TARGETED

When bounty hunter Jessica Knight interrupts a convenience-store robbery, walking away isn’t an option. Especially when the robber—a violent fugitive wanted for murder—chooses Jessica as his next target. To make matters worse, the detective digging into the case is Ryan Spencer…her former partner. As they investigate this new crime together, Jessica and Ryan find connections to the double homicide that ended their partnership. If they can put the pieces together in time, an innocent man will be freed. But if they’re too late, their own murders will be the killer’s next crimes.

Bounty Hunters: Finding justice one fugitive at a time

“Jessica, yesterday I thought I was going to a store to make sure my brother was okay. Since then, what was thought to be a robbery has snowballed into something that appears to be much deeper. I have to find out what’s going on.”

“How are you going to do that?” she asked.

He thought for a moment before he responded. “I think I’ll take a few days’ leave and poke around on my own. See what I can turn up.”

She pushed out of her chair. “Well, I wish you luck. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

He stood and faced her. “You can. How about working with me for a few days?”

She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. After all, Lee Tucker is a fugitive and you’re a bounty hunter.”

She stared into his eyes without blinking. “Ryan, I don’t know…”

He reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “Please, Jessica. It’ll be like old times. The two of us working on a case. What do you say? Want to be my partner again?”

SANDRA ROBBINS is an award-winning, multipublished author of Christian fiction who lives with her husband in Tennessee. Without the support of her wonderful husband, four children and five grandchildren it would be impossible for her to write. It is her prayer that God will use her words to plant seeds of hope in the lives of her readers so they may come to know the peace she draws from her life.

Fugitive

at Large

Sandra Robbins

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

—Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

To Fran for all her encouragement

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Being caught in a convenience-store robbery wasn’t what Jessica Knight had expected when she stopped to get a soft drink. But from the panicked voices at the front of the store she thought that was exactly what was happening.

“What do you think you’re doing, man?” Fear and disbelief combined in the shrill voice that drifted toward her from the direction of the checkout counter.

“I said give me the money in the cash register.”

“Please, mister, just take it easy with that gun before somebody gets hurt.” Jessica recognized the frightened voice of the young man who’d waited on her the past few times she’d stopped at the store.

“I’ll take it easy when I have the money. Now put all the money in that bag,” the robber snarled.

As of yet, the thief had no idea she was in the store, but that was about to change. She carefully closed the open door of the soft-drink display case and unzipped her heavy jacket. Her fingers curled around the gun holstered at her waist as she pulled it free.

Her mind whirled in indecision. What was her greatest chance of stopping the robbery in progress without anyone getting hurt? Shoot first and hope for the best, or try to talk the guy into surrendering his weapon? Whatever she decided, she had to act before somebody got shot or, worse, killed. It was time to make a move.

So much for staying hidden at the end of the aisle. She took a tentative step toward the front of the store. She knew the layout as well as she did that of her own apartment. The potato-chip display at the end of the aisle wasn’t going to offer much protection from a bullet once she stepped into view. Better to surprise the thief before he had the chance to take a shot at her.

She gripped the gun with both hands and tiptoed farther forward, conscious of being absolutely silent. At the end of the aisle, she took a deep breath and peered toward the cash register about fifteen feet away. Behind the counter the pale clerk kept his eyes on the robber as he pulled bills from the cash register and stuffed them in a bag he held. The robber kept the gun trained on the young man as he reached up and pulled the ball cap he wore lower on his forehead.

A customer, possibly a college student from the campus nearby, stood in front of the counter with his hands raised. His fingers trembled. Scared out of his wits, no doubt. The hammering of her heart told her he wasn’t the only one frightened.

The clerk swallowed hard and pushed the bag across the counter toward the gunman. “That’s it unless you want the coins, too.”

The robber shook his head. “No. That’ll do just fine.” He raised the gun and pointed it toward the clerk, who raised his hands and backed away.

“Leave him alone,” the young customer said. “He did what you asked him to do.”

The thief smiled. “Yes, he did.”

He stared at the clerk for a moment before he reached for the bag. The moment his fingers touched the bag, the clerk took a step back and dropped to the floor behind the counter. Clutching the bag of money, the gunman whirled to face the customer and pointed the gun at him.

The young man lowered his hands and put them out in front of him as if to shield his body from the gun’s blast. “No. Please, no.” His whispered plea sent chills through Jessica.

The robber smiled and shook his head. “You shouldn’t have stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong.”

He raised the gun and pointed it toward the young man’s head.

Jessica’s hope that she could do something to keep anyone from being hurt evaporated. The intent of the robber was plain. He meant to kill the young man standing at the counter and possibly the clerk also.

She took a deep breath and stepped out into the open. “Drop your gun, or I’ll shoot!” she yelled.

A surprised look flashed on the robber’s face, and he jerked the gun away from the customer and aimed it at her. Before she could move, the sharp crack of a bullet exploded next to her, and the smell of barbecued potato chips filled the air. She ducked and fired at the gunman before he had the chance to get off a better-aimed shot.

A scream of pain poured from the robber’s mouth. He dropped the gun and the bag of money before he grabbed for the side of his head. Jessica could see a trail of blood running down the man’s cheek and realized her bullet must have grazed his head.

She took a step forward, and the man stooped to retrieve his gun. She raised hers higher and stared down the barrel of the weapon. “Don’t even think about it, mister.”

He cast a wild-eyed stare from her to the customer. Then he grabbed the young man and shoved him toward her. She braced for the impact, but the boy’s full weight slammed into her and knocked her backward.

The robber, blood still trickling from his head, turned and ran out the door before she could regain her footing. Jessica caught a glimpse of the young customer’s fear-filled eyes before she darted around him and sprinted after the fleeing gunman.

The clerk peeked up over the top of the counter as she sped past. “Call 911,” she yelled over her shoulder.

As she stepped onto the sidewalk outside the store, she saw the thief run toward the open passenger door of a waiting car. He jumped into the car, and it peeled away before he had the door closed. She lowered her gun and stared at the car’s license plate. As she muttered the numbers on the plate over and over, she pulled a notepad with an attached pen out of her pocket and jotted them down in an unsteady hand.

When she walked back in the store, the clerk was leaning against the counter, his face in his hands. The bag containing the money lay on the floor where the robber had dropped it when he fired the first shot. The customer stood in front of the cash register, his face pale and his body trembling. His hand clutched a cell phone, and he glanced down at it. “I called 911.”

Jessica glanced at the clerk, and he bit down on his lip. “I was shaking so hard I couldn’t get my fingers to work.” He sagged against the now-closed cash register and shuddered. “Did he get away?” he mumbled.

“Yes. Someone was waiting outside in a car.” She grasped the young customer’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Are you okay?”

He straightened to his full height and nodded. His gaze drifted to the gun still in her hand and then back to her face. His lips moved, but no sound emerged from his mouth. He cleared his throat and looked at the gun once more. “Who are you? A police officer?”

She stuck her gun back in the holster and shook her head. “Not anymore. I used to be. Now I’m a bounty hunter.”

His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. Jessica tried to suppress the smile that always accompanied the surprised first reaction of many people when she told them her profession. She knew what the next question would be, and he didn’t disappoint her.

“A woman bounty hunter?”

She sighed in resignation. “Yes, believe it or not. There are women who take on this job, and I’m proud to say I’m one of them.”

The clerk shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve been seeing you come in here for a while, but I never would have guessed you were a bounty hunter. Are you like that guy on TV? You know, the one who tracks down fugitives who’ve skipped bail.”

She shrugged. “A bit like him. I don’t have tattoos like he does, though.”

The two young men smiled.

“Well, whatever you do for a living,” the customer said, “I’m glad you were here today. You saved our lives.” He stuck out his hand. “My name’s Jamie.”

She grasped his hand and shook it. “And I’m Jessica.”

The clerk gave a shaky laugh. “And I’m Richard.”

He started to say something else, but before he could, sirens wailed outside and tires squealed as a car came to a stop. “Sounds like the police have arrived. That was fast,” she said.

She stepped toward the entrance to meet the first responders and had almost reached it when the front door burst open. A man bolted inside, then skidded to an abrupt stop, the surprise on his face reflecting her own. Neither one of them spoke for a moment, and then he drew in a rough breath.

“Jessica?”

Her eyes wide, she took a step back and shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Ryan Spencer. Why hadn’t she expected him to come? After all, the store was in the precinct where he worked. Where she’d worked when they’d been partners four years ago. Her fingers curled into her palms, and she swallowed.

She hadn’t spoken to him in four years and hadn’t seen him in nearly a year. The last time she’d laid eyes on him had been when a man broke into her apartment determined to kill her best friend, Claire Walker, who happened to be staying with her at the time. Ryan had answered the call. They hadn’t talked that night. And now here he was again. Not changed a bit, and still as handsome as ever.

His dark hair fell across his forehead just as she remembered. And as she knew he would, he reached up and raked it back as he did every time he was nervous. His gaze drifted over her again. He started to speak, but she beat him to it.

She cleared her throat, lifted her chin and stepped forward. “Hello, Ryan. Since when does a detective arrive at a crime scene first?”

He glanced at the young man next to the checkout counter. “I was only a block away.”

“So you thought you’d beat everybody else to the scene.” Her lips curled into a sneer. “Why does that not surprise me?” She glanced over her shoulder at the clerk and customer who still stood at the checkout counter, then returned her gaze to the detective. “Then don’t let me detain you. I’ll go see about that soft drink I was about to purchase when all the excitement started.”

She turned to leave, but he reached out and touched her arm. “Wait, Jessica. I wanted to thank you.”

She turned around and frowned down at his hand on her arm. “Thank me? For what?”

He released his hold on her. “The dispatcher said a woman in the store prevented the robber from shooting a customer. I wanted to meet that woman and thank her.”

Something in the way he said the words made her uneasy, and she narrowed her eyes. “It was nothing, really. I’m glad I was here to prevent it from happening.”

He shook his head. “You’re wrong. It wasn’t nothing. Not to me anyway.”

“I don’t understand,” she said.

He pointed toward the young customer. “That college kid you just kept from being murdered is Jamie Spencer. He’s my brother.”

* * *

Ryan felt a quick stab of disappointment. Jessica’s startled look told him she’d had no idea Jamie was his brother.

Her eyebrows arched, and she glanced toward his brother, who had a big smile on his face. “Th-that’s your Jamie?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I guess you never got to meet him when we were working together.”

The surprise he’d seen on her face moments ago vanished at his reference to their former relationship. “Working together?” she muttered. “I guess you could call it that.”

He started to say something else, but Jamie called out to him. “Ryan, how did you know about this?”

Ryan glanced past her and smiled at his brother. “Sally Douglas took the 911 call, and she notified me. I was only a block away.”

He glanced back at Jessica, and a slight smile pulled at her lips. “Sally’s still taking care of everybody, huh?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes, and she likes Jamie. I guess I’d forgotten that you never did meet my brother. He was fifteen when he came to live with me.”

She darted a glance at Jamie and then back to him. “Of course I knew about him, but I never saw him. At the time, you said he was going through a rebellious phase, and you thought I might want to wait to meet him. And then we...” She hesitated. “We...”

“We ended our partnership,” he finished for her.

Her eyes clouded, and she pursed her lips in a look of distaste. “Not we. You.” The words hit him like barbs. “You were the one who ended it.”

She still couldn’t see the truth. Or maybe she’d never wanted to see the truth. At any rate, what difference did it make now? He took a deep breath.

“I guess we still have differing opinions on that,” he said. “But that happened four years ago. We’ve both come out of that bad time no worse for wear. At least you look like you have.” He glanced over her, then back at Jamie. “At any rate, I still want to thank you for saving my brother’s life. I’m sure he’s very appreciative, too.”

She waved her hand in dismissal. “I’m just glad he wasn’t hurt. Now, why don’t you go tell him how glad you are he’s okay. I’ll wait for the officers to arrive and give them my statement. I’m sure they’ll let me know if I’m needed later on.”

She whirled around and strode to the back of the store. The potato chips that covered the floor crunched under her feet as she disappeared down one of the aisles. He stared after her for a moment, and then he sighed and turned toward his brother.

Jamie straightened from leaning against the cash register as he approached, and Ryan enveloped him in a big bear hug. “Are you okay?”

Jessica reappeared, a soft drink in her hand, and walked past them toward the front door. She didn’t glance at them as she passed, but Ryan couldn’t tear his eyes off her.

Jamie drew his attention when he spoke. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks to Jessica. I saw you talking to her. Did you thank her for helping me today?”

“I did. You’re lucky to be alive. These convenience-store robberies don’t always end this well.”

Jamie grinned and glanced in the direction Jessica had gone. “It might go better if there were more customers like her in the stores. Did you know she’s a bounty hunter?”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah. She was a police officer before that.”

“I know. She told us. Did you know her then, Ryan?”

He hesitated before he answered. He’d thought he’d known her then. But could anyone say with certainty they knew another person? He thought she would understand why he did what he did, but he’d been wrong.

Ryan debated the question for a moment before he responded. “She was my partner.”

A shocked look washed across Jamie’s face. “Your partner? You never said anything to me about having a woman partner.”

Ryan shrugged. “It was a long time ago. You were a teenager and had other things on your mind instead of who my partner at the time happened to be.”

At that moment the front door opened, and two Memphis PD officers stepped inside. He watched as they stopped next to Jessica. “I want to hear what Jessica has to say to the officers. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He walked over to her and nodded at Officer Jimmy Austin, who stood facing her. “Hi, Jimmy. I thought I’d listen to Jessica’s statement if that’s okay.”

The officer nodded. “Sure, Ryan. Sally said your brother was here when the robbery occurred. Is that right?”

“Yeah, he’s standing over there by the cash register.”

“Then I’ll get his statement after I talk to Jessica.” He turned to his partner and nodded toward her. “This is Jessica Knight,” he explained. “She used to work out of our precinct. One of the best detectives I’ve ever seen. She—” He stopped himself and his mouth formed a small O as a thought must have hit him. He wagged his finger first at Ryan and then Jessica. “Didn’t the two of you used to be partners?”

Jessica stiffened. “Yes, but that was a long time ago.”

The air seemed to have taken on a frost, but Jimmy’s face flushed. “Oh, right.” He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Well, let’s get this over with. Are there any other witnesses besides you and Ryan’s brother?” he asked Jessica.

She pointed to the clerk. “Richard. He works here. Just the three of us.”

Jimmy glanced at his partner and jerked his head in Jamie and the clerk’s direction. “Why don’t you get their statements. I’ll take Jessica’s.”

The other officer nodded and looked at Jessica. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I’ve heard a lot about you. The guys said you’re working with your brothers over at the Knight Agency now. Is that right?”

“It is. I decided I’d let you guys catch the criminals, and I’ll go after them if they skip bail.”

Jimmy laughed. “Don’t be fooled by this lady. She’s tough as nails, just like her two brothers. In fact, her twin brother, Lucas, is a friend of mine. We ride motorcycles together a lot. I don’t know how many times he’s told me about the bounty-hunter business his great-grandfather started and the slogan he lived by.”

Jessica smiled. “‘A man must answer for the crimes laid against him,’” she said. “We still believe that.”

Ryan wondered how many times during the years he and Jessica worked together he had heard her say those words. “So do we cops,” he said.

She jerked her head around and glared at him before she turned back to Jimmy. “Okay, let’s get this over with. I remember the drill. So let me tell you what happened.”

For the next few minutes she gave her account of what had happened as well as a detailed description of the robber. Ryan concentrated on the details and watched as Jimmy took notes from time to time. When she finished, Ryan spoke up. “And you got the car license number?”

“I did.” She pulled her notepad from her pocket and read off the numbers to him.

Jimmy looked up from the notes he’d been writing. “Could you come down to the station tomorrow and look at some mug shots to see if you recognize the holdup guy?”

“Sure,” Jessica said. “Whatever you need me to do.”

“Come to my office,” Ryan said. “I’ll have them ready for you.”

Jimmy glanced at his notes again. “And you say the robber was wounded?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t bad. I think the bullet grazed his head.”

“We’ll notify the hospitals to be on the lookout for a gunshot wound to the side of the head.”

Jessica shrugged. “I suppose you should, but I doubt if he’ll go to a hospital. He can probably treat it with first aid. I might have gotten a better shot at him if I hadn’t had all those potato chips flying in my face.”

“Potato chips.” Ryan laughed and looked back at the chips that now lay in scattered crumbs across the floor. “You always did have a sense of humor. But seriously, I’m glad you were here today. My brother probably wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t stepped forward.”

“Just doing what I’ve been trained to do.”

Her words had a jagged edge to them, and he wondered if she was trying to deliver an unspoken message to him. Did she resent him because she thought she would still be in police work if it hadn’t been for him?

“I’m sure you remember how upsetting it was to enter a robbery scene and find victims who’d been shot for no other reason than for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he told her. “No one was shot today. And that was because of you. Thank you, Jessica.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she touched Jimmy’s arm as he took a step toward the witnesses. “Jimmy, I was wondering. I’ve had a busy day, and I’m tired. You have my statement about what happened and my description of the robber. Would it be okay if I go on home? If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

Jimmy thought a moment before he nodded. “Sure, Jessica. Go on. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else. I’m always glad to see that no one was hurt in a robbery. We have you to thank for that.”

“Thanks. I think I’ll go say goodbye to Jamie and Richard before I leave.”

Ryan moved out of her way as she stepped around him and headed over to where Jamie stood. He smiled when she stopped next to him. “I’m going home, but I wanted to say goodbye first.”

Jamie reached out and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for everything, Jessica. You were great.”

She waved her hand in dismissal. “It was nothing. I’m glad the two of you are okay. Take care of yourselves and remember to be mindful of your surroundings no matter where you are.”

Jamie smiled and nodded. “I will.”

She glanced at Richard. “I need to pay for my drink.”

He shook his head and laughed. “It’s on the house. You’ve earned it.”

She raised the bottle in a salute to him. “Thanks.”

Jamie stopped her as she turned to leave. “Wait a minute, Jessica. I wanted to ask you something. My brother told me you used to be his partner. Do you ever miss being on the force?” Her face flushed, and Jamie gave a little gasp. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so nosy. It’s just that you handled yourself so well today, I think you must have been a good police officer.”

Before she could respond, Ryan spoke up from behind her. “She was good. The best partner I ever had. I hated to see her leave police work.”

Jessica stared at him a moment as he came to stand beside her. Then she turned back to Jamie. “I like what I do now. It’s rewarding work, and I get to work with people I love and admire.”

A teasing glint sparkled in Jamie’s eyes. “And you still get to carry a gun.”

Jessica laughed. “And I still get to carry a gun. I’m so used to it that it’s become a part of me. In fact, I carry it with me all the time.”

“Lucky for all of us,” Jamie said. “It was nice meeting you, Jessica.”

“Nice meeting you, too, Jamie.”

Then she turned and walked toward the door, her words about working with people whom she loved and admired still ringing in Ryan’s ears. Her meaning hadn’t been lost on him. She hadn’t loved him or even held him in very high regard. He pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything as he watched her go.

When she’d disappeared out the door, he turned back to his brother, who was staring at him with a slight smile curling his lips.

“I don’t know what happened between you two,” Jamie said, “but it must have been bad. There was enough heat in her voice to singe the hairs on my arms. What did you do to her anyway?”

“Nothing,” Ryan muttered.

“Nothing? I know women can be hard to understand at times, but I didn’t have any trouble getting her message. She doesn’t like you at all. You must have done something to make her feel that way.”

Ryan reached over and pounded his fist against the countertop. The officers talking to the clerk whirled at the sound and stared at him.

“Spencer, are you okay?” one of the men asked.

He rubbed his hand across his eyes. “I’m fine. Still a little rattled over how close my brother came to dying.”

They nodded and went back to their questioning.

Jamie stared at Ryan and frowned. “I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing. I just thought Jessica seemed like such a nice person.”

“She is a nice person. We had a disagreement, and it’s never been solved.”

Jamie narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I see. Then maybe it’s time you did something about that. From the way she reacted to that robber and took control of the entire situation, I’d say there aren’t many women around like her.”

“You’re right about that. There aren’t many like her.”

Jamie stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Do you remember when I first came to live with you after Mom and Dad were killed and I had so many problems adjusting?”

Ryan chuckled. “How could I forget? You nearly drove me crazy for two years.”

“Yeah, I gave you a lot of trouble. But you didn’t give up on me. And when I’d come home telling you about how everybody was against me, you always made me face up to my own mistakes. You didn’t make excuses for me and wouldn’t let me make them for myself. Maybe it’s time you quit making excuses for whatever you did to Jessica and try to make it right.”

Ryan shook his head. “I don’t know if I can or not.”

Jamie punched him on the shoulder and grinned. “You’ll never know unless you try. What have you got to lose? The worst thing that can happen is that she’ll hate you more than she already does.”

Ryan stared at his brother in surprise. “When did you get so smart?”

Jamie laughed and shrugged. “I always have been. I just didn’t want you to know it. Now, do as I say and get things straightened out with Jessica.”

He thought for a moment about what his brother had said, then turned to him and smiled. “Maybe I will. Maybe I will.”

Turning away from Jamie, he walked to the front door and stared out at Jessica as she climbed into her car, which was parked to the left of the entrance. She sat behind the steering wheel for a moment as if deep in thought before she finally started the ignition and backed out of her parking space.

As he watched her car disappear down the street, he thought of how he’d wrestled for the past four years with the decision of whether or not to try one more time to mend his relationship with Jessica. She’d been the best friend he’d ever had, and he missed her. But there was no getting around the fact that she didn’t miss him.

Did he dare try again to explain his side of their misunderstanding?

After a moment, he inhaled and muttered to himself, “It’s time to set the past straight. And this time, Jessica Knight, I’m not taking no for an answer. You are going to listen to me.”

TWO

Jessica pulled into her parking space behind the apartment complex where she lived, turned off the ignition and stared at the walkway that led through what she supposed some people might call a backyard. Not her, though. To her a backyard was a wide-open lawn with flower beds in the spring and shade trees to sit underneath in the summer. But the crowning touch would be a child’s swing set and a grill for barbecues.

She lay back against the headrest and closed her eyes as she let her imagination fly to the life she wanted to have one day. Right now, though, it seemed as if her dreams would never come true. She was twenty-eight years old, almost twenty-nine, and she hadn’t had a serious boyfriend since high school. The guy she’d dated in college didn’t count because he didn’t like her brothers, and that was a deal breaker for her.

Her parents had worried when she became a police officer. Even more so when she joined the Knight Agency as a bounty hunter. They feared what might happen to her. And it almost had today. That bullet had come way too close.

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she recalled the rush of air across her face and the smell of barbecued potato chips when the bullet struck the rack beside her. Her body began to shake as the scene in the store replayed in her mind. Why was she suddenly reacting this way?

Post-traumatic shock, she told herself. That was what it was. She’d studied it when she was a police officer and knew it was likely to happen after suffering an event where a person felt intense fear or horror. She also knew that it occurred more in women than in men.

But was that really what was wrong with her? She’d faced dangerous situations before and had never had this feeling of powerlessness. Maybe she was just tired and needed some rest.

Or maybe it was something else. Something she didn’t want to recognize.

Shaking her head in denial, she stepped from the car and headed down the short flagstone walkway that led toward the back door of her apartment. As she stepped onto the porch, she looked over her shoulder at the small grassy area the complex owners advertised as a yard. It wasn’t what she envisioned as a garden area, but it was okay for now. Maybe it was time to start looking for a new place with a backyard big enough for her to putter around in when she wasn’t working.

With a sigh she slipped the key in the lock and was about to walk through the back door when she heard the sound of a car engine. She glanced over her shoulder and stared at the black SUV that drove slowly past the parked cars behind the complex. It stopped when it reached near where her car was parked and sat there, its engine idling.

Jessica squinted to get a better look inside, but she couldn’t see past the tinted windows. The hair at the back of her neck stood up. Had someone followed her home?

She unzipped her jacket and pushed it back to expose the gun at her waist. The only reaction she received was the revving of the engine, but the car remained still. Frowning, Jessica stepped down from the back porch onto the brick walkway. The engine rumbled again, but the car still didn’t move.

Jessica’s heart pounded as she took one more step, then another. She was just about to pull her gun from its holster when the window on the passenger side slid down. A young woman stuck her head out through the opening and called out, “Excuse me, ma’am. Could you tell me where apartment 4-G is?”

Stunned, Jessica came to an abrupt halt and stared at the girl. The Greek letters on the front of her sweatshirt were the same as Jessica had seen on other girls walking across the nearby college campus.

“4-G?” she asked as she inched closer.

The girl smiled, and Jessica could see another girl in the driver’s seat. Her sweatshirt was identical to her friend’s. “Yes, one of our sorority sisters is moving in there, and we said we’d help out. But we haven’t been able to find it yet.”

Jessica released the hold she had on her weapon and pointed down the street. “Go around the end of this building and then turn to the left. It should be on the far end.”

The girl glanced over her shoulder at her friend and laughed. “I told you to go that way, but you wouldn’t listen.” She turned back to Jessica. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Jessica gave a weak wave and tried to smile. “No problem.”

She stood still and stared after the car as it moved off in the direction she’d pointed. After a few minutes she shook her head and chuckled. What was the matter with her? Had the incident at the convenience store upset her so much that she’d mistaken a simple request for directions to have some sinister motive?

If she had been as observant as she should, she would have been following the advice she’d given Jamie Spencer earlier—be aware of your surroundings. Then she would have known she wasn’t being followed.

Sighing, she touched her gun once more and headed toward the back door. If the convenience-store episode had taught her nothing else, it had reminded her to be more alert to what was happening around her.

She stopped on the small back porch and took a long look over her shoulder. Nothing there. Nobody following her. But she still had an uneasy feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She stood there for a few minutes, the scenario from the convenience store playing over and over in her head.

Something wasn’t right about the robbery. But what was it?

One of the first things she’d learned as a police officer was to trust her instincts when it came to solving a case. And right now some sixth sense was telling her she was overlooking something.

After a few minutes she shook her head. Whatever it was would come to her, probably at the least likely moment.

She unlocked the door and stepped inside. The house felt warm and inviting after the cool temperature outside. She took off her coat and hung it on the back of a kitchen chair and was about to take her gun off when the front doorbell rang.

Jessica pulled the gun from her holster and eased from the kitchen into the living room and over to the apartment’s front door. The smell of barbecued potato chips enveloped her, and it was as if she was back in the store with a gun pointed at her. No way was she going to open the door without knowing who was on the other side.

Taking a deep breath and holding it, she stared through the peephole. The breath she’d been holding escaped her body in a big rush, and she sagged against the door. For the second time today she’d experienced a complete surprise.

Slowly she unlocked the door and pulled it open. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

Ryan stared back at her, and then his gaze dropped to the gun she still held. His forehead wrinkled, and he tilted his head to one side. “Do you always answer the door with a gun in your hand?”

“Of course not. I had just gotten home and was taking it off.”

He nodded. “Oh, I see.”

She straightened her back. “You haven’t answered my question. What are you doing here?”

He swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I want to talk to you, Jessica. May I come in?”

She started to refuse but then thought better of it. She shrugged, opened the door wider and stepped aside for him to enter. “I guess so.”

He stepped into the apartment and waited until she’d closed the door. Without speaking, he followed her into the living room, where she gave a jerk of her head, indicating for him to sit on the sofa. She took a chair facing him.

His gaze drifted over the apartment, and he smiled. “You have a nice place here. I don’t know if you remember or not, but I was here about a year ago.”

“I remember.”

“Your friend Claire Walker was almost killed that night trying to bring in a bail jumper on her own, and your brother Adam saved her life. He brought her here so she’d be safe, but the fugitive found her. He broke in and tried to kill her. Thanks to you that didn’t happen.”

Jessica frowned and shook her head. “Claire and I have always made a great team. She helped fight him off, too.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I remember that’s what you said. How’s she doing now?”

“Fine. She and my brother Adam are married, and she’s working at the agency with us.”

His eyes lit up, and he smiled. “That’s great. I hope they’ll be happy. I always liked Adam and Lucas. You’re lucky to have such great brothers.”

“You have a nice brother, too. I was surprised today to find out who he is. He’s not anything like the teenage kid you used to talk about after he first came to live with you.”

Ryan chuckled and shook his head. “No, he’s grown up a lot. Back then he was having a lot of problems dealing with all the changes in his life. You know, Mom’s and Dad’s deaths and having to change schools when he came to live with me. But I’m proud of the way he’s turned out. He’s in college and works on the school newspaper. He also has a part-time job working at a computer store.”

“I’m glad things have improved for the two of you. But is that what you came to tell me?”

His face flushed, and he glanced down at his hands. “No. I came because Jamie told me I needed to.”

Jessica frowned and settled back farther in her chair in hopes of displaying an attitude of indifference. Her nonchalance seemed to be working. She spotted a small trickle of perspiration roll down the side of Ryan’s face, and she almost laughed.

“Why would he tell you that?” Jessica asked.

“Because he thought you were so brave to take on that robber and you were kind to him afterward. Then he saw how you changed when I arrived. He wanted to know what that was all about.”

“What did you tell him?”

“That we had a misunderstanding a few years ago, and you’ve held me responsible ever since. When he asked if I’d tried to fix things between us, I told him I hadn’t. He said it was time I quit making excuses and made things right. I’ve known for a long time I should do that, but I haven’t, and I’m sorry about that. Once, we shared something special, and I know I was the one who ruined it. I’ve faced the fact that we can never go back to where we were, but I would like for us to be friends, Jessica. It’s time we talked through whatever happened between us and made peace with each other.”

She studied his face. He looked sincere. But could she be sure? Once, she had loved him. Not only had she trusted him with her heart, but as her partner, she’d trusted him with her life. That was a long time ago, and a lot had happened since then. She didn’t know if there was any way they could ever be friends, and certainly they could never go back to the closeness they’d once shared.

After a moment, she pushed to her feet and shook her head. “I don’t think there’s any reason we need to continue this conversation. Let’s just say that we didn’t know each other as well as we thought we did and leave it at that. Now, I think you’d better leave.”

She turned to lead him to the door, but he sprang from the sofa and grabbed her by the arm. When she faced him, she almost gasped aloud at the anguish she saw in his eyes.

“No,” he said. “This isn’t going to end like the other times when I tried to make you understand. You’re going to let me speak. Then I’ll leave and never bother you again. But this once, will you put that stubborn Knight pride away and listen to what I have to say?”

Jessica didn’t move for a moment as her gaze drifted over his face. His eyes seemed to be pleading with her to remember the good times they’d had together, the laughter they’d shared and the feeling that maybe they’d stumbled upon something they’d both been searching for.

Then his parents were killed, and his attitude toward her changed. The pain she’d tried to ignore for the past four years stabbed at her heart as she remembered the cold tone of his voice as he told her they needed to put their personal relationship on hold while he dealt with the loss. Even though she was devastated, she’d tried to understand what he was going through. At least, she told herself, they’d still be working together, and she could help him work through his grief.

It didn’t take her long to realize he wasn’t about to let that happen. He’d wanted her out of his life on all levels, and it had broken her heart. Now he said he wanted to make things right. It was too late for that, but perhaps not too late to understand why it had all ended.

She pulled her arm free of his grasp and sat down in her chair. She leaned back, crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. “Okay, Ryan, I’ll listen. Maybe it’s time I understood why you asked to have me taken off the Harvey murder case we were investigating.”

* * *

He couldn’t believe how cold her eyes looked when she spit the accusation at him. He raked his hand through his hair and sat down on the sofa facing her. He scooted to the edge of the cushion and rested his arms on his knees.

“The first thing you need to know is that I never asked for you to be removed from the case.”

“Then why—”

He held up his hand for her to be silent. “Never. Let me say it again. I never asked to have you removed. I asked to be moved to another case and let you continue to work on finding Cal and Susan Harvey’s killer. The captain made the choice to move you to another partner and let me stay where I was.”

“That’s not the way it was told to me. The captain said you thought it was better if we didn’t work together anymore. When he told me that, I knew if you felt that way about me I couldn’t stay at the precinct and see you every day.”

“So you asked for a transfer.”

“I did. I thought maybe you’d stop me before it was granted, but you didn’t.”

“I wanted to explain.”

She sat up straight and stared at him. “Then why didn’t you?”

A scoffing laugh rumbled in his throat. “When I heard you were leaving the precinct, I came to you, but you wouldn’t listen. I don’t remember how many times I tried. The last time I made the effort to tell you, I came to your apartment, but you told me to never come near you again and slammed the door in my face.”

Her cheeks turned crimson, and she smiled sheepishly. “I remember. I think I also told you I’d have my brothers beat you up.”

“Yeah, but I knew they wouldn’t, even if you told them to.”

“But why did you ask to be removed from the case?”

Even after all these years he still found it hard to talk about his emotional state at that time in his life. “Do you remember what had happened right before we took on the Harvey case?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “Your parents were killed in a car wreck, and you had to take custody of your brother.”

He nodded. “Jamie, the one you met today. It was a terrible time for me. My folks were dead, and my teenage brother was beside himself not only with grief but over having to move to another neighborhood and change schools.”

“Why didn’t you move into your parents’ home so he didn’t have so many changes in his life? Wouldn’t that have been easier?”

“I thought about it. Unfortunately, the neighborhood had gone down a lot, and Jamie had started hanging out with a rough crowd. It was only a matter of time until he got into trouble. Dad had bought a new house out east of town right before he and Mom were killed in that wreck. He wanted to give Jamie a new start in another school. When I found myself as Jamie’s guardian, I thought we could live in my apartment since it was in a better neighborhood, but Jamie was unhappy there. He did everything he could to defy me. I couldn’t figure out how to make him understand I loved him and only wanted to help him. Out of desperation we finally moved to the house that Dad had bought. It turned out to be the best thing for Jamie. He made new friends and settled down.”

“Why didn’t you tell me all this?”

He shrugged. “Because it was my problem, not yours.”

“But, Ryan,” Jessica said, “I would have helped you.”

Ryan shook his head. “I didn’t want that. I was scared to death. Scared I couldn’t get Jamie straightened out. And scared I couldn’t be the kind of man you deserved in your life.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You have a great family, Jessica. Your brothers aren’t afraid to tackle anything, and you’re just like them. I knew you had high expectations for the guy you would marry, and my mind was in such turmoil that I knew I couldn’t give you what you needed.”

“Ryan, you were wrong.”

He paused and closed his eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Maybe so, but I wasn’t thinking straight, and I found myself making mistakes on the job. And I couldn’t forget how my last partner had died.”

Jessica leaned forward and stared at Ryan. “You’re still blaming yourself for Al Stevenson’s death? It wasn’t your fault that he was killed.”

Ryan pushed to his feet and gritted his teeth. “He was my partner. If I’d been covering him like I should have, that drug dealer never would have gotten the drop on him.”

Jessica rose to her feet and shook her head. “You’re wrong, Ryan. I read the reports. Nobody blamed you for what happened. If he had waited for backup instead of leaving you to guard the front of the building and going in alone after a crazy killer, he might be alive today.”

“I blamed myself,” he said. “I still do.”

“But that’s ridiculous.”

Ryan’s hands were shaking, and he shoved them in his pockets. “It’s not ridiculous. At the time, I was an emotional mess. I was still dealing with my guilt about Al’s death when my parents died and I found myself the sole guardian of a troubled teenager. I began to question whether or not I should even stay in police work. But most of all, I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Her eyes grew wide. “I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t want you ending up like Al. Dead because I’d made another mistake. I couldn’t have lived with that.”

Jessica looked at him intently. She clasped her hands and squeezed until her knuckles turned white. Finally she spoke. “Oh, Ryan, I’m so sorry. I never knew how much you suffered because of Al’s death. I wish I could have helped you with that. In time you’ll come to see it wasn’t your fault.”

“I doubt if that time will ever come.” After a moment, he took a deep breath. “That’s all I wanted to tell you tonight. I didn’t want to go another day with you thinking I’d stabbed you in the back to get you taken off the case we were working on. I didn’t do it, Jessica. Please believe me. I’ve come to realize I missed out on the best thing I could have had in my life when I pushed you away. I know it’s too late now to go back. But whatever I did at the time, I thought it was for your benefit. I hope in time you can come to forgive me.”

“You’ve given me a lot to think about, but I still have questions.”

“Maybe I can answer them. But I think that’s enough soul baring for tonight. I need to get out of here and let you get some rest. It’s been a hard day.”

“Yes, it has. Perhaps we can get together sometime.”

“That sounds like a brush-off to me.” He exhaled a long breath and shook his head. “Listen, I won’t bother you again, but I’d like to hear from you after you think about what I’ve said. Give me a call.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and stared at the caller ID. “Jamie’s calling,” he said. “I’d better take this.”

He connected to the call and pressed the phone to his ear. “Hi, Jamie.”

“Ryan, where are you?”

Jamie’s words vibrated in his ear, and he frowned at what he thought sounded like anxiety. “I’m at Jessica’s apartment. What’s the matter?”

“I wanted to let you know I have to go out of town for a few days.”

Ryan clutched the cell phone tighter. “Out of town? Where are you going?”

“I think it’s better that you don’t know. I’ll call in a few days and let you know how I’m doing.”

“Jamie,” Ryan almost yelled into the phone. “What’s going on? You can’t leave town. You need to come down to headquarters in the morning and look at mug shots. Besides, you barely escaped being killed today. You need time to come to grips with what happened.”

“Don’t worry, Ryan. I’ll be all right.”

“Jamie!” Ryan yelled. “Jamie!”

But it was no use. His brother had disconnected the call. Still holding the phone, Ryan let his arm drift down to his side.

“Jamie’s going out of town?” Jessica asked.

Ryan nodded. “That’s what he said.”

“But why?”

“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me. He said it was better if I didn’t know.”

He slipped the cell phone back in his pocket and turned to Jessica. “Thanks for seeing me. I think I’ll—” He stopped midsentence when he saw the look on Jessica’s face. Her eyes were wide and her face had turned as pale as a harvest moon. He reached out and grasped her arm. “What’s the matter?”

A shiver ripped through her body, and she took a deep, shaky breath. “Call him back, Ryan,” she said with urgency in her tone. “Tell him not to go. He needs to stay where you can keep an eye on him.”

Her face had grown whiter, and a terrified look now gleamed in her eyes. He leaned closer to her. “Why?”

Her tongue licked at her lips, and in that moment he remembered how she always looked when she had suddenly unearthed a piece of evidence in a case.

“Ever since I left the store, something hasn’t seemed right about what went down there. I’ve racked my brain trying to figure out what was bothering me, and now I understand what I was missing.”

“Understand what, Jessica?”

“I didn’t witness a robbery this afternoon. It was an attempted murder of your brother.”

THREE

Jessica flinched at the shocked look on Ryan’s face. He blinked at her and shook his head before he spoke. “What are you talking about? Why would anyone want to kill my brother?”

“I don’t know, but now that I put everything together, it all makes sense.”

He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her arms. “What things? Tell me.”

She guided him back to the sofa and sat down beside him. “There were some little things about what went down at the store that I didn’t understand. From where I was standing, I had a clear view of the robbery scene. The clerk put the money in the bag and laid it on the counter, but the robber didn’t pick it up right away. Instead, he pointed the gun at the clerk, and Jamie told him to leave the guy alone, that he’d done what the man wanted. Then the gunman looked up at the clerk, Richard, and nodded. Richard dropped to the floor behind the counter like a ton of bricks, and the robber turned toward Jamie.”

“What did he do next?”

“He kind of chuckled and aimed the gun at Jamie. Then he said, ‘You shouldn’t have stuck your nose in where it doesn’t belong.’ I thought he meant interrupting him from shooting the clerk, but now I’m not so sure.”

“You think the clerk was in on it?”

She thought for a moment before she answered. “Yes. I don’t think the robber meant Jamie’s interference in stopping him from shooting. I think it was something else. And whatever it happens to be, it was serious enough to get him killed.”

Ryan shook his head. “This is pure speculation. Jamie is a college student. How could he get into trouble?”

“Do you know anything about his friends? Could he be in some kind of trouble?”

Ryan shook his head. “I don’t think so. He doesn’t go out much with friends. He spends most of his time working at the computer shop or writing articles for the school newspaper. I have no idea if he’s mixed up in something or not.”

“Then you must keep Jamie from going out of town,” she said. “If somebody’s watching him, they could kill him and dispose of his body somewhere. You wouldn’t even know where to begin your search for him because he wouldn’t tell you where he was going.”

“You’re right. I have to stop him.” Ryan grabbed his cell phone and punched in Jamie’s number. She heard it ring several times before it went to voice mail. Ryan grimaced and waited until the greeting had finished. Then he spoke into the phone. “Jamie, don’t leave town. I have reason to believe someone is after you. Get in touch with me right away, and please come to my house.”

The worried look on his face as he disconnected the call made Jessica’s breath catch. “I’m sorry you couldn’t reach him. Is there anything I can do to help?”

He shook his head. “No. But whatever Jamie has gotten himself involved in seems to have spilled over into your life, too. I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be. I’m glad I was there today to keep him from being killed.”

His eyes softened, and he smiled. “I am, too. I always said you were the best cop I ever worked with. It’s good to see that you haven’t lost your edge.”

“Thanks, Ryan. I’m glad we’ve talked tonight even if it’s turned into concern for your brother. Please let me know if you hear from him. Now, why don’t you go on home and get some rest so you can be at the top of your game tomorrow.”

“I will.” He paused and glanced around the apartment. “But what about you? Do you think you’ll be all right here by yourself?”

She chuckled. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I’ll be fine.”

He cocked an eyebrow and stared at her. “The last time I was here was because of a break-in. What’s to say it won’t happen again?”

“I’ve got new locks now and a new security system. Robbers could probably break into a bank easier than they could get in here. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know. Maybe you should go to Adam’s house for the night.”

“Adam and Claire are out of town for a few days. I’m better off here. Now, go on and don’t worry about me.”

She turned and walked toward the door with him right behind. He stopped when she opened the door. “Keep your gun close and call me if you have any problems.”

“I will.”

He stepped into the hallway and turned back to her. “Also, don’t forget about coming to the precinct tomorrow to look at some mug shots. Maybe you can spot the gunman.”

“I’ll be there. How about ten o’clock?”

“That will work. I’ll see you then.” He didn’t move to leave. Instead, his gaze drifted over her face. “Thank you, Jessica, for listening to me tonight. Think about what I’ve said. I hope it will help to change your opinion of what kind of man I am. I really want us to be friends again.”

“You’ve given me a lot to think about. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He nodded. “See you then.”

Before he could say more, she closed the door and locked the dead bolt. Then she walked into the kitchen and checked to see if she’d locked the back door securely when she came in. Satisfied that she was safe inside, she set the security system.

She knew she should eat something but she wasn’t hungry. All she wanted was to go to bed and try to forget all that had happened today. With a sigh she headed for her bedroom.

Twenty minutes later, she lay in bed, her gun and her cell phone on the bedside table beside the landline she still had. Adam had teased her about the added expense, but she liked having the familiar phone she’d had in her bedroom at home when she was growing up. Somehow it reminded her of happier times, when her father would yell at her to get off the phone, or she and Claire would talk for hours about which boys from school they were going to marry.

She sighed and pounded her pillow. Now Claire was her sister-in-law, married to Jessica’s older brother, but there was no hope for romance in her own life. She’d had her heart broken once, and she didn’t want to chance it happening again. It was better if she just concentrated on her job and building a life for herself and ignored the loneliness that plagued her.

Her eyes drifted shut, and she was almost asleep when she awoke to the sound of a ringing telephone. For a moment she thought it was her cell phone, but then she realized it was the landline.

She fumbled for the switch on the lamp by the phone and turned it on. Then she grabbed the receiver and pushed up in bed. “Hello.” The word sounded hoarse, and she tried again. “Hello.”

“Good evening, Miss Knight. How are you?”

She sat up straighter and frowned. “Who is this?”

“It’s a friend you met earlier today.”

Although the voice was friendly, she knew the caller was not. “Oh, it’s you,” she said. “What do you want?”

He chuckled. “Right to the point, aren’t you? What do I want? Oh, nothing at the present time. If I decide I want anything from you, you’ll know it. Now, have a good night’s sleep.”

Jessica stared at the phone as the call disconnected. Without hesitation she pushed Redial and waited for the call to go through. Instead, a high, piercing tone stabbed at her ear. “The last call is not accessible from this phone,” an automated voice said.

She punched the end button and put the phone back on the hook. After a moment, she reached over and disconnected the phone from the wall. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about him calling again tonight unless he had her cell phone number. She doubted he did, but he probably did know where she lived.

She grabbed her gun and climbed out of bed. It was no use. She wasn’t going to get any sleep, which was probably what her caller had intended in the first place.

The memory of the robber’s face flashed into her head. He might know her and where she lived, but she knew what he looked like. And that was going to come in quite handy when she examined those mug shots tomorrow.

If his picture was there, she’d find him, and then it would only be a matter of time before the police found him.

* * *

Ryan glanced over at his partner, Detective Mac Barnes, and arched his eyebrows. “What are you staring at?”

Mac chuckled and shook his head before he looked down at the file on his desk. “Nothing. I’ve just never seen you so worried about housekeeping as you’ve been this morning. You’ve not only organized that mess you call a desk, but you’ve dusted it and the chairs. Even made a fresh pot of coffee. Who’re we expecting? The first lady?”

Ryan’s face warmed, and he busied himself straightening the books on the shelf behind his desk. “Cut it out, Mac. I thought it was time we made this office a bit more presentable. What if the DA or the police commissioner came in here? You’d want it cleaned up, wouldn’t you?”

Mac’s eyes sparkled, and he tried to suppress the smile pulling at his lips. “Yeah, I expect we’d better get ready if the commissioner’s coming.”

Ryan huffed and sat down in his desk chair. “I didn’t say he was coming, but he could.” He glanced around the office. “Anyway, it looks better now than it did when I came in this morning.”

Mac just shook his head and turned his attention back to the report he’d been working on since arriving for work. Ryan glanced at the clock and frowned. It was after ten, and Jessica still hadn’t arrived. He hadn’t felt good about leaving her last night, but she’d insisted she’d be fine. What if she wasn’t, though?

He pulled his cell phone out and checked for text messages again, but nothing had come in. Not from Jessica, and not from Jamie. He’d been calling and texting his brother all night, to no avail. Still, he typed out another message asking Jamie to call and hit Send. He could only hope his brother would respond.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts and he jumped to his feet. “I’ll get it.”

Mac looked up, a surprised expression on his face. “Okay.”

Ryan pulled the door open and smiled in relief at the sight of Jessica standing in the hallway. “I was beginning to worry. It’s after ten. I thought something might have happened.”

She shook her head. “I’m fine. Adam called this morning, and we talked longer than I thought. I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Late for what?” Mac’s voice behind him startled Ryan, and he glanced around at his partner. Before Ryan could say anything, Mac pushed past him and grabbed Jessica in a bear hug. “Jessica! It’s good to see you. What are you doing here?”

She returned Mac’s hug and smiled. “Didn’t Ryan tell you? I’m supposed to look at mug shots today.”

Mac swung his gaze around to Ryan and grinned. “Oh, and I thought the first lady was coming.”

A puzzled look flashed across Jessica’s face. “What do you mean?”

Mac shook his head, grabbed Jessica’s arm and pulled her into the office. “It’s nothing. Ryan’s been cleaning all morning. I thought we had important company coming.” He grinned down at her and chucked her under the chin. “Of course, if I’d known you were the one he expected, I would have been right in there helping get ready. It’s always good to see you.”

She sat down in the chair by Ryan’s desk and let her gaze drift around the room. “This is the first time I’ve been back since I transferred out. Everything looks the same, though.”

Mac patted his stomach and grinned. “Well, it’s not all the same. Some of us have put on weight.” He glanced at Ryan. “And some of us can eat anything they want and never gain an ounce.”

Ryan joined in the laughter. Then he grew more serious and sat down on the edge of his desk. “I told Mac about the robbery yesterday.”

Mac nodded. “Yeah, but you didn’t give me the details. What happened, Jessica?”

Ryan watched her face as she told his partner about the incident in the convenience store. As she spoke, concern for his brother grew. Why hadn’t Jamie called back?

After she’d finished, Mac pursed his lips and didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he exhaled. “I think you’re probably right about it being a setup to kill Jamie. The question, though, is why.” He turned to Ryan. “Does he go there often?”

Ryan nodded. “It’s near his campus, and he’s told me he goes by there every afternoon to get a cup of coffee before he goes to work at the computer store. Jamie is a creature of habit, so it wouldn’t be hard for someone to track him. He doesn’t deviate from his routine very often.”

“Except now,” Jessica said. “He’s deviated quite a bit by suddenly disappearing and not letting anyone know where he is.”

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re right about that. I still haven’t heard from him. I intend to let him have it when he comes home.”

Before either Jessica or Mac could speak, a knock sounded at the door. Ryan opened it to find one of the department clerks holding a manila envelope in her hand.

“The lab sent these reports over to you. It’s from that robbery at the convenience store yesterday.”

“Good. Thank you for bringing it to us.”

He brought the envelope back to his desk and opened it. He pulled out several sheets of paper. Mac stepped up beside him, and Ryan held the reports so that Mac could read along with him.

After he read the first few lines, Ryan had to take a deep breath to slow his accelerated heartbeat. He glanced at Mac, who frowned in concentration as he scrutinized the lab’s findings. Ryan directed his attention back to the report and didn’t look up again until he’d read the final word.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Mac gave a soft whistle. “I never expected that.”

“Me neither,” Ryan said.

Jessica, who’d been silent while they were reading, rose from her chair. “I know I’m not a police officer anymore, but I’d really like to know what the lab discovered. Can you tell me?”

Ryan and Mac exchanged glances before Ryan nodded. “I think this may involve you as much as anybody else.”

She cocked her head to one side and stared at him. “How do you figure that?”

He looked down at the report again. “The lab found a fingerprint on the gun, and they’ve identified it as belonging to a man named Lee Tucker. He’s been arrested before, and his fingerprints as well as his DNA are in the system. In fact, there’s an arrest warrant out on him right now for attempted murder. He was arrested but skipped bail.”

Jessica’s eyebrows arched. “Skipped bail, huh? I wonder why we haven’t found out about him at the Knight Agency.”

Ryan handed her one of the pages from the envelope. “They sent a picture of his mug shot along with the report. He seems to fit the description you gave of the robber, but we need you to make a positive identification. Is this the man you shot at the convenience store yesterday?”

Jessica took the picture in her hand and studied it for a moment before she handed it back to him. “Yes, this is the same man. I’m sure of it.”

Ryan slipped the photo back into the stack of papers. “Then you met Lee Tucker in the flesh at that store.”

“But I don’t understand. You made it sound like I was involved in some other way than being able to identify this guy. What did you mean?”

“There was some blood on the gun.”

She nodded. “From the wound where I shot him.”

“Yes. Just a small spot, but it was enough to get a DNA sample. It was also a match to Tucker. So we have his fingerprint and his DNA on the weapon he used to try to kill Jamie.”

“I still don’t see—”

“There’s more,” Ryan said. “Remember the case we were working together when I asked for a transfer to another partner?”

“Yes. Cal and Susan Harvey were investigative reporters who were found murdered in their midtown Memphis home. They’d been working on a story about the drug trade in the South.”

“And there was a bandana with gang symbols on it found in their home,” Ryan finished for her. “And an anonymous tip informed the police that the bandana belonged to Tommie Oakes, a gang member who went by the name of Cruiser. We found the murder weapon in his closet.”

Jessica nodded as she no doubt recalled the case that had caused such a rift between the two of them. She took a deep breath. “Although his DNA was on the bandana, he had an alibi that the police and the DA ignored. They argued that the DNA on the gun probably belonged to another gang member who wasn’t in the system. Your new partner at the time couldn’t wait to close the case, and he kept on until the DA had Oakes arrested and charged. He was convicted and is now serving a life sentence in prison.”

“That’s right.”

“So why are we rehashing this now?” Jessica said through gritted teeth.

“Because the DNA found on the gun that killed the Harveys has been in the system ever since. The lab sent the DNA from the convenience-store robbery to the database, and it matched the results from the Harvey case.”

Jessica’s eyes grew wide. “So if the DNA from yesterday’s robbery is Lee Tucker’s, then he must have been the person who shot the Harveys.” She shook her head. “But the evidence from the Harvey case has been in the system for four years. Why didn’t it show a hit on Lee Tucker before now?”

Ryan shrugged. “The lab people don’t know. The important thing is that it does now. Tucker had to be at the Harveys’ home the night they were killed.”

“So Oakes might not have been the killer.”

He nodded. “Maybe not. The real killer could be—”

“Lee Tucker.” Her expression changed instantly. Alarm took over her features as she no doubt realized the danger that he had come to understand moments ago. “The police have to stop Tucker before he follows through and kills Jamie, too.”

“I know,” Ryan said. He tried to keep his anxiety reined in.

“But Lee Tucker could be anywhere,” Jessica said. “How would you decide where to start looking?”

Ryan held up one of the papers from the report. “I think we start with the car that you saw leave the scene after the shooting yesterday. The license plate is registered to the reelection campaign of Hayden Mitchum.”

Jessica’s eyes grew wide. “The US senator?”

Ryan nodded. “Yes. When we called his reelection headquarters this morning, they said they hadn’t realized it was missing. It’s one of the cars that the senator’s aide uses when he’s in town, but he is in Washington right now with Senator Mitchum.”

The phone on Mac’s desk rang at that moment, and Mac answered. “Detective Barnes.”

Ryan waited until Mac hung up before he said anything else. “Do we need to answer a call?”

Mac shook his head. “No. That was the captain. He needs me to bring him up to speed on the investigation into Gerald Price’s murder.”

“I read about that,” Jessica said. “He’s the man whose body was found in a riverfront parking lot. The newspaper report said the police believe he was killed in a carjacking.”

“That’s right.” Mac turned to Ryan. “I can go over everything with the captain. You stay here and talk to Jessica.” He reached over and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you. I hope you’ll come back to visit soon.”

She smiled. “Maybe I will, Mac. Take care of yourself out there.”

He nodded and walked from the room. Ryan waited until Mac had closed the door behind him before he spoke.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. “Jessica, yesterday I thought I was going to a store to make sure my brother was okay. Since then, what was thought to be a robbery has snowballed into something that appears to be much deeper. And somehow it has ties to the murders we investigated four years ago.”

“I know,” she murmured as if she was lost in thought.

He sat down on the edge of his desk again and faced Jessica, who took the opposite chair. “What is Lee Tucker’s connection to the murders of two reporters four years ago and to what appeared to be a random robbery yesterday? And why was the getaway car stolen from a US senator’s parking lot? It doesn’t make sense.”

She nodded in agreement, then added, “If it really was stolen.”

“That’s a possibility. The senator’s office could have been lying about that.” He stood up, paced to the far side of the office and came back to sit in front of her. “And why did my brother suddenly disappear?”

“And why did I receive a threatening telephone call?”

Now it was his turn to be startled. “When did that happen?”

She shrugged. “Last night. A man called I think just to scare me so I couldn’t sleep. I have to say it worked.”

“What did he say?”

“When I asked who was calling, he said it was the friend I met earlier. So it must have been Lee Tucker,” Jessica answered. “I asked him what he wanted, and he said he didn’t want anything at the present time. But he’d let me know if he changed his mind.”

Ryan pounded his fist down on his desk. “That settles it. I have to find out what’s going on.”

“How are you going to do that?” she asked.

He thought for a moment before he responded. “I think I’ll take a few days’ leave and poke around on my own to see what I can find out. Maybe I can turn up something.”

She pushed out of her chair. “Well, I wish you luck. Let me know if I can help in any way.”

He stood and faced her. “You can. How about working with me for a few days? Let’s see if we can find out what’s going on.”

She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. After all, Lee Tucker is a fugitive and you’re a bounty hunter. If we find him, maybe we can answer some questions we’ve always had about Cal’s and Susan Harvey’s murders. And you may get to bring in a fugitive who’s skipped bail.”

She stared into his eyes without blinking. “Ryan, I don’t know...”

He reached for her hand and clasped it in his. “Please, Jessica. It’ll be like old times. The two of us working on a case. What do you say? Want to be my partner again?”

FOUR

Jessica swallowed the last bite of her hamburger and took a sip of iced tea before glancing across the table at Ryan. She still couldn’t believe this was happening. Twenty-four hours ago no one could have convinced her that she would be having lunch today with Ryan Spencer. And yet here she was, sitting across from the man she’d told herself for four years that she hoped she would never see again.

As they had discussed the Harvey murder case and its link to the robbery and what was believed to be an attempt on Jamie’s life yesterday, she had found herself feeling comfortable in Ryan’s presence. Maybe she had been too quick to jump to conclusions four years ago. In all honesty, he had tried to explain his side back then, but she had felt so betrayed that she wouldn’t listen. Her brothers had always said she had a stubborn side to her sweet personality. No wonder Ryan had given up on trying to convince her she was wrong.

On the other hand, he’d had four years. Why had he waited until last night to try again to convince her?

“What are you thinking?” Ryan’s voice cut into her thoughts, and she sat up straighter.

Her face grew warm, and she picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth. “Oh, just lost in thought, I guess.”

A skeptical look flashed in his eyes, and he regarded her with an arched eyebrow. “Come on, Jessica. I always told you that your face was like a mirror to your soul. You never have been able to hide your emotions. Is it me? Are you still trying to make up your mind about whether or not you can be my friend?”

There was no use evading the truth. He was right. He’d always been able to read the expressions on her face. Maybe that was what had made them such great partners. The thought of their former relationship and how it had ended sent her heart plummeting to the pit of her stomach. Could she really put the past behind her and be his friend? And could she really work with him on a case?

She took a deep breath and tried to smile. “I listened to all you said last night, and I wish I had done that long ago. I didn’t, and I’ve had four years to ponder everything that was said between us.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Still the same old Jessica, huh? Once you get something in your mind, you’re like a dog with a bone. You chew on it constantly, and the longer you do, the more you take ownership of it.” He leaned forward and clasped her hand on the tabletop. “I’ve told you the truth about what was going on with me then. I’m sorry that I didn’t handle things differently, and I’m sorry I hurt you. Why don’t you quit stewing about it and bury that bone. All I’m asking is to be your friend.”

She started to pull her hand free, but he tightened his grip. A tug-of-war was the last thing she wanted in the middle of a downtown restaurant, so she relaxed. Maybe Ryan was right. Maybe her brothers had been right, too, about her stubborn streak when it came to forgiving those who she felt had hurt her. And Ryan had fit into that category...until their talk last night. Now she was beginning to think she’d jumped to conclusions before she should have.

After a moment, she smiled. “I’d like us to be friends again, Ryan. I always enjoyed working with you.”

“And I liked it, too. I was really sorry when I heard you had left the department.” He released her hand, and she picked up her iced tea again. “Maybe if I had been more forthcoming about what was going on in my life then, you might still be a police officer.”

She took a drink from her glass and shook her head. “I don’t think so. All my family has ever known is the bounty-hunter business. It was just a matter of time before I joined my brothers at the agency.”

He tilted his head to one side and studied her. “Are you happy doing that kind of work? It sounds like it would be dangerous for a woman to take down guys determined not to go to jail.”

“That doesn’t sound a lot different from what I did as a police officer. But I’m careful, and I don’t take chances. I’m on the road a lot, so the job’s not conducive to much of a personal life. And I get tired of staying in motels and eating in restaurants.”

He smiled. “That must be hard for you. I remember how you used to talk about the kind of house you wanted and what the backyard would be like. You haven’t found the right one yet?”

She shook her head and sighed. “No. Maybe someday. What about you? You said you moved into the house your dad bought before his death. Do you still live there?”

“Yeah. All by myself now.” He chuckled and wiped at the condensation on the outside of his iced tea glass. “Of course, as soon as Jamie got to college he wanted to move into an apartment of his own near campus. So I’m left rambling around in a big house all by myself. I’m thinking of selling it and moving back to an apartment.” He paused and bit down on his lip.

Jessica pushed her plate out of the way and crossed her arms on the table in front of her. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m sitting here talking about my housing plans when I should be trying to find out where my brother has gone.” He pushed back the hair that had fallen across his forehead. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t tell me.”

Jessica sat still for a moment and studied Ryan. When she had last known Ryan, he was working to establish a good relationship with his brother. From the way they’d seemed yesterday, she suspected they’d been able to do that. If that was so, why had Jamie left town without letting Ryan know where he was going?

She picked up her napkin again and wiped her hands. “Do you know any of the people Jamie works with at the computer store or at the school newspaper?”

“Nobody at the computer store, but I met the student editor once when I stopped by the newspaper office. Why?”

“I was just thinking,” she said. “Maybe we could talk to someone at the paper and see if they could help us.”

Ryan nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll call and see if anybody’s there.”

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled down to a number. The muscle in his jaw flexed as he waited. After a moment, he ended the call. “Nobody answered. They may all be in class or at lunch.”

“Why don’t we go over to the campus anyway. We might find someone in the building who could tell us when they’ll be back.”

Ryan smiled and glanced down at her plate. “If you’re through, I’ll get the check so we can go.”

He picked up the tab the waitress had laid on the table and pushed to his feet. A panicked shock ricocheted through her body. No, she couldn’t allow herself to let down her guard with Ryan. She didn’t mind helping him find his brother, but they weren’t about to renew the relationship they’d had before. Jessica put out a hand to stop him. “I’ll pay for my lunch, Ryan.”

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