by Terri Reed
Marian Foxcroft.
Shane recognized her from the times she’d come to observe their training at the center. Shane glanced at Ellen Foxcroft at the far end of the table. She had her brown hair pulled back in a braid. She sat ramrod-straight with her eyes on the chief. Shane imagined it was hard for the rookie knowing her mother disapproved of her chosen field.
The chief’s gaze scanned the men and women present. Not only were all of Shane’s fellow rookies present, but so were the officers of the Desert Valley Police Department.
Shane wasn’t sure why the DVPD officers had been included in this meeting to hear where the rookies would be assigned. He sent up a quick prayer that his request to be sent to the Flagstaff PD came through. The sooner he escaped from the feelings Gina stirred, the better.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the chief intoned in a grave voice. “As you all are aware, Veronica Earnshaw was murdered two nights ago.”
From the expressions of some of those sitting around the conference table and leaning against the back wall, not everyone mourned Veronica’s passing. But some did. The sadness in Ellen’s eyes matched the look in the chief’s.
“I know some of you had issues with Veronica in the past,” the chief went on to say.
“You got that right,” Officer Ken Bucks mumbled.
Chief Jones narrowed his gaze on Bucks. “Whatever problems any of you had with her must be put aside to find her killer.”
Bucks had the good grace to flush a bright red.
“Mrs. Foxcroft has generously endowed the department with the funds to hire all five graduating rookies for the foreseeable future. You’ll remain with the Desert Valley Police Department until we bring Veronica’s killer to justice.”
“What?” Ellen exclaimed. “Mother?”
Marian Foxcroft spared her daughter a quick look but made no comment.
Shane exchanged a stunned glance with James. They’d all expected to be assigned to police departments throughout Arizona. Shane wanted to be sent to Flagstaff to become the city cop his family expected him to be, not that he’d been guaranteed the assignment of his choice. None of them had any say in where they ended up. Even still, Shane had made the request at his dad’s insistence. Dad wasn’t going to be happy about this turn of events—he was already champing at the bit for Shane to take his place in the family business, so to speak.
But as Shane searched his heart, he found he was a bit conflicted, confused even, by how the news didn’t stir anger or outrage or even disappointment. Odd.
He shrugged off his lack of reaction and refused to consider its origin. They knew who killed Veronica and would track down Tim Perry soon enough, and then Shane’s plan to join the Flagstaff PD could be realized.
“We already have a strong suspect in Veronica’s murder,” Shane said. “It shouldn’t be too difficult to find and arrest Tim Perry.”
The chief nodded and picked up a stack of paper from the head of the table where he stood. “This is the only photo the Mesa PD had of our suspect. Tim Perry is Gina Perry’s twin brother. Though there’s hardly a resemblance. He is mentally unstable as well as bent on revenge against his sister for turning him in after he shot and killed their father. A Mesa police officer.” The chief’s gaze settled on Shane. “I trust Gina is at the training center with Sophie.”
Shane straightened. “Yes, sir.” He trusted the ex-cop to keep Gina safe.
Marian stepped forward. “This latest murder has been very upsetting. I can appreciate that you have a suspect, but other murders have gone unsolved. Veronica bragged to me that this latest batch of recruits were the best and brightest of all her training years.”
Her gaze swept over the stunned rookies, lingering slightly on her daughter before she continued. “The county sheriff, the mayor and the governor have given me their assurances that all of you will be given every resource possible not only to bring Veronica’s murderer to justice but to solve the cold case murder of Melanie Hayes.”
All eyes turned to Ryder. He lifted his chin. “Solving my wife’s murder would mean a great deal to my daughter, Lily, and me.”
Marian nodded. “No doubt it would. But Melanie’s untimely demise isn’t the only unsolved crime in Desert Valley.”
Shane frowned. He hadn’t heard of anything more serious than some robberies.
“What are you referring to, Mother?” Ellen asked.
“The deaths of two rookies in the past five years are suspicious.”
Officer Bucks waved a dismissive hand. “Those were ruled accidents.”
Tristan sat up. “I never believed Mike Riverton fell down a flight of stairs on his own. He was an expert mountain climber and very agile.”
Chief Jones inclined his head in Tristan’s direction. “As you’ve so vocally proclaimed since the day you arrived.”
“And I know Brian Miller, who lost his family in a house fire, wouldn’t have lit a candle in his home,” Whitney Godwin said. “His death has never made any sense to me.”
“Well,” the chief said, “this will be your opportunity to dig into each death and prove once and for all whether Riverton’s and Miller’s deaths were indeed accidents or the result of foul play. The five of you will be assigned to Desert Valley until Veronica’s murder, at the least, is solved. Then you’ll receive your permanent assignments.”
Shane let the chief’s words about the murders sink in. Four deaths. Two unquestionably murder, and two suspicious accidents. Was this a pattern?
No. Veronica had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In between a rampaging Tim and his sister. Veronica’s death had nothing to do with the previous ones.
Desert Valley wasn’t nearly the peaceful small town Shane had originally thought. It seemed death and danger hung over the sleepy community like a shroud.
Foreboding whispered across his nape, raising the fine hairs. Would someone in the room be the next victim? Or would Gina?
SIX
Gina sat on the floor of the indoor training yard with a treat in her hand. The large space built with opaque skylights in deference to the Arizona sun was reserved for more advanced training of the K-9 officers and their handlers, but Gina hadn’t wanted to go outside to the smaller puppy-training yard. Her palms had grown damp at the thought.
Not only would going outside leave her exposed, but the idea of once again seeing where Veronica had died left her queasy. She knew one day she’d have to face the training yard, but not today.
Sophie had understood when Gina told her she and the puppies would be staying inside. The ex-cop had offered to work in the arena rather than the office, but Gina had insisted she’d be okay. Just knowing Sophie was within screaming distance alleviated some anxiety.
Besides, the training center had two exits, one door leading to the fenced yard that was locked tight and the other only accessible from within the center. Still, she wished Shane were here with her.
For safety reasons. Not because she missed him.
Though she kind of did, if she were to be honest with herself. She missed the way he listened to her and made her feel special, cared for, even. It had been a long time since she’d felt either emotion.
Lucy sniffed Gina’s closed fist, eager to get at the morsel of goodness inside. Ricky, on the other hand, wandered away, completely uninterested. That one was definitely going to be hard to train.
“Sit,” Gina told Lucy while holding her closed fist to the dog’s nose and moving her hand upward. Lucy’s nose followed Gina’s fist, tilting her head up while her hind end lowered to the ground. The second Lucy’s behind made contact with the Astroturf covering the concrete floor, Gina released the treat. “Good sit.”
Lucy gobbled the treat up.
After several more practice sits, Gina picked up Lucy for a quick snuggle. “You are a brilli
ant little pup. Now it’s time to work with Ricky. Where’s your brother?”
She set Lucy down. The puppy followed at her heels as she went in search of Ricky. No doubt Lucy smelled the treats stuffed into Gina’s training pouch belted around her waist. She found Ricky in one of the agility tubes used during the K-9 training. The puppy had fallen asleep. She gently roused him. “Okay, Ricky, your turn to learn how to sit.”
Ricky raised his head and quirked his ears, but not at her.
The sound of the interior door opening scraped across Gina’s nerves. Her heart hammered a sporadic beat. She whipped around to face the threat and breathed in to prepare a scream.
Shane and Bella walked in. Shane held up his hands, palms out. “Whoa, it’s just us.”
Lucy trotted over to sniff Bella. Even Ricky emerged from his resting place. With a yip, the dog jumped from the agility tube and tumbled into a somersault before springing to his feet and racing to his sister’s side.
Gina’s shoulders sagged and she let out the breath trapped in her lungs. “I’m a bit jumpy.”
He nodded. “Understandable.”
Though a different sort of jittery feeling replaced the spurt of fear. She smoothed a hand over her hair, hoping she didn’t look too messy.
She walked to Shane, and though her legs held her upright, they shook from the adrenaline rushing through her system. She hoped he didn’t notice. And she told herself she was shaky because of fright, not because of Shane. “How did the meeting go?”
He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. Bella lay down at their feet, and the puppies wandered off. “Okay. Last night’s canvass of the area didn’t turn up any witnesses to Veronica’s murder, but the chief is sending Harmon back out. The Flagstaff crime scene techs didn’t find any conclusive evidence to link your brother to Veronica’s murder.”
She frowned. “But we both know he’s guilty, right?”
His grim expression didn’t bode well. “Knowing it and proving it are two different things.”
She blew out a breath. “Maybe when you capture him, he’ll confess.”
“That would be helpful.” He rubbed a hand over his square jaw, drawing her gaze. Her fingers curled with the urge to touch the strong lines of his face. “No one has come forward with the puppy. Once word gets out that he’s missing, hopefully that will spur some action.”
She was anxious for little Marco to be found. It was so upsetting that someone hadn’t already reported finding the stray pup. If someone had picked him up they might not know Marco had a home. “We should put up flyers. I took pictures of the puppies before giving them their shots yesterday.”
“Good idea.”
His approval warmed her cheeks.
“Your brother, however, is still in the wind and that bugs me.” The grim look in his gaze spoke to his frustration. “The Mesa PD sent over a mug shot of him and we’ll be out canvassing the town to see if anyone has seen him or knows where he’s hiding.”
Confused by his words, she asked, “But aren’t you and the other rookies leaving town for your assignments?”
Departments all across the state vied for the newly trained K-9 officers and their canine partners. Each K-9 team would go where their specialty was needed. Though Shane had said he’d requested to join the Flagstaff PD, where his family members served. For his sake, she hoped his dream came true.
“Not yet,” he said, running a hand through his hair, making the spiky ends stand up a little taller. “Marian Foxcroft has been in contact with the mayor and the governor and talked them into signing off on her idea of keeping the five of us here. She has generously provided the necessary funds to employ all of us until Veronica’s murder is solved—as long as it takes, apparently.”
A flutter of delight tried to take flight but Gina quickly squelched its attempt. He was staying only long enough to solve Veronica’s murder. Letting herself get all dreamy about him wasn’t practical. Or smart. “I’m sure you’ll be able to leave by the end of the week. Tim can’t hide out for long.”
His green eyes were troubled. “With the additional manpower, Mrs. Foxcroft has also requested that Melanie Hayes’s murder be reopened and the suspicious deaths of two rookies be reexamined.”
It took a moment for Gina to process the information. “I never met Ryder’s wife. However, I did some training with Brian Miller and Mike Riverton. Their deaths were such a shock, but both were ruled accidental.” Though her friend Whitney questioned the fire investigator’s finding that there was no proof of foul play.
“Mrs. Foxcroft wants fresh eyes on the cases,” Shane said.
“So you could be here for a while?” That giddy flutter resurfaced beneath her rib cage and this time it wouldn’t be quieted. Shane would be in town for longer than expected. She wasn’t sure what that would mean for her, but she had to admit she hoped to spend more time with him—as friends, of course—once Tim was caught and she could relax again.
Though a small voice whispered in her head, To what end?
The unspoken question smashed the flutter like a wet wool blanket. She didn’t have an answer. Was there really anything wrong with some pleasant evenings? If they led to heartache, then yes, there was. As much as she longed for a family, she had to accept the reality that she couldn’t, shouldn’t, ever go down that road.
“Maybe. It could take time to satisfy Mrs. Foxcroft.” Shane didn’t look happy about being stuck here. “I’m sure my dad will push to have me released sooner.”
“And that’s what you want, right? To join the Flagstaff PD,” she blurted, even though he’d already made it clear he was out of here as soon as possible.
A little V appeared between his eyebrows. “Yeah.” Bella must have sensed a shift in her master, because she rose to all fours. However, her posture didn’t raise any alarms. Her tail wagged.
Keeping her attention on Shane, Gina cocked her head. “That doesn’t sound very convincing.” Did he want to stay? Why? Her ego puffed up a bit in hopes his reluctance to leave was due to her. But that was ridiculous. She was silly for thinking there could be something between them. He’d never even hinted that he felt anything more than friendship and responsibility toward her. Which was just as well, considering she couldn’t let herself seek more than a platonic relationship. Anything else would be unconscionable. Irresponsible even.
The emerald color of his eyes fascinated her. He was such a handsome man, but not in a pretty-boy way like some of those guys who graced magazine covers. No, Shane’s good looks weren’t classic, but rather made him more attractive because of the planes and angles to his face that weren’t quite symmetrical.
Thick dark brows winged over almond-shaped eyes and added prominence to his cheekbones and a sturdy jaw. She forced herself to look away and concentrated on the dogs. The last thing she needed or wanted was to be entranced by this man even if he made her heart pound and her pulse jump.
“I’m more concerned about finding your brother at the moment than I am about returning to Flagstaff,” he finally said.
His statement reminded her that he was here for the job, not her. Reining in her attraction to him, she offered a small smile. “And for that I am grateful.”
“I’m going to head to the coroner’s office to see what the autopsy revealed,” he said. “Do you want to come with me?”
She shuddered. “No, thank you. I have no desire to lay eyes on Veronica’s corpse again.”
He inclined his head. “Got it. I’m more interested in learning if she was truly shot by a gun or a crossbow.”
Gina’s gaze snapped to his. “Last night you were sure it was a gunshot wound.”
“After the attack on the truck, I’m not so sure. It was dark. The coroner will confirm one way or the other.”
“You’ll let me know what you discover?”
“Of cours
e.” Shane reached out to push a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. His finger grazed her skin and sent a quiver through her.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt such attraction. Discomfited by the contact, she stepped out of his reach.
His eyes were unreadable as he tucked his hands behind his back. “I saw Sophie on the way in. She’s trying to make some sense out of Veronica’s bookkeeping.”
“I don’t envy her that,” Gina replied with a dry chuckle. “Veronica had her own way of doing things and not all of them made sense.”
He tilted his head to study her. “She was a tough boss for you.”
Gina let out a wry scoff. “That’s an understatement. I’m sorry she’s dead, but I can’t honestly say I’ll miss her.” As soon as the words left her mouth, guilt swamped her. “That’s a horrible thing for me to say, isn’t it?”
Shane shook his head. “No. You’re being honest. Veronica had a very abrasive personality. I think she earned more enemies than friends.”
Gina made a face. “That’s true.” In the early days, just after Gina had taken the job with the training center, she’d questioned her sanity for staying. Not just because of the genes that ran in her family line but because Veronica could be so nasty and mean. Who in their right mind would willingly accept her abuse? Right up to the day Veronica died, Gina had been butting heads with her.
Sometimes Gina wondered if Veronica had felt threatened by how easily Gina made friends with the other trainers and the rookies who had come and gone. “Has the chief mentioned a memorial service?”
“Not to me. Though he did mention Veronica has a brother in prison.”
“I’d heard that, as well, but I’ve never met him. He was incarcerated just before I arrived in town.”
“What about Veronica’s ex-husband? You ever meet him?”
“I know of him,” Gina admitted. “He’s a doctor at the Desert Valley clinic. I’ve never met him. I do know there was no love lost between him and Veronica. I had the distinct impression there was some infidelity, but I couldn’t say for sure or by whom.”
