Protect And Serve

TWO

“All right, everyone.” The chief’s voice held a sharp edge that swept over the group outside the Canyon County Training Center’s side yard. “We have a crime scene and a potential suspect. Let’s work this for Veronica and bring her killer to justice.” His voice broke on the last word.

Shane felt for the man. It was no secret that the chief and Veronica had had a special relationship. Though they weren’t related, Chief Jones regarded Veronica as the daughter he’d never had.

And despite complaints from other trainers and rookies that she was too harsh, critical and demanding, Chief Jones’s philosophy was if you couldn’t handle working with Veronica, how could you handle all the stress of being a cop or training police dogs and their handlers?

Chief Jones barked out orders for Marlton to fetch standing lamps and Bucks to call the coroner and start documenting the scene. “Donaldson, gather forensic evidence.”

Officer Marlton left and returned a few minutes later with two huge freestanding lamps. Within moments, pools of sharp glaring light replaced the darkness.

Shane and Bella stepped out of the way as Ryder and his dog moved past. Shane could only imagine Ryder was remembering his wife’s murder. But in this case they had a clear suspect. They would solve Veronica’s murder.

Chief Jones pinned Shane with a questioning look. “Have you cleared the building?”

“No, sir, I was waiting with Gina.”

Earl turned to Ryder. “You good?”

Taking a deep breath, Ryder nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Clear the building,” the chief instructed. “And, Ryder, be careful.”

“Yes, sir.” Ryder and Titus headed toward the training facility door, keeping a wide berth around the dark, bloody trail.

The chief ran a hand over his graying hair. “I’ll need to let her brother, Lee, know. He’s the only family she had left.” He shook his head with sadness.

“Is he here in town?” Shane asked. He hadn’t known Veronica had a brother.

“No, he’s in the state prison. He was convicted of larceny a few years back.”

Shane bit back his surprise as he turned his attention to Gina. Seemed she wasn’t the only one with brother issues.

Officer Donaldson squatted down in front of Gina. “Honey, I need to swab your hands for gunpowder residue.”

A stricken look crossed Gina’s lovely face, making her already pale complexion even more so. “I didn’t shoot her. I don’t even know how to handle a gun.”

“It’s procedure,” Officer Donaldson explained as she worked. “Our department isn’t large enough to employ a crime scene technician, so all of us officers have been trained to do basic forensic collection.” She bagged the pad that she’d swiped over Gina’s hands and face.

“I touched Veronica to see if she—” Gina turned away.

“I’ll send everything gathered to the lab in Flagstaff. As long as the particle count is twenty or less, then you’re fine. Cross contamination happens.”

“But even if you don’t find any sign of gunpowder on Gina, the lack of forensic evidence could be explained away,” Shane said. “Someone wearing gloves when they pulled the trigger wouldn’t have any residue on their hands. There could be some blowback on the perpetrator’s clothing.”

Gina whipped her attention to him.

“True,” Officer Donaldson said. “The lab won’t be able to process Gina’s clothes until she’s able to surrender them.”

The flash of a camera burned Shane’s eyes. Officer Ken Bucks snapped shots of Veronica’s body.

“Marlton,” the chief called to the older officer standing off to the side, observing.

“Yeah, Chief,” Dennis Marlton answered, but didn’t step closer. He had his arms folded over his potbelly as if protecting his paunch. He was shorter than his coworkers and had gray, thin hair and watery blue eyes that squinted at the chief.

“You and...” Earl frowned as he glanced around. “Where’s Harmon?”

Dennis shrugged. “Late as usual.”

The chief harrumphed. “Bucks, go with Marlton to canvass the area. See if anyone saw anything that might be helpful.”

Bucks looked at the chief, his face glowing a pasty white in the light of the lamps. “I’m taking photos.” He pointed to the trail of blood. “You said to document everything before we lose any evidence.”

“Right. Stay on it.” Earl turned his sharp steely eyes back on Officer Marlton. “You can handle the interviews alone.”

Officer Marlton sighed heavily and unfolded his arms. “Fine.” He trudged off, mumbling about having to do everything himself.

Shane watched him. His father, a police chief in Flagstaff, would never have stood for such disrespectful behavior from his men. First Harmon not showing up, then Bucks defying an order and Marlton making it clear he wasn’t happy doing his job.

There was a rumor going around that Chief Jones would be retiring soon. Perhaps that was why the chief wasn’t strict with his employees. Or it could be the grief and shock of Veronica’s death.

“I’ve gathered what I can from Gina,” Officer Donaldson remarked as she held on to the evidence bags.

“Thank you, Louise. We’ll get Gina’s clothes bagged. Would you track down Harmon and then start a search for Tim Perry? Build a profile. I want to know where he’s been and what he’s been doing.”

Louise nodded, her usually serious expression even more grim on her pale face. “On it.”

Earl squatted down in front of Gina. “When was the last time you saw your brother?”

Her hazel eyes looked too large for her petite face. “Do you mean before tonight?”

Shane frowned. “So you did see him tonight.”

She kept her gaze on the chief. “When I returned home from the potluck, he was in my bedroom. He had a knife. I ran downstairs hoping to get to the phone but he was too close so I escaped out the front door and ran this way, hoping to make it to the station, but then I found...” She closed her eyes.

“Why were you hiding in the shrubs when Bella and I arrived?”

Her eyelids popped open. “I was afraid you were Tim.”

Or was she hoping she could slip away undetected?

A car pulled up. Shane yanked his gaze from Gina to see Sophie Williams, another trainer at the center, emerge from behind the wheel. Tall, earthy and willowy, the former K-9 cop’s normally confident demeanor was lacking as she hurried over.

Her shoulder-length blond hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and her hazel eyes were anxious as she took in the scene. She and Veronica had clashed many times during Shane’s weeks of training. He watched Sophie closely. Was her shock real? Could she and Gina have come up with a plan to off their boss?

Sophie halted beside Shane, but her gaze was on Veronica. “Oh, no. Is she...?” She clamped a hand to her mouth. Tears leaked down her face.

“Sophie, what are you doing here?” Earl asked, clearly puzzled by her presence.

“I heard on the police radio that something had happened at the center,” she explained. Her teary-eyed gaze moved to Gina and widened. “Oh, no, Gina. Are you all right? Were you attacked, too?”

Before Gina could answer, Earl filled Sophie in on the details. It was clear by the way his voice shook that he was hanging on to his composure by the tips of his fingers.

A few minutes later, Randolph Drummond, the mortician who doubled as the coroner, arrived wearing a subdued black suit, white button-down shirt and black tie. He carried a medical bag. He stopped a foot away from Veronica’s body to don gloves and booties, then he squatted beside her.

Bella whined. Shane stroked her head. She let out a loud bark just as a commotion broke out near the doors. Two small German shepherd puppies raced out of the center, followed by Titus and Ryder. The older dog circled the puppies, unmistakably in an attempt to corral them.

“Oh, no,” Sophie said.

Gina jumped to her feet. “The puppies are loose. How...?”

Shane snagged Gina by the elbow before she could chase after the puppies. “We need your clothes.”

She blinked at him, then grimaced. “Of course.”

Shane turned to the chief. “Veronica was microchipping the puppies tonight and was supposed to come over to the condo afterward to work with James and Hawk.” K-9 rookie officer James Harrison and Shane shared the furnished condo used by out-of-town rookies. “I’ll call James and let him know what’s going on. Maybe Hawk will be helpful.” James’s bloodhound, Hawk, specialized in crime scene evidence.

The chief held up a hand. “Have him clear Gina’s house before you take her home to change. Bring back her current clothing in an evidence bag.”

“Sir,” Shane spoke up. “Shouldn’t she be taken to the station for questioning?”

Gina let out a small gasp. “You can’t really believe that I...”

The stricken hurt in her eyes stabbed at him, but he couldn’t rule her out as the murderer, not until forensic evidence cleared her. “You had a very good reason to want to hurt Veronica.”

“So did many other people,” she shot back.

“True.” Including the other trainer, Sophie. Could the two women have conspired to murder their boss? Though Sophie had once been a cop, that didn’t mean she couldn’t have colluded with Gina. Hmm. Something to talk to the chief about later.

To Gina, Shane said, “Veronica humiliated you on Friday. And from what I’ve heard, she stole the fiancé of one of your best friends.” He hated throwing the rumor in her face but it went to motive.

“It’s true Veronica did steal Simon from Jenna just to prove she could. It broke Jenna’s heart and caused her to resign and leave, not only the training center but Desert Valley.” Gina squared her shoulders. “And yes, I may have loathed my boss, but I never wished Veronica dead.”

He wanted to believe her. There was something about the young trainer he found very attractive. Even now, she was standing up for herself but not in an over-the-top display of hysterics or viciousness. He respected her quiet confidence in the face of hardship.

Yet his father had always told him that the evidence never lied, only people did. Was Gina lying?

And Dad had said to never make a judgment on innocence or guilt until all the evidence came in. “If your brother is truly after you as you’ve stated, then you should be where you can be protected.”

Earl narrowed his gaze on Shane. “She’s been questioned. She’s innocent until proven guilty. But you’re right, she’s in danger and needs protection. That’ll be your job, Weston.”

Oh, man. He hadn’t expected to be given a protection assignment. What did he know about being a bodyguard? He’d trained to be out on the streets, catching criminals and thwarting the schemes of bad people. Surely the chief would want someone with more experience to protect Gina. “Are you sure—”

Earl arched one eyebrow as he cut Shane off. “Yes.” There was no room for argument in his tone. Then Earl turned his gaze to Gina. “Don’t leave town.”

Gina lifted her chin. “No, sir, I won’t.”

Sophie and Ryder joined them. They’d managed to corral the puppies and now each had one in their arms.

“Where’s Marco, the third pup?” Gina asked.

“He’s probably inside,” Sophie said. “I’ll round him up and put him in the crate with these two.”

“I didn’t see a third puppy when I was inside,” Ryder said. “Just these ones.”

For a moment no one said anything. Then Shane asked, “Could the killer have taken the puppy?”

* * *

Shane thinks I could have killed Veronica! Standing beneath the bright glare of the flood lamps that illuminated the crime scene in garish detail, Gina curled her fingers into fists and pressed them into the sides of her thighs. She stared at Shane as he stepped away to call another rookie—his roommate, James Harrison—and wanted to scream. How could he think she’d do something so horrible?

But it wasn’t as if he knew her, despite their having spent every day together the past twelve weeks. She knew he took his job very seriously, but really?

She inwardly scoffed. What did it matter anyway? So what if the handsome officer had invaded her daydreams over the past weeks. She couldn’t, wouldn’t, allow herself to develop deep feelings for him. There was too much risk involved. And risky behavior was something she avoided. Besides, now that his training had ended, he’d be moving on. As he should.

Forcing her mind away from what Shane thought of her, she tried to focus on the missing puppy, Marco. But the fear of Tim and where he might be made it difficult. His presence loomed, a dark shadow at the edges of her awareness.

“Maybe Marco got out of the yard,” she said, careful to keep her gaze from where Veronica lay in the dirt. Even though the coroner had covered her body with an opaque plastic sheet, Gina didn’t want to look. The image of Veronica’s lifeless eyes, so like Gina’s father’s after Tim had killed him, would haunt her nightmares for a long time to come.

Instead, out of habit—or out of self-defense, as her therapist would most likely observe—she shifted her gaze to the wooded area behind the training center. “The puppy could be in the woods.”

So could Tim. A shiver chased the thought across her flesh.

She turned to look down the residential street flanking one side of the center. “Or in someone’s backyard. Maybe he ran out and someone took him in?”

“Good thought,” the chief said. “As soon as Harmon arrives I’ll have him start searching for the pup. The woods will have to wait until daybreak since we don’t have the manpower to spare.”

“The puppy has a distinct black circular marking on its head, between its fawn-colored ears,” Gina told them. “He’s a very sweet puppy. They all are.”

“Is there a way to check if Veronica chipped the dogs? That would give us a better time line for when she was...killed.” Ryder nearly dropped the wiggling pup. “Hey, settle down.”

“That’s Ricky,” Gina told him. “Mrs. Foxcroft insisted on naming the puppies. Marco was named after one of her relatives who founded Desert Valley. The other two are Ricky and Lucy. She loves the I Love Lucy show.”

Sophie stroked Lucy’s head. “I can check to see if they’re chipped. It will only take a moment. But we’ll have to go inside.”

The chief asked Ryder, “Did you find the scene of the crime?”

“Yes, sir,” Ryder replied. “The trail of blood leads to the clinic.”

“That’s where Veronica would have done the chipping,” Gina interjected, sick at the thought of Veronica facing down Tim alone.

“Any sign of a struggle?” Sophie nuzzled Lucy. The pup squirmed in her arms, clearly wanting to be set free again.

Ryder shook his head. “Not in the clinic. My guess is she knew the killer. Otherwise, Veronica would have fought. She’s— She was a fighter.”

Gina’s heart thumped. “She didn’t know Tim.”

No one in Desert Valley even knew she had a brother.

She’d been careful to keep her past buried. She hadn’t wanted the attention. She’d tried to keep a low profile. With her brother on the loose, having escaped police custody and out for vengeance after she’d turned him in for killing their father, she’d hoped and prayed he’d never find her. But he had. How? What had led him to Desert Valley?

“But if he came in asking for you and she didn’t think he was a threat...” Shane said, rejoining them and pulling her from her thoughts.

Gina frowned, hating that he was right. Tim could be charming when he wanted to be. He could have surprised Veronica, not given her time to defend herself. Gina’s insides twisted. How had Tim found her? How many more lives would Tim ruin before he was stopped? Cold sweat broke out on her neck.

Ryder eyed Gina’s fellow trainer and friend Sophie with a speculative gleam in his blue eyes. “Where were you tonight?”

Sophie’s gaze hardened. “Home. Alone. As I said, I heard over the police radio that something was going on here.”

“Which means the press will have heard, as well,” the chief interjected. “No doubt a reporter from the Canyon County Gazette is on the way. Let’s secure this crime scene pronto.” He looked to the coroner. “Randolph, what do you think?”

“My preliminary examination supports that the scene of the crime was elsewhere. Rigor hasn’t set in yet, so estimated time of death is within the past hour. There are two visible wounds in the chest, consistent in size and shape to what one would expect to see from a bullet. No exit wounds. Once the...”

He faltered as he straightened. In such a small town as Desert Valley, it was conceivable that Randolph had known Veronica. Since Desert Valley didn’t have a crime lab, everything including the victim’s body would be transported to Flagstaff and processed there. Gina considered that a blessing for the visibly shaken coroner.

Randolph removed his gloves and tossed them into a plastic bag before plucking his thick glasses from his nose. His dark eyes were sad. “Once the autopsy is performed you’ll be provided a conclusive cause of death.”

Ryder gestured to the dark trail of blood. “What I can’t determine is if Veronica was dragged out here or if she crawled out on her own steam before she died. Even with the lamps it’s too dark to see impressions in the dirt. In the morning we’ll have a better idea of what happened.”

“She might’ve been trying to find help,” Gina said. “Though why wouldn’t she use the phone? Either the center’s landline or her cell?”

“Good questions,” the chief said. “Ryder, I want you to take the lead in this investigation.”

Clearly surprised, Ryder nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll do everything possible to find Veronica’s murderer.”

“What’s the story with your brother, anyway?” Shane asked Gina, drawing everyone’s attention. “Why was he in police custody?”

Gina bit her lip, loathing to air her sordid family history in public. She’d purposely kept her personal information vague when asked, but with everyone staring at her, waiting for an explanation, she had no choice but to explain.

“He suffers from schizoaffective disorder. Our father enrolled him in an experimental program two years ago, but Tim didn’t want to go. He was in one of his manic phases and had a psychotic break. He killed—” Her voice wavered. “He killed our father with Dad’s own service weapon. The police arrested him, but he escaped custody and fled. He blames me for calling the police and turning him in. Now he’s here and has made it very clear he wants to kill me, too.”

“That’s rough,” Ryder said. The puppy in his arms licked his face.

Earl put his hand on her shoulder. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Shane’s gaze was skeptical. He didn’t believe her. And that hurt.

Sophie snuggled Lucy closer. “If Tim has Marco, do you think he’d hurt him?”

Gina put a hand over the pain exploding in her heart. “I hope not.” She gave a helpless shrug. “He has killed before, so I’m not certain of anything when it comes to Tim.”

“James is headed to your house,” Shane said. “As soon as he gives the all clear, we’ll head over so you can change.”

Gina looked at Sophie and admitted softly to her friend, “I’m afraid to go home.”

“Weston will accompany you.” The chief squeezed her shoulder.

Her stomach somersaulted. For the past twelve weeks she and Shane had danced around each other and the attraction that, at times, was so strong between them she grew light-headed. Like she was now as she stared into his emerald gaze.

But apparently the attraction had been one-sided.

Just as well. She had homicidal tendencies floating in her genetic soup. A fact she couldn’t deny, nor would she burden anyone else with it.

Besides, Shane was leaving town as soon as he was given his assignment. She’d be a fool to ever let herself become attached to him.

“You’ll be safe with Harrison and Weston.” The chief’s voice was reassuring and confident, yet did nothing to assure her.

Would she be safe with them? Would they be safe with her? Or would they become two more victims of Tim’s rage?

She didn’t want to go anywhere with Shane if he thought she could be a murderer.

A taunting thought screamed through her. You share the same DNA as Tim. Why wouldn’t he wonder if you’re capable of murder, too?

THREE

Giving herself a mental shake, Gina tore her gaze away from Shane and focused on Sophie. She liked the other trainer; they got along well. Veronica had intimated that Sophie had somehow failed as a cop, but Gina had been careful not to ask many questions about what had brought Sophie to Desert Valley. Not that Gina wasn’t curious, but she’d figured she’d better not probe if she didn’t want anyone probing into her past. “Can you take me?”

Sophie winced. “I’m going to need to stay here and see what else might be missing besides our little Marco.”

Gina blew out a frustrated breath. “I understand. You should also check the vet’s prescription drug supply next door. If Tim needed money, he could sell the dog and any drugs he stole.” She glanced at Shane as he answered his ringing phone.

After a moment, he hung up and said, “Officer Harrison says your house is clear.”

She was boxed in with no other option. “Okay, fine. Let’s go.”

She hurried away. Each step that took her closer to her house pounded another shard of fear into her. What if Tim had slipped past them and was waiting for her to return home? What if he was there now hurting James Harrison? She shook her head to dislodge the horrid thought.

“Hey, wait up,” Shane called as he hurried toward her, Bella trotting at his side.

She slowed, keeping her gaze alert for any sign of Tim. Having Shane and Bella close did help keep the terror from overwhelming her. She whistled for the puppy. “Marco!”

Shane fell into step beside her. Bella stayed at his heel on his other side. He swept his flashlight over the bushes and at the trees. “Marco, here, boy.”

Worry for the pup churned in Gina’s stomach. Predators such as coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats and bears roamed the area. Though most stayed clear of the town, there had been enough sightings for Gina to know the small puppy wouldn’t stand a chance on his own in the wild.

She knocked on every front door between the training yard and her house, but no one had seen Marco. He must have run in the opposite direction. Or toward the woods at the back of the training center.

Though the moon was high and the clouds had moved on, there was no way to track the puppy at night. She shivered, grateful for Shane’s presence. His calmness helped to ground her fears and keep her coherent as she woke her neighbors with her questions about the missing puppy.

As they neared her house, Shane said, “For the record, I don’t want to believe you killed Veronica.”

“For the record, I didn’t kill her,” Gina shot back with frustration. “I may have had my issues with her, but I would never hurt another living soul.”

At least she prayed not. But the fear was always at the edge of her consciousness. “I can’t imagine how Marian Foxcroft will react to learning one of the puppies she donated to the center has gone missing.”

“Ellen’s mother, right?”

“Yes.” Ellen Foxcroft was another graduate from the same training session as Shane. “Marian has a purebred German shepherd.” Acid burned in Gina’s tummy. “I pray we find Marco. I can only imagine how upset Marian will be.”

“It was very generous of Mrs. Foxcroft to give the puppies to the training center,” Shane commented.

“Yes. Very generous. However, Veronica was certain Marian’s intention wasn’t pure benevolence.” A wave of sadness washed over her. Veronica had had her faults, but she hadn’t deserved to die.

Shane stopped walking and drew her into the shadows of a mesquite tree. “How so?”

His closeness sent her senses spinning. She backed up a step and bumped up against the tree. “I’m not sure. Veronica could be so caustic at times that I rarely paid any attention to her snide remarks. But she’d said something to the effect that Marian holds her donations over the center and expects something in return.”