No Alibi

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in and check the house for you?” Smith asked as he pulled into the circular, gravel driveway and stopped. “I don’t mind.”

Julie Ann almost said yes before she gritted her teeth and shook her head. She was not going to give in to irrational fear. And she certainly was not going to let Smith think she needed babysitting.

“No, thanks. That won’t be necessary,” she told him. “I have an enormous dog inside. He’s very protective. If anybody gets past my Andy, they belong here.”

Smith started to get out just the same, so she insisted. “I said, I’ll be fine.”

Though he didn’t look convinced, he did back off. “Okay. I’ll watch till I see that you’re safely inside. And lock the door.”

Satisfied that that was as good as the situation was likely to get, she climbed out of the SUV and paused for a moment, hoping her shaking knees weren’t going to give her away. “Okay. Thanks for the ride.”

“You’re quite welcome. I still wish you’d let me…”

Dismissing Smith with a shake of her head, she reached the porch quickly and without faltering. The instant she opened the door and was greeted by her dogs, she relaxed. Thank goodness she was a sucker for sad eyes, cold noses and floppy ears.

Julie Ann turned in the doorway and waved, waiting till Smith had driven off to close the door. Both her dogs had apparently sensed her unusual anxiety because they were acting apprehensive, each in its own way.

Big, stalwart Andy, the black Labrador-Shepherd crossbreed, stationed himself right inside the front door. Bubbles, a nondescript, dusty-colored mop of dog hair with an attitude, ran loops through the house before leaping and landing next to Julie Ann when she plopped onto the couch.

She ruffled the dog’s wiry hair. “I’m glad to see you, too, girl.”

Panting and looking very pleased with herself, Bubbles wiggled in response to her master’s voice, wagging the entire rear half of her stubby little body.

Julie Ann sighed. “I wish you could talk. Then again, maybe it’s just as well you can’t. I’ve had plenty of unasked-for advice already today.”

Picturing Smith Burnett’s handsome face, she felt comforted yet penitent for being so gruff with him when she knew he was merely trying to help. The fact that he had volunteered to stand guard all night, if need be, made her feel better even though she had sent him away. Any possible source of tranquility was nice to ponder, especially given the kind of day she’d had.

Bubbles jumped down, circled the sofa at a run and bunched a throw rug into a pile when she cut a sharp corner in and out of the archway leading to the country kitchen.

“I know. You’re hungry. Come on. Let’s go see what we can find for you to eat.”

Julie Ann rose and started to cross the small living room. She sensed Andy’s bulk at her side before she reached the tiled kitchen floor and heard the click of his nails on the vinyl. He seemed to be mirroring her restless mood a lot more than the other dog. She didn’t mind one bit. The closer he crowded, the better she liked it.

She laid her hand atop his broad, dark head and petted him without having to bend down. “Yes, you too, you big lummox. What would I do without my furry buddies?”

Andy’s cold nose nudged her hand in response to the loving tone. Julie Ann knew her dogs couldn’t understand every word but she also knew they weren’t totally clueless.

Picking up their food dishes, she mixed softer food into hard kibble, then set both dishes on the floor the way she always did.

Bubbles immediately dug in. Andy, however, approached his dish as if he were expecting the food to bite him back.

“It’s okay, boy. Go ahead. Eat.”

Still, the big, black dog refused. He tensed. The hackles on his back rose and Julie Ann heard a throaty growl begin to rumble deep in his chest. Bubbles was impressed enough to pause and glance at him but only for a moment.

Heart racing, Julie Ann scanned the kitchen. Nothing looked out of place. “What is it? What’s the matter, Andy?”

The dog was staring at the back door the way a hungry wolf eyed a juicy meal. Had she locked that door? Of course not. She didn’t usually bother with such silly precautions. Nothing had ever happened in Serenity to make her fearful or to cause her to change her habits. Until today.

Andy’s low, menacing growl continued. Julie Ann thought she saw the doorknob turn. She froze. Her breath caught and she held it, hoping, praying that her overactive imagination was responsible.

No. The knob actually was turning. What now? What should she do? If she ran to the door, would she have time to throw the dead bolt? And even if she accomplished that, would it be enough deterrent, or would it merely make her prowler mad and cause him to force his way inside?

Time stood still. Julie Ann’s whole body was trembling. So was Andy’s. What began as another growl ended as a deep, warning bark. The movement of the knob ceased.

That was enough incentive for Julie Ann. She lunged toward the door.

Andy, barking louder in response to her affirmative actions, was right beside her. Even Bubbles finally joined in with rapid yaps and frantic, scrambling dashes back and forth across the slick kitchen floor.

Julie Ann put out her hand. Grabbed the dead bolt. Twisted it locked.

Just then, the doorknob quivered and made a half turn. Julie Ann knew she’d locked the door just in time because if she had not acted, whoever was outside would now be standing in her kitchen, facing her.

By this time, Andy was in full attack mode. Barking and growling, he hit the wooden door with his front feet, making the whole thing shake.

Julie Ann didn’t try to stop or restrain the dog. She wanted her prowler to be good and scared, hopefully enough that he’d go away or at least answer when she shouted, “Who’s there?”

All noise and movement suddenly ceased. Andy cocked his head. His ears lifted. Then, he suddenly wheeled and raced back to the living room with Bubbles in scatterbrained, halfhearted pursuit.

By the time Julie Ann realized the new avenue of threat, her protective dog was already barking at the front door, once again ready to defend her.

Smith had told her to lock that door. Had she? She didn’t remember. And now Andy was clearly warning her. How long would it take a person to circle her house and reach the front porch? Longer than it took her to go directly there from the kitchen, she reasoned. But not that much longer.

With trembling hands and a shaky grip, she engaged the locking mechanism on that door, then proceeded to the windows that were the easiest to access from the porch and secured them, as well.

She hadn’t actually spotted anyone prowling outside but they were there just the same. She felt it. And once the sun set, she wouldn’t be able to see any farther than the circles of illumination cast by her porch lights.

Andy stayed close beside her every step of the way, often so near that she had to nudge him aside to reach the windows.

“What’s this world coming to when a person has to lock everything just to feel safe?” she muttered.

Andy’s only response was to nuzzle her hand.

She paused just long enough to give him another pat, then finished with the windows that sat higher off the ground than a man could normally reach. If her prowler had a ladder and tried to open one of those, he’d be thwarted then, too.

The whole scenario was beginning to make her angry. How dare anyone try to get into her home? How dare they frighten her this way? She didn’t deserve to have her salon window broken or her tires flattened, and she certainly wasn’t going to allow herself to become a further victim. Not if she could help it.

Grabbing her phone she dialed the emergency number. Instead of the part-time dispatcher she had expected, Harlan answered the call.

“Sheriff’s office.”

Julie Ann was surprised to hear his voice.

“It’s me. Julie Ann Jones,” she said, gripping the phone tightly. “There’s a prowler outside my house.”

“What makes you think so?”

His question was irksome. “Because the dog is barking, the door rattled and the knob turned, only nobody said a word when I hollered at them. Isn’t that enough?”

“It’ll do,” the sheriff answered. “Sit tight and stay inside. I’ll send Boyd right over.”

“Okay.” Julie Ann nodded as she ended the call. Her brain had been spinning wildly during the crisis but she was now thinking more clearly. As long as she was stuck in an isolated house at least a half mile from her nearest neighbor, she was far too vulnerable. Harlan had only one full-time deputy and the county owned two patrol cars. Period. How much time could he and Boyd afford to devote to looking after her? Very little, especially since her farm was so far out of town.

She had only two choices, she decided easily. She’d either have to phone Smith and admit she needed protecting or go to Grandpa Willis’s trunk, dig through the personal items he had willed her when he’d died, and find the revolver they had shared when he’d taught her how to shoot.

As much as she hated the idea of running around the house armed like a gunslinger from a western movie, she wasn’t going to just sit there and become a helpless victim.

And she certainly was not going to phone Smith Burnett and admit she needed protection, particularly his. She was a country girl, born and raised. She could take care of herself. At least she hoped she could.

FOUR

Smith was still concerned and thinking about Julie Ann when he drove past his office near the town square. A sheriff’s car, lights flashing and siren wailing, raced by him going the opposite direction. His heart leaped and felt as if it were lodged in his throat. The patrol car was heading in the direction of Julie Ann’s!

He tried to shrug off his misgivings, found he couldn’t, and decided to make a U-turn and follow. If he got as far as her neighborhood and didn’t spot the police, he’d go on home and try to forget he’d been so impulsive. The last thing he needed was to have her so mad at him for disregarding her wishes that she purposely tried to thwart his efforts to look after her.

As he rounded the final bend on Squirrel Hill Road and glanced up at the hillside, his breath caught. The rotating beacons of the blue and red lights were right in front of Julie Ann’s house.

What’d happened to her?

Smith accelerated and began to drive as if he were racing against an unseen nemesis. Thank goodness his SUV was built to take the punishment of pothole-filled, rock-strewn, dirt roads. His hands held the wheel in a death grip. His jaw clenched. He should never have left her without insisting he check that house first. Never. No matter how much she’d protested against it.

As he skidded to a stop behind the sheriff’s car, he spotted two figures standing in the shadows. He bailed out, ready to do battle. Julie Ann was easy to recognize but the tall, skinny guy with her had better have a very good reason to be there.

Jogging toward the porch, Smith realized that the other man was Harlan’s deputy. That did little to relieve his disgust with himself for leaving Julie Ann alone and his anger at her for insisting she’d be fine.

“What happened?” Smith immediately demanded, shouting in order to be heard over the noisy barking coming from inside the house.

Boyd shook his head and answered. “Don’t rightly know. Miz Jones thought she had a prowler. Nobody was around when I got here.”

“Considering your lights and siren, that’s not too surprising,” Smith grumbled. He stared at her. “You okay?”

“Fine. Why did you come back?”

“I saw the police car driving this way.”

“What made you think it was headed out here?”

“Gut feelings.” Smith raked his fingers through his hair. “I just took a chance, okay? After everything else that’s happened today it was a reasonable conclusion.”

She seemed to accept that explanation, yet Smith could tell she was not totally convinced that he needed to be there. “What do I have to do to make you believe you’re in danger?” he asked.

“There’s no need to worry about me,” Julie Ann replied. “I can take care of myself.”

“Oh? It doesn’t look like it to me.”

The gangly deputy agreed. “That’s what I was tellin’ her when you drove up. Maybe you can talk some sense into her.” He touched the brim of his hat in parting. “Well, there’s nothing more I can do here. If you see anybody who looks funny, you give us another call, ma’am.”

Smith stepped aside to let Boyd pass, then rejoined Julie Ann. “I want to know everything. Tell me what happened.” When she turned slightly and he saw that she was wearing a sidearm in an old leather holster, he pointed and said exactly what he was thinking. “Good grief, woman. Where did you get that?”

“It was my grandpa’s.” Her hand rested on the ivory grip but she gave no indication that she was going to draw the pistol to show it to him.

“And that’s why you think you’ll be safe?” Smith huffed in disparagement. “You’re more likely to hurt yourself with that thing.”

“Grandpa Willis taught me how to shoot. I know what I’m doing.”

“Suppose somebody takes it away from you and turns the tables? What then?”

She scowled. “You’re just full of wonderful ideas, aren’t you?”

“I’m being sensible. You can’t go around like Annie Oakley. Haven’t you ever heard of Mace or a Taser gun?”

“Sure, I have. I just don’t happen to have either in my closet and I did have this gun. Under the circumstances, it seemed like a good idea to get it out and load it.”

Smith gestured toward the porch swing and spoke as calmly as he could. “Will you please sit down and talk to me? I really would like to know what happened.”

When she hesitated, he added a second “Please?”

“All right. As soon as I let Andy and Bubbles out so they don’t bark themselves hoarse or beat down the door. If Andy thinks you’re okay, we’ll talk.”

Her attitude was off-putting. “Then I sure hope he likes me because I intend to hang around until I hear your whole story.”

To Smith’s relief, Julie Ann didn’t just fling open the front door and let her mammoth dog charge out to attack. She spoke to Andy calmly, then put one hand on his collar and escorted him to meet her guest while the much smaller mutt ran in rapid circles on the porch, panting excitedly with its nose to the ground as if hot on the trail of a wild rabbit.

Andy eased up to Smith, sniffed his shoes and pants legs, then ducked his broad, black head under the man’s hand as if greeting a trustworthy old friend.

Wiggling his fingers slightly, Smith scratched the dog’s velvety ears. “I think I get to stay.”

“Looks like it,” Julie Ann said with a surprised expression.

“You didn’t think we’d get along?”

“Actually, no. Andy was abused by his former owner. He doesn’t usually take to strangers.”

“I see. Well, since your excuse for ordering me to leave is gone, now what?”

“We talk.” Adjusting the holster for comfort, she chose a seat at one end of the hanging porch swing and gestured to the empty place. “Since you’re already here, I suppose I may as well go ahead and fill you in on the details. Then we can check around back for clues.”

“Boyd didn’t look?”

She shook her head slowly and pressed her lips into a thin line. “Nope. I guess he assumed I was just a panic-stricken woman who imagined a prowler because I was too high-strung.”

“Did you actually see anyone?”

“No. But Andy was sure there was someone on the back porch.”

“Could he have been mistaken?”

Shivers ran up Smith’s neck when she answered, “Not unless doorknobs turn all by themselves.”

Julie Ann did her best to relate the most recent events in a way that sounded calm and self-assured. If she hadn’t sensed Smith’s growing tension as she spoke, she might have thought she’d been successful at masking her own fear. Now that the supposed danger was past, she did feel a bit silly for having been so frightened.

“So, after I called the sheriff, I dug out Grandpa’s old pistol. I don’t intend to take it to work but it did seem like a pretty good idea to keep it handy here. At least until I figure out what’s going on.”

Seeming to sense her continued anxiety, Andy wagged his tail and laid his chin on her lap.

“If I’d heard that big moose barking inside your house, I sure wouldn’t have opened the door.” Smith stood. “Why don’t you put the dogs up while I grab a flashlight from my truck? Then we’ll walk around back and check it out.”

“Do you really think we might find tracks or something?”

“I hope not,” Smith said. “But if we do, I intend to phone Harlan myself and tell him what I think of his deputy’s careless treatment of a crime scene.”

Julie Ann led Andy and Bubbles to the screen door and ushered them inside, firmly closing the heavier, paneled door while Smith went to fetch the flashlight.

“Nothing actually happened,” she said when he returned.

“Only by the grace of God.”

Agreeing but not commenting, Julie Ann followed him off the porch and around the side of the house. Truth to tell, if Smith had not been beside her, she would have gone back into the house with Andy and locked the doors again instead of proceeding into the shadowy depths of her garden.

The enormous hydrangea at the corner of the porch was merely an innocent plant. She knew that as well as she knew her own name, yet its leaves seemed to flutter and reach for her like grasping hands. The shade trees cast creepy, moonlit shadows on the lawn. A whip-poor-will’s call sounded plaintive and eerie. Every normally innocent sound or sight made her tense up as if she were about to be attacked.

Her palm rested atop the pistol grip. She didn’t know if she could actually shoot anyone who threatened her but she wasn’t going to hesitate to bluff if the need arose.

When Smith put out his arm to block her forward movement, she almost ran into him. “What?”

He pointed the flashlight beam. “If those are your footprints, you have a lot bigger feet than I thought.”

Staring at the imprints, she gasped. Her mouth was suddenly so dry she couldn’t swallow. “I—I don’t wear boots with a waffle sole. I never have.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.”

Smith reached into his pocket and took out a cell phone. Julie Ann hugged herself and listened while he made a call to Harlan and explained what they’d found.

As soon as he hung up, she asked “Is he sending Boyd back?” The disgusted expression on Smith’s face answered her question even before he spoke.

“No. They’re busy with an accident out on the highway. No one’s available.”

She saw him tilt his head to eye the sky and noticed that the previously clear evening was starting to look suspiciously cloudy. “Do you think it’s going to rain before they can get here?”

“Knowing Arkansas, that’s a strong probability. Especially this time of year. Can you think of any way we can shelter those prints to preserve them?”

“I suppose we could put a box or something like that over them but if the rain is heavy, it’ll probably wash the whole thing away.” Frustrated, she clenched her fists. “Nobody believes me. I tell them there’s a prowler and nobody believes me.”

“I do,” Smith said.

Julie Ann sensed the truth of his statement though she could not clearly see his face. Of course, they were standing there staring at proof in the narrow beam of light so it wasn’t exactly a stretch for him to vouch for her veracity. Still, she was grateful. “Thanks.”

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