Nick crossed the threshold right behind her and closed the door. He slipped off his shoes before following her onto the plush beige carpet. The house took on a new appearance before her eyes as she saw it in a new light, imagining she hadn’t spent a lifetime in it.
The bookshelves and walls were covered in framed photographs. Her mother had never been fond of knickknacks or artwork but loved to be surrounded by images of the people she loved. Fake potted flowers were in almost every corner of the living room, in addition to the two recliners and love seat. Maybe she could switch out the dying flowers for some of the fake ones. The spot where the television had resided was empty. The relatively new flat screen had taken the trip to Arizona with them.
Nick ignored it all, crossed the room and placed a knee on her favorite spot in the entire house, the cushioned ledge of the bay window. He leaned forward and peeked out the sheer curtains. “Car is still there, but I don’t see anyone in the driver’s seat.”
“Then it’s probably nothing. It is Labor Day weekend. Families like to come visit.” Or so she’d been told. She didn’t have many extended relatives closer than Texas, and she’d never visited there.
Nick’s face looked pinched. Either he was really hungry or something she’d said had sparked pain.
“I have Jeremy’s number, though. I’ll let him know, to be safe.” She sent him a quick text. The phone vibrated in response. “He says someone will drive by soon.” Knowing an officer would check out the car, she felt the tension in her back loosen a little.
She hustled to preheat the oven before she grabbed a bag of premade burritos out of the freezer. Sweet potato fries didn’t really complement the dish, but they were the only vegetable she could find.
Nick put his hands behind his back and perused the photographs on the shelves. “Wait a second.” He turned to look at her, his finger pointing at the photo of her father receiving an award for public service from the governor. “Was your dad the mayor at one point?”
She dumped all of the food onto a cookie sheet and shoved it into the oven, not bothering to wait for it to preheat. She’d never claimed to be a good cook. She got too impatient. “Yes. He served for most of my childhood and adulthood, until Gerald took his spot last term.”
Nick’s pensive nod said it all. He was making the assumption that her dad’s political history was the reason she’d said no to his campaign manager job. There was a grain of truth to it. Her dad had hoped to move on from being a mayor to campaigning for senator. He’d held off during her rebellious teen years but thought maybe enough time had passed for him to run. When her little “hiccup,” as her dad called her disbarment, happened, he decided maybe it would be best to retire early, for her sake.
Heat flooded her chest. She wished she’d never opened up to Nick. He made it way too easy, though, as he had such a kind face and demeanor. His silent smile practically begged her to say more. It’s why she’d admitted to him that her passion was elder law when she could count on one hand how many people she’d told.
She knew what he was thinking, what the whole town was probably thinking. It didn’t make sense for a lawyer to take so long prepping a house for sale. She could’ve flown out for a weekend or hired people to do it. Good lawyers had money. They had luxury vehicles. They weren’t wasting their skills working entry-level jobs at a temp agency.
If she was honest with herself, she still wanted to go into elder law, but she hadn’t gotten up enough nerve to plead her case to the Idaho State Bar. Her license was revoked in Washington, but there was a slim-to-none chance she could be allowed to serve in her home state.
Once she built up enough courage to do that, her past would no longer be a secret. The entire town would hear about it. She’d have to travel to Boise to appear before the Bar. Boise wasn’t too far away, and plenty of people from Barings had relatives there. Someone would find out, she just knew it. And if she lost, her last hope of moving on would be dashed. She wasn’t ready to face it. Not yet.
Nick stepped into the kitchen and nodded at the office nook nestled between the counter and the dining table. “Would it be okay to borrow a piece of paper and pencil?”
“Of course. Dinner won’t be long now.”
“Proverbs 31.” He pointed at the Bible she’d left open on the counter. “Good stuff.”
She blushed. Had it really been just this morning she’d been rereading that? “Most people think of the wife of noble character.” She tried to ignore the approving look in his eyes. “But there are two verses in there that I clung to as a lawyer, which, come to think of it, you might appreciate. My dad pointed them out to me many years ago.”
His eyebrows rose. “Oh?”
“Verses 8 and 9 basically say we should speak up for those who don’t have a voice, for those who need defending, for justice...” She let her voice trail off when she realized how passionate she sounded. Her neck heated again. She grabbed some glasses and filled them with iced tea.
“I appreciate you sharing that with me,” he said, his voice soft. “Is that why you wanted to practice elder law?”
“Partly.” She’d gone and gotten personal again. She focused on the food. The house was devoid of every other Labor Day weekend staple. Her menu was as weird as her life lately.
Nick had taken a spot at the dining table and appeared to be sketching something. Maybe he was one of those people who liked to color to relax. Personally, she couldn’t understand the compulsion. The only thing that could relax her was jotting down every single thing on her mind, like an epic to-do list, and then following it up with an engrossing book to forget it all until she could start crossing things off. Maybe that’s why she made a good lawyer. Had made a good lawyer.
She peeked over his shoulder. Rough short lines formed a misshapen circle. “Are you drawing a turtle?” Did he treat turtles? “One of your patients?”
He twisted his torso to look at her, an amused smile on his face. She smiled in response, not even knowing why and fighting the urge to twirl her hair again. “No,” he said slowly. “I was trying to be proactive and draw the scout’s face as best as I could remember. I know I’m not the best artist in the wor—”
“Clearly.” She laughed at his facial expression and held up both hands. “Sorry. I’m no artist, either, but it’s not a bad idea. We both saw him.” She pulled out the chair beside him and took a seat.
“Exactly. If we could agree on what he looked like, then maybe the authorities would have a better shot at getting him.”
“Yes, but how much good would that do us? He still sent our picture out to the drug network or whatever they call themselves.”
“We don’t know he did that for sure, but even if that’s the case, at least we’ve started somewhere.” He tapped the sketch. “Maybe the authorities could get this guy to talk. At the very least, it should help in getting the runners to back off. Awareness is our greatest weapon. The more people who know what we’re dealing with here, the better.”
An annoying repetitive noise interrupted her next thought. It sounded like a faraway car alarm. She stood and crossed to the bay window. “The Outback is gone.” She shifted her view to the right. A flicker of light from what looked like the back of his practice made her pause.
A dark figure could be seen running toward the building. The orange light grew. “Nick—” Her throat closed. The animals...
Nick rushed forward and put a hand on her back as he peered forward. “What is it?”
Her hands shook as she pulled out her phone. “Fire.”
SIX
Nick barely had the presence of mind to shove on his shoes before sprinting across the street. He passed Alexis, but his legs and arms felt weighted. He couldn’t run as fast as he wanted. The shrill pitch of the fire alarm grew louder as he got closer. Flames licked the back of the building and could be seen on the roof.
“Keri,” he screamed, scanning the sides of the property. The sixteen-year-old girl should’ve been tending to the boarded animals by now. What if she was trapped inside with them? He couldn’t imagine the sprinkler system he’d installed in the boarding area would be a match against the vicious blaze for very long. The smoke alone...
“They’re coming,” Alexis yelled, mere steps behind him. She panted. “Fire trucks are coming.”
He didn’t bother to reply. Emergency personnel should’ve already been on the way if the alarm system was working properly. He attempted to slow down, but his knee hit the front door as he tried to pull it open. Locked. He keyed in the code to unlock it. The second it took for the little light to turn green seemed like an eternity.
He swung the door open. The smoke dimmed the lights in the lobby, and the acrid smell almost bowled him over. The deafening beeping of the alarm was accompanied by at least one howling dog. “Stay back.” He waved Alexis away as he charged forward and hunkered down.
The strobes from the firelights illuminated the door he wanted. He yanked it open and Keri, drenched from the sprinklers and holding a carrier, almost barreled into him. She screamed. Then her eyes widened. “Oh, Dr. Kendrick.” She burst into tears. “The back door. Someone blocked it. Most of the dogs are out—” Keri launched into a fit of coughing.
“Go!” They could figure out what had happened after everyone was safe. He stepped aside. Alexis had ignored his plea to stay out of the way. She grabbed the cat carrier from Keri and ran her toward the front door.
Nick put his arm over his mouth and tried to squint through the smoke. The left wall had flames licking it, but the sprinkler system on that side was squirting out a steady stream. Not enough to put the fire completely out, but to keep it from spreading.
He followed the howling until he reached the kennel. Raven sat shivering and shaking, wet and clearly scared. His heart twisted as he unlatched the kennel and picked up the dog. The second half of the sprinklers sprayed down on them. The blaze licked the surrounding walls now. He needed to make sure there were no more animals in danger.
Alexis appeared at his side. He startled. He didn’t risk opening his mouth, but he wanted to scream at her to get out. She threw her arms around Raven, pulled her from him and darted out the door.
Nick ran throughout the small area, flinging doors open. Daisy, the golden retriever with a wounded paw, remained. Otherwise the boarding area was empty. He lifted the seventy-pound, full-grown animal and struggled to keep her still as he ran with her into the lobby.
Alexis and Raven cowered against the side wall. A ceiling beam had fallen, flames devouring it. They were trapped.
Nick stepped up onto the receptionist’s office chair, stood on the desk and fumbled to open the window with one arm. He shoved the pane upward and felt before he heard the whoosh of flames coming his way.
He jumped off the desk with Daisy in his arms. The flames on the ceiling hungrily headed for the side window. Alexis touched the handle to the exam room door hesitantly before she opened it. It was smart thinking. There was a large front window in there, but as it was for decorative purposes, there was no way to open it. He grabbed the large glass jar of treats sitting next to the exam station and waved Alexis back. He pitched the jar at the center of the window. The glass cracked, then shattered into a million little pieces.
Alexis didn’t wait for his instructions. She stepped onto the bench she’d sat on a mere hour ago and launched forward, with Raven in her arms, out the ground floor window. Nick joined her a second later with the wriggling Daisy. He gulped the air greedily, too greedily, as he began coughing.
Flashing lights sped down the street and pulled into his empty parking lot. The volunteer firefighters poured out of the red truck and set to work as EMTs rushed at him and pulled him to safety.
Daisy began shaking in his arms. “She needs oxygen.”
“Sir, I need to take care of you first.”
“Give her oxygen,” Nick repeated. He spun frantically until he spotted Alexis and Keri being treated by another EMT. “If they’re okay, give the black dog and the cat oxygen, too.”
“Sir...”
Nick saw the uncertainty in the young man’s eyes. He knew some states had passed laws allowing emergency personnel to treat animals, but he wasn’t sure if Idaho was one of them. If it turned out to be a liability issue, he’d take responsibility. “I’m a veterinarian. Let me.”
The EMT didn’t say a word as Nick gently set Daisy down. The flames overtaking his practice barely registered until the dog stopped shivering. He pointed at a policeman. “You. Come watch this dog for me.”
The policeman frowned but didn’t argue, compassion in his eyes as the dog’s front paw bandages registered. Nick hustled over to Raven and administered the oxygen. Alexis met his eyes, soot covering her cheeks and nose. “You were brilliant,” he said. He turned to Keri. “I can’t thank you enough. The other dogs we were boarding weren’t in there. Are all the other dogs in the pen?”
She nodded, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I had taken them out for playtime before bed. But when I looked back, I saw flames. I ran inside—” she coughed for a minute “—but after I grabbed the kitty,” she sobbed, “the back door wouldn’t open.”
The chief stood behind her. He had heard the whole thing. His face turned a purplish hue as he took a knee and pulled her into a hug. “You were a hero, Keri. A hero.”
Tears filled Nick’s eyes. Alexis sniffed beside him. “Keri is Chief Spencer’s niece.”
The chief’s hard eyes met Nick’s. “I will make sure to take down whoever is responsible.” His chilled voice seemed to be implying it was Nick’s fault somehow. He wouldn’t even dignify the threat with a response.
The cat was the hardest to treat. Nick’s arms took the brunt of the scratches as he tried to make sure the cat wasn’t suffering from smoke inhalation.
Alexis wiped the tears from under her eyes. “What do you need me to do, Doc?”
He didn’t know where to begin. The practice...the... He took a deep breath. The animals came first, and he needed more hands. He passed her his phone. “Could you call my staff? Abigail and Marla? They’re in my contacts. Ask them to get in touch with any owners who are still in town, then get down here and help me find places for these animals tonight.”
Her eyes widened. “On it.”
Nick went on autopilot. Alexis wordlessly followed him as he guided Daisy and Raven behind the building and into the pen with the six other dogs that had been boarded. The fenced-off area was a few hundred feet behind the building.
The floodlights that normally illuminated the grassy area were off. Whether from sabotage or fire, he couldn’t be certain. The breeze carried the smells of wet dog, smoke and burning lumber. A few houses’ worth of people came their way, forming a crowd on the sidewalks.
When he shifted to check on each animal, Alexis moved directly behind him, rapidly talking into the phone. The dogs in the pen had to be scaring her. “You don’t have to stay here,” he said softly.
She put one hand over the receiver. “Oh yes, I do. I tried to go out the gate, and two dogs almost managed to get past me.” She shivered. “Marla says she’s on her way. She wants to know if she should bring anything.”
He shook his head. What they really needed were volunteers to bathe the dogs to get any potential soot out of their fur, house them and provide humidifiers to decrease the chance of suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation.
Thanks to Keri and Alexis, no animals had been harmed tonight. His heart sped up at the thought. It was too close, just as Alexis’s brush with death on that cliff had been.
The fire was dying fast, thanks to the work of the firefighters behind them, but the remaining flames illuminated the approach of the chief and Jeremy. “Doc,” the chief ca
lled out. “Need to ask some questions.”
Alexis stiffened.
Nick regarded her. “Do I need a lawyer?”
“They probably just want to ask questions to start the investigation, but I’ll be the first to tell you to get one.”
For some reason the response hurt. “You wouldn’t be my lawyer?”
“Not my field, remember?” She worried her lip. “Trust me. You wouldn’t want me.”
“Pretty sure I made the opposite point an hour ago.” He realized it was the worst time to discuss it, but there was something about having his life’s work go up in flames that put him in an argumentative mood.
“Nick, that was a completely different matt—”
“What can you tell us?” the chief interrupted. He stood just outside the pen.
Alexis spoke before Nick had a chance, relaying the details of what they’d seen and done.
Jeremy threw a thumb over his shoulder. “We found cement blocks up against the back door.” He sent a tentative glance to Chief. “That’s why Keri had to come out the front.”
“Why would someone do that?” Chief asked.
“I was hoping you could tell me.” Nick’s voice raised an octave.
Alexis rested her hand on his forearm. Her touch simultaneously calmed and invigorated him. He took a deep breath and consciously relaxed his muscles.
“You have all the facts,” Alexis told the chief, her voice steely. “I imagine you should be looking for the same person who cut my brakes.”
Chief exchanged a glance with Jeremy. “Lexi, we can’t jump to conclusions until we—”
“Investigate. Yes, I know. Surely you see this is arson.” She gestured wildly to the burning building behind them. Unfortunately one of the dogs, Sugar, took the arm motion to mean jump and did so right in her face. Alexis squealed and spun, shoving her face into Nick’s chest.
Tracking Secrets Page 7
