Detecting Danger. Valerie Hansen

we leave the running of the farm to him. Becky got into real estate when we were selling off some small lots to help with back taxes and repairs. It suited her so that’s what she’s doing now.”

      “And you’re the only one in law enforcement.”

      “Right. Me and Abs.” He glanced over his shoulder at his napping partner. “She’s a real treasure.”

      “You need to find somebody like my Cassie.”

      “Uh-uh. Women are too complicated. Besides, I have Abby and my job.”

      “That’s not enough.”

      “You underestimate the positive influence of a happy beagle,” Isaac replied. “She gives great kisses, too.”

      McCord rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Sometimes, Black, you really worry me.”

      Groggy from the pain meds, Isaac yawned again. “Yeah. Sometimes I worry about myself, too.”

      He closed his eyes, intending to rest, and was surprised to visualize the face of the pretty nurse he’d just met. There was something about her that called out to him; that spoke to his inner man the same way wounded warriors in the VA hospital did. She was haunted, but by what? Or whom?

      Isaac blinked and forced himself awake to ask, “Are you still planning on investigating my nurse’s background like you said earlier?”

      “I think I should, don’t you?”

      “Yes.” There was no way Isaac could make himself doubt Daniella’s apparently good character, yet he was curious about what was frightening her. She was plainly scared to death. And judging by the way she’d tried to keep from being photographed, he assumed she was hiding from something. Something that had cut to the core and left her shell-shocked.

      Whatever her problem was, or had been, he was determined to learn enough to help her. That kind of thing wasn’t in his official job description, at least not for the K-9 unit. It was, however, part of his Christian faith and upbringing. If a neighbor needed assistance, it was his duty to render it to the best of his ability.

      Turning his back on the problem was not an option. The good Lord had brought Daniella Dunne into his life for a reason. Now all he had to do was figure out what that reason was and decide whether or not he could do anything for her.

      A lot would depend upon what they learned from the background search. After that, he’d pray about it and make his final decision.

      Truth to tell, Isaac thought, smiling as he dozed off, he wasn’t going to mind becoming involved in the nurse’s troubles. Not one bit.

THREE

      The rising sun was painting the sky in streaks of pink and gold before Daniella felt calm again. She had volunteered to stay past the end of her regular shift, just in case there were more bombs or other emergencies, but had ended up idle for most of the rest of the night.

      She had considered sleeping at the hospital and not going home at all. If it hadn’t been for the needs of Puddy, her black Persian tomcat, she might have opted to stay there indefinitely.

      Bone weary, she yearned for solace and privacy and for the quiet companionship of her feline roommate. Her senses were already dulling and she knew that lack of adequate sleep would affect her more and more as the hours passed. She owed her patients her best. The only sensible choice was to give up and go home.

      She’d picked up her Windbreaker and purse when someone shouted from the break room. “Hey, everybody! Come here. Look. We’re famous.”

      Daniella joined the rush to peer at the TV screen. A rapid progression of scenes with smoke and a booming sound were followed by pictures of an ambulance, then the inside of the very ER where they all worked.

      “There I am.” One of the ambulance attendants cheered. “That should prove to my girlfriend that I really was working last night.”

      Daniella held her breath. The camera panned. She recognized other staff members. There had been more than one news group present so this airing was no guarantee that she had escaped being photographed. Nevertheless, not seeing herself was a good start. If the other major stations were running pooled footage, all the better.

      Just as she started to turn away, someone tapped her arm. “Wow! Look at our Daniella acting like a pop diva.”

      “What?” Her jaw dropped. Not only had she been caught facing the camera, but the white paper on the clipboard next to her cheek highlighted her features. Even someone who barely knew her would recognize her in that shot.

      She sagged against a wall. Moving to a big city was supposed to help her blend in. She liked living in DC. Loved her job and her apartment and the people at work, even the sourpusses. Acceptance of others had accompanied thankfulness for survival and the realization that she was getting a second chance.

      Was she going to have to give it all up? Did she dare stay; stand her ground? What were the chances that her father or one of his former cohorts would recognize her on TV and track her down? She’d changed a lot from the gangly teen she’d been back then, but would it be enough?

      Wresting the remote from the hand of another nurse, she paused the picture and backed up the scene. There she was, all right. In all her brunette glory. Thank goodness she was still putting a dark rinse on her honey-blond hair.

      Daniella ignored murmured protests as she moved the scene forward, then back, then forward again until she was sure of the seriousness of the slipup. In one of the shots her hospital ID badge was visible. It was impossible to read her name as she’d hurried past the reporters, but anyone who had the capabilities to freeze those few frames and enhance the image would also know her false identity.

      She clenched her empty stomach and dropped the remote. With one hand clamped over her mouth and the other clutching the strap of her purse, she wheeled and ran from the room.

      At his murder trial, ten years ago, her own father had threatened to kill her. Even though he was still in prison, she figured he could hire an assassin. She had done nothing wrong and yet she was serving a longer sentence than he was. She was going to have to keep running and hiding for the rest of her life.

      It wasn’t fair. She was one of the good guys. This nightmare was not supposed to be haunting her.

      * * *

      Isaac didn’t remember much about his ride home with Gavin at the wheel and he was asleep minutes after his head hit the pillow. When his phone rang midmorning he was surprised to note how long he had slept.

      He answered, “Black.”

      “How’s the leg?” his captain asked.

      “Now that you mention it, it hurts. The pain meds I took last night must have worn off.”

      “Good. You may want to drive and you’ll need a clear head.”

      “I can’t drive to work. You carjacked me. Remember?”

      “I had your unit delivered to you this morning.”

      “Are you serious? You really want me to come in today?”

      “I have something I think you’ll want to see. Of course, I could email the file to you.”

      “Wanna give me a clue? I’d hate to get dressed and drive all the way into the city for nothing.”

      “It’s about your girlfriend.”

      “My what?” Isaac was sitting on the edge of the bed by now, running his fingers through his hair and taking mental stock of his injury.

      “The nurse you wanted me to check on.”

      “Okay. Go ahead.”

      “She has a spotless record at the hospital and graduated from nursing school at the top of her class.”

      “So?