Face of Danger

She saw more worry than she was comfortable with in the Ranger’s eyes when he shook his head and said, “No. I can’t say I do.”

Remaining on his guard, Cade escorted the artist back to her studio. He didn’t know what was going on but he didn’t believe in chance. The incident on the highway that had almost gotten him killed had been too convenient. So had this supposed power failure.

In his view, there was a good possibility that someone wanted to keep this victim’s identity a secret. That made perfect sense, particularly if the Lions of Texas cartel really was involved.

Paige once again removed the skull and started to study it.

“The lab boys said he was a man in his thirties,” Cade offered. “Do you agree?”

“Perhaps. I suppose they took dental X-rays and checked the opacity of the teeth to help decide.” She was rotating the skull as she spoke. “It has large brow ridges and blunt orbital borders, plus a dandy occipital protuberance. Nasal openings and the structure of the inner ear fit, too.”

“In English, please?”

Paige grinned. “Congratulations. It’s a boy. An older one, like you said.” Her grin widened when their glances met. “Probably of European ancestry. I’ll check my conclusions when I look up the tissue depth measurements, just to be absolutely positive.”

Cade didn’t mind seeing that his request for plainer speaking had amused her. There was little enough laughter in the world, particularly their corner of it.

“Okay.” He held up the open carrying case. “Better let me have him back for now. I’ve delayed you long enough. We can get down to serious business tomorrow.”

“Fine with me. It is getting late. Max will be wondering what kept me.”

To Cade’s surprise, he felt a twinge of emotion that was too akin to envy to suit him. “Max? Are you married?”

Paige shook her head and the sparkle in her emerald eyes was so appealing, he almost stared.

“No,” she said. “Max is short for Maximum, which is what I named the biggest dog I’ve ever had. He’s part Old English sheepdog, part fence-jumper, I think. I have to keep trimming his hair so he can see where he’s going.”

Cade gave a soft chuckle. “Well, I don’t want to keep you, ma’am.”

Paige stripped off her gloves and disposed of them while he zipped the bag closed. “You can leave that here so you don’t have to tote it all over Austin with you,” she said. “I have a big vault for secure storage.”

“Thanks. After the strange goings-on tonight it’ll be a relief to have it locked away safely.” Cade patted the closed top of the bag. “Are you the only one who knows the combination to your vault?”

“Of course not. Why?”

It occurred to him that maybe he should keep the skull with him, even if it would be a real pain to guard it every second. “Sharing the combination is not good. I told you how important this clue is. We can’t take any chances on losing it.”

“I have never lost a shred of evidence. Not once.”

“You probably aren’t normally as edgy as you were tonight, either. Suppose somebody was prowling around looking for this skull? What then?”

“We never saw a soul,” Paige countered.

“True. But if the Lions of Texas are as well connected as we suspect, they probably already know you’ve been chosen to do the facial rebuild.”

She arched her brows and rolled her eyes, almost making Cade laugh out loud. “That doesn’t take a rocket scientist. I’m the only forensic artist the Rangers have.”

“My point, exactly,” he said, watching her expression until he sensed that she’d begun to comprehend the importance of his warning. “They know what your job is.”

“And maybe they were watching you instead of me and knew you’d just delivered that evidence. Did you think of that?”

“Unfortunately, yes, which means your safe is the most secure option.” He took the carrying case to the safe. “Let’s get this guy locked up and get out of here. I’ll check in with the troopers before I go and have them keep an eye on this building. Especially your office.”

To his chagrin, Paige began to laugh softly.

“What’s so funny?”

“You are. You seem to have forgotten you’re on foot. You don’t have your truck anymore.”

“It’s around here somewhere. Probably still in the maintenance garage. It’s dented and scraped but the running gear didn’t look damaged. If they aren’t through checking it for clues yet, I can probably borrow some decent wheels from the motor pool.”

Taking her arm as soon as she locked the safe, he started to urge her toward the door. “Come on. I’ll walk you out.”

“Okay. Give me a minute to grab my things.”

Cade stayed on alert and by her side as she secured her office. Watching Paige that closely, it was impossible to avoid noticing how attractive she was. Her jeans, plain green T-shirt and fitted denim jacket were extremely well suited to her. So was the soft, draping leather shoulder bag she carried. They also indicated that she wasn’t into fancy clothing and such. His kind of down-to-earth, simple-pleasures woman, not given to prissiness.

Oh, well. He shrugged with resignation. He knew from his fellow Rangers that her assignments were usually completed quickly and efficiently, which meant his stay in Austin would be brief. Too bad he and Paige would never have a chance to really get to know each other.

That thought brought him up short. It wasn’t bad, it was good. Not only were in-house romances frowned upon, he’d had his fill of ladies who fretted over his dangerous occupation so much that it drove them away. The nervous tendencies Paige had recently demonstrated meant she was not suited to being any part of a Ranger’s personal life. Matter of fact, he was a bit surprised that she was able to cope with her daily tasks as well as she did.

Puzzled, he wondered what had formed such a forceful personality, yet had left an unreasonable fear of the dark and perhaps other vulnerabilities in her psyche? If he had some spare time, maybe he’d look into her past.

Just to satisfy his natural curiosity, of course.

Paige led the way across the well-lit parking lot with Cade at her side. “Do you think I need to take any extra precautions?” She smiled. “Except for not staying after hours in a deserted building while I wait for a tardy Ranger, I mean.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“No problem. It’s my hang-up, not yours.”

“Well, it’s always good to keep an eye out for the unusual,” he said.

“Like what, for instance?”

“Anything out of the ordinary.”

Although she nodded to indicate she understood and agreed, there were several reasons why Paige doubted she’d be able to spot danger before it was too late. For one thing, her head was usually in the clouds and her mind drifting, or so she’d been told often enough, first by her parents, when she was younger, and then by her friends and coworkers.

“Earth to Paige. Which is your car?”

“The baby blue pickup right over there. It’s not necessary for you to walk me all the way. I can take care of myself from here on.”

“Humor me.”

Paige huffed and gave him a lopsided grin. “I’m starting to get the idea that you intend to do as you please no matter what I say.”

Touching the broad brim of his cattleman’s hat and, nodding politely, he drawled, “Yes, ma’am. And it will be my pleasure.”

Being on the receiving end of the Ranger’s overt courtesy made Paige feel decidedly shamefaced. She climbed into her truck while he held the door, then said, “Why don’t you hop in and let me drive you over to the motor pool? I’m sure you must be tired.”

He yawned, covering his mouth. “You could say that. It’s been a long day.”

“And a long last few months, I imagine. I can’t believe the Rangers haven’t solved the murder of one of their own yet.”

“Neither can I.” She saw him eyeing the passenger side of her pickup as he asked, “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all.” Paige concentrated on bestowing a gracious smile to confirm her invitation. She understood his frustration with any unsolved case, especially the one he was currently working. Even this many years after the fact, she sometimes found herself wondering about her sister’s disappearance and wishing she could go back in time and do things differently.

Starting the engine as soon as Cade had joined her and slammed his door, Paige began to drive toward the garage where the State Troopers stored and processed their vehicular evidence.

A sudden thought caused her to hold out her hand. “You’d better give me your card so I’ll have your cell number handy, just in case.”

“In case of what?”

She chuckled wryly. “If I knew that, I could tell you now and forget using the phone.”

“Very logical.” Smiling, he pulled out a business card and passed it to her. “Here you go. I keep my cell as close as I keep my Colt .45, so feel free to contact me anytime, day or night.”

“Thanks. See you bright and early tomorrow? I usually start around seven.”

“Boy, you don’t kid around, do you?”

“Nope. What I do is too important. When I have work like this waiting for me, I make sure it gets done ASAP.”

“Understood.” He saluted with a nod as he stepped out of the truck and paused. “Night, ma’am.”

“Good night.” As he closed the door, she hit the button to roll the window down so they could continue to hear each other speaking. Beyond lay the garage where his damaged truck would be waiting. It disturbed her to think of how close they may have come to never getting together at all, let alone having the opportunity to discuss their mutual goals regarding Captain Pike’s murder.

Paige leaned across the truck seat to watch his face when she added, “Take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

He’d tossed off the comment too blithely to suit her. “I mean it. I’ll worry.”

Cade grinned, making her glad she was still seated because she suddenly felt a little off balance—and more than a little charmed.

“Don’t waste energy fretting about me,” he said. “Everything will be fine. I got the evidence delivered and we’ll be done with it in no time. I’ve heard you’re a genius with clay.”

“Thanks. I do have my moments.”

He waved goodbye and so did she.

Watching him walk away, Paige was struck by a strong sense that, given what had already happened, the rest of this case was not going to be a stroll in the park.

That particular choice of words did not sit well. Her hands fisted and clenched on the steering wheel. Her heart began to beat faster. There was nothing peaceful or relaxing about a visit to a public park when those grounds might hide a waiting predator. She, of all people, knew that.

Pausing by the garage entrance to watch the attractive forensic artist drive away, Cade realized how much she had impressed him. Considering Paige’s strong work ethic, it was no wonder the Texas Rangers were able to get by with only one artist. A person like her was worth a dozen who treated their tasks as nothing more than an everyday job.

He was totally dedicated to the Rangers, too. In that respect, he and Paige saw things in the same light. What else they may or may not have in common remained to be discovered.

He sighed and saw his breath cloud in the cold night air. Perhaps this evening at the motel, he’d see what background info he could turn up on Ms. Bryant. She would never have been hired in the first place if she’d had a criminal record, of course, but he was positive the young woman was hiding something. His gut told him so.

And, he added, if he could find out a few things to help him guide their daily, casual conversations, perhaps she’d open up and tell him what was really bothering her. Something was. He’d stake his badge on it.

THREE

The house Paige shared with Angela, her paying roommate, and Max, the freeloading dog, was located in a semirural area outside Austin. The entire neighborhood had seen better days, but the place sure looked inviting when she pulled into her drive and her headlights illuminated the front of the property. Yes, the scraggly lawn needed mowing more often—or rather, the volunteer weeds did—and the green shingled roof should have been replaced years ago instead of merely patched, had she been able to afford it. Still, this old house was more like a real home than anywhere Paige had lived since she was a child of ten.

She reached for her purse, realizing belatedly that in all the confusion at the office she’d failed to pick up her laptop the way she usually did. Rats. Oh, well, it would be waiting for her in the morning.

Before she had time to reach the house, the porch light blinked on, the front door swung open and Max galloped out. From the look of him, he’d been into mischief very recently. His shaggy white beard and front paws not only looked wet, they were tinted pink.

“Glad you’re home,” Angela called from the doorway. “That dumb dog just knocked over a whole glass of fruit punch and stepped in the puddle.”

Paige couldn’t help laughing. “He looks like it.” She bent to ruffle the sheepdog’s thick coat while pushing him away to keep him from getting punch on her. “What happened?”

“Max happened. You know him. If we’re interested in anything, so is he. I was getting myself a drink and he tried to stick his big nose into the glass. I yanked it away and…”

“Aha! You spilled it.”

“It was still his fault,” the slightly built, dark-haired, young woman insisted. “He made me do it.”

Paige continued to wiggle her fingers in the dog’s thick coat while she murmured to him as if he were human. “She was trying to blame you but I didn’t let her. No, I didn’t. ’Cause you’re the best dog in Texas. Yes, you are. You’re a good boy, Max.”

The black and white behemoth panted and wiggled happily all over in response to her loving tone. Since he lacked a tail to wag, he did the best he could with his whole rear half.

Laughing, Paige led him over to a faucet and held on to his collar while she tried, one-handed, to hose off the worst of the punch stain without getting him, or herself, too wet. Even in the shadowy light from the porch she could tell that the attempt was less than successful. Finally, still chuckling, she shut the dog in the fenced backyard for his own safety and ducked into the house without him.

Angela had finished cleaning up the spill and was wringing out a rag over the sink. She grinned sheepishly. “I still say Max deserves the blame.”

“I’ll let you two share it.” Paige eyed the packed suitcase in the hallway and her roommate’s navy blue flight attendant’s uniform. “You have another assignment tonight?”

“Yes. Austin to LAX via Dallas. I know it’s my turn to cook so I left your dinner in the fridge.”

“You ate? Already?”

“Let’s just say I defrosted something,” the perky twenty-something said. “And I only ate because you were so late. I have to leave here no later than eight-thirty so I didn’t dare wait. You could have called, you know.”

Angela’s quizzically arched eyebrow was amusing enough that Paige made a face. “Okay, I apologize for not letting you know I was going to be delayed. I got involved and then distracted.”

“By your work?”

“Of course. What did you think?”

Angela huffed. “Well, I have hopes that someday a handsome stranger will sweep you off your feet, but I guess that’s expecting too much, huh?”

“A handsome what?”

“Stranger. What did you think I said?”

Paige was not about to admit that she’d thought Angela had said Ranger. She knew she was blushing as she envisioned the good-looking man she’d just left. Every facet of their conversation was still so fresh in her memory that she could have recited it verbatim. And those dark, compelling eyes of his. Wow!

Her gut-level reaction was what was most astonishing. She worked shoulder-to-shoulder with literally dozens of Texas Rangers, yet Cade Jarvis stood out for her like a glittering, polished gem among a pile of plain old rocks.

That was ridiculous. Insane. No doubt he turned on the cowboy charm for all women, so why did she keep recalling the way his quiet yet strong, vibrant voice had made the hair on her nape prickle and raised goose bumps on her arms? Or was that just another consequence of being caught in the dark?

Angela waved a hand in front of Paige’s face. “Hello in there. Anybody home?”

“Barely,” Paige replied with a sigh. “I was just thinking about my new assignment. I have a feeling it’s going to be a real challenge.”

“Oh. Well, I have to go. You gonna be okay?”

“Sure. Fine. As soon as Max gets dry I’ll let him in to keep me company.”

“Just keep him away from the fruit punch. Believe me, it was all his fault that it got spilled.”

“Right. Have a safe flight. When do you expect to be back?”

“Not before Friday, unless I get another assignment or decide to fly standby.” Angela paused, frowning. “Why? You don’t usually care when I come and go. What’s changed?”

“Rough day at work,” Paige said, raking her fingers through her long hair to comb it back and let it fall around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just a little jumpy. The power went out in my office and you know how I hate the dark. If I hadn’t had a Ranger with me at the time, I might have lost it, right then and there.”

Checking her watch, Angela made a face. “A Ranger? As in too handsome for words?” She rolled her eyes. “Now you tell me, when I don’t have time to stay and listen to the whole story.”

Laughing, Paige shooed her with both hands. “Go on. Scram. I’ll tell you all about it when you get back.”

“Promise? All the romantic details?”

“There weren’t any of those but I will tell you everything, I promise.” She drew a finger across her chest for effect. “Cross my heart.”

“Okay. I plan to hold you to that.”

Paige was still chuckling softly and thinking of how she was going to explain her evening with Cade Jarvis when she heard Angela’s car drive away.

Cade had managed to talk the Troopers into letting him liberate his battered truck. It wasn’t pretty after the accident but it still beat walking. Besides, all his Ranger gear was in it and making a transfer to another vehicle would have wasted time.

Once he’d registered at the motel and been given a room, he powered up his laptop, made a short report to Benjamin Fritz, his captain, via email, then checked his messages. Outside of a few jokes and personal notes, there wasn’t anything important. At least nothing that required a reply.

He rubbed his eyes and noticed a headache beginning to thump in time with his pulse. Thinking he’d just rest for a few minutes before doing more, he unbuckled his gun belt and stretched out on top of the bedspread. His mind wandered to Paige Bryant and the way she’d over-reacted to an apparently simple power outage.

“Assuming that’s all there was to it,” he argued with a yawn as he let his eyes drift closed. In minutes, he was asleep.

Nearly an hour later, Paige opened the kitchen door and called, “Max.”

Waiting, she was puzzled to see no sign of him so she flipped on enough outside lights to brightly illuminate the entire yard. “Come on, Max. Aren’t you hungry?”

The lovable mutt didn’t respond. Paige frowned and stepped out onto the back stoop. The icy air made her shiver and fold her arms around herself. “Max? Max? Where are you?”

Nothing stirred. Slowly, deliberately, she descended the stairs to what was left of the sparse, backyard grass.

There was no valid reason for Paige to be fearful again, yet she was. Instinct kept insisting that something was amiss. Max had many faults, including being shy, but failing to answer her call had never been a problem. On the contrary, he was usually right there at her feet the moment she moved, as if she were his entire flock of sheep and guarding her was his only duty.

A rustling and whimpering behind the large evergreen bushes that grew along the house’s foundation drew her attention. She bent down to peer underneath. “Max? Is that you? Are you stuck?”

Momentary relief at spotting the dog’s white markings and hearing one sharp yelp was instantly replaced by shock, then dread, as she realized Max was being physically restrained.

The next moments passed in a haze of conflicting thought. Shoes? Yes, she did see shoes. Men’s dirty running shoes. And pant legs, ankles to knees. The rest of the shape of a large body disappeared into the thick leaves above except for one meaty fist that was grasping Max’s collar and twisting it.

Full recognition seemed delayed, as if everything were moving in slow motion. Paige stiffened. Every fiber of her being was taut, every nerve singing with a silent scream of terror.

She started to straighten and ease away, barely able to make her feet move, partly because she desperately wanted to rescue Max.

A burly, bare arm thrust through the foliage. A hand clutched at her. Beefy fingers encircled her wrist and part of her forearm, holding tight. Hurting her.

Paige gulped air. Filled her lungs. Began to scream and kept wordlessly screaming, over and over, until she was so lightheaded she was afraid she might pass out.

Her assailant’s grip merely constricted more.

All logical thoughts fled, leaving Paige feeling as if she were trapped in a horrifying nightmare. Only this was all too real.

At her wits’ end, she began to twist and cry, “Help! Help me!”

The man who had grabbed her stepped out of the bushes and in doing so apparently freed Max, because Paige saw a flash of fur passing on her left.

At least her dear pet was safe, she thought, realizing that she was still in terrible danger.

“No. Let me go! Help!” she kept shouting.

Kicking and thrashing at the man who held her prisoner, she tried to land a blow that would be forceful enough to make him release her. All he did was laugh at those feeble efforts while Max circled, barking furiously.

The man’s wicked-sounding laughter cut straight into her mind like the blade of a knife and made Paige so angry she lost normal rationality. The man who had kidnapped her sister had laughed like that. And she’d been too young, too weak, too frightened to stop him. Well, not this time.

She came alive. No longer feeling like a victim, she became the aggressor. Flailing with her free hand and both feet she managed to land a hard kick to the man’s kneecap that made him grunt and stagger.

Then, bringing the heel of her hand up under the fleshy part of his nose, she heard a sickening crack. Yes! She’d done real damage.

He howled, cursed unintelligibly, and let go of her arm so he could cup his face with both hands.

Paige fell backward, landing so hard it knocked the wind out of her. Scrambling to her feet, she saw her usually timid dog worrying one of the man’s pant legs. Because of the distraction, she realized she now had a chance to escape. Praise the Lord!

She whirled and started to run, leaving her attacker apparently trying to staunch blood from his broken nose and shake off the growling dog at the same time.

“Max!” Paige screeched as she neared the back door, hoping and praying he’d heed her command. “Max!”

Her hand closed over the knob. She twisted and jerked open the door, afraid to look behind her.

Was the man at her heels? Had Max come? She didn’t dare wait to see.

A sob of relief caught in Paige’s throat when she saw a large, furry, black-and-white form whiz by her legs and barely beat her through the doorway.

Slamming the door, she locked it, then leaned against it to catch her breath. They’d made it! They were safe, at least for the time being.

Now what? How do I protect us if he recovers and tries to break in? she asked herself, knowing the answer immediately. If ever there was something important to report, this was it.

She raced to her purse, found the card Cade Jarvis had given her, punched in his private cell number with shaky fingers, then plopped into the closest chair.