Detection Mission (Texas K-9 Unit)

by Margaret Daley

  “What changed?”

  “The woman I was going to marry became pregnant with another man’s child.”

  The tightness in his voice prompted her to slide a glance toward him again. “I’m sorry.”

  “No need to be. At the time last year when I found out, I was devastated. I couldn’t believe Alexa would do that. I’m fine now. Me finding out and us breaking up were for the best. When I marry, it’ll be because we are totally committed to each other. With my faith that’s the only way I can go into a marriage. She obviously didn’t feel that way.”

  “Are you sure you’re over Alexa? I hear pain in your voice.” Her gaze locked on his.

  He lowered his head, the brim of his hat blocking the view of part of his face, but his mouth set in a firm, straight line. “Yes. I’m more disappointed than anything. We had dreams for the future, or so I thought. I think those dreams were more mine than hers.”

  “What dreams?”

  “A house with some property for horses and children. I love kids. I wanted at least three. She wanted no more than one.”

  “And yet she had a baby.”

  “Yes—that hurt most of all.”

  “So how do you feel now with what happened between the two of you?”

  “A family still is important, but now I’m a little leery of trusting. I’d known Alexa for a long time and look what happened.” He chuckled ruefully. “Enough about me. I brought you out here for a change of scenery...and was hoping that in a more relaxed environment we could talk about you.”

  “Just as soon as I figure out who I am, we can talk.”

  “I didn’t mean so much about your past. It’s just that, your past. I’m more interested in your present.”

  “You are?” His last comment intrigued her.

  “Yes.”

  She stared out into the distance. “But I don’t really have much past, present or future. I feel like my life is in limbo.”

  “Have you thought about what you’ll do if you never remember who you are?”

  “I like the name Heidi. Now a last name is totally different. I’m not sure what to do about that.”

  “Give it time. It hasn’t been that long since you got out of the hospital.” He nodded encouragingly. “You’re already starting to recall bits and pieces.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked, attempting to steer the conversation in a new direction.

  “Somewhere special.”

  Up ahead, Heidi spied a small glade with some trees starting to leaf out while others were evergreens. When she arrived at the grove, the sight of a stream, the sound of rushing water over rocks, made her smile. Tranquil. Isolated. A haven in the middle of all the chaos her life was right now.

  Lee dismounted then came to her to help her down.

  She waved him off and slipped from the mare with ease. “I’m sure I’ve ridden before. Possibly many times.”

  “See...another piece of the past. And I agree no one would have ridden like you did without prior knowledge of how.” He tied his gelding to a branch then took her reins and did likewise on another nearby tree.

  “I don’t know if I want to remember everything. I keep thinking about what the doctor told me—that all my injuries weren’t from a car wreck and that I had injuries that were older than some. Like someone beat me.”

  Lee’s eyes darkened with concern. “He did? Why didn’t he tell me?”

  “I didn’t want him to tell anyone. I was—still am—trying to figure out how I would have gotten those injuries. What if William Peterson beat me up and I got away?”

  “Then where is the man?”

  She tried to think beyond what had happened in the Lost Woods, but still came up blank. “Hiding? But then everything we’ve heard about William Peterson is how kind he is and helpful to others.”

  “The sheriff in Tom Green County as well as the San Antonio police are still looking for him. No one who knew him could identify you. In San Antonio there isn’t anyone missing that fits your description or picture.”

  Tension continued to build behind her eyes. She massaged her temples.

  Lee covered her hands. “I thought we agreed not to talk business today. Time for that tomorrow. This is a day to relax and get to know each other. The time you’ve been at Molly’s shows me that you’re learning what you like and don’t like. I want to hear about your discoveries.”

  Her heart swelling at his words, Heidi dropped her arms to her sides. “I’d like that. And I want to know more about the boy who lived down the road from here.”

  Lee grasped her and strolled toward the stream. “I’ll regale you after lunch.”

  “Lunch?” She peered back at the horses. “Where’s the food?”

  A few more paces past a large group of bushes and Lee swept his arm across his body. “Here.”

  Heidi stopped, her gaze taking in the blanket spread out on the ground with a huge wicker basket at one corner and rocks holding the others down. The water flowed a yard away and a large tree, beginning to leaf out, shaded part of the area with the warm sun spilling through the partially bare limbs.

  “I’m impressed.” She grinned. “When did you do all this?”

  “I brought everything out here before I took you to meet Valerie.”

  “What time did you get up this morning?”

  He shrugged nonchalantly. “Early, but Kip loved coming with me. He got to run across the pasture, chase birds and a couple of rabbits.”

  “That sounds like Kip. That is one thing I know I love—dogs. I wish I had one. Kip makes me feel safe. When I was sitting in the car Saturday night, I wasn’t scared with him there.”

  “A trained dog is good protection.” He tugged her toward the blanket. “I’m starved. Let’s eat.”

  “When are you not hungry?”

  “It’s Molly’s cooking. I don’t see you turning her food down.”

  “I didn’t eat for weeks.” She sank onto the blanket. “I’m making up for that time.”

  “How are your cooking lessons coming along?”

  “Good. That’s another thing I’ve learned. I must have liked to cook. It feels so natural to me.” She smiled softly. “I’ve enjoyed working with Molly. She’s been so generous to me. I’m not sure how I’ll ever repay her kindness...”

  “Molly would be the first to tell you she’d more than happy to help.” Lee sat beside her. “So are you moving back to your apartment tonight?

  “Yes...I need to. I’m tired of living in fear.”

  “I think you’re doing the right thing,” he said tenderly. “And I’ll let you have Kip for as long as you need at night.”

  Emotions jammed her throat. She swallowed several times, then said, “Thanks. I appreciate that. I can’t let what happened destroy my life. I need to move beyond all this.” The fervent intensity behind her words surprised her for a second, then she realized it came from deep inside her. From her past she didn’t remember.

  “I agree. Dwelling on the past is not living. That’s not what the Lord wants for us.”

  “I’m trying to depend on God. It isn’t always easy, especially when you don’t remember.”

  He lifted his hand and smoothed her hair back, hooking it behind her ear. “I know. I don’t have the excuse you have, and I’m still trying to figure out how to do that. We can spend time figuring it out together.”

  Together. She wished that could be the case, but she didn’t know who she was. How could she fall in love with such a gaping hole in her life?

  He leaned toward her, cupping her head between his hands. When his mouth whispered across hers, she didn’t care about who she might have been. These feelings he generated in her were all that mattered—at least for the time being.

  TEN

  Lee entered the kitchen at Molly’s on Valentine’s Day after putting in a long day at work. All he wanted to do was relax and enjoy his evening without thinking about work and the crime syndicate in Sagebrush. Every time he did, frustration knot
ted his gut.

  “This is a test to see if you trust me.” Lee held up the black blindfold.

  Heidi turned from the sink where she was rinsing the lettuce and stared at the strip of material in his hand. “Can’t you just take my word for it?”

  He shook his head.

  Heidi glanced toward Molly, who quickly averted her gaze and became focused on what she was stirring on the stove. Placing her hand at her waist, she said, “What are you up to, Mr. Calloway?”

  “A surprise.”

  “You know how I feel about those.”

  Lee grinned. “C’mon. Don’t be such a spoilsport. I promise you’ll like my surprise.”

  When he approached her with the blindfold dangling from his hand, she swung around and allowed him to tie it on her head. Then he began leading her across the kitchen to the hallway.

  “Molly, you’ve been awfully quiet. Do you know what the surprise is?”

  “Yes. It’s brown.”

  “Shh, Molly. I’m never going to tell you anything again,” Lee said, tossing Molly a smile and a wink.

  “A box of chocolate?”

  “I’m not telling. You just have to wait.” In the foyer he bent close to her ear and whispered, “But chocolate is so mundane and boring.”

  “But I like chocolate. You can’t go wrong with chocolate.”

  At the front door, he leaned around to open it.

  “Flowers? No, it can’t be that. I’ve never heard of a brown flower unless it was dead.”

  “Your powers of deduction are right on.” After he swung the door wide, he guided her across the threshold to the front porch.

  “Okay, where is my surprise?”

  “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re impatient?”

  “Probably, but I can’t remember. But if you don’t take off—” She reached up toward the blindfold.

  Lee quickly untied it before she could. “There.”

  Heidi blinked at Harry Markham standing in front of her holding a leash to a brown dog that was about two feet tall and wagging its tail. “What is it?”

  “A little bit of a lot of breeds,” Harry answered. “But I’ve been working with her and she’s good at guarding and protecting. Lee thought you might like to see if you two are a match.”

  “To keep?”

  Lee came around to face her. “Yes, if you want her.”

  “What’s her name?” Heidi held out her hand for the mutt to sniff it.

  “She answers to Abbey. I rescued her six weeks ago, but she needs a permanent home.” Harry offered her the leash.

  Heidi took it and squatted by the dog. Abbey immediately licked her on the face. “What a loving dog. I’d be thrilled to have her. But what does Molly have to say about all this?”

  “She’s fine with it. After all what’s one more with two already here?” Lee quipped. “And Kip likes Abbey. I think Eliza may have some competition for my partner’s affections.”

  Heidi looked up at Lee with the biggest grin on her face. “I love this present,” she gushed while patting Abbey. “What made you think of getting me a pet?”

  “When you told me about the memories of having a dog, seeing how you respond to Kip and then your comment yesterday about feeling safer with a dog.”

  “And if you remember your past and for some reason can’t keep Abbey any longer, don’t worry. I’ll take her back and find her a new home.” Harry started for the steps. “Now I’d better go. I have a wife to take to dinner.”

  His friend’s comment reminded Lee of his own dream of having a wife and family. A pang zinged through him, leaving emptiness in its wake. To have that, he would have to trust a woman. Staring at Heidi and Abbey, he wondered if he could trust her. What would happen if she did recall her old life and she wasn’t really who she seemed to be—a warm, kind, caring person?

  He’d thought Alexa was caring and faithful and discovered she wasn’t.

  Heidi rose. “Are you sure Molly is okay with this?”

  The older woman poked her head out the opening into the house. “Yes, one hundred percent. If you can’t keep her, I will. I figure one day Mark and Lee will each get married and move out. Then where will I be without Kip and Eliza around?” She stepped out onto the porch and greeted Abbey. “She’s friendly. I think I see some German shepherd and collie and lab in her.”

  “Let’s go introduce her to Eliza. Kip met her earlier today at the training center, but you never know how a dog will react on her home turf.” Lee waited as Molly, Heidi and Abbey went into the house before following them.

  In the backyard, Heidi kept Abbey on a leash while Kip and Eliza acquainted themselves with the new dog, sniffing and checking her out. Then he and Heidi walked Abbey around the yard and let her get to know the place.

  “What do we do now?” Heidi stood at the bottom of the steps leading to the back stoop.

  “Let her off her leash while we watch. We’ll be here if there’s a problem.”

  “Okay,” Heidi said in a hesitant voice, then in slow motion she released Abbey. The dog immediately sat at Heidi’s feet. She waved her arms. “Shoo. Go play.”

  With her big brown eyes, Abbey peered up at Heidi.

  “I don’t think she wants to play.”

  “Let’s sit and see if anything happens,” Lee suggested.

  Heidi took the step next to him while Abbey stretched out her front legs and laid her head on top. “What kind of commands does she know?”

  “Harry said you could come to see him in the training center tomorrow or Saturday, and he’ll work with you and Abbey. She’s been trained to protect and guard. Harry is very good at his job.”

  “Is that where the K-9 dogs are trained?”

  “Yes. Kip stays there when I’m working on mundane tasks like filling out paperwork and interviewing suspects. He’s happier there. Although he does like to visit and get treats from Lorna, the secretary.”

  “Will she be here tomorrow night for the party?”

  “Yes. She and Molly are good friends. She’ll probably come over early and help set the place up for the party.”

  “How big is this party going to be?”

  “Probably thirty or so. Everyone will come just for Molly’s food. She knows how to feed her guests.”

  “I’m helping her with the food preparations. I know I’ve met some of your unit, but not nearly that many people.” She gave him a “deer in the headlights” look.

  He leaned back against a step, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankles. “You’re going to charm them all.”

  “I haven’t faced being in a crowd since the accident. I wonder if I’m an introvert or an extrovert.”

  Lee eyed her. “You know I’ve never thought about that.”

  “I can tell you’re an extrovert,” she murmured. “I’ve seen how good you are with people.”

  “I guess in my line of work it helps to be outgoing.”

  Heidi sighed. “It’s really weird trying to decide what kind of person I am, and yet in other ways I innately know.”

  “Like loving children and dogs?”

  “Yes, but that’s easy. I hope Valerie brings her niece. I loved meeting her the other day. Bethany is adorable.”

  “She hasn’t hit the terrible twos yet. Valerie’s life certainly has changed lately with her sister dying and Valerie becoming guardian to her eighteen-month-old niece. Now the captain has ordered she be put on 24-hour protection because she saw the woman who might be Garry’s killer.” He paused for a long moment. “She left the scene of the crime about the time the medical examiner said Garry was murdered. Valerie doesn’t like being watched one bit, but with all that has happened in the town lately, it’s a wise decision on Slade’s part.”

  “Maybe I should send Valerie a sympathy card. One person in protective custody to another. Except I’m free now.” Heidi’s smile twinkled in her eyes.

  “It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

  “No, but limiting your freedom is neve
r fun, even if it’s for the best.” Her grin widened. “I have to say, though, my jailer was what I heard one nurse at the hospital say was eye candy.”

  Cheeks flushed, Lee caught sight of Abbey lifting her head up. She watched Kip and Eliza running and chasing each other. Lee pointed to the dogs. “I wonder what Abbey is thinking.”

  When Abbey put her head back down and closed her eyes, Heidi chuckled. “That she can’t be bothered with something like that. Maybe she’s playing hard to get.”

  “Ah, one of the games men and women play.”

  “Well...I’m not touching that except to say I don’t think I play those kind of games. In the past week I feel like I’m an open book. I don’t know any other way to be.”

  Kip trotted up to him and dropped his tennis ball at his feet. “I think my dog is telling me to pay attention to him or else.”

  “What’s the or else?”

  “He’ll nip me. Nothing that hurts, but he is persistent when he wants my attention.”

  “Not too far off from a child.”

  “Yeah.” Lee picked up the ball and threw it.

  As it sailed through the air, Abbey jumped up and raced after it at the same time Kip did. He reached it first and proudly picked it up between his teeth then pranced past Abbey. When Lee hurled it again, this time Kip slowed his pace and let Abbey retrieve the ball.

  “Oh, boy, Kip has it bad. He let her have it.”

  “But not before he showed her who was boss.”

  Something in the tone of Heidi’s voice—a hint of bitterness—pulled Lee’s attention to her. A faraway look took hold of her for a moment. It was as if she’d recalled something from her past she didn’t like. What secrets did she have locked in her mind? And how could he truly trust someone with secrets even she didn’t know?

  * * *

  “I’ve been given the job of hostess while Molly is in the kitchen finishing up some last-minute food preparation. She might as well have said she was serving dinner. She’s made a feast,” Heidi said Friday evening as she hurried past Lee toward the foyer. “Do I look okay?”

  “Hold up. You flew by me. I didn’t get a chance to see how you look.”

  Heidi slowed to a stop and turned toward Lee. “This is one of the dresses I bought at the Lace and Frills Boutique. Valerie said it looked good on me.”