Cross My Heart (Detectives Kane and Alton)

Kane followed him to the table and lifted his meal from the cart. “What time are we leaving? I’d have like to have gotten back to the ranch last night to help Jenna with the chores this morning. The storms have been bad over Black Rock Falls. I hope the roof is still on my cottage.”

“She’d have called.” Carter poured coffee from a two-cup pot and took a sip. “Wouldn’t she?”

Kane swallowed a mouthful of eggs and shook his head. “Nope. She wouldn’t disturb me unless there was a homicide and then I guess she’d have enough backup with Rowley and Rio. She’s an independent woman, she knows who to call for help if disaster strikes.”

“We’ll be leaving at six-thirty. Jo is keen to be home before her daughter leaves for school.” Carter smiled. “When you’re done here, we can head down to the lobby to wait for her. If we’re not delayed, you should be home before Jenna leaves for the office.”

As Kane finished his meal, his phone pealed out Rowley’s ringtone. He frowned and took the call. “Yeah, Jake, what’s up?”

“Have you spoken to Jenna this morning?” Rowley sounded anxious.

Kane glanced across the table at Carter. “No, I haven’t spoken to her since yesterday. She told me she’d be busy hanging new drapes in the family room over the weekend. Maybe she turned off her phone and forgot to turn it back on. You were on the 911 callout, right?”

“Uh-huh.” Rowley cleared his throat. “Well, I called just before. I figured she might need some help with the horses but she didn’t pick up. The message said her phone was unavailable. I had the same response with the landline and she didn’t pick up her sat phone. We had a dry storm here last night, but it didn’t affect the power here but it could have out at the ranch. She’s on a different grid to us.”

“The backup generator would have kicked in, so something’s not right.” Kane stared at his watch. “It will be light soon. Grab Rio and head out to the ranch. We’ll be leaving here as soon as possible.”

“I’ll call Rio now.” Rowley disconnected.

“Trouble?” Carter loaded up the cart and stood.

A knot tightened in Kane’s gut. After trying Jenna’s number and getting the same message, he pushed his unfinished meal away. “I’m not sure. Jenna’s not picking up her phone. Rowley’s been trying to reach her for some time.” He stood, reached for his jacket, and shrugged it on. “We need to go. Can you hurry Jo along?”

“Sure. But I have a SatSleeve for my phone.” Carter glanced at Zorro. “Stay.” He headed for the door.

As Carter’s room was right next door, he returned in a few minutes with the phone pressed to his cheek.

“She has the satellite phone in her cruiser, right?” Carter’s eyebrows met in a frown. He waited for what seemed like ages and then left a message. “Jenna, it’s Ty. Call me on the satellite phone. It’s urgent.”

Uncertainty crawled over Kane like a rash from poison ivy. “She’d have parked right outside the front porch. Something’s wrong.”

“Meet us in the lobby.” Carter motioned Zorro to follow him and headed for the door.

Kane nodded. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Worry for Jenna clamped Kane’s gut. They’d made a lot of arrests in Black Rock Falls and put many murderers in jail. In the investigations many people had their noses out of joint when they came under scrutiny, especially if they’d faced lesser charges from crimes they’d uncovered during the investigation. Some people and their families held grudges for years and might figure Jenna was an easy target. She was far from it, but out at the ranch all alone, she’d be able to handle one or two assailants—but for how long? He knew Jenna, and she’d never kill anyone unless they threatened her life. Kane took his weapon from the bedside table and slid it into his shoulder holster. After doing a quick sweep of the room to make sure he had everything, he picked up his bag and headed out the door for the elevator. He checked out and turned as Carter and Jo came into the lobby.

“Has something happened to Jenna?” Jo had toast wrapped in a paper napkin and carried a bottle of water under one arm. She balanced her suitcase on wheels against one leg, and her eyebrows raised in question.

Kane waited for Carter to check out and they all headed for the door. “I’m not sure. We can’t reach her.”

“We’ll go straight to the ranch.” Carter headed for their rental car. “With the power out, she might be stuck inside. The gates would be locked, right?” He got behind the wheel and started the engine.

Kane dumped the bags inside the trunk. “Yeah, but I checked the generator before I left. It was working fine.” Worry for Jenna seeped through him in an ice-cold chill. “If they’d gotten inside when she was asleep, they could’ve had the jump on her. With the storm last night, Duke would have been hiding and maybe not given her a warning.”

“This is like déjà vu.” Jo slipped into the back seat. “It was a nightmare when that psychopath broke into the house. But this time she’s all alone.”

“Jenna’s tougher than you think.” Carter started the engine. “And if someone broke in, they wouldn’t be expecting a fight.”

Six

Exhausted and frozen to the bone, Jenna had remained with her back pressed up against the filing cabinet, weapon aimed at the door. The rifle had gotten heavier by the minute and she wondered if her ice-cold fingers could pull the trigger. Only adrenalin kept her alert, and bursts of it had flooded her bloodstream the moment the front door of her home crashed open. She tried to control the fear welling up inside her as boots thundered over the wooden floor and a person searched the rooms, invading her privacy. Anger rose as the intruder went through her home like a wrecking ball. Things hit the floor and she made out the tinkle of glass breaking.

The door handle rattled and a shoulder first and then a boot slammed into it, shaking the lock. A normal door would have flown open with a kick aimed beside the lock, but the steel door and frame held. Taking a steadying breath, Jenna aimed the AR-15. If anyone came through that door, their intent was clear. A muffled sound of cursing had Duke’s hackles rising all down his back. His skin had drawn back from his teeth, exposing his canines, and he barked a warning.

Recalling Kane’s orders to his dog, Jenna kept her voice low and calm. “Take cover, Duke.” She sighed with relief as he crawled under the desk but kept up a steady low growl. “Good boy.”

The assault on the door continued but no weapon was fired. Whoever was out there was only carrying a crossbow. The footsteps came again and scratching came at the door. Jenna held her breath as blows shattered the wall beside the door. God help her, the intruder had found the tools in her utility room and was attacking the wall with a hammer. She rested the rifle on her knees and stretched her fingers. Her weapon would shred the wall but leave her exposed. She had to find cover and scanned the room. As the noise became louder and wood cracked as loud as gunshots, she stood on legs numb from sitting, placed the rifle on the filing cabinet, and moved everything from the desk. She tipped it over and then dragged it into place. The cracking of wood shook the walls as she heaved the metal filing cabinets around the table. With Duke safely inside, she grabbed her weapons, clips, and a bottle of water and hunkered down.