Call me!
A
He pressed his fingers against his temples. Spirit rose and whined, then thrust his nose into Boone’s lap. He petted him. How he wished he could pick up the phone and call her. He’d never hear her cheery voice again. With a quick command he renamed the file and saved it under Cancellations. An intruder wouldn’t be likely to look there. He couldn’t read her notes, not yet.
He closed his computer and pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt, then went to the kitchen. He fed Spirit first, then filled the pot with water. The enticing aroma of coffee filled the room, and he whipped up a bacon-and-cheese omelet, then poured himself a mug of coffee. He flipped on the news. When the local TV station showed the scene on the lake, he turned it up to see if law enforcement had found out anything new, but the reporter just repeated the same old information.
When the knock came at the door, it was only seven. Spirit huffed but didn’t bark. Boone was still barefooted and hadn’t combed his hair. Through the window he caught a glimpse of Dana’s brown hair. He swung open the door, and Phantom immediately touched noses with Spirit before pushing past him.
She studied him. “You look terrible.”
“Hey, come in. Your dog already is.”
“He has no manners.” She stepped inside. “Sorry it’s so early. I couldn’t sleep. Seems like you didn’t either.”
“I didn’t. So I decided to get up and have breakfast.” He held up his mug. “Coffee?”
“Sure.” She took off her coat and boots, then followed him to the kitchen and perched on a stool at the breakfast bar. “Nice light granite and white cabinets are my favorite. And oak floors. It’s gorgeous. Did you do the work yourself?”
“Yeah, except for the granite.” He poured a mug of coffee. “Cream?”
“Just black.” She accepted the coffee and curled her fingers around the mug.
He liked the way she looked sitting in his kitchen. Her hair appeared soft enough to touch, and her blue eyes reminded him of Lake Superior on a summer day. Blue and mysterious.
“I bet you’re wondering what I’m doing here so early.”
The compassion in her eyes told the story. He would have been more surprised if she hadn’t shown up today to check on him. To his surprise, he realized he already thought of her as a close friend. That was dangerous. “It crossed my mind, but I figured misery loved company.”
She took a sip of the coffee. “I was thinking about Allyson’s investigation into Renee’s murder. The way she said he was going to kill her next made me assume it was whoever killed Renee. I want to talk to Garret and see if he might have had something to do with it, but I don’t want to go alone. I don’t trust him.”
“You mean, see him today?”
Her lips flattened in a determined line, and she nodded. “I thought I’d see if you’d go with me. I could ask him to meet me somewhere. Garret might not talk if he knows someone else is there, so you could be out of sight but ready to step in if need be. If I hadn’t come here, maybe Allyson would still be alive.”
“You don’t know that.” He thought through the plan. While he didn’t know this Garret Waterman, he had every confidence in his own ability to handle anyone. “I’m in. What about work? Aren’t you supposed to be there already?”
“Mason told me to take the day off. Any idea where we could set it up? Somewhere you can hear yet can’t be seen.”
“What about Bree’s SAR building? No one is using it today, and there’s a small storage room just off the office area where I could hide out.”
“Great idea! I’m sure Bree would give me the key.”
“She never locks it. A hiker nearly froze one winter and managed to get inside her building. It was the only structure around for miles, so she looks at it as a safe haven in the winter.” Boone shook his head. “I wouldn’t tell her about this until it’s all over. She wouldn’t like you putting yourself in danger.”
“But you think it’s okay?”
“Only if I’m there.” He gulped the last of his coffee. “Give him a call and let’s see what we can find out.”
CHAPTER 15
No part of her wanted to ever see Garret’s face again. Dana squared her shoulders and pulled out her old phone. She hadn’t touched this phone since she got to Rock Harbor. “I reactivated my old phone so he’d recognize the number. Wish me luck.”
Boone put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll do more than that and pray for you.”
“Even better.” The coziness of his living room with its log walls and warm blue rug exerted some calming influence as she settled into a chair by the fire. Phantom plopped down beside her and rested his head on her foot.
The place was small, and she imagined drinking mugs of hot chocolate by the fire and sharing a bowl of popcorn while watching a movie on the big-screen TV over the fireplace. She wanted to plant her head in a face palm for such a crazy notion. She barely knew Boone, yet somehow she felt she knew him well. And hadn’t the relationship with Garret taught her anything?
Her hand shook as she called up Garret’s number. For a moment she wondered if he would answer, then gave a slight shake of her head. Of course he would. He’d be delighted to taunt her in any way possible.
The phone rang once in her ear before he picked up. “Dana!”
The joy in his voice took her aback. Their relationship had once seemed very special. The deep timbre of his voice always had the power to melt her defenses, and she grabbed the tail of her courage as it turned to flee. “Hi, Garret. Am I bothering you?”
“Of course not. You can call me anytime, day or night. You should know that.”
“I–I wondered if you’d want to get together to talk. I’m going through a hard time right now.”
“Where and when?”
“Are you still in Rock Harbor?”
He paused before speaking. “You saw me, didn’t you?”
She forced a carefree laugh. “You didn’t try to hide.”
“I guess not. Yeah, I’m close. Not really in town but close.”
She didn’t blame him for his cautious tone. He had to be wondering about the call. “I have a friend who owns a building out of town.” She gave him directions and the address. “Would you meet me there?”
“I can find it. It will probably take me fifteen minutes to get there. What time?”
She glanced at her watch. It would take her only five minutes to get there. “Let’s make it in half an hour.” He’d likely head there immediately, but so could she. They’d have time to get Boone lodged in the storage room, and she could have her hand on her bear spray in case Garret lost his temper. Hearing his voice started a tremor in her gut that wouldn’t go away. He was so unpredictable.
“I’ll be there. I’m so glad you called, honey. We can work this out.”
It was all she could do to get her numb lips to move enough to mouth, “See you soon.” With the call ended she leaned back in the chair and let the phone drop into her lap. “He’s going to meet me.”
“You sure you want to do this? You’re as white as the snow outside.” Boone stood over her with his socks in his hands.
The sunlight shone on his scarred cheek, and she hardly even noticed it now. She couldn’t say the same for the tanned skin covering sleek muscles and the thick thatch of black hair still standing on end. Even his bare feet were sexy. There was something so intimate about being in a room with him. What would he do if she got up and slipped her arms around his slim waist and leaned her head against his chest?
Heat soared to her cheeks at her wayward thoughts. Either lack of sleep plagued her or sheer insanity.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She rose and grabbed for her coat. “We’d better get over there. He’ll want to arrive before me, so I’m sure he’s heading to his car now.”
He nodded and sat down to yank on his socks and slip his feet into boots. “We’ll take my truck. It’s got four-wheel drive, and the road out there might be bad.�
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“We can’t. He’ll be looking for my Prius. Dolly will get us there.”
He lifted a dark brow. “You named your car?”
“Doesn’t everyone? And she looks like a Dolly, don’t you think?” She pulled on her coat and lifted the hood. “Dolly has never let me down. You’ll see.”
He grinned and slid his arms into his parka. “Whatever you say. You scared?”
“Terrified. Wouldn’t you be?”
“We don’t have to do this. We could call Mason and have him pick Garret up at the building. You wouldn’t even have to see him.”
“He won’t tell the sheriff anything. I want to see if I can get him to admit he killed Allyson. He’s a braggart. If he did it, he’s likely to let it slip.” She called Phantom to her. “You’d better leave Spirit here. He’s liable to whine or bark when Garret comes in.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Stay,” he told the dog. Spirit sank to the floor with a mournful expression. “I won’t be long, you crazy dog.”
“He doesn’t believe you.” She delayed long enough to give Spirit a belly rub. “Come on, Phantom.” Her dog let out a happy bark and danced around her, then raced for the door.
“You sure you want to take him?”
She headed for the front of the cabin. “He doesn’t like Garret. I figure Phantom is one more layer of protection for me. He’ll guard me with teeth bared.”
“You don’t think Garret would shoot him?”
That brought her up short. “He’s more apt to use his bare hands. He’s proud of his strength.”
Boone reached into the closet as she stepped to the door. His hand emerged with a pistol. “I’ll take this along just to be safe.”
I have to be crazy for doing this. Dana could hardly hear over the blood pounding in her ears.
The cold metal edge of the desk in Bree’s office steadied Dana as she leaned back against it. Various search boxes sat along the concrete floor, and harnesses and leashes hung from hooks on the finished walls. The ceiling of the metal pole building was ten feet overhead, and lights shone down brightly, erasing any possible shadows. It held the scent of Pine-Sol Bree used to clean the floors.
No sound or movement came from the storage room where Boone had hidden away. Phantom whined and pressed against her leg, and she reached down to rub his head. His ears went to alert, and the hackles on his back stood at attention, the dog’s usual reaction to Garret’s presence.
She listened for a moment to the wind whistling around the windows, then heard the unmistakable sound of a vehicle door shutting. Her gut tightened, and she swallowed hard.
She’d left the door unlocked. He would come in without knocking. She stared at the doorknob until it began to turn. The door opened a crack, then slammed into the wall. Garret strode into the large room as if he were a CEO taking charge of a meeting. He often treated her like a subordinate obligated to obey his commands.
Her spine stiffened. He wasn’t going to order her around any longer, and she wouldn’t allow herself to fall back into subservient behavior.
He wore a black parka over jeans and boots, and he ran his hand through his thick blond hair and shot a grin her way. “There you are. I wasn’t sure if you’d be here or not.”
When he started her way, it took all her strength to stand her ground and not dart for the other door. “Hi, Garret.”
His smile faltered at her cool tone. “I was glad you called me. We can work this out, Dana. Remember the night we first met? I took one look at you and knew you were the one.”
“Lee Greenwood was singing ‘God Bless the USA.’” The words were out before she could choke them back. She shook off the memory and stared into that face she’d once loved so much. He’d made her feel alive and desirable. He’d actually seen her. At least it had seemed that way for a time.
Phantom growled and bared his teeth when Garret took a step closer. He grimaced. “Why’d you bring that mutt? He hates me.”
She grabbed the dog’s collar as he lunged. “Where were you yesterday afternoon?”
He stepped away from Phantom and blinked at her abrupt question. He took another step closer and reached one hand toward her. “Why do you want to know where I was? None of that matters. We’re meant to be together, and you know it.”
She evaded his touch. He sounded way too smug so he knew exactly why she was asking. “Did you know Allyson Hegney?”
A glower settled over his face, and he dropped his hand. “That’s why you asked me to meet you, isn’t it? You actually think I killed that woman. I didn’t even know her. You’d like to railroad me for that crime too?” Ignoring the dog, he stepped closer again. “Let’s forget this foolishness, Dana. You still love me. I can see it in your eyes.”
Lord help her, even now she felt the pull of his charismatic personality. He was the first man who’d ever made her feel truly wanted. After losing her entire family, she never felt safe, never felt truly part of her adopted family even though they treated her well. On one level it would be so easy to forgive him and take him back, but this kind of leopard never changed his spots. The next time he might kill her too.
Suddenly chilly, she hugged herself. “You’d better go, Garret. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
He laughed, but it was a sound as cold as the wind howling outside. “If you think I’m leaving here without you, you’re delusional.” In the next moment he pointed a gun at Phantom. “Lock your dog up over there.” He gestured toward the storage room. “We’ll get out of this hick town and back to civilization where you can think more clearly.”
She couldn’t look away from the gun aimed at her dog, and she plunged her hand into her pocket to curl her fingers around the bear spray. “Put that gun away!”
“Not until you secure the dog. You’re coming with me.”
She bit her lip and looked down at Phantom. It would take very little provocation for Garret to shoot him, and she wasn’t close enough to use the bear spray, or any of the moves Boone had taught her. Holding firmly to the dog’s collar, she half dragged him toward the storage room.
Boone would help get her out of this.
CHAPTER 16
Phantom was growling and snarling on the other side of the door. Boone’s hand crept to the butt of his Glock, then he shook his head. A gunfight was apt to spray bullets in Dana’s direction, and he wouldn’t risk harming her. He’d have to rely on his martial arts skills along with the element of surprise.
The hinges on the door creaked open, and he caught a glimpse of her pale face. Phantom struggled as she pushed him through the door. Behind Dana, Garret waved a gun toward her.
Boone moved behind the door where he couldn’t be seen. He grabbed Phantom’s collar and dragged him into the room, then thrust the dog behind him. He motioned for Dana to come inside too.
Her eyes wide, she rushed through the doorway, and he closed and locked the door. Garret wouldn’t have a key to get in.
“Hey!” Garret twisted the doorknob. “Open this door or I’ll shoot the lock.”
“Shh.” Boone held his fingers to his lips, then went to the back of the space. He opened the window, then slammed it shut. Garret would go outside thinking she’d escaped that way. Sure enough, he heard quick footsteps toward the door, then the sound of it opening.
He eased the storage door open and stepped out. “Call 9-1-1 and have them send a deputy. Come out of there in case he tries to get in through the window. Lock the front door behind me until I tell you it’s safe.”
The room was empty, and the entry door stood ajar by a couple of inches. He moved quickly to the door and peered out. Gun in hand, Garret stalked the snowy yard with a grim expression. He disappeared from view around the corner of the building.
Boone motioned for Dana to join him. “This won’t take long.”
He stepped outside and waited until he heard the lock click behind him. The biting wind carried the scent of the lake to his nose, and he thought he detected male cologne as w
ell. Peeking around the edge of the building, he saw Garret grunting with effort to raise the window. Had he figured out the ruse already?
Boone ducked back around and thought through his options. The best idea would be to take the man by surprise but how? An expanse of yard stood between here and the window. Garret would see him quickly. Maybe he could lure him this way.
He picked up a stick from the ground and tossed it against the far wall of the building. The grunting around the corner stopped, and footsteps tromped his way. Hands up, he crouched in ready position.
The tip of the gun barrel in Garret’s hand appeared first, but the guy was no dummy. He paused and listened before proceeding past the corner where Boone waited. Boone held his breath, not daring to make a sound.
Garret inched forward a bit more. Boone needed just a few more inches of arm and he’d be able to disarm him.
More, more, just a little farther.
Just as Boone’s arm came down, Garret seemed to realize something was up. He jerked his arm back. Boone sprang after him, but he tripped over another branch on the ground and hurtled to his knees.
Garret sprinted for his truck. After opening the door, he threw himself under the wheel, and the engine roared to life. In the distance a siren wailed, but Garret’s truck spun on the snow for a moment, then took off in the opposite direction. As he passed, his glare at Boone promised retribution.
“Bring it on,” Boone muttered. “I’m taking you down.”
He returned to the entry door and rapped his knuckles on it. “It’s me, Dana.”
The door opened and she peered past his shoulder. “He’s gone? The sheriff should be here any minute.” Phantom pushed past her legs and nosed Boone’s hand.
Boone petted the dog’s ears as the siren grew louder in the distance.
“I’m not sure he had anything to do with Allyson’s death.” She pushed a curl out of her eyes. “But if he didn’t kill her, who did?”
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