Hostile Witness (Sanctuary, Inc. #1)

Chapter 4

4

T ia shoved the test papers aside and rubbed the crick in her neck. Who was knocking on her front door? She’d fallen asleep on the couch.

A second knock echoed. What time was it? Scrambling off the couch, she grabbed her phone and slid into the bunny slippers her students had given her last year. It was seven forty-five a.m., Saturday. She tapped the doorbell app and saw— oh no —Detective Kelley. All crisp and clean, he could’ve been a cover model for a law-enforcement magazine.

Adrenaline zoomed through her chest. Why was he here? She didn’t know anything about the murder yesterday, and under no circumstances would she agree to go to the precinct for questioning. Stunned, Tia glanced in the hallway mirror. She couldn’t answer the door looking like this. Finger combing her hair, she enlarged the app picture on her phone. He was holding two coffees. Hmm... just like that day on the beach when he’d offered her his extra iced tea.

Well, he obviously wasn’t here to tie a neat little bow on her ride along experience, because, hell, she hadn’t even begun to process it.

But he did arrive bearing coffee, and that was a definite plus, considering her coffeepot had quit working last night.

The detective rang the bell again, took a step back, and waved at the camera.

All right, all right. If she didn’t answer the door, he might alert her uncle and worry him. Right about now, Tia wished her uncle didn’t hold such a special place in her heart. She’d been avoiding him for a year and a half because he’d become so overprotective she could hardly breathe in his presence.

She buttoned her cartoon pajamas all the way up to her neck and wrapped herself in a thick cardigan before opening the front door. With a sweeping gesture of her arm, she greeted her uninvited guest. “Good morning, Detective. What brings you by so early?”

“Hey.” He gave her a slow downward perusal and stopped at the bunny slippers. One side of his mouth quirked up. “Glad to see you’ve got a doorbell camera.”

She nodded. The camera was an easy setup. “What can I do for you?”

“May I come in?”

Tia opened the door wider. “If you must.”

He held out one of the coffees. “Here. I got this for you. It’s black. I have no idea what you like in it.”

“Thank you. You must’ve been inspired. My coffeepot stopped working last night.”

“I notice small details, and you brought a carafe size of caffeine with you yesterday.” After taking a couple steps, he glanced into the little den area. “Your uncle asked me to stop by, make sure the place was secure. Do you mind if I check the windows and door locks on the main floor? Yesterday was a homicide. Whoever committed the crime is still at-large.”

Oh, really? Her uncle had been hounding her for almost a year to install some kind of security system. Wouldn’t he be surprised to know she’d scheduled the installation for next month?

Tia held her arms open wide. “Okay, take a look.” She made a beeline for the creamer in her fridge.

“Nice place.” He examined the living room windows. “This Cape Cod is one of the original homes in this neighborhood.”

“Yes, it is, and thank you. I bought it with my college roommate a few years ago. We both like the ocean. It’s a little piece of paradise during the warmer months.”

“Does your roommate live here, too?”

None of your business, buddy. Tia sipped the coffee and leaned against the counter. It tasted like the nectar of the gods, so she decided to answer him anyway. “No, she lives in Baltimore now but stays here some in the summer.”

He muscled a sash until it groaned and lifted. “You’ve got old windows.”

“I know. The renovations happen one room at a time every summer.”

“I understand all too well. Got a fixer-upper myself a few miles up the coast. You need a security system though.”

“It’s scheduled for next month. I had to get in line. Many of the owners down here are installing keyless entry systems for the summer rental crowds.” See? She had her crap together and didn’t need a guy around to hover and fix things. As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago she’d managed to install an elaborate closet system without help from anyone. Granted, it had taken her the whole weekend and a lot of choice words, but the end result was most satisfying.

His voice broke into her reverie. “If you decide you want more cameras installed, I’ve got a few extra lying around that I’m not using. I’d be happy to set them up for you.”

Tia gave him a polite smile. “Thank you. I’ll let you know.”

And that was exactly how guys reeled you in. They offered to help, rescue, protect, and one thing led to another, and once you developed feelings for them, they disappointed you . Well, she was no damsel in distress, and she was quite capable of climbing the crab apple in the backyard and the big sugar maple in the front yard to attach the cameras herself. No, thank you, Detective.

He pointed at the Mylar balloons occupying the far corner by the sofa. “Recent celebration?”

“Um, no. Some people buy themselves flowers; I buy balloons. They’re happy, you know?”

A quizzical expression crossed his face. “I guess so. They give new meaning to the celebrate each day line of thinking.”

She rubbed a finger on the white quartz countertop. “I didn’t get to apologize yesterday considering the circumstances, but I’m really sorry for contaminating you and the crime scene.” Of course, the fact that she wasn’t handling trauma very well these days played a major role in yesterday’s outcome, but she wouldn’t overshare that tidbit with him.

He tossed a glance over his shoulder as he tested the lock on her back door. “No worries, it happens sometimes. I’m kind of used to it. Walking in on a scene like that is a lot to take in. You ought to see the recruits during smelly-cadaver day at the police academy. It flattens some of the toughest people I’ve ever met.”

Tia leaned against the counter, trying to depict an ease she didn’t feel. “That’s kind of you to give me a pass. I meant to ask yesterday: Do you guys still visit classrooms and talk to kids about jobs in law enforcement? Age-appropriate info for third to fifth grade?”

Ethan nodded with a smile. “Sure. We have plenty of swag for that kind of community-outreach event. I’ll usually cover the basic Officer Friendly topics like stranger danger and bike safety. Just call the precinct, and they’ll set it up.”

Her hand holding the coffee cup froze midair. There was no way she’d be calling the station anytime soon. For goodness’ sake, she’d barely gotten through going into the precinct yesterday. And anyway, she’d been thinking about asking Odessa Wright and not Detective Kelley. “Do you know what happened to the dog from Glen Cove Road?”

“Bayside Animal Hospital picked him up, and he’s recovering from surgery. You may have seen on the news that the poor dog sustained a lot of injuries because somebody kicked and beat him. He’s a K9 and desperately tried to help the victim. Bayside will take good care of him though, and he’ll be placed in a new home once he recuperates.”

“Was he the woman’s service dog?”

“Yes. They were both retired. K9s deserve the gold-standard treatment. A lot of folks don’t want to take them in as pets because they’re not sure if the dog will blend well with their family. What if they’re aggressive? Retired dogs are usually older, and the medical expenses increase as they age. But there are pictures all over that house of the lieutenant and the dog. She loved him. It’s no wonder he hurt himself trying to protect her.”

The detective’s profile softened as he talked. He wasn’t the impersonal prick she’d originally thought, even though the boy she’d made out with on a beach one clear spring night was long gone. He’d grown and toughened, and his muscles were impressive. He’d picked her up and carried her outside yesterday as if she weighed twenty pounds.

“Right now, they have him sedated,” he continued. “The vet said whenever the dog woke up last night, he whined as though his heart were breaking. Bayside has been taking care of that dog’s medical needs for a couple of years. But he doesn’t like getting clipped, so the owner had attached him to a homemade grooming station she’d bolted into the floor to clip and brush him. If she would’ve unhooked him before answering the door, he’d have protected her with his life.”

Omigod. “So she’s dead and he’s injured, all because he doesn’t like to be groomed?” A cold knot formed in her stomach.

Kelley pierced her with eyes the green of an Irish meadow in summer and shrugged. “We’ve all got our vulnerable spots. His is grooming.” Without taking his eyes off her, he grabbed his coffee and sipped.

Uncomfortable under his gaze, Tia looked away, rubbing the goose bumps from her arms.

He pointed toward the family room. “I see you’ve got a doggie door. Where’s the dog?”

Ah, that. “The dog door was there when I bought the place. There’s no puppy.”

Running his hands over the frame, Ethan examined the wood like a doctor would a patient. “Probably just as well. It’s the original door and has rotted over the decades.” He glanced at her. “You need a new one. This is a security risk. I bet if I gave it a good shove from the outside, it would give way and take the dead bolt with it because the molding’s soft. If you’d like, I know a guy over on Eighty-Seventh Street... ”

There he went again, offering to help her out. The steel door she’d picked out had been on back order for months. Tia cleared her throat. “Thank you, Detective. I’ll get to it as soon as I can.”

Kelley gave a quick nod. “Suit yourself.” He strode into the kitchen and began checking her windows.

Good lord, he was way too much man in her little kitchen.

“Would you consider letting me nail a few of these old windows shut to tighten up security?”

What? “And close off the ocean breeze? Absolutely not!” A tense silence enveloped the room.

Tia crossed her arms. “Thank you for checking on me and for the wake-me-up coffee. I am now in the proceed-with-caution portion of my day because of this.” She held up her coffee. “Is there anything else you need, Detective?”

Placing both hands on his hips, he faced her with frustration rolling off him in waves. “I hope you’ve got a gun on the premises, because this place has the security of a sieve. If you do own a firearm, keep it loaded—safety on—and close by until we find the person who killed Margie Plante.” He looked at her expectantly. “Tell me you at least own a gun.”

The bloodstained white love seat flashed through her mind. That poor woman. Tia had a love-hate relationship with guns, loving the protection and hating the thought of hurting anyone. Her uncle had insisted on a gun-safety course and had taught her to shoot when she’d turned twenty-one. Target practice was scheduled every two months, just in case.

“I do own a firearm. I practice regularly and clean it after every use. I’m also proficient in Krav Maga, thanks to my uncle. Every now and then, the police academy will invite me to hone my skills on the recruits during training.” She gave him an appraising look. “You look to be about six foot four, maybe two forty? Take off your shoes. I’ll prove it to you now.” She kicked her bunny slippers to the side and crooked a finger in his direction. “C’mon, attack me.”

Amusement tugged at his lips. “No, I value my nuts.”

She winced and laughed. “As you should, Detective.”

“Then why did your uncle send me over here to check on you?”

“Because he remembers when I was six and he’d buy me cotton candy on the boardwalk and take me for rides on the Ferris wheel. He also fancies himself the head of our family since my father passed away eight years ago.”

Ethan held his hands up. “I’m sorry. I’ll tell the chief you’re fine and have the situation under control.”

Tia’s inner badass fist-pumped. “Thanks again for the coffee. I appreciate it.”

He headed for the front door. “You’re welcome. I won’t bother you again.”

Right answer. She leaned against the front doorjamb as he strode down the walk. “In my former life, I also worked for the Secret Service.”

He wheeled around, narrowing his eyes.

Tia laughed. “Only kidding. Thanks again.” She shut the door. Well, he’s gone. One of these days her uncle would stop sending men to her house to take care of her. She could only hope he’d give up and believe her when she said no more, never again, she was just fine on her own.