Field of Danger

April’s fingers closed viselike on Daniel’s arm, and he felt her body sway toward him, once again needing the support he was more than happy to give.

FOUR

“I want him to come. Please.” April hated the pleading sound in her voice, but she had to make the sheriff understand.

They stood in Aunt Suke’s driveway, Ray Taylor’s hand still on the top of his cruiser’s door, which he had opened for April. He had just ordered Daniel to go home. Again.

Ray growled under his breath. “Ms. Presley—” He stopped and took a deep breath as if to calm himself. “April. Listen, it’s bad policy to have family involved in these things, even if he’s a trained officer of the law. Bad for the case and good for any defense attorney.”

April glanced quickly at Daniel, who waited silently, his body tense but still, his ebony eyes focused on her. April knew he had to be a little wary of what she would say. Which was understandable, since she’d held him at bay since her arrival in Caralinda. But he’d asked her out so soon after her divorce that she’d had no choice but to turn him down. At that point she would have been skittish around almost any man.

They had not been around each other much since, even though Levon had clearly been on a campaign to get them together. He’d frequently given her updates about events in Daniel’s life, and suggested that Daniel would make an excellent husband. At first Levon’s matchmaking had been awkward, but after a bit, April had found it almost charming that he cared so deeply for his only son.

Daniel was a good man, and it had felt beautifully natural to lean on him, to cry on his shoulders. But she didn’t want to appear false or cloying at a time like this. April took a deep breath, searching for the words that would tell Ray how much she needed Daniel to be involved without sounding disingenuous. After all, Daniel wasn’t just a deputy sheriff in those moments; he also was a man devastated by his father’s murder, the son of the only real friend she’d made in Caralinda over the past year. And right now they both needed a friend.

“I understand that, Sheriff, but your deputy is also my friend. And right now I could use one with me.”

Daniel’s left eyebrow twitched, but he otherwise showed no reaction.

Ray Taylor snarled and turned his back as he returned to the driver’s side of the cruiser. “All right, get in, the both of you. You in front, April.”

Daniel held the door for her, then shut it as she buckled the seat belt. He got in behind her, and Ray turned the car out of Aunt Suke’s driveway and headed toward April’s house.

“What did Gage find?” Daniel asked.

Ray glanced in the rearview mirror. “When he found the front door open, he called for backup, and I sent two more officers over. The suspect has apparently been in the house, but it’s clear now.”

April clutched her hands together in her lap, suddenly aware of how cold they were. “Did he say how bad it was?”

Ray hesitated, then shook his head once.

He knows. It must be awful. April straightened in the seat, trying to steel herself to see what had happened to her beloved cottage. They drove the rest of the short distance in silence, and as the cruiser bumped and rolled slowly up April’s rough gravel driveway, she tried not to hyperventilate. She focused on Jeff Gage, noticing that he seemed anxious. She exhaled slowly, making herself sit still a moment. This, after all, was not her first break-in. Her parents’ house had been burglarized when she was a teenager, and her first home had been broken into not long after her wedding. In both cases, the thefts had been quick and dirty, removing electronics, guns and, in the second robbery, all her wedding gifts. You’ve been through this before. You know what it’s like. You’ll get through it again. Stay calm.

Ray parked the car, and they got out, walking slowly toward the steps leading up to the porch. April stood at the foot of them, staring at the open door of her home, an odd hollow feeling growing in her chest. Her breaths came faster, and a slight dizziness settled over her.

Daniel stepped closer to her back, his warm presence reassuring her, as if she could lean back against him and never fall. “Are you okay?”

“Not yet,” she whispered, and she knew they all watched her, waiting for her to react to the violation of her home.

Levon Rivers had built the small Cape Cod-style cottage for his mother’s sister, carving the plot from one corner of his expansive fields. When his aunt died, he’d rented it to a niece, who eventually decided to return to college. At that point, Levon had put the charming cottage on the market.

April, desperate to get out of Nashville and away from her hostile in-laws and bitter ex-husband, fell in love with it instantly and made an offer the first time she saw it. In the year since then, she’d polished the hardwood floors and painted everything in her beloved earth tones. She’d even picked out a new door made from heavy oak and featuring three long panes of beveled glass. All of her work had made it truly hers, secluded and cozy and loved.

Now someone had smashed open the door, shattering the glass and splintering the door frame.

Ray Taylor touched her arm. “I just want you to look around inside the door. Gage has already been in, so he’s the only one I want moving around in the house. We will dust for prints later, so try not to touch anything. We need to know if you can tell if anything is missing.”

April nodded, took a deep breath and climbed the steps. Stepping over the threshold, she braced herself for what she would see.

As she moved past the splintered front door, however, April saw that this was not just a burglary—this was a personal, vicious attack. As she scanned the room, her knees weakened, and she swayed, suddenly grateful for the firm strength of Daniel, who still stood close behind her.

His hand closed on her arm, steadying her. “You okay?” he asked again.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

“You don’t have to do this now.”

She wrapped her fingers around his hand. “Yes, I do.” The house held an echoing stillness that made her own home feel unfamiliar, as if she’d walked into the abode of a stranger. Forgetting Ray’s instructions, she moved forward, her toes crunching down on a shattered cup.

She stopped, looking down. It wasn’t the only dish on the floor. Her kitchen cabinet doors splayed wide, their shelves cleared of all contents. Broken china littered every open space on the floor. Cans of vegetables and soup rolled free, and flour, cereal and sugar dusted all surfaces while a faint scent of cornmeal and yeast hung in the air. Biting her lower lip, she scanned the room.

Destruction…yet nothing seemed to be missing. The television still stood in place, although its smashed screen looked like a dark star in a black hole. Not even everything had suffered. The CD player on one end table remained untouched, as did her collection of books and some of the CDs stacked neatly on one shelf of a bookcase. Other CDs were tossed about the room like confetti, their cases splintered. The randomness was nearly as disturbing as the violence. Her attacker had stood in her home and deliberately chosen which parts of her life to wreck, and which to keep intact.

“He didn’t steal anything.” April’s voice sounded flat and hollow, even to her.

“Are you sure?” Ray asked behind them.

Before she could answer, Daniel whispered in her ear. “Is there anything really odd? Not the trashing. Something odd in the middle of it.”

April felt a laugh borne of hysteria bubbling in the back of her throat, and she almost choked. Anything odd? Had he lost his mind? Her house had been destroyed! Her food, her fine china! Her life! Her gaze darted about the room as her mind clicked through what would have to be replaced. The television, the carpet, the curtains that hung half off their rods…

The curtains.

She froze, her eyes narrowing. The curtains on the back window were closed.

April blinked, her anxiety calming as she stared at the bright yellow and green fabric that added light and color to her open living room. Every morning, she opened both sets, on the front and back windows, to allow in as much light as possible. Now the ones on the rear window were closed.

April turned slightly toward the front window. Those curtains were still open.

She looked at Officer Gage. “Did you close the drapes?” She pointed at the torn fabric.

Confused, the young man looked from her to Ray.

The sheriff nodded. “Did you?”

Gage shook his head, and Ray gestured toward the window. “Open them.”

Picking his way through the shards of April’s life, Gage fumbled through the ripped cloth for the cord, then slowly drew back the drapes.

At the sight of the windows, Daniel gasped out a low, choked prayer. “Dear God, save us.”

April’s eyes widened as her breath left her. She stumbled back against Daniel, who braced her, his hands closing on her shoulders.

The block letters trailed across the glass in smeared reddish-bronze lipstick, and the splintered tubes clustered beneath the window, crushed into the carpet.

The message was simple.

YOU TALK

YOU DIE

FIVE

Daniel recovered first. “He’s wrong. I’m not about to let him hurt you. We can protect you.” His voice, low and rumbling, held a worried edge to it, revealing the tight ball of grief that he worked to suppress. “But you have to let us help you. You may not remember him, but he definitely thinks you know who he is.”

“But I don’t!” April pushed away from Daniel and turned away from the wreckage. “I didn’t see—He had this cap on—” She stopped, waving her hands vigorously in front of her, as if she could flick away the horrifying memory of Levon’s murder. She clenched her jaw and growled through gritted teeth. “I did not see him!” Tears flooded her eyes and streamed from the outside corners as she turned to Ray. “I did not see him!”

The sheriff nodded solemnly. “I understand. We still need to get your statement, though, to get down everything you did see. You never know what might help.”

April’s shoulders dropped in acquiescence, then her eyes suddenly widened and she released a noise that sounded like a wounded animal. She swung around and fled toward a door at the far side of the kitchen. Daniel followed, despite Ray’s bellowed protests at both of them.

April flung open the door, barely clearing it in her rush to get into the other room. Racing after her, Daniel almost collided with April as she abruptly stopped in the doorway, her gaze darting frenetically around as she examined every item in the room.

Daniel stared over her right shoulder. “What is all this?”

When Levon had built the house, the room had been a two-car garage. Now one half had been converted into a customized kitchen. Steel counters lined much of the wall space, broken up by a six-burner gas stove, restaurant-style sink and shelves laden with dozens of jars. A large refrigerator hummed against the far wall, and on one counter, empty and sparkling jars drained on thick cloths. Near the back of the room, bushel baskets full of an assortment of berries, fruits, corn and beans stood waiting, lacing the air with the sweet scent of fresh produce.

“Your business, right?”

April nodded, slowly approaching one set of shelves. “Levon helped me convert this space. Presley’s Home Farm Organics.” The shelf in front of her almost overflowed with finished product, the tightly sealed lids, crystal-cut jars and signature red and green labels representing hundreds of hours of work. She picked up one jar and examined the lid’s seal. “Levon helped me create this recipe for black bean and corn salsa.”

Daniel watched her, understanding the sorrow she must feel at each new reminder that her friend was gone. His throat tightened. “He learned to cook stuff like that when my mom got sick.”

April’s sad smile made him ache with a grief that threatened to roll over him again. “He did the taste testing and encouraging.” She set the jar back on the shelf. “It’s one of my bestsellers.”

“Where do you sell it?”

April ran her finger along the shelf. “The Caralinda General Store carries it, and some of the places in White Hills. A few stores in Nashville. Mostly online. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, but first my dad and then my ex always said I didn’t have the head for it. No business sense. Said I’d fail.” She paused, her voice softening. “Levon kept telling me I could do it. He believed in me.”

She turned to Daniel, then the sheriff, who stood on the step down into the room. “The killer must have thought this was still the garage. Everything seems okay.”

Both men looked around the room. All of the canning equipment and supplies did appear untouched. Even the polished concrete floor remained spotless.

Ray cleared his throat. “So although he knows who you are, where you live, he doesn’t know about your business.”

“Will that help?” April asked eagerly.

“Maybe. If we can be sure that that’s the reason. It’s possible he just ran out of time.” Daniel pushed his shoulders back, fighting the stress-induced tension. This was the frustrating part of investigating—turning clues into theories…and then watching them fall apart.

April looked from one man to the other. “He chased us, Aunt Suke and me, right into the basement. He only left when we heard the sirens. She’ll be in as much danger, won’t she?”

“What was Aunt Suke—” Ray didn’t quite get the words out.

“She saved me.” April crossed to stand by Daniel’s side, looking up at Ray. “She heard the shot, saw me running, then hiding. She came and got me. Her and that white dog.”

“Polly,” Daniel whispered.

“Polly.”

Ray looked from her to Daniel a moment then back at April, as if contemplating his next move. “Are you sure nothing is missing here?”

At April’s nod, Ray focused on his young deputy. “Go out that way.” He pointed at a door at the back of the canning kitchen. “I don’t want you going back through the house. I’m going to need Gage here. Pick up Aunt Suke and take them both back to the station and get their statements. Don’t embellish, you hear me, Rivers?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then find them a place to stay, and you go home. Call whoever you need to. Understand?”

“No, sir.”

Ray froze. “What did you say?”

Daniel straightened, not thrilled about standing up to his boss, even though he had to. “The killer knows who she is, Sheriff. There’s no way she should be left alone. Even if Aunt Suke is with her.”

Ray pursed his lips, face hard. Finally he relented. “Well, what do you have in mind?”

Daniel ignored the questioning look on April’s face. “Someone needs to stay with her, make sure no one gets close. The minute we look away, he’ll pull out that shotgun again. Wherever we put her, she needs to have one of us near.”

Ray’s eyes narrowed. “And you’re volunteering. I told you that you need to stay away from this—”

“We’re shorthanded right now, with two of the guys on vacation. You just said it. You need Gage here. You need everyone possible on this case. Guarding is not investigating.”

Ray continued to watch him a moment longer, and Daniel knew all too well the insight Ray could hide behind narrowed eyes and tight lips. He’d learned long ago not to underestimate his ex-military officer of a boss, and he felt sure Ray knew exactly what Daniel hoped for.

That April would remember. That more time spent with her, talking through the trauma and helping her relax again would jog what she’d blocked from her conscious mind.

Daniel could almost see Ray’s mind clicking through the list of his officers, evaluating skills and duties, to see if anyone could take Daniel’s place. And he saw in the sheriff’s eyes the moment Ray came to the conclusion that there was no one else.

Ray growled beneath his breath, then pointed at the door. “Get out, Deputy. Have someone take you back to your car and get her to the station. Now!”

“Yes, sir!” Daniel grabbed April’s arm and pulled her toward the door.

Outside, she shook off his arm and turned to him, eyes narrow with anger. “What was that all about? I am not going into some type of hibernation, Daniel. I won’t.”

Daniel reached for her arm again, even as he waved for the attention of another officer. “Let’s go before he changes his mind. I’ll explain in the car.”

They headed for the car, and Daniel opened the back door for her. He slid in next to her as the other officer got behind the wheel. “Take us back to Aunt Suke’s.” Their driver nodded, and Daniel turned to face April, who spoke before he had a chance.

“I’m not hiding out somewhere, Daniel. Look, I spent a great deal of my marriage feeling terrified and isolated. He wanted to control every minute of my day. I’m not doing that again. I promised myself I’d no longer live in fear.” She took a deep breath. “I’m serious, Daniel. I will not hide from this man. I’m never living like that again. Not even for a day.”

He watched her closely, understanding her defiance, but also seeing the quiver in her fingertips and the uncertainty in her eyes. He reached for one of her hands, which was frigid, despite the heat of the day. He wrapped it in the warmth of both of his. “I know you want everything to just go back to the way it was. But that’s not going to happen.”

When she started to protest, he tightened his grip and kept talking. “For now, just listen to me. No, don’t just listen. April, I need you to hear me.” Daniel took a deep breath, pressing back the grief that hovered over his heart. “You saw my father get shot. Whether or not you recognized the shooter, he obviously saw you. I don’t think he’ll just trust that the threat he left on your window will keep you quiet.”

“But I didn’t see—”

“He doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know what you’ll tell us. He doesn’t know if you’ll be terrified to speak or angry enough to tell us everything.”

Her eyes widened as the truth really began to set in. “You really do think he’ll come after me. Try to kill me.”

Daniel nodded. “I know he will. He’s killed already, and he won’t hesitate to do it again. He confronted my father at the very time and place when no one should have been around, planning very carefully. He didn’t expect to be seen. Your decision to bring Levon lemonade ruined his plans.”

April closed her eyes a moment and pressed her other hand on top of his. Her voice was so low and hoarse that he could barely hear her over the noise of the cruiser. “Why would anyone kill your father? I just don’t understand. He was the kindest man on the planet!”

Daniel’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know. But like with you and your house, this is someone who knew my father, knew when Dad would be in the field.”

“So he’s definitely local.”

Daniel didn’t like saying it, but he had to. “Yes. This is someone close, someone we may even see in church on Sunday.”

April paled even more. “And you think he’ll kill me the first time he finds me alone.”

He nodded. “I think that’s a real possibility. And since it’s someone you may have seen around Caralinda, you won’t even know who to be wary of. You can’t trust anyone.”

Her lips became a fine line. “Even you.”

It was a challenge, but he met her stare squarely. “Even me.”

She relented, her body sagging a bit. “Except that you would have a scream out with Levon, not a shooting.”

It broke the tension of the moment, and Daniel almost laughed with relief. April had only been in Caralinda a year, but she’d been witness to more than a few of his fights with his dad. “You did get to see some of that, didn’t you?”

Both of them had been temperamental and stubborn, both opinionated and perfectly capable of expressing those opinions at full volume. They’d fought about Daniel’s career, his relationships, the farm, politics, religion, even money. Eventually, they’d realized that giving each other space was the easiest way to keep the peace. Daniel had been on his own since he was eighteen, but he’d always come back for Sundays and all holidays.

April nodded. “Good men with good opinions are going to fight sometimes.” She shrugged one shoulder. “My dad and I never did. Or at least I never fought back.” She let out a long, slow breath that seemed to deflate her. “Levon was the better father. Now he’s gone, too.”

Daniel wanted to ask what had happened between her and her father, but there wasn’t time as the car pulled up in Aunt Suke’s short driveway. “We’re here.” He held her elbow as she slid out of the backseat. “Watch your head.”

Aunt Suke waited for them on the front porch, Polly pressed against her hip. She and the dog reached them quickly as the other car backed out and headed toward April’s house again.

“I want to talk to you two. Now.”

Daniel held up his hand. “I need to get you and April to the station to get your—”

“Now.” Aunt Suke’s eyes, bright and wide with determination, left no room for argument.

Daniel bit back his protest, his impulse to act like a cop and take over the situation. Not even noon yet, but the exhaustion of grief and stress had settled a weariness in his muscles. “What about?”

Aunt Suke reached for April’s hands. “I’m sorry about your home. I hope he didn’t do too much damage.”

Daniel scowled. “How did you—” He stopped. It didn’t matter how. Aunt Suke always knew.

Aunt Suke continued to focus on April. “Clearly you can’t go back there. You know you can’t stay alone. Not till they catch him.”

“I know, but—”

“We’re already looking into places you both might—”

“We’ll stay here.”

Silence. April looked at Daniel, who shook his head, even though he knew arguing with Aunt Suke had always been a losing battle. “No, Aunt Suke. You could be in danger, as well. We can’t guarantee your safety in a house this big, this open.” He gestured around at the rolling fields that surrounded the house.

As if she understood, Polly tilted her head to look at Daniel, then Aunt Suke, whose spine stiffened. “I’ve not been afraid of any man since I was a nurse in Korea in 1951. If enemy artillery didn’t frighten me, a coward with a shotgun is not even in the running.”

“The sheriff won’t—”

“Ray Taylor will listen to reason even if you won’t. This big old house is safer than any chintzy motel out on the interstate, even with you sitting in front of the door. Lots of hiding places, and that’s providing he gets in and Polly doesn’t get him. You know what she can do.”

Daniel ignored April’s questioning look at Polly. Only Aunt Suke would bring a retired K-9 unit dog into her home. But retired or not, no one messed with Polly.

Or Aunt Suke, for that matter.

Hands on hips, Aunt Suke braced for battle, her white hair swirling in a sudden breeze. “I have Polly. I have a house with an alarm system and a lot of hiding places. I’m sure April has a cell phone. And that’s before you put a deputy in my driveway.”

“No gun?”

Aunt Suke’s mouth twisted in disgust. “Of course I have a gun, but I don’t go around shooting at people, including your suspect.”

“No shooting would be preferable, yes. What kind?”

“A shotgun I inherited from my father. It’s clean, it fires fine, it’s unloaded and it’s in my bedroom closet. I use it to scare blackbirds and juvenile delinquents trying to smoke pot in my cornfield.”

Daniel’s eyebrows arched. Surely she wasn’t ser—

Aunt Suke crossed her arms. “Daniel. I said I do not shoot at anyone. You’re not thinking straight or you’d have caught that.”

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