Nicki knew he was right. Like it or not, she had become the target of some shady characters who apparently had ties to Arianna.
The biggest question was how in the world could she hope to convince them—and the police—that she was innocent. Clueless. Not worth bothering with.
Except for this particular officer, she added silently. Given a choice, she would just as soon have him hanging around a little while longer, at least until the threats stopped.
It wasn’t sensible.
It wasn’t logical.
But it was true. She felt a lot safer when he and his big, black dog were close by.
Like right now.
* * *
As far as Jackson was concerned, the pretty cook had dodged a theoretical bullet once again. If she hadn’t been fired and, therefore, left work before nightfall, she could easily have become a crime statistic.
He swept the general area, checked inside her car and retrieved her personal belongings, then returned to Nicolette and Titan. They both seemed very glad to see him.
“Looks like somebody let the air out of the tires instead of slashing them, so you should be good to go as soon as we get them inflated.”
“But...why would someone do this?”
“You really don’t see the possibilities?”
“No.”
He turned sideways in the seat to partially face her. “Okay. Here’s what I think... I think somebody still believes your cousin told you something important, and they’re determined to get the secret from you.”
“By letting the air out of my tires? That’s crazy.”
“Not if it meant you’d be stranded at night, all alone, behind a building that provides plenty of cover from passing witnesses.”
He could see that his frankness was making an impression with her. Judging by the paleness of her cheeks, he wondered if he’d gone too far.
Instinct told him to reach out to her, to squeeze her hand, to offer comfort. Training and experience warned against getting too friendly. Before Jackson could decide which concept to employ, his dog settled the question for him.
Titan stretched his big head over the seat and gave the frightened young woman a kiss on the cheek. The slurp was audible.
If she’d looked the least bit upset, Jackson wouldn’t have laughed. However, when she squealed, “Eww,” and swiped at her damp cheek with her palm, he had to chuckle. “Sorry. I think he wants you to know you’re safe with us.”
“Safe, maybe. Wet, too. Is he always this slobbery when he wants to show affection?”
“As a matter of fact, no,” Jackson told her. “I guess he remembers you hugging him after the blast.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t give him any treats, too, or he’d have drowned me!”
Pointing at the dog Jackson ordered, “Down. Stay.” And Titan plopped onto the backseat as if he’d had that pose in mind all along.
“He really is amazing,” Nicki said. “I’ve never seen such a well-trained animal. Do you get to take him home with you at night?”
“Yes. I have a little ranch east of here where he can run around and unwind.” He smiled. “Me, too.”
“That’s nice.” Nicki paused and sighed. “So, what shall I do about my car? I’ll need it if I’m going to go job hunting.”
“I’ll radio Arnie’s Garage for a service truck. If the driver can’t take care of your tires on the spot, I’ll have the car delivered to you later. In the meantime, suppose you let me buy you a cup of coffee and maybe a bite to eat?”
“Not here,” Nicki said quickly, eyeing The Truck Stop Diner. “Any place but here.”
“Fine.” He used his radio to order the roadside assistance, then started the SUV. “All set. How does the Sagebrush Diner sound?”
She smiled. “Wonderful.”
“Good.” And while we’re there, Jackson mused, we’ll relax and talk about a lot of things, including what your crooked cousin may have told you.
It didn’t matter how much he happened to like this woman or how smitten his dog was with her, there was no way he could believe she didn’t know more than she was willing to admit. Nobody her age could still be this naive, this innocent. Nobody.
This woman was hiding something. Something that was liable to get her killed if she didn’t confess soon.
FOUR
Nicki rolled down the SUV window and let the balmy April air caress her face as the K-9 cop drove her into town. Many businesses were located on or near Sagebrush Boulevard, as was the large, redbrick church where she had so recently become a Christian.
They pulled up to the familiar storefront diner. “While I’m here, I can ask if they need a cook,” Nicki said. “I need to find something that I can keep doing while I’m waiting for the baby.”
Jackson rolled down the windows partway to give Titan fresh, cool air before he circled to open her door. “Isn’t it going to be hard to be on your feet a lot?”
“I haven’t had any problems yet. The biggest drawback at the truck stop was that tiny, stuffy kitchen.”
She accompanied him to the diner and felt a rush of cool air as he opened the glass door in the brick facade. This place, too, smelled of cooking, but not in the way her former job had.
The booths along one wood-paneled wall beckoned, and she headed straight for the most distant one.
“I can’t let you pay for my order,” she insisted, scooting in. “This is not a date.”
“Of course not.”
“Good, because I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take advantage of your kindness.”
The astonished look on his handsome face almost made her giggle. It was ludicrous to suggest that anyone could take advantage of a man like this unless he permitted it. Still, she had to wonder why he was being so solicitous. Perhaps his motives were not as pure as hers.
As soon as Nicki had ordered a slab of apple pie à la mode and coffee she leaned back, folded her arms across her chest and spoke her mind. “Okay. Here we are. Now why did you really invite me?” The odd arch of one of his brows caused the beginnings of a cynical smile at the corners of her mouth. “Well?”
“I don’t suppose you’ll believe it was out of the goodness of my heart?”
“Nope. I’ve had my fill of manipulative men, particularly lately. Try telling me the truth.”
“Fair enough.” Leaning forward, his hands clasped atop the faux-wood table, Jackson spoke quietly. “My boss wants me to talk to you about what Arianna said with her last breath.”
“You mean that ridiculous code thing that Murke was screaming about before the shooting started? Forget it. I don’t know anything about any codes. I told you—my cousin and I hardly ever spoke. I am the last person she’d have shared an important confidence with.”
“Okay. Suppose I buy that.”
“What do you mean, suppose? It’s the truth. I don’t know a thing about her business or her criminal activities. She and I were at odds from the time we were teenagers. Arianna used to laugh at me for being too goody-goody. She made no bones about it.”
“Then why would she waste her last breath warning you?”
“How should I know?” Nicki could tell from the warmth of her cheeks that she was getting upset. “Maybe she was trying to get me into trouble for the fun of it. She did that lots of times when we were kids.”
“Okay.” Jackson unfolded his napkin and eased back in the booth to make room for their orders. “Eat your pie and then we’ll talk to the manager in case there’s a chance for a job here.”
“What about my poor apartment and my tires?”
“If the car isn’t ready soon enough, I’ll drive you home and the garage can deliver it later.”
“Assuming I have a home. You haven’t really told me what to expect.”
“It’s probably not as bad as you’re envisioning.” He paused to add cream to his coffee. “I didn’t get a detailed look at it, but they tell me your bedroom is still in pretty good shape so you can salvage yo
ur clothes and things like that.”
“Oh, spiffy. And I can sit in the middle of an exploded sofa to watch TV?”
To his credit, he winced. “No TV, I’m afraid. No windows, either.”
“What? I can’t even lock myself in?”
“Probably not, now that you mention it. I’ll have a talk with your landlord and see about getting you moved into another unit.”
“I don’t want another unit. I want my home back. I want my job back. I want my life back.”
“One step at a time. One day at a time,” he said so calmly she wanted to scream.
Who did this cop think he was, lecturing her? He probably had a family and a real home. That was all she’d wanted. To belong again, the way she had once, when her parents were alive and life had been so peaceful. It wasn’t fair that they had both been taken from her when she was in her teens and made her grow up overnight.
In retrospect, she could see that that desire for normalcy was what had gotten her into trouble with Bobby Lee, yet it had also ultimately led her back to church and had resulted in her recently renewed faith, so she could hardly complain. Now she understood how desperately she had needed God’s forgiveness, His unconditional love. She still did. And so did her unborn baby.
They would make a family of their own someday, just the two of them. Nicki knew she could handle being a single mother. Her fondest hope was that raising her child alone wouldn’t be too hard on the little boy or girl.
It was becoming clear that the Lord had been protecting her when He’d allowed her to glimpse Bobby Lee’s true character. Being deserted by a selfish liar like that had to be better than having him co-parenting their child.
The only thing she would have done differently, given another chance, was avoid listening to her biological clock and believing the sweet lies and so-called marriage proposal of that handsome cowboy-type in the first place. Anybody could look good in a Stetson. It took a special man to deserve to become a father.
* * *
The trip back to Nicki’s apartment was short and uneventful. Jackson pulled up to the curb and stopped. “I truly am sorry you lost your job.”
“Yeah, me, too.” She sighed wearily. “I’m beginning to realize how hard it’s going to be to find another cooking position. Sagebrush is too small.”
“You’ll find something. I know you will. My earlier offer stands. If you want me to speak to Lou for you, I’ll be glad to.”
Nicki shook her head. “No. I can’t go back to work there. Just the thought of that steamy, stinky little kitchen turns my stomach.”
“Okay.” Jackson circled the SUV to open her door. “First things first. I’ll walk you up to your apartment so you can get some of your things.”
“Then what? I have no place to go.”
“There must be an empty suite close by, hopefully in this same building.” He saw she was standing strong, unwavering. Nevertheless, he felt it would do her good to have Titan along so he also leashed the dog and let him jump down. “Let’s stop at the manager’s unit on the way up and ask.”
“Whatever you say. I’m beyond logical thought right now. It seems like my whole world has been turned upside down.”
Jackson smiled to reassure her as they made their way along the front walk. The old concrete was so cracked and uneven, he almost cupped her elbow to steady her without thinking of the possible negative consequences.
Reaching past her, he opened the worn exterior door and held it while she passed through. He’d seen plenty of dumps before, but this building was close to the worst. Moving out might be the best thing for her. Getting into a safer neighborhood wouldn’t hurt, either, particularly since she had her baby’s welfare to consider as well as her own.
Jackson paused to knock on the manager’s door, then turned to Nicki when no one responded. “Guess they’re not home.”
“The TV is blasting so maybe they can’t hear us over that noise. Let’s go on up to my place and see what’s left. We can stop by again on our way out.”
Jackson’s smile spread. “See? There’s nothing wrong with your thinking. That’s a very sensible suggestion.”
“Yup. That’s me. All brains.”
“Don’t put yourself down,” he said with a scowl. “I don’t know very many people who could cope with the stresses you’ve faced, and do as well as you are.”
Her expression was one of astonishment when she glanced up and murmured, “Thanks.”
“No thanks necessary. It’s the truth.”
“Well, thanks, anyway. It’s nice to get a compliment that has nothing to do with my looks—or my cooking.”
He was pleased to see her blush slightly, and hear her soft chuckle in spite of the trying situation. The woman was a survivor. That inner strength would stand her in good stead in the coming months, particularly if she failed to find a new job.
Climbing the stairs, Jackson noted that Titan seemed reluctant. That figured. The halls still smelled of smoke and undoubtedly of the chemicals used to formulate the explosive. Plus, the dog would remember this place as being the one that had originally frightened him.
“Let me go to your door first,” Jackson said.
Wide-eyed, she stared at him. “You don’t think...?”
“No. I don’t think there’s another bomb. It never hurts to be careful, though. Let Titan and me do what we’re trained for. It’ll only take a second.”
“Okay,” Nicki replied, smiling slightly. “But if I see anybody trying to deliver more flowers, I may shove him back down the stairs first and ask questions later.”
Jackson could tell she was trying to find humor in spite of her fear so he played along. “You probably won’t have to. The department has been grilling every florist in town as if they’re hiding Public Enemy Number One behind the bouquets in their coolers. After that, I doubt any of them would accept an order for delivery to this address.”
“Good to hear.” She rolled her eyes. “Did you figure out where those exploding flowers came from?”
“Not yet. There wasn’t much left to go on and no record of a cash-and-carry sale.” He held up his hand like a traffic cop. “Wait there. We’ll only be a minute.”
He approached the ruined apartment. There was a plain, white envelope bordered in duct tape stuck to the outside of the door.
On the front was printed #210. That was all.
Donning latex gloves, he carefully pried the tape loose and opened the envelope, fully expecting another threat.
Instead, he found an eviction notice.
* * *
Nicki watched the K-9 officer from afar. She could see that he’d discovered something on her door, but until he motioned her to come closer, she had no idea what it might be.
He handed the paper to her. Immediate incredulity was followed closely by a teary blurring of her vision. She was being thrown out. She’d been a good tenant until recently. Didn’t the past count for anything?
“I’m sorry,” Jackson said.
What could she say? The notice spelled out several plausible reasons for her eviction, besides the bombing. She sighed and shook her head. “It’s okay.”
“You were behind in your rent?”
“It’s a long story,” Nicki told him. “I guess I can understand why this mess might be the last straw. I just wish I still had a job and references so I’d have a better chance of getting another place to live.”
“First things first,” he said matter-of-factly. “I have permission for you to pick up your clothes and some personal items as long as you confine yourself to the bedroom and bath, in case the crime scene techs want to go over the living room again. Then we’ll find you temporary quarters somewhere. Maybe at one of the motels downtown.”
“I can’t afford to do that,” Nicki said, feeling utterly defeated.
“Let me handle the details. The department has an agreement with several businesses to temporarily house crime or disaster victims. Your situation qualifies. Don’t worry about
the cost.”
“Temporarily?”
“One day at a time,” he said solemnly.
She had to smile. “How about an hour at a time? I don’t think I can handle another day like this one has been. Not all at once.”
* * *
“She didn’t even own a suitcase, so she threw her clothes and stuff into pillowcases. I placed her in the motel closest to downtown, that way she can walk to the store or to church if she wants,” Jackson reported to Captain McNeal. “Arnie’s delivering her car to her there.”
Slade stared into space for a few moments, his blue eyes narrowing, before he replied, “It’s stretching the rules to include her in that relief program.”
“Yeah...I know. But I couldn’t figure what else to do with her. She really seems clueless about her cousin’s criminal activities, but she may be in danger just the same. I had her program my private number into her cell phone, too, in case she needs it.”
Opening a file folder on his desk, Slade scanned the loose pages. “The Johnson woman is thirty-four. She’s hardly naive. She has to know more than she’s admitting.”
“What do you want me to do next? As long as she’s out of a job, all we can do is keep an eye on the motel, in case she has visitors, and monitor her calls.”
“How’s your uncle Harold these days?”
Jackson’s eyebrow arched. “He’s fine. Why?”
“Just wondering. Last time you mentioned him, he was carping about having to do all the cooking while you were on duty, wasn’t he?”
“Oh, hey. Hold your horses, Captain. Harold and I make out fine by ourselves. We don’t need a cook. If I was in the market for help I’d hire a cowpuncher to manage my livestock—not that I run many head.”
Slade’s gaze narrowed. “I’ve been giving this situation a lot of thought. I definitely think you need kitchen help. Matter of fact, I know just the person. She’s a pro and she needs a job. Plus, if she was at the ranch with Harold all day, he could help us keep an eye on her when you’re working. What could be better?”
“Anything but that,” Jackson grumbled. “My uncle thinks he missed his calling when he became a sheriff’s deputy instead of a stand-up comic. Now that he’s retired, he drives me crazy with his stale jokes. Ms. Johnson would never put up with him on a daily basis. I barely manage.”
Explosive Secrets (Texas K-9 Unit) Page 4
