Tracking Secrets
“Who?” Alexis had pressed.
“I can’t tell you yet. I promised him we’d keep it hush-hush. He doesn’t want us to have the pressure of being under a microscope. You know how small towns can be.”
She did know how small towns could be, but in the last year she’d heard no evidence of the rumor mill. Perhaps because she kept to herself since she’d moved back.
Nick stepped through the barbed wire fence first. Alexis looked over her shoulder. Nick must have chosen this section of the fence to cross since the trees were especially thick here. Raven didn’t seem so keen to slide underneath the fence this time.
“Hand her to me,” he whispered.
Alexis cringed. If the dog so much as licked her, it would have to fend for itself. She exhaled and put her arms around the dog’s torso. Her biceps and lower back strained with the effort. The dog had to be at least fifty pounds!
If she hadn’t been such a pushover she would’ve told Theresa no. Then Theresa would’ve been forced to skip her weekend to walk the dog, probably on the sidewalks of downtown instead of the trail, and none of this would’ve ever happened.
Nick reached over the fence and took Raven from her. She’d never seen the man around town, which was unusual. He was either new in town or they ran in completely different circles. It made her question again whether she should’ve trusted him enough to follow him, but she didn’t have much choice now. He had the dog.
He held the fence open for her, and she stepped through. Her outfit, now covered with black dog hair and smudges of nature, would never recover, but it was a small price to pay for getting back to safety. The list of charges she wanted to report against those men ran through her head on a loop.
Nick gathered the leash tightly and waved for her to follow him as he broke into a fast-paced jog. Her feet felt every rock and hard patch of uneven ground through the thin soles of her shoes. If she ever got home, she’d never wear the sandals again.
Five minutes later, the trees opened up into a pasture. The tall grass swayed with the breeze, and in the distance, a yellow house with white shutters looked welcoming. A red barn stood behind it. Two horses grazed nearby.
She marveled at the perfect picture of tranquility. It belonged on a postcard and made her long for her own pair of cowboy boots. “Do you know the owners?”
“The owner. Yes,” he answered.
They approached another fence, this one made from wooden rails. The large spaces made it easy to slip through. Even though the wood couldn’t protect her, the physical barrier made her heart slow ever so slightly. “I’ll feel a lot safer once we’re inside that house. I hope someone’s home.”
He pulled a phone out of his pocket and dialed. “We need to find a signal now. I don’t think those jammers can cover that large a distance.” He ran a few steps. “Weak,” he muttered. His eyebrows rose. “Dial tone.” He pressed a few numbers and held it up to his ear. “We need help.”
Alexis put a hand on her racing heart and issued a silent prayer of thanks that he’d been able to reach the authorities. Their pace didn’t slow as Nick spoke feverishly about men with guns and rattled off an address Alexis didn’t recognize.
“Please hurry.” Nick swiveled the cell phone so the microphone rested on his shoulder. “They want me to stay on the line until they get here.”
He looked over her shoulder, and she followed his gaze. The property appeared to be roughly five acres until a line of trees obscured the rest. She imagined that just past it was the walking path and the river. “Is that them?”
The sound of cracking branches in the distance made her flinch.
“Follow me.” They sprinted until they reached the porch of the house. He lifted the phone to his ear. “It sounds like they’ve made it to the trail behind my property. I have to put the phone down now. Please hurry.”
His property? He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and opened the navy blue door. Past the darkened hallway, bright sunshine streamed through a wall of windows. A rifle suddenly blocked her view, taking her breath away.
Nick held one in each hand. “I hope you know how to shoot a gun.”
TWO
Nick reached back into the gun safe hidden within his front closet to grab ammunition. He had only a couple of guns just in case wolves attacked his horses. When he first acquired the property, the previous owner said it’d be a good precaution. So far, there hadn’t been any need. “Ideally we won’t have to use these.”
“I’ve shot a handgun.” She held the rifle gingerly with both hands. “Once. A cop I knew was showing me how. I decided it wasn’t for me.” Her hair looked wild and mussed, and one side of her blouse was no longer tucked into the skirt. “I’d rather hide than try to use this.”
He glanced out the window and squinted. The white metal through the trees slowed. If the men in the truck didn’t have binoculars, they wouldn’t be able to see Alexis and him. But if they did...
“Step into the shadows.” He waved at Raven to lie down again, and the dog complied.
The truck didn’t make another appearance, but men spilled from the trees onto his property. Maybe barbed wire fences weren’t overkill after all. He shoved the ammunition into the rifle and proceeded to load the second rifle for her. “Only as a precaution.”
She nodded. “How many times have you shot a gun?”
It probably wouldn’t help her anxiety to admit he was no sharpshooter. Sure, he practiced, but only enough to feel safe and competent. It wasn’t a hobby or something he considered fun. He’d rather ride a horse or hike in his free time.
“Enough to know what I’m doing,” he replied. The thought of having to shoot at a human being made his stomach turn. “You stay here and holler if they reach the wooden fence. I’m going to my office to see if they’re approaching from the side.”
For a second he thought she’d refuse, but she inhaled and took a knee at the corner of the hallway and the living room. Raven lay down and rested her head against Alexis, who flinched and stared at the dog warily but didn’t move away.
He wondered what her story was, because there were few people in the world who could resist the charms of such a sweet Labrador. But then again, he couldn’t judge her true personality when they’d just had to run away from gunmen.
He strode down the hall and lifted the window just enough that he could slip the barrel of the gun outside to aim. He closed his eyes a half second. “Please, Lord,” he whispered, “defend us.”
The dog howled, a mournful song with vibrato.
“Nick, how do I get her to stop?” Alexis cried out. “They’re going to know we’re here for sure if she keeps this up.”
He ran back to them. Raven remained on the ground but pointed her nose in the air as she released another song. Odd unless... He strained his ears. “Listen.”
Alexis dropped the rifle and stood up, a gorgeous smile on her face. “The police. Help is coming.” She looked over her shoulder to the window. Men were running back into the trees. “They hear it, too.” She placed a hand on his arm. “Thank you for getting us somewhere safe.”
The rifle rested at his side. He was relieved, as well, but the danger had been too close, too real. His chest hurt from either breathing too hard or the fight to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest.
His mom had already received one sorrowful call too many. It would’ve destroyed her to be told her remaining son was also killed by drug dealers.
His brother, an undercover federal agent, had been killed by the drug runners he had tried to expose. Nick wouldn’t allow his brother’s death to be in vain, and while it didn’t make sense for him to abandon his veterinary training and take his brother’s place in the DEA, he could step up and lead. The memory of his brother had driven Nick to develop an interest in politics.
In his opinion, the current elected officials weren’t doing all they could to diminish the impact of living in what the government had deemed a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. No one wanted to acknowledge the label, but living right alongside a major interstate meant they needed to face facts. Which was why he was running for mayor in the upcoming election.
The sirens grew closer. Alexis glanced back and forth between the view of the backyard and the front window. Raven stopped her soulful song but looked at Nick with expectation. He opened the front door in time to see two police cars pull to a stop in his circular drive.
He set the rifle against the doorway before he ran down the stairs to greet them. Four officers jumped out of the two vehicles. They all seemed to have eyes only for Alexis. Nick still hadn’t gotten used to feeling like the outsider in the town where he’d lived for over a year now.
“They are driving on the hiking trail just past the trees,” Alexis shouted as she stepped beside him. “If you hurry you can get them.”
While he’d never seen vehicles on the trail before, it was wide enough to accommodate horses, bikes and runners, and if the cops didn’t hurry, the men would be able to drive all the way to the parking lot at the trailhead. Once there, they could hit the road that went into town or take the interstate and disappear.
The older policeman who seemed to be in charge pointed a finger at the men in front of him. Two officers jumped into the first cruiser and took off. The remaining officer looked significantly younger, as if he was fresh out of high school.
“Chief Spencer,” Alexis said, “I didn’t get a chance to tell them it was a white pickup truck.”
The chief frowned. “Is that all you can tell me?”
She crossed her arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a better look while they were shooting at me.” She emphasized the last three words. “It’s something to go on, right?”
Nick racked his brain to think of another defining detail he could offer, but she had a point. They didn’t take time to look as they focused on staying alive.
Chief Spencer shook his head. “Over half the town owns pickup trucks, Lexi, and a quarter of those are white, including mine.”
Nick couldn’t help but notice Alexis’s grimace when the chief called her Lexi. Her nickname? “He’s right,” Nick admitted. “I’ve got a white pickup, too.”
The young cop nodded. “Easiest color to keep clean.”
“You all have white trucks?” Alexis asked, sounding more incredulous. “Well, I think it was a Ford F-Series.” She raised her eyebrows as if they should be impressed.
Nick didn’t recall the make and model, so he acknowledged her keen observation with a slow nod.
“That narrows it down to maybe sixty percent of the white trucks,” the chief said. Alexis seemed crestfallen, but the chief paid no attention. He looked at Nick. “You said the shooting started at the mayor’s house?”
Nick frowned. “Mayor Simonds is my neighbor?” That seemed like a tidbit someone could’ve mentioned before now. The houses were several acres apart, but still. “I’ve tried to introduce myself a few times, but no one has ever been home.”
The chief narrowed his eyes. “Yes, he is. And I believe you’re his opponent, Dr. Kendrick, so if you don’t mind, I’d like an impartial party to tell the story.” He turned his gaze to Alexis.
Her mouth dropped open. “You’re running for mayor? Have you even lived here long enough to be a resident?”
Her tone sounded almost accusatory, and he didn’t really understand why. “I’ve met all the eligibility requirements, if that’s what you’re asking. Barings is my home.”
“Everyone knows he’s running, Lexi,” the young officer said to Alexis. “Old news.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and she eyed him a minute before turning to Chief Spencer. She relayed the events of the past hour without commentary, as if reporting for the six o’clock news. Nick did his best to keep his mouth shut until she reached the part about the man who’d walked around the corner. “Six feet tall, I’d guess,” she said. “Late thirties or early forties. He wore a white polo shirt and carpenter jeans. No other identifying factors that I can remember.”
“There were drugs,” Nick interjected. “In the gutter downspouts. I can show you.”
Alexis’s jaw dropped. Chief noticed. “You didn’t see these drugs?”
She cringed. “No, but it certainly explains a lot. I can’t think of any other motivation they’d try to kill us just for getting a dog off the property.”
Chief Spencer shook his head again. “I need a reason to get on that property. And frankly, having the mayor’s opponent as the only witness doesn’t do it.”
“Forget that, then,” Alexis said. “We’re talking attempted murder. I was witness to that! Those men shot a branch that hit me.” She lifted up her hair. An angry red line streaked across the side of her neck.
Nick flinched. He should’ve moved faster, gotten them out of the line of fire before that had happened. He turned to enter the house. “I’ll grab my first aid kit.”
Her hand blocked him. “I’m fine. It just stings a little.” Her gaze swung to the chief. “My point is, I don’t understand why you don’t have enough to go on.”
The younger officer picked up his radio and stepped away for a moment. “Chief, no sign of the vehicle or armed men. They confirmed tire tracks and a broken fence section on the mayor’s property. Permission to proceed?”
Nick tensed. He wasn’t used to having his word questioned. Was that how every officer would react if a challenging political opponent witnessed criminal activity? Or was it possible the chief was proving his alliance with the current mayor? Either way, Nick breathed easier knowing they couldn’t avoid the proof that something had happened.
Chief Spencer pointed to the backseat of the vehicle. “Okay. Get in, you two.”
* * *
Alexis couldn’t believe they had to share the backseat of a police vehicle with a dog. Logically, she knew it wouldn’t attack her, but the positive thoughts did nothing to stop her heart from racing. Why people liked to keep animals around for company was beyond the scope of her imagination. If they knew what it felt like to be attacked by one like she did, maybe they’d feel differently. The dog’s breath alone was enough to make her want to go running. And yet, even though Alexis had shown her no signs of affection, Raven stared up at her, panting.
“She knows you don’t like her,” Nick said. “Animals can sense that, especially dogs. She’s trying to win you over.”
She eyed Nick. The chief had referred to him as Dr. Kendrick. Judging by his tan skin and athletic physique, he had to be active and a lover of the outdoors. And it seemed like those types often loved dogs just as much as nature, so maybe he knew something about animals. “So if I pet her, she’ll leave me alone?”
He shrugged. “Wouldn’t hurt to try.”
She held back a sigh. She’d already touched the dog more than enough for her lifetime when she had to pick it up to get it over the fence, but she humored the both of them and reached out to touch the top of Raven’s head. It was smooth yet wiry.
Raven stretched her neck at the touch so that Alexis’s fingers brushed against her ears. They were soft and velvety like a fuzzy pillow. The dog shifted in the small space between her and Nick until its whole body leaned against Alexis.
Admittedly, the warmth and connection were nice for a second, but she still didn’t trust the dog to keep its mouth to itself. She shot Nick a look.
He smirked. “Or petting her could just encourage her.”
Her gut twisted. She knew he was teasing, but she didn’t know him well enough to explain why it wasn’t funny. Alexis pushed away from the dog, calmly, forcing it to snuggle with Nick instead.
How could he have lived here long enough to be running for mayor? She’d thought she knew the few doctors who lived in the area. She’d worked for almost all of them, subbing for their receptionists.
She’d kept to herself ever since she returned to town, but she must have been more antisocial than she’d thought if Jeremy, the young officer driving, was right and his candidacy was old news.
Nick patted the dog’s head and her tail wagged, slapping Alexis’s thigh. Nick’s warm laugh soothed her nerves. “Sorry about that,” he said.
She tried to smile in response.
Jeremy parked the cruiser in front of the mayor’s house. She’d known Gerald Simonds lived out here somewhere but hadn’t known which house until now. He was only a few years older. She’d never imagined him as rich or running their town, but he owned a successful mechanic shop and had made some smart investment moves. In fact, his brother, Barry, owned the financial firm responsible. Barry used to do only bookkeeping, but everyone, it seemed, including her parents, had wanted to sign on with Barry as their financial advisor after seeing Gerald’s success.
Officer Jeremy Wicks opened the door for her. She had over ten years on him. Most days, she still considered herself young. She’d crossed the thirty-year mark, but she could remember changing Jeremy’s diapers when she worked as a mother’s helper one summer. He’d been an officer for a little over a year, but it was still weird seeing him with a gun and handcuffs.
He nodded at her. “Ma’am.”
She fought back a groan and hustled around the car. While she hated when people used her childhood nickname of Lexi, she hated even more when they called her ma’am. She was still a Miss until she got married, in her mind.
Some days she wondered if she had missed out on her chance for marriage by going after her career and law school with such singular focus. Her head had spent so much of the time stuck in the pages of law statutes that she’d forgotten how to flirt. Maybe she had never known how in the first place.
There weren’t many attractive, employed, witty men in Barings. The few that existed had already been taken. She’d pegged Nick for a nice guy as soon as he’d offered to help her get Raven. That is, until she found out he had political ambitions. Now she realized he had to be either a naive idealist or power hungry. At least, that had been her experience with political science majors back in school.
Maybe she was wrong and Nick was the nice guy she’d first imagined. But if he was, she should keep her distance. Her past would prove a problem for his dreams.
Nick led the dog back around the gutters. Raven stuck her nose in both, but when Jeremy leaned down in front of each of them, he shook his head. “Nothing, sir,” he said to the chief.
“Can’t you do a drug residue test?” Nick asked.
“Here’s the thing.” The chief tilted his head to the side. “I can come on this property because I had reason to suspect I’d find some gunmen. We haven’t. I can look at the gutters because they’re on the outside of the house. If contraband is in plain sight, it’s fair game, but I don’t have enough probable cause to perform a residue test.”
“But I saw the drugs,” Nick said.
He nodded toward Alexis. “And if Lexi had seen them, too, then we’d be in business.”
Alexis shifted her gaze away from Nick. She felt bad enough that she’d put him in the situation in the first place. He’d saved her life and the dog’s, for that matter. She wished she had seen the drugs, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie.
“What about the dog?” Nick’s demeanor brightened. “I can’t verify without my records, but I think this is the K9 detection dog I examined several months back.”
“Wait,” Alexis said. “You examined her? You’re a veterinarian?” The questions came out accusatory. The information had just taken her by surprise. She hadn’t imagined he would be a doctor of animals. Well, that ruled out another eligible bachelor. Even if he ended up losing the mayoral election, they could never have a future because as a vet, he probably wanted to own a dog, if he didn’t already. And that was a deal breaker. Why did all the great guys love dogs?
Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “You need to get out more, Lexi.” He stepped forward. “So is this Raven? Joe’s dog?” He dropped to a knee and looked at Alexis. “They left you to take care of her?”
He could’ve skipped the incredulous tone. Though it was no secret in the town that she wasn’t exactly fond of dogs. One notch short of terrified, really. “It was a favor for Theresa. Theresa said if she didn’t get someone to take care of her right away, she’d have to come back tonight to do the job personally.”
Jeremy took the leash from Nick and ruffled Raven’s ears. The dog responded by nuzzling into him.
The chief folded his arms over his sizable chest and studied the dog. “This is Raven, huh? Joe’s technically retired from the force but trains K9 dogs all over the country. You know, he was training this dog for us. She was going to be his last one. He planned to gift her to our department.”
Jeremy shook his head but kept his gaze on the dog. “Last I heard he was in critical condition.” He straightened and handed the leash to Alexis.
“Critical?” Alexis asked.
Chief nodded. “Hit-and-run just last night. Raven was in her harness and did fine, but Joe had to be airlifted a few hours away to Boise.”
That explained the sudden need for someone to watch the dog.
Nick’s frown deepened. “Well, if she’s a drug detection dog, you should have cause to test for residue.”
Chief shook his head. “I know for a fact Raven’s not certified yet. Last I knew, Joe said she had a heap of potential but some obedience issues. She hasn’t been in the program long enough for testing. Takes a minimum of a year, from what I understand. Besides, didn’t you say you were on this property because she broke off the leash in pursuit of a squirrel?”
Alexis felt her cheeks heat but knew that the chief was right. If Raven wasn’t certified and court-qualified, her skills would be inadmissible in court. Not that they needed or wanted her opinion.
Chief sighed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t hunt down a judge and an out-of-town mayor on a holiday weekend for this.” He gestured to the downspouts. “Let’s say you’re right. For all we know, this was a dead drop gone wrong, so it doesn’t do me any good to search the mayor’s house. He’s visiting family.”
In other words, the chief didn’t want to risk bad publicity. She’d read the news headlines. A mayor in Maine had been an unwitting victim of a dead drop. The drug runners would send packages of drugs to addresses that likely wouldn’t answer the door. The mayor in Maine sued the police department after they’d raided his home, scaring his wife and children.
Nick’s eyes implored Alexis. “Did you recognize any of the men?”
“From town? No, but I haven’t been that observant lately. I didn’t recognize you.” She sighed. “I’d guess the man who talked to us was in his early forties. The men with guns...” She strained to remember any important details and failed. “Everything was a blur once shots were fired.”
“I think the guy we talked to was a scout,” Nick added.
“You said that before. What was he scouting for?” Alexis questioned.
Jeremy looked like he was struggling not to roll his eyes. “They serve as guides for drug shipments. They aren’t the actual ones to pick them up. They go ahead and make sure the coast is clear. Oftentimes they don’t have weapons or drugs on their person, so if they get picked up, we’ve got nothing on them.”
“They serve as both spies and decoys?”
Nick looked at her, as if impressed. “Basically.”
“If Lexi thinks they’re not from here, it’s unlikely they’ve made the two of you targets,” the chief mused.
She wasn’t so sure they should rely on her knowledge of residents. She hadn’t recognized Nick as being from the area, either, though he claimed he’d been here the past year. He was running for mayor, after all. She knew she’d been closed off, but this seemed like a wake-up call. The past year she’d been downright antisocial with her head stuck in the sand.
“I made sure they didn’t get our names,” Nick added.
“That was quick thinking,” she admitted. Her neck grew hot as she remembered how it felt to have him speak so tenderly when he called her honey. Now Nick smiled at her, which didn’t help. She knew from experience that her neck probably was beet red at the moment.