
“You had other things to worry about.”
Henry stirred restlessly and Kelly knew he was itching for action. However much he claimed he loved retirement, it hadn’t been easy giving up his role as Sand Point’s official protector. Especially when Frank Stone was appointed as the interim police chief in his place.
“I’m done searching,” Ben said as he walked across the yard. He was even more disheveled than the last time he’d raced over to check on her. “Everything seems fine. None of the doors or windows have been tampered with.”
“That’s a relief. Maybe we can still get some sleep.”
He gave her a sharp look. “Yeah, maybe. Uncle Henry, let’s talk.”
Kelly scowled and thrust her legs out of the Jeep. She wasn’t going to let them go all protective, macho male and start keeping things from her. “Hey. You can say whatever you have to say in front of me.”
Ben lifted an eyebrow. “It’s policeman talk. You’re not allowed.”
“Give me a break.”
“Kelly, your foot is bleeding,” Henry said, blocking her exit from the Jeep.
She glanced down and saw blood oozing from one of her toes, vaguely remembering stubbing it on the desk in her office. She hadn’t paid any attention, but now a twinge pulsed in the wounded digit.
“Hell.” Ben seemed more angry than concerned as he scooped her up and hauled her into the house. “You said you could take care of yourself.”
“Please. It’s just a stubbed toe. I do not need to be carried around.”
“You bled all over my Jeep.”
“You told me to get in the Jeep. No, that’s wrong, you ordered me to get in the Jeep. And none too politely, either.”
He snorted.
“And it’s only bleeding a little.”
“You got sand in it.”
Kelly stuck out her chin. “In the Jeep or in the cut?”
Growling beneath his breath, Ben deposited her on the edge of her bathtub. “Wash the damned thing off and see if you need stitches.”
“Stitches for a stubbed toe? Hardly. You just want to talk to Henry in private,” she accused his departing back.
Wincing, Kelly adjusted the tap water to warm and stuck her foot under the stream. Wearing pumps wouldn’t be possible for a week or so, but a Band-Aid was the only first aid necessary. She’d handled much worse when she was a kid, all by herself.
Yet she sighed.
Shanna had never been the kind of mother who’d tended the small scrapes and wounds of life; she’d said it was because she wanted Kelly to be strong and independent, but she’d also worked nights and simply couldn’t be that kind of mother.
Still, Kelly thought wistfully, it would have been nice if she’d fussed every once in a while.
BEN CROSSED THE YARD to where Henry waited. “Everything’s under control. I’ll post an officer outside the house for the rest of the night. Why don’t you go home?”
“After I check on Kelly. I’d rather have her stay at our place while we clear this up, but I’m sure she won’t agree.”
“It doesn’t make sense. I don’t get this stubborn, independent act of hers.”
“It’s not an act,” Henry said mildly.
Maybe, maybe not.
“Well, she’s obviously scared. Can’t you insist that she stay with you? She’ll go along if she doesn’t have a choice.”
His uncle shook his head. “You don’t understand. I don’t care how scared she is, the harder you push Kelly, the harder she’ll push back. She’s like her mom that way. A sideways approach works best.”
“Shanna would’ve accepted our protection in a heartbeat.”
“Is that so?” Henry gave him a quizzical smile. “You never saw her obstinate streak. Gina and I always said it was a mile high and twice as wide.”
If Ben hadn’t known better, he’d think his uncle had admired the woman. And even if what Henry said about Shanna and Kelly was true, Kelly wouldn’t necessarily react the same way with Ben. For one thing, she might feel she had something to prove to Henry and Gina. She wouldn’t with him. And for another, he was just as obstinate.
“Fine. Any ideas?”
“I don’t know. But a top priority is finding out why someone is stalking her. Remove the danger, remove the problem. Is there any evidence that this is connected to the murders or the mayor’s hate mail?”
“No, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence, not with Kelly’s novels thrown into the mix. Then again, I might be totally off base. It could be a Peeping Tom.”
“Oh, yeah, that makes me feel a lot better.”
Ben ignored Hen
ry’s sarcasm and left to consult with his officers. They’d conducted a thorough search of the area, but the trespasser seemed to have made a clean getaway.
“I’m sorry, Chief,” said Patrolman Getz. He appeared mad enough to chew steel bolts. “I don’t know what happened. One moment he was running ahead of me and tripped. I almost had him, but he got up and kept going, and then he was gone. A few minutes later I heard a car screaming away. I’m guessing that was him.”
“Are you sure the suspect was male?”
“Yes, sir. Size, shape, the way he ran. No doubt in my mind.”
“He must have planned his escape route in advance. How was he dressed?”
“Dark clothes and a hat. Nothing distinctive. I couldn’t see more than that—there wasn’t enough light. But it was odd. He ran into the street, stopped and looked at my cruiser, then took off again. I had the damnedest feeling he wanted me to see him.”
“Put that in your report. I want you to spend the rest of the night right here.” Ben pointed to Kelly’s driveway. “Move your cruiser once the rest of us leave, and keep a sharp eye out in case he’s bold or stupid enough to return. Fairmont and Lasko will contact you in the morning. I want them to question the neighbors and search again in daylight.”
“I want to help, Chief. We don’t put up with this kind of thing in Sand Point, and nobody takes off like that unless they’re up to no good.”
“Very well. You can stay when the detectives get here.”
“Thank you, Chief.”
Ben told the remaining officers to have their official reports on his desk within twenty-four hours, and sent them back out on patrol. He went inside and found Henry sitting with Kelly in the living room.
“How is your foot?”
“Fine.” She waved her toe in the air. It was red and swollen and a Band-Aid covered the tip. “How’s your Jeep?”
“Fine. You need motion sensor lights installed around the house. The little one by the side door is worthless.”
“I’ll get an electrician on Monday.”
“I can install them tomorrow after the hardware store opens,” Henry suggested. “Gina says I’m spending too much time on my duff and need to get more active.”
“Absolutely not. She wouldn’t let you get up on a ladder until that knee is fixed, and I won’t either.”
Ben remembered that his uncle needed surgery to correct damage from his accident. He was doing great, but he definitely shouldn’t get up on a ladder. “I’ll do it.”
Kelly crossed her arms over her stomach. “No. They’ll cancel my home owner’s insurance if you get electrocuted or break your neck. I’m hiring a certified electrician to do it right.”
Impressive. She’d both refused and insulted him. “I’m more than capable of installing a few lights without getting electrocuted. My parents’ handyman taught me how to repair practically anything.”
“My house, my rules.”
Henry sighed.
“Officer Getz is going to spend the rest of the night in front of the house,” Ben said, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “It’s SOP in situations like this, so please don’t get prickly about that, as well.”
She immediately got to her feet. “I’ll make him some coffee.”
“If he doesn’t already have a thermos of coffee in the cruiser, he’s fired,” Ben snapped tiredly.
“Then I’ll fix him a sandwich. I can’t let him sit there in the dark without doing something.”
“Don’t be absur—”
“That’s a nice gesture, Kelly,” Henry interrupted, glaring a warning at Ben to shut up. “I’ll take it out for you.”
Jeez.
Ben shut up, smart enough to recognize a losing battle. He had to admit that no matter what else she might be, Kelly was generous and hospitable. Hell, as angry as she’d been the other night, she’d given him tea. And as Aunt Gina had recently reminded him, Kelly had brought him doughnuts when they were dating, bought with money she’d earned at her summer job…money she must have needed. Yet with a typical teenage arrogance, he’d resented her job because it took her away when he wanted to have fun.
Perhaps there was a strange justice to the whole thing. Protecting her was his job now as the police chief, and she was going to resent it, too.
KELLY DIDN’T GO BACK to bed once Henry and Ben left. Instead she limped through the house, alternating between baking batches of cookies and cleaning furiously. She had to do something to keep her mind off unpleasant realities, especially since Henry had asked her to stay home for the day while they “evaluated” their next steps. That was precisely what she’d planned to do before the whole mess started, but now home was the last place she wanted to be.
Officer Getz came to the door at eight, thanking her for the food she’d sent out and saying that her neighbors had come around earlier. He’d told them what had happened and suggested she might be resting.
She was grateful she wouldn’t have to explain—reliving those moments of fear wasn’t her idea of fun. It was bad enough when Gina called to see how she was doing.
“I’m fine,” Kelly assured her, “but I’m sorry you were disturbed. Ben didn’t have to come himself. Henry, either.”
“They most certainly did,” Gina said staunchly. “I would have checked on you when they got back, but Henry wanted me to wait. He thought you should rest.”
“Did Toby sleep through it?” Kelly took the phone and looked out the front window to see if things had quieted down; the Sand Point detectives and uniformed officers had been searching the neighborhood and knocking on doors all morning. It made her wonder if something else had turned up.
“No. And he’s asking questions, so he knows something is wrong. I don’t suppose you got back to sleep yourself. Are you cleaning house or baking?”
“Both. You know me too well.” A wry grin tugged at Kelly’s lips. “It’s a coping mechanism.”
“It’s harmless. How’s your foot?”
“It stings is all. I’m going to be wearing open-toed shoes for a few days, but I’ll be okay for the Kite and Blackberry Festival.”
“And that’s the most important thing, right?” Gina teased.
“You bet. Good company, good food and a brass band parade. My kind of day.”
Gina agreed with a laugh.
Much later Kelly put the receiver on the charger. Talking to Gina had helped ease her restless tension, but she was still too edgy to sleep. Looking out again, she saw Ben’s Jeep parked across the street. He was nowhere in sight. After a few minutes he returned and spoke to Detective Lasko before driving away.
Wasn’t that the limit? She was the one supposedly being spied on, and Ben couldn’t even update her on the investigation.
By two o’clock the house was spotless, smelling of lemon oil and the cookies she’d baked for church. Frodo sat on a cushion by the window, his whiskers twitching with displeasure. He didn’t approve of her unceasing activity, or of having his night disrupted by sirens and visitors.
So far Kelly had avoided her office, but she couldn’t stay away forever; she had a deadline with her publisher. Stomach tight, she went upstairs and switched on the computer. Her novels might have no connection to the murders and the prowler, only nobody was sure, least of all Ben.
It was a private joke for Kelly to start a writing session by typing: “It was a dark and foggy night.” But since the fog was dropping and it really was going to be a dark night, perfect for someone to hide in, the joke didn’t seem so funny. Instead, Kelly skimmed through her latest chapter.
Her detective had just survived an attack from a person or persons unknown, and the woman he periodically hooked up with was missing. Their love-hate relationship aside, he felt responsible for involving her in the investigation. On the other hand, she was always threatening to move to Maui to get away from him and the Oregon rain, so it might be nothing at all.
Frodo jumped onto the desk and stretched out in his usual spot. Apparently she was forgiven for ups
etting him, cats having the opinion that they ruled the world unless something went wrong, and then it was your fault.
“Do you think Liam should report it to the police?” she asked absently, rubbing behind his ears.
“Rrrow.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
Her fingers flew over the keyboard. In many ways Liam O’Neal and his on again/off again girlfriend were as real to her as some people. She’d created complex histories for them, complete with insecurities and phobias and families that were fondly frustrating. The difference was, she could control their fates. They didn’t have to get hurt or die; they could live in her books until they were old and gray and still bickering about the best brand of tequila to buy.
Kelly wasn’t aware of time passing until she was startled by the doorbell. A long, demanding ring. She pushed back from the computer, the events of the past day flooding her mind.
The way things were going, it was probably the mayor, planning to yell at her for writing “smutty” novels. Kelly set her mouth mulishly. Her books weren’t smutty. It was mostly Phillip Stone who thought they were in questionable taste, and he hadn’t even bothered to read them.
She went down and peeked through the curtains. Ben was standing on the porch.
“What now?” she said, throwing the door open.
Ben frowned. “You should have asked who it was.”
“I checked first.”
“At least you’re being careful.” He brushed by her carrying a backpack.
“Do come in,” Kelly invited sarcastically. “But if I was being careful I would call Officer Getz and ask him to arrest you for impersonating a human being. He’d believe me after having you as his boss for the past several weeks.”
“I’m glad you’re back to normal.”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “That’s why you’re here? To check on my health? A phone call would have sufficed.”
“I’m here to discuss your security.”
“Oh. Well, I doubt anyone will come around after last night. They’ve probably been scared away for good with all the sirens and flashing lights and nearly getting caught.”
Ben lifted an eyebrow. “You sound calm.”
“As opposed to hysterical and irrational? When have you ever heard me that way?”