“Tail him,” Cole whispered without taking his focus off Saunders. “Don’t let him out of your sight.”
Dani slipped into the darkness like the hazy mist joining with the trees.
Cole stood at attention until Saunders’s cruiser rolled past, then he settled back against the tree for a long night. His mind instantly went to Alyssa, her face, the terror in her eyes at the beach, the startling beauty when she’d cleaned up. She piqued his interest in a way no other woman had in years, but thinking about her in any way other than how to protect her was not where his mind needed to be when standing duty.
He fisted his hands and redirected his thoughts the way his military training had taught. Keep focused on the mission. Protect your team. See the desired outcome and block out everything else.
* * *
It had been quiet for hours when Cole heard a car slow on the road and turn onto the driveway. He moved deeper into the trees. An SUV with the same Pacific Bay Police logo slipped past. He couldn’t get a good look at the driver, but it was likely Saunders returning home. The driver swung the car into a parking space, and Cole silently moved through the trees for a better look.
Saunders climbed out, carefully scrutinizing his surroundings before opening the back door of his vehicle. He bent inside and came out holding a small gym bag. Not likely workout clothes. Probably cash, drugs or weapons. Saunders moved toward his front door, his steps sure and certain yet hurried. The behavior of someone who feared discovery. Not that he had any clue Cole was out here, but engaging in illegal activities would keep Saunders on edge.
Cole watched until he saw the upstairs light on Saunders’s side of the duplex turn on then off. A short hoot rang out, sounding so much like an owl only he would know Dani was the source of the sound. He went to meet her, and together they moved deeper into the heavily treed green space to talk.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Saunders met with another man.” She lifted the front of her slicker and turned on a digital camera. She held her slicker out to keep the camera’s light from shining through the darkness. “This is the guy. Wish I could’ve gotten a better picture, but I couldn’t risk being seen so I had to shoot from a distance.”
Cole bent down to look at the screen. “It’s not your best work, but it might be clear enough for Alyssa to identify him. Send the picture to my phone, and I’ll show it to her tomorrow.”
Dani clicked the camera off. “I’ll also send it to Jennie to clean up the focus. If we’re lucky we’ll get a match using facial recognition software.” Ethan’s wife, Jennie, was a professional photographer. She’d be the best-qualified person to work on the photo. Assuming Ethan let her get involved in a case.
“That would be great. If we know the kind of thugs Saunders is working with, we can create a better plan to protect Alyssa.”
“I also grabbed a cigarette butt this guy tossed. I’ll send it to Portland for DNA processing tomorrow.”
“Hopefully he has a profile in the system.” Cole didn’t have to tell Dani that finding a match was a long shot. With DNA processing being so costly, criminal profiles weren’t completed as frequently as law enforcement would like.
Dani took a step closer. “I’ve been thinking we should see if the DEA has an active investigation on Saunders.”
“I thought about that, too.”
“But?” She raised a brow.
“Even if they’re investigating him, they may be going after someone higher up the food chain. In that case, they’d warn us off and that wouldn’t help Alyssa at all.”
“What if I could assure you that I’d be able to influence their investigation for our good?”
“And what gives you that assurance?”
Her lips tipped in a sly smile. “Let’s just say I still have a DEA contact who owes me.”
“And you’re certain he’ll play ball?”
She shrugged. “Certain? No. But I’m confident we’d at least be kept in the loop.”
He peered at the dark windows on Saunders’s side of the duplex. “We don’t even know if Saunders ID’d Alyssa tonight. We’re giving her 24/7 protection and she’s safe for now. So let’s see what the light of day brings and decide then.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Dani stretched her arms up high and rolled her head. “You want me to take the night shift?”
Nagging unease over failing to protect someone under his charge gnawed at his brain. He didn’t want to leave Alyssa’s protection up to anyone else. But if he didn’t get some sleep tonight, he wouldn’t be on top of his game tomorrow. With Saunders in bed for the night, he’d pose more of a threat tomorrow.
“It’s all yours,” Cole said. “I’m meeting Alyssa at ten. I’ll take over her detail then. I shouldn’t need you again until the evening so you’ll be free to catch some sleep.”
She took a step toward the house then turned back. “Other than getting that picture of Saunders from Derrick, did you hear anything from him on the background checks?”
“No, but with a mug like Derrick’s I figured he needed his beauty sleep.”
“Hey.” She socked Cole’s arm. “If you’re saying the man who looks like me is ugly, then you’re saying I’m ugly, too.”
Cole smiled and, even with the danger surrounding them, he couldn’t believe how much lighter he felt inside than before coming to Pacific Bay. Like some of the pain from the past few years had lifted a bit. Maybe his siblings had been right. Maybe he’d needed this solitary time at the beach.
Maybe...but he wouldn’t get his hopes up yet. Tomorrow was another day, and if his time in Iraq taught him anything, it was that life could explode in a matter of minutes and never be the same again.
* * *
Cole squinted at his phone in the morning sun and pressed redial for Alyssa. The call connected and went straight to voice mail as it had the last three times. Cole slammed a fist on the wheel and glanced at the clock. 10:05. He was already five minutes late for their meeting.
Five minutes. No big deal, right? Wrong. People could die in less than five minutes. People who were his responsibility. People he cared about.
“C’mon, move,” he said to the traffic.
His phone rang and he punched talk without looking at the caller. “Alyssa?”
“Sorry, it’s Dani.”
“What’s happening?” he asked with trepidation because Dani was still on Alyssa’s protection detail.
“I have eyes on Alyssa. We’re in the coffee shop parking lot. She was walking to the shop and Saunders rolled up.”
Worry knotted Cole’s stomach. “And?”
“And they’re talking,” Dani responded calmly. “You want me to intercede?”
A picture of Saunders grilling Alyssa about last night, grabbing her arm and dragging her off to kill her flashed into Cole’s mind. He sucked in a breath to clear his thinking. “You have a read on their body language?”
“They’re tense but not combative.”
“Let them talk then, but move in if anything changes.”
“You getting here soon?”
He looked at the unmoving vehicles. “Once I clear this intersection, I can take a side road and be there in five minutes.”
As he disconnected, his heart flooded with the horrible ache that had plagued him since he was in Iraq and hadn’t gotten to Mac in time. He couldn’t let anything happen to Alyssa on his watch. He had to act now. He cranked the steering wheel hard. His SUV jerked up and over the curb, grabbing the pavement on the other side and barreling down the alternate route to the shop.
He saw Alyssa standing with Saunders near the coffee shop. Dressed in his uniform, he had his hand clamped around her elbow, his posture rigid. The kind of stance assumed by an officer with an unruly suspect.
Jerking his car into the
lot, Cole searched for Dani. She was well hidden, and it took a trained eye to find her. She stood at the ready if she needed to move and Cole knew she’d be on Saunders in a flash if he threatened Alyssa.
Even then, Cole didn’t relax. Alyssa was his responsibility. His alone. He zipped into the nearest parking space and jumped from his car.
He caught Saunders’s raised voice from a few establishments away. “So you’re not avoiding me then?”
Alyssa sighed. “Why would I avoid you?”
“Because of what we discussed the other night.”
Cole guessed he meant wanting to be more than friends with Alyssa, but Cole certainly wasn’t going to ask the guy to clarify his comment.
“Alyssa,” he said loudly as he approached. “Sorry I’m late.”
She spun, her eyes going to his and filling with relief. “Oh, Cole, good. I was wondering if I’d gotten the time wrong for our meeting.”
“I was held up by an accident blocking the road.” He turned to Saunders, who let his hand fall from Alyssa’s arm. “But then as a local cop you probably know all about it.”
Saunders appraised him. “And you are?”
“Sorry.” Alyssa shifted a folder and tablet computer she had clutched to her chest. “Cole is a new client.” She looked up at Cole. “Cole, this is Nolan Saunders.”
Proper manners dictated Cole stretch his hand out, but he couldn’t shake hands with this man so he stood silently while Saunders continued to scrutinize him. “You’re not from around here.”
“Do I have tourist stamped all over me?” Cole kept his tone light to counteract the tension.
“Not hardly.” Saunders’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I make it a point to get to know all of our residents, and I haven’t seen you around before.”
“I’m looking for rental property.”
“Oh, one of those.” Disdain colored his tone, and Cole almost expected him to snarl.
Alyssa stepped closer to Cole. “If you’ll excuse us, Nolan, we really need to get started if we’re going to make our appointments.”
Cole didn’t wait for Saunders to bid them goodbye but backed away and pulled open the coffee shop door. Alyssa hurried past Cole, who stood his ground until she’d moved safely inside the shop.
Saunders fisted his hands and his focus never left Alyssa. His expression was wary, but when his eyes lifted to lock on Cole there was something more lurking in the depths. Ownership. Saunders was staking his claim to Alyssa and warning Cole off.
Cole returned the stare for a moment, making sure Saunders knew Cole was in control, then followed Alyssa into the shop. He slipped ahead of her to check out the room for potential threats. He could feel Saunders’s gaze burning into his back and he forced himself to relax while looking for a table.
The small shop decorated with a nautical theme held six tables, and only one was vacant. Fortunately, it was secluded by the back door. He could talk to Alyssa without other patrons eavesdropping. He went straight to the table for two and pulled out a chair facing the wall so Alyssa didn’t have to look at Saunders.
“I’ll grab something to drink.” Cole smiled, hoping to eliminate her unease. “What would you like?”
She didn’t return his smile but sat woodenly, hugging her folder and computer. “Just coffee. Black, please.”
On the way to the counter, he checked out Saunders in his peripheral vision. Cole was probably being overly cautious by not looking at the man directly, but police officers were suspicious of everything and everyone. Cole didn’t want to give Saunders a reason to continue to watch them or, worse, do something impulsive. To be even more cautious, Cole wouldn’t dismiss Dani from the parking lot until he was sure Saunders had departed.
Cole placed their order. As he waited for the barista to prepare it, he glanced at Alyssa. She was wearing a professional navy blue pantsuit with a crisp white blouse that brought out the deep brown of her eyes, making them large and luminous. She’d set her computer and folder on the table and clutched her hands in her lap.
“Your drinks,” the barista said.
Cole grabbed the paper cups and took them to the table. “You look worried. Did Saunders say something?”
“No. Not really. But our conversation was tense.” She removed the lid from her cup. “I couldn’t tell if he’d figured out it was me last night, and that made it hard to look him in the eye. I think he suspects something.”
“Explains why he’s still watching us,” Cole said. “It would help throw him off if you relaxed and acted like I’m a real client.”
She nodded, but her back remained rigid. Cole needed to distract her. He tipped his head at her folder. “If you brought property listings we can pretend to take a look at them.”
She pulled out a few flyers. She set them in front of him with trembling hands—he hoped Saunders didn’t notice.
“Before we get started,” she said, smoothing out a paper. “There’s something important I need to tell you.”
“Hold that thought until Saunders leaves.”
Frustration flashed on her face so he quickly moved on by tapping the top paper. “This house looks amazing.”
She ran a finger over the picture of a home with soaring windows overlooking the beach and her posture relaxed a bit. “This is my favorite property in the Pacific Bay area.”
“Tell me about it.” He smiled encouragingly and picked up his coffee.
“It has everything you could want. An open concept, modern kitchen that’s to die for, lots of light, stunning views.” She paused and smiled at him, the love for her job shining on her face.
“You really like being a Realtor, don’t you?” he asked, hoping to keep her talking.
“I love helping people find a house that will become their family home.” Her eyes took on a faraway look. “I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to own my own place. To make it warm and comfortable for my family.” Her smile faltered. “At least I used to feel that way until Todd—” She cut herself off abruptly.
“And now?”
She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “On my income, owning a house in this area is just a dream.” She sounded so matter-of-fact about her limitations. So resolved. Yet not downtrodden by her circumstances.
Cole wished he could make her dream come true. Something he hadn’t wanted to do for anyone in a very long time. When his dreams had died, he could no longer believe in other people’s dreams, either.
“What about you?” she asked, warming to the subject. “Have you ever owned property?”
He shook his head. “I’ve never been in a position to settle down.”
“Well let’s pretend you want to settle down now and buy a house here. Would it be like the one you’re renting?”
Would it? The main living area was warm and inviting. A place where a family could gather and spend time together. Or he could observe storms rolling onto the beach through the solid wall of windows facing the ocean. Windows that had put Alyssa at risk last night. People should never be at risk. At least not on his watch. “I like it okay, I guess.”
“You guess, but what?”
“The windows would make the house hard to defend,” he answered and noticed Saunders departing.
Alyssa suddenly sat back looking like he’d slapped her. “I should’ve known.”
What had he said to make her change so quickly? “Known?”
“That you’d think about safety first.” She looked away. “I mean, it’s obvious from the chair you chose to sit in and the way you’ve been watching every little movement around us that you think like a cop.”
Most civilians weren’t that observant, but she’d pegged him. One hundred percent pegged him, and she hardly knew anything about him.
Alyssa laughed, but it didn’t sound amused. “Don’
t look so surprised. I was married to a cop, remember. I know all you law enforcement types like to sit facing the door and continually assess your surroundings. Never relaxing, even at home.”
She’d lived the life many police officers’ wives couldn’t handle. A life his ex-fiancée, Laura, had refused to try. “Sounds like being married to a cop was hard for you.”
She took a long sip of her coffee, as if needing time before answering. “It wasn’t all bad. In fact, it was pretty good until the last couple of years. But right after his seventh anniversary on the job, Todd changed and things...well, things got tough.”
Unfortunately, Cole had seen police officers lose their belief in their ability to make a difference on the job and start hating their work. That did not make for a good home life.
Cole opened his mouth to probe a little deeper, but Alyssa snapped the folder closed and the vulnerability in her eyes disappeared with it.
“So enough about me.” She forced a laugh. “Is Nolan still watching?”
She’d completely shut down. Her refusal to share hurt, surprising Cole. In less than a day, she’d somehow gotten through the wall he’d erected to keep people at bay and he sincerely wanted to get to know her. Problems and all. But her reluctance was probably a good thing. He didn’t need to get involved with a woman who’d already experienced life married to a man with a dangerous job. She’d clearly hated that life and if Cole ever did consider a relationship with a woman, she’d need to accept his chosen career.
“Saunders is gone,” he said and tried to ignore the return of her worried expression.
“Good. Then I can finally tell you that I lost my phone last night when I was running from Nolan. We need to find it before he does and figures out I was the one who overheard them.”
Cole sat forward. “Are you sure you had it with you?”
“Positive. I never go running without my phone. When I went to get it out of my jacket this morning, it wasn’t there. I called my number and it went straight to voice mail. I’m guessing the battery died.”
No Way Out Page 5
