Trail of Danger

by Valerie Hansen

  “This may work out for the best. My reporting party is a scared kid.” Reed grinned. “If anybody can put him at ease and coax out the information we need, it’s you.”

  She gathered a handful of curls at her nape before pulling an alligator clip out of the pocket of her flowery sundress. “Hang on a sec while I pin up my hair. I thought it’d be cooler at the beach but it’s still too hot for me.”

  “September has its moments,” Reed replied. He eyed his parked car. “I’ll introduce you and leave you with the boy. His name is Dominic Walenski. He’s been in foster care and has a record of running away, so don’t let him trick you. The most important thing is finding out what the perp looked like who gave him Snapper.”

  Her wide eyes looked enormous behind the large lenses. “Snapper? You found him?”

  “Not yet, but I’m hoping we’ll soon have an idea what Jordy’s killer looks like.”

  Danielle pressed a hand to her clavicle and gasped. “Whoa! Okay, sure. Let me at him.”

  “Easy,” Reed warned. “We think something else is bothering Dominic right now and I don’t want you to spook him, okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be cool.” She seemed to be struggling to control her excitement. “Are you sure the person who had Snapper was the murderer?”

  “No.” Reed shook his head. “But it’s the strongest lead we’ve had since the guy who planted Chief Jameson’s fake suicide note was killed. We have to start somewhere.”

  “Gotcha. Who’s in there besides your witness?” She was peering through the windows of Reed’s SUV.

  “That’s Abigail Jones.” He decided to withhold details that were not pertinent to the case. “She works in Brighton Beach and along this part of the shore with kids like Dom. I thought her presence might settle him down if she kept us company.”

  One of the tech wizard’s perfectly limned eyebrows arched and she gave Reed a mischievous glance. “Whatever you say, Branson. Just remember what’s happened to some of the other K-9 cops recently. Zack Jameson, Luke Hathaway and Finn Gallagher, for instance. Love is in the air, my friend.”

  He huffed. “The only thing in this air is the smell of popcorn, hot dogs and suntan lotion, so don’t go imagining things, Abbott.”

  “Hey, can I help it if I’m a hopeless romantic?” She sobered again. “You interrupted my date tonight, you know.”

  “Sorry. You look nice in that dress,” Reed told her, meaning it.

  He saw the woman’s sharp mind zero in on reality and heard her sigh. “It’s okay. I know what’s most important, same as you. We’ll get justice for Jordan—and for poor Katie.” A deeper sigh. “I can’t imagine losing a husband, especially while being pregnant. She has to be going crazy with worry.”

  “You know the Jamesons are looking after her,” he countered. “It’s really a good thing they shared that multifamily Rego Park house to begin with.”

  “Still sad.” The loose curls framing Danielle’s face followed the shaking of her head. “It’s hard to imagine how the whole family feels. Those brothers were close.”

  “Well, at least they didn’t lose Carter, too,” Reed said, recalling the officer’s recent leg wound. “He’s on the mend.”

  “From your lips to God’s ears,” she said, brightening and stepping past him. “Let’s go meet this whiz kid so I can get started.”

  * * *

  To Abigail’s surprise and chagrin, she felt a twinge of jealousy when a pretty blonde got out of the other police car and stood speaking with Reed so intently.

  What is wrong with me? He can talk to anybody he pleases. It’s no business of mine. And yet, in some unfathomable way, her life had become intrinsically connected to Reed’s. She could already sense his emotions, predict his responses. That wasn’t natural. Not at all. At least not in respect to the handsome police officer. Most kids she could read like a book, even when they were mixed up with drugs or petty crimes or lying to her face. In Reed’s case, however, the connection went deeper. Empathy explained some of it, of course. She accepted that. She shared his disappointment when plans didn’t come together perfectly, such as when their vehicle had been wrecked.

  Mulling over her situation as he and the other woman approached the SUV, Abigail felt a tug on her heart that was so poignant it almost made her gasp. Only the presence of the impressionable boy kept her from fully acknowledging her feelings. She cared about this man so deeply, so totally, she could hardly breathe.

  The conclusion that shot into her mind as if fired from a gun was undeniable. Impossible. Yet true. Like it or not, she had fallen in love with K-9 officer Reed Branson almost overnight. That was crazy. He hadn’t even kissed her. How could she possibly have fallen for him?

  Making the best use of the moments before he reached her door, Abigail covered her face with both hands and prayed silently, asking God for insight into her own mind, her obvious confusion.

  The door lock clicked. Reed was standing there. Abigail met his quizzical expression. “You okay?” he asked casually.

  “Fine, fine. Just tired.” She swung her feet out and stood.

  “This is our tech wizard, Danielle Abbott,” Reed said. “Danielle, meet Abigail Jones.”

  “A real pleasure.” The amply endowed blonde extended a bejeweled hand.

  Abigail accepted the gesture and shook hands. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” A slight eye movement indicated the boy in the back seat. “Dominic is ready to help us. As soon as you’re through and satisfied with the face he chooses, I’ve promised him ice cream. Two scoops.” She looked to Reed. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  He smiled. “Not at all. You can sit with Danielle and do your faces while Dom and I go get his treat.”

  “Her, too?” the tech expert asked.

  Abigail answered for Reed. “Yes. Me, too. I’ve been having some trouble recalling an incident in my past and had a flash of insight tonight. I suppose I’d better try to make something concrete out of it before it slips away again.”

  All business, Danielle gave Abigail the once-over. “So, you’re the one.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  Danielle’s smile returned. “We’ve heard plenty about a pretty assault victim our confirmed bachelor here has been keeping company with. Now I’m even more pleased to meet you.”

  It was all Abigail could do to keep from scowling at both of them. So she was the subject of gossip around their police station. “Terrific. It’s good to hear that I’ve given you all something to talk about. Now, if you don’t mind, Dominic needs to get started.”

  “Oops, sorry.” Danielle shot a brief glance at Reed. “I didn’t mean to make trouble, buddy.”

  “Not a problem,” he said flatly. “I’m a big boy. I can take a little ribbing. Just be sure you explain that this is work, not play, when you go back to headquarters.”

  “Work. Got it.” The wink the blonde gave Reed was so blatant it made Abigail’s blood boil. Talk about getting an immediate answer to a prayer for clearer thinking. Reed not only still classified her as a job and nothing more, he was openly flirting with a woman he obviously admired.

  Sending thanks heavenward for such clear enlightenment was called for, Abigail knew. But right then and there, watching the way Reed and Danielle looked at each other, she was incapable of genuine gratitude.

  “Ask and you shall receive,” Abigail quoted to herself, wondering why she felt even worse after getting a definite response to her prayerful appeal.

  As she watched Danielle join Dom in the back seat, Abigail found a trace of humor in the irony of her situation and whispered one more short prayer.

  “Um, Father, do you suppose I could have do-overs and take back that last prayer?”

  FIFTEEN

  “I think we should take him home with us,” Reed told Abigail. “I’ve talked to my chief and he’s left it up to
me for the present.”

  “Take Dominic home? Why?”

  “Because it makes sense. There’s no way to keep him safe when he’s wandering all over the beach.” He tried to subdue a smile and ended up with a quirky grin. “Look at it as informal protective custody.”

  “Kiera got to you, didn’t she?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  “If you keep taking lost souls home with you, you’ll run out of house space.”

  Noting the rosy glow of her cheeks beneath the cute freckles, he reassured her. “They’re not all lost. You’re not. You just need a little TLC until you regain your memory.” Reed’s smile widened. “And it’s working. You’ve already had two incidents that show recovery.”

  “Identifying that pizza man’s voice was a mistake.”

  “I wasn’t counting him. Give yourself credit, Abigail. You’re a smart, intelligent, capable woman. You’ll pull it together. I know you will.”

  “Yeah, right,” she mumbled. Then louder, “I wish I’d known somebody like you when I was Dom’s age.”

  Assuming a relaxed pose, Reed tried to draw her out. “Oh? Was it really that bad?”

  For an instant he was afraid he’d angered her, because she seemed to be struggling emotionally. When she shook her head and said, “No, it was worse,” his heart clenched. How could anybody hurt a kid, particularly a sweet one like Abigail had surely been?

  Although she folded her arms across her chest and lifted her chin with evident pride, he could tell she was feeling vulnerable, so he stopped asking questions in the hopes she’d voluntarily reveal more about herself. He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until she began to speak.

  “I don’t remember my father,” she said. “That wouldn’t have been so bad if Mom hadn’t brought home so many new daddies for me to learn to love. When I was little it was easy to get used to them but as I got older and began to look...” She blushed. “You know. Pretty soon I was staying out late or not going home at all just to keep from having to dodge unwelcome advances from strange men.”

  “Your mother permitted this?”

  “My mother was rarely sober. I doubt she noticed much. When I finally hit the streets for keeps at sixteen, I’m not even sure she reported me missing.”

  Reed gently touched her shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Hey, I lived through it. And it led to the start of my career in public service. If I could get squared away and turn out okay, it’s proof some of these other runaways can do the same. That’s what I tell them if I think they need that kind of encouragement.”

  “Good for you.”

  “Good for the people and organizations that were there for me, you mean. I didn’t do it alone.” She began to smile slightly, a dreamy look in her eyes that made them glisten in the neon flashes from nearby businesses and concessions. “I was really struggling, despite everything, until a mentor dragged me to a church youth meeting. It wasn’t at all like I’d thought church would be. The music was upbeat, the snacks were great and nobody looked down on me.”

  “I know what you mean. I used to belong to a group like that. Mine even passed out free Bibles.”

  “Then you do understand. I’d never heard Jesus presented the way those kids did it. They talked about Him as if they actually knew Him personally, and I wanted the same relationship. It was after I committed my life to Him that things began to make sense.” She huffed. “I don’t mean all my troubles vanished. Getting it together took time and a lot of work. But I think I’ve managed to forgive my mother. She was a victim, too.”

  “I agree.” Reed set aside the last vestiges of concern about his professional image and reached out to her. It was as natural an act as breathing, although once Abigail was in his arms, he did have a little trouble catching his breath.

  At first she seemed reluctant, but in seconds she had relaxed into a shared embrace. Others on the sidewalk passed them by as if they were invisible. Coney Island was that kind of place, a place where romantic couples met and mingled with crowds of like-minded revelers, all intent on making the most of the last warm days of autumn.

  Tucking Abigail against him, he rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling the tickle of her hair, the whisper of her warm breath. He knew he should have been shocked when his mind had so easily provided the word “romantic” in connection to what was happening between them. Somehow, he wasn’t even remotely surprised.

  He drew a shaky, deep breath and released it slowly, admitting how much he cared for her and wondering what in the world he was going to do about it. This situation was akin to a hapless swimmer being caught in a riptide and pulled out over his depth. Way over.

  That wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t viewed himself as the lifeguard on duty.

  * * *

  Standing there, encircled by Reed’s arms, Abigail closed her eyes and let herself absorb his strength, his support. Clearly her story had touched him, and of that she was glad. What remained puzzling was why, once he had offered solace, he continued to hold her. Not that she was complaining. No, sir. Given a choice she’d be glad to stand right there with her arms around him for as long as possible.

  There was a very slight loosening of Reed’s arms, a subtle easing away. Feeling that change, Abigail had no choice but to let go and step back. She forced a smile and gazed up, hoping she didn’t look as if she were mooning over him.

  “Thanks,” she said. “I don’t talk about my past often. Every time I do, it takes a lot out of me.”

  “I understand. Better now?”

  The rumble of his voice seemed to convey more than concern. If she hadn’t heard the sketch artist mention his confirmed bachelorhood, she might have imagined that they shared the same tender emotions she’d recently been battling against.

  “Yes, thanks.” Abigail let her gaze drift over the passing pedestrians without conscious thought. How long had she been denying her burgeoning affection for this special man? It was impossible to tell, probably because her psyche had been so frail to begin with. And now that she was healing? She huffed. Now that her normal sensibilities were returning, she supposed she should concentrate on self-determination and the pride of being her own person. It had taken years to mature to that point. She didn’t want to abandon the courageous self she’d discovered and nurtured. It was what kept her together and gave her the strength to help others.

  That was the trouble with falling in love, she mused. A person had to relinquish too much. Look at what had happened to her poor mother when she’d tried to rely on a man to complete her and had failed over and over.

  Well, that pattern wasn’t going to repeat itself in Abigail Jones. No way. As soon as she’d recovered enough to more fully describe the men who had attacked her, she and Reed would probably never see each other again.

  Given the unwelcome reaction of her heart to that fact, she figured the sooner they parted the better. Yes, she was going to miss seeing him, being near him. But that didn’t mean there was anything personal going on. He’d put it best when he’d instructed Danielle. They all needed to remember that he was merely doing his job.

  Standing straight, shoulders back, Abigail left him and started toward the parked SUV. As soon as Dominic was finished she was going to take his place and describe the faces from her hazy memory. This was not the time to give up or give in. She was going to succeed or else.

  Failure was not an option.

  * * *

  Reed hung back and let her go, knowing that nobody in his right mind would threaten her while she was standing next to a police car.

  He’d been a fool to touch Abigail again, let alone embrace her, yet he’d been unable to stop himself. Every fiber of his being had cried out, insisting he offer comfort, and he had yielded. He must never step out of line like that again. It didn’t matter how he felt personally, it was wrong of him to take advantage o
f her vulnerabilities. Later, when she was fully recovered and back to living a normal life, maybe he’d change his mind and ask her for a date, but right here, right now, he needed to keep his distance.

  “As if that’s going to be easy,” Reed muttered. “I am in so deep already I can’t believe it.”

  He saw her looking back. Watching him. Good thing she wasn’t a lip reader.

  Seeking something to do besides stand there and waste time, he decided to let Jessie out for a little exercise. To his chagrin, Abigail stepped back and seemed to tense up more when he approached.

  He flashed his best fake grin. “Just checking on my four-footed partner. We won’t go far. I’m keeping an eye on you.”

  She returned an equally forced smile. “Okay. I’m sure it will be my turn with the sketch artist soon.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” Reed told her, opening the rear hatch and liberating his leashed K-9. “Danielle will walk you through it. You’ll do fine.”

  “Right.” Sobering, Abigail made a face. “It seems like the harder I try to bring those faces back, the less I actually remember about them.”

  “Then think about something else until it’s time to work for real. It’ll come to you more easily if you don’t force it.”

  Before Abigail had time to reply, there was a tapping on the window behind her. Reed hit the release on his key fob to unlock the door, and Dominic bounded out. “Ice cream!”

  “Gotcha.” Reed held up his keys for Abigail. “Climb in. The door will lock by itself. If you need to get out before I get back, use my keys.” He tossed part of the ring to her. “Don’t lose that or we’ll have to walk home.”

  He waited until she was safely locked in the SUV before he turned to his young companion and pointed toward the boardwalk. “Let’s go. We don’t want the ice cream stand to close before we get there.”