Proof of Innocence

He held out a hand and her father shook it, but Erin saw the gesture was out of politeness and nothing more. “I know how to take care of myself and...my daughter,” her father said to Chase. “Now, if you’re done with her...”

“Erin, what do you want to do?” Chase asked, his tone firm and sure. “We can take you to a safe house right now.”

Torn between staying secure near Chase and wanting to visit with her father, she glanced between the both of them. “I’ll be okay, Chase,” she finally said. “That is, if I’m free to go.”

Her father’s lawyer stepped forward. “Erin, I’m so glad you’re all right. Let me go and talk to Captain McCord and the other officers and we’ll have you out of here in a few minutes.”

Chase gave her a reassuring look. “I’ll speak to Gavin, too.” He leaned close. “I’ll explain things to him. We need to know you’ll be safe.”

Her father frowned after Chase hurried away. “What was that all about?”

Erin didn’t want to argue with her father so soon after seeing him again, but she had to be honest. “I’m still in danger, Daddy.”

Her father glanced around as if someone in the room might be after her. “Oh, and how’s that?”

“I didn’t kill Michael, but...I know who did.”

Shocked, her father pulled her close. “What are you saying, Erin?”

“I’m not sure, but I think Congressman Jeffries will keep sending people after me.”

“Are you suggesting that Harland Jeffries is trying to kill you?”

“I know he’s trying to kill me,” she retorted, wondering if her own father doubted her. “That’s why I had to go into hiding. I saw him murder Michael.”

Her father’s features were schooled in a calm facade, but she’d seen the disbelief in his eyes. “All the more reason to get you away from the city and home where we can talk in private.”

Erin glanced over at Chase. “I’ll go with you if they let me leave, but I might have to go to Capitol K-9 headquarters for more questioning.”

“Not tonight,” her father replied. “You need to be checked over and you need to rest.” He shot a condemning glance toward Chase. “After all, he didn’t do a very good job of protecting you.”

Erin had learned a thing or two out there on her own. One being that if she didn’t stand up to people, she’d never learn how to survive anything. “Dad, Chase did more than protect me tonight. He’s been searching for me since the night Michael died. He found me and he saved my life. You might consider that before you dismiss him completely.”

Her father looked suitably chastised, his gaze moving from her to behind her. When Erin looked around, Chase was standing close enough to have heard what she’d said.

He gave her a look of appreciation then turned to her father. “You’re free to go, Erin,” he said, his eyes on Senator Eagleton. “Sir, we’re depending on you to keep her close to home for now since we’ll need to interrogate Erin again. Captain McCord will send some officers to help patrol your estate.” Then he glanced back at Erin. “I’ll come by first thing in the morning to check on you.”

“That won’t be—” the senator began, then he changed his tune. “Don’t be too early, son. She needs a good night’s sleep.” He reached out his hand to Chase. “And...thank you for finding my daughter.”

* * *

Back at headquarters early the next morning, Chase was questioned by everyone from the president’s special in-house security chief, General Meyer, to Metro Police Detective David Delvecchio and Secret Service Agent Dan Calvert. All of the interagency big guns wanted in on this one. And his boss, Captain Gavin McCord, wanted a play-by-play of everything leading up to Chase finding Erin and what happened afterward.

“Someone was chasing her when I found her so I had to make the choice of protecting Erin instead of going after the perpetrator. After that, it was late and she was tired, but I called you right away to report I had her,” he repeated for about the tenth time. “I was pretty sure we were being tailed so I took her to the inn until morning. But the tail obviously followed us since the assailant showed up where we were staying.”

“She could have easily escaped again,” Captain McCord pointed out with an intimidating frown. “I should have ordered you to bring her in right away.”

That same frown shadowed just about every face on the entire Capitol K-9 team. Metro Police Detective Delvecchio cleared his throat in what could have been a skeptical snort. The cynical detective had cooperated, but he hadn’t been happy with having to share information with the K-9 team. Captain McCord had managed to get past that, at least.

“She didn’t run,” Chase retorted. “Valor was on alert and besides, she was so exhausted she fell asleep as soon as she went to bed. I took her statement and I caught yet another man trying to kill her.”

“Or at least breaking into her room,” General Meyer said, her vivid blue eyes nailing Chase to his chair. But he’d also seen a hint of compassion in those all-knowing eyes. The general was a smart cookie and this team had her heart. Maybe she’d cut Chase some slack since he’d been working this case since the night they’d found Michael Jeffries dead and the congressman wounded.

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