Key Witness. Christy Barritt

Denton okay? Was Jimmy inside? And was Jimmy okay? Questions raced through her head so fast she could hardly keep up.

      She didn’t release her breath until she saw Denton emerge. He strode over to the SUV and tapped on the window until she unlocked the door. He slid inside.

      “Well?” She tried to read his gaze but couldn’t.

      “Jimmy’s been shot. I called the police. They’re on their way.”

      “Shot? Will he be all right?”

      “He’s dead, Elle.”

      * * *

      Elle’s parents’ lawn became a jungle of emergency response vehicles, trolling firefighters and police officers and dizzying flashing lights. The police had already questioned both Denton and Elle, and now the crime scene unit was collecting evidence. Elle’s father and his entourage had arrived and now milled around, only adding to the confusion.

      Elle looked pale as she stood on the massive porch, her arms wrapped over her chest and a dazed look in her eyes. Denton wrapped up a conversation with her father and hurried across the darkened lawn toward her. She was a sight to see, that was certain. Even in the middle of the terrible circumstances he’d already seen her experience, she maintained a certain dignity and strength that Denton had to admire.

      She didn’t turn his way as he strode up the stairs and to her side. Her eyes had that faraway look still. Denton put a hand at her elbow, trying not to jar her. “Elle, I need your help.” He needed to distract her from her thoughts, also.

      Some of the focus returned to her gaze as she angled toward him. The tight hold of her arms over her chest loosened slightly, but her eyes still looked strained. “Of course. What do you need?”

      “To start with, I need a list of your father’s staff, his interns, his campaign volunteers—everyone.”

      “Do you plan on checking out all those people? Because we have hundreds of volunteers right now. The election is only three weeks away.”

      “We’ll vet them all if we have to.”

      She stared at him a moment before nodding, shades of blue and red from the police cruiser in the distance lighting her face. “I’ll get a list for you if you think it will help.”

      He nodded toward the front door. “I’ll also need a tour of the house and a list of anyone staying there.”

      She blinked. “A tour?”

      “It’s going to be your temporary home and mine until we know you’re safe. I’m bringing in another agent to guard the perimeter at night and someone else to shadow your father. We can’t take any chances.”

      She swallowed, still appearing stiff. The shock of finding Jimmy hadn’t worn off yet. The death of a loved one sometimes never wore off. Denton knew all about that.

      Elle stepped toward the door, her lithe figure somehow looking weighed down with a million stones at the moment. “Why don’t I give you that tour now? It beats standing out here and staring at the chaos and destruction around me.”

      Exactly. “Sounds like a plan.”

      They walked into the massive house—seven thousand square feet, from what Denton had been told. Two wings and no expense spared. Apparently, the senator had won several big lawsuits as a trial lawyer that afforded him any luxury he might want.

      They paused in the two-story marble entryway, and Elle pointed to the left. “In the south wing, we have the kitchen, living room, my father’s office, two other rooms we use as offices when working here and a library.”

      “Do you work here a lot?”

      She shrugged. “We have campaign offices throughout the state, including one in Norfolk. But working here is convenient and the space is ample.”

      “Your best option right now is to work here until these men are caught.”

      Her expression remained neutral. “That’s what I concluded, also. That’s no problem. I can do my job from here with relative ease.” She sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it, as if regaining her composure. “Oh, and speaking of work, Bentley stays in a bedroom upstairs, also.”

      “Bentley stays here?”

      “Not all of the time, but if he’s in town with my father, he’s around enough that he’s practically family.” She stepped in the opposite direction. “In the north wing we have the family’s bedrooms, some guest suites, a racquetball room and an exercise room.”

      “I’ll need to stay somewhere close to your bedroom.”

      “The bedroom beside mine should be comfortable for you.”

      They moved through the house, and Denton found out her schedule for the week—which included a huge fund-raising gala in two days. The mere thought of it caused Denton’s muscles to tighten. Big crowds, a difficult-to-control environment and at least two men who wanted Elle dead—not a good combination.

      Elle paused by the kitchen, her luminous eyes glancing up at him. He saw intelligence in their depths...and fear. “I don’t have to go to the gala.”

      “No, you should go. It will take some planning on my part, but we can make it work.”

      She sagged against the wall a moment. “None of this seems real, you know.”

      “We’re going to get through this, Elle.”

      She seemed to hesitate a moment before nodding. “Yes, we will. Now, if you don’t need me for anything else, I’ll show you to your room and then get some sleep myself. I have a busy week, as you’re going to soon find out.”

      “Remember—your safety is more important than your father being reelected.”

      “I know.” She looked off in the distance. Denton wanted to do something—anything—to help wipe away her worries. But there was nothing he could do except offer his protection...and pray.

      He’d be doing a lot of praying until these guys were behind bars.

      * * *

      Even in the midst of cardboard alphabet letters, multiplication tables and twenty-five giggling second-graders, Denton stayed glued to Elle’s side. No, an elementary school wasn’t the most likely place for someone to come after Elle. But Denton couldn’t be too careful.

      Senator Philips sat at the front of the classroom, reading a book to the eager students seated in a semicircle around him. Elle stood at the back of the room with the rest of her father’s handlers. Her gaze fluttered between her BlackBerry and her father.

      Denton had encouraged her to stay home and to lay low, but Elle wanted nothing to do with that. The police had found no clues, come up with no answers. Nothing was known except that an innocent man’s life had been taken.

      Jimmy had been shot by a Glock, right through the skull. The rest of the perimeter was clear. But someone had obviously been trying to send a message—a deadly message. They’d gotten to Jimmy. Denton would make sure they didn’t get to Elle.

      “‘The end.’” Senator Philips closed the book and grinned at the children around him. A newspaper photographer snapped a picture, capturing the moment. Great publicity shot, which Denton was sure was exactly what Elle hoped for.

      Elle tucked her phone back into her purse. “I think we’re all done here. My dad has some meetings he needs to attend for the rest of the afternoon.”

      “So what else is on your schedule?” They began walking with the entourage down the hallway. A menagerie of black SUVs waited out front. Denton made sure that one of his best men would be driving the one Elle rode in. He wouldn’t take any chances. The stakes were too high, the threats too ominous.

      “I’ve got to answer some emails.” She glanced up at him and, just for a moment, Denton thought he saw a glimpse of vulnerability.