Scene of the Crime

by Sharon Dunn

  Darcy looked to Jackson, hoping her expression communicated that she was wondering what to do.

  “Stay right where you are, Darcy. He knows he’s out of options.” Jackson softened the tone of his voice as he told the guy, “You said yourself this wasn’t all you. Let the woman go.”

  “Drop the gun and back away,” Tyler said.

  The seconds stretched out. Darcy could hear her own heartbeat thrumming in her ears. The driver was breathing so heavily that his exhale was like puffs of wind against her cheek.

  The man let go of Darcy and pushed her forward. She heard the thud of the knife falling on the ground. She rushed toward Jackson as relief flooded through her body. Knowing that Jackson had to focus on the suspect, she stepped out of the way.

  As he and Tyler moved in, Jackson winked at her.

  Her heart was still pounding as she watched Jackson cuff the man.

  “So somebody put you up to this?” Tyler asked.

  “A woman called me when I was on the expressway and offered me money to ram a truck. I don’t know how she got my cell number.”

  “Did she pay up?” The man had been bent over the hood of the SUV while Jackson cuffed him. Gripping the cuffs, Jackson pulled him upright, so he had to straighten.

  “Yes, but I didn’t see her. She asked me where my next delivery stop was. The money was waiting for me in an envelope,” the driver said.

  Interesting. So it was confirmed—whoever was behind the attacks was a woman. The attempt to run her over, the shooting at her apartment, the attack in the lab. Her attacker had been very strong, but it had happened so fast. Then again, if the woman was willing to let this driver do her dirty work, maybe someone else had been hired to attack her in the lab.

  Tyler stepped up to the suspect. “I can take him in my car since you need to transport Darcy,” he said to Jackson.

  “Sounds good.” Jackson patted Tyler on the shoulder and then turned his attention to Darcy. “You all right?”

  She nodded but then tears streamed down her face. “I guess I was pretty scared.” She felt a torrential flow of emotion that had been at bay while her life was under threat. She wiped the tears away.

  “Anyone would be,” he said. “You handled yourself just fine.”

  She knew she needed to process what had happened to her by talking about it. “At first, when he held the knife on me, he just wanted me out of the car so he could take it, but then when Dusty came toward him, he grabbed me.”

  “Let’s take you back to the station. You can file a report.”

  “We need to make sure we get that guy’s phone,” Darcy said as Jackson opened the passenger door for her. “We might be able to trace the woman who put him up to this through the call she made.” The phone had probably already been ditched or was a throwaway in the first place, but every avenue of investigation needed to be explored. “And we’ll find out where he picked up his payment. The woman might have been caught on camera.” She was talking a mile a minute because she was still worked up from having been held at knifepoint.

  While Jackson loaded Smokey into his crate, she closed her eyes and rested the back of her head against the seat.

  Jackson got behind the wheel and buckled his seat belt. He placed his hands on the steering wheel but didn’t turn the key in the ignition. “It was scary for me, too. I know you were the one with a knife to your throat, but I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost you. I shouldn’t have put you in that kind of danger.”

  “Don’t feel bad. You left me in the safest place possible. You had no way of knowing that guy was going to double back like that.”

  He smiled at her. “All the same, I like being your friend. I don’t want to lose you.” He turned the key. “Let’s go get your statement and then I’ll take you back to your place. I’m sure there is stuff you want to get for tonight when we watch the pups.”

  “Yes, I need to pick up some things, including that laptop I never got.” She rested her palm against her chest. Her heart still hadn’t slowed down. “I miss my apartment and my cat, but I don’t want to put my sister in danger. I wish this was over with.”

  “Me, too.” Jackson put the SUV in gear. “We’ll see if the detectives can get any more information out of that driver.”

  “You think he was telling the truth, that he never saw the woman who paid him to cause the wreck?”

  “I do, actually,” Jackson admitted. “The guy was really scared.” He turned to look at the broken driver’s-side window. “Looks like my K-9 vehicle is going into the shop, too.”

  “At least now we know that it is a woman who is behind the attempts on my life. That narrows down the possibilities,” Darcy said. “Once I have my laptop, I’ll be able to access some of my cases.”

  Jackson headed toward K-9 headquarters.

  There was no safer place for her than to be with Jackson and Smokey, but Darcy knew until she figured out which case had caused someone to desire her dead, it was just a matter of time before there would be another attempt on her life.

  SEVEN

  After they dropped the K-9 patrol vehicle with the broken window off at a shop that serviced all the vehicles, they waited for a replacement car. Gavin Sutherland and Lani Jameson showed up in separate K-9 cars, leaving one for Jackson to use. They drove to Darcy’s place to get the laptop.

  As they pulled into Darcy’s neighborhood, Jackson tensed. If the woman in the compact car was lying in wait anywhere, it would be at Darcy’s apartment. He circled the block several times, finding a space that required them to walk several blocks out in the open and cross the street. Smokey walked between him and Darcy.

  He stared up at the building where the shooter had probably been watching Darcy’s place, waiting for a chance to shoot at her when she stood in front of the window. Had their suspect done the shooting herself or had she hired that out, too?

  They crossed the street. The window had been replaced in Darcy’s ground-floor apartment and the curtains were drawn. Darcy slowed, her features growing taut.

  Jackson placed a supportive hand on her back. “Smokey and I are right here with you.”

  Darcy twisted the necklace she wore, clearly nervous. “I texted my sister that I’d be by. She’s not home right now, but she said Mr. Tubbs was fine.” She pulled her keys from her purse.

  “We should maybe call your neighbor to see if he noticed anyone suspicious hanging around here today. What was his name, Mr. Blake?”

  She nodded. “That would be a good idea. I don’t want to spend too much time here.”

  The little waver in her voice revealed how afraid she was. She might be reliving the shooting, as well. He knew from experience that it took a long time to heal from a trauma like being shot at. As a police officer, getting shot at was just part of the job. But Darcy was used to being tucked away with her samples and microscopes.

  She turned the key in the door lock and gripped the knob. He touched her arm. “Why don’t we let Smokey go in first? You stand at the apartment door and I’ll stand behind you while Smokey has a sniff around.”

  “Good idea.” She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Jackson closed the door behind them. His hand wavered over his gun.

  They walked the short distance to her apartment door. Jackson commanded Smokey to go inside. Mr. Tubbs, who was lying on the couch, jumped down and sought the safety of a window ledge. Smokey moved through each of the rooms and then returned to sit at Jackson’s feet.

  “If you want to give me Mr. Blake’s number, I’ll call him while you get your laptop. Smokey has given us the thumbs-up that no one is in here, but I’ll be right behind you all the same.”

  “My laptop is in the bedroom,” Darcy said then recited Mr. Blake’s number.

  “Let me make the call first.”

  Once Mr. Blake picked up, Jackson identified himself. “Have
you noticed anyone or anything strange since Darcy’s window was shot out?”

  Mr. Blake cleared his throat. “A woman who said she was a friend of Darcy’s stopped me on the street this afternoon. She asked if I knew when Darcy would be back.”

  Jackson’s heart skipped a beat. “And she wasn’t someone you had seen around here before?”

  “No.”

  “Can you describe her for me?”

  “Shoulder-length brown hair. Kind of a muscular gal. Not old, probably thirty or so.”

  That could be a third of the women in New York City. “Nothing distinct about her?” Jackson asked.

  “No, not really. Can’t say as if I would recognize her if I saw her again. Just talked to her for a couple of seconds.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Blake.” Jackson ended the call.

  Darcy twisted the pendant on her necklace. Something Jackson realized she did when she was nervous. “So she was here asking around about me, huh?”

  Tension wove through his chest. None of this made him feel any better about Darcy staying here. Even if her sister was around. At least she’d be safe tonight. “Let’s go get your laptop.”

  Darcy headed down a hallway toward her bedroom. Jackson and Smokey followed her.

  She picked her laptop up off the quilt on her bed. She hesitated for just a moment, glancing out her bedroom window. The curtains had not been drawn.

  He caught movement outside the window. “Darcy, get down.” Something thudded against the wall outside her bedroom.

  Still holding the laptop, she fell to the floor by her bed.

  Smokey barked.

  Jackson drew his weapon and pressed his back against the wall by the window. He angled his head so he had a view of the sidewalk and the apartment building across the street. The only people on the sidewalk close to Darcy’s place were two kids kicking a soccer ball. That must have been what had made the thudding noise.

  “All clear,” he said. “Guess we are both just a little on edge.”

  She rose to her feet. “That’s an understatement.”

  They returned to the living room and Darcy grabbed a book and some snacks, placing them in a bag along with her laptop. She petted Mr. Tubbs. “I’ll be home soon, big guy.”

  They stepped outside. While Darcy double-checked to make sure the door was locked, Jackson and Smokey headed outside to watch the street and surrounding buildings.

  The street by Darcy’s bedroom was a quiet one, but the one her living room faced was a busy thoroughfare at this hour. Though it had been quiet the night Darcy had been shot at, it was bustling with activity now. People were coming home from work and headed out to dinner.

  Staying on high alert, he walked close to Darcy as people brushed past them on the sidewalk. He watched Smokey’s reaction, knowing that his hackles would go up at anyone he perceived to be a threat. He opened the car door for her and waited before loading Smokey in the back. He continued to watch the traffic behind and around him as he headed to Bay Ridge and the K-9 Unit training center, where he and Darcy would babysit Brooke and her pups for the night.

  He didn’t relax until he and Darcy were inside the training center with the doors locked. In the veterinary clinic, Gina had left a note explaining about giving medication to Maverick and the feeding and care for the other puppies and Brooke. Gina instructed them to check on Maverick through the night and to call her if the condition worsened. The dogs were in a pen in the training center.

  Darcy found a fold-out chair in one of the storage closets. “Did Mr. Blake say anything helpful in narrowing down who might be behind the attacks?” There was also a rocking chair in the corner of the training center that was likely used when holding the puppies. It looked like the one that had been in the veterinarian’s area.

  “Not in appearance. Mr. Blake’s description was kind of generic. Brown hair and in good shape. He did say he thought the woman was probably around thirty years old.”

  “That is helpful. I can eliminate any of the older women connected to cases I worked.” She got her laptop out and flipped it open. She clicked several keys. “I need to call Harlan to jog his memory at some point. It occurs to me that someone I put away and who’s now out might want revenge. My work hasn’t sent that many thirty-something women to prison. We can check my list against recent parolees.”

  Darcy seemed less afraid when she could focus on catching the woman who was after her.

  While Darcy worked on her laptop, Jackson played with the other puppies and then held Maverick. The training center had both an indoor and small outdoor area for the dogs. He took Smokey and the puppies outside while Brooke remained close to Maverick. When he returned with the puppies trailing behind him, Darcy was still busy on her laptop.

  “Find anything?”

  She leaned back in the chair and rubbed her eyes. “I’ve come up with five possibilities. Once I have access to the files on the computer at work, the list will get longer.” She glanced down at Maverick as the other puppies raced toward their mom. The pup still looked kind of listless. She closed her laptop. “Maybe I should hold Maverick for a while if you like. I don’t think she’s up for any rough puppy play.”

  “Sure, why don’t I order some takeout?” He reached down to pick up the puppy and hand her to Darcy.

  “Chinese sounds good. Anything from the Dumpling House would be great,” she said.

  Jackson dialed the number and wandered away from the noise of the puppies so he could place their order.

  He walked the floor, coming to stand at a window. While he spoke on the phone, he separated the blinds just a tiny bit to peer out. It was dark outside though the streetlights did provide a level of illumination. A person in a hoodie leaned against a pole. Jackson could only see the individual from the side. He couldn’t even tell if it was a male or female. A chill skipped up his spine as he was reminded of the watcher in the woods the night he and Smokey had found Griffin Martel’s body.

  He knew Brooke would need to go for a long walk later since she needed more exercise than her puppies. That would give him an opportunity to make sure no one suspicious was hanging around the training center.

  After placing his order, he clicked his phone off and turned around. Darcy was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Maverick. “When the take-out comes, it might be a good idea for you to stay out of sight and let me get the door,” he told her.

  She nodded, drawing the puppy closer to her chest. “I get why I have to do that. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Maverick let out a whimper. “She doesn’t like it, either.”

  “I’m glad you have a sense of humor about this.” Jackson walked over to her and stroked the puppy’s head.

  They sat and visited until there was a knock on the outside door.

  Darcy got up and retreated to a back room. Jackson called Smokey, who walked beside him as he moved to answer the outside door. A police officer in uniform with a K-9 would probably be enough to intimidate anyone who had violence on her mind.

  Knowing he had to be ready for anything, Jackson had not removed his shoulder holster with his police-issue Glock. He knew the woman behind the attacks wasn’t above hiring muscle to help her and every attempt on Darcy’s life had, up to this point, come out of nowhere.

  Jackson took in a breath and reached for the doorknob.

  * * *

  Darcy sat on the floor, holding Maverick while she listened to Jackson interact with the delivery person. The other puppies played at her feet. All of them had followed her.

  Though she understood Jackson’s reasons for making her hide, it felt like the very thing she was trying to prevent was happening. The attacker was calling the shots on her life. She would be a virtual captive until this woman was caught and put behind bars. Darcy had never been one to back down from a challenge, but she was battling a sense of defeat over the whole thing. She had
to do something.

  With Maverick still resting in her lap, she pulled her phone out and texted Harlan.

  Any chance we will be able to go back to work tomorrow?

  She heard the outside door close and Jackson’s footsteps, along with the patter of Smokey’s paws, coming toward her. Jackson appeared, holding a brown paper bag. His smile lifted her spirits.

  “Not sure where the most sanitary place is to eat, considering the whole place is dog central,” he said.

  Darcy stood, still holding Maverick. “Probably Gina’s desk in the clinic. We can wipe it down.” She lay Maverick in her little separate bed carefully. The puppy licked her hands as she drew back.

  It took only a few minutes to find some disinfecting wipes and another chair for their makeshift dinner table. Jackson sat kitty-corner to her as they both pulled containers from the bag. Darcy checked the contents of several boxes before choosing the sweet-and-sour chicken.

  “I hope you like what I got.” Jackson spooned some rice onto his paper plate.

  “Looks like you got the special sampler of a bunch of different things on the menu. It’s what I always order from that great place near the lab.” After spooning out half the chicken, she handed him the take-out box.

  “Do you order from them a lot?”

  She nodded. “They’re our go-to place for not only lunch but late nights at the lab. My sister and I order from them quite a bit, too, since my apartment isn’t far from the lab.” She opened several more boxes and put the food on her plate before settling in to enjoy her meal after they said grace.

  Something about sharing a meal with him felt very comfortable. Smokey lay down at Jackson’s feet.

  When she smiled at the dog, he thudded his tail against the floor. “He doesn’t act very hungry.”

  Jackson looked at his dog and smiled. He scooped up a big bite of steak and broccoli stir-fry. “I think he helped himself to Brooke’s food.”

  Darcy took a bite of her chicken. “Tastes a lot like the place I get takeout. Glad I didn’t have to be at home alone. I don’t think I can handle that just yet.”