Barkley got up, went to the door, whimpered and then looked back at her.
“Do you need to go out, boy? Hmm?” Closing the laptop, Grace stood and stretched before crossing to the door. She patted Barkley’s back and then reached for the handle. And paused, her hand on the knob. Evan had only allowed her to stay at the apartment if she agreed to remain inside with the doors locked at all times.
She looked out the window. The faintest hint of morning light had started to peek in the distance, but it would be another thirty minutes or longer before the sun rose.
The Great Dane whimpered and scratched at the door.
The clinic didn’t open until seven, and the staff wouldn’t arrive until a quarter till. Barkley could not wait hours to relieve himself. She sighed.
Though technically outside, the kennel was a fully enclosed, locked area accessed via a door from the main building. There was a small grassy area, so the Great Dane could do his business.
“Barkley, come.” She snagged her cell phone off the coffee table and slipped it into her pocket.
Opening the door that led downstairs into the clinic, she allowed Barkley to take the lead, their steps guided only by the night-lights spaced randomly along the hallway. Her heart picked up tempo with every step she took, as if she were an intruder afraid of being caught. Pressing a hand against her chest, she puffed out a breath of air.
Grace wouldn’t really be breaking her promise to Evan. She’d stay inside the doorway and wouldn’t step outside. No one would see her.
“Okay, boy. Go.” She opened the door and the Great Dane darted out into the kennel. Some of the boarded animals stirred and barked a greeting. Others lay undisturbed. Barkley went from cage to cage, sniffing the area.
“Hurry, boy. Do your business and let’s get back upstairs.”
Barkley ambled over to the grass then headed back in her direction, until something outside the fence caught his attention. He stood tall and regal, his ears straight up and his tail back, a low growl emanating from deep in his throat. The growl grew into a fierce bark, causing the hair on the nape of her neck to stand and goose bumps to pop up along her arms.
What had the animal seen? Did she dare go look? No, she’d watched enough horror movies to know that wouldn’t end well. Get back upstairs to safety and call the police. That’s what she would be yelling to the heroine on the television screen in this scenario.
She whistled softly. “Barkley, in.”
The animal disregarded the command, his growling bark becoming more aggressive. She needed to get upstairs but didn’t want to leave her sister’s beloved pet behind.
Ignoring the internal voice silently screaming, Don’t do it, she inched one foot in front of the other and took a few steps into the kennel, staying behind the cages.
Heavy footsteps crunched on the gravel outside the fence. Slipping her phone out of her pocket, she pressed speed dial, thankful Evan had programmed the important numbers into her phone before leaving last night.
“Come on, answer the phone.” Grace bounced nervously from foot to foot as she counted the rings. Two...three...“Bark—”
“Blackberry Falls Police Department.” An authoritative female voice sounded across the line.
“I’m at Porter Animal Clinic.” Grace spoke barely above a whisper. “I need an officer. There’s someone outside.”
“Is this Dr. Porter?”
“Yes.”
“Where are you in the building?”
“We’re in the kennel.”
“We? Who’s with you?”
“My sister’s dog.”
“Find somewhere to hide and stay on the line. An officer is on the way.”
The metal chain-link fence rattled. Was the person trying to climb into the kennel?
Grace’s breath caught in her throat. She stumbled and clutched the bars of the cage closest to her. This drew Barkley’s attention. He headed toward her and then stopped, turned and growled again.
Peering around the cage, she spotted a shadowy figure straddling the six-foot fence. He threw his leg over and dropped into the kennel.
“Barkley, come!” She turned and raced indoors.
For all his barking and growling, the Great Dane was as scared as Grace and stayed at her heels entering the building.
She slammed the door shut and locked it.
“The intruder’s inside the fence!” She yelled into the phone. “Tell the officer to hurry.”
The shadow man loomed on the other side of the frosted-glass door. The doorknob rattled. Barkley whimpered and headed for the apartment. Grace backed away, then turned and ran after Barkley.
“Dr. Porter. What’s happening?”
The door busted open.
“He’s inside.” Her words came out in a husky whisper.
Her phone beeped and went silent. Dead battery. Grace slid the phone into her back pocket. And ran. Four more steps to the top of the stairs and her apartment.
He gained on her. Now, only a few steps below her.
Half turning, she grasped the rail, raised her leg and kicked as hard as she could. Her foot connected with his chest. The man stumbled and fell backward with a heavy thud.
He lay unmoving at the foot of the stairs, arms and legs spread-eagle, a ski mask hiding his identity. She itched to remove it to see his face, but she didn’t dare get near him. What if he was only winded and not unconscious? As if to answer her unspoken question, the man groaned and started to push to his knees.
Grace turned and darted the rest of the way up the stairs. Lord, please let help arrive in time.
SIX
A ringing phone shattered the early morning quiet. Evan woke with a start and pushed himself up into a seated position. Snatching his cell off the nightstand, he checked the screen. Blackberry Falls PD.
He was on instant alert. “Bradshaw here.”
“Chief. There was an intruder at Porter Animal Clinic.” Reba Franklin, the night shift dispatcher, had his full attention.
“Is Grace okay?” Jumping out of bed, he put the phone on speaker, tossed it onto the bedside table and hurriedly pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
“We think so, sir.”
“What do you mean you think so?” Why was his dispatcher talking in circles? “Tell me what you know.”
“Dr. Porter called the station approximately ten minutes ago. Someone was outside the kennel. They made entry. At that time, we lost communication with Dr. Porter.”
Fear gripped him. Why had he left her there alone?
The dispatcher continued. “When Officer Wilkes arrived at the clinic, the side door was ajar. He entered the building. There were signs of a break-in and a struggle, but the intruder had fled the scene. Dr. Porter had barricaded herself in the apartment. She’s shaken up and insists on giving her statement to you.”
“Is Wilkes with her now?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell him to stay with her. I’m on my way.” Disconnecting, he tried Grace’s cell, but the call went straight to voice mail. He shoved his feet into a pair of running shoes and bent to tie them. Then he grabbed his wallet and keys off the dresser before crossing to the nightstand and retrieving his service revolver from the locked box. Time to roll.
He walked into the hallway and froze. Camden. He’d call his mom from the car and let her know he needed to drop him off at her house.
Evan entered the small room decorated in a superhero theme. His path illuminated by a Spider-Man night-light, he stepped around the toy cars and plastic dinosaurs littering the floor.
Bending, he grabbed a pair of tennis shoes off the floor then scooped his still-sleeping, pajama-clad son up into his arms and headed for the garage.
“Where are we going?” Camden mumbled, his eyes still closed as Evan put him in the SUV.
“
Grammy’s house,” Evan answered as he secured the seat belt across the booster seat.
His son’s green eyes opened and peered at him accusingly. “You promised we’d go fishing today.”
Evan groaned inwardly. He had promised, after missing the end of the school year picnic. Thankfully, school would be out for summer break soon, giving him one less thing to juggle.
“The day has just started.” He ruffled Camden’s hair, then climbed into the driver’s seat and backed out of the garage. “First, you get to hang out with Grammy and Poppy, have breakfast and watch cartoons. Then, when I get back, we’ll go fishing.”
You, me, Grace and Barkley. If she’s okay. Please, let her be okay.
He desperately wanted to turn on the lights and sirens as he raced to her, but he didn’t want to frighten Cam.
By the time they arrived at his parents’ house, his son was wide-awake. His mother met them in the driveway, wearing her nightgown and housecoat. She opened the back door and unbuckled Camden, who, once free, raced into the house.
Libby Bradshaw poked her head through Evan’s open window. “Don’t worry about a thing, son. Cam’s fine here as long as necessary. You take care of Grace and concentrate on finding the person trying to hurt her and her sister.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Having grown up in a military family, he always used “ma’am” and “sir” when talking to his parents. “And thanks, Mom.”
She kissed his cheek and hurried indoors.
He may never have a wife and Camden may never have a mother in his life again, but they had his parents and Lisa’s parents. Evan had spent too long feeling sorry for himself and focusing on past mistakes, maybe it was time he started counting his blessings instead of his failures.
Backing out of the drive, Evan flipped on the siren and sped toward Porter Animal Clinic and Grace.
He pulled into a parking spot beside the other patrol car and raced up the outside stairs that led to the apartment, ignoring the neighbors and community members gathering in clusters on porches and outside other businesses. It was natural for people to be curious and concerned when a police cruiser, or two, showed up outside a residence or business, but Grace would hate all the attention.
Tom Wilkes, a twenty-four-year veteran of the force, stood on the small deck outside the apartment. Evan raised an eyebrow, and the older man shrugged. “She wouldn’t open the door. Insisted you were the only one she’d talk to.”
Evan clapped his officer on the shoulder and jerked his head in the direction of the small crowd. “See if any of the residents who live nearby saw or heard anything. And while you’re at it, try to persuade them to disperse.”
“I’m on it.” Wilkes ambled down the stairs and across the street.
Knocking, he identified himself, saying, “It’s Evan.”
He held his breath and waited. Finally, the click of the lock sounded, but the door remained closed. He puffed out the breath, twisted the knob and stepped into the apartment.
The tension he hadn’t even known he’d been holding since the phone call that woke him lifted from his shoulders at the sight of Grace. She was sitting on the same green-plaid sofa they had sat on together the night before, only now it blocked the door leading to the clinic. Barkley rested at her feet with his head in her lap, soaking up the attention as she rubbed her hands over his head.
She glanced up, and her eyes shone when she saw him. A wisp of blond hair fell in her face, which was makeup-free, giving full exposure to the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She looked both hopeful and frightened at the same time, much like the twelve-year-old girl she had been the first day he’d walked into sixth-grade science class at Blackberry Falls Middle School. She’d been happy that day to have the new kid assigned as her partner because the experiment had made her queasy. He remembered teasing her later that same day at lunch when she’d shared with him she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up. If only this incident could be laughed away as easily.
Evan crossed the small room and sat beside her. “Want to tell me what happened?”
“Barkley needed to go out. It was still two hours until any of the staff would arrive, and I couldn’t make him wait.” She focused on brushing her fingers through the animal’s fur. “I know you told me to stay inside, but I thought the kennel would be safe.”
Evan put two fingers under her chin and lifted her head until her eyes met his. He bent toward her, stopping himself mere inches from kissing her, his heartbeat echoing in his ears. Could she hear it? To cover his near faux pas, he pretended he was only close to emphasize his point. “I’m not mad at you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
She nodded, but sadness emanated from her silver-blue eyes.
He sat back against the cushion. “Now, tell me everything.”
Evan listened as she recounted the story, how the intruder jumped the six-foot chain-link fence and busted through the door. As she spoke, her voice trembled with fear, pulling him into the scene. He had no difficulty picturing her executing the roundhouse kick that had saved her life.
He smiled. “I guess those karate lessons finally paid off.”
She looked at him blankly.
“Remember? In eighth grade, you went through a phase of wanting to be a PI and begged me to take karate with you. Six months later, you got bored and quit.”
“I didn’t even think of that. I just kicked and hoped I could get away.”
He was thankful she had kept her wits about her and had done what was needed to escape harm.
“Did you get a good look at the guy? Could you identify him?”
A frown marred her face, and she shook her head. “He wore a mask.”
“Don’t tell me it had an animal face screen-printed on it.”
“No. Not this time. This one was a solid dark color. I couldn’t tell if it was black or navy.”
He’d look at the clinic’s security footage later, but for now, he wanted to give Grace time to process everything. He knew how her mind worked. If he left her alone, she’d sit there replaying everything over and over in her mind, getting angrier with herself for putting herself in the situation by leaving the apartment. However, if he encouraged her to talk about it, she’d process what had happened with a clear mind and let it go.
“What about height? Weight? Build? Anything at all.”
“See, that’s the thing bothering me the most. The guy seemed different this time. Maybe it’s because I didn’t get a clear view of him.” She shooed Barkley away, and turned to face Evan, tucking one leg under her as she sat sideways on the sofa. “I’m not sure if it’s because I froze during the attack on Chloe, watching everything play out in slow motion, and this time, I was running for my life. Whatever the reason, the guy seemed taller. Broader.” She bit the corner of her lip, as if contemplating whether to continue.
“And?” he prompted.
“I didn’t see his face, but he seemed more agile...younger.”
Whatever he’d expected her to say, that wasn’t it. Could this attack have been unrelated to the other two? Was it possibly a foiled burglary? Completely unrelated to the attack on Chloe?
His gut said no. That meant only one thing. More than one person wanted Grace dead.
* * *
“There’s been no change. Your sister is stable, and we’re keeping her comfortable.” The nurse’s words were disappointing, but Grace hadn’t really expected Chloe’s condition to improve overnight. Suppressing her frustration, she disconnected the call. Although she yearned to be in Denver with her sister, Grace knew Blackberry Falls was where she needed to be. For now.
Crossing to the small vanity table, Grace gathered her hair into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and secured it with an elastic hair tie. Then she finished her look with minimal makeup—tinted moisturizer, a light coat of brown mascara and a pale, natural lipstick. T
ouching her lips, her heart raced. She’d thought Evan was going to kiss her earlier. And if she were honest, she’d wanted him to.
With a sigh, she slipped her feet into comfortable sneakers and walked into the living room. Someone had moved the sofa back to its original spot, and Evan and an older officer were sitting at the small dining table in deep discussion.
She signaled for Barkley to follow her and headed to the door that led down into the clinic.
“Where are you going?” Evan’s question halted her steps.
Grace turned to find him towering over her. Forcing a smile, she replied, “It’s time to open the clinic.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He took her arm and led her to a corner of the small sitting area. “The clinic can remain closed for the day.”
Twisting out of his grasp, she squared her shoulders and pulled herself to her full five-foot-nine height, ready for a fight. She would not disappoint her father, even if he wasn’t around any longer to see it. “No, it can’t. The clinic was closed yesterday with most of the appointments being rescheduled for today.”
“I don’t care. Your safety is of the utmost importance.”
“I agree, and I’d very much like to stay alive. But these patients’ lives are important, too.”
“You can send the urgent cases to one of the three vet clinics in Lincoln Park, it’s only a thirty-minute drive.”
“Only one of the vet clinics in Lincoln Park is open on Saturdays, and they have their own patients to worry about.”
“Too bad. You’re not opening. I can’t guarantee your safety if you do.”
“Well, that is too bad, because I am opening the clinic today. If I were an MD, would you ask me to put my patients’ lives in danger by postponing critical care?” He started to reply, but she rushed on before he could protest. “No, you wouldn’t. Look, in addition to vaccines, there are two surgeries scheduled for today, an ACL repair on a nine-year-old greyhound and the removal of a mass on the liver of a twelve-year-old Burmese cat. These animals’ lives are as important as mine. They’re someone’s family members. They’re loved as much as any human, and I will not postpone their care.”
Rocky Mountain Revenge Page 7