When Ryan’s cell phone rang, the sound startled her. She glanced over her shoulder at him in the alcove with Mick. His expression morphed into a frown. Not good news.
A minute later, he disconnected and joined her. “I have to go. Someone spotted a man hanging around a house. It could be one of the burglars.”
“I hope you’ll let me know what happens. I don’t care how late it is.”
His eyes widened. “Are you sure? It could be midnight or later.”
“Yes. I have a vivid imagination and probably won’t sleep well anyway. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. “It won’t.”
Then he and Mick walked away. She didn’t take her gaze off Ryan until he disappeared from view. There was heaviness in her chest, as though she wouldn’t see him again. Now she knew she wouldn’t get any sleep until she heard from him.
* * *
Ryan parked down the road and crept to the place where two of his officers, Deputies Simmons and Ferguson, waited.
“The Reynolds are out of town, but the neighbor on the left thought he saw a light on in their home office even though it hasn’t been on any other night the Reynolds have been gone.” Deputy Simmons pointed toward the north side of the large antebellum house.
“Where is Deputy Carter?”
“Keeping watch on the rear of the property with Deputy Washburn.”
“Has anyone found a getaway vehicle?”
“Nobody saw one in route.”
“Since the alarm didn’t go off, I’m assuming it’s been disabled like the other two.” For one of the four thefts, an intruder walked into a house with the alarm code, but so far they hadn’t figured out how the thief got the correct numbers. The third burglary was during the daytime, and the maid let in Johnston, who was now sitting in jail. He’d been wearing a disguise. When he was picked up, he still had the clothes on, but the wig, glasses, and mustache had been removed.
Ryan’s cell phone vibrated in his shirt pocket. He quickly answered it. “Did you get the information from the Reynolds?”
“Yes, Sheriff. Their code for the alarm system is 1059. There are three ways into the house—front, back, and garage doors. The windows are bolted and wired to the alarm system and shatterproof.”
“Thanks.” Ryan slipped his cell phone into his pants pocket. “How long since we received the call?”
“Thirty-five minutes,” Deputy Ferguson answered.
“We’ll give the intruder another ten minutes then go in if he hasn’t come out by then. Most of these robberies are pretty fast.” Ryan hated the waiting, but it was part of the job.
Deputy Simmons trained his binoculars on the house. “The Reynolds have some expensive pieces of art.”
“Yeah, Charles has a coin collection that cost a small fortune.” Ryan remembered seeing it one time.
Ten minutes later, Ryan gave the order to move in closer. When he tried the front door, it was unlocked. “Carter, the front is open,” he said over the radio to the deputy guarding the rear.
“The back one isn’t.”
“Stay put in case the burglar runs out that way. Have Washburn come around front.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Ryan entered the residence, the alarm beeped two times, letting the thief know that an outside door had been opened. He’d hoped to surprise the man. Now he doubted they would. He and Simmons went to the left to clear the rooms while the other two deputies went to the right. Each room Ryan approached, his senses heightened for any indication that something was off. Once, in a similar situation, he’d discovered a suspect hiding in a small cabinet. Somehow he’d squeezed himself into the cramped quarters.
While Simmons remained to cover the lighted hallway, Ryan made his way systemically from one room to the next, clearing them until he reached the office at the end with the door shut. Ryan’s heartbeat revved, pumping more adrenaline through him. He plastered himself against the wall then reached around and grasped the knob. He turned it, inhaled a calming breath, and with gun raised, stepped into the entrance. When he flipped the switch up, illumination brightened every corner of the large office.
Ryan assessed the room’s hiding places, wanting to clear those first. Cautiously he circled the office, checking behind the curtains, in a small space between a bookcase and the wall, and under a cutout middle section in the big mahogany desk. Sounds of a scuffle in another part of the house momentarily caught his attention. His first instinct was to charge out of the office and see what was going on, but he still needed to inspect the closet and behind the couch. Then he could leave, knowing the left wing on the first floor was cleared.
Every sense focused on any sound or movement in the room, he continued slowly, gun pointed toward the floor. He crept toward the sofa, swinging his gaze between it and the closed closet door six feet away.
Simmons appeared in the entrance. “We caught the thief with some of the artwork in the dining room.”
“Okay, call in another deputy to take him to the station. Then have them search the second floor.”
“But, Sheriff, in the other thefts, we thought it was done by one thief. It certainly was with Johnston.”
“We finish our job here.”
His deputy could be right, but Johnston had let slip there were others in the burglary ring. That meant two or more.
While Simmons left, Ryan returned his full attention to the area behind the couch. Suddenly the closet door burst open, and a man with a short, stocky build, like the lurker at the bed and breakfast, charged toward Ryan, plowed into him, and sent him flying back against a bookcase. His head struck against a shelf before he collapsed to the floor.
The blond-haired man stared at him a second then twirled around and raced toward the hallway. Ryan scrambled to his feet, but the room spun around, and he could only stagger forward.
He had to catch this intruder—find out if he was the one at the Calvert Cove B and B. He took two steps forward, sank to his knees, then toppled over.
Chapter Seven
Midnight and still Lacey hadn’t heard from Ryan. She paced the kitchen while her water boiled for tea. Every time she passed the window that afforded her a view of his house, she looked out for a moment, wishing she could see lights on inside or headlights from his SUV nearing his home. Nothing.
Deep down she knew something was wrong. Please, Lord. Let him be all right. Her tender new feelings toward Ryan ached with a desperate need to hear from him. Several times she took out her cell phone and punched in his number, but she stopped at completing the call. What if her call distracted him at an important time?
They were neighbors and friends. That was all. She could wait.
Then she would think about the dead man who hadn’t been identified yet. He died only a few miles from the bed and breakfast. What if his death was tied to the burglary ring?
The whistle of the water on the stove blasted the air at the same time her cell phone rang. She quickly hurried to the stove and took the pot off the burner while answering the call.
“Ryan, is everything okay?”
“Ma’am, this is Deputy Simmons. The sheriff asked me to call. He was taken to the Calvert Regional Medical Center.”
She sank against the counter, her eyes sliding closed. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He has a deep gash on the back of his head from an encounter with one of the thieves.”
“How bad?”
“The doc is running tests right now.”
“I’ll be right there.” She hung up before the deputy could tell her not to come. If nothing else, she needed to see for herself that he would be all right. Head injuries could be dangerous.
She quickly turned off the burner, hurried to her suite, and changed into jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt. Then she headed across the hall to do one of the hardest things she’d done in a while. She knocked on the Bells’ door until Richard answered. She was glad it was him, not Harriet. She coul
dn’t deal with any more drama.
“What’s happened?” Richard asked.
“Ryan’s been hurt, and I want to go to the hospital. Will you please watch Shaun?”
“What’s going on, Richard?” Harriet stepped up behind him.
When her husband quickly told her, Lacey prepared herself for a catty comment that she had no business leaving her son in the middle of the night to see about Ryan.
Instead, Harriet said, “Stay with Shaun. I’ll go with Lacey to the hospital. She shouldn’t go alone. My goodness, it’s way past midnight.”
Stunned, Lacey never thought that the woman would offer that. Surprisingly, Lacey welcomed the company on the ride. She knew where the medical center was, but in the dark, she might get turned around.
In the car, Lacey told Harriet what little she knew about Ryan’s condition.
Harriet tsked. “He needs to take it easy. He puts in long hours as our sheriff. Maybe this will make him get some well-deserved rest.”
“I hope you can persuade him. I’m glad you came.”
“You’re good for Ryan,” Harriet said after a few minutes of silence.
Lacey was speechless as she pulled into the parking lot next to the emergency entrance. Finally, after switching off the car, she asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Because I’ve seen him pause and spend time with you and Shaun. I’ve always thought he should be a father. He’s great with kids. Every May, he goes around to the elementary schools in the county to talk to the classes about safety and what they should do in certain situations, especially with summer vacation coming up. Some of my friends have raved about his demonstrations.”
Ryan would be a good father—especially for Shaun, who never really had a dad there for him. Was that why she was interested in her neighbor? He’d shared some of his past with her, but did she really know Ryan as an adult? With Jason she’d thought she knew him right from the beginning. She’d been wrong.
“I see Deputy Simmons leaving. Let’s catch him before he goes.” Harriet climbed from Lacey’s car.
Quickly, she followed Harriet, who caught the deputy near his patrol vehicle. “What’s the latest on Ryan?”
“A concussion. I’m going to the station to process the two thieves we caught tonight while the doc tries to convince Ryan to go home and rest for a few days. He wanted to keep him overnight, but Ryan said no. He keeps telling them he has a headache. That’s all.”
“Thanks, Deputy Simmons. We’ll take it from here.” Harriet charged toward the entrance.
The officer chuckled. “I almost feel sorry for the sheriff. Good thinking bringing her with you. ’Night.”
As the deputy slid into his patrol car, Lacey rushed after Harriet and caught sight of her making a beeline for one of the rooms nearby. Ryan must be in there. She went after Harriet as her manager barged inside a room, leaving the door wide open.
“Where’s Lacey?” Ryan asked when he saw Harriet.
“I’m right here.” Lacey entered, and the doctor left.
Standing on the far side of the bed, Harriet put her hands on her waist. “Deputy Simmons is very capable of handling the thieves. Lacey and I are here to take you to the bed and breakfast.”
Ryan’s eyebrows rose at Harriet’s no-nonsense tone.
Lacey suppressed a smile, and when Ryan swung his gaze to her, she added, “What she said so efficiently.”
“You brought back-up?”
“Yes. Richard is staying with Shaun, and it’s our job to see you get some rest—as the doctor has ordered.”
“Your job? I’m not a chore.” He cocked a grin and sat up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He started to stand, winced, and sank back down.
“Now do you see why Harriet and I are here? You aren’t walking out of the hospital. I’m going to bring my car to the door while someone gets you a wheelchair.”
“But one of my deputies brought my car here. I can—”
Lacey put her fingers against his lips. “You might as well accept our help.”
“Yes, Ryan,” Harriet said. “I can drive your car home.”
“Okay, ladies. I know when I’m cornered.”
Lacey glanced at Harriet. “I’ll go get my car.” Which was the easy job. Harriet would have to get Ryan into the wheelchair.
A few minutes later, a nurse and Harriet assisted Ryan into the front seat. He laid his head back against the seat rest, his eyes sliding closed. In the overhead dome light, an ashen cast paled his complexion and a tightening about his mouth when Harriet shut the door made Lacey even more thankful for Harriet insisting he stay at the B and B. He certainly didn’t need to be home alone. What if he slipped into a coma or passed out?
“Okay?” Lacey asked as she waited for Harriet to find Ryan’s vehicle and pull up behind hers.
“No, but I’ll feel better when we get home.”
When we get home. For a fleeting moment she had visions of them married, and surprisingly, the thought didn’t send her into a panic. Since her husband died, she hadn’t even wanted to date, let alone get serious about a man. But could she let herself fall in love with a man who constantly put his life in danger?
* * *
A herd of horses stampeded through Ryan’s head. He reached for the glass of water and bottle of painkillers on Lacey’s nightstand. He took a pill and swallowed it down with the water. Through the slit in the curtain, a ray of light slanted across the bed coverlet. Daytime. He needed to get to the station and interrogate the burglars, especially the short, stocky one. Ryan was sure he was the one he’d chased to the boat. The idea he’d been casing the bed and breakfast chilled him. He wanted to make sure they had the whole gang. He didn’t want anyone else coming to Calvert Cove B and B to steal or hurt someone he cared about.
He flipped back the coverlet and a whiff of Lacey’s vanilla scent wafted to him. That smell had haunted his restless sleep last night. As he swung his legs off the bed, the door opened as though Lacey had known he was going to get up. He stood on shaky legs and gripped the bedpost.
She hastened to him as he swayed. “Deputy Simmons is here to see you. He knew you would want a report on what he discovered last night.”
“Why don’t you have a clock in here? What time is it?”
“Ten in the morning.”
“I should have been at my office hours ago.”
“That’s why I took the alarm clock out of here.”
He eased down onto the bed, closing his eyes as the room tilted.
“I’ll have the deputy come back later.”
He grasped her arm. “No. I need to know what’s going on. Send him in.”
She assisted him into a comfortable reclining position. “Everything is being taken care of. Richard went over and brought a few things you might need. Your duffel bag’s over there.” She pointed to a chair with flower-covered material. “Shaun is taking care of Mick. He thought he could stay home from school in case you needed him, but I told him I’d look after you and Mick until he returned. I’ll be right back with the deputy.”
He heard her words, but it took a moment to register their meaning. His dog was in good hands. In fact, he was, too, but he didn’t have the time to lie around all day and rest. He sat up straight and waited for his pain meds to take effect.
The door opened. Deputy Simmons entered the room. “Mrs. St. John said not to stay too long. That you need your rest.”
“You’re not leaving until you fill me totally in on what happened after I went to the hospital.”
“I assigned two deputies to process the house. The alarm system had been shut down. There were two thieves last night—Keith Drummond and Pete Newel.”
“Which one was the thief in the office? He was short and stocky.”
“Keith Drummond.”
“He was also the one I chased last week from the bed and breakfast. I’m sure of it. I want to talk to him.” The throbbing ache in Ryan’s head lessened as his deputy talked.
&nbs
p; “He’s not going anywhere for the time being.”
“Have they told you anything useful? Do you think there are any others involved in the burglary ring?”
“It didn’t take long for them to cave. They both thought the other was going to get a deal for cooperating. They were the only two left. The Reynolds’ house was their last one in this area. Johnston had been their leader. Things began to fall apart once he was caught. But they carried out the original plans. Five places then leave.”
“Did you mention the dead man we found in the woods?”
“Yes, and they knew nothing about him.”
“That’s to be expected. Admitting to being a burglar is one thing and a murderer another. I need you to look into those men’s backgrounds. Search where they’re staying, especially look for anything to connect them to the John Doe.”
“Both are being taken care of. Sheriff, you’ve trained me well. Everything will be fine while you recuperate. “
“How much did Lacey pay you to say that last sentence?”
“Not a thing. But she did serve me a delicious breakfast prepared by Richard while she told me how important it was for you to get rest.”
Ryan groaned, yet a part of him liked the idea that Lacey wanted to care for him. And that would be great if he didn’t have a burglary ring to wrap up and an unsolved murder. He’d been hoping the two were connected, but what if they weren’t? “Check with the ME’s office about the identity of our John Doe. If we could get a drawing of what they think the man looked like, that would be more than we have right now. We need to broaden our search area for missing men. Go out another fifty-mile radius.”
“That’ll include all of Washington D.C. and Baltimore. That’s a lot of men.”
“We have some things that will help us ID him. He had an eagle tattoo on his upper left arm. Circulate that picture around, especially to tattoo parlors. He was also missing one of his top front teeth. We’ll use that to narrow our search. The burglary ring was bothersome, but a murder is much more serious.”
Deputy Simmons checked his watch. “Oops. My time is up.”
Deadly Legacy Page 6