Читать книгу Her Baby's Protector: Saved by the Lawman / Saved by the SEAL - Margaret Daley - Страница 14

FOUR

Having overslept, Kate hurried down the stairs to start breakfast before Rachel and Jamie awakened. She was glad they both had gotten needed rest. It had taken her over an hour to fall asleep, which would account for sleeping through the alarm.

When she peeked into the living room, expecting to see Chase and Mac, it was empty. The only thing that had finally allowed her to doze off was the thought they were downstairs protecting Jamie, Rachel and her. Did something happen?

For a moment, panic seized her as though she were in a tug-of-war again with her attacker. But she quickly squashed the fear. Chase was probably patrolling through the house. She hastened through the vacant rooms, then returned to the foyer to see if the alarm was still on. It wasn’t.

Her heartbeat picked up with each second that passed. She crossed to the dining room window and peered between the slats in the blinds. Chase had Mac on a leash and was talking with Todd in the front yard. His partner handed Chase what looked like photos. Of Hammer’s house? The getaway car? Another crime scene?

She started to go outside to see, but halfway to the door she decided not to. She needed to get breakfast ready. She’d promised Chase a special one, and she intended to deliver. It might be about another case. If it was concerning Jamie’s attempted kidnapping yesterday, Chase would tell her when he came inside.

She walked to the kitchen and began preparing a quiche lorraine. After it was in the oven, she made coffee then sliced up strawberries, a cantaloupe and a pineapple then put them in the refrigerator. When she glanced at the clock over the stove, she realized it was well after eight o’clock. The alarm company had promised to be here by nine-thirty. Only an hour away. After what happened yesterday, she’d prefer not having anyone here, but the window and the alarm hooked to it had to be fixed.

“Why the frown?”

Chase’s voice coming from the kitchen entrance startled her. She whirled around, laying her splayed hand over her chest. She hadn’t heard him come into the house. How was she going to protect her son when she couldn’t even notice intruders?

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

With her heartbeat thumping against her rib cage, she waved her hand in the air. “It was no big deal. I should have been listening more carefully. You might be used to being super vigilant. I’m not.”

“You should be. You’re a judge involved in the criminal system.”

“I don’t think of family court in the same way as criminal court.”

“You should. When it comes to the family, emotions can be very heated and long-lasting. It becomes personal.”

“You’re right. My goal is always to protect the children and do what I can to keep the family together. When those are conflicting goals, the child’s welfare comes first.” She took plates down from the cabinet and crossed to the table.

“Can I help? I may not cook, but I know how to set the table.”

“Sure. We’re having quiche, fruit and cinnamon toast. Jamie loves it. I’m going to check on Jamie and Rachel. She should be up by now. Jamie probably is, too.”

“Before you go, I want to show you copies of some pictures that were found at Hammer’s house in the garage. We’re hoping you can tell us when and where all of them were taken.”

“Any news concerning Hammer?”

“No. Todd is checking with the neighbors about security cameras then he’ll join us.”

“Great. I have enough breakfast for him, too, if he wants any.”

“Knowing my partner, he won’t turn down a meal.”

“Where’s Mac? I saw you had him on a leash.”

“I walked around the house to make sure I didn’t miss anything last night in the dark then I put him in the backyard to exercise.” He headed for the counter by the kitchen entrance and picked up a stack of photos. “You might want to sit. The idea of someone stalking you and taking the pictures can really hit home when you see them.”

When she took a seat at the table, Chase passed them to her. A trembling in her hands quickly spread throughout her body as she shuffled through the ten pictures, highlighting different aspects of her day from running with Jamie to grocery shopping to being at the courthouse.

The last one was taken at the Remington Nature Reserve as she was getting out of the car. The jogging clothes she had on were what she’d worn the day before the attempted kidnapping. Chills flashed up her spine while sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip.

She pointed to that photo. “He must have been at the reserve on Thursday. That’s what I wore, and it was cloudy like that at the time we went.”

“The others? When do you think they were taken?”

“This week.” She sorted them by what she had on. “Those two Monday morning. These Tuesday afternoon and the rest Thursday throughout the day. And I didn’t notice anything unusual.” Sweat rolled into her eye, and she swiped it away.

Chase gathered the pictures. “Thanks. When we find Hammer, this will help us with what questions to ask him. We’ll also try to figure out where Hammer was those days and if he has an alibi. Of course, we could catch a break, and he’ll confess.”

She rose. “I’d better go upstairs and get Rachel. The quiche will be ready in a few minutes. If the timer goes off while I’m gone, please turn off the heat and take it out of the oven.”

“I will and I’ll finish setting the table. Do you want me to do anything for the cinnamon toast?”

“It’s set up to go. I’ll do that at the last minute.” Kate hurried from the kitchen, needing to get away from those photos. The knowledge the kidnapping had been planned for days, if not longer, made the situation even more serious to her.

* * *

Later, after the man who replaced the window glass and the technician from the alarm company had left Kate’s house, Chase walked with his partner toward his car. “I wonder if Hammer has fled Cimarron City since his attempt failed.”

“Even if he left, his photo and license plate numbers have been sent to every county in Oklahoma. Hopefully something will come from widening the search.” Todd stopped at his sedan and twisted toward Chase. “How did she take the photos?”

“About as well as you would think.” Chase could still remember her hands shaking and the color leaching from her face. Chase had wanted to promise he wouldn’t let anything happen to her or Jamie, but he could never guarantee that. He didn’t want to give her false hope. She needed to be as vigilant as possible.

“I wondered, because she didn’t say too much through breakfast.”

“And she held Jamie rather than put him in his highchair. She kept looking at one of the pictures.”

“The photo of her standing at the window holding Jamie?” Todd leaned against his car, crossing his arms and ankles.

“Yup.”

“What are you going to do? Leave Mac here?”

“After the rock incident, I’m staying even if I have to sit out in front of her house. I wonder if the rock was thrown to test her security system.” Chase lounged against Todd’s car and stared at Kate’s house.

“That’s possible. I wish the two neighbors’ cameras hadn’t been covered.”

“The fact that he knew who had cameras is just another thing to indicate he’s been casing her for a while.” Every time he thought of the extent of planning the attacker had gone to, Chase’s gut knotted like a hard fist.

“I hope you don’t have to resort to sleeping in your SUV. A couch is a lot more comfortable. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know. Maybe Hammer’s car will be found, and he’ll be inside.”

“We can always hope. Talk to you later.” Chase shoved away from Todd’s sedan and started for Kate’s house.

When he entered, he retrieved Mac from the backyard then put the alarm in stay mode. He’d already told Kate and Rachel he would. Everyone was in the den, trying to act as if there was nothing wrong. Jamie sat on the floor, playing with his big blocks. Boss was sunning himself on a table near the window.

The second he spied Mac coming into the room, Jamie pushed himself to his feet. “Doggie.” A huge grin spread across his chubby cheeks, and he half walked, half ran toward the German shepherd.

“Mac, sit.” Chase knelt next to his pet.

Kate made her way to her son and slowed his steps by taking his arm. “Jamie, you need to be gentle with the doggie. Running at him could scare him.” Crouching on the other side of Mac, she raised his hand and ran it along the back of the dog. “Nice and easy. Mac loves to be rubbed here.” Kate showed Jamie the sweet spot on the dog’s neck.

“Mac likes that. See his tail wagging?” Chase pointed to it swishing back and forth in the doorway.

“Like doggie.”

Before anyone could stop Kate’s son, he laid his head against Mac, caressing his cheek. Chase could remember how much he’d loved his dog when he was growing up. They went everywhere together.

Jamie put his arms around Mac. “My doggie.”

Kate looked at Chase. He gave her a slight nod to show that she should handle this. She said to Jamie, “Hon, Mac is Chase’s dog. He’s loaning us the dog for a few days. He heard how much you love animals and thought you would enjoy having Mac here.”

Jamie lifted his head and switched his attention between her and Chase. “Me love Mac.” He ran his hand along the dog’s back. “See?”

“I do. Would you like to throw a ball for Mac to fetch? He loves to play that game.” Chase rose. “If your mom says it’s okay, we can go out back.”

His eyes as round as saucers, Jamie twisted toward Kate. “Go now.”

“It sounds like a great idea. Rachel, would you please fix lunch?” Kate pushed to her feet.

“Yes, we still have chicken salad. I’ll make some sandwiches.”

“Let us know when it’s time to eat.” Kate started to take Jamie’s hand.

Instead, her son moved to Mac’s side and settled his touch on the dog’s back. He talked to Mac, most of what he said being unintelligible. But there were a few words Chase understood sprinkled throughout the conversation.

In the middle of the fenced-in backyard, Jamie remained at the dog’s side and held out his arm. “Ball.”

Chase had snatched it from Mac’s things in the kitchen as they passed through a minute ago. “Do you know how to throw a ball?”

Kate laughed. “He loves to throw one, not necessarily accurately.”

Chase closed the space between him and the boy and knelt next to him. When he gave Jamie the tennis ball, it left the child’s hand before Chase could give him pointers. The ball bounced five feet to the side. Mac looked at Chase then moseyed over to it and picked it up then came back and dropped it at Jamie’s feet. The boy giggled and tried again.

Chase moved back to Kate. “Jamie has his own method.”

“Haphazard, yes.”

After a few pitches, Jamie decided to change things up. He would send the ball sailing, then ran after it with Mac. At first, Chase stepped nearer, not sure how his dog would deal with competition, but soon Mac turned it into a game. Sometimes he would get the prize while other times he’d let Jamie get it.

“Mac is great with little children.” Kate closed the space between them.

“My friend who gave me Mac had children. I never thought to ask him about how Mac would be with kids.”

“A natural. It’s like he knows Jamie is young and needs gentleness and patience.”

“Animals sense a lot of things.” When Chase had had one of his nightmares about that last skirmish and had woken up shaking and sweating, Mac had been right there to comfort him. In the past months, he’d had fewer of those dark dreams and part of the reason was Mac.

“I feel comfortable with Mac here. When the workers were fixing the alarm and window, he sat nearby and watched their every move. I’m glad we didn’t have to find out what he’d do if one of them stepped out of line.”

“He’d corner the person. Unless physically threatened, he’d just remind them he was there and prepared to protect.”

Kate pointed at his dog sitting on the ground letting Jamie rub him. “As fierce as he can seem, you wouldn’t expect that kind of gentleness from him.”

“He’s been trained and treated well. Speaking of Mac, I wanted to talk to you about me staying here until Hammer is caught, too. My dog is good, but I’d feel better if I was here. The couch was quite comfortable, and I even dozed some last night.”

She released a slow breath. “I wasn’t going to ask you, but with both of you here, I’d feel even better and safer. I’m so glad you want to. But what about your work and Monday when I go back to court? I’m concerned about Jamie’s safety here in the house with just Rachel.”

“I’m hoping we’ll find Hammer by then, but if we don’t, we’ll discuss it then. I’m thinking my younger brother, who is a police officer, could help with Jamie or I’ll check with my chief about assigning a uniform to be here with Rachel and your son. I could drive you to and from the courthouse to make sure you’re safe and to check in with the security guards there. That way I can work on the case. Todd is doing the legwork right now. We want to have enough evidence to charge Hammer and keep him in jail without bail. The photos at his house will help us a lot. And when we find his car, there might be more evidence to tie him to the attack.” He took her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll get him. His photo has been circulated everywhere. The news network has picked it up and has shown it several times in the last twenty-four hours.”

Kate faced him, only a foot between them. Her brown eyes fastened onto him, and he felt a new and somewhat unsettling sense of connection toward her.

He dropped her hand and stepped back. He needed to remain detached and on guard. “I’ll stay until Hammer is caught,” he said to remind himself he was unofficially on duty.

* * *

“Jamie finally went down for a nap,” Kate said on Sunday as she came into the den where Chase was going through her list of cases from the last few years.

“I need your input. Did any of these people make threats against you or make you uncomfortable?”

Kate sat next to Chase to go through the files he had already perused. “Find anyone promising besides Hammer?”

“A couple we’ll look into, but most would do something not long after the event that angered them. That doesn’t mean a person can’t hold a grudge and wait, but it’s not as likely. Hammer still is our best option. Men with a known pattern of domestic violence, which is the reason you limited his visitation with his children, are volatile. Tempers flare easily, especially if he thinks he’s wronged.”

“The abuse was directed only at his wife. His children wanted to see their father so I came up with a supervised visitation plan with a case worker so the mother wouldn’t be involved. I feel both parents are important to a child’s emotional growth, but sometimes I’ve had to completely deny a parent visitation rights.”

“Any in the last year?”

“There was one last fall. Let me see if I can find his folder.” Kate dug through the stack until she found Dale Winn. “Here it is. Not a nice man.”

“I’ll have Todd check him out. I’ll put him at the top of my list of people requiring further investigation.”

“Where’s your list?”

Chase passed the pad he’d been using to Kate. She let out a sound of surprise. “It’s a long list.”

“You’re one busy judge.”

She nodded her agreement. “Sadly, my docket is full. I wish it wasn’t. James and I had a great relationship and wanted to have several children. We tried. I miscarried four times. We’d come to the realization that adoption might be the best option for us. Not long after James died, I discovered I was pregnant. I honestly didn’t know if I would make it past three months. But I did.” When she thought back to that long month wondering if she would miscarry again, her emotions were all over the place. “When I was six-months pregnant, I realized my dream of having my husband’s child might come true.” Her throat closed around that last word, and she looked away from the sympathy in Chase’s expression.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve had days when I didn’t want to wake up and face the day. After the second surgery on my leg...”

His voice trailed off, and she blinked her tears away and twisted toward him. “What happened?”

He pulled his hand away. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

“I understand. I don’t like to relive the months I knew I was going to have a baby and James wasn’t there to celebrate with me. It was bittersweet. I was given the most precious baby, but I’d lost my husband. Finally, I realized by sharing with others I healed faster. We aren’t meant to go through ordeals alone. We were made to help and support each other.” She wouldn’t force him, but she hoped he would tell her. She might be able to help him. “I’m here to listen if you ever want to.”

“I appreciate the offer. What I went through was different.”

“How was it?”

“I lost my best friend. We’d served together for several years and had gone through a lot.”

“I lost my best friend, too. James and I went through so much together although not in a war zone. He was there for me when my father passed away, when I miscarried each time. I understand loss. The emptiness. The hole in your life that you don’t know if you can ever fill. How did it happen?”

“We were ambushed by the enemy. He was right beside me one second, helping me because I was shot—” he snapped his fingers “—then the next second, he fell against me.”

“That’s how you hurt your leg?”

He nodded, swallowing hard several times.

“What was his name?”

For a long moment he didn’t say anything, then whispered in a raspy voice, “T. J. Boone. He left a wife and two kids.”

“I’m so sorry. Did he live here?”

“No, Dallas. Afterward, his wife moved back to her hometown in Oregon. I talk with her on the phone every now and then to make sure she’s all right. Her family is very supportive and have helped her through her husband’s death.”

“But no one was there for you.”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“Yes, it is. Whether you lose a close friend or a family member, you still go through the stages of grief. You still have to deal with the fact you’ll never see him again.”

As she waited, hoping he would share more, the doorbell chimed. The sound surprised her, and she gasped. “I’m not expecting anyone.” She started to rise.

“I’ll answer it.”

She walked with him to the foyer, but she hung back while he checked the peephole.

The tense set to his shoulders eased. “It’s Todd and my brother, Chad.” He swung the door open. “What brings you all by? Have you found Hammer?”

“No, but his car was discovered in the woods outside town. Chad is gonna stay with Kate while you come with me. The patrol officer called to the scene said there is evidence in the vehicle. Clothes. A ski mask.”

“Go. You might find something that tells you where Hammer is.” Kate grinned at his younger brother. “Besides, it gives me time to pump—or rather, to get to know Chad.”

“Okay.” Then to his brother, Chase, said, “I’m counting on you. If Hammer dumped his car, he must know that we’re on to him. Desperation might make him attack.” He frowned. “On second thought, maybe you should go alone, Todd.”

“Chase, I’m not gonna let you down.” Chad stepped into the entry hall, his hand on the butt of his gun in its holster.

“You know what the attacker was wearing. You need to go. I’ll be okay with Chad.” Then Kate leaned closer and whispered, “I’d feel better if you were there while the car was processed. Please.”

“You’re right. Let’s go, Todd.” Chase paused by his brother. “I know you’re capable.”

The second Chase closed the door behind him mixed feelings surged through Kate. In a short time, she’d come to depend on him. What if something happened to him? Dumping the car where Hammer had to know it would be found very quickly seemed suspicious to her. Was it a trap? An ambush like three years ago?