EXPLOSIVE SECRETS

When a bomb explodes at the Washington Monument, the Capitol K-9 Unit goes on high alert. Though injured in the blast, K-9 cop Isaac Black is determined to get to the bottom of the situation. He’ll follow every lead, including investigating his ER nurse’s suspicious behavior. He soon learns Daniella Dunne has long been in a witness protection program. And it’s apparent that her identity has been compromised. The killer she once sent to prison—her own father—has been released and vows revenge. As Isaac and his stalwart beagle safeguard Daniella at his family’s farm, a murderer with a personal score to settle lurks in the shadows…

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

“You can tell me,” Isaac said.

Daniella pulled away. “Tell you what?”

“Why you’re so afraid.”

He thought she was going to leave the hospital room without replying, but then she said, “I just hate bombs, that’s all. They’re so indiscriminate. So lethal.”

Isaac nodded. “This one wasn’t much, if that helps any.”

The heartrending look in her emerald-green eyes penetrated his defenses despite his strong resolve. It had been a long time since he’d seen that much poignancy and sorrow in a person’s gaze.

This shy, quiet woman had given his heart a twist without saying a word.

Why is she so afraid?

* * *

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

VALERIE HANSEN was thirty when she awoke to the presence of the Lord in her life and turned to Jesus. She now lives in a renovated farmhouse in the breathtakingly beautiful Ozark mountains of Arkansas and is privileged to share her personal faith by telling the stories of her heart for Love Inspired. Life doesn’t get much better than that!

Detecting Danger

Valerie Hansen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you.

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

—Isaiah 41:10

To my Joe, who is with me in spirit, looking over

my shoulder and offering moral support as I write.

He always will be.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

“Capitol K-9 Unit Five, safety check at Washington Monument complete,” Isaac Black radioed via the com-link he wore. “DC police are also on scene for crowd control.”

“Copy,” echoed back into his earpiece. “Stand by.”

Isaac turned his attention to Detective David Delvecchio of the DC Metro squad and smiled. “You look like something’s bugging you. What’s the matter?”

“I’m just not fond of congressmen who throw their weight around and cause unnecessary overtime.” He eyed the gaggle of news vans and cameramen surrounding Harland Jeffries. “If he wants to grandstand he should do it on his own turf.”

“And preferably during office hours,” Isaac added. He glanced down at Abby, his brown-and-white bomb-detecting beagle. She had stretched out on the grassy verge skirting the Washington Monument, panting and cooling off after the excitement of doing her job. “At least one of us is happy to be working tonight.”

“Yeah. I’m sure glad we have you and the rest of the K-9 team on call. My men didn’t have time to do a proper sweep of this area. By the time we got the word about the congressman’s impromptu press conference, we only had an hour to deploy.”

Isaac nodded. “Not to worry. If Abby says there’s no bomb on the grounds, it’s safe. You can trust her.”

“I do,” Delvecchio replied.

Curious tourists were gathering outside the police line, milling around and straining to get a peek at whoever was the center of attention. Politicians and their aides in dark business suits stood out against the colorful garb of the bystanders as Secret Service agents would have at a three-ring circus performance.

Isaac was about to withdraw to his SUV and wait to be released when he noticed his dog stiffen and ease to her feet. Since he had not given the command, her independent actions drew his attention.

“Abby?” He crouched, following the beagle’s line of sight. She was clearly focused on the small group nearest to the congressman. “What is it, girl?”

Instead of relaxing, the dog froze in place, her hackles bristling. Her nose quivered. Her tail was half-raised and still. If they had not just completed a search of the premises Isaac would think...

He stood and grabbed the detective’s sleeve. “Pull everybody back. Clear the area. Now!” Isaac’s commanding tone left no doubt of his seriousness.

“Why? What do you see?”

“Nothing,” Isaac said. “But Abby senses something’s wrong and that’s good enough for me.”

Delvecchio was already shouting into his radio. Patrol officers immediately began to shoo bystanders farther away from the monument.

Isaac moved forward with Abby. “Seek it, girl. Seek it.”

They didn’t have far to go. The little beagle cut straight across the inner circle, zeroed in on a briefcase leaning against the base of one of the concrete benches that ringed the obelisk and plunked down into a sit.

“I have a suspicious object on the west side, at about two o’clock from the police staging area,” Isaac reported via the com-link.

His new orders followed in moments. “Secure the area and pull back to a safe distance. Bomb squad is on its way.”

“Copy.”

He scooped up his dog, checked to make sure no one else remained nearby and would be in danger, then began to jog away.

As he ran, time seemed to slow unnaturally. His feet weighed a ton, making him feel as if he were slogging through cold molasses.

Tension grew with every step, pressing against him and making his heart pound.

Abby was trembling as though she sensed impending doom.

Suddenly, a concussion rocked the atmosphere. Isaac saw the flash through his closed eyelids an instant before he heard the blast.

Instinct made him hunch over his dog’s body to protect her as he was knocked to his knees by the force of the explosion.

Most of the debris it created fell like fistfuls of tossed pebbles, but a few chunks of concrete were heavy enough, large and jagged enough, to do damage.

One piece grazed his shoulder. Another hit the back of his lower leg. Both stunned him rather than caused immediate pain.

How could this have happened? Abby is never wrong.

Which meant that the bomb had to have been placed there after he and the dog had made their rounds. That fact should narrow the list of suspects considerably.

Propping himself on one elbow with the other arm gripping his wiggling partner, Isaac tried to blink the grit from his watering eyes. Gray, cloudy residue filled the air. People coughed and wheezed. Many were in full flight while a few others had paused with cell phones to take macabre pictures of the chaos.

Isaac rolled into a sitting position and brushed himself off. He first checked to make sure Abby was all right, then peered back toward the source of the blast to check for casualties.

“Please, God,” he prayed, “let my warning have been in time.”

He rubbed his smarting eyes on the sleeve of his uniform jacket. It looked as if there were some injuries but the apparent victims were all on their feet. A few were reeling and being assisted by police and friends. Others appeared merely stunned. A cacophony of horns and sirens filled the night.

Ears ringing, head spinning, Isaac knew what he must do. There was no time to waste. Where there was one bomb there could easily be another. And another.

He wanted to lie back on the cool grass, close his eyes and wait for full recovery of his senses, but that was not how he and his fellow K-9 officers operated. The public came first. He’d tend his wounds later. As long as Abby was all right, they’d keep doing their job.

Isaac tightened up on the leash, struggled to his feet and took a step forward. His calf muscles knotted.

Intense pain radiated from his boot to his hip and dropped him where he stood.

* * *

The flow of patients through the ER at DC General Hospital had been surprisingly sparse for a balmy spring evening. Daniella Dunne stifled a yawn and smiled at a fellow RN who was also battling to stay alert.

“Every time we have a slow night I wonder why I like this shift so much,” Daniella remarked.

“Because you crave adrenaline just like the rest of us,” the older woman replied. “When this place starts to really hop we all feel a lot more alive.”

“I suppose you’re right.” As far as Daniella was concerned, staying awake half the night was profoundly better than working days when so many more reporters and photographers were liable to be on the job. The last thing she needed was to become an unwilling star of some viral video. She’d matured and changed her hair color from blond to brunette, long to shorter, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be recognized by the same criminal element that had caused her to enter witness protection in the first place.

“Prepare for casualties,” someone shouted. “There’s just been an incident at the Washington Monument!”

Daniella froze for a heartbeat, then jumped to her feet and hurried down the hallway to the ambulance receiving area, where the majority of the night shift was gathering around a police scanner.

“Was it an accident?” one of the young orderlies asked.

“Doesn’t sound like it. The first responders pegged it as a bomb,” someone else answered.

Daniella clenched her fists. Her stomach churned. She suddenly saw herself as a frightened teenager again and pictured her father being arrested for the bombing death of her mother. Ten long years had passed since then, yet those terrible memories were as vivid as if everything had just happened.

Her initial disbelief about her mother’s fate had quickly been supplanted with righteous anger, especially when she’d heard her estranged father begin to laugh. Laugh! And so she had done the only thing she could. She had mustered her courage and agreed to testify against him in court.

While most of the ER staff remained gathered around the scanner, Daniella eased away and headed for the hospital chapel.

Until the victims of this current attack arrived for treatment, the best thing she could do was pray. Fervently. The way she had prayed for her mother—even though she’d known in her deepest heart that Mama’s survival was impossible.

* * *

Being incapacitated made Isaac frustrated and angry. He’d repeatedly waved off paramedics, sending them to tend to others. As the area was systematically cleared, however, he realized he was eventually going to have to let the medics look at his throbbing leg.

Detective Delvecchio approached. “I wondered where you’d gotten to. Is Abby all right?”

“Yes.” Isaac tried to rise and was stopped by the other man’s hand on his shoulder. “Relax, man.”

“I can’t. There’s work to do. What if there’s a second bomb?”

“If there is, your team will find it. Some of them are sweeping the area now. So far, so good.”

Isaac heaved a sigh. “Thank God—literally.”

“I have been. Particularly since there don’t seem to be any life-threatening injuries.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yeah, and a surprise. So, are you ready to go to the hospital?”

The detective offered a hand and Isaac took it, grimacing as he rose. Standing wasn’t too painful as long as he kept weight off his injured leg by leaning on David’s shoulder.

“If you can make it to my car I’ll drive you to the ER.”

“That’s against protocol.”

“Your choice,” Delvecchio said, arching a brow. “All the ambulances are busy. I consider this an extenuating circumstance, but it’s up to you. Do you want to wait?”

“No.” Isaac leaned slightly to glance at his calf. Blood had stuck the dark fabric of his uniform to his lower leg but seemed to have stopped flowing for the present.

“Why don’t you help me to my car so I don’t get yours dirty?”

“That’s what plastic sheets are for,” the detective said with a slight smile. “There’s no way I’m letting you drive in your condition. I saw you send the medics to other victims and I figured it was high time you got some TLC yourself.”

Isaac managed a smile. “No offense, buddy, but I’d rather have a pretty nurse taking care of me than a bossy cop like you.”

Chuckling, Delvecchio slipped his arm around Isaac’s waist for added support and started to move toward his unmarked car. “I’ll see what I can do about finding the right nurse when we get to the hospital. What about Abby?”

“I’ll handle my dog. You just get me to a doctor who can sew me up so I can go back to work.”

“You’re pushing it again.”

Isaac sobered, glancing over his shoulder. “I know. But I feel responsible for what happened tonight and I intend to catch whoever did this.”

“I’ve already ordered every news crew to give me copies of their raw footage. My men are also collecting the shots taken by bystanders so we can run facial recognition on anyone we don’t know.”

Pausing, Isaac gave the man a serious look. “Don’t just concentrate on strangers. Watch the politicians, too, particularly Harland Jeffries and his staff. Considering his long-standing reputation in dirty politics, I wouldn’t put it past him to try to create sympathy by pretending to be exposed to possible injury. It wouldn’t be the first lie he’d ever told.”

Isaac got a sinking feeling when David shook his head. “I strongly doubt that’s what took place tonight,” the detective said.

“Why? Was he hurt in the blast?”

“No. He may be a master manipulator but he was complaining of chest pains when they hauled him away. If this bomb scare was supposed to boost his chances of getting his new crime bill passed and it caused him to have a heart attack instead, he badly miscalculated.”

* * *

Daniella had been working behind the scenes while one of the on-call doctors did triage on the victims. None seemed badly hurt and outside of a little first aid, a few stitches and a tranquilizer here and there, they had been easy to treat.

She was cleaning up one of the exam cubicles and hoping she could avoid the reporters who were still milling around the lobby when the head nurse separated a gap in the heavy curtains.

“I’ve got another victim here—brought in by private vehicle. All the doctors are busy and we’re out of wheelchairs. Take care of him for me, will you?”

“Of course.”

Daniella relieved the other nurse and slipped her arm around the uniformed officer’s waist, starting to guide him. She was careful to avert her face for the brief moments when she was exposed to the public, hoping no cameras would capture her image. That was when she noted the leash in the patient’s hand. “I’m terribly sorry. You can’t bring a dog into the hospital.”

“This isn’t a dog.”

“Sure looks like one.”

“Nope. This is officer Abby of the Capitol K-9 Unit. See her vest?”

“She’s still a dog.”

“I beg to differ. You permit service dogs, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course, but...”

“Then you have to allow Abby in. Besides, I’m injured and she’s my partner. She goes where I go.”

“Do you promise to take the flak if the hospital administration finds out and pitches a fit?”

“No problem. I’m already wearing a flak vest under my jacket.” He glanced toward the foyer, where Delvecchio was speaking to additional reporters. “Don’t I have to fill out paperwork?”

The direct answer was yes. Daniella chose to handle it another way in order to keep her distance from the news crews. “I can help you with those details while you hold your dog—I mean your partner.”

She helped him lie down and lifted his boots to rest on the narrow exam table. When she picked up a PDA and began poking its screen with a stylus, she wished her hands would stop shaking. “Your name, please?”

“Isaac Black. How long have you worked in ER?” he asked, frowning.

When his fascinating, dark gaze locked with her green eyes she could barely force herself to look away. “Seven years. Why?”

“Because you’re acting awfully nervous. You aren’t afraid of dogs, are you?”

“Don’t be silly. I love animals.”

“Then what’s wrong? If you had already examined my leg I’d think I was hurt worse than I’d imagined.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, Mr.—I mean Officer—Black.”

“May as well call me Isaac. It solves lots of problems.”

“Fine. Can you put the dog on a chair long enough for you to be treated?”

“Of course. If I’d been able to drive myself over here I’d have left her at headquarters. Unfortunately, I was overruled.”

“A wise decision,” Daniella said. She laid the tablet aside while her patient pointed to a chair and the beagle obediently jumped into it.

“I’m impressed,” she said. “My cat barely comes when I call him for supper.”

“Not surprising. Cats have devious minds.”

If he hadn’t been smiling at her, Daniella might have thought he was serious. “That’s debatable.”

The resulting twinkle in his dark eyes was so appealing she had to force herself to look away. He was taller than most of the men she knew, and far more muscular. His smile was amiable enough, yet there was an aura about him that made her think of danger. Either that or she was simply being influenced by the disquieting thoughts that had begun the moment she’d heard the news of an explosion.

Once she had recorded Isaac’s necessary preliminary information, she slit the leg of his uniform pants the rest of the way to his knee, folded back the fabric and carefully removed his boot.

“Well? How bad is it?” he asked.

“The doctor will make that assessment when he gets here.”

“Let me put it this way.” Isaac reached for her wrist and clasped it, gently but firmly, sending another shiver zinging up her spine. “If I just bandage it up and go back to work, will I be sorry?”

“I would certainly think so.”

He heaved a telling sigh. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

“You got hurt at the monument, like the others, right?”

“Right. Abby and I were there to do a safety inspection of the area. She couldn’t have missed detecting the bomb. It had to be placed there after we made our sweep. There’s no other possible explanation.”

Her brain absorbed very little more after he said bomb. That word had been a trigger for a surge of negative emotions for many years, and this instance was no different. Latent fear gripped her heart, stilled her movements and turned her fingers to stone. It wasn’t until she felt his warm touch on her forearm that she snapped out of it. Sort of.

“You okay?” The dark, dancing eyes had narrowed and he was studying her as if she were a specimen under a microscope.

“I’m fine.”

“You keep telling me that but every now and then I see something else.”

“Must be your imagination,” Daniella assured him.

The expression on the police officer’s face was clear. He didn’t believe her. And little wonder since she was anything but fine. Matter of fact, at this moment, all she wanted to do was run out the door, disappear into the night, leave everything behind and never look back.

TWO

Isaac had been visited by a physician and was sporting twenty-three stitches by the time his boss, Captain Gavin McCord, arrived at the hospital and began berating him.

“You broke at least two rules tonight. You should have cleared that area the instant your dog alerted and waited for an ambulance instead of hitching a ride,” McCord said with a scowl. “Care to tell me what happened?”

“I did clear it. The problem wasn’t because of me or Abby.” Isaac had been enjoying the pretty nurse’s company as she’d begun to bandage his calf and he smiled in her direction.

McCord eyed her, too. “Could you finish that later? I’d like to talk to my team member privately.”

“Of course.” She stripped off her latex gloves.

In spite of her quick, compliant reply, Isaac could tell she was hesitant to leave him. Why? They hardly knew each other.

Given no personal background on her he was in the dark, but if he’d had to guess he’d have concluded that she was either normally high-strung or suffering from serious guilt. He hoped it was not the latter.

Isaac and his captain watched her edge away, then disappear through a gap in the curtains surrounding the exam area. Their eyes met.

“Was she that uptight when you got here, or have you done something to upset her?” Gavin asked.

“Hey, don’t look at me.” Isaac raised both hands. “If anything, she’s acting a little better than she did at first. Her jitters were so noticeable when I walked in, I asked her if she was new on the job.”

“And?”

“And, she said she wasn’t.”

“Curious. You’d think an experienced trauma nurse would have steadier nerves.” His brow knit. “I think I’ll run a background check on her, just in case.”

“She can’t have been responsible for the incident tonight. She was working here, right on schedule, when it went down.”

“That doesn’t mean some of her friends weren’t involved.” McCord studied Isaac’s leg. “You sure you guided Abby to every bench?”

“Yeah. The area was clean when we’d finished our sweep. She didn’t alert until after the press conference had started.”

“Okay. We’ll concentrate on looking for newcomers to the scene when we get a chance to review the videos. Want me to hang around to give you a lift home?”

Isaac shook his head. “You don’t have to bother. Culpeper’s not that far. I can call my brother or sister to come get me.”

“And miss my big chance to grill you all the way to your place? No way. I want to hear every detail.”

“Do you have any info on the device yet?” Isaac asked.

“Other than the fact it was an amateur job, not really. We’ll be sending the remnants to Quantico for analysis.”

“I guess that’s better than deciding it was made by an expert.”

Isaac’s gaze drifted aimlessly as he mulled over his own observations at the blast scene. Movement caught his attention. He froze, nudged the captain and pointed at the feet and ankles visible on the opposite side of the cubicle’s curtain.

Gavin McCord moved silently, swiftly, to yank away the cloth barrier. A woman gasped. Covered her mouth with her hands. The nervous nurse had been eavesdropping on their discussion!

Both officers stared at her, not speaking.

“I—I was just waiting to finish that bandage,” she said, hurrying to Isaac’s side and pulling on a fresh pair of gloves. “I take it you’re through talking.”

“For now,” Isaac said, turning to his boss. “I’ll meet you outside when I’m done here, Gavin. Will you take care of Abby for me?”

“Sure. No problem. I’ll get your boot, too.”

Isaac tried a slight smile to see if it would relax his nurse. “Is it still a madhouse of reporters out there?”

She nodded, yet didn’t meet his gaze directly.

“That reminds me of another thing that struck me as odd,” Isaac told his captain in parting. He knew McCord was friendly with Jeffries but he just had to ask. “What made Congressman Jeffries decide to call a press conference so late?”

“He says he decided to go public because his pet anti-crime bill was coming up for a vote in the morning.”

“He couldn’t have waited until tomorrow?”

“Apparently not. He was allegedly proving to his constituency how much that bill is needed to keep DC safe.” McCord touched the brim of his cap and picked up the beagle. “Take your time in here. I’ll be waiting outside, asking questions and listening to rumors.”

Isaac lay back and let Daniella work on his leg, noting her unsteady fingers. As soon as she stripped off her gloves again, he reached for one of her hands.

“You can tell me,” he said tenderly.

She pulled away. “Tell you what?”

“Why you’re so afraid.”

He thought she was going to leave the room without replying until she said, “I just hate bombs, that’s all. They’re so indiscriminate. So lethal.”

“This one wasn’t much, if that helps any.”

“People were still hurt.” After a barely perceptible shiver she continued. “The doctor has released you. You should see your family physician for a follow-up in a few days. Watch for redness, swelling or discharge from the wound and keep it clean and dry.”

“Yes, ma’am. Can I walk without crutches?”

“Your leg will hurt more in a few days than it does now but walking won’t do any more damage, if that’s what you’re asking. The injection we gave you will get you home tonight. After that you can take one of the pills in this envelope every four to six hours or switch to over-the-counter painkillers. Just don’t double up.”

“Anything else?”

“I would say, ‘Get a different job,’ but I can tell that’s not an option for a man like you.”

“A man like me? What kind would that be?”

“One who’s strong-willed and sure of himself, a person who never wastes time rehashing the past and thinks he’s invincible.”

“Maybe I really am,” Isaac teased.

The heartrending look in her emerald-green eyes penetrated his defenses despite his strong resolve. It had been a long time since he’d seen that much poignancy and sorrow in a person’s gaze.

This shy, quiet woman had given his heart a twist without saying a word.

* * *

Daniella was in no hurry to return to the hospital’s common areas, where she could be spotted. Yes, her father’s promised vendetta might have vanished with the passage of years but she wasn’t willing to take that chance. As her US marshal handlers had warned, leaving the witness protection program was not optional. Once you were in, you stayed. Period.

“Which is the whole point,” she murmured. “Having a long and happy life.” It was only at times like tonight, when violence brought her past peril to mind, that she fretted so uncontrollably.

Hurrying through the halls, she had almost gained sanctuary when she was paged to go back and assist another doctor. The way she saw her predicament, all she had to do was reach that particular private exam room without passing any nosy reporters or photographers who might inadvertently broadcast her picture and cause untold damage by revealing her hidden identity. Under normal circumstances it would not have been difficult to dodge them. Given the presence of the congressman and his entourage, plus the press corps, moving around in the ER could prove tricky.

Daniella grabbed an extra clipboard, held it beside her cheek to mask her features and hurried toward her new assignment. She was looking ahead so intently she missed noticing a dark-haired figure to her blinded left. She and the muscular man came together with a thump and he grabbed her.

It was all she could do to keep from screaming.

“Hey, settle down,” he said. “It’s me, Isaac. Are you okay?”

His voice sent tingles racing from the arm he was holding all the way to her toes. Regaining her balance, she helped steady him in return.

“Sorry. I hope I didn’t hurt you. I thought you’d already left,” Daniella said.

“I was trying to catch up to you and thank you.”

“You’re quite welcome. Just doing my job.”

Before the K-9 cop could reply, she was blinded by an intense flash of light and someone shoved a microphone in her face. “Are you working on the congressman?” a reporter demanded. “Did he really have a heart attack? What’s his prognosis? How soon can we see him?”

Isaac’s immediate intervention—his arms outstretched and his badge in hand—sent the crowd back a few steps, providing an escape route for Daniella. She held the clipboard between herself and the others and ducked in the exam room door, slamming it behind her.

Her back pressed against the door. She fought to see through the orbs of color that danced in her vision after the camera flashes.

“Over here, Dunne,” the doctor said. “I want you to prepare Congressman Jeffries for an X-ray of his shoulder and an EKG, just in case his pain is the result of strain on his heart. I’ll send a tech down to take him to radiology. Stay with him until then.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

“And pull yourself together,” he whispered behind his hand in passing. “The last thing our patients need is to hear you shrieking.”

“What? When?”

“Just before you opened the door.”

“I—I didn’t scream. Did I?”

“You made enough noise for me to hear you in here,” he said, shooting her a look of disdain. “See that it doesn’t happen again. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

Tall, gray-haired Harland Jeffries was removing his dress shirt and carefully folding the sleeves together before laying the garment aside atop his expensively tailored suit jacket and silk tie.

“You’ll need to wear one of our gowns for your tests,” Daniella said. “Would you like me to assist you in removing your T-shirt?”

“Fine.”

Jeffries’s reply was gruff but she wasn’t offended. Illness or injury often brought out the worst in patients. Except for the K-9 cop, she added. It was really nice of Isaac to step up and physically defend her the way he had. Instead of him thanking her, she should be the one dishing out thanks. She owed him. Big-time.

Gently easing the stretchy, white cotton shirt over the congressman’s head, she glanced at his back. One side showed a nasty scar from the time he was shot several months ago, sadly at the same time his son, Michael, was murdered.

The opposite shoulder bore an interesting café au lait mark near the scapula. Judging by its odd shape, she guessed it to have been present from conception and birth rather than being another scar or a discoloration caused by trauma.

Daniella fitted the gown around her patient and stepped back. “All right, Congressman, you’re ready. I’ll wait here with you, as the doctor said, until they come to escort you to radiology.”

“Whatever.”

His off-putting attitude was nothing like his public persona. If he had behaved this way toward the press, he’d have killed his chances for reelection long ago.

Thoughts of people who were not trustworthy and genuine reminded her of her childhood. That was all it took to bring back images of the deadly explosion her father had orchestrated.

Yellow billowing fire had leaped and curled back on itself while black smoke roiled. Pieces of metal had rained down. She flinched, wanting to throw her arms over her head and duck just as she had that fateful day her mother had been brutally murdered.

Thankfully, the radiology tech appeared at the door with a wheelchair and distracted both Daniella and her patient.

“Ready, sir?” the tech asked.

“I suppose so.” Settling himself in the chair, the congressman pasted a resigned expression on his face, raised his chin and visibly prepared to meet his public. “All right. Let’s go.”

Daniella waited until the hall was empty before she slipped out. She didn’t have to be a licensed physician to suspect that Jeffries was either faking or at least making more of his condition than was warranted. There was no way that man was having heart trouble the way he’d indicated.

Then again, she was very good at spotting falsehoods. After all, she’d grown up in a household where her father’s lies were the norm. He was no businessman in the sense he’d implied. His business was crime and his methods for controlling his family were violent. She should know. When he’d tired of abusing her poor mother, he’d graduated to trying to keep Mama in line by hitting Daniella.

That was what had eventually caused her mother to call it quits and file for divorce. And that was also what had inevitably led to her murder.

To this day, Daniella wondered. If she had been courageous enough to run away when she was younger, would her mother still be alive? Was it all her fault?

Logic said no. Guilt had a different opinion.

* * *

Isaac was already beginning to feel the effects of his injury and the pain medication as Gavin drove him out of downtown DC, proving that the decision to let someone chauffeur him home was a wise one. Abby lay on the second seat, content to nap during the short trip.

“It’s a good thing your brother and sister live with you,” the captain said.

Isaac nodded and stifled a yawn. “Yeah, that’s us. The Three Musketeers, ‘One for all and all for one.’”

“Must be interesting deciding who’s in charge. Do you do it by age or former military rank?”

Chuckling, Isaac shook his head. “We tried both after we inherited the place from our great aunt, but it didn’t work very well. We each have our strong and weak points. Jake is a great manager so we leave the running of the farm to him. Becky got into real estate when we were selling off some small lots to help with back taxes and repairs. It suited her so that’s what she’s doing now.”

“And you’re the only one in law enforcement.”

“Right. Me and Abs.” He glanced over his shoulder at his napping partner. “She’s a real treasure.”

“You need to find somebody like my Cassie.”

“Uh-uh. Women are too complicated. Besides, I have Abby and my job.”

“That’s not enough.”

“You underestimate the positive influence of a happy beagle,” Isaac replied. “She gives great kisses, too.”

McCord rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Sometimes, Black, you really worry me.”

Groggy from the pain meds, Isaac yawned again. “Yeah. Sometimes I worry about myself, too.”

He closed his eyes, intending to rest, and was surprised to visualize the face of the pretty nurse he’d just met. There was something about her that called out to him; that spoke to his inner man the same way wounded warriors in the VA hospital did. She was haunted, but by what? Or whom?

Isaac blinked and forced himself awake to ask, “Are you still planning on investigating my nurse’s background like you said earlier?”

“I think I should, don’t you?”

“Yes.” There was no way Isaac could make himself doubt Daniella’s apparently good character, yet he was curious about what was frightening her. She was plainly scared to death. And judging by the way she’d tried to keep from being photographed, he assumed she was hiding from something. Something that had cut to the core and left her shell-shocked.

Whatever her problem was, or had been, he was determined to learn enough to help her. That kind of thing wasn’t in his official job description, at least not for the K-9 unit. It was, however, part of his Christian faith and upbringing. If a neighbor needed assistance, it was his duty to render it to the best of his ability.

Turning his back on the problem was not an option. The good Lord had brought Daniella Dunne into his life for a reason. Now all he had to do was figure out what that reason was and decide whether or not he could do anything for her.

A lot would depend upon what they learned from the background search. After that, he’d pray about it and make his final decision.

Truth to tell, Isaac thought, smiling as he dozed off, he wasn’t going to mind becoming involved in the nurse’s troubles. Not one bit.

THREE

The rising sun was painting the sky in streaks of pink and gold before Daniella felt calm again. She had volunteered to stay past the end of her regular shift, just in case there were more bombs or other emergencies, but had ended up idle for most of the rest of the night.

She had considered sleeping at the hospital and not going home at all. If it hadn’t been for the needs of Puddy, her black Persian tomcat, she might have opted to stay there indefinitely.

Bone weary, she yearned for solace and privacy and for the quiet companionship of her feline roommate. Her senses were already dulling and she knew that lack of adequate sleep would affect her more and more as the hours passed. She owed her patients her best. The only sensible choice was to give up and go home.

She’d picked up her Windbreaker and purse when someone shouted from the break room. “Hey, everybody! Come here. Look. We’re famous.”

Daniella joined the rush to peer at the TV screen. A rapid progression of scenes with smoke and a booming sound were followed by pictures of an ambulance, then the inside of the very ER where they all worked.

“There I am.” One of the ambulance attendants cheered. “That should prove to my girlfriend that I really was working last night.”

Daniella held her breath. The camera panned. She recognized other staff members. There had been more than one news group present so this airing was no guarantee that she had escaped being photographed. Nevertheless, not seeing herself was a good start. If the other major stations were running pooled footage, all the better.

Just as she started to turn away, someone tapped her arm. “Wow! Look at our Daniella acting like a pop diva.”

“What?” Her jaw dropped. Not only had she been caught facing the camera, but the white paper on the clipboard next to her cheek highlighted her features. Even someone who barely knew her would recognize her in that shot.

She sagged against a wall. Moving to a big city was supposed to help her blend in. She liked living in DC. Loved her job and her apartment and the people at work, even the sourpusses. Acceptance of others had accompanied thankfulness for survival and the realization that she was getting a second chance.

Was she going to have to give it all up? Did she dare stay; stand her ground? What were the chances that her father or one of his former cohorts would recognize her on TV and track her down? She’d changed a lot from the gangly teen she’d been back then, but would it be enough?

Wresting the remote from the hand of another nurse, she paused the picture and backed up the scene. There she was, all right. In all her brunette glory. Thank goodness she was still putting a dark rinse on her honey-blond hair.

Daniella ignored murmured protests as she moved the scene forward, then back, then forward again until she was sure of the seriousness of the slipup. In one of the shots her hospital ID badge was visible. It was impossible to read her name as she’d hurried past the reporters, but anyone who had the capabilities to freeze those few frames and enhance the image would also know her false identity.

She clenched her empty stomach and dropped the remote. With one hand clamped over her mouth and the other clutching the strap of her purse, she wheeled and ran from the room.

At his murder trial, ten years ago, her own father had threatened to kill her. Even though he was still in prison, she figured he could hire an assassin. She had done nothing wrong and yet she was serving a longer sentence than he was. She was going to have to keep running and hiding for the rest of her life.

It wasn’t fair. She was one of the good guys. This nightmare was not supposed to be haunting her.

* * *

Isaac didn’t remember much about his ride home with Gavin at the wheel and he was asleep minutes after his head hit the pillow. When his phone rang midmorning he was surprised to note how long he had slept.

He answered, “Black.”

“How’s the leg?” his captain asked.

“Now that you mention it, it hurts. The pain meds I took last night must have worn off.”

“Good. You may want to drive and you’ll need a clear head.”

“I can’t drive to work. You carjacked me. Remember?”

“I had your unit delivered to you this morning.”

“Are you serious? You really want me to come in today?”

“I have something I think you’ll want to see. Of course, I could email the file to you.”

“Wanna give me a clue? I’d hate to get dressed and drive all the way into the city for nothing.”

“It’s about your girlfriend.”

“My what?” Isaac was sitting on the edge of the bed by now, running his fingers through his hair and taking mental stock of his injury.

“The nurse you wanted me to check on.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“She has a spotless record at the hospital and graduated from nursing school at the top of her class.”

“So? That doesn’t sound bad.”

“Her career is not the most interesting part of her past,” McCord said. “Prior to entering college ten years ago, Daniella Dunne didn’t exist.”

“That’s impossible.”

“It is if she’s on the up-and-up. I don’t know who she was before or where she came from. All I know is she’s not who she implies she is.”

* * *

There had been a time when Daniella had tried to keep close tabs on her jailed father. Then, as the years had passed, she had slowly stopped worrying about him and had gone on with her life, content to have a purposeful career and to be a truly new person.

Now, however, she felt it was vital that she know more about the man, if only to set her mind and heart at ease. There was no sense panicking and going on the run if it wasn’t necessary. For all she knew, he might have died in prison.

One phone call would tell her everything. The question was, if she did contact the emergency number her original US marshal contact had provided, would she be opening Pandora’s box?

She hesitated, her cell phone gripped tightly. Then, before she could make up her mind whether or not to call for information, the phone rang. Caller ID was no help. All it showed was Unknown.

Could it be the marshal’s office taking care in case the call was being monitored? Logically, that might be possible, particularly if she were at work. There was only one way to find out.

She clicked the green button and pressed the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

A low menacing chuckle was followed by, “Well, well. Remember how I always taught you to finish what you started?”

She knew instantly who was on the line. Her father had tracked her down. “How—how did you get this number?”

“I have friends in many places.” He laughed again. “I’ll see you soon, girl.”

Daniella was speechless. That awful voice! Not only did he have her cell number, he probably also knew her address!

Staring at the tiny screen, she noted that he’d ended the call.

Her hands shook and her legs were close to collapse. Every sense insisted that she flee. Immediately. She glanced around at her cozy home. The mere thought of leaving all this behind made her sick to her stomach. Not only would she be in limbo once more, she’d have to give up her friends and career and maybe even her pet, since Puddy was microchipped and might be traceable via his former veterinarian.

She sank into the closest chair and cradled her head in her hands. Although she would have welcomed the release brought by tears, there were none. Numbness and disbelief filled her to overflowing, leaving room for nothing else.

Her first change of identity, when she’d fled Florida as a teen, had been easy compared with what she was facing now. She had often tried to imagine what it would be like to have to abandon nursing and relocate again, but nothing had prepared her for the chilling reality she now acknowledged.

Her murderous father had tracked her down. Life as she’d known it was over. Period.

* * *

Isaac was driving himself toward headquarters when his captain radioed Daniella’s home address.

“That’s right on my way,” he replied. “Okay if Abby and I make a stop there, first?”

“Officially?”

“Not exactly. Our mysterious woman may be more willing to fill in some information gaps if I approach her casually.”

“It’s worth a try. I’ve already checked with the hospital. She stayed on duty all night so she should be at home now. Just keep us posted. I don’t want you going off the grid.”

“Who? Me?”

McCord laughed. “Yes, you. Remember that case last fall when you forgot to radio your position and almost got yourself killed before backup could reach you?”

“That was an exception. Getting hurt at the scene last night was not my fault, either,” Isaac insisted, noting the dull throbbing in his injured calf. “I followed all the rules precisely. Somebody obviously breached the police security lines after Abby and I checked. If she hadn’t acted funny we might have ended up with a lot more casualties.”

“You’ll get no argument from me on that score,” his captain said.

“Good. Listen. I’m almost to the nurse’s. I’ll have my cell and Abby with me but I’m leaving the rest of my gear in the unit.”

“You sure that’s wise?”

“Hey, you didn’t find any connection between her and terrorists, did you?”

“Not in the last ten years, no.”

“Then I’m not taking much of a chance.” Besides, I kind of like her, he added silently. If there had been anything nefarious about her he figured he would have sensed it—and if he hadn’t, Abby would have. Of all the partners he’d ever had, human or otherwise, it was the little beagle he trusted the most. People could be swayed by appearances. Dogs looked beyond the obvious and into a person’s true heart.

Slowing as his GPS led him to the address, Isaac pulled into the driveway of an apartment complex. McCord had told him Daniella Dunne lived on the first floor. A mailbox check showed names posted for the other occupants but not for her. That, alone, would have struck him as strange. Coupled with the information he’d gotten from headquarters, it stood out like a red flag.

Her apartment sat at the end of a long interior corridor, next to the rear exit door. Isaac called Abby to heel and limped toward it, mentally preparing an opening line to relax the nurse.

He’d paused at her door when he heard a voice inside. Good. The woman was home. If she failed to respond to his knock he’d have further proof that there was something odd about her.

Isaac raised his fist.

At his side, Abby edged backward.

He was frowning and looking down at his dog when the door was yanked open and Daniella barreled into him so hard he almost lost his balance.

His arms flew out to steady them both. All he managed to say was “Hey...” when she let out a screech that could have made her the star of a horror movie!

“Whoa,” Isaac said, grabbing hold of her upper arms while Abby’s leash went flying. “Take it easy. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The emerald eyes that were staring into his dark gaze reflected so much raw fear he was taken aback. Her scream had become a whimper and tears were beginning to slide down her flushed cheeks.

As unexpectedly as she’d crashed into him, she flung both arms around his neck and held on as if he were her only lifeline from a sinking ship.

Astounded, he nevertheless embraced her gently. “Easy. I’ve got you. What’s wrong?”

All the answer he got was the sound of her gasping for breath, so he turned to place himself between her and the open apartment door. “Is there somebody else inside?”

Daniella shook her head emphatically, then seemed to come to her senses. “I—I have to get out of here.”

“What’s the hurry?” he asked, holding her away by cupping her shoulders.

She blinked rapidly and swiveled her head to look up and down the hallway before she said, “Because he’s coming.”

“Who is?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Whoa. Slow down and start from the beginning. Why are you so scared?”

“He—he threatened to kill me.”

“When? Why?”

“A long time ago. I put him in jail.”

That was enough information for Isaac to make a sensible decision. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and held her protectively. “Okay. Where do you want to go?”

“Away. Anywhere he can’t find me.”

“I’ll drive.”

Daniella twisted out of his grip. “No. I need my own transportation, at least until I can get something untraceable.”

“Then Abby and I will follow you,” he insisted. “Where are you parked?”

“In the back. The blue car right there.” She pointed through the heavy glass of the outside door.

Isaac scooped up the dog’s leash. “All right. We’ll go first and make sure there’s nobody lying in wait. You stay here until I give the okay.”

Surveying the parking area until he was satisfied it was deserted, he pulled his smaller holdout gun from the ankle holster he always wore and started toward the parked cars. If Daniella was telling the truth, it was his duty to protect her. If she was making up stories in order to evade law enforcement, his job was to keep track of her. Either way, she was not getting out of his sight.

Isaac cautiously drew closer to Daniella’s vehicle.

He felt a tug on Abby’s leash.

When he looked back and saw the determined little dog firmly planted in a sitting position and staring straight at the blue sedan, he realized his canine partner had just saved at least two lives: his and the frightened woman’s.

Abby was never wrong. There was no doubt. Someone had planted an explosive device in the nurse’s car.

* * *

Waiting at the door, Daniella saw the officer returning rapidly and interpreted his closed, somber expression as either anger or angst. In a smooth motion, he encircled her with one arm and had her back inside her apartment without time for discussion, let alone argument.

“I want you to stay put for right now, understand?”

“No. I told you. I have to leave.”

“Not in that car, you don’t.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate her sedan. “I’ve notified local police. I’m going back outside with my dog to guard the scene until the regular officers relieve me. After that, we can go wherever you want.”

“Police? What are they for? I already told you...”

“I don’t care what you did or who’s after you, lady. Pull yourself together and listen to me. My dog sensed a problem in or around your car, and nobody is going to touch it until the bomb squad has had a chance to look it over. Am I clear?”

She wanted to answer verbally but her body refused to cooperate. There was no breathable air in the apartment. The walls were closing in on her.

She staggered back until she felt her legs contact the front edge of the sofa cushions, then plopped down on them with a whoosh. Her jaw hung slack. Her eyes refused to focus properly. This was even worse than she’d imagined. If Isaac Black had not arrived at just the right moment, she’d have gotten into her car, just as her mother had, and then...

Tears gathered in Daniella’s eyes and spilled silently down her cheeks. Her voice was thready. “Are—are you sure?”

“No. But Abby is and that’s good enough for me. Now, stay put and let me take care of everything.” He drew the living room blinds while his sweet-tempered dog wagged her tail and licked Daniella’s fingers.

When he returned and gathered up the leash, he paused with one hand on the doorknob. “Lock this after me.”

Her “Okay” was little more than a weak whisper, but at the moment she couldn’t manage anything more forceful.

“It’ll be all right,” Isaac assured her. “Just sit tight and don’t move.”

“Can I pack a few things?”

“No!” was almost a shout. “Listen carefully. We know that couch is safe because Abby didn’t react to it, but I don’t want you wandering around in here until I’ve had a chance to let her explore every room.”

“You—you think there’s a bomb in here, too?”

“Probably not. But are you willing to take the chance?”

“No. Of course not.” She whisked away her tears with the back of her hand.

“Good. Now you’re being sensible.”

The door closed quietly behind the K-9 officer. Daniella twisted the dead bolt, listening to its click for added assurance. She was safe, at least for the present.

The fortuitous arrival of Isaac and his remarkable dog still amazed her. Could God have somehow spurred him to make this impromptu visit?

She shook her head, clenching her jaw tightly. No. God might protect innocent people, but she was far from naive. Her lack of initiative had gotten her mother killed, and her foolish choices afterward had sent her into perpetual hiding.

Although she had no trouble praying for others, she’d long ago given up asking the Lord to watch over or guide her.

Ella Fagan, aka Daniella Dunne, didn’t deserve God’s love or his forgiveness. The most she could hope for was the wisdom to once more escape her father’s vendetta.

Her whirling thoughts would not, could not, carry her further than that.

For all she knew, there would be no life beyond the next few days.

FOUR

With local police waiting outside for the bomb squad, Isaac returned to the apartment. When there was no response to his light knock, he rapped harder.

“Who is it?”

“Isaac Black and Abby.”

The moment Daniella opened the door, he smiled. “Good job. I’m glad you’re being so careful.”

“Careful?” She made a wry face. “I’m scared to even breathe, thanks to you. Do you really think there’s another bomb in here?”

“No, I don’t. But letting me and Abby check the apartment while you sit on the couch and stay out of trouble is the smartest choice.”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

His attention now fully on Daniella, Isaac noted that she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt instead of her hospital scrubs. He scowled. “You changed clothes since your shift?”

“Yes, after I got home this morning and showered. Since I was so wide-awake I was planning to run a few errands before taking a nap. I’m almost out of cat food.”

“You’ve already been in the bedroom?”

“Yes.” He saw her blanch as reality grew.

“All right. How many cats do you have?”

“Just one. Puddy is black with long hair.” She eyed Abby. “Don’t let your dog scare him. He doesn’t have all his claws.”

“I’ll keep Abs on a leash.” Isaac started for the closest room, the kitchen, noting that it led to a hallway. “This will only take a few minutes. If she doesn’t react we’ll be right back.”

“What if she does?”

“If she does, then we’ll both go out the front door and I’ll have the bomb squad come in here, too.”

“Terrific.” Daniella made a silly face.

Isaac had to smile again. “It’s good to see that your sarcastic side is still operational.”

“It’s a coping mechanism a lot of nurses have, I guess.”

“So do cops. Civilians don’t usually understand how much it helps us when we have to deal with crime and loss so often.”

It was clear from the expression on her face that Daniella understood perfectly. Whatever her full background was, she was a sensible and, he hoped, a reasonably stable person. Why that should be important to him was somewhat of a puzzle. Logically, however, she needed a temporary safe house, and he had plenty of extra room on the old farm. Unless Captain McCord came up with some heinous crimes in her past, there should be no reason why he couldn’t take her home with him, at least for now. His sister might even have some clothes that would fit her and perhaps change her image enough that she’d be less easily spotted by whoever was menacing her.

His plans were almost fully formed by the time Isaac returned to the living room. “All clear,” he said. “I’m satisfied that there’s no danger in this apartment right now. You can go pack but don’t take too long. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

“We? Where did that come from?”

“I’m taking you home with me—unless you have a better idea.”

“I can’t go with you. Not just like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don’t really know me.”

Isaac smiled wryly. “If I did, should I be afraid of you?”

“Of course not, but...”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll go put Abby in the SUV, tell the local police what we’re doing and be back in a flash. I’ll expect you to be ready to leave by then.”

“You’re ordering me to go with you?”

His smile widened. “No. I’m offering a lifeline to a drowning citizen. You can always swim off into shark-infested waters by yourself if you choose.”

“I see your point. All right,” Daniella said, “but we have to take Puddy. I’m not abandoning him.”

“Do you have a carrier?”

“Yes.”

“Then put him in it and I’ll take him, too.”

She began to call, “Puddy? Here kitty, kitty.” There was no response. Not even a faint meow.

The stricken look on her face touched Isaac. “I didn’t see him when I searched. Maybe he hid when he spotted Abby. I’ll take her outside. Keep calling to him while you’re packing. Just try not to sound overly anxious. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Isaac waited until he heard the door lock click into place before heading down the hall. Getting Daniella to agree to leave her apartment had not been too difficult. Getting her to actually go if she couldn’t locate her missing cat might prove far more perplexing. For all they knew, whoever had placed the bomb by the car might have also let the cat out. Anything was possible.

At present, his fondest hope was that the frightened feline would show up.

* * *

Daniella was frantic. She faced Isaac, eyes wide, short of breath. “I can’t find him. He’s not here!”

“Was the door locked when you got home?”

“Of course it was.” She frowned. “At least I think so. I was so tired I really didn’t pay much attention.”

“You weren’t scared at that point. So what set you off before I got here?”

Although she hated to answer, she felt she owed him a little more information. “I got a threatening phone call,” she said, continuing to search for Puddy while she talked.

Isaac followed her. “Maybe it was a prank.”

She shook her head so dramatically her hair brushed against each cheek in turn. “No way. This was for real.”

“You know who called?”

“Yes. What I can’t figure out is how he managed to get my number so fast. I was only on the news a few hours ago.” She explained about seeing herself on TV as part of the coverage about the bombing.

“Maybe he saw you and hacked into the hospital’s personnel files.”

“I suppose that’s possible.”

Studying the officer, she could tell he was thinking as various expressions flashed across his face.

“All right,” Isaac finally said. “Here’s what I know. There is no record of you before you entered college. No high school or grammar school transcripts. Nothing. That means you’re either a criminal on the run or a witness who was given a new identity. My guess would be the witness.”

Without giving it much conscious thought, she nodded and lowered her gaze, unwilling to meet his directly.

“So why are you acting guilty?”

“Because my family is involved in the whole mess.”

“Criminally?”

“Not my mother. She was an innocent victim. My father murdered her.”

She heard him draw a quick breath. “And you saw it happen?”

Another nod. She blinked back unshed tears as she raised her face to look at him, hoping to see neither condemnation nor pity. His expression was more quizzical than anything, so she explained further.

“My dad was doing business with some very bad people, drug dealers and hardened criminals. Mom wanted to leave him, we both did, but I was in my teens and I kept hesitating, hoping there was some spark of good left in him.”

“That’s understandable. He was your father and you were still a kid. You didn’t want him to be evil.”

“Exactly.” She sniffled and continued while peering behind the sofa for the cat. “It was a sunny Sunday afternoon when everything came to a head. Mom told him we were both going to leave for keeps. She started to get into her car. I should have been with her but Dad sent me back into the house to bring him something. I never dreamed he’d already...”

“He saved your life?”

“Yes. But he took hers. The authorities proved he’d rigged an explosive device under her car. I wasn’t allowed in court until it was my turn to testify so I don’t know whether it was set to go off when she got behind the wheel or if he set it off remotely.”

“You testified against him,” Isaac said. It was not a question.

Daniella nodded slowly, purposely. “Yes. I had to. A man like that didn’t deserve to walk the streets.”

“And now you wonder if he might have been released?”

She shrugged. “I can’t believe that’s possible. Not yet, anyway. I’d rather think he hired someone to terrorize me in his place—except for the fact I recognized his voice on the phone.”

“Let’s start by finding out for sure where he is. Keep looking for the cat. I’ll be right here,” he told her, pulling his cell from his pocket and pushing a preprogrammed number. “Give me his full name.”

She barely managed to whisper it.

As she worked her way back into the bedroom to search the closet once more, she heard Isaac say, “I need to check on a convict. Terence R. Fagan. If he’s been released we need to locate him. Fast.”

Daniella paused for a deep, telling sigh. The urge to pray that God would intervene and save her by somehow eliminating her father was strong. And wrong, she knew, yet the disturbing thoughts continued to whirl through her mind. She should be praying for the faith and strength to forgive him, to show him the kind of pure love Jesus demonstrated.

Truth was, she was a long way from that degree of forgiveness and there was no way she’d be able to pray and ask such a thing, not even if her father came to her on his knees and begged.

Surely God understood, she concluded, realizing almost immediately that she was violating one of the important yet simple instructions in the Lord’s Prayer.

To be forgiven she must first forgive.

Clenching her jaw and her fists, Daniella refused. There was no way she was ever going to get over what that terrible man had done.

Her broken, battered heart wouldn’t allow it.

* * *

The news Isaac received in the ensuing few minutes floored him. Terence Fagan had won early release on a technicality and had been roaming the streets for several years. Whether or not he might have located his daughter before her TV news appearance was a moot point. Circumstances seemed to point to a real, present danger. That was all that mattered. The details would eventually sort themselves out.

“Ms. Dunne,” Isaac called as soon as he’d ended his phone conversation. “Come on. We have to go. There’s no time to waste.”

She poked her head around the corner into the kitchen. “I can’t go yet. I’m not leaving without Puddy.”

“Yes, you are.”

The mist filling her eyes made them glisten like jewels in the rain. “No. Please. I know he’s here. He has to be.”

“Unless someone let him out while they were trying to break in.” Isaac saw little chance of that but persisted. “Why don’t you leave dishes of food and water in the usual place in here, then put others in the hallway, just in case? I’ll either stop by to check or have members of my team do it. Puddy will show up as soon as he gets hungry enough. The problem is, you can’t stay here and wait for that to happen.”

She stared at him, her hands trembling.

He approached her slowly, hoping to keep her as calm as possible when he delivered the bad news. Stopping an arm’s length from her, he looked deeply into her eyes, willing her to continue to trust him, at least enough to heed his sage advice.

Her eyes widened. “What are you not telling me?”

“That call I just made? It was to our tech support. Terence Fagan has been out of prison for several years.”

“That’s impossible!”

Isaac lightly cupped her elbow to steady her. “I’m sorry. It’s true. His appeal was granted on a technicality.”

She swayed as if dizzy, so he continued to hold her arm, just in case. “No. Your information must be wrong.”

“Sorry. Our Fiona Fargo is the best computer tech in the business. If she says your father has been released, he has been.”

“Why wasn’t I told?”

“I don’t know. When you get in touch with the marshals’ office to arrange to be moved, you can ask them. It was probably an oversight.”

“Oversight? This is my life we’re talking about.”

Isaac nodded soberly. “I’m glad you realize that.” He let go and opened her cupboards to locate usable dishes. “Will these do for your cat?”

She barely nodded.

“Okay. I’ll fill one with water and you put dry food in the other so we can be on our way.”

This time she not only didn’t argue, she moved to comply as if in a stupor. That state of mind wasn’t any better for her than her earlier panic, although it did make his current task easier.

Until they could coordinate with the US Marshals office in DC, his best option would be to take her home with him, as he’d already been planning.

There was more than one good reason for that choice, too. His injured leg was starting to really throb and the sooner he was free to take his prescribed medication the better he’d feel.

Reasoning that a nurse would be sympathetic and therefore more compliant, he decided to tell her. “Listen, I hate to mention this but I’m starting to feel awfully sore. I couldn’t chance taking my morning meds and getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle so I haven’t had any painkillers since what you gave me last night.”

That snapped her out of her doldrums enough to frown and caution, “You should have kept up with them. It’s not just for comfort, you know. Controlling pain will help you heal faster. Plus, one of those scripts was for oral antibiotics.”

“Afraid I didn’t stop to look,” Isaac admitted. “When my captain called me, I didn’t question his reasons.”

“What was he thinking? You’re injured.”

Isaac chanced a slight smile. “Actually, it was my decision. He told me he was worried because there was no record of your past and wanted to confer with me.”

“That’s a lame excuse if I’ve ever heard one,” Daniella said. Hoisting a bulging tote bag, she sighed as she started for the door. “I won’t be responsible if you develop an infection. Let’s go.”

Following her out the apartment door and waiting while she carefully relocked it, Isaac couldn’t help feeling relieved and more than a little glad. She was finally thinking more clearly. That was a definite plus.

Now all he had to do was take a small enough dose of painkiller to allow his own brain to function properly and they’d be a formidable team.

Visualizing himself and Daniella as a team caught him by surprise. They had little if anything in common, so why was he seeing her as part of his work, let alone his life?

Because the effects of this injury have addled me, he concluded. That aberration would surely pass.

His smile waned. It had better. In his line of work, letting a pretty face distract him could be fatal.

* * *

Since there was a logo on the door of the SUV that matched the patches on Isaac’s uniform shirt, it was easy for Daniella to tell which official vehicle belonged to the K-9 cop. None of the responding agencies had pulled into the apartment driveway. Consequently, the street was blocked both ways.

She looked to him as they walked. “How did you know to park so far away?”

“I didn’t. I moved my car for safety when I put Abby inside.”

“Oh. I thought for a second...”

“That I was part of the plotting against you?”

“I never considered it seriously,” she alibied. “I’m just jumpy.”

“That’s perfectly understandable.”

“What else can you tell me about my father? You’re absolutely positive he’s out of prison?”

“Yes. His attorney filed an appeal and got his sentence reduced because of some glitch in the gathering of evidence at the crime scene. He pleaded guilty to providing the plans for the explosive device but insisted some of his cronies had actually made, planted and detonated it because they wanted to get rid of him, not your mother.”

“Then why did he send me into the house at just the right moment to save my life?”

“He claimed it was a coincidence.”

That statement gave her pause. Finally, she said, “If that’s true, you know what it means, don’t you?”

Isaac nodded as he opened and held the passenger door for her. “Yes. If he was being honest about his innocence, he wasn’t showing his love, like you thought, by keeping you away from your mother’s car.”

As she slipped into the seat, she wished there weren’t unshed tears threatening to trickle down her cheeks.

Daniella waited until Isaac was behind the wheel before she commented further. “Dad set that bomb. I know he did. The expression on his face wasn’t surprise or shock after it went off, it was victory.”

She sniffled and swiped at her damp cheeks. “He killed Mom as surely as I’m sitting here.” Sighing, she stared out the SUV’s window.

“That doesn’t really explain why he’d be causing you trouble after all this time,” Isaac offered.

“Sure it does. That man never forgave a soul. After I testified against him he swore he’d get even. That’s why I agreed to go into witness protection in the first place.”

“You believe he meant what he said?”

Daniella huffed and set her jaw. “Oh, yeah. Of all the things he ever told me, that’s the one promise I know he intends to keep.”

“I’m sorry,” Isaac said.

She knew she’d start to sob if she saw pity in the officer’s eyes, so she kept staring out the window.

The voice on the phone had been unmistakable. Her father was on her trail and closing in. Every moment that passed was one more she had managed to eke out.

And brought her one more breath closer to her last if Terence Fagan had his way.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.