Explosive Secrets

He went first to Titan and the fellow K-9 officer who was tending to him. Valerie Salgado’s Rottweiler had been the one wounded on these premises a few days ago and since Valerie was on her own for the present, she had volunteered to look after Titan while Jackson spoke to their captain.

A tall woman with green eyes, freckles and long, reddish hair, Salgado was seated in one of the SUVs, petting Titan to soothe his jangled nerves.

“How’s he doing now?” Jackson asked, approaching.

“Better. He’s not shaking nearly as much as he was when I got here. What happened, anyway? Didn’t he alert properly?”

“The dog did fine.” He reached toward his canine partner to affectionately ruffle his velvety ears. “I was the one who messed up. I let a civilian get ahead of me and she picked up the bomb before I could stop her.”

“That’s when it went off?”

“No, thank God. Literally. I had a few seconds to grab it and throw it. Unfortunately, the only place I could pitch it was into her apartment.”

“Better a few dented walls than dented heads.” She gently stroked Titan’s broad back, wiggling her fingers, much to the dog’s delight. “What a good boy.”

“Do you have time to mind him for me a little while longer? I want to check with the EMTs and see how the vic is doing.” Jackson inclined his head toward a parked ambulance.

“Sure. No sweat. I’ll take him back to the station with me and you can pick him up there later, if you want. Lexi won’t be able to work for a while yet, and I miss relaxing like this.” She sighed. “Petting a dog lowers your blood pressure and does all kinds of good things for your state of mind.”

“I know. Just save me a little Titan chilling time. I’ll need it after I get through showing the lady over there what happened to her apartment.”

He could hear Valerie’s light laughter behind him as he started for the ambulance.

One of the paramedics headed him off before he got all the way to where Nicolette was being treated.

“Worth. Hold up,” the medic said. “I need to talk to you for a sec.”

“Sure.” He peered past the shorter, younger man’s shoulder. “Is there a problem?”

“Not yet. At least not that I know of, but you should know that this victim is pregnant before you continuing questioning her.”

That brought Jackson up short. “She’s okay, though? I hit her pretty hard when I was shoving her out of the way.”

“Seems to be. It’s early in the pregnancy so she’s not showing. There’s no way you’d have known unless she chose to tell you.”

He huffed quietly. “I figured she was holding something back, but I had no idea that was it. No wonder she seemed so overwrought.”

“Yeah, well, I wanted you to know.”

Jackson clapped him on the shoulder and stepped past. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

The ambulance was positioned at an angle to the curb so it could go into action without delay. Jackson made sure he was smiling as he circled it and came face-to-face with Nicolette.

The woman’s eyes were misty as she looked up at him and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m supposed to be the one asking you that.”

“I’m fine.” She returned his smile. “Well, relatively fine.”

When he said, “I’m really sorry about your apartment,” he saw her face grow ashen.

“How bad is it?”

“Truthfully? It’s a mess. But the good news is we’re all safe and sound.” Noticing that her arms were crossed to hug her torso he added, “All of us.”

Rosy patches replaced the lack of color in her cheeks. “The medics told you?”

“About the baby? Yes. I hope I didn’t hurt you when I knocked you down. I had no idea...”

“I’d lots rather be knocked over than blown to bits, so thank you for saving me—us. When I saw your dog react that way, I didn’t put two and two together fast enough. If you hadn’t been there...”

She raised her eyes to the apartment building. “I can’t see any damage to the outside.”

“It wasn’t a large explosion,” Jackson explained. “I don’t think they actually intended to kill you. Not if they really do think you’re withholding information they need.”

Nicki rolled her eyes. “I am not. What do I have to do to convince everybody of that?”

“I don’t know that you can. Or if you should,” he replied soberly. “You might be better off if the criminals keep on believing you do have info they need.”

Shoulders slumped, she exhaled noisily. “Okay. What’s next? How long before I can go back inside?”

“Hours, at least. The bomb crew and our local techs need to comb the wreckage. If the captain okays it and you’re up to it, I suggest you go on to work for the present.”

“Will that be safe?”

“You’re safer in a crowd than you would be alone in that apartment.” He smiled. “Besides, I plan to accompany you.”

“My boss won’t like it if you just hang around and watch me work. He never approved of my... Never mind.”

Jackson assumed, judging by the face she was making, that she was remembering her now-absent boyfriend. How any man could abandon a woman like that, after what he’d done to her, made Jackson furious. “You’re sure there’s no way your ex could be the one harassing you?”

“No way. After I told Bobby Lee about the baby, he said some really awful things and insisted he never wanted to see me again.” She grimaced. “I know it’s not him.”

“You’re positive?”

“Absolutely. He packed up and left the day we argued while I was at work. Friends tell me he was headed for Dallas. Personally, I don’t care where he is. As far as I’m concerned, good riddance.”

“He’s a fool” was all Jackson dared say. If he had opened up and told her everything he was thinking, she would have been even more embarrassed.

He’d always had a strong sense of honor, of right and wrong. Maybe that was why his job seemed to fit him so well. And why he felt such an undeniable obligation to step up and take care of Nicolette when her need was so great. She would never know how deeply, how personally, her plight affected him, of course, because he would never tell her.

But he would be there for her, helping and guarding her to the best of his ability, for as long as she needed him to be. It wasn’t only because she might help the department solve a difficult case, either.

Looking after her was simply the right thing to do.

Whether she liked it or not.

Whether she was helping the investigation or not.

* * *

During the drive to work, Nicki had visualized her poor apartment, imagining the worst. The place hadn’t been much to start with, but it was hers. The landlord had just repaired the door the police had damaged when they’d burst in to arrest Murke. No telling how upset the apartment manager was going to be when he saw what had happened today. She hoped there was insurance to cover this new damage because it was bound to cost a lot more than the broken door had, and she was pretty sure the authorities were not going to pick up the tab this time.

She parked her trusty old sedan in the usual spot behind The Truck Stop Diner and paused to try to compose herself. She’d been just getting over the jitters left after Murke’s attack only to have her life thrown off-kilter once again.

If the familiar police car hadn’t been following close behind her all the way, she wasn’t sure she’d have been able to convince herself to go ahead and report for work. But there he was, on duty as promised.

His dog was absolutely precious—so sweet-natured and friendly. Nicki smiled to herself, noting that both man and canine had the same dark, silky hair and puppy-dog brown eyes.

She looked in the car’s mirror and fastened her long hair out of the way as her job required. Two quick twists of an elastic band and she was good to go. “I can do this,” she told herself. “I’ve worked here so long I could fill the orders in my sleep.”

A smile lifted one corner of her mouth as she climbed out of her car, locked it and pocketed the key ring. Considering her lack of adequate sleep since Murke’s break-in, and the adrenaline she had expended today, she just might doze off at the grill. The books she’d read about pregnancy had said to expect changes in her metabolism, but they hadn’t told her how tired she’d be. Of course, those writers hadn’t allowed for repeated attacks and terrifying threats, either.

Nicki glanced over to the visitor section of the lot where Jackson was parking the police car, then started for the back door leading to the kitchen. Wafting odors of burnt grease and accumulated garbage overflowing the trash receptacle instantly set her stomach churning.

Seeking to escape the cloying stench, she held her breath and chose a roundabout route instead of heading straight for the door.

A shadowy figure, hardly more than a blur, appeared for an instant in her peripheral vision. If she had continued along her usual path without diversion they could have collided!

Startled, Nicki shrieked. Whirled around. Started to run without waiting to see who or what had scared her.

A dark shape loomed directly in front of her. She crashed into a hard chest and would have fallen if the man had not quickly grabbed and steadied her.

Clenching her fists, she began to beat on him.

“Whoa. Take it easy. It’s me. It’s me.”

As the voice penetrated her fog of fear, she realized it was familiar. Gasping, she looked up at Jackson Worth and managed to croak out, “Somebody tried to grab me!”

“Are you sure? Where? I didn’t see a thing.”

“Back by the trash bin.” She struggled to catch her breath.

Bright lights twinkled at the corners of her eyes. Her head spun. Her legs refused to support her.

She could sense that she was being lifted and cradled protectively just as the parking lot vanished and blackness wrapped her like a warm blanket.

Fighting was useless. Surrender felt too good.

* * *

Bearing his lightweight burden, Jackson shouldered through the front door of the main service station complex and carried Nicki past racks of cellophane-wrapped snack food and into the dining area. Their passage generated a few raised eyebrows but apparently his uniform, badge and gun were enough to keep any of the truckers or other customers from interfering.

As she began to stir, she slipped an arm around his neck, laid her cheek on his chest and clung to him as if she knew what she was doing. That was troubling. So was his reaction. Having her show such reliance felt far too good. It was also something he could not permit. He’d learned the hard way that romance and being a cop did not mix.

He lowered her to sit on the edge of one of the green plastic booth benches, unwrapped her arm from his neck and steadied her as she regained full consciousness. Her color was wan, her eyes blinking rapidly.

When she pushed him away, he realized that her earlier actions must have been instinctive rather than an effort to sway his opinion of her. That was definitely a good sign—a point in her favor.

A chubby, uniformed waitress appeared at Jackson’s elbow with a glass of ice water. He nodded as he took it from her. “Thanks.”

“Is Nicki okay?” the older woman asked.

“I think so. Just got too much excitement.”

“I sure hope that’s all it is. Big Lou is already complaining because she’s late again. He’s gonna have a cow if she can’t work tonight.”

Jackson turned his attention back to Nicolette as the waitress left. He bent and held out the glass of water. “Here. Drink this.”

“I’m not thirsty.” She tried to rise, getting only partway to her feet before she plopped back down on the spongy green seat. “Uh-oh. Still dizzy.”

“Let me take you to the E.R. for a checkup. You may be feeling the effects of the blast.”

“No way. If I don’t work, I don’t eat. I’ll be fine in a few minutes.” She grimaced. “Sure wish I didn’t have to deal with all the strong odors in that kitchen, though. Seems like everything makes me queasy these days.”

“That’s normal, isn’t it?”

“So they say. It’s just a bummer to work around food when even the thought of it makes you sick.”

Jackson had to smile at her wry expression and the way she accepted her new limitations. “I can see where that might be a drawback.”

A hard tap on his shoulder diverted his attention. He straightened, instinctively resting his palm on the butt of his holstered gun as he faced the burly, stubble-chinned man who had joined them. “Yes?”

The man cocked his head toward Nicolette. “She gonna work or not?”

Nicki was quick to reply, “Of course I am, Lou.”

“Then get into the kitchen. I don’t pay you to sit around entertaining cops.”

Jackson wanted to defend the young woman by explaining what had happened to her earlier, but figured she didn’t want or need his help. It was clear from her demeanor that she was used to facing down her taciturn boss. If she wanted this Lou character to know about the threats and the explosion, she’d tell him.

“I’m going to go have a look around the parking lot,” Jackson explained, “and see if I notice anything out of the ordinary. You couldn’t tell what startled you?”

“No. I thought there was a funny shadow back by the trash bins. I assumed it was a man. Since you didn’t see anybody, maybe there was nothing there. I have been awfully jumpy lately.”

“That’s understandable.” He took a slow step backward. “Will you be okay or do you want me to hang around for a while longer?”

“I’m fine.” Pushing away from the worn, Formica-topped table, she swiveled and stood next to the booth. A relieved smile spread across her face and she held out her arms. “See? Perfect. Not dizzy at all.”

“Good. I’ll be in the neighborhood. Just call if you need help again and be sure to let us know when you’re ready to go home. We’ll have an officer stop by to escort you.” Jackson eyed the portly man in the stained apron, bid him a terse “Good day” and turned to go.

He was halfway to the exit before he glanced back. The man called Lou was in the lead.

Head held high, back straight, Nicolette followed him through a swinging, half door into the busy, steamy kitchen.

Jackson paused. Found himself wishing he could help her more. But how? As things stood, it was highly likely that she was embroiled in her cousin’s confusing transgressions whether she knew it or not. Therefore, unless she could prove that she and Arianna had had no contact at all, she was going to continue to be of interest to many folks.

On both sides of the law.

If she’d thought her life was complicated before, she was probably going to discover that her ordeal was just beginning.

THREE

Nicolette tried to breathe shallowly as she entered the crowded, overheated kitchen. Steam rose from stainless-steel pots simmering on the stove, and filled the air with pungent odors.

A tall, thin guy she didn’t recognize was standing at the grill, flipping burgers. Judging by how stained his apron was, he’d been there for some time.

Grabbing a clean, white apron from a waiting stack, she slipped the top loop over her head, crossed the strings in the back and tied them in front at her waist.

Her eyes met Lou’s. She nodded toward the man at the grill. “Who’s that?”

“My sister’s boy.” His graying eyebrows arched as he gave her the once-over through rheumy eyes. “Had to get him to fill in for you a couple of nights ago and he worked out real good. What’s wrong with you, anyways? You look kinda peaked.”

“I’m fine,” Nicki insisted. “Just had a really rough morning.” She swallowed hard, fighting the stomach upset that kept sneaking up on her. Pregnancy wasn’t predictable the way she’d assumed it would be. There seemed to be no way to avoid occasional waves of nausea, yet at other times her mood might soar for no apparent reason.

“Life ain’t easy for any of us, missy. You man the grill while my nephew takes his break,” Lou ordered.

“Okay. No problem.” Nicki said it automatically. Only she was not okay. Not even close. Her stomach was roiling, and she wondered how long she was going to be able to control herself.

The new cook started to pass her the spatula.

Nicki reached for it, noticed it was dripping with yellowed, half-congealed grease. Uh-oh.

Spinning, she raced for the ladies’ room.

Lou was waiting in the hallway when she finally emerged. His hairy, tattooed forearms were folded across his chest and he was glaring at her. “Well?”

“I just needed a quick break, myself, that’s all.”

“Tell you what,” he drawled. “You can have a long break. A permanent one, starting now. You’re fired.”

“But...”

The man already had his back to her.

“Wait, please, Lou. I need this job.”

He turned and gave her a once-over. “Yeah? So why were you late again today?”

“There was trouble in my neighborhood this morning. I had to stay until the cops said I could leave.”

“Okay...suppose I buy that. How come you keep complaining you’re sick all the time?”

“Not all the time. Honest. I just can’t help it.” Hoping the truth about her pregnancy would soften his heart she blurted out, “I’m going to have a baby.”

“Uh-huh. That’s what I figured. Like I said, you’re done here. Pick up your final check on Friday.”

“No, please. How am I going to survive?”

“Should of thought of that before you messed around and got caught.”

Left alone in the dingy hallway, Nicki leaned against the wall. She felt as drained as if she’d just run a marathon. What was she going to do now? Her bills were already steep, thanks to her conniving former fiancé, Bobby Lee Crawford, and his liberal use of her credit cards without her knowledge. She was behind in the rent, too. Not to mention how expensive it was going to be to repair the damage she imagined had been done to her apartment and her furniture. Those repairs were likely to cost a lot more than she had in the bank, which was pretty much nothing.

Untying the apron, she wadded it into a ball and threw it onto a chair as she stomped out of the truck stop. What a day this had already been. She could hardly wait to see what other disheartening surprises awaited her.

This was not how life was supposed to be when a person became a Christian, was it? She had no idea but she was certainly going to ask Pastor Eaton the next time she saw him. Instead of life getting easier, it seemed as if her problems had become a lot more complicated since she’d turned to Jesus for help, asked for forgiveness and surrendered to the Lord a month ago.

So, now what? Nicki wondered. What, indeed? She was without a job, had no savings and was still two months in arrears on her rent because she’d believed Bobby Lee when he’d taken the cash from her and lied about paying the landlord. What a blind fool she’d been where that smooth-talking Romeo was concerned.

Her hand rested at her waist and she sighed. “Poor little baby. You sure picked a mama with her share of problems, didn’t you?”

Now that she was outside in the fresh south Texas air and sunshine, she took a few deeper breaths and began to feel better. Yes, she was in a pickle because she’d trusted the wrong man with her heart, but she was strong and smart and resilient. She’d had to be to have survived thus far. There were other jobs, other cafés.

She’d never consider applying at Arianna’s place, even if her cousin were still alive to give her a job, but there was the Sagebrush Diner and even the Youth Center. They might need a good cook or kitchen assistant. As long as she could ventilate the work area, she should be fine. She wasn’t trained for any other decent-paying jobs, and as soon as her pregnancy started to show, she knew she’d have an even harder time finding steady work.

Determined to start looking immediately, Nicolette rounded the corner and stopped dead in her tracks. Shading her eyes, she squinted in disbelief.

There sat her car, her only means of transportation, with all four tires totally flattened!

* * *

Jackson’s pager went off just as he got back to the station and reclaimed Titan.

With the dog trotting happily at his side, he headed for Slade McNeal’s office to find out what was up.

“You wanted to see me, Captain?”

“Yeah. What kind of shape was the Johnson woman in when you left her?”

“Pretty good, considering.” Jackson’s hand rested on Titan’s silky black head and he absently ruffled the dog’s ears as he continued. “She thought she’d seen somebody coming after her behind the truck stop, but I didn’t find anything odd when I checked that area. Why?”

“Because she just called to report that her tires had been flattened. I asked her if they’d been slashed but she didn’t know. She apparently took one look and hightailed it down the road before she used her phone.” He cleared his throat. “Says most of her personal belongings are still locked in the car, and she’s not going back there for any reason until you show up to keep her company.”

“Me?” Jackson could tell he was coloring but chose to pretend otherwise. “Why me? Was there another bomb threat?”

“No. Apparently you impressed her, Detective. She said she’d promised you she’d call.”

Jackson scowled. “Hold on. She works nights. She shouldn’t have even looked at her car ’til almost dawn. What was she doing out there now?”

“Guess you can ask her that when you see her.” He checked a note on his desk, then handed it over. “You’ll find her at the Jiffy-Suds car wash on Highway 20, down the block from where she works.”

Jackson turned to leave, Titan at his side, when the captain added, “Give your dog a break and let him sniff around there if he wants. I know he’s not a tracking dog like my Rio or Austin Black’s bloodhound, Justice, but he has a good nose. A little cross-training might prove useful.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I suspect the Johnson woman is more scared than anything. Since she’s apparently taken with you, I’ll expect you to continue to cultivate her confidence and get us some answers.”

“You still believe it’s all connected? The murders, the drugs, the bomb, everything that’s been happening in Sagebrush these past few months?”

The captain’s jaw clenched. “It’s entirely possible. Remember, one of our primary objectives is still to find my Rio and bring him home. Soon. Before the syndicate that kidnapped him decides to put a bullet in him—if they haven’t already.” He sighed heavily. “Caleb would never understand losing his best buddy for good. You can’t explain things like that to a five-year-old. The poor kid’s been a nervous wreck ever since Rio was dognapped.”

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Jackson said. “How’s your father doing? Any lasting effects from the beating he took back then?”

“Some. Dad’s not himself, that’s for sure. He still has to have nursing care at home. I wish I knew if the dognappers beat him because he tried to do the right thing and stop them from stealing Rio, or if they acted from plain meanness. Guess it really doesn’t matter.” He paused, pensive, before ordering, “Get going, Worth. Find out what the Johnson woman knows.”

“Yes, sir,” Jackson said, saluting as he took his leave.

The whole K-9 team had been searching for Rio—McNeal’s multipurpose, elite German shepherd—since January, with little result. Whoever had taken the dog had obviously known exactly when to strike, assaulting the captain’s elderly father, as well, and putting him in the hospital in a coma. Their K-9 unit had managed to rescue a neighborhood child who had been snatched after seeing Rio abducted, but as far as finding the dog went, they’d drawn a series of blanks.

Jackson gave his black Lab an additional pat as he loaded him into one of the unit’s special SUVs. Losing a beloved partner like Titan the way McNeal had lost Rio would be devastating.

The search for Rio had had one unexpected benefit, however. It had given the police more leads to a crime syndicate operating in and around Sagebrush. Unfortunately, that discovery had also resulted in a string of violent deaths, the last being that of Arianna Munson—aka “the Serpent.”