by Sharon Dunn
She completed the report and opened her email. She smiled as she read the thank-you notes from children at a school where she and Lexi had given a K-9 demonstration. She loved teaching members of the community about what the K-9 units did.
An email from her mother caught her attention as she scrolled down. Her mother usually used her private email. Her skin prickled as apprehension invaded her body.
She opened it up and read.
Bethany is such a pretty baby. It would be a shame to have anything happen to her.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees as she stared at the computer screen. It was clear what had happened. Her mother would never send such a horrible email. So now the syndicate was hacking into family members’ emails and threatening the life of her niece?
Her hands were shaking as she grabbed the phone to dial her home number.
Stella picked up on the first ring. “Hello.”
Valerie took a breath, hoping to hide the anxiety in her voice. “Hey, Mrs. Witherspoon, I was just checking to see how Bethany was doing.”
Stella’s voice exuded cheerfulness. “She’s such a doll. She just finished her cereal and is playing with her blocks.”
“So, everything’s okay?”
“Couldn’t be better.” Stella paused as though she were thinking something over. “Are you having a little separation anxiety, dear?”
Valerie gripped the phone a little tighter. “That must be it.”
“It happens to every mother. Call here a thousand times a day if you need to.”
Though she couldn’t let go of the fear over harm coming to Bethany, Valerie relaxed a little. Bethany was in good hands. “Mrs. Witherspoon, you are an answer to prayer.”
Valerie said her goodbyes and hung up. She called her mother who said she didn’t think her email had been hacked. She barely turned her computer on. These guys were good. She pressed her trembling hands, palms down against the desk. Tuned into Valerie’s heightened emotion, Lexi lifted her head and looked at her with dark brown eyes.
The words echoed through her mind. It would be a shame if anything happened to her. She felt like she was being shaken from the inside. Would Garry’s murderer hurt Bethany to get to her? Now she knew for sure she was being watched. They must have seen her with Bethany.
“Everything okay?” Trevor stood beside her desk.
She straightened her spine and squared her shoulders, forcing her voice to sound professional. “Sure. Why?”
He sat down in the chair beside her, concern etched across his face. “Your complexion’s the color of rice.”
“It’s nothing.” She couldn’t explain to him. He wouldn’t understand why she was so upset. It was just an email, right? It wasn’t like a gun had been pointed at her. “My face is always this color. I’m a light-skinned redhead.”
He cracked a smile. “That you are, Officer Salgado, but that doesn’t explain why your hands are shaking.” He reached over and cupped his hand over hers.
She’d laced her fingers together so tightly her knuckles were white. He pulled back and studied her while the warmth of his touch lingered. Would he think she lacked strength as an officer if she revealed how much the threat had shaken her up? Cops were supposed to have titanium spines, right? There probably wasn’t anything in the world that made Trevor Lewis afraid...except maybe feeding babies.
The warmth in his eyes, the same that she had seen at the warehouse, told her she could risk sharing.
She drew in a breath and turned the computer monitor toward him. “I just got this.” She pulled the photo of Bethany off her cubicle wall and held it to her chest. Images about bad things happening to Bethany rampaged through her head. She shivered.
Trevor’s jaw hardened as he looked away from the screen. He shook his head. “Unbelievable. This has got to be the syndicate’s doing. Your mother would never send an email like that, right?”
Valerie nodded. “Who else would do this but the syndicate? The first threat came in an email, as well.”
His presence had a calming effect on her that she didn’t understand. Maybe it was just because he looked like he could smash small buildings with his fist. Being able to share with him had eased her fear. Now that she could get a deep breath, she felt like she was seeing things more clearly. “They wouldn’t actually hurt Bethany, would they? It’s me the Serpent is after.”
“It doesn’t matter if they will or won’t. They are threatening your kid and upsetting you. It’s all part of a game they’re playing.” His tone suggested deep offense at what had been done to her.
She exhaled. “It might be that it was meant to scare me. You know, the syndicate’s reminder that they are still watching and waiting for their chance to kill me.” She just didn’t want to believe that anyone would harm an innocent child.
Trevor touched his clean-shaven face as his eyes narrowed. “I’ve seen this before with witnesses we were trying to protect. The intent is to break you psychologically. You don’t want something bad to happen to your kid, so you back off from finding this woman.”
“I can’t even identify the woman yet for sure. We haven’t been able to put together a sketch or a police lineup.” She turned back to her computer and clicked out of her email program. “I just know that if I saw this woman that we think is the Serpent again, I would recognize her.”
Trevor sat back in his chair. “The murderer doesn’t know that, though. She probably thinks it’s just a matter of time before the Sagebrush police track her down. These people are ruthless. They’ll do everything they can to shake your resolve.”
“I wish there was protection for Bethany when I’m not with her.” Talking with Trevor had eased some of her fear, but every time she looked at Bethany’s picture, she felt a jab to her heart. If anything happened to that little girl....
“Maybe the department can provide some protection,” Trevor suggested.
“I can ask, and I’ll let the captain know about the email, but it’s always a funding and resources issue,” she said.
At the other end of the administrative area, Captain McNeal stepped out of his office. “Dispatch just got a call from a black and white downtown. The car you saw Murke drive away in has been spotted outside a hardware store on Sagebrush Boulevard.”
Valerie jumped up and grabbed Lexi’s leash. “We might have Murke in custody before the day is over.” Excitement pulsed through her. Chasing down Murke would get her mind off the email.
She clicked Lexi into her leash, glad to be doing something she could deal with.
Trevor quickened his pace as he moved toward the door. “Let’s go catch a fugitive.”
FOUR
Adrenaline surged through Valerie as Trevor selected a parking space with a view of Derek Murke’s older-model Buick parked across the street. Murke was nowhere in sight. He had to be in one of the shops. She loved this part of the job—the prospect of catching a criminal brought the importance of her work back to her.
The sidewalks bustled with afternoon activity. Downtown Sagebrush was a mixture of boutiques and restaurants that provided a medley of rustic charm and trendy affluency. She recognized the patrol car up the block and two other unmarked police cars that had moved into place. Now it was just a matter of sitting and waiting. Murke had to come back to his car sooner or later.
Lexi leaned forward and panted.
Trevor angled his head away so he wouldn’t get slobbered on.
“Sorry, she just likes to be a part of the action,” Valerie explained, smiling indulgently as she stroked Lexi’s ears.
The radio sparked to life. “Car two this is car one. I’ve got eyes on Murke. He’s standing at the check-out line in Bealman’s Hardware.”
Trevor lurched in his seat. “All right, let’s move in. Keep the uniforms out of sight range. I don’t want Murke to know we’re on to him.”
Valerie sat back in her seat trying to hide her disappointment. “I guess that means me, too.” She looked down at he
r uniform.
“He scares easily.” He’d already pushed open the door and slipped out of the car. “Radio the other units of his position if you see him.”
Trevor attempted a casual but hurried walk across the street. Two other plainclothes officers were making a beeline for the hardware store. Valerie scanned the surrounding shops and the street. Though she accepted the reason for the decision, she really didn’t like being put out of commission like this.
If Murke did come this way, her response time would be faster if she and Lexi were already on the street. If he was on the run already, it wouldn’t matter if he saw her uniform.
She slipped out of the car, removed Lexi from the backseat and walked up the boulevard, keeping her eyes on the exterior of the hardware store. She shielded herself behind the other pedestrians to avoid being spotted. She walked past Arianna’s Diner and a boutique that sold hats and other accessories.
A voice came across her shoulder mic. “Stand down. False alarm. Bad I.D.”
Across the street, Trevor emerged from a cluster of people on the sidewalk. The droop in his shoulders communicated his level of disappointment as he made his way to the end of the block. Valerie’s awareness switched into high gear. She turned in a half circle. Murke was still skulking around here. He hadn’t come back to his car parked close to the hardware store. Sooner or later, he would show.
Walking to the end of the block, she kept her eye on Murke’s car. Parking was at a premium in the downtown area. Just because he had parked by the hardware store didn’t mean that was where he went. Trevor was doing the same sort of walking surveillance on the other side of the street. One of them needed to get back to the car in case they ended up tailing Murke in a vehicle. She turned and headed back toward the car.
Lexi came to attention and peered up the street. Valerie shifted her gaze. Murke had just stepped out of Arianna’s Diner holding two take-out boxes. Recognition spread across his face as he narrowed his dark soulless eyes at her.
She expected Murke to turn and bolt...to make a beeline for his car. Instead, as she drew within feet of him, he charged toward her. Soda and a take-out box filled with a pasta dish showered down on her and Lexi. The crowd around them scattered like cockroaches in the light.
In the few seconds it took her to recover, Murke pivoted and raced up the street. He disappeared into a cluster of people. Murke’s dirty-blond head bobbed up right before he entered a men’s clothing store. She dashed inside.
Lexi sneezed repeatedly from the spices that had gone up her nose. The dog couldn’t focus on Murke’s scent trail. Valerie squinted as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. Behind the counter, a clerk pointed toward the back door. Valerie hurried into the alley. The sounds of the busy street gave way to a quiet alley. She heard footsteps and ran in the direction of them.
The alley smelled of garbage and Mexican spices and chemicals from a dry cleaners. A door creaked open, and a man came out tossing a trash bag in an open Dumpster. He offered Valerie only a passing glance before going back inside as if cops with K-9 units chased fugitives up this alley every day.
Trevor’s comment about them staying together came back to her, but she swiped the thought from her mind. Doing her job had to be priority one. She needed to catch this guy. He’d already killed one lawman.
She radioed her location. Trevor and the others had to have seen the disruption on the street. They were probably already running this way.
Lexi dutifully placed her nose on the ground and sniffed. Then she sneezed. Would Lexi be able to pick up the scent?
She heard no further noise. Unless he’d slipped into the back door of one of the shops, Murke had to be hiding somewhere. She searched each nook and cranny, opened Dumpsters and checked behind a pile of crates.
Lexi pulled a little harder on her leash. “You got something, girl?”
The dog ran toward a stairway that led to a second-floor door. Valerie remained down below with her gun drawn prepared to shoot if Murke was behind the door.
A voice as cold as ice sounded in her ear as the hard blade of a knife pressed against her throat. “Drop the gun.”
Her heart lurched. She let the gun fall to the ground.
Lexi was already headed back down the stairs. Murke hadn’t noticed the dog.
Hurry girl, hurry.
Valerie let her hands go limp as though she would comply. When she felt his body relax, she slammed her elbow hard into his stomach. Murke groaned. She turned to face her attacker, preparing to land a second blow.
She saw his face, features compressed into an expression of hate. Onyx eyes tore through her. Behind her, Lexi barked.
Murke’s eyes grew wide with fear when he saw Lexi. He took off running again. Lexi bolted past her hot on Murke’s heels but was slowed down by her sneezing. It took only a moment for Valerie to retrieve her gun and chase after Murke.
* * *
Trevor raced through a store that sold Western wear, past puzzled clerks and out the back entrance. A mixture of fear and anger warred inside him. He had told Valerie to stay in the car. Why hadn’t she listened? The uniform thing had been his excuse to keep her safe.
It had taken less than three minutes to figure out it was Valerie and Murke causing the ruckus across the street. Her red hair had flashed bright in the noonday sun, then he had darted across the street to find her.
He stepped out of the Western shop into the empty alley. Where had she gone? His heart squeezed tight. All anger washed away as fear took over. What if Murke had killed her?
Not again. God, please, not again.
He scanned up and down the alley, pushing down the rising panic. She had to be all right.
The distant bark of the dog brought a sense of relief. That had to be Lexi. He followed the sound of the barking, heading away from downtown and toward a residential part of Sagebrush. His feet pounded on the sidewalk as he ran past yards just starting to turn green. He stopped to listen again for the barking. He caught up with Valerie and Lexi by some playground equipment that was part of a housing complex.
She turned to face him as he approached. “We lost sight of him.” She looked down at Lexi, who sat at her feet, panting. “Her sniffer is all messed up. Daytime searches are harder anyway—too many people running around, lot of scents to sort through.”
“One of the units is still watching the car. If he tries to go back that way, we’ll nab him.” Disappointment settled in his stomach like a rock. Twice in one day, Murke had been within his grasp...and he had eluded them.
“I already radioed a patrol unit to comb the streets.” She tugged on Lexi’s leash. “We’ll walk the neighborhood, see if we can pick up on anything. Maybe somebody saw him.”
Trevor stood close to Valerie, expecting to be enveloped in her floral scent. Instead, he smelled...Italian spices? Her uniform had stains on it. “What happened to you?”
“Murke’s escape plan involved throwing his takeout at me. Lexi got spices up her nose, and Murke’s lunch is all over my uniform.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Let’s not make a big deal about it or else the other officers will have a nickname for me before the day is over.”
“I don’t know...you might have started a trend. Marinara-scented perfume could become very popular,” he quipped.
She had an easy laugh that helped quell some of the frustration he’d felt at losing Murke again.
They searched the street for several more hours before giving up. The Buick remained parked by the hardware store. Murke wouldn’t be stupid enough to return. Maybe he had slipped into a garage or an unlocked house and maybe he had phoned someone and gotten a ride. The point was they weren’t going to find him today.
Valerie completed her usual patrol shift. They rolled through the neighborhood where they had first seen Murke, stopping at Linda Seville’s empty house. Maybe the older woman was out of town.
As they stepped around from the house, Valerie suggested, “We might be able to catch up with Ler
oy Seville through his parole officer.”
Trevor nodded, unable to let go of his frustration. “That would be the next step.” Squaring his shoulders, he ambled toward his car.
Once he was behind the wheel, Valerie commented, “Both times today Murke was trying to get some food, and we kept him from eating.” She rested her head against the back of the seat. “Maybe we’ll just starve him out.”
Trevor laughed. He appreciated her being able to find humor in the situation, but Murke was still on the run. “I thought Murke would skip town after he saw us this morning. Wonder what’s keeping him here, risking being caught?”
Valerie shook her head. “You said he lived here when he was a teenager?”
“Yeah, and he’s come back more than once,” Trevor said.
“My brother David works undercover. He’s in touch with some of the shadier people around Sagebrush. He might know something.”
So her brother was a cop, too. “I’d like to talk to him.”
“We’re having a family barbecue tonight. You’re welcome to come.”
Social gatherings really weren’t his thing, but he was anxious to heat up the trail that led to Murke. After all, there would be no justice for Cory Smith’s death until Murke was caught. “I might do that.”
She let out a heavy sigh and stared at the ceiling. “I can’t wait to get out of this uniform. I smell like an Italian restaurant.”
He drove across town and parked in front of her house. The patrol car that was supposed to be her off-duty protection hadn’t shown up yet. He raced around to her side of the car and helped her out. He stayed close to her as they crossed the street. As close as he could get with Lexi between them.
In a lot of ways, she was a good cop, even if she was a rookie. “I appreciate the work you did today. How did you know Murke was on that side of the street?”
They came to her door. “I thought it would be better if I got out of the car and was ready for him.” She looked up at him without blinking, her green eyes bright and clear. “I know you told me to stay in the car, but sitting on the sidelines is not what a cop does.”
