Mistaken Identity
Page 21
“I’m sorry you had to do that for me. No doubt you were off duty.”
“A police officer is never totally off duty. There’s something in our makeup. We can’t ignore a person in trouble.”
“And for that, I’m grateful.” She reclined back and relaxed for the first time since the attack. There was something about Chase Walker’s presence that was reassuring. She looked into his eyes and felt safe. “What do you need to know?”
He fished out his phone again, setting it to record. “Tell me what happened.”
Kate relived the incident, replaying it in her mind as she went through what she remembered, parts of the attack already foggy. Her heartbeat sped as words tumbled from her.
“What do you think he was after?”
“I don’t know. Other than my wedding ring, I wasn’t wearing or carrying anything of value.”
“Did he say anything to you?”
“No. He cursed when I kicked him. I wasn’t going down without a fight.”
“Do you think it was a kidnapping attempt?”
She wanted to say no but couldn’t. “Possibly. Or he was coming after me, but I was holding Jamie. Maybe he wanted to get Jamie out of the way? It is hard to say.”
“Any gut feelings?”
“Do you believe in those?” The intensity pouring off of him further soothed her fear. At this moment no one would hurt her or Jamie.
“Yes. A couple have saved my life in the past. We take in nonverbal cues, sometimes not even realizing it, and process what they mean. That’s where a gut feeling comes from. At least that’s what I think. So any hunches?”
She closed her eyes and reviewed again what she remembered in her mind. “Yes. I think this was personal. Why was the tree down over the path I usually use when I come to the reserve?”
“So a planned attack. Okay. Do you follow the same schedule every day?”
“Am I predictable?” She drew in a deep breath and thought about her routine. Usually, she got up every morning, spent some time with Jamie before she headed for the courthouse. She often had lunch in her office while she worked so she could spend more time with her son later. She frequently left for the day by four unless a court session ran longer. “Yes, especially during the weekdays. When I come home, I either jog for half an hour or longer, depending on how Jamie is. He likes to run with me. If the weather is bad, then I stay home and put music on and dance. My son loves to do that, too.”
“But if the weather permits, you run outside during the work week?”
“Yes. I’m indoors all day at the courthouse. My cases can get intense. Exercising helps relieve my stress.”
“That’s why I run, too.”
Her deceased husband would only swim, sometimes even in cool weather. He’d been talking about enclosing the pool in the backyard right before his death. Her world had ended that day, too. Her son had saved her from the abyss of sorrow she’d wallowed in right after James had died.
“So Rachel is your live-in nanny.”
It wasn’t a question, but she said, “Yes. I was going to stay home longer than six months after my son was born, but the person who was filling in while I was on maternity leave quit suddenly. Rachel was already working for me part-time, freeing me up for a few hours every day to run errands and get things done. When I needed her to switch to full-time, she was available to step right in, allowing me to get back to work. In the long run that had been a good decision.”
“Is there anyone who might have a grudge against you?” His gray eyes, the color of a thunderstorm brewing, locked with hers. “Who do you think would do this?”
Before she could answer, the detective’s cell phone rang.
He looked at the caller’s name. “Sorry. I need to take this.” He punched his answer button and put the phone to his ear. “Has the car been found?” Chase listened for a moment then disconnected.
“Do you have a lead on the attacker?”
He rose, slipping his cell phone into his pocket. “Yes, the car belongs to Zed Hammer. Do you know him?”
The name of a father who had threatened to make her pay last month for her judgment against him in court chilled her deep into her bones. Was the attack motivated by revenge?
Copyright © 2017 by Margaret Daley
ISBN-13: 9781488018978
Mistaken Identity
Copyright © 2017 by Shirlee McCoy
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