by Dana R. Lynn
An hour later, the phone rang again.
Again, the person on the other end of the line hung up.
Now she was freaked-out. Maybe she should run out and tell the cop. Tell him what? That someone had hung up on her? That was hardly a crime. And there was no way on earth she was walking outside and leaving her babies inside unprotected. They were in bed, but they would still be vulnerable.
No. She would wait.
After changing into sweats, she tried to sleep. She tossed and turned until, finally, she dropped off into a restless sleep.
Only to be awoken by the sound of the dog barking at five in the morning. Not just barking. But growling and lunging at the back door.
Irene jumped out of bed, her heart pounding. Running to the boys’ room, she checked to make sure they were safe. Both were sound asleep.
Izzy continued to bark. Irene crept down the hall in time to see the dog lunge viciously at the back door, scratching the wood as she tried to get at whatever was threatening the family.
Izzy never did that. She had been too well trained.
That’s when Irene knew. Something evil was out there. Or someone.
* * *
What was that noise? Paul had been feeling a bit sleepy after sitting in the dark for the past two hours, but now he was on full alert. There. He heard it again. From where he sat inside his cruiser in Irene’s driveway, it sounded like it was coming from inside her house, though he couldn’t tell from where.
Paul rolled down his window and listened.
Izzy was barking. And it wasn’t a normal bark. It was the bark of a dog protecting her family. Adrenaline flooded his system. Irene and the boys might be in danger. He reached over and picked up the flashlight, shoving it in his pocket as he hopped out of his vehicle and ran up to her front door, mindful of the snow crunching beneath his feet. He would be of no use to her if he fell and injured himself on her driveway.
He pounded on her door.
She screamed from inside the house. His heart stopped at the sound.
“Irene!” He raised his hand to pound on the door a second time.
Footsteps, running toward him. Then the door was yanked open. He saw her white face for just a moment before she launched herself into his arms. Unprepared for the onslaught, he stumbled back two steps until he regained his balance. He hugged her and, at the same time, moved them both inside the house. Shutting the door, he gave her a squeeze, then released her. The dog was still growling at the back door.
“Are you and the boys all right?”
She opened her mouth, but only a broken sob emerged. All she could manage was a nod. That was fine. As long as she and the kids were unhurt. That was all that mattered.
“Mommy? Mommy!” AJ and Matthew hurtled into the room, tears on their cheeks. Nothing scared a child as much as knowing their parent was frightened. Irene visibly pulled her emotions under control.
Izzy was still barking at the back door, scratching frantically to get out.
“It’s okay, boys. When Izzy started barking, Paul came to check on us. The noise of him knocking startled me, that’s all.” She bent and kissed the boys. They didn’t look convinced, but allowed her to lead them back to their bedroom. Paul took advantage of her absence and checked the locks on the doors and the windows, nodding in satisfaction when all was secure. She returned to stand near him.
He absolutely should not be noticing the scent of her shampoo as she stood close. Moving to the door, he refocused on the job at hand. Irene pulled the dog back from the door.
“You stay here,” Paul commanded, pulling the flashlight out of his pocket. He flipped it on, keeping the beam low. His service weapon was in his other hand. “Lock the door after me. Don’t open it until I tell you to. No matter what.”
The moment she nodded, he was out the door. He waited just a moment until he heard it latch and the dead bolt was slid back in place. Then he was off, searching for any sign of movement or disturbance. The snow was far too messed up by footprints from the Martello family and Izzy to really see if any new tracks were visible.
As he approached the backyard, he noticed that the barking inside the house had lessened. Then it stopped altogether. He sighed. Whoever or whatever had been there had likely taken off again. Who knows? Maybe it wasn’t a person at all, but a black bear, instead. They sometimes woke up and left their dens, wandering around searching for more food. It wouldn’t be the first time a confused bear had wandered so close to a home.
It was a possible explanation—but not a very likely one. He didn’t buy it for a second. And a minute later, his gut was proved correct as he moved along the thick row of bushes that lined the perimeter of the property line. Near the north corner, he found a suspicious break in the shrubbery. A hole just large enough for someone to slip through. Moving closer, he shined his light on the ground. There, showing up starkly on the white snow, were cut branches. No bear had done this. The branches were sawed cleanly off. Likely with a pair of heavy-duty shears. So whoever had done it had come prepared. Which meant that Irene was being watched by someone who knew there was a policeman parked out front and had taken steps to sneak in through the back. He used his radio to call in to the station. Ryan Parker and Gavin Jackson were on duty.
“Chief?”
Jackson. Concisely, Paul brought the officer up to speed on what he’d found.
“Okay. Parker and I will be out ASAP.”
Paul hung up and looked again at the bush. Someone was very determined.
He shuddered. What would have happened if Irene hadn’t had Izzy to warn him of the would-be intruder?
Stop. He couldn’t let himself go there. Nor could he allow any of the emotional attachments he had for the family, or for Irene, to interfere with his focus. It was on him to keep Irene, AJ and Matthew safe. He would do everything in his power to protect them. Which meant putting the people out to get Irene behind bars.
If he could protect Irene and her family and get little Mary back to her family, he would be content.
He remembered the look on Irene’s face when they’d found the little girl. It had been plain to see that her heart ached for the child’s parents. Just thinking of Irene made him anxious to check on her again, make sure she was still all right.
“Irene?” Paul called, knocking. “Open up. It’s me, Paul.”
Subdued and worn-out, she let him in. It had only been a day and a half since this whole mess started, and yet it seemed to have aged her right before his eyes. How much could one person take?
Paul shut the door behind him, locked it, then faced her. His eyes narrowed as they took in her expression. Without a word, he reached out and enfolded her into his embrace. She let him. Which proved just how unsettled she was. After a minute, he felt her stiffen and pull back. Reluctantly, he let her go. Immediately, he missed her closeness and wanted to take her back into his arms, to smooth the strain off her pretty face. He resisted the impulse, knowing it wasn’t the time. Nor did he have the right. Instead, he had to content himself with letting his eyes roam her face, just to assure himself that she was well.
“I’m okay. Really,” she insisted as his right eyebrow nudged upward. “Just tired. And aggravated. Was it a bear?”
He wished he could tell her it had been.
Her shoulders drooped as he shook his head. “I don’t think so. A hole has been cut in the hedges out yonder.” He waved in the direction of the left corner of her lot. She and Tony had planted bushes all around the perimeter of the backyard. Thick bushes that would have been hard to fit through. “A hole big enough for a man to fit through. The branches were lying there, and they had clearly been cut with shears. Someone was here, but Izzy kept them at bay.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. Oh, man. He hated to see her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears. It ripped his heart t
o pieces seeing her in pain. Irene rubbed the tears away, then knelt and gave the blond Labrador a hug. Izzy returned the favor in the form of doggy kiss with her wet tongue.
“Oh, yuck. Thanks, Izzy.” Irene leaned her head back to consider Paul. “Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m glad you showed up. But why are you here? Where is the officer on duty?”
He grinned.
“I am the officer on duty. We are short-staffed, remember? I have two new hires that will be starting next week. Until then, we’re making do. I have my shaving kit and a change of clothes for church in the car.”
She grimaced.
He hesitated. “Or we could stay here if you’d feel safer keeping indoors?”
She vehemently shook her head. “No. I feel like I need to get out of here for a few hours. And it’s church. What could happen there?”
FIVE
The church had changed since she’d last been inside it. Minor things. It had been painted, undergone some redecorating, and the social hall had been remodeled. It was easier to focus on these details than on what was happening around her.
Her emotions were a roller coaster. When Paul leaned over to grab the hymnal, she found herself inhaling deeper, enjoying the scent of his understated cologne. Realizing what she was doing, she jerked away from him. He gave her a quizzical look. She busied herself looking around, trying to ignore the heat rising up her neck and cheeks.
After the service, she found herself surrounded by people welcoming her back into the fold. Although there were those who just wanted to satisfy their curiosity or get some fodder for gossip, most of them were genuinely glad to see her back after so long. She didn’t see Melanie and Jace. They had probably gone to an earlier service so he could attend church before he and Miles flew out.
When Paul made a general excuse that they should be on their way because his mother needed to get home, she agreed with alacrity. Disappointed to see her go, but unwilling to argue with the police chief, most of the crowd shuffled back into the aisle to make their way to the doors that led to the outside of the stone church building.
“Thanks for the rescue,” Irene murmured as Paul put a warm hand on her elbow and motioned for her and the boys to walk ahead of him. “I never know what to say in situations like that.”
“It’s okay. I don’t know what makes people do that.”
Someone jostled her from behind. Irene startled and turned her head to see a strange young man. He gave her an apologetic smile.
It was a bit crowded. It must have just been an accident. She nodded and smiled back. She didn’t recognize him, but then she hadn’t been here for so long, there were bound to be new faces. She turned back to Paul. He had his phone out.
“In church?”
Okay, so now she sounded like her mother. She was way too young for that.
Paul grimaced, but slid his phone back into his pocket.
“Sorry, just checking on Sergeant Zee. Mary seems to be doing all right. Probably because Zee is a woman. And the red hair might have something to do with it.” She hadn’t considered it, but if Mary’s mother had red hair, it might have been comforting for her—drawing her first to trust Irene, and then to trust Sergeant Zee.
“Any luck finding her family yet?”
“No. I will drive to Spartansburg soon. Take a look around. Want to come?”
Surprised that he would ask, she hesitated.
His face went blank. “You don’t have to. I just thought that it would be easier if we could take Mary along, since the Amish community wouldn’t be comfortable with us showing a picture of the child. And Zee has something else she needs to attend to.”
Regret rose up. She hadn’t meant to make him feel bad, but she sensed her hesitation had done just that. “Of course, I want to come. It can’t be today, though. My neighbor across the street has her sister visiting today. I promised I would go over for a bit and show them how to set up Skype accounts. The sister is moving out of state.”
Paul nodded, looking thoughtful. “What time?”
She shrugged, catching the end of her braid in one hand and twisting it.
“I don’t know. Sometime after lunch. She’ll text me.”
He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it as they neared the pastor. They greeted the man, then scurried to catch up with Mrs. Kennedy and the boys, who were halfway across the parking lot.
Paul opened her door for her, and Irene started to slide into the back seat next to her sons. She looked up and stopped.
“Paul, do you know that young man?”
Paul looked over where she was pointing. The man who had bumped into her in church had been staring after them while talking on his phone. The intensity of his gaze made her shiver. He was now busy talking to some of the older women as they left. The women were laughing. So maybe they knew him. She felt like an idiot.
“I’ve never seen him before.” Paul frowned. He discreetly held up his phone and took a picture of the man. “He could just be someone new to the area.”
Irene ducked into the back seat with AJ and Matthew. Paul cast one last look at the man. Then he got in and yanked his seat belt in place.
“Y’all ready?”
They dropped off Mrs. Kennedy first. Irene had expected Paul to take her and the boys home first. Then she remembered. Understaffed. There was no one to keep an eye on them but him. Yeah, she had forgotten about that one. Sighing, Irene sank back against the seat, rubbing her hands against her thighs as she gazed out the window.
“Why don’t you move up front?”
It would have been ridiculous to refuse. And she didn’t mind sitting next to Paul. Frowning, she changed seats, not sure why she was suddenly feeling so low. She hated to think it was because Paul was spending time with her solely because it was his duty. Because that would mean that she wanted him to spend time with her by his own choice. And she didn’t. Did she? She tried to convince herself she wasn’t developing renewed feelings for the handsome man beside her.
“Looks like Nola’s sister’s arrived,” she commented as Paul swung his car into her drive. A blue compact car was sitting in the driveway across the street.
“Have you ever met her sister?”
She opened her mouth to reply, but AJ exploded out of the car, Matthew hot on his tail. “Mommy! I’m hungry. Is Chief Paul eating lunch with us?”
Irene chuckled at her guys. They would give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money, that’s for sure. “Okay, okay. I can only answer one question at a time. Chief Paul is welcome to eat with us. As long as he doesn’t mind cheeseburgers and French fries.”
He grinned. “Yum. I will even help you make ’em.”
She nodded, shooing the boys ahead of her. “You two change out of your church clothes, then you can have a few minutes of free time before lunch. But stay in the house.” Her heart twinged at the way their shoulders drooped, but she needed to keep them safe. That had to be her priority.
“Aw, Mom!”
“Hey, Junior...don’t sass your mama.” Paul tussled AJ’s hair, a crooked smile flashing across his face.
At the familiar pet name—the one her husband had used for AJ—Irene’s stomach dropped. She realized she had been enjoying Paul’s company and hadn’t even thought of Tony until now.
Better get things back on track. “And no,” she responded to Paul. He looked puzzled. “I have never met her sister. But she talks about her all the time.”
The hungry group made their way inside. Soon, the aroma of sizzling meat and baking fries was pungent in the air. Paul set the table while Irene fixed the food. When it was ready, the children were called and they sat down to eat.
It felt like a normal family thing to do, Irene thought with a pang. And Paul was seated at the head of the table as if he belonged there. Tears stung
her eyes. She blinked them away. Never had she been so grateful to hear her cell phone ping. Great timing, Nola.
“It’s Nola. As soon as lunch is done, I’m going to go over.”
Paul frowned. He didn’t say anything, though, until they were finished eating and the boys were cleaning up the dishes.
“I should go with you,” he said in a low voice.
She snorted. Loudly. “Please. Paul, this is my neighbor. And these are plans we made before I was in danger. You can watch me cross the street. And I will text you before I start back. But I don’t want to leave the kiddos alone, and they’d just be bored if they came with me.”
She could see that he wanted to argue. She lifted her chin and crossed her arms, daring him. After all, she was an adult. And it was daylight. Not to mention the fact that there was a police car in front of her house. Anybody would have to be crazy to try to attack her with the chief of police just across the street.
She knew she’d won when he sighed.
“Fine. Do me a favor, though. Give me a thumbs-up when you get there to let me know everything’s good.”
Irene rolled her eyes. It sounded like something she would tell her boys when she dropped them off at a friend’s house. Not like something you’d tell a woman who was almost thirty. Still it was sweet, in a way.
Grabbing her phone, she put on her coat and headed across the street.
Humming under her breath, she rang the doorbell. And waited. When no one answered, she shrugged and frowned. The doorbell must not be working. She knocked. Footsteps crossed the wooden floor just behind the door. Finally. She’d been starting to worry. The door opened.
“Hi—” The greeting that was ready on her lips died as she spotted the person standing behind sweet little Nola.
The young man Jace had identified in the police station. The one who had been watching her.
“You took long enough. Get in the house. Now.”
