Aimee Thurlo - Alpha Warrior

“But you haven’t seen the subject since?” Koval said, bringing her back on track.

“No. I lead a quiet life, Detective. My uncle’s the former chief of police, Earl Simmons,” she said. “The troublemakers in town know that, too, and generally avoid me.”

“Until now,” Koval said.

Nick hadn’t made the family connection until that moment, but that explained a few things, like her skill in removing the safety lock on a weapon and her ease in feeding a shell into the chamber of his short-barreled shotgun.

“Lately, I’ve been working very long hours,” Drew said.

Koval nodded. “I know. Right now, you’re training to take over for our records clerk, who’s about to go on an extended leave of absence. You and Beth know each other, so I imagine that gave you the inside track.”

“No, sir,” she snapped. “I got the job on my own merit. In addition to my degree, I have three IT courses under my belt. I was the most qualified person available.”

Koval gave her one of his famous stares. They’d been known to intimidate all but the most hardened of criminals, but Drew met his gaze with an unflinching one of her own, and held it.

Nick had trouble biting back a grin. He liked this woman more with each passing second.

“I want you to come down to the station and look through our photo arrays. See if anyone there looks like your mall stalker,” Koval said.

“Right now?” she asked, then pointed to her damaged car.

“Perhaps Detective Blacksheep can give you a ride,” Koval said, and glanced at Nick, who nodded.

“Before I go, I’d like to get my purse. It’s still on the front seat,” Drew said. “No one touched it, or even got near it, except me.”

“Your sedan’s part of the crime scene, so it’ll be towed in as evidence. But one of our officers can retrieve your handbag for you,” Koval said.

They waited as Koval spoke to a member of the crime scene team. The tech then walked over to her car and brought out her big tote. The stubby, barrel-chested man carried her purse like a grocery bag instead of by the handles, and handed it to her without comment.

“Thank you,” Drew said.

The man nodded, obviously glad to have it out of his hands.

Drew walked with Nick back to his Jeep. She’d never been the kind to be overly affected by a guy’s looks, yet there was something about Nick that made her a little crazy inside. Maybe it was that cold, hard gaze that softened, and even warmed, when he looked at her, or that rugged masculinity that assured her she was safe by his side.

She shook her head, trying to unscramble her thinking. She was confusing feelings of relief and gratitude with…something else. Or maybe she was simply trying to distract herself from the horrible incident she’d lived through. She’d never been impressed by macho men, and after a lifetime of living with cops, she definitely didn’t date them.

Stopping by the outer edge of the yellow crime-scene tape strung around the perimeter, Drew glanced back at her car. “Do you think anyone would mind if I also took the book bag in the backseat? The two who came after me never touched that either.”

“What’s so important about those books?” he asked.

“They’re reference manuals that belong to the police department, and I don’t want to leave them in the impound lot. Without those, I can’t complete my training.”

“Let me consult the crime-scene team leader.” Moments later, Nick returned holding a heavy nylon backpack and handed it to her. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” She slung the straps over her shoulder and once again fell into step beside him.

They soon reached his Jeep and got on the road. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her shudder. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not. I’m scared. I still don’t know if I was a target of opportunity or their intended victim. I also don’t know when—or if—they’ll come back and try again,” she said, her voice rising an octave.

“You really don’t have anything to worry about. Your uncle has a lot of clout with our department, and I’m pretty sure that he’ll insist the new chief provide you with protection until we know more about what happened tonight. The fact that you’re Earl Simmons’s niece puts an entirely new spin on things. What happened to you tonight may be linked to him and something he did as a police officer years ago. Revenge can simmer for a long time.”

“But logically, if they wanted to get at my uncle, wouldn’t they have gone after my aunt instead of me?”

“Maybe you were more available. Or it could have all been just a matter of timing.”

Drew considered it, then shook her head. “Your answer doesn’t feel right to me.”

“It doesn’t—what?”

“Call it intuition if you want, but I trust my instincts. They’ve always been reliable.”

He wasn’t a big believer in instincts—a woman’s or a man’s—but sometimes what people attributed to instinct was nothing more than the product of subconscious observations. “So what do those vibes tell you now?”

“That my troubles are just beginning,” she whispered.

“Evil is never easy to face down, but you’re doing just fine. Those men are nursing some bad bruises by now. Not bad for a librarian,” he said, with an easy smile.

While Drew looked through the mug shots, Nick reported to Chief Franklin’s office. Captain Wright, Nick’s immediate supervisor, was already there.

“I got an earful from Earl Simmons,” Chief Franklin said, muttering an oath. “He still monitors police calls and knew what went down minutes after it happened. He doesn’t seem to get the fact that he’s not police chief anymore. If that bullet hadn’t put him on the disabled list, there’s no way that man would have retired.”

“What can you tell us about tonight’s incident, Nick?” Wright asked.

Nick gave them the facts, then added a couple of his own theories regarding possible motives. “Koval’s just getting started with the investigation, but he’s like a pit bull when it comes to cracking a case. He won’t back off until he’s got the answers he needs.”

“All right then, let’s get back to the original reason you were coming in tonight—your hearing,” Chief Franklin said. “The rep from the officer’s association is waiting for us in the conference room, and so’s the civilian lodging the complaint—Ray Owens. He’s threatening to sue the department and you personally.”

“I stand behind my actions. They were entirely within department guidelines. I’ve done nothing wrong,” Nick said.

“All right. Let’s get to it then.” Chief Franklin led the way out of his office and down the hall.

When Captain Wright paused at one of the rooms to speak to another officer on duty, Nick slowed his pace. He didn’t want to go into the conference room until everyone was there.

As he waited, Owens came up, blocking his way.

“Say goodbye to your career, hotshot. By the time I’m through with you, you’ll be lucky to get a job mopping the restrooms,” he said, his voice loud enough for only Nick to hear.

“Get out of my face,” Nick growled.

“And if I don’t, then what? You’ll take a swing? Go ahead. We’ve got a roomful of witnesses,” he said, jabbing Nick in the chest with his fingertip.

Nick grabbed Owens’s index finger and bent it back enough for the man’s eyes to water.

Owens staggered back, bumping into the doorjamb, and looked around quickly for a witness, but it was fruitless. Everyone was pretending to be looking elsewhere—except for a man in an expensive business suit. Nick guessed he was the wife beater’s attorney. His word wouldn’t carry very far in this gathering.