Valerie Hansen - Detecting Danger

Tears gathered in Daniella’s eyes and spilled silently down her cheeks. Her voice was thready. “Are—are you sure?”

“No. But Abby is and that’s good enough for me. Now, stay put and let me take care of everything.” He drew the living room blinds while his sweet-tempered dog wagged her tail and licked Daniella’s fingers.

When he returned and gathered up the leash, he paused with one hand on the doorknob. “Lock this after me.”

Her “Okay” was little more than a weak whisper, but at the moment she couldn’t manage anything more forceful.

“It’ll be all right,” Isaac assured her. “Just sit tight and don’t move.”

“Can I pack a few things?”

“No!” was almost a shout. “Listen carefully. We know that couch is safe because Abby didn’t react to it, but I don’t want you wandering around in here until I’ve had a chance to let her explore every room.”

“You—you think there’s a bomb in here, too?”

“Probably not. But are you willing to take the chance?”

“No. Of course not.” She whisked away her tears with the back of her hand.

“Good. Now you’re being sensible.”

The door closed quietly behind the K-9 officer. Daniella twisted the dead bolt, listening to its click for added assurance. She was safe, at least for the present.

The fortuitous arrival of Isaac and his remarkable dog still amazed her. Could God have somehow spurred him to make this impromptu visit?

She shook her head, clenching her jaw tightly. No. God might protect innocent people, but she was far from naive. Her lack of initiative had gotten her mother killed, and her foolish choices afterward had sent her into perpetual hiding.

Although she had no trouble praying for others, she’d long ago given up asking the Lord to watch over or guide her.

Ella Fagan, aka Daniella Dunne, didn’t deserve God’s love or his forgiveness. The most she could hope for was the wisdom to once more escape her father’s vendetta.

Her whirling thoughts would not, could not, carry her further than that.

For all she knew, there would be no life beyond the next few days.

FOUR

With local police waiting outside for the bomb squad, Isaac returned to the apartment. When there was no response to his light knock, he rapped harder.

“Who is it?”

“Isaac Black and Abby.”

The moment Daniella opened the door, he smiled. “Good job. I’m glad you’re being so careful.”

“Careful?” She made a wry face. “I’m scared to even breathe, thanks to you. Do you really think there’s another bomb in here?”

“No, I don’t. But letting me and Abby check the apartment while you sit on the couch and stay out of trouble is the smartest choice.”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

His attention now fully on Daniella, Isaac noted that she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt instead of her hospital scrubs. He scowled. “You changed clothes since your shift?”

“Yes, after I got home this morning and showered. Since I was so wide-awake I was planning to run a few errands before taking a nap. I’m almost out of cat food.”

“You’ve already been in the bedroom?”

“Yes.” He saw her blanch as reality grew.

“All right. How many cats do you have?”

“Just one. Puddy is black with long hair.” She eyed Abby. “Don’t let your dog scare him. He doesn’t have all his claws.”

“I’ll keep Abs on a leash.” Isaac started for the closest room, the kitchen, noting that it led to a hallway. “This will only take a few minutes. If she doesn’t react we’ll be right back.”

“What if she does?”

“If she does, then we’ll both go out the front door and I’ll have the bomb squad come in here, too.”

“Terrific.” Daniella made a silly face.

Isaac had to smile again. “It’s good to see that your sarcastic side is still operational.”

“It’s a coping mechanism a lot of nurses have, I guess.”

“So do cops. Civilians don’t usually understand how much it helps us when we have to deal with crime and loss so often.”

It was clear from the expression on her face that Daniella understood perfectly. Whatever her full background was, she was a sensible and, he hoped, a reasonably stable person. Why that should be important to him was somewhat of a puzzle. Logically, however, she needed a temporary safe house, and he had plenty of extra room on the old farm. Unless Captain McCord came up with some heinous crimes in her past, there should be no reason why he couldn’t take her home with him, at least for now. His sister might even have some clothes that would fit her and perhaps change her image enough that she’d be less easily spotted by whoever was menacing her.

His plans were almost fully formed by the time Isaac returned to the living room. “All clear,” he said. “I’m satisfied that there’s no danger in this apartment right now. You can go pack but don’t take too long. The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

“ We? Where did that come from?”

“I’m taking you home with me—unless you have a better idea.”

“I can’t go with you. Not just like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because you don’t really know me.”

Isaac smiled wryly. “If I did, should I be afraid of you?”

“Of course not, but...”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll go put Abby in the SUV, tell the local police what we’re doing and be back in a flash. I’ll expect you to be ready to leave by then.”

“You’re ordering me to go with you?”

His smile widened. “No. I’m offering a lifeline to a drowning citizen. You can always swim off into shark-infested waters by yourself if you choose.”

“I see your point. All right,” Daniella said, “but we have to take Puddy. I’m not abandoning him.”

“Do you have a carrier?”

“Yes.”

“Then put him in it and I’ll take him, too.”

She began to call, “Puddy? Here kitty, kitty.” There was no response. Not even a faint meow.

The stricken look on her face touched Isaac. “I didn’t see him when I searched. Maybe he hid when he spotted Abby. I’ll take her outside. Keep calling to him while you’re packing. Just try not to sound overly anxious. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Isaac waited until he heard the door lock click into place before heading down the hall. Getting Daniella to agree to leave her apartment had not been too difficult. Getting her to actually go if she couldn’t locate her missing cat might prove far more perplexing. For all they knew, whoever had placed the bomb by the car might have also let the cat out. Anything was possible.

At present, his fondest hope was that the frightened feline would show up.

* * *

Daniella was frantic. She faced Isaac, eyes wide, short of breath. “I can’t find him. He’s not here!”

“Was the door locked when you got home?”

“Of course it was.” She frowned. “At least I think so. I was so tired I really didn’t pay much attention.”

“You weren’t scared at that point. So what set you off before I got here?”

Although she hated to answer, she felt she owed him a little more information. “I got a threatening phone call,” she said, continuing to search for Puddy while she talked.

Isaac followed her. “Maybe it was a prank.”

She shook her head so dramatically her hair brushed against each cheek in turn. “No way. This was for real.”

“You know who called?”

“Yes. What I can’t figure out is how he managed to get my number so fast. I was only on the news a few hours ago.” She explained about seeing herself on TV as part of the coverage about the bombing.

“Maybe he saw you and hacked into the hospital’s personnel files.”