their power to hurt others, to fulfill some kind of personal agenda.
Sirens broke the silence and she straightened, her eyes once again going to the place where the gray sedan had disappeared. Some of her adrenaline eased now that she felt sure they weren’t coming back.
Chief of police Earl Jones stepped from his cruiser. Seventy years old, he topped six feet two inches and carried himself well in spite of his large gut. His gray hair looked mussed, as though he’d run his hands through it several times. His gaze landed on Ellen then slid over to Lee. “Not out of prison two weeks and you’re already causing trouble? Not a good way to start your new life.”
* * *
Lee nearly bit through his tongue to keep the words he’d like to fling at the man from making their way past his teeth. He simply stared at the chief. He wouldn’t defend himself. He didn’t have to. The fact that he stood here a free man was defense enough as far as he was concerned. Chief Jones raised a brow, a glint of respect lighting his eyes before he hitched his britches and held out a hand to Lee. “You got a raw deal. I’m glad it all worked out for you.”
Lee blinked and swallowed his anger. He shook the man’s hand. “Thanks. I am, too.”
The chief looked at Ellen. “What’s going on here, Foxcroft?”
Ellen’s gaze darted between the two them. Lee maintained his cool stance. Deputy Louise Donaldson exited her cruiser and joined them on the side of the road. The woman was in her early sixties and, if Lee remembered correctly, had been widowed at a rather young age.
She was tall and solid, her hair cut in a no-nonsense brown bob. Her dark eyes were serious and concerned. He also knew she planned to retire soon. In fact he wondered who would retire first, the chief or Louise. And why he was even thinking about that confused him. He attributed it to some kind of coping mechanism. If he thought about the mundane, he didn’t have to think about the fact that he and Ellen could have been killed a short few moments ago.
“We were shot at,” Ellen was saying. “I think there were two of them in the vehicle. They drove a dark gray Buick and I got a partial plate.” She gave it to him. “They’ve also got a busted windshield.”
“I’ll call for a tow truck,” Louise said. She got on her phone and Earl rubbed a hand over his craggy face.
“All right, let’s get you two back to town and get this figured out. Donaldson!”
“Yes, Chief?” She slid her phone back into the clip.
“Get Marlton and Harmon out here to take care of the evidence collection before the sun goes down. We’ve only got a couple hours before dark.” Dennis Marlton and Eddie Harmon, two more of Desert Valley’s finest—only Lee had come to figure out they weren’t quite so fine. Between ready-for-retirement cops and simple ineffectiveness, Lee decided it was a wonder enforcement of the law even happened in Desert Valley.
Chief Jones was a good man, but his upcoming retirement had him slacking off. The chief continued, “I’ll stay here while you chauffeur these two back to town. Officer Foxcroft’s got some paperwork to fill out on the shooting. Make sure her gun is turned in and all is done according to procedure.”
Louise’s jaw tightened as though she didn’t like being told how to do her job, but she simply nodded. “Of course. Come on.”
Lee put the crated puppies in the back of the DVPD SUV cruiser then he climbed in the back while Ellen took the front passenger seat. Louise started the vehicle and pulled away from the edge of the road. Lee reached over and settled his hand on Ellen’s shoulder. She started and turned to look at him, confusion clouding her eyes. But at least she didn’t pull away. “I’m glad you’re all right,” he said. “That was some quick thinking and good shooting out there.”
She shot him a tight smile. “Thanks. I just wanted to stop them.”
“You did that, all right.”
She fell silent and Lee removed his hand from her shoulder to look out the window and watch the scenery pass by. He didn’t take for granted the fact that he could do this now. He’d missed riding in a car for the past two years. Missed driving his truck. He’d missed a lot of things. The anger wanted to bubble up, but he took a deep breath and forced it down. Anger at what he couldn’t change wouldn’t help anything. It would just cause the bitterness to grow, and he didn’t want to go through life that way. Had made a vow he wouldn’t let it consume him. Not like it had his father. He forced the thought away.
Within minutes they were at the police station. Lee climbed out of the cruiser, grabbed the puppies from the back and waited for Ellen to climb out. He let her go in front of him, watching her enter the station, her steps light, movements graceful. He realized his feelings for her hadn’t diminished one bit from their high school days. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he was still attracted to her. And her mother still hated him. No doubt even more so at this point. He wasn’t just a kid from the wrong side of the tracks anymore—he’d been incarcerated. Oh, yes, that would go over well with Marian Foxcroft. Assuming she ever woke up from her coma to find out he was now out and working with her daughter. As much as he disliked the woman, he realized he could feel compassion for her. She was in the hospital in a coma, a victim of a home invasion and a vicious attack. No one deserved that. He swallowed hard and pulled the rolling crates behind him. He trailed Ellen as she led the way through the Desert Valley Police Department lobby.
“Ellen?”
Ellen paused and turned to the woman who’d called her name. “Yes, Carrie?”
Lee racked his brain trying to place what he’d learned about the secretary and couldn’t come up with much. In her thirties, she wore thick horn-rimmed glasses and her brown hair was always in the same style every time he’d seen her around town. Up in one of those messy-bun things some women managed to twist their hair into. She was quiet and kind and did her job well if the rumors were true.
She handed Ellen a piece of paper. “The hospital called just to say there’s been no change in your mother. Dr. North said to let you know he had a family emergency and wouldn’t be able to meet with you this afternoon, but if you’ll call his secretary to reschedule, she’ll fit you in as soon as possible.”
“That’s fine. Thanks.” She frowned. “I wonder why he didn’t call my cell.”
“He said he did but you didn’t answer.”
“She was kind of busy,” Lee said.
Ellen nodded. “Thanks, Carrie.”
“Of course.” She turned back to her computer and Louise continued the trek to a conference room.
Officer Donaldson shut the door behind them and Lee saw Ellen check her phone. “Yep. Missed call.” She glanced at Lee. “Right in the middle of our little incident. I never heard it ring.”
He hadn’t, either.
Ellen removed her weapon and placed it in the bag the officer held out for her. “You know the drill,” Officer Donaldson said. “There’ll be an investigation. You’re off duty for the moment.”
Ellen sighed. “I know.”
“The good news is since there are no wounded or dead bodies, you could be cleared for return to duty as early as tomorrow or the next day. We’ll
