LITMIR.BIZ

       THREE

      Chase stood next to his partner, Todd Grayson, in Hammer’s living room and frowned. Nothing.

      “We still have the garage, and the tech guys will go through his computer,” Todd said.

      “Where is this guy if he isn’t guilty?”

      “We’ll find him and ask him that question. He has a motive. His car, which wasn’t reported stolen, was the getaway vehicle. He has a lot of explaining.”

      Chase started for the kitchen. “Let’s check the garage then go home. Tomorrow I’ll interview the couple of neighbors who weren’t home earlier. Maybe someone will know where he is.”

      “I’ll interview Hammer’s ex-wife and boss. Something will turn up.”

      In the meantime, Kate was scared for her child. He’d investigated a couple of kidnappings since he’d returned to the police force two years ago. He’d seen the terror and heartache the parents went through, especially with the one that ended tragically. He wished at times he could turn off his emotions totally. Usually he managed to push them down enough so he could work effectively on the case. He wasn’t so sure he could manage that this time.

      There was something about Kate that pulled at him. When fighting the attacker, she’d been ferocious. But the second Jamie was safe, her tenderness had surged to the foreground as she comforted her son.

      “I’ll take the left side,” Chase said and moved to a group of stacked boxes.

      Kate had Rachel, but she didn’t have any family here. She was essentially alone. That thought knocked holes in the barrier he’d erected around his heart. His only mission, especially since he’d survived the ambush, had been to protect and serve others.

      The blare of his cell phone cut through the silence in the garage. He saw it was Kate’s number, and his pulse picked up speed. Was Hammer there?

      He punched the accept button. “Detective Walker here,” he said in his professional voice, trying to keep that wall between them.

      “My alarm is going off. Someone must be in the house.”

      “Did you call 9-1-1?” Chase headed for the garage door button to raise it.

      “You are 9-1-1.”

      “I’ll be right there. Get Jamie and Rachel and lock yourselves in the bathroom. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He hit the opener.

      “Hurry.”

      “I will. Stay on the phone with me.” Then to his partner who held some photos he’d found, he said, “Judge Forster’s alarm went off.”

      As Chase jogged to his car, Todd shouted, “I’m coming, right behind you. I’ll let the station know.”

      “Do you have Jamie yet?” Chase asked Kate as he slipped behind his steering wheel.

      “Yes,” she said in a breathless voice. “Rachel’s here, too. We’ll be in the main upstairs bathroom.” Fear dripped off each word.

      The sound ripped through his heart. He dug deep to remain calm and remember what he’d learned in his hostage negotiation class. He started his car and floored it. “I’m coming. Get away from the door in the bathroom, if possible.”

      Kate spoke to Rachel about what to do. “We’re in the tub.” He barely heard what she said over Jamie’s crying. A pause then she said, “Jamie, Chase is coming. We’re going to be all right, honey.”

      Jamie’s crying quieted. Chase imagined Kate gently rocking her son as she’d done at the reserve.

      “See Case?”

      “Yes. You remember him from earlier tonight.”

      A smile tugged at Chase’s mouth as he stopped at the gate and put in the number she’d given him earlier. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel as the wrought-iron barricade slowly moved out of the way.

      When he was inside, he texted the code to Todd then said to Kate, “I’m here. Still all right?”

      “Yes. The alarm is still blaring, but that’s all I can hear.”

      “Let’s hope it only malfunctioned.”

      She chuckled, a bit shaky. “Better than someone here.”

      As he hurried toward the large house, he said, “I need to pocket my phone to free up my hands, but I won’t disconnect.” He hated not to have that connection with her, but his focus had to be totally on what was going on.

      As he approached the porch, he continually scanned the area around him. The noise from the alarm constantly reminded him that Kate, Jamie and Rachel were in danger. His gaze latched onto a broken windowpane at the far end of the long porch. Was that the only reason the alarm had gone off? As Todd and another patrol car pulled up to her house, he withdrew his phone.

      “Someone broke a lower windowpane in the living room.”

      After she told Rachel, she asked, “Do you want me to come downstairs and turn the alarm off then open the door?”

      “Not until I have gone around the house and checked for any other attempts to get inside.”

      “The alarm must have scared the person off.”

      He hoped that was the case. “I don’t want to bust your door down unless necessary. Hang on. I’ll let you know what to do.”

      “Actually I have a key hidden outside in the rock garden.” She described the exact location. “My security code is 6735.”

      “I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep a key outside.”

      “I know. Honestly, I forgot about it. After James died, I was forgetful and locked myself out of the house twice. I put a key in the garden so I didn’t need a locksmith to come to my house anymore. Strangely once I did, I never had to use it.”

      “Good.” He walked to the spot and bent down to retrieve the key. “I’ve got it. I’m pocketing my cell phone. Don’t open the bathroom door unless it’s me.”

      Todd joined him. “You think that’s it?”

      “I hope so. But if someone wanted to break a window to get into the house, why the front porch with the security lights on in front?”

      While Todd went to the left, Chase moved right, that question plaguing him.

      * * *

      Sitting in the dry bathtub facing Rachel, Kate gently rocked Jamie back and forth. He was fighting going to sleep. She began singing a soft lullaby. Jamie’s eyes finally slid all the way closed.

      “I think he’s going back to sleep,” Kate whispered to Rachel while glancing at her watch. It had been ten minutes since Chase began checking out the rest of the house. Ten long minutes.

      “Good.” Rachel looked at Jamie. “He has to be exhausted.”

      “So am I, but I’ve got a feeling tonight won’t be a restful one.”

      Rachel smiled. “I know what you mean.”

      “I’m so glad I have you to help.” Without her husband, she’d felt so lost and grief-stricken until her nanny was hired. Kate hoped this problem didn’t drive Rachel away. “When this is over with, I’m going to rearrange my schedule so you can have a vacation, my treat.”

      “Really?

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