by Janie Crouch
So, he hadn’t lied, but he hadn’t told her the whole truth either—that he remembered now what had happened between them that night. That he would do whatever he could to help make the rest of her transition here as easy as possible. Like he’d said when he’d kissed her, some things couldn’t be fixed, but that didn’t mean you didn’t try.
And he definitely hadn’t told her that he’d run a basic search on her. Hell, he wasn’t proud of it, but he refused to make any more missteps when it came to Annie and what she might need. And because of the work they did at Linear, they ran them—they weren’t quite a background check, but all public info available about a person—often.
She’d been divorced for two years and had declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy fourteen months ago. Unless she had developed some sort of shopping addiction while she had been married, it looked like she’d been left with a lot of debt. Some of it was from when her parents had died, a lot from the divorce. None had been lessened by her decision to move out of state in the middle of her medical residency, a decision that had been directly linked to what had happened between them that night.
Just get out. Get out and don’t come back.
Jesus. He hadn’t meant out of the state, just out of the room before they made a huge—huger—mistake. But how could she have known that? He couldn’t blame her for the way she’d taken it. He couldn’t blame her for anything about that night.
Her public record showed that she’d ponied up with her creditors and had tried to make individual deals that would keep everyone happy and her from declaring complete bankruptcy. Zac had nothing but respect for that.
Nothing but respect for everything about Annie. Now all he could do was show her.
She’d had basically no money when she’d moved here. Every spare penny was going to creditors. So, he was thankful he’d been able to make the repairs at her house without it costing her anything.
He’d spent the past month doing as much as he could, anything to help her out without making it seem too obvious. And he’d roped everyone into the plan.
He’d checked with Riley to find out Annie’s hospital schedule, then gone back to her house with Aiden and Finn three days later to install the floors and repair the drywall. The day after that, they’d painted and moved all her furniture to its final destination. She’d protested, but they’d quickly explained they were doing it for the good of the town, to make sure the emergency room doctor didn’t get injured. She’d reluctantly agreed and instructed them where to put each piece.
At Zac’s request, Dorian had gone over a couple days later and asked if he could cut firewood, explaining the repetitive motion helped his PTSD. Annie hadn’t refused, of course.
On Riley’s day off, when Annie had been working an eighteen-hour shift, she had asked to borrow Annie’s POS car, and Annie had quickly agreed. Riley had taken it over to Baby at the garage, who had fixed the worst of the offenders. At least now Annie wouldn’t get stranded in the parking lot in the middle of the night because her car wouldn’t start.
Hell, he’d even sent Finn over to repair the porch and screen door, bringing his secret weapon: Ethan. Nobody could resist Ethan with his tiny tool belt. He just wanted to hang out with his dad and hammer things. Annie hadn’t been an exception.
Even though all of them had refused payment of any sort, willing to help a neighbor, they had teased Zac unmercifully over his actions and schemes.
And he couldn’t care less.
History couldn’t be altered. His little helpful team of fixer-uppers wasn’t going to change the past. Everything Zac was orchestrating now couldn’t possibly make up for what he’d done and said that night, but it was the only way he knew how to try.
So, what he did was out of guilt, to a degree. Because how could he not feel any for being the bastard who’d taken her virginity, and then in the next breath thrown her out on her ass?
But it was more than that. Taking care of Annie, even if it was through third parties, felt right to him. It had less to do with guilt and everything to do with wanting to be near her. To earn back the possibility of being near her.
He didn’t want her beholden to him. He just wanted to hold her to him.
He rolled his eyes at the thought. Jeez, next he would be spouting sonnets. The guys weren’t far off when they called him whipped.
But it was still how he felt.
Annie obviously had other thoughts, and none of them had to do with getting closer to Zac. She was always polite to him, friendly, like she was with everyone else. She’d baked cookies and pies for him and the guys to thank them and brought them over to the Linear office. And Zac had run into her around town a few times. But she was careful not to get too close, not to let them be alone. There hadn’t been more soft kisses.
But he’d caught her staring at him a couple times when she hadn’t known he could see her, passion flaring in her eyes. She wasn’t immune to him. Wary—which he couldn’t blame her for—but not immune.
So, yeah. If riding with her to and from a crime scene was the only way to spend time with her, Zac would take it.
But another goddamn rape. In Lincoln County again, but in the larger town of Kingston, rather than last month’s in rural Hillsdale. Kingston wasn’t as big as Reddington City or Oak Creek, but it was still a good-sized town with a population of over twenty thousand.
“I know Rogers appreciates you coming out and providing your assistance,” he said to her as she sat in the passenger seat.
It wasn’t lost on him that Landon had specifically requested Annie. No doubt because she was an excellent physician and already had familiarity with the case. But that definitely wasn’t the whole of it. And when Sheriff Nelson had mentioned it, Zac had made sure to be the one giving her the ride.
“I’m glad to help. But I wish it weren’t needed. What will you be doing?”
“The same I did last time. Look around. See if there was anything that was missed.”
“Would you mind if I came with you?”
Again, not the way he’d been hoping to spend time with her, but he would take what he could get. “Please do.”
Zac waited in the clinic lobby as Annie went in to see the victim and talk to the nurse and female deputy from Fremont County. He was still waiting there about thirty minutes later when Landon Rogers jogged through the door.
The men stared each other down. Not unfriendly, but not friendly either.
“Wasn’t expecting to see you here today, Mackay. Your man, Dorian Lindstrom, is already seeing what can be tracked at the scene. Nelson sent him straight there.”
Zac shook the man’s outstretched hand. “Yes, and he is the very best when it comes to tracking. If there’s any physical trail to be followed, Dorian will find it.”
Landon nodded. “The attack occurred early this morning, just before sunrise. Veronica works at the veterinarian’s office. Everyone there takes a turn coming in early and letting out the animals that stay overnight. It was Veronica’s turn. She parked behind the building and was grabbed right before she went inside and dragged behind a storage shed they have out there.”
“So, no malfunction of the car this time?”
“No. And no relation between the two victims—outside of living in this county—that we can find, although that certainly hasn’t been exhausted yet. We’re also expanding our search to other counties and even down into Colorado. This may be much bigger than we think.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Do you think the perp was watching her like he did last time?”
“I’m hoping your man will be able to give me more insight.” Landon looked toward the door where Anne and the victim were. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect you to show up with Dr. Griffin.”
“I thought I might have a little insight too, since I saw the last scene. Not trying to step on your toes. I want to help catch this bastard.”
Landon tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Which Lincoln County appreciates. And, I’ll assume, usi
ng my well-honed detective skills, you’re also here to keep me from talking Anne into having dinner with me.”
Zac barely managed not to grit his teeth. “Anne is free to date whoever she wants, of course.” The thought of it brought the vilest of curses to his lips, but he didn’t voice them. Damn it, Annie was free to. If she wanted someone with whom she had no history, Landon Rogers was an excellent choice.
But if there was any way Zac could talk her out of it, he was going to try.
“Okay, we’re finished in there.” Annie walked up to the two men, her stance between them an echo of what had happened a month ago. “The team did an excellent job with the rape kit. There’s nothing I would’ve done differently, although, sadly, I don’t think it’s going to provide much help. Veronica wasn’t able to claw him at all, so there wasn’t much under her nails. The rapist used a condom again. Great for Veronica, not for DNA collection.”
“Any similarities or differences you noticed that might provide any illumination into the case?” Landon asked.
Her lips were pinched, but she didn’t look quite as emotionally battered as last month. “Veronica’s physical wounds aren’t as pronounced as Kimmy’s. Definitely not as much craniofacial damage.”
“So, he didn’t hit her as much,” Zac said.
“Exactly. I don’t know why. Maybe someone or something spooked him, and he took off, or something about Kimmy made him desire to hurt her, but Veronica didn’t elicit that same response. I have no idea. And don’t get me wrong, it’s still atrocious. But at least she won’t have quite as much physical healing to do.”
Landon reached over and touched her arm. “Thanks again for coming in, Dr. Griffin.”
Annie’s friendly smile to the other man was a punch in Zac’s gut. “Anything I can do to help. Honestly. And please call me Anne. I’m going with Zac now to look at the crime scene before I go back to work. Maybe based on Veronica’s injuries I can provide further understanding.”
Zac swallowed a smile, her words effectively rejecting any advances Landon might make before he could even try. The sheriff’s eyes met his briefly, and Zac knew the other man was feeling the same way.
“We’ll keep you posted if there’s anything worth reporting,” Zac said.
“You do that. Thanks again for coming out.” He touched his hat and smiled at Annie, who just blushed and looked down. How would Landon look with a couple teeth missing?
If Zac were a better man, he would give her space and let her decide what she wanted. Who she wanted. He’d give Landon a chance to take her out and show her that she had options if she wanted them, wouldn’t put any sort of pressure on her to choose him over Landon.
As he put his hand on her back—a thrill zinging through him when she swayed closer rather than farther away—he had to face facts. He wasn’t a better man.
This rape scene had a lot of similarities with the first. There were a number of places the perp could have sat and watched, waiting for Veronica to arrive, if he’d known she was coming. Also, the shed at the back of the office parking lot had provided cover, like the abandoned warehouse had last month.
But it was also different. Less isolated, so much more gutsy on the rapist’s part.
“What are you thinking?” Annie asked him as they walked farther from the shed, which was still roped off, although the crime scene processing team had already left.
“Trying to put myself in this guy’s shoes. Figure out where I would’ve waited.”
She nodded. “Any place particularly stand out?”
He looked around again. “There are a number of places he could’ve waited, if that’s what happened. There’s always the possibility it wasn’t the same guy, but I think it was.”
“This area seems so busy. Like there would’ve been no way Veronica could just be snatched out of the parking lot without anyone noticing.”
He nodded, looking around more. “But it’s lunchtime now, much busier. At five o’clock this morning, it would’ve been a lot quieter.” He took her hand gently. “Want to walk through it with me? It will help us both understand the attacker a little better.”
“O-okay.”
They walked over to Veronica’s car, careful not to touch it.
“She parked here, probably this same spot every day, or at least when she had the early shift. This is some of what the guys and I teach—and a big part of what we learned in our Special Forces training: situational and tactical awareness.”
“I’m not sure I know what that means exactly.”
“Just being aware of the potential threats around you. I do it automatically now, but we try to teach people how to develop situational awareness for themselves.”
“Like what? Tell me what you see.”
Zac closed his eyes and pictured the scene in his mind. “There are two cars parked in the front of the building, both empty. We’re being watched from at least two different places. One to the east” —he held his arm out to the right— “but I would assume that’s Dorian making his way back here after tracking the perp as far as he could. The other set of eyes is farther off to the south. To be honest, I’m not sure if that’s a threat or not. After what happened here this morning, word has gotten out. People are curious. So, it’s probably someone trying to figure out why we’re here if we’re not cops.” He turned a little more. “The safety lamp over the door was broken recently.”
He opened his eyes to find her staring him with wonder. “Oh my gosh, that was amazing. How did you know someone is watching?”
“Sunlight reflected off what was probably binoculars farther up the block. Or it could be a rifle scope.” Not uncommon in Wyoming.
“And the safety lamp? How did you know that was broken?”
He took her hand again and led her closer to the door. “Glass on the ground. Veronica parked out of habit, then took a few steps.” They bent down, and he showed her a slightly deeper footprint in the gravel. “She stopped right here, probably realizing the light hadn’t kicked on the way it normally did. And FYI, when we follow patterns like Veronica probably did, we make the bad guy’s job easier.”
They scooted over another couple feet and crouched near the ground. “She hurried, maybe a little freaked out, then stopped again here, perhaps when she heard glass crunch under her feet.” The next step was decidedly more pronounced in the gravel. “See how deep that is? She was holding all her weight on one foot, probably to try to look at the other and see if there was glass on her shoe.”
“She didn’t want to track it in and hurt the animals.”
He couldn’t help his smile. She’d always been so damn smart. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Annie studied the ground. “And he grabbed her here.”
She was right. “Yes, how do you know?”
“No more steps. He waited until she was distracted, off-balance, and grabbed or hit her.”
“Yes, that’s probably it exactly. Let me know if you decide you want a job at Linear.”
They both stood. “I don’t know what happened after that.”
He pointed at the shed. “Crime scene tells us. I would imagine that he stunned her with a crack to the jaw, then probably carried her to the shed since there are no marks of any kind.”
“He had to be strong. Veronica’s like me. Neither of us could ever be considered petite or helpless.”
“Anyone can be stunned with the right initial blow. And take you. You’re, what, five foot nine? But it wouldn’t take much for me to subdue you. Especially if no one else was around. You really should come around to Linear. I could teach you a few moves that would help you out if you got in trouble.”
Her smile was soft. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
“It would be my pleasure.” He turned a little to the side. “You can come out, Dorian. We’re done walking through the scene.”
Dorian moved his large frame silently around the shed. “I didn’t want to interrupt.” He tilted his head at her. “Ma’am.”
> “Hi. I had no idea you were there,” she whispered.
Most people couldn’t believe how quietly Dorian moved, considering his hulking size.
“You know you have eyes on you in the south about half a mile?” he asked softly. “Whoever it is has been watching since I got here.”
“I spotted the glare a few minutes ago. Probably somebody curious as to what’s going on. This sort of thing shakes up a small town.”
Dorian grunted an affirmative, still looking in the direction of the eyes. “Whoever it is, they’re using a scope.”
Shit. “More than likely some overly concerned dad. Everybody’s going to sleep with their rifles tonight.” But he still didn’t want Annie out here in the open. “You able to track anything?”
Dorian pointed to the building across the parking lot. “He was up there. I found another rock pile like you described from the other scene. He was waiting. Would’ve seen her pull up and had plenty of time to take out the light then and still make it her when she’d parked.”
Annie was still looking around. Zac touched her back. “You ready to go? I know you need to get back to work.”
She nodded.
“I’m going to walk south a mile or so and look around,” Dorian said. If anyone could find who was watching through the scope, it would be him. Without another word, he was gone.
Annie filled the ride back to the hospital with questions, about the Army and what specific training they’d given him that allowed him to be aware of stuff most people never thought about their entire lives. He told her about missions in Afghanistan where situational awareness had always made the difference between life and death.
He didn’t tell her how sometimes even the keenest instincts didn’t keep you safe. About how a bullet had grazed him in the head in the Afghani mountains, and if it hadn’t been for some of his Army brothers carrying him out, he wouldn’t be here right now.
She wanted to know about the company and the types of classes they offered. What was the most popular? Who came for the different types? How did people keep their training fresh once they’d come to Linear?
