INTRUDER AT THE WHITE HOUSE

When White House tour director Selena Barrow is attacked in her office, the Capitol K-9 Unit goes on high alert. Selena’s cousin is a person of interest in a congressman’s shooting, and Selena has been collecting evidence to exonerate her. Could this be the break they’re looking for? Officer Nicholas Cole and his dog, Max, step in to safeguard Selena—and to keep an eye on the evidence. As the attacks escalate, Selena finds it increasingly difficult to keep her distance from her handsome protector. But with an unknown enemy watching Selena’s every move, Nicholas will become her confidant…and her lifeline.

Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.

“I don’t see the car that was following us,” Selena said.

She turned back around in her seat. “I think you lost him.”

“Not for long.” Nicholas drove down the side street a second time. “We’re going hunting. I want to know who is so interested in us.”

Selena nodded. “Good. We need answers.”

He chuckled. “We?”

“Yes, you said we would work together on the case that might clear my cousin’s name. Or do you want me to do it alone? I will if I have to.”

* * *

CAPITOL K-9 UNIT:

These lawmen solve the toughest cases

with the help of their brave canine partners

Protection Detail—Shirlee McCoy, March 2015

Duty Bound Guardian—Terri Reed, April 2015

Trail of Evidence—Lynette Eason, May 2015

Security Breach—Margaret Daley, June 2015

Detecting Danger—Valerie Hansen, July 2015

Proof of Innocence—Lenora Worth, August 2015

MARGARET DALEY, an award-winning author of ninety books (five million sold worldwide), has been married for over forty years and is a firm believer in romance and love. When she isn’t traveling, she’s writing love stories, often with a suspense thread, and corralling her three cats that think they rule her household. To find out more about Margaret, visit her website at margaretdaley.com.

Security Breach

Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

—Romans 5:2

To the brave men and women who are K-9 officers

and their canine partners

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Epigraph

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Nicholas Cole hurried toward the White House special in-house security chief’s office in the West Wing, gripping the leash for his K-9 partner, Max. Two Secret Service agents emerged from the office, wearing gloves and carrying a folder. Both nodded toward him as he entered the room.

General Margaret Meyer stood behind her oak desk, her hands fisted on the tan blotter, a fierce expression on her face, her intense blue eyes narrowing on him. He swallowed hard. He rarely saw her this upset, but tension poured off her.

“Shut the door, Nicholas.” The general moved from behind her desk, gesturing toward its flat surface. “This office has been searched.”

After following her instruction, he came to attention in front of his boss, having a hard time shaking his military training in the Navy SEALs. “What happened?” He scanned the neat desk and the bookcase to the right, and wondered how she knew.

She straightened to her full height of five feet three inches, her shoulders thrust back. “When I went to get a folder from the bottom left-hand drawer, the stack was out of order. I have a very precise way of arranging everything in here, and thankfully I do or I might not have known someone went through the Michael Jeffries file.”

The Jeffries case was an investigation being undertaken by the Capitol K-9 Unit, comprising fourteen cops, soldiers and special agents who looked into important cases and reported to Margaret Meyer, a former four-star general who worked under the president’s direction. “Anything missing?”

“No, but it would be easy to take pictures of the papers and evidence the team has uncovered so far.”

“What do you want me to do, ma’am?” Nicholas knew the murder of Michael Jeffries—son of the prominent congressman Harland Jeffries, who had been wounded in the attack against Michael—was important to the general, as well as to his unit captain, Gavin McCord. He and the rest of the team had pledged to find who killed Michael and left his father to bleed to death.

“Coordinate with Special Agent Dan Calvert who just left. You’re to work with him on this. I want to know who was in my office. It could be the break we’ve needed on this case. I have Congressman Jeffries breathing down my neck. He wants answers to who killed his son. Not to mention Senator Eagleton insisting his daughter had nothing to do with Michael Jeffries’s murder. Those two men have never been friends, and each one has a great deal of political clout.”

Erin Eagleton, who’d been Michael Jeffries’s girlfriend, was a person of interest in Michael’s murder and the shooting of the congressman. Her starfish charm, with her initials engraved on it, had been found at the crime scene. Considering that Capitol K-9 Unit member Chase Zachary had run into Erin only hours before the murder and she’d been wearing the charm, the team desperately wanted to find Erin to bring her in for questioning. They’d been searching for her since Michael’s murder. “I noticed Dan carrying a file from your office. Is he processing it for latent prints?”

“Yes, and any other physical evidence he can get. With the Easter Egg Roll today, the White House has been crawling with visitors since early this morning. Dan is going to view the security tapes and no doubt come up with a long list of suspects who had access.” She shook her head, a scowl wrinkling her forehead. “Especially with the Oval Office and the Situation Room here in the West Wing being used for the festivities.”

A security nightmare in his opinion, but the Easter Egg Roll was a long White House tradition. “When was the last time you opened that drawer?”

“Yesterday evening before I left for a reception in the Roosevelt Room then attended a state dinner for dignitaries from the UN. After that, I went home. I didn’t come back here.”

“Then we’re looking at a sixteen-hour window.”

General Meyer adjusted her horn-rimmed glasses. “So you see the problem. The list is much longer than I would like.” She checked her wristwatch. “In fact, I need to put in an appearance at the Easter Egg Roll. I know the event is covered by the Secret Service, but I want you out there with Max. My office was breached and the perpetrator could likely be among the guests outside.”

“May I inspect your office first?”

She nodded once. “I’ll see you later. If you discover anything, find me right away. I want to be kept informed on everything.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After the door closed, and he and Max were alone in the office, he unfastened the leash to his rottweiler and let him investigate. In addition to his usual duties as a guard/suspect-apprehension dog, Max was cross-trained on bomb detection, as an extra security precaution due to their post at the White House.

While Max moved around the room, Nicholas snapped on latex gloves and crouched behind the desk on the left side. He inspected the bottom drawer, then slid his hand back as far as he could under the piece of furniture, feeling for anything that might have fallen and rolled beneath it. Nothing.

Next, he examined a cabinet behind the desk. Underneath, his fingers touched something small. A cufflink? He pulled it out and scrutinized the gold cufflink with a bald-eagle imprint and the initials VG. How long had this been there? Did it belong to a visitor or the intruder?

After putting the piece of jewelry into an evidence bag and pocketing it, he continued his search of the office. Ten minutes later, other than the cufflink, he and Max had come up empty-handed.

“Time to go to the party, boy. General Meyer requires our attendance.”

His rottweiler turned his amber-colored eyes on Nicholas and gave one bark.

Dressed in his black uniform with the emblem of the Capitol K-9 Unit on each sleeve and over his left pocket, Nicholas exited the West Wing by the West Colonnade and cut across the Rose Garden toward the South Lawn where the Easter Egg Roll was taking place.

For a few minutes he stood on the outskirts of the crowd assembled to enjoy the special party for the young children who’d won tickets by a lottery system. The kids were joined by various government officials, which included the president and his wife, and celebrities. The highlight was a visit by the Easter Bunny, but other costumed characters mingled among the crowd.

He scanned the people gathered, looking for anyone with the initials VG. His survey came to rest upon Selena Barrow, the White House tour director, responsible for planning this event. Even from a distance, Selena commanded a person’s attention. Tall, slender with long wavy brown hair and the bluest eyes, she was attractive, but what drew him to Selena was her air of integrity and compassion. Since Erin had disappeared, Selena had been relentless in her support of her cousin’s innocence, and he admired that kind of dedication.

When a couple with their two little girls stopped to talk to her, she smiled, bent down and spoke to the children. He glimpsed the radiant look on Selena’s face. She probably was having as much fun as the kids at the event. Whenever he saw her with children, he got the feeling she must love being around them.

Last year he’d dated a woman who’d wanted half a dozen kids. It hadn’t taken him long to know they weren’t a good fit. He didn’t want to be a parent after the childhood he’d had. His father had certainly not been a good example to follow, and his mother hadn’t been much better. He pushed thoughts of his past away and concentrated on the job he had to do today.

Selena would have an updated list of people invited to the party. It might save him a trip to the front gate if he asked her for it. And give him a reason to talk to her.

* * *

After slipping her keys back into her jacket pocket, her computer tablet nestled against the crook of her arm, Selena checked the schedule to see which age group of children would be doing the Easter Egg Roll next. Her friend Amy and her daughter were attending this year, and she wanted to cheer for Courtney in the egg roll.

Everything was set up. All the other activities were progressing according to plan—the Eggspress Yourself, the Eggtivity Zone Obstacle Course, the Rockin’ Egg Roll Stage and the Storytime Stage with Senator Eagleton, her uncle, reading a Peter Cottontail book. A special appearance by the Easter Bunny would occur at the end of the story.

She watched her uncle entertaining the children sitting on the ground around him, his deep voice expressive, with the right inflection to convey the emotions of the characters. If only things had been different in her past, she and her uncle might have been on good terms. Instead, he barely acknowledged her because of her mother, his younger sister. He was polite but distant and reserved around Selena.

Selena wove her way through the crowd preparing to watch the Easter Egg Roll competition for the three-and four-year-old children. The president stepped into the fenced-off area to demonstrate what they were to do and start the race.

Selena pushed closer toward the activity. Moving quickly through the throng, Miss Chick, one of the costumed characters, bumped into her and nearly knocked Selena down.

Miss Chick, dressed in a feathered chicken outfit, steadied Selena and said, “Sorry. Late for the Eggspress Yourself,” and scurried away, the daisy on her large straw hat swaying in the breeze.

Selena turned from watching Miss Chick disappear to continue toward the Easter Egg Roll and ran right into Nicholas Cole. Slowly she raised her gaze to his face, taking in his strong jawline, lips tilted in a grin, his deep brown eyes.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” His smoky voice with a slight Southern drawl always sent a thrill through her.

“The Egg Roll. To see if everything is going smoothly.”

Being at least six inches taller than her five-nine, he scanned the mass of people who tried to get closer to the Easter Egg Roll. “From what I see everything is fine. You’ve done a good job.”

“Thanks, but it isn’t over with until this evening. I won’t relax until then.”

As if she could relax with her cousin missing. Since Erin’s disappearance, Selena had constantly asked the Capitol K-9 Unit for updates about Erin’s whereabouts, but she’d pestered this man the most because he was assigned to the White House. What was the Capitol K-9 Unit doing to find her cousin? To find the real killer of Michael Jeffries, Erin’s boyfriend? There was no way she had murdered Michael. So far, Selena hadn’t been successful in proving Erin was innocent, but she was getting closer. She’d been spending her off-hours investigating the cases Michael had been working on as an attorney. Maybe one of them was the reason he was killed.

“I have a favor to ask you.” The dimples in his cheeks appeared.

And as usual she melted at the sight of them. He had the most engaging smile. “If I can help, I will.” She didn’t want to antagonize every member of the unit.

“I need a list of all the people attending today’s events.”

“All thirty thousand?”

“And the volunteers, too.”

“Oh, what’s an additional thousand or so. Security has that list.”

Now, on top of the dimples, his brown eyes sparkled, luring her to forget she was working. “I know, but I thought you might have it on your tablet. It’s important.” He tapped the device she held in her hands.

“Only the volunteers. The full list is in my office.” She glanced toward the West Wing and realized it was closer than Security. “I can pull it up on my computer for you.”

“Please.”

“I’d ask you why, but I’m sure you won’t tell me for security reasons.”

His grin grew.

Maybe if she did him a favor, he would return it and help her concerning Erin. “Let’s go. Everything seems to be going fine. If not, I’m sure I’ll be notified.”

Nicholas looked toward General Margaret Meyer. “I need to tell the general something. Go ahead and pull the list up. I’ll be right there.”

As Selena headed toward the West Wing, she glanced at Nicholas talking to General Meyer. The older woman frowned, clearly upset about whatever they were discussing. Did it have anything to do with Erin or the murder case? She knew her uncle, Erin’s father, was insisting the general’s team find the real killer.

Selena walked past the Rose Garden and entered the West Wing through the West Colonnade entrance. When she reached the door to her office, she slipped her hand into her jacket pocket for her keys. Nothing.

They were gone!

She just had them outside. She tried the knob, and it turned as though she’d never locked the door when she left hours ago. She always did. As she eased it open, it was wrenched from her grasp, and Miss Chick, in her yellow-feathered costume, latched onto her arm and dragged her into the office. Before she could react, Miss Chick smashed a vase against her skull. Selena fell backward, hitting the floor as Miss Chick fled.

She started to get up to alert Security, but the room spun before her. She sank back and closed her eyes. The darkness continued to swirl...

“Selena. Selena, are you okay?”

She pried her eyelids up and saw Nicholas’s face looming close to hers. Worry lined his handsome features. A pounding in her head quickly reminded her of what had occurred. She tried to rise.

Nicholas clasped her shoulders. “Stay still. I’ve called Security and the doctor. Someone hit you with a vase.” A latex glove on his hand, he held up a shard of a beautiful green-and-pink ceramic vase the president had given her when she’d first come to work as the White House tour director and his assistant.

“Do you remember what happened?”

“Did you see Miss Chick leave?”

Nicholas shook his head. The same costumed characters were hired every year for the event, and Nicholas had to be long used to seeing them all. “Does she have something to do with this?” He gestured to the mess in the office.

This time, despite the throbbing head, Selena propped herself up on her elbows and scanned the usually neat area. “She hit me with the vase and fled.” Had she lost any consciousness? “How long did you talk with the general?”

“About five minutes then I came straight here.” He spoke to Security through his invisible headset. “Miss Chick needs to be found and detained.” He quickly described her costume. “She attacked Selena Barrow in her office.”

Shortly, two security guards came into the room as well as Secret Service agent Dan Calvert. He took one look and said, “Fill me in.”

Selena sat all the way up, trying to ignore the light-headedness swarming her. “I came to get the visitor list for Nicholas. That’s when I discovered my keys were missing and the door was unlocked. The next thing I know, Miss Chick is grabbing me and yanking me inside then hitting me with a vase. She ran out after that. I don’t know anything else.”

“Your keys were stolen? Any idea when?” Nicholas asked, helping Selena to her feet and guiding her to a chair nearby.

She eased down, gripping the arms to steady herself. “I know exactly, but at the time I didn’t realize it. Miss Chick bumped into me outside a few minutes before you and I talked. I had my keys until then.”

Dan directed the security officers to stand guard outside the office. “What keys were taken?”

“To this office, my file cabinets, a storeroom around the corner and my house. I keep my car keys separate in my purse, which is locked in the top left drawer of my desk.”

“Was that drawer key taken, too?”

“Yes.”

Nicholas peered behind the desk. “Everything has been emptied.” Donning a second glove, he moved toward the purse on the floor and held it up. “Check to see if anything was taken. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

She took the brown Coach bag Erin had given her for her birthday. All her life Selena had fought for everything she had, so it was nice to have a champion for a moment, especially with all the tension of her cousin Erin named a person of interest in her boyfriend’s murder and the shooting of Congressman Jeffries. That day, when they’d met to celebrate her birthday, her cousin had seemed so happy. Just a few weeks later, Michael was murdered...and Erin had disappeared.

Selena intended to help prove Erin couldn’t have done it. Erin cared for Michael and wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Then why did she disappear the night of the murder?

Selena refused to dwell on that nagging question and instead focused on what might be missing from her purse. She dumped the contents on her lap, her car keys falling out, and went through her wallet, then looked up. “No, everything is here.”

The doctor arrived with his black bag. He quickly examined her, asking how she felt.

“My head hurts, but I’m all right. I’ve had worse headaches than this one.” She couldn’t leave the White House in the middle of the biggest affair she’d put together.

“Do you have any nausea?”

“No.”

He checked the movement of her eyes, then the bump forming on the side of her head. “You’ll have a knot, but there wasn’t a cut, so no stitches. You should at least go to my office and let me do a more extensive evaluation in case you need to go to the hospital.”

“I will later. I want to check and see if anything is missing from my office.”

The doctor frowned but nodded. He looked toward Nicholas. “Make sure she does.”

“I will.”

The doctor turned back to Selena. “If you get dizzy or your vision is affected, blurry, bright-light sensitive, let me know immediately. Please rest as much as possible, and you can take over-the-counter pain meds for the headache. If it gets worse, let me know that immediately, too.”

“I understand. If anything changes, I will.”

When the doctor left, she swung her attention between Dan and Nicholas. “I want to see if anything has been taken, though Miss Chick didn’t appear to have anything on her.” Selena had to check a few files in particular to see if they were intact.

“If you’re feeling up to it,” Nicholas said, “Dan and I need to know that, too.” Behind her desk, Nicholas bent over and picked up a straw hat with a daisy on it. “I’m assuming this isn’t yours.”

“No, it’s Miss Chick’s.”

“Good. I’m going to use it to see if I can find where she went while Dan stays here with you.” Nicholas covered the distance to his K-9 partner, waiting near the door.

Taking hold of Max’s leash, Nicholas showed the straw hat to the rottweiler, and the dog sniffed it. “Find, Max.”

Nicholas and Max disappeared out into the hallway. Previously, when she’d seen Nicholas working with his K-9 partner, she’d always been amazed at Max’s abilities. She hoped they’d find Miss Chick—whoever the costumed intruder really was.

* * *

Nicholas followed his dog through the crowds and out the door to the West Colonnade. Max headed east, stopping every once in a while and pointing his nose in the air, then charging forward. The dog entered the Rose Garden and headed to the lawn area bordered by flowering plants and boxwoods. The tulips were in full bloom, adding a brilliant splash among the greenery. Max came to a halt near the cluster of white furniture under a large magnolia tree and barked.

Nicholas checked the area, wondering if Miss Chick had sat here sometime recently. He moved behind two white chairs and inspected the bushes, plunging his hand into the middle. When he grasped a feathery material, glimpsing yellow, he tugged it free.

Miss Chick’s costume—discarded.

“Good boy.” He gave Max a treat.

He placed a call to Dan. “I found the costume in the Rose Garden minus Miss Chick. Are you still with Selena?”

“Yes. Do you want to talk to her?”

“Yes.” When Selena came on, Nicholas asked, “Who’s Miss Chick?”

“Just a minute. I’ll have to look on my list of employees.” A moment late, she answered, “Tara Wilkins.”

“When she bumped into you earlier, could you tell if it was Tara Wilkins?”

A long pause—he could imagine her forehead creasing with a frown while her blue eyes darkened—then Selena said, “No, not for sure. Her voice was low and husky, but I’m pretty sure it was a woman.”

“When was the last time you saw Tara Wilkins without the headpiece on?”

“When I talked with the costumed characters in the East Wing entrance before the event started. That was seven this morning.”

“What do you know about Tara Wilkins? Is she trustworthy? Could she have given the costume to someone so the person could break into your office after the morning briefing?”

“She was Miss Chick last year and did a good job. The Secret Service vetted her as they do for all the people I use as costumed characters for this event, but I suppose it’s possible.”

“I’ll have the police check her residence.” He didn’t have a good feeling about this.

“I don’t see her putting her reputation on the line like that.” Selena’s worry came through the line.

“One good thing is that all the people who are here are on a list. You don’t get in here without going through checkpoints.”

“Please let me know what’s happening. I’m responsible for the employees I hired for this event.”

“I will. Anything missing from your office?”

“No.”

“Let me talk with Dan again.”

When Dan came back on the phone, he said, “I’ll let Security know what’s developing.”

“Tara Wilkins needs to be found. Her residence checked. We don’t have any idea what’s going on. I’m not even sure it was Tara Wilkins in the costume, but I’m going to see if Max can follow the scent from the clothing. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Good. In the meantime, I’m escorting Miss Barrow to the doctor’s office.”

Nicholas heard a protest coming from the background, and he smiled. Dan was going to have his hands full getting her to go. “Have fun. I’ll check in later.”

“Chicken,” Dan whispered. “You left me with the toughest job. Anyone can follow a dog around.”

Nicholas chuckled and disconnected the call, then let Max smell the yellow feathery costume. “Find.”

As Max sniffed the air, Nicholas couldn’t get the sound of Selena’s voice out of his mind. What he had seen of her around the White House only reinforced the image of a woman dedicated to doing a good job. Did she think she had failed at her job by hiring Tara Wilkins?

As Nicholas followed Max through several areas of the Easter Egg Roll, he scanned his surroundings, wondering if the person who had discarded Miss Chick’s costume was still here. If so, Max would find her—or possibly him. He had a photo on his phone of the volunteer who was supposed to be Miss Chick. If she wasn’t the one who ran into Selena, then where was she?

Passing the Storytime Stage, Max dodged around the adults and children attending and finally came to a stop at the entrance to the women’s restroom on the west side of the lawn.

Was the person still inside?

Nicholas started to look for a female security officer, but before he could, his rottweiler sniffed the ground then the air and took off toward the nearby exit to the event. When Nicholas emerged onto West Executive Avenue, Max halted in the middle of the road then trotted toward E Street. Near the Souvenir Egg Pickup, his K-9 came to another stop then wandered around the area but never picked up the scent again.

“Sorry, boy.” Nicholas petted his dog. “She must have gotten into a vehicle. At least we know how she left and an approximate time.”

Could that woman also be the same one who had gone through General Meyer’s office? The intruder couldn’t have picked a better day, with thirty thousand visitors and over a thousand volunteers. He’d have to watch a lot of security tapes to see if he could pinpoint who had ransacked the general’s office and who had stolen Selena’s keys. And why her keys? To rob her? Nothing was missing from her office.

Was something else going on here involving Michael Jeffries’s case? That could be the connection between what had happened in General Meyer’s office and in Selena’s. Selena was a first cousin to Erin Eagleton—a person of interest in Congressman Jeffries’s shooting and the murder of his son. When the Capitol K-9 Unit had begun investigating, Selena had been questioned to determine if she had helped Erin Eagleton disappear. They couldn’t find anything to indicate she had assisted her cousin. Yet.

Did someone think Selena knew something? Did she? Had she helped her cousin somehow? He hoped not. He would hate to have to arrest her if he discovered she had.

Security had been breached with the two break-ins —likely by someone who had been at the White House before, possibly a frequent visitor or staff member. This probably wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment theft, and he would have to let General Meyer know about this latest development just as soon as he spoke to Selena again.

Max barked, interrupting Nicholas’s thoughts.

“Come on, boy. Back to the party.” Nicholas shortened the leash as they headed to the White House to find Selena.

A voice came over Nicholas’s earbud. “We’ve found Tara Wilkins.”

With Selena’s keys in her possession? Or, had someone hurt Tara and taken the costume?

TWO

“Where is Wilkins? Is she all right?” Nicholas asked Security as he neared the White House.

“She was found drugged in the ground-floor restroom of the West Wing. The last time she was seen was in the Situation Room where kids were playing video games. Someone must have caught her in the restroom, and then stuffed her into a stall. One of our Secret Service agents found her. She talked to Tara, but the woman doesn’t know who grabbed her. She’s with the doctor in an examination room.”

“I’m on my way now.”

“I let Agent Calvert know about Miss Wilkins. He’s already at the medical office with Miss Barrow. He’s going to talk with her.”

“So am I,” Nicholas said to the man who manned the communication in the security office at the White House.

“Since he’s working with you on the break-in at General Meyer’s office, I’d like him to be included on anything concerning Selena Barrow. There could be a connection between what happened in her office and General Meyer’s.”

“I agree.” Nicholas ended the call and moved inside.

He entered the Diplomatic Reception Room on the ground floor of the main-residence part of the White House. With Max beside him, he crossed the oval-shaped room of pale blue and bright yellow dominating the decor. Over the mantel hung a portrait of George Washington.

The doctor’s office was located next to the Map Room off the central hall. When Nicholas went inside, Dan stood near the entrance into the examination area, with Selena sitting in a chair in the reception room.

Nicholas immediately went to her and took the seat next to her. She looked tired and frazzled. He couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t even noon and a lot had occurred in a few hours. He took her hand. “Are you still okay? No slurred speech, double vision or stumbling.” He glanced toward his friend then Selena.

“No. I’m fine. Just angry. Dan said I could talk to Tara when you two finish. She’s here because of me. I need to make sure she’ll be all right. I want to find out what happened to her. Who did this? In the White House?”

“I understand. I want to find out the same things.” His gaze locked with hers. “And I will.”

“I appreciate it.” Her eyes slid closed for a few seconds before connecting with his again.

Rising, he gestured toward Selena and said to Max, “Sit. Stay.” When Selena glanced from his K-9 to him, he added, “I thought he could keep you company.”

She petted Max. “Thanks.”

Before he could head into the exam room, Dan pulled him aside to a private area. “Security is concerned about the link to the break-in at Margaret Meyer’s office, although I’m not sure what the connection would be.”

“It could be the Michael Jeffries case. Erin Eagleton is Selena’s cousin. Maybe someone thinks she knows where Erin is. My unit has speculated she might know.”

“Maybe Selena is someone you should get to know better.” Dan winked.

“Yeah, sure, because Selena will take me to see the cousin she’s hiding. If she does know where Erin Eagleton is, do you think she’d let it slip? Selena is sharp. Anyone who can coordinate this event and retain her sanity has to be.”

“Personally, I wish they’d drop the tradition. It would make my life as a Secret Service agent tasked with keeping the president safe much easier. I get nervous with so many strangers around here.”

Nicholas slapped Dan on the back. “Your life is easy. You usually stand around watching people go by. Not too strenuous, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t,” Dan grumbled as they walked back over to the exam room. He rapped on the door before they entered.

The nurse left as Dan introduced Nicholas to Ms. Wilkins. “I know you can’t remember much, but he has a few questions concerning what happened to you.”

“I could use your help, Ms. Wilkins. The person who drugged you and took the Miss Chick costume deliberately bumped into the White House tour director to steal her keys, so anything you can tell me will help me find the perpetrator. Please describe what happened and where you were.”

The young woman scrunched her forehead and stared down at her hands. “Everything is hazy. I remember leaving the Situation Room and going to the restroom. I was the only one inside. I was surprised because so many people were attending the event, but while I was in the stall, I heard the door opening and someone coming in.” Closing her eyes, she lowered her head for a few seconds. “The last thing I recollect is leaving the stall, a sound behind me, then a prick at my neck. Nothing after that until I was found.”

“Anything about the person who drugged you. A glimpse? A scent?”

She massaged her temples then shook her head. “My mind is foggy. I...”

“How tall are you?”

“Five feet ten inches. Why?”

“It gives me an idea how tall the fake Miss Chick is.” Nicholas removed his business card and handed it to her. “If you remember anything, even if you think it won’t help, call me and let me know.”

“I will, but I didn’t see who it was.”

Nicholas rose from the chair. “Thank you, Miss Wilkins. Miss Barrow is outside and wants to make sure you’re all right.”

“I feel so bad. This was a big gig for me.”

“She’s only concerned about your welfare.” Nicholas left with Dan, and in the reception room motioned to Selena that she could talk with Tara Wilkins.

Selena passed him, giving him a small smile, but it didn’t wipe the weariness from her expression. While Selena disappeared into the exam room, he waited out in the empty reception area with Max. Nicholas stared at the closed door.

“I told you Ms. Wilkins didn’t know anything,” Dan said, breaking the silence.

“I saw Miss Chick approach Selena, and from a distance it appeared the costume fit her well, so the assailant is about the same height. Selena thinks it was a female.”

“Is she sure?”

“No, but that will be easy to find out. A male going into a woman’s restroom will probably stand out on the security tapes.”

“That area of the hallway won’t be on tape. It’s a dead end, but the hallways leading to it are on camera. So any male seen turning the corner could be going to the men’s restroom. It’s taken me years to learn every area that’s covered and the ones not.” Dan grinned. “And then the powers that be change things around.”

Nicholas paced the room. “Oh, joy. You and I get to watch hours of tape, and we might come up with nothing.”

Dan shrugged. “You know how investigations go. Most take a lot of legwork.”

“I’ve contacted Security about changing the lock on Selena’s office and storeroom. Did you check it to see if it was searched?”

“Yes, on the way here, but it didn’t appear to have been.”

“What did the doc say about Selena’s injury?”

“The doctor checked her again and gave her instructions about what to watch for, but he thinks the concussion is a mild one.”

“When this is over with, I’m escorting Selena home.” Nicholas stopped in front of Dan. “I want to make sure everything is all right. With her head injury and the fact someone has her keys, I won’t rest well if I don’t see for myself that she’ll be okay and safe at her house.”

“And that’s a great opportunity for you to get closer to her. I can see why you’ve been with her today. I still think she could lead you to her cousin. They’re about the same age. They’re related and friends. The things we do for an investi...” Dan’s voice trailed off into silence, his eyes growing round as he stared behind Nicholas.

He swung around and found Selena glowering at them, her face pale, her hands trembling.

She charged across the office. “I need to get back to work.”

“Wait up.” Nicholas gripped Max’s leash and hurried after her, the sound of Dan’s chuckles irking him.

Selena kept going, her free hand fisted at her side.

Outside the ground-floor entrance, Nicholas caught up with her. “I’m sorry about what Dan said.”

She whirled toward him, fire shooting out of her eyes, her jaw set in a fierce line. “Is it true? You’ve talked to me more in the past couple of months than the whole year before. You can tell your team I don’t know where my cousin is, but Erin is innocent. She could be dead or kidnapped and all you think is she murdered her boyfriend. She cared for Michael and wouldn’t have hurt him. She wouldn’t have hurt anyone.”

He let her storm away because what she’d said had a ring of truth to it. He had started talking to her more because of the case. Although there was no evidence to support that she was helping her cousin, he and other members had to follow all leads. He’d learned in this profession to be distrusting and question everything. At this moment, as Selena vanished in the crowd near the Easter Egg Roll, he regretted that aspect of his job.

* * *

By the end of the event in the early evening, anger still roiled in Selena’s stomach whenever she glimpsed Nicholas in the crowd or thought about him. She liked him—a lot—but overhearing him and Dan talking about her concerning Erin’s disappearance, all the feelings she’d been fighting since her cousin went missing had surged to the foreground.

She’d caught a couple of Dan’s earlier remarks—his voice a little louder than Nicholas’s—before they’d gone in to see Tara Wilkins and then again later. She hated being the topic of conversation and especially the fact that the Capitol K-9 Unit had suspected her of assisting a fugitive—still did. Not that she wasn’t trying to help Erin. She was. But by trying to prove she couldn’t have killed Michael. If Selena could gather evidence her cousin hadn’t shot anyone, then if Erin was alive and in hiding, she could return. But her greatest fear was that Erin wasn’t alive. All she knew—via the Capitol K-9 Unit—was that back in February, an elderly couple in rural Virginia had taken in an injured young woman matching Erin’s description, but she’d left a few days later, her appearance dramatically altered. Weeks later, two thugs had terrorized the couple for information on Erin’s whereabouts. Who were they? The killers? Bounty hunters?

And where was Erin? Reports had come in last month that someone in rural Virginia was using public computers to research bills introduced by Congressman Jeffries. Could that be Erin? If so, what was she looking for?

One angle Selena was following involved a case Michael Jeffries had been very passionate about. Michael had been working pro bono on a murder case for convicted killer Greg Littleton, a man who Michael believed was innocent. Perhaps the real killer wanted Michael off the case permanently and killed him. Maybe the killer had trailed Michael to his father’s house, murdered him there, and when his father, the congressman, appeared, the killer shot him, too.

Lots of maybes and not a lot of answers. Selena hadn’t had the time in the past few weeks to work on anything except the Easter Egg Roll, but she had managed to interview Greg Littleton in prison, convicted of murdering Saul Rather. Michael had been fervently working to prove Littleton was innocent. Those who believed in his guilt weren’t happy about that. As a crusading attorney, Michael had made himself some enemies.

Now that the Easter Egg Roll was over, Selena intended to devote more time to looking into the Littleton case and any others that appeared promising. Someone had killed Michael Jeffries and left his father for dead—and that someone wasn’t Erin Eagleton.

As Selena approached her car in the staff’s underground parking, she discovered Nicholas lounging against her white Ford Mustang with Max sitting next to him. How dare he look so innocent with those big brown eyes and cocky grin. He’d removed his ball cap and stuck it in his back pocket. His thick, dark blond hair was cut short but not military-style. Knowing his Navy SEALs background, that had surprised her when she’d first met him last year.

Her anger began to soften as she took in his casual stance, as though nothing was wrong. She quickly shored it up. She would not be used. Her mother had tried to get back in her big brother’s graces by using Selena. It hadn’t worked. Her uncle had recognized that his sister wasn’t serious about not drinking, that all she needed his money for was to support her while she drowned herself in alcohol, leaving her daughter to fend for herself.

Selena had learned one thing growing up. She was the only one who would look out for herself. She ignored Nicholas as she unlocked her car and tossed her purse on the passenger seat.

“Max, what do you do when you’re in hot water?” Nicholas said to his K-9.

The sound of the dog’s bark echoed through the underground garage.

Selena pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. He was going to charm her. She’d seen him charming the women at the White House, and she wasn’t going to buy into it. She’d watched her mother fall for one man after another, thinking he would take care of her.

But her current man had never stayed around long.

He tapped the side of his head with his palm. “Max, what a brilliant idea. I’ll try that.”

Nicholas sidled along the body of the car until he was half a foot from her right arm. The hairs on it tingled.

“I’m sorry. Nothing I did today had to do with your cousin. I was trying to point out to Dan the error of his suggestion with sarcasm.”

Selena squeezed her eyes closed, her heartbeat accelerating at Nicholas’s nearness. Finally she turned slowly toward him, backing away a step. “Be honest. Have you ever considered I might have been helping Erin stay hidden?”

“Honestly—yes. I’m not going to lie to you. My team has looked into all the possibilities while searching for Erin, so being a friend and a family member, you would obviously be on that list. And if I was perfectly honest, at first that is why I initiated several conversations with you lately.”

She tensed, flexing her hands. “I knew it. At least I appreciate your honesty. Now I need to leave. I’m tired, and I pray I don’t fall asleep driving home.”

“Then let me drive you to your house.”

“I was trying to point out the extent of my exhaustion with exaggeration. I’m perfectly fine to drive myself. I’m not going to fall asleep at the wheel. In fact, with all that has been going on today, it may take hours for me to go to sleep.”

He chuckled. “I know that feeling. My body is exhausted but my mind is racing a mile a minute.”

She had to fight the urge to respond to his charm. Life lessons from her childhood taunted her. She would never be like her mother, depending on others, depending on alcohol to make it through the day. “This is not going to work.” She stepped back again and encountered the open driver’s door.

His expression sobered. “Seriously, I would like to escort you home. Someone took your house keys today. You should have your locks changed.”

“Believe it or not, I’ve thought of that. I know how to take care of myself. You should have seen the neighborhood I grew up in. The total opposite of Erin’s childhood. My branch of the Eagleton family are the black sheep. I have a locksmith coming to my house in—” she checked her watch “—an hour. I need to be there so he can change my locks, so if you’ll excuse me, I need to be going.”

“Have it your way.” Nicholas moved away from her white Mustang.

When she slipped behind the steering wheel, she inhaled a calming breath and started her car. As she backed out of the parking space, she noticed Nicholas open the rear door of an SUV only three vehicles away and wait for Max to jump into it. She went through the security checkpoint with Nicholas’s black Tahoe a vehicle behind hers. When she turned right, he did, too. Her grip tightened as he continued to follow her.

Although she had nearly a full tank, she pulled into a gas station. Nicholas came up behind her.

She shoved open her door and marched back to his SUV. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Escorting you home the best way I can.”

Her head pounding, she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but when she couldn’t find the words she wanted to say, she snapped her teeth together, then spun on her heel and stalked to her Mustang. Fine. He could waste his time “escorting her home.” That didn’t mean she would talk to him or even acknowledge his presence.

As she continued her drive to her house in Arlington, she kept looking back to see if he was still behind her. Although it was too dark to see his face, she imagined his pleased expression for following through with what he’d wanted to do. There was one part of her that felt like a suspect being tailed and another part that warmed when she thought about him trying to protect her from the person who’d taken her keys—for what reason, she had no idea.

In college she’d had her purse snatched on campus when walking back to her dorm from the library late one night. She had been so angry she’d chased after the guy, caught up with him and tackled him to the ground. A campus cop who’d rushed to her aid had lectured her about the risk she’d taken. She supposed it had been foolish, but her reaction to being robbed was automatic. She’d come from a tough area of Washington, DC, and had learned to stand up for herself.

Selena pulled into her driveway and stared at her house, her first, earned by hard work after years of studying and being at the top of her class at school. She was going to prove to her uncle she wasn’t like her mother and was willing to work for everything she got. She didn’t want a free ride from him or anyone.

Her porch light illuminated the front part of her redbrick two-story home with white trim and green shutters. Hers—as of six months ago. She noticed Nicholas had parked at the curb and exited his Tahoe. He came around the hood. She quickly grabbed her purse, took a spare house key from the bottom of the driver’s seat and climbed from her Mustang.

“That’s as far as you need to go. You’ve escorted me home.” She waved toward her house. “Nothing is amiss. You can run along now.”

He planted his feet apart, crossed his arms and said, “Not until you go in the house to your front window and wave to me. Then I’ll leave.”

“What if I don’t?” the imp inside her asked.

“Then I’ll stay here all night.”

His determined look drilled right through her. “You’re impossible.”

“It comes in handy when I deal with stubborn people.”

“You think I know where Erin is.”

“Do you?”

“No.”

“Then I believe you.”

“Really?”

“I told you I would be honest with you. I’m worried about you. I think something is going on. It might be connected to the Jeffries case or something else. I don’t know. Miss Chick today went to some trouble to get your keys. Why?”

“To rob me?”

“There were a lot richer people there than you.”

She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Maybe they thought I was wealthy since Senator Eagleton is my uncle. When you catch the person, ask her.”

“I will. Nothing was taken from your purse in your office, so it wasn’t that kind of robbery. Could the person have been after something—”

“I don’t need a protector,” she interrupted, remembering all the times she alone had protected herself from the predators in her childhood neighborhood. “I’ve been taking care of myself most of my life. Go home. Look out for yourself.” Frustration churned her stomach.

“Just as soon as I know you’re safe inside and the locksmith has arrived.”

“Now you’re putting more conditions on your leaving.”

“What can I say? I changed my mind.”

Clamping her lips together, she pivoted and strode toward her porch steps. As she mounted them, the feel of his gaze on her back made her shiver. For most of her life, she had been the only one who took care of herself. What would it be like to have someone who cared?

No! I won’t go there. At times, she wasn’t even sure the Lord was there anymore. As a child she’d sought refuge in the local church, latching on to the promise that God loved her. But did He? While growing up, she’d been so alone.

Absorbed in thoughts of the past, she unlocked her front door and moved into the foyer. One look into the living room and she froze.

THREE

Selena stared at her trashed living room then, beyond at the dining room and part of her kitchen. What if the intruder was still here? She sidled toward the table nearby and pulled open a drawer. Keeping her eye on the staircase to the right, she felt for her revolver. When her fingers encountered the barrel, she quickly clasped the handle and withdrew it.

“What do you think you’re going to do with that?” Nicholas’s deep voice sounded from the entrance.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Defend myself. The person could still be in here.”

“Put it on the table before someone gets hurt.” Nicholas drew his gun.

“I know how to use it.”

“I don’t care.”

She did as he ordered, actually relieved he was here. She must be more exhausted than she thought.

“Now, go outside, open my tailgate so I can call for Max, then you’re to stay on the porch while Max and I search the rest of the house. If the locksmith comes, have him wait with you.”

Selena nodded then headed to his Tahoe and released Max. She’d been around the rottweiler enough to know he was a well-trained dog. He could be fierce, but she wasn’t afraid of him.

“Come,” Nicholas said from the doorway.

Max trotted toward her house. Selena followed behind him and stopped at the top of the steps, gripping the post, trying to ignore her headache.

“Check it.” Nicholas disappeared with Max into her house.

She lost sight of them when the pair went up the stairs. With only two bedrooms and a bath on the second floor, they were back in the living room within five minutes.

“Do you have a basement?”

“Yes. The stairs to it are next to the back door.”

He and Max vanished around the corner into the kitchen. The whole time they were gone, her heartbeat thudded against her rib cage, her breathing shallow. What if the intruder was hiding in the basement? Or there was more than one person? When minutes later, Nicholas and Max rounded the corner and crossed the living room, she sagged against the wooden railing, not realizing until then how tense she’d been while they were checking out her house.

“Does the rest of my place look like the living room?”

“Yes. You’ll need to go through your home and let me know what’s missing. I’ll contact the local police about what happened, but since this might be connected with the White House break-in, I want to deal with it.”

“I’ll do a walk-through tonight, but I’m too tired to do more than that.” The past weeks finally wreaked their havoc on her.

“Why don’t you wait until tomorrow. In fact, go to bed. I’ll take care of the locksmith, dust for fingerprints since this is tied to a theft at the White House and stay until he leaves. Okay?”

She hesitated, so tempted by his offer.

“I’ll make sure everything is locked up.” Nicholas’s gaze strayed to something beyond the porch.

She swung around and saw Mr. Lamb, the locksmith, park his van behind Nicholas’s SUV. “I can’t go to sleep until I know the locks have been changed. I want all three door locks replaced even though I only had the front one on the key ring.”

“You might also think about getting an alarm system.”

“Believe me, I will tomorrow.”

After talking with the locksmith, Selena made her way upstairs and changed into a pair of sweatpants, a large T-shirt and slippers. Her feet were screaming pain and demanding she sit, but she was afraid if she did, she would never get up, any surge of adrenaline she’d experienced from the break-in subsiding. After her locks were replaced, she would send Nicholas and Mr. Lamb on their way, do a brief walk-through to check if anything was missing, then collapse into bed with her revolver on the nightstand.

* * *

Selena’s eyes popped open to a semidark room. A dull ache still gripping her head, she glanced at her digital clock on the bedside table: 7:00 a.m. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep since the chief of staff had told her to take the next two days off. But after twenty minutes, she gave up.

Thoughts of what the intruder was looking for kept running through her mind. While Mr. Lamb changed the locks, she’d gone from room to room, checking if anything obvious had been stolen, but nothing was missing. Her computer was there but obviously had been handled by the intruder. She’d have it checked to see if something had been added or deleted. Her TV and a few pieces of nice jewelry had been untouched.

After seeing Nicholas out the door and locking it last night, she’d trudged up the stairs, and in spite of being totally drained emotionally and physically, she’d lain awake for another hour until exhaustion must have finally taken over.

Still dressed in her sweatpants and T-shirt, she finger combed her hair—because she didn’t want to scare her neighbors—and headed downstairs to fetch her Washington Post. Her morning ritual always included savoring the newspaper with her coffee before she started her day. After she prepared the brew and it began to perk, she walked to the front door, opened it and nearly fell over Nicholas stretched out in a sleeping bag against the threshold to her home. She teetered over him.

He reached up and steadied her.

“What are you doing here?” She scanned the porch. “And where is Max?”

He rose, stretching and rolling his shoulders. “I’m making sure you’re safe. Max is at the back door guarding that entrance.”

“You didn’t say anything about that last night. I saw you walk to your SUV.”

“To get my sleeping bag.” He grinned, a dimple appearing in his cheek. “I did leave your house, but I couldn’t completely go. I would have never forgiven myself if the intruder had come back.”

She marched past him and snatched up the newspaper at the bottom of the stairs, then retraced her steps. Planting herself in the doorway, she blocked him. “You didn’t need to do that. I doubt the person would come back.”

“Have you noticed anything missing?”

“That’s what you really want to know. Admit it. That was the real reason you stayed.”

“Only one of the reasons. I am concerned about your safety.” He drew in a deep breath. “Ah, coffee. May I have some?”

She twisted her mouth into a frown, trying to be perturbed at the impossible man. But she couldn’t. “One cup. Then you’ll leave. I have a rare day off and want to...” What? Relax? Which had been her original plan until someone broke into her house. She glanced at her living room and knew that wouldn’t happen until she cleaned it up. The only way she got everything done was to be highly organized; she wouldn’t rest until this mess was taken care of.

“Could you use help putting this back the way it was?” Nicholas gestured toward the living room.

She opened her mouth to say no, then chuckled at how ridiculous that sounded. “My mama didn’t raise no fool.” Actually, her mother hardly raised her at all.

“I take that as a yes.”

She nodded. “Come in.”

Nicholas entered and shut the door. “I almost forgot. Mr. Lamb gave me the bill.” He dug into his pocket and pulled it out. “I didn’t want it to get lost in all this clutter.”

She’d forgotten all about the bill last night. She’d been too focused on Nicholas prowling her house while Mr. Lamb worked. “Thank you. He would have sent it to me.”

“You’re welcome.”

Pushing some clutter out of her way with her foot, she padded across the wooden floor to the kitchen and poured two mugs full of coffee. “Let’s have it outside on the patio. I won’t relax if I keep looking at all this. Besides, Max might want some water. There’s a bowl on the counter. Use that to give him some.”

“You’re certainly a take-charge kind of woman.”

At the back door, she peered at him. “It pays to be in my job since so much of it is planning various events for the president. He expects the best from his staff.”

Nicholas filled the bowl with water. “Yesterday really showcased your talents. Everyone I saw was having a great time. Even Margaret Meyer. I don’t think of her as having a sense of humor.”

“Speaking of the general, won’t she expect you at the White House this morning?”

Nicholas frowned. “I’ll let her know I’ll be in later. Dan can start looking at the security tapes.”

“Dan is helping you with my case?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you on it? I see Dan’s role.”

He averted his gaze for a long moment, then said, “Another office was broken into yesterday. There may be a connection.”

Her face drained of color. “General Meyer’s?”

He remained quiet.

“I heard there was a ruckus around her office. You know how rumors can fly around the White House. And you do work for her.” Her eyes widened. “If you think there might be a connection, it has to be over the Jeffries case.”

“No comment at this time.”

She opened the door and stopped. Max, much like Nicholas, was lying down across the entrance into the kitchen.

Nicholas stepped over his rottweiler and put the bowl down on the patio. “Drink.”

Selena watched Max saunter to the bowl and lap up the water. “You have to tell him to drink?”

“He waits for commands when we’re on the job. When he’s off duty, he does what he wants.”

On the job? She guessed she was a job to him, especially if he thought she knew where Erin was. She tried to dismiss the thought but she couldn’t. It hurt. “I wish I could get the people working under me that well trained,” Selena finally said when she realized Nicholas was peering at her with that sharp, assessing look. Her heartbeat accelerated, and she sat in one of the chairs at the glass table.

“That’s the result of months of training as well as continual refresher courses.” Nicholas took the seat across from Selena.

“He’s beautiful. I’ve never been around a rottweiler until you came to the White House. Does he live at your place when you two aren’t on duty?” She had to remember he was probably as distrusting as she was. Most people in law enforcement were.

“Yes. All the dogs in the Capitol K-9 Unit stay with their partners when off duty.”

“I’ve never had a pet even as a child. And now I work all the time, so it wouldn’t be fair to leave an animal alone so much.”

“I had any pet I wanted.”

There was a tone in his voice that indicated there was more to that statement than what he was saying. “So what did you have as a child?”

“A dog named Butch and a horse called Dynamite.”

“So you rode, too?”

“Yes, I lived on a farm in Maryland growing up. I’d go riding whenever I could and Butch always followed.”

His childhood was vastly different from hers. She’d grown up in Washington, DC, in the area that wasn’t technically slums but close. “What did your family grow on the farm?”

“Nothing. They had some horses and that was about it.”

“Some? How big was the farm?”

“Two hundred acres. In some people’s book it was more an estate than a farm, although Thoroughbred horses were raised there.”

“But not you?” Again she sensed an underlying tension in his voice and saw the stiffening of his shoulders.

“The house I grew up in was a mansion. A person could get lost in it. But to me it was only a place to sleep at night.” A touch of bitterness laced his words.

Definitely a far cry from where she’d lived as a child. The biggest apartment she ever lived in was three rooms, if you counted a bathroom she could barely turn around in. “You didn’t like your home?” she asked before she could snatch the question back. She had no business prying into his past. She told no one about hers.

“It wasn’t a home. My family’s business was a large import/export company. My parents were rarely there. Their work took them all over the world.”

When her mother had been gone, it was because she was drinking and would disappear for days. “You never got to travel with them?”

“No.” His mouth snapped closed, and he averted his face, staring at Max sniffing around the yard. “I noticed your flat-screen TV and laptop are still in the house, so what would someone be looking for? Do you have any other valuables?”

“Not much. I’ve poured all my money into this house. I bought it last year and have slowly been fixing it up the way I want. It’s the first place I’ve really called home.” The words slipped out before she could stop them. She quickly added, “I lived in apartments while going to school and my first couple of years working in the White House,” as though that would explain why she’d never felt at home anywhere before she’d bought this place.

“That’s how I feel about my house in Burke. As a Navy SEAL I traveled a lot and lived on base, but now that I’m working for the Capitol K-9 Unit, I can put down some roots.”

“Do you have to do much traveling? I know you come and go at the White House, but I figure you’re working on a case.”

“Although I’m assigned to the White House, I’m at headquarters for briefings, coordination with other team members, running down leads and training sessions with Max.” Nicholas took a sip of his coffee, his gaze connecting with her over the rim of his mug.

“The locksmith changed my locks last night, so why did you and Max stay?”

“It was late when Mr. Lamb left. By the time I went home, I’d probably only get a few hours’ sleep before coming back here this morning.”

“But you had to be uncomfortable on the porch.”

“As an ex–Navy SEAL, I’m used to sleeping on the hard ground. I slept great because I was on your porch. If I’d left you, I’d have worried about you and probably not slept at all. It’s traumatic for a person to discover her house was broken into. I wanted to make sure you were okay and whoever did this didn’t come back. As I mentioned yesterday, I’d recommend getting a good alarm system today. Mr. Lamb put on sturdy locks, but they only go so far. Having a dog wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.”

She smiled. “Will you loan me Max?”

“Sorry, we’re an inseparable team,” he said with a chuckle. “But a dog like Max would be perfect.”

Although she’d never had a pet, the idea interested her. “How would I get one trained and as well behaved as Max?”

“He’s trained specifically for guarding, apprehending suspects and searching for bombs. You don’t need that, but I can help you if you want.”

“Let me think about it. I don’t want to get a dog if I can’t give him the attention he needs.” If she accepted Nicholas’s help, she would be spending a lot more time with him. That could be dangerous because she couldn’t deny her attraction to him.

His dark brown eyes gleamed. “Not all pet owners feel that way. They buy an animal and then ignore it most of the time.”

Selena downed the last of her coffee. She could get used to his presence; she needed to end this. “I appreciate your concern last night, but I think I’ll be all right today. The break-in was a shock, but it takes a lot to rattle me, so on second thought, I don’t need your help cleaning up.” She rose. “I’ll look into an alarm system since I’m off for a couple of days. But my main concern is righting my house and seeing if anything was stolen. At first glance, nothing is missing, but if that were the case, then why did someone risk breaking in?”

“Looking for something?” He pushed to his feet.

She frowned. “I don’t keep anything related to my White House job here. That’s why I often stay late at night. I try to leave my work at my office. When I come here, it’s my downtime.”

“Good way to be. I need to do that more myself.”

She started for the back door. “It’s probably harder because Max stays with you.”

“That’s not it. I’ve never been a person who can just relax and do nothing.”

“So no vacations?”

“Not lately. Max and I have gone camping a few long weekends.”

“I work hard, but I play hard, too. Maybe I could teach you how if you help me get the right dog.” Here she went again. When was she going to learn? His help would come at a price.

“If you decide to have a pet, you’ve got yourself a deal. Are you sure about not needing any help cleaning up?”

“Yes, I’m sure you have work today. I hope you let me know if you find the person who drugged Tara Wilkins.”

“I will.” Nicholas turned toward Max. “Come.”

His dog trotted to Nicholas’s side, and they trailed her into the house. She was again greeted with the chaos, and dreaded the day before her. She released a long breath and realized the only way the cleanup would get done was to start and keep going until she was finished. She wouldn’t go to bed tonight until she’d righted her house.

Selena walked with Nicholas and Max to the front door. “Thank you for your help yesterday at my office during the Easter Egg Roll.”

He arched a brow. “So my help wasn’t so bad, after all.”

“Okay. I was a little miffed at you for thinking I’m harboring a suspect.”

“A little? I’d hate to see your full-blown anger.”

“It isn’t a pretty sight, so that’s a warning to stay on my good side,” she said with a laugh.

“I’ll remember that. Let me know if you’re missing anything.” He gave her a business card with his cell number on it. “Call if you have any trouble—” he cocked a smile “—or if you just want to talk.”

“Just so you realize... If I can help my cousin, I will, but I don’t know where she is. Erin didn’t kill Michael.

He held up his hand before she could say anything else. “I’m leaving. I don’t want to get into an argument about Erin’s possible part in the murder.”

As Nicholas strode away with Max at his side, Selena unclenched her hands, noticing the fingernail indentations in her palms. That man could certainly infuriate her...but also intrigue her. Lord, give me the patience and guidance to help Erin. Open Nicholas’s eyes to the truth.

* * *

Nicholas spent the morning at Capitol K-9 Unit headquarters viewing security video from the morning that Selena was attacked. Next to him, Fiona Fargo, the team’s tech wizard, studied video on hallways leading to General Meyer’s office.

“Margaret Meyer is a busy lady,” Fiona said, pushing her rolling chair away from her desk and twisting toward Nicholas. “This is a list of suspects who could have broken into her office and read the Jeffries case file during your time frame.”

Nicholas stared at the fifteen names on the paper. “I want you to check into each one. Give me everything you can on them. Start with Vincent Geary—he’s an aide to Congressman Jeffries. The initials on the cufflinks found in the general’s office are VG. He’s my top suspect at the moment. When I leave here, I’m going to pay Mr. Geary a visit.”

“Do you want me to investigate General Meyer’s secretary, too?”

“Yes, everyone who was in the office during those hours. We have to include everyone. If you find anything suspicious, let me know right away.”

As Nicholas rose and stretched his stiff muscles, Fiona asked, “Where’s Max?”

“In the training yard. I wanted to give him a little downtime. He’s been working a lot lately.” Nicholas walked toward the doorway of Fiona’s office. “But his playtime is over.”

“He’s as driven as you are.”

“You know how dogs and their owners are.”

She shook her head. “Nope. I have cats.”

“Don’t let Max know.”

Fiona smiled. “Oh, he knows. Why do you think he sniffs me every time he sees me?”

“How does Chris’s K-9 deal with your cats?”

Fiona’s cheeks flushed. “We’re working that out.”

“Good. He’s a good guy. Bye and thanks, Fiona.” Nicholas strolled down the hallway. When his cell rang, he expected it to be Dan, who’d been going over security video at the White House, with news about Miss Chick’s assailant, but he noticed it was Selena. He quickly answered, “How’s the cleaning going?”

“Tedious. I know what the intruder took yesterday at my house.”

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