Guard Duty. Sharon Dunn

the other end of the administrative area, Captain McNeal stepped out of his office. “Dispatch just got a call from a black and white downtown. The car you saw Murke drive away in has been spotted outside a hardware store on Sagebrush Boulevard.”

      Valerie jumped up and grabbed Lexi’s leash. “We might have Murke in custody before the day is over.” Excitement pulsed through her. Chasing down Murke would get her mind off the email.

      She clicked Lexi into her leash, glad to be doing something she could deal with.

      Trevor quickened his pace as he moved toward the door. “Let’s go catch a fugitive.”

      FOUR

      Adrenaline surged through Valerie as Trevor selected a parking space with a view of Derek Murke’s older-model Buick parked across the street. Murke was nowhere in sight. He had to be in one of the shops. She loved this part of the job—the prospect of catching a criminal brought the importance of her work back to her.

      The sidewalks bustled with afternoon activity. Downtown Sagebrush was a mixture of boutiques and restaurants that provided a medley of rustic charm and trendy affluency. She recognized the patrol car up the block and two other unmarked police cars that had moved into place. Now it was just a matter of sitting and waiting. Murke had to come back to his car sooner or later.

      Lexi leaned forward and panted.

      Trevor angled his head away so he wouldn’t get slobbered on.

      “Sorry, she just likes to be a part of the action,” Valerie explained, smiling indulgently as she stroked Lexi’s ears.

      The radio sparked to life. “Car two this is car one. I’ve got eyes on Murke. He’s standing at the check-out line in Bealman’s Hardware.”

      Trevor lurched in his seat. “All right, let’s move in. Keep the uniforms out of sight range. I don’t want Murke to know we’re on to him.”

      Valerie sat back in her seat trying to hide her disappointment. “I guess that means me, too.” She looked down at her uniform.

      “He scares easily.” He’d already pushed open the door and slipped out of the car. “Radio the other units of his position if you see him.”

      Trevor attempted a casual but hurried walk across the street. Two other plainclothes officers were making a beeline for the hardware store. Valerie scanned the surrounding shops and the street. Though she accepted the reason for the decision, she really didn’t like being put out of commission like this.

      If Murke did come this way, her response time would be faster if she and Lexi were already on the street. If he was on the run already, it wouldn’t matter if he saw her uniform.

      She slipped out of the car, removed Lexi from the backseat and walked up the boulevard, keeping her eyes on the exterior of the hardware store. She shielded herself behind the other pedestrians to avoid being spotted. She walked past Arianna’s Diner and a boutique that sold hats and other accessories.

      A voice came across her shoulder mic. “Stand down. False alarm. Bad I.D.”

      Across the street, Trevor emerged from a cluster of people on the sidewalk. The droop in his shoulders communicated his level of disappointment as he made his way to the end of the block. Valerie’s awareness switched into high gear. She turned in a half circle. Murke was still skulking around here. He hadn’t come back to his car parked close to the hardware store. Sooner or later, he would show.

      Walking to the end of the block, she kept her eye on Murke’s car. Parking was at a premium in the downtown area. Just because he had parked by the hardware store didn’t mean that was where he went. Trevor was doing the same sort of walking surveillance on the other side of the street. One of them needed to get back to the car in case they ended up tailing Murke in a vehicle. She turned and headed back toward the car.

      Lexi came to attention and peered up the street. Valerie shifted her gaze. Murke had just stepped out of Arianna’s Diner holding two take-out boxes. Recognition spread across his face as he narrowed his dark soulless eyes at her.

      She expected Murke to turn and bolt...to make a beeline for his car. Instead, as she drew within feet of him, he charged toward her. Soda and a take-out box filled with a pasta dish showered down on her and Lexi. The crowd around them scattered like cockroaches in the light.

      In the few seconds it took her to recover, Murke pivoted and raced up the street. He disappeared into a cluster of people. Murke’s dirty-blond head bobbed up right before he entered a men’s clothing store. She dashed inside.

      Lexi sneezed repeatedly from the spices that had gone up her nose. The dog couldn’t focus on Murke’s scent trail. Valerie squinted as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. Behind the counter, a clerk pointed toward the back door. Valerie hurried into the alley. The sounds of the busy street gave way to a quiet alley. She heard footsteps and ran in the direction of them.

      The alley smelled of garbage and Mexican spices and chemicals from a dry cleaners. A door creaked open, and a man came out tossing a trash bag in an open Dumpster. He offered Valerie only a passing glance before going back inside as if cops with K-9 units chased fugitives up this alley every day.

      Trevor’s comment about them staying together came back to her, but she swiped the thought from her mind. Doing her job had to be priority one. She needed to catch this guy. He’d already killed one lawman.

      She radioed her location. Trevor and the others had to have seen the disruption on the street. They were probably already running this way.

      Lexi dutifully placed her nose on the ground and sniffed. Then she sneezed. Would Lexi be able to pick up the scent?

      She heard no further noise. Unless he’d slipped into the back door of one of the shops, Murke had to be hiding somewhere. She searched each nook and cranny, opened Dumpsters and checked behind a pile of crates.

      Lexi pulled a little harder on her leash. “You got something, girl?”

      The dog ran toward a stairway that led to a second-floor door. Valerie remained down below with her gun drawn prepared to shoot if Murke was behind the door.

      A voice as cold as ice sounded in her ear as the hard blade of a knife pressed against her throat. “Drop the gun.”

      Her heart lurched. She let the gun fall to the ground.

      Lexi was already headed back down the stairs. Murke hadn’t noticed the dog.

      Hurry girl, hurry.

      Valerie let her hands go limp as though she would comply. When she felt his body relax, she slammed her elbow hard into his stomach. Murke groaned. She turned to face her attacker, preparing to land a second blow.

      She saw his face, features compressed into an expression of hate. Onyx eyes tore through her. Behind her, Lexi barked.

      Murke’s eyes grew wide with fear when he saw Lexi. He took off running again. Lexi bolted past her hot on Murke’s heels but was slowed down by her sneezing. It took only a moment for Valerie to retrieve her gun and chase after Murke.

      * * *

      Trevor raced through a store that sold Western wear, past puzzled clerks and out the back entrance. A mixture of fear and anger warred inside him. He had told Valerie to stay in the car. Why hadn’t she listened? The uniform thing had been his excuse to keep her safe.

      It had taken less than three minutes to figure out it was Valerie and Murke causing the ruckus across the street. Her red hair had flashed bright in the noonday sun, then he had darted across the street to find her.

      He stepped out of the Western shop into the empty alley. Where had she gone? His heart squeezed tight. All anger washed away as fear took over. What if Murke had killed her?

      Not again. God, please, not again.

      He scanned up and down the alley, pushing down the rising panic. She had to be all right.

      The