Guard Duty. Sharon Dunn

to face him as he approached. “We lost sight of him.” She looked down at Lexi, who sat at her feet, panting. “Her sniffer is all messed up. Daytime searches are harder anyway—too many people running around, lot of scents to sort through.”

      “One of the units is still watching the car. If he tries to go back that way, we’ll nab him.” Disappointment settled in his stomach like a rock. Twice in one day, Murke had been within his grasp...and he had eluded them.

      “I already radioed a patrol unit to comb the streets.” She tugged on Lexi’s leash. “We’ll walk the neighborhood, see if we can pick up on anything. Maybe somebody saw him.”

      Trevor stood close to Valerie, expecting to be enveloped in her floral scent. Instead, he smelled...Italian spices? Her uniform had stains on it. “What happened to you?”

      “Murke’s escape plan involved throwing his takeout at me. Lexi got spices up her nose, and Murke’s lunch is all over my uniform.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Let’s not make a big deal about it or else the other officers will have a nickname for me before the day is over.”

      “I don’t know...you might have started a trend. Marinara-scented perfume could become very popular,” he quipped.

      She had an easy laugh that helped quell some of the frustration he’d felt at losing Murke again.

      They searched the street for several more hours before giving up. The Buick remained parked by the hardware store. Murke wouldn’t be stupid enough to return. Maybe he had slipped into a garage or an unlocked house and maybe he had phoned someone and gotten a ride. The point was they weren’t going to find him today.

      Valerie completed her usual patrol shift. They rolled through the neighborhood where they had first seen Murke, stopping at Linda Seville’s empty house. Maybe the older woman was out of town.

      As they stepped around from the house, Valerie suggested, “We might be able to catch up with Leroy Seville through his parole officer.”

      Trevor nodded, unable to let go of his frustration. “That would be the next step.” Squaring his shoulders, he ambled toward his car.

      Once he was behind the wheel, Valerie commented, “Both times today Murke was trying to get some food, and we kept him from eating.” She rested her head against the back of the seat. “Maybe we’ll just starve him out.”

      Trevor laughed. He appreciated her being able to find humor in the situation, but Murke was still on the run. “I thought Murke would skip town after he saw us this morning. Wonder what’s keeping him here, risking being caught?”

      Valerie shook her head. “You said he lived here when he was a teenager?”

      “Yeah, and he’s come back more than once,” Trevor said.

      “My brother David works undercover. He’s in touch with some of the shadier people around Sagebrush. He might know something.”

      So her brother was a cop, too. “I’d like to talk to him.”

      “We’re having a family barbecue tonight. You’re welcome to come.”

      Social gatherings really weren’t his thing, but he was anxious to heat up the trail that led to Murke. After all, there would be no justice for Cory Smith’s death until Murke was caught. “I might do that.”

      She let out a heavy sigh and stared at the ceiling. “I can’t wait to get out of this uniform. I smell like an Italian restaurant.”

      He drove across town and parked in front of her house. The patrol car that was supposed to be her off-duty protection hadn’t shown up yet. He raced around to her side of the car and helped her out. He stayed close to her as they crossed the street. As close as he could get with Lexi between them.

      In a lot of ways, she was a good cop, even if she was a rookie. “I appreciate the work you did today. How did you know Murke was on that side of the street?”

      They came to her door. “I thought it would be better if I got out of the car and was ready for him.” She looked up at him without blinking, her green eyes bright and clear. “I know you told me to stay in the car, but sitting on the sidelines is not what a cop does.”

      The expression on her face sent a charge through him. “You showed good instincts,” he murmured.

      “Thank you.” When she smiled, her freckles seemed more intense.

      The glow of appreciation in her voice made his heart leap.

      She leaned toward him. “Guess I’ll see you later for the barbecue.”

      “I’m not going anywhere. Your night watch isn’t here yet. I’ll be parked right along the curb.”

      “I appreciate that.” She opened the door and slipped inside.

      As the door eased shut, he could hear the sound of Mrs. Witherspoon’s fussing over Valerie, Bethany’s gleeful cry and Valerie exclaiming, “There’s my girl.”

      Trevor returned to his car and settled in. He had some calls he needed to make. He scanned the neighborhood, which was a mixture of apartment buildings and single-family homes. Things looked pretty settled, but that didn’t mean he could let his guard down. Twice Lexi came to the window and looked out at him, resting her paws on the windowsill.

      That dog just didn’t know what to make of him.

      As he pulled his laptop out and worked through the late afternoon, he found himself looking forward to the barbecue and being with Valerie. What was it about her that was getting under his skin?