“You can’t do her any good if you’re dead.”
While Shane stared her down, Alan looked from one of them to the other. If he wondered about the exchange, he kept his thoughts to himself. “I’ll let you know if I’m able to lift any viable prints. It’s not likely, unless he handled the paper without the gloves at some point.”
Jessica gave him an appreciative smile. “Thanks. It’s worth a try.” She paused. “I don’t want you to risk getting in trouble with your chief, but if you can look back at any of the other reports and see if there’s anything out of line, I’d really appreciate it.”
“Anything in particular I’m looking for? I’ve been out of the loop on these. Branch has handled all the calls.”
“Is that typical?”
“Actually, it’s not. He usually sends Tommy or me.”
“You guys are both full time?”
“We are. Have been all along.”
“Just what I suspected.” Branch was hiding evidence, or at the very least, hindering any thorough investigation.
As Alan climbed into his car, another cruiser crept past on Main, emblazoned with the words “chief of police.” Shane saw it too. He watched it until it disappeared from view.
As soon as Alan backed from her drive, Shane put a hand on her good shoulder. “You need to go somewhere safe. You won’t be turning your back on your sister. I’ll still be here, working to solve this. Let me catch those responsible. I can do this a lot more safely than you can. Remember, I’m trained.”
She dropped her gaze so she wouldn’t be swayed by those pleading green eyes. His hand on her shoulder was warm, helping to chase away a chill that had nothing to do with the mild morning. She leaned into that warmth, bathing herself in the care and protection Shane seemed to always spread around her. Unfortunately, it was only temporary. Like everything else in her life.
She drew in a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.”
What he asked of her was tempting. Her opponent wasn’t fighting fair. Hand to hand, she had a chance. But it was hard to guard against shots speeding silently through the darkness.
Shane dropped his hand. “What are you doing today?”
“I don’t know. I was supposed to work and haven’t had time to make new plans.” The thought of spending the day at home left her with a cold lump in her stomach.
“I’ll be back in thirty minutes. With plans.”
She stepped onto her porch. As she watched him walk down the driveway toward the street, some of the heaviness lifted. That was Shane. Considerate as always. He knew she needed a reprieve. And he was going to make it happen.
Her relief was short-lived. Before she could step inside, Branch turned onto Oak from Main and pulled into her driveway. After climbing from the car with a series of grunts, he approached, his gait cocky.
Inside, Buttons went nuts. He bounced between standing on the back of the couch, paws on the window sill and scratching at the front door, all the while barking like a crazy thing. He didn’t much care for Branch. She didn’t blame him.
Branch stopped at the edge of her porch. “Was my officer just here on police business?”
“He was.”
“If that’s true, why didn’t you go through the usual channels?”
She tried to match his look of disdain. “You know that thorough investigating I was talking about earlier? I was looking for some of that, so I decided to call Alan directly.”
He stared her down, but she didn’t flinch. Finally, the corners of his mouth arced upward in a menacing leer.
“You know, missy, in case you’ve forgotten, I can make things pretty difficult for you.”
No, she hadn’t forgotten. The memory would last well into her golden years. After she and Jasmine toilet papered Branch’s yard, they’d spent two months in juvie for breaking into and entering a residence neither of them had ever been inside, and another two months in community service to work off the cost of a watch neither of them had ever seen. Yes, Branch could make her life miserable.
But even Branch wasn’t going to stop her from doing what she had vowed to do.
“Aren’t you needed somewhere? I mean, I’m sure you have more important things to do than threaten the law-abiding citizens of Harmony Grove.”
“I don’t know. You’re pretty high on my list, missy. And don’t you forget it.” His threat hung heavy in the air as he spun and sauntered back to his car.
While he backed from the drive, she shook off the uneasiness that had engulfed her the moment he pulled in. Now that he was gone, Buttons had settled down. Frenzied barking had tapered to an occasional woof.
She grasped the knob and opened the door. Inside was that long-awaited cup of hot coffee. Life couldn’t be all bad.
When the doorbell rang thirty minutes later, it was Shane who stood on her front porch. Anticipation coursed through her. He’d promised to come back with plans. Whatever he’d come up with, it would beat staying home alone.
“Where are we going?”
“Honeymoon Island. Do you like the beach?”
“I love the beach.”
“Great. We’ll hang out, and then I’ll take you to my favorite seafood restaurant over there. If you like seafood, that is.”
“Mmm, love it. But what about Buttons? We’ll be gone all day.”
“I already talked to Mrs. Silverton, and she’s happy to keep him. We’ll plan a fully dog-friendly outing another time.”
“How do you know about Honeymoon Island?”
“A year or so ago, I was assigned to a case in Clearwater. Whenever I needed a break, I’d drive up there and chill.” He lowered himself to one knee and ruffled the fur on the sides of Buttons’s head. “You, my friend, are going to have fun at Mrs. Silverton’s today.”
Buttons responded with a confirming woof, then stood to rest his front paws on Shane’s arm and give him an affectionate slurp up one cheek. Unlike Branch, Shane had gained Buttons’s approval from day one and
