Follow Me Home (Detectives Kane and Alton)

Jenna’s cellphone rang and she directed Rowley to approach the house. “Aim your spotlights on the front door of the cottage but keep well back.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“What can you see?” Jenna put her cellphone on speaker and glanced at Kane, who had not stopped pacing up and down.

“This is Wolfe, ma’am. I’m looking through binoculars and seeing a patch of red liquid and an upturned black plastic bucket. There seems to be pieces of paper floating in the puddle and a note on the front door. No other foreign objects in the immediate area and nothing I can see anywhere on the porch or any wires at all, but anything could be under the liquid.”

“Keep your distance and put a few rounds into the ground in front of the step.” Kane moved to her side, towing Duke on a leash. “They may have planted a pressure plate; the blood would cover it.”

Jenna listened as the SUV door opened and Wolfe used his rifle. Putt putt putt. Then silence.

“All clear, ma’am.” Rowley’s voice came through the speaker.

She heaved a sigh of relief. “Hold your position. We’re in the barn and we’re coming out.”

After handing Kane one of her halogen flashlights, she led the way out of the safe room. They skirted the cottage and sprinted to meet Wolfe and Rowley. Jenna peered at Kane’s front door and looked at her deputies. “Suggestions?”

“I’m familiar with explosives and tripwires. I’ll do a recon of the area.” Kane’s expression went deathly serious. “But I suggest we clear your house first, ma’am, as you believe someone has been inside.”

Jenna appreciated the fact Kane changed from friend to deputy in front of the others, and nodded. “Yeah, good idea, but I doubt anyone had time to plant a bomb in my house.”

“It would only take a few seconds to slip a device into your house, ma’am.” Wolfe strolled to the back of the SUV. “I’ll grab my kit.”

The smell of putrid blood drifted toward her on the breeze. She glanced up at Kane. “Whatever happens here, you can’t stay in the cottage tonight. You will have to bunk with me. Unless you want to take a room in town?”

“I’m not leaving you out here alone and I doubt the motel allows dogs.” Kane’s expression was unreadable in the dark. “I would rather be close by with a lunatic hanging around.” He rubbed his nose and grimaced. “Do you know a good cleaning service who works on Sundays?”

Jenna chuckled. “You mean apart from Clean as a Wink?” She took the gloves Wolfe offered her and pulled them on. “Yeah, I know a cleanup crew. I’ll call them first thing in the morning.”

“No need, ma’am.” Wolfe gave her a reassuring smile “Once we’ve checked out the area, bleach and a hosing-down will fix it. Plus I’m sure you don’t want to advertise the fact someone is stalking Kane.”

“I’m not being stalked.” Kane gave him a reproachful glare. “Vandalized and threatened, maybe, but whoever did this is trying to make a point.”

“Really?” Wolfe snorted. “Then why are we checking for bombs? If they wanted you to stop the pedophiles, they wouldn’t be trying to kill you or Sheriff Alton.” He glared at Kane. “This is the killer warning you off.”

Jenna cleared her throat. “Stand down, the pair of you. We’ll do a sweep of the area just in case there are any explosives. In this situation, we can’t be too careful. Whatever the reason, my security was breached.” She glared at them. “Stay alert.”

She turned to see Rowley looking at her with a wide-eyed, startled expression. Her young deputy was super-efficient but seemed to wilt if she barked at the older men. “Yes, what is it?”

“We’ll need more vests, ma’am.” Rowley pulled two from the back of the SUV. He handed her one and gave the other to Kane.

“I have two in the back of my car.” She tossed Kane the keys. “Don’t forget to check underneath for bombs before you open the door.”

When he gave her a long, cold stare, she could have swallowed her tongue. How could she have forgotten Kane’s wife had died in a car bombing before she opened her big mouth? Her face grew hot. “I’m glad you?

??re an expert on explosive devices.”

“So am I.” Kane’s mouth formed a thin line when he handed her Duke’s leash. “Better keep him here. He may trigger a tripwire.”

She could sense the bad memories crushing down on him as she took the dog’s leash. “Okay.”

“I’ll help Kane, ma’am.” Wolfe scooped the vest from her hands and shrugged into it. “Not that a vest will do much to stop an explosion.” He strode toward her SUV, flashlight in hand.

She glanced at Rowley. “Don’t ask.”

“I wouldn’t think of it, ma’am.” Rowley’s dark gaze narrowed. “Who do you think has it in for Deputy Kane?”

Jenna kept her attention fixed on her deputies. She noticed the careful way both men surrounded her car, peering underneath and moving their flashlights in all directions. “He had a call earlier this evening warning him off. This might be a ploy by the killer to get him to stand down. They obviously don’t know him very well.”