Face of Danger

by Valerie Hansen

  Paige blinked to help clear her head. That was the other thing that was so different! Someone was beside her because he wanted to be. Someone cared. For her. Just for her. And that sensation was so uncommon it took her breath away and made her go weak in the knees.

  “Are you all right?” Cade asked.

  His deep voice rippled along her spine and tickled the fine hairs at the nape of her neck. It was almost too much sensory input, yet too important to miss. Every moment was precious. Every word the Ranger spoke went straight to her heart and found a home there.

  “Paige?” he prodded.

  When she looked up at him he was smiling as if enjoying a good joke. “What?”

  Cade chuckled. “Nothing. You were daydreaming again. I’ve been told that’s a sign of genius.”

  “Then I must be the smartest woman in Texas,” she said sheepishly, “because I’m always getting lost in my thoughts.”

  “At least they looked like they were good this time,” Cade said. “You were smiling.”

  High color rose to warm her cheeks. “Was I?”

  “Uh-huh. Care to tell me what you were thinking about?”

  Paige shook her head and stared down at Max rather than let her expression reveal too much. She forced a sharp laugh. “Nope. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  Feeling his hold tighten around her hand she sensed that he was guessing far too correctly so she eased her fingers from between his and used them to double her hold on the dog’s leash.

  Finally, she decided that Cade deserved an answer so she said, “Because Texas Rangers are already too full of themselves. If I told you how much I appreciate all you’ve done for me, your head might get so big your cowboy hat wouldn’t fit anymore.”

  Cade was still laughing softly—and Paige’s cheeks were still flushed—when they climbed back into the truck and resumed their trip north to Austin.

  She sneaked sidelong glances at him as he drove. Every look brought a new surge of jubilation. She already knew each smile line on his handsome face by heart and the more she studied him, the more she knew she was deeply, hopelessly in love.

  Cade Jarvis was not simply a good Ranger and a nice man, he was her personal hero, no matter how foolish that sounded. She might never tell him so, of course, but she was through denying the truth to herself.

  FOURTEEN

  Cade didn’t relax his guard in the days that followed, not even after the attacks on Paige and her surroundings abruptly ceased. Experience had taught him that just because a threat seemed neutralized there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t reappear later, perhaps in some other form.

  Paige had booted up her repaired and refurbished PC and had sounded delighted with its new speed. She wasn’t, however, nearly as pleased with him as the days crept by.

  “Stop pacing, will you? You’re making me nervous.”

  “Sorry.” Cade approached her desk. “What are you doing now?”

  “Making a two-dimensional rendering. I needed a short break from working with the clay.”

  “How does this kind of thing work?” He peered at her computer monitor and saw a rotating image of the original skull with pegs sticking out all over it. “That looks like what you did to it before you started adding the clay.”

  “It is,” Paige said. “This technique was developed by one of my famous predecessors, right here at the Texas DPS. Instead of relying on a flat rendering, she took pictures of the bare bones from the front and side, using the same standard tissue-depth markers that we apply when we build a bust. Then she enlarged the pictures to life size and filled in the flesh on paper, with an artist’s eye. Pure computer renderings aren’t nearly as good. They lack the spark of life that somebody like me can give them.”

  “I think I see what you mean.” He’d wandered across the studio and was staring at some of the successful case studies she’d framed and hung on the walls. “These are amazing. The one in the middle is the 2-D picture?”

  “Yes. That arrangement shows the original skull, then the drawing, then a photo of the final clay model.”

  “Plus the real person after an identification, right?”

  “In the cases where I’ve been successful.”

  “What you do is really amazing.” He watched her reaction as he asked, “How did you get started?”

  “Not the way most people who know my history think,” Paige said. “I was making posters and road signs for DPS when a Ranger happened to ask my boss if she knew anybody who could work with eyewitnesses to sketch from their descriptions. She recommended me—” Paige spread her arms to indicate the entire studio “—and here I am.”

  “That’s the kind of drawing you did after the prowler grabbed you.”

  She pulled a face. “Yes. Not that it helped. I never did get a likeness that suited me.”

  “No, but we did eventually pull up a couple of blood samples from the grass.”

  “That DNA won’t do much good without something to match it to. I’ve already heard it’s not in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System.” She glanced at the clay bust. “This man probably isn’t in CODIS, either. Unless you can figure out who he was, there’s little or no chance of coming up with a sample to test against for a match.”

  “Yeah. Hopefully, we’ll know more as soon as you’re done. Then I’ll get out of your hair and you won’t have to keep telling me to stop pacing.”

  He gave her a smile that he hoped was encouraging, though in his own heart he was anything but upbeat. It was hard for him to imagine not being around Paige. Not sharing a cup of hot coffee with her each morning. Not bidding her good-night every evening and knowing she was safe and sound in the motel room right next to his.

  That was going to be one of the hardest adjustments. He’d want to know she was okay every second of every day and he’d have no way of being certain.

  Oh, he supposed he could phone her, but even one daily call would probably be too much. It would certainly show her that his interest was a lot more than professional. And then what? What if she didn’t want him keeping such close tabs on her and told him to buzz off?

  Paige looked up from her work and smiled. “Why don’t you go walk Max. That will give you something to do besides fidget.”

  “I never fidget.”

  “Hah! You’re wound tighter than a two-dollar watch, as my grandpa used to say.” Paige’s expression grew tender, dreamy. “Grandpa was a darling. Even after…”

  “Tell me more,” Cade urged gently when she didn’t go on. “It may help you to talk about it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You mean tell you how my parents started screaming at each other all the time when there was no word on Amy? How my dad eventually got fed up and deserted us? How my mother muttered to herself constantly but stopped talking to other people, especially me?”

  Coming closer, Cade perched a hip on her desk and nodded. “Yes. Like that, only different. What did you appreciate most about your grandfather?”

  “That’s easy. It was the way he treated me. He used to come over to the house and take me out for long walks, just the two of us. Sometimes we didn’t talk at all and sometimes I told him about my schoolwork or a pet I dreamed of getting someday.”

  “Like Max?”

  “Yes.” She smiled over at the dog curled up next to a file cabinet, snoring. “I could never have imagined such a wonderful companion.”

  “You never had any pets as a child?”

  Paige sobered. “No, never. Like I said before, my parents didn’t think I was responsible enough.”

  “Your grandfather never said that, did he?”

  “No.” Her brow knit and she looked puzzled. “How did you know?”

  “Just a good guess. When you finally make up your mind to talk to the Lord about it, remember your grandpa’s great attitude, then magnify that a million times and you’ll have a glimmer of the way God loves and accepts you.”

  He could tell by the way she pres
sed her lips into a thin line and lifted her chin that she wasn’t yet ready to go that far. That was okay. He could wait, at least for a while. If he didn’t happen to be nearby when Paige did finally decide to trust the Lord, he knew God would send someone else to give her a hug in his place.

  The thought of Paige ending up in anyone else’s arms sat in his stomach like last week’s cold pizza. It didn’t matter that he’d done this to himself by falling hopelessly in love, it still hurt like crazy. He didn’t want to even consider Paige being comforted by anyone but him. Ever.

  Figuring that the best course of action was to leave her office before he blurted out something he’d regret, he squared his hat on his head and touched the front of the brow. “I’ll go walk your dog, Miss Paige. Lock this door behind us and stay put till we get back.”

  Half grimacing, half smiling, she raised her right hand and gave him a mock salute. “Yes, sir, Mr. Ranger, sir. Your wish is my command.”

  Cade figured the best way to respond was to mirror her actions so he waggled his eyebrows and grinned. “And don’t you dare forget it.”

  By the time Cade returned, Paige had set aside her paper rendering and was rechecking the clay bust with calipers.

  Captain Parker knocked, then stuck his head through her doorway to ask, “How’s it going?”

  “Fine,” Paige said, continuing to concentrate on her work while she spoke. “Come on in. I’ll show you.”

  Cade stepped aside, hovering close by.

  “I’m giving the victim brown eyes,” she told the captain, making a face at the model as if it were mocking her. “This part always creeps me out. It’s like the victim is staring at me with those big, round, bugged-out, glass eyeballs. I like it much better once I’ve added lids and made the eyes look more natural.”

  “How soon will that be?” Parker asked.

  “Muscles come first. I have to have the underneath structure right before I can add the skin and other details. Since the skull is Caucasoid and the approximate age is determined, too, it shouldn’t take too long.” She gestured toward her drafting table by tilting her head. “I did start a 2-D image over there. It’s not quite finished, either. I’ll have both for you soon.”

  The captain was twisting one side of his mustache, clearly deep in thought, as he studied her drawings. “Afraid he doesn’t look familiar. At least not yet. We’ve sorted out the reports of missing persons from this area. I suppose he could also be a recruit that the Lions made through their subversive campaign to open the Mexican border.” One eyebrow arched and he shot her a warning look. “Forget I said that, okay?”

  “Okay.” Paige stifled a giggle.

  “Trouble is,” Parker continued, “there’s no way of telling if this fella was even a Texan. There wasn’t anything identifiable buried with him. Just some clothing fragments.”

  “I know,” Paige said. “The lab also said they found some short, brown hairs so I’ll add that type of wig as a last detail.”

  “How much longer?” Parker asked.

  Cade had been merely an observer until the captain stared pointedly at him. Then, he felt like he was being studied under a magnifying glass.

  “Maybe two days. Maybe less.” Paige’s gaze followed that of her boss and also settled on the younger Ranger.

  Parker was nodding. “Good. Well, don’t let me keep you. There hasn’t been any sign of activity around your house since you left so I’ve given your roommate permission to return anytime she’s ready.”

  Paige’s eyes widened and her head whipped around. She gaped, then snapped her jaw shut. “You told Angela to go back there? All by herself?”

  “There’s no good reason not to,” the captain said flatly. “Ask Jarvis. He’s been receiving daily reports from men in the field, Rangers and the sheriff’s office alike. All their observations have been negative.” He grinned. “You should be able to go home, too, if you want.”

  “Not yet,” Cade interjected. He knew he shouldn’t argue with his superior but where Paige was concerned he’d lost his usually level-headed perspective.

  Captain Parker nodded knowingly and half smiled. “Calm down, Jarvis. I’m not going to terminate your assignment till Miss Paige is finished with her work. I’ve already let this nonsense go on longer than it should have, but I know how involved you are with Greg Pike’s murder so I’ve let you hang around. When she’s done, however, Captain Fritz wants you back in San Antonio ASAP, where you belong.”

  “Yes, sir.” Cade’s heart fell. He chanced a quick glance at Paige and immediately saw how worried she was.

  “I need to get in touch with Angela. Stop her from going home,” Paige said as soon as she and Cade were alone again. “I don’t think for one minute it’s as safe as the captain says.”

  “I agree.”

  She dug her cell out of her purse and used the speed dial to call her roommate, speaking to the voice mail recorder when it took the call. “Angela, it’s me, Paige. Listen, I know they told you it was safe to go home but I don’t think you should. Not yet. I’ll be done with the job that seems to be causing all the trouble soon and then we’ll talk. I’m at work. Call me?”

  “You didn’t get her?” Cade asked.

  “No. I left a message.” Chewing on her lower lip, Paige folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window, barely noticing the blustery November weather. “I’ll feel better once I’ve spoken to her. She’s a reasonable person. She’ll understand.”

  “I hope so,” Cade replied. “I’ve seen what these lowlifes are capable of.” He gestured at the half-finished model. “Case in point.”

  Sighing, Paige considered the sculpture in progress. “I know what you mean. There’s never been a victim who hasn’t eventually talked to me.” She cast him a slight smile. “I don’t mean literally, of course.”

  Pausing, thoughtful, she gave the circular platform a little push and the clay model rotated as if the man she was reconstructing were turning his head.

  Cade agreed. “He doesn’t look very real yet but I do see what you mean. I sometimes get the same funny feeling when I’m working a crime scene.”

  When he paused and noisily cleared his throat, Paige began to scowl. “You look uncomfortable all of a sudden. Is there something you haven’t told me?”

  “Not about this case,” Cade said.

  “Then what?” Her eyes narrowed as she interpreted his unease. “Is it about Amy? Have you found new clues?”

  As soon as she saw his crestfallen expression she realized that he’d tried and failed, just as she’d feared he would.

  “I did look into it,” the Ranger said. “I hoped…”

  Paige interrupted. “So did I, for a long time. The trouble is, every time I hit another dead end I felt much worse. That’s why I said I didn’t want you to get involved. It’s almost better not knowing than it is to be positive Amy’s gone forever. Does that make sense to you?”

  “Not really. I’ll take your word for it.”

  “I still visualize her as she once was,” Paige said, closing her eyes. “She’s beautiful. Full of life. A blonde pixie with a twinkle in her blue eyes that warms my heart.” She pointed to the ethereal-looking painting he’d remarked on the first time he’d visited her office. “That’s how I choose to remember my little sister. Happy. Pretty. Enjoying life. When I play games with my memory it makes my loss more bearable.”

  “How about your folks?” Cade asked. “Even if they’re estranged, wouldn’t they prefer to know what ultimately became of her, if possible?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I haven’t spoken to either of them for years.” She raised a hand, palm out, to stop him from commenting. “It wasn’t my doing, okay? They’d disowned me in their hearts long before Dad actually blurted it out to my face, but I knew. It was obvious.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks.” She returned her attention to the sculpture and eased it back to fully face her. “Now, suppose you boot up your laptop and find some
other cases to occupy your time? I really do need to concentrate without interruption when I’m doing this kind of work.”

  “Of course. And Paige…?”

  “Yes?”

  The expression on his face confused her. Was it tenderness? Concern? Empathy? Her breath caught. Was it pity? Most likely. She felt the muscles in her neck and shoulders cramp.

  Chin raised, eyes narrowing, she stared over at him and decided to speak her mind before he started expressing a sentiment that would make her very angry. “Look, Ranger, you and I both know I have very important work to complete. If you keep distracting me by dredging up my past, it’s terribly counterproductive.”

  Swiveling her stool, she centered it in front of the bug-eyed model and dampened her fingertips before beginning to add thin, narrow strips of clay.

  When she noted a slightly unsettling feeling and looked around again, she saw that Cade had quietly left the room.

  To her dismay and surprise, she’d felt the lack of his presence keenly. It was as if someone had suddenly turned off the warmth of the sun.

  FIFTEEN

  It bothered Cade to realize that his concern wasn’t wanted—or needed. Nevertheless, since Paige had spoken so plainly there was no doubt. She was clearly not open to the kind of emotional healing he was trying to explain, nor was she willing to turn to God and let Him work within her to bring eventual solace. That was too bad.

  He stepped outside and was immediately chilled by the strong winter wind. Turning up the collar of his jacket he zipped it and squashed his hat on tighter so it wouldn’t blow away. The sky was gray, the humidity high for Texas, even at this time of the year. It was a little too early for snow, not that they got that much this far south, anyway. Still, he’d better phone his dad and ask him to double-check the ranch, just in case.

  Standing in the shelter of a recessed doorway, Cade used his cell. He was about to leave a message when the call was finally answered with a breathless, “Hello?”