by Unknown
Keira rose. She knew someone who had as much practical experience in outdoor activities as a DNR officer would. And he was only a handful of miles away.
She checked in with Mary and Brody for a progress report and then told Cal where she was heading before collecting her coat and going out the door.
_______
Fuck that. Why was she leaving so soon?
He watched from across the street from the courthouse as the SUV pulled out of the lot and drove away. Not even four o’clock. Bitch probably didn’t even work a complete workday. He’d be doing the fine citizens of Alger County a favor by taking her out. Save ’em some money. .
After a minute he fired up his truck and followed her, heading west out of town. Just outside Christmas, he slowed when she turned into a private drive. Where the hell was she going?
He considered his next step as he drove slowly by. Already four-fifteen. It wasn’t as cold today, although it’d be dark in another forty-five minutes, and temperatures would be dropping. Unless she was planning a very short visit, Saxon might head home after this stop.
Slowing, he waited for the cars ahead of him and behind to go by before pulling a ‘U’ turn. The sheriff hadn’t returned home at all last night, so it might just be some more worthless hours hiding in the trees with the rifle, freezing his nuts off for nothing.
But he was feeling lucky. She’d go home tonight. And when she did, he’d be waiting.
_______
“Hey, Keira.” Doug O’Shea came out of his metal machine shed to greet her as she pulled up. “Not every day that I get a text from my favorite sheriff.”
She smiled. She’d known the man since she’d played Little League with his daughter when they were both eight. He’d been their coach for two consecutive summers. “I don’t get to see you around much. How’s your mom?”
“Ninety-three years old and running laps around the other folks in the assisted living facility. I hope she passed those genes down to me. Come up to the house. Let’s get out of this cold.” They walked side by side toward the blue ranch-style house back-dropped against a densely wooded lot. “I have to admit, I’m thinking strongly about retiring soon.”
She cut a look toward him. “Can you keep yourself busy? That’s the question. I recently heard that Danny had been contemplating the same thing. Can’t really imagine him not going to the office every day.”
“Spoken like someone in her thirties.” There was a twinkle in his eye as they stepped up to the front door and kicked the snow off their boots. “There comes a time in your life when you dream of leaving behind the hassle and the commute, and spending more time with your family and hobbies.”
She wiped her feet on the rug just inside the home, remembering how particular his wife had once been about her house. But Nancy O’Shea was gone now, killed in a car accident nearly seven years earlier. Looking around, Keira realized that Doug still kept it as tidy as his wife had.
Accepting a mug of coffee she took a seat at the kitchen table and used the cup to warm her hands.
“I suppose the drive to Negaunee every day does get tiresome.” The town was an hour away in Marquette County. The last she knew the man had worked in the office as the company’s accountant.
“More every year.” He pulled the off his hat and sat across from her. Doug was a little balder than she remembered. A little older. But the warm blue eyes and friendly smile were the same. “Got off a bit early today because I got stuck there last night. I only drove a couple miles out of town before realizing it was stupid to take chances in that storm. So.” He shrugged his flannel-clad shoulders. “Went in early, left sooner than usual. I’m working more flexible hours these days. They don’t care when I’m there as long as I put my eight hours in. Gives me some time to check my trap lines or just sleep in.”
She brought the mug to her lips. “So you’re still trapping.”
“In my blood. Of course, the fur market went to hell a couple years ago. Fewer of us out there these days.”
“Why is that?”
“Not as much demand in the US anymore. Animal rights organizations have money and a platform. They reach consumers and lobbyists.” He took a drink from his cup. “It’s the nature of markets to rise and fall. It’ll rebound. Some day. Greece was one of our biggest buyers, but their economy has affected demand. Demand in China and Turkey is still strong, though. So.” He sent her a crooked smile. “Tell me why you ask.”
“There may be a trapping element to a case I’m investigating.” She felt her way carefully. Although she trusted Doug O’Shea’s confidentiality far more than she did Stella’s, it was still a department matter.
“You’re investigating? Not DNR?”
Keira gave him a brief smile. “It’s a bit complicated. A crime victim did some trapping, and I’m considering the possibility of whether that brought him to the attention of his attacker.”
To the man’s credit, he looked intrigued but didn’t inquire further. “So how can I help?”
“It’s a solitary pastime, for the most part, right? How often do you see someone else when you’re checking your lines?”
“More than you might think, especially on state and federal lands. There are a lot of outdoor enthusiasts on the UP, and sports that keep them outdoors all year round. Right now I see the occasional cross-country skier and snowmobiler. I’m usually out there too early or late, though.”
“How about other trappers and hunters?” she pressed.
He took a slurp of coffee. “I see more hunters for the most part. Deer and turkey season you can’t turn around without running into another orange vest. But trappers try to avoid areas that already have traps and snares and find fresh territory. Sometimes we pay for exclusive rights to a landowner’s property, so you better not see anyone else there. But on public lands I run into others more frequently.”
“Have you ever encountered poachers?”
His mouth flattened. “Every now and then. I report the bastards to DNR, too. Not just because they’re breaking the law. But because they have no ethics. They don’t care about leaving the habitat in a good condition so the animals can repopulate. All they’re thinking about is themselves.” Doug paused to drink before continuing. “Of course it’s a bit different with trapping. Hunting poachers might bag more than their share, or hunt out of season. With trappers, you get the guys who will set their traps on top of yours, or take the catch right out of your snares. The biggest jerks will steal both the animal and trap.”
“So if someone came upon an individual they caught poaching, there’d be some animosity.” That might explain why the second victim was killed, but it wouldn’t apply to her father.
Doug gave a slow nod before raising his mug to his lips again. After a moment he set it down and said, “Some people don’t need a reason to be aggressive. There’s a lot of competition in the field. And even more ways to game the system.”
Interested, Keira sipped from her cup. “Tell me about that.”
“Well, the easiest is to buy licenses and permits for every family member, when only one is actually trapping. That can quadruple his limit on each animal or even better. Gives him a helluva edge over the guys like me following the rules.”
“Anything else that would anger other trappers?”
His expression turned bemused. “Some people are easily antagonized. I know people who carry a real grudge against Native Americans because they’re given special privileges when it comes to seasonal limits on animals. I figure life deals us enough unhappiness to go around looking for more.”
The truth in his words arrowed deep. “You’re right about that.”
“Anyway.” He cleared his throat. “Doesn’t take long to get dark around here this time of year.” Giving her a wink he added, “If you want some firsthand experience you can ride along with me while I inspect my lines.”
Laughing, she shook her head. “You’ve given me a lot of information already. I think I’ll pass. After getting
snowed in last night, I’m anxious to get home.”
Chapter 8
Keira reminded herself to call Chase as soon as she got back to the cabin. The deputy had had more than his share of surveillance time, given her unplanned stay in Baraga. He deserved a break. As her headlights cut through the darkness on her plowed drive, she felt a sense of homecoming. She could access the DNR database from her home computer. All it took was the law enforcement code. The thought of a hot bowl of soup in front of the fire, while she worked, was even more enticing.
She pulled around the curve and the cabin came into sight. The security lights were on all around the house, each emitting a soft pool of light. First she’d change into sweats and a tee, she planned, reaching up to the garage opener on her visor. It’d be a relief to get out of this uniform.
“Dammit,” she muttered as the opener came loose and fell to the floor. Slowing the vehicle, she bent to retrieve it.
CRACK!
The window shattered. Tiny shards of glass rained down on her. Shocked, she stayed crouched down, switching off the ignition. Comprehension filtered through her numbed mind. Someone was shooting at her.
Instinct took over. Staying low, she opened her door and dove out the side, rolling toward the front of the SUV. Another shot kicked up snow and gravel inches away. She scrambled over to the tire and took out her weapon and radio.
The silence after the two shots was eerie. “10-0 requesting assistance. Shots fired.” She reeled off her address and the code for immediate backup. The call would have any law enforcement personnel in the vicinity responding.
Hopefully, one of them would arrive soon.
Another shot came whizzing only inches above her head. The shooter knew exactly where she was. Of course, he did. And he’d have to realize that he had her penned here, with no place to move.
She snuck a glance up at her door and her stomach hollowed out when she saw the fist size hole in her window. A matter of clumsiness. That’s all that had saved her. A few brief seconds had been the difference between life and death.
She wasn’t home free yet. Keira considered the odds. The shot had been fired from the front of the property, through the woods where they’d seen the moose. Given the damage to the window, he was close. Maybe hiding in the trees and brush that lined her driveway.
She drew up just enough to be able to see over the hood and sprayed bullets along the area bordering the drive before ducking down again. There was no return fire. Sirens screamed in the distance, but silence shrouded the immediate vicinity. .
Whoever had shot at her was already gone.
_______
It wasn’t difficult to find the shooter’s station. His footprints disclosed his position. He’d been well hidden in a copse of trees and had stepped away from the fir providing him cover each time he’d taken a shot. He’d had a prime view of the front of her house.
A chill worked over Keira’s skin as she joined the other officers walking the grid they’d established, Maglites sweeping the snow for evidence. Periodically the floodlights were moved to provide more illumination. The shooter’s trail had been easy enough to pick up. He’d parked on the side of the road a mile away and made his way through the wooded property to where he’d chosen to lay in wait.
“Got another clear boot print here.”
“Cast it.”
The radio on her belt crackled. “Finn wants to see you at the cabin.”
Finn.
Keira turned on her heel and made her way back toward the house. She’d managed only a brief text to him before she was surrounded by the responding law enforcement. Two of the city officers were there, as well as half of her department and some troopers who had been in the area. As grateful as she was for their assistance, she found herself hoping that most of them would be gone upon her return to the cabin. Other than evidence collection, there wasn’t much to be done.
She found Finn standing in front of her vehicle, bare-headed, hands jammed deep into the pockets of his coat as he stared at the driver’s window. Slowing as she rounded the car, she stopped beside him. “Hey.”
His gaze swept her from head to toe. Back up again. “You’re bleeding.” The words were dispassionate, belying the intensity in his eyes.
“Oh.” She wiped at her forehead and cheek. “Just nicks from the glass. Amazingly enough, I’m unhurt.”
There was a tightness in his jaw that was new. A lethal tension emanated from him. “Helpful text. ‘Trouble my place. Fine.’” He nodded toward her car window. “I think you took wide latitude with the word ‘fine’, but that’s me.”
Keira felt like she was tiptoeing through a minefield without knowing exactly why. The sensation was annoying. “Excuse my semantics. It would have taken too long to text ‘homicidal shooter trying to kill me. I think he’s gone.’”
“Keira!” Mary stood in the doorway of the cabin. “If we can finish this report I’ll take it back to the office and get it typed up tonight.”
She took a step toward the house. Paused to look at Finn. “Did you complete the tests?”
He stepped forward and with a hand at the small of her back, guided her toward the porch. “I did. We can now be sure that Joseph Atwood was the second victim.”
_______
“Well, you sure as hell aren’t staying here by yourself.”
Keira scanned the faces of Brody, Hank, and Phil. They looked like a row of pugnacious linemen. “He’s gone. I don’t need a bodyguard.” Bad enough that the law enforcement entities had already worked out a schedule for constant patrols of her property. Worse still was knowing she wasn’t going to be allowed a moment alone for the foreseeable future.
Finn was propped against the family room wall nearby, arms crossed over his chest. After insisting on tending to her scratches himself, he’d gotten progressively more reticent while she dictated her statement to Mary.
“We can take turns staying here. For back up,” Brody stammered when Keira’s narrowed gaze met his.
“It’s stupid to take chances.” As always, Phil cut to the chase. There was an expression of concern on his face. She could read his thoughts. First his best friend, and tonight nearly his best friend’s daughter. Looking away, she took a breath. “You have your own lives. Families.” Glancing at Fallon, she added, “Hank, your wife would skin you if she had to take care of your toddler every night by herself. And you other two…”
“I’m staying.” They were the first words Finn had spoken in the last several minutes and his tone brooked no opposition. The three men turned to look at him as he pushed away from the wall, dropping his arms to his sides. “I agree that someone needs to, even if Keira doesn’t. And it makes the most sense for it to be me.” His smile was grim. “No one’s inconvenienced that way.”
No one, she thought darkly, except her. It was more than a little maddening to have decisions made for her by four thick-headed males, she decided twenty minutes later after the last of her deputies had trailed through the door, and she’d re-secured the locks. But it was the lone man standing a few feet away, silently contemplating her that she focused on.
“This is stupid.” Now that everyone was gone, there was a welter of emotion churning in her. It was easiest to pluck out anger and ride that. She stalked toward the kitchen. “I don’t know what you guys think having another person around here will…”
There was a thud behind her and she whirled in a crouch, weapon drawn. Finn froze in the act of removing his other boot. She blinked, embarrassment surging. Straightening, she re-holstered her gun. “I guess I might be a little jumpy.”
His gaze was sober. “You have reason to be.”
It would have been easier to settle her nerves had she been alone. A hot bath with about a gallon of wine would do the trick. But instead, she went to the kitchen, pulling out two cans of soup. Opening them, she dumped the contents into a pan, got a spoon and turned the burner on. Then stood there for a minute and tried to draw a deep breath through lungs that seem
ed suddenly strangled.
Adrenaline had long since faded. She was left with the shaky aftermath and seized on routine and procedure to fill her mind and stave off further reaction. When her knees wanted to go a little weak, she straightened them. But it was all she could do to keep her hands from trembling.
In the next moment, two strong arms snuck around her waist and destroyed her efforts. She was pressed against the muscled wall of his chest. Keira stiffened in Finn’s embrace.
“One of the reasons I wanted a break from pathology was because I was tired of people I cared about ending up in my autopsy suite.” His voice was a rumble in her ear. She was no longer certain whether the muscle weakness creeping through her was due solely to adrenaline crash. “I was just ready to call you with the test results when I got your text.” His arms tightened a fraction. “It took seventeen minutes to get from the lab to your cabin. Seventeen. Minutes.”
Her body ignored the dictates of her brain, and she let herself lean on him. Just a bit. “I know. Everything happened so fast. He was probably gone by the time I returned fire. Or at least leaving. Even seconds can feel like…” The rest of her words were lost as he reached around her to switch off the burner. Then she was turned in his arms. His mouth settled over hers and all thought spun away.
The initial softness of his kiss was not unexpected. The hint of urgency was. His lips moved against hers comfortingly at first, but there was more here than comfort. One arm remained at her waist and the fingers of his other hand speared in her hair, cupping the back of her head.
Keira was motionless, surprise and pleasure coursing through her. When Finn used the tip of his tongue to trace the seam of her lips, press them open, her arms twined around his neck and she gave herself over to the moment. The taste of him was heady. Unfamiliar. It would have been natural to rely on her innate caution to call a stop to this if she didn’t recognize the harnessed control in his touch. If she wanted to, she could return his kiss, glide her tongue along his and revel in the knowledge that it’d go no further. And she discovered at that moment that she did want to. Quite desperately.
