As Cade watched, her smile grew and there was a glint of emerald clarity in her gaze that gave him added assurance. “It’s all right, then?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, “as long as you don’t call me Miss Paige the way some of the other Rangers around here do. I know it’s common practice for Texans to do that but it makes me feel like somebody’s grandmother.”
“Fair enough.”
Another Trooper’s car sped around the corner and into the nearby lot to join two that were already there. Uniformed officers were crossing the lawn and hurrying toward them.
“Here comes the cavalry,” Cade said. “You sure you’ll be all right?”
“We’ll be fine. Just hurry back.”
That went without saying, Cade thought as he turned to face the approaching hoard and prepared to explain what he’d discovered. Parting from this particular woman was getting harder and harder. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt a proprietary responsibility toward a victim but it was odd to have that same feeling regarding one of the Rangers’ own. Paige was his coworker, and as such she should have been off-limits to him no matter how attracted he might be to her.
The one element that struck him strongest was the sense that he had been sent to Austin specifically to look after her, as if God had been in the details. He supposed that was possible. He’d certainly prayed for a soul mate often enough, yet had never dreamed he might come across one at work.
It wasn’t wrong to be dedicated to guarding her against threats, seen and unseen, Cade told himself. And it certainly was human nature to be attracted to a lovely, single, young woman who was pretty much perfect, at least as far as he could tell. The problem was that his heart and mind must always remain focused on whatever was in the best interests of the Rangers, no matter how that might affect him personally.
He sighed, half disgusted with himself, half hoping that the Lord was working all things for his good, the way the Scripture in the book of Romans promised.
“If that’s the case, Father,” Cade prayed in a whisper, “I’d sure like to have a sign that it’s okay to let myself think about Paige the way I’m starting to, because if You’re not involved in all this, I could be making a big, big mistake.”
As if it was my first one, he countered, remembering the way he’d been certain that another woman he’d dated a few years back was going to make a perfect wife. Then he’d learned that she’d expected him to turn in his star and leave law enforcement to please her.
Cade’s jaw clenched. There were some things a man just knew were right. His place within the Rangers was one of them. As far as he was concerned, he’d been born to become a Texas Ranger, had dreamed of it from a young age.
Yes, his job could be dangerous. That went without saying. But what he was doing was akin to a sacred duty, a task that charged him with the welfare of the citizens in his care and meant that he must always try to right any wrongs that had befallen them.
Such as the victims whose cases he was currently working as a member of UCIT, the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Team. Gregory Pike’s case was at the top of his list. Not everyone had what it took to be a Texas Ranger but Greg had recognized the skills and mindset in Cade and had urged him to apply. His was a job he would never shirk. Not for any reason.
Although he extended his hand to the closest Trooper and formally introduced himself, a part of Cade’s mind remained with Paige. To his chagrin, a part of his heart did the same.
Paige watched the ongoing furor as more and more men and women arrived and either poured into the office building or gathered in small groups to share information and secure the perimeter.
The tall, graying Ranger, Doug Parker, met her gaze, excused himself from the others and approached her.
“You okay, Miss Paige?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir. I wasn’t in my studio when it happened. The place was already trashed when I got here early this morning.”
“Any idea what’s going on?”
“The UCIT man from Company D thinks the burglars may have been after the skull he just brought me to work on.”
Thoughtful, Captain Parker pushed up the front brim of his white hat with one gnarled finger. “Any idea why?”
“He did mention that he thought the Lions of Texas and Captain Pike’s murder might all be connected to the face I’m about to reconstruct.”
“Hmm. Possible. If you want to come to my office later, we can discuss those theories,” the captain said. He looked around. “Where is the UCIT Ranger, anyway?”
“Over there. Just coming out of our building,” Paige said, pointing.
“Jarvis. A good man.” Parker was nodding thoughtfully and squinting at Cade. “I am a little surprised he opened up to you so much, though.”
“He said he felt it was important for me to know enough details pertaining to the case to be on my guard.”
“Why would he think you’d need to do that? You didn’t know about this burglary then, did you?”
“No. But last night, at home, I stumbled on a prowler in my yard. I barely escaped.” She pushed back the cuff of her jacket to display part of the purplish bruise that now extended halfway to her elbow as well as circling her wrist.
Parker’s eyes widened in surprise. “Have you seen a doctor?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. The guy who grabbed me probably needed one, though. I have high hopes I broke his nose.”
Paige stood expectantly as Cade drew closer. He touched the brim of his hat in greeting. “Morning, Captain.”
“Jarvis.” Parker cleared his throat. “Ms. Bryant tells me you have a theory about this break-in and an attack on her last night. Care to come to my office and discuss your conclusions?”
“Sure, if you want. All the details, except for what we found here this morning, have already been reported. The trouble started with the supposed accident that forced me off the road while I was on my way to Austin. State Troopers have all that info, plus there’s a report to the local sheriff about what took place at Ms. Bryant’s house. I was planning on stopping by to advise you about that in person. As you can see, we got a little sidetracked.”
The older man leaned closer and began speaking far more quietly. “She says you agree there’s a likely connection to several major crimes.”
“Yes, sir, I do. I still can’t prove anything but I expect to, eventually.” He pointed toward her office. “The main thing is getting that skull ID and seeing if we can connect the victim to Captain Pike’s murder.”
“I sure hope you can. Keep me informed.” Captain Parker looked to Paige. “And see that you keep a close eye on her, too. I don’t like that bruise one bit.”
As soon as Paige saw how apologetic the younger Ranger looked, she spoke up. “It wasn’t Cade’s fault. It happened before anybody knew I was being personally threatened.” A smile began to lift the corners of her mouth. “I told you. I handled myself just fine.”
“I’ll say she did,” Cade agreed. “I think I may have seriously underestimated the courage of our forensic artist.”
To Paige’s relief, that assessment of her character brought a smile back to the captain’s leathery face. “I definitely agree with you there.”
She was still basking in their mutual praise when Cade added, “However, I think her stubborn nature may be a problem in this case.”
Paige’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“She wouldn’t let me sleep on her sofa last night so I had to camp in my truck to keep an eye on her.” Cade kept smiling as if he and Parker were privy to some man-to-man secret that she’d never comprehend. “I figured it would be smart to put her up in a motel here in town, at least until she finishes the current job. That way, I’ll be able to watch her better.”
“I’ll authorize whatever you need,” the captain said. “Just do it. And see that there’s a detailed report of all your suspicions, however far-fetched, on my desk ASAP. We can fill in the blanks later.”
“Yes, sir.�
�� Cade touched a finger to the brim of his hat in an informal salute. “I suggest we include that dog of hers, too, since she won’t be going home at night to take care of it.”
Paige didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath till the captain said, “Okay,” and it all whooshed out at once. Max was going to be safe. Given the events of the past twenty-four hours, that was all she could hope for.
See? she thought, feeling for a fleeting moment like that confused, frightened ten-year-old who had failed her sister. I can be trusted to care for something precious. I can. I really can.
Max didn’t care how inept she’d been in the past. He accepted her just as she was. Her only real wish was that others, such as her estranged parents, could one day be as forgiving, as tolerant.
And she needed God’s forgiveness, too, Paige added. He must be so disappointed in me. It’s so sad for my family, never knowing what became of Amy.
That solemn thought made Paige shiver. She knew the statistics. In the U.S. alone, 800,000 children a year were abducted or simply disappeared. Most were taken by relatives and eventually found alive but there were always a hundred or so who were held for ransom or killed, or both, usually within hours of their disappearance. Those remaining few who turned up years later, alive and well, were very rare.
Part of her wanted to continue to pray for answers about her sister, while another part insisted that calling upon God was futile. After all, as she’d just concluded, He had to be as disappointed in her as she was in herself. Otherwise, why had He left her to grieve and wonder for so many years?
Something drew her attention back to Cade’s face. To her astonishment, he was gazing at her as if he was not only reading her thoughts, but also sympathized. That was impossible, of course. Still, it was comforting to see so much tenderness in his eyes and to sense their almost spiritual connection.
That’s because he doesn’t know what I’m guilty of, she argued silently.
And, given their promised short time together, he never would. Not if she had any say in the matter.
SEVEN
Cade would have preferred to remain at headquarters and play a bigger part in the vandalism investigation. If he hadn’t had Paige to worry about, he would never have insisted that they leave the premises and go to breakfast.
They were back in less than fifteen minutes. Since neither had wanted to leave the dog locked in the cab of her truck, they’d picked up their food at a drive-thru and then quickly returned to the lot behind her office.
Cade let down the tailgate to use as both a bench and dining table. Max stationed himself at their feet, panting and salivating copiously.
“I see now why you insisted we take your truck,” he said wryly. “You were afraid all that dog drool in mine would freak me out. Right?”
“Well…”
He tossed the sheepdog a scrap of fried egg from his sandwich and heard its jaws snap shut. “Boy, I’m glad I didn’t try to hand that to him. A guy could lose a finger.”
Paige laughed. “Not really. He may be shy but he’s gentle.” Her voice became a coo. “Aren’t you, Max? Yes, you are. You’re such a good boy.”
“Do you think he understands a word you’re saying?”
“I know he responds to kindness. He was afraid of his shadow when I first brought him home. All he wanted to do was slink around and try to hide. It was hilarious watching him trying to shimmy under the bed.”
“Well, sure. He was shaved bare, right? I don’t blame him for wanting to lay low till his fur grew back.”
“Actually, he’d been terribly abused and neglected. The minute I laid eyes on him at the shelter I knew I couldn’t go home without him.”
“He seems to have pretty good manners. At least he’s not jumping all over us to get at our food.”
“I had to teach him everything from scratch, as if he were still a puppy. A really big one,” Paige said with a grin. “He’s basically civilized now, although he does forget his manners once in a while.” She sobered. “That was why I went looking for him last night. I assumed he’d snuck out of the backyard and gotten into mischief.”
“I really am sorry I wasn’t able to come up with any concrete clues,” Cade said. “Now that this has happened we shouldn’t have any trouble getting authorization for a full team to go over your yard again.”
“Speaking of that, look.” Paige gestured with her plastic cup. “Some of the techs are pulling out of my studio. Maybe we’ll be able to get to work on it soon.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
“Thanks heaps.”
“Hey, I just call ’em the way I see ’em.” He reached into his jacket pocket in response to the ringing of a cell phone. “Excuse me for a sec?”
Flipping open the phone, Cade said, “Jarvis.”
“Daniel here. Where are you?”
“Still in Austin. This may take a little longer than we’d planned. Everything okay?”
“Not exactly. I’m headed your way right now to speak with the governor. Hank Zarvy, the chairman of the Alamo Planning Committee, got a phone call warning him to call off the whole celebration for the 175th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo or there’d be dire consequences. His words, not mine.”
“Do you think this is connected to the threats we got before?”
“Probably. We’re proceeding along those lines.”
“Did anybody trace the call?”
“Couldn’t. It came from a disposable phone.”
Glancing at Paige, Cade noted that she was paying very close attention to his conversation. That was enough to keep him from actually mentioning the Lions of Texas again and giving her more cause for worry. At least for the present.
In his mind, however, he was certain the Lions had to be behind their recent troubles. All he and his fellow Rangers had to do was connect the dots, prove it and start making arrests. That couldn’t happen soon enough to suit him.
“All right,” Cade said. “When you get here, stop by headquarters and pick me up. I want to go with you to see Governor Kingston.”
“Why?”
Paige was still watching him, clearly attempting to read his thoughts. Rather than let her draw the conclusion that he intended to abandon her, he explained, “Because I want to include our forensic artist in the meeting.”
As he bid his fellow ranger goodbye and ended the call, Cade’s smile blossomed and rested on Paige. “You up for a field trip, lady?”
“You meant it? You’re taking me with you to see the governor?”
“That was my intention.” He noticed that she was trying to brush dog hair off her jeans.
“I can’t go dressed like this. And what about Max? I already told you. I am not leaving him alone. Not after last night.”
Chuckling, Cade couldn’t help thinking how naive she seemed at times like these. “I’m sure he can stay with us, even when we go into the governor’s office. After all, he’ll have a Ranger escort.”
Paige glanced down at her casual outfit once again. “I won’t embarrass you?”
Although he could tell she was serious, he couldn’t keep a straight face. “You might, if you jumped on the furniture or slid down the fancy banisters. Otherwise, I think you’ll do fine, just as you are.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
To Cade’s surprise, it looked as if there was moisture glistening in her eyes, making them seem even greener than usual. He’d been to see the governor so often that doing so was commonplace to him. Apparently, being invited to officially visit a head of state was a big deal to the pretty artist.
All Cade could think to say was, “You’re welcome.”
Paige was glad she’d have the short trip to occupy her mind for the morning because just sitting there and waiting for a gang of strangers to finish dissecting her sanctuary, piece by piece, was extremely trying.
Although she’d been assured that the safe had not been breached, she’d still worn herself to a frazzle pacing up and down th
e sidewalks that crisscrossed the complex. A few times she’d even considered ducking out of the line of sight of the Ranger who was monitoring her every move as if she were a dangerous felon. Logic—and pain from the bruise on her arm—had kept her from being so foolish. After all, it wasn’t Cade’s fault that someone was posing threats and he was stuck with watching out for her.
That’s exactly what’s going on, Paige reminded herself. If she weren’t in jeopardy he wouldn’t be paying nearly this much attention to her. She knew that from experience. When they’d originally met in San Antonio, he’d barely bothered to offer more than a polite hello.
Truth to tell, when he’d arrived at her studio the evening before, she doubted he’d even recognized her. That conclusion made her smile. She’d recently had her long hair layered and had gotten contact lenses, so maybe he had been a bit surprised, assuming he’d noticed the changes at all.
A white pickup truck similar to Cade’s pulled into the lot and stopped. As Paige watched, he jogged over to it and greeted the other Ranger who was driving. She was already on her way to join them when Cade motioned her over.
“This is Lieutenant Daniel Boone Riley,” he said. “Daniel, meet Paige Bryant.”
The darker-haired Ranger tipped his hat. “We’ve met. Nice to see you, ma’am.”
“You, too, lieutenant. Your parents must have been avid history buffs to name you after Daniel Boone,” Paige said, extending her hand and shaking his. “Good thing they didn’t admire Socrates or Napoleon, huh?”
“You have no idea how thankful I am,” Daniel replied.
Paige was pleased when everyone shared a laugh. She was as at ease with this Ranger as she was with Cade—maybe more so—because she was starting to really care what Ranger Jarvis thought of her. That was silly, of course, yet she couldn’t seem to help herself. When he had insisted that she looked good enough to visit the governor, just as she was, he’d won her over in a big way. It had been a long, long time since she’d felt that totally accepted by anyone. It didn’t matter that the hang-up was hers, it still existed.
Face of Danger Page 6
