Amish Christmas Emergency Read online

  “Soon,” Gavin promised. “Let’s finish here, then I’ll let you go.”

  She nodded. If it would help catch whoever hurt Noah, she’d do whatever the police said.

  Gavin hesitated. “Alexa, we need to know what happened to Brett. How did your fiancé die?”

  She’d known it was coming. And she’d thought she was prepared for the question. But the way the question came at her, forcing her to put the two situations together, chilled her blood. Were they connected?

  The sudden conviction that they were connected caused her to blurt out, “I think he was murdered.”

  * * *

  Gavin and Parker exchanged a glance. “You think he was murdered?” Gavin asked.

  A grimace twisted her face. Then it smoothed into resignation. “I do now. At the time it never occurred to me. It wasn’t something we were looking at. And, honestly, it just never would have occurred to me.”

  “Okay, Alexa. Why not start back at the beginning? What happened with your fiancé?”

  Her head dropped for a moment. He could almost see her trying to collect her thoughts and gather her courage. Admiration flickered briefly before he squashed it. Leaning forward, he waited.

  “Brett Stevens and I had been dating for six months.” His heart wrenched at the sorrow on her face, in her voice. “We had gone to high school together, but never really knew each other. There were over five hundred students in our graduating class. We met up again at a five-year get-together and just clicked. We dated for six months before we got engaged. I know that doesn’t seem like a long time, but we’d been talking marriage since the second month. We’d gotten engaged just five days before he died. I was over the moon.”

  She swallowed. He knew that she was struggling, but to her credit, she kept going. “I went to a conference, and when I came home, he was in the hospital. An overdose. No one even knew we were engaged. Brett wanted to wait to announce it.”

  The heartache in her eyes was painful to even watch. But he made himself. Maybe if he could get some answers for her, she’d have some peace.

  “So he was in the hospital...” he said when the silence grew too long.

  She ran a hand through her shoulder-length blond hair. “Yeah. He was actually supposed to be one of my patients. Isn’t that ironic?” She huffed a bitter laugh. “When I told the head nurse who he was, she put another nurse in charge of his case. During the night shift, he was somehow given the wrong IV. He went into cardiac arrest. They were unable to revive him.”

  She stood, began to pace. “I was investigated because I was on duty that night. All the night staff were, but the police looked especially hard at me because of our relationship. Something about the significant other often being the culprit. To make matters worse, I had gone in to visit him during my break.” Alexa shook her head. “It was like being on one of those TV crime shows.”

  No doubt. “I’m guessing that you were cleared of any wrongdoing.” It wasn’t really a question. If she hadn’t been, she would never have been hired as a nurse practitioner again.

  “Yes. By the police. But the other nurses at the hospital were noticeably colder to me. I could tell that they weren’t convinced. Someone started the rumor that I had driven him to attempt to kill himself and then had finished the job. It was horrible. I knew that wasn’t the case, but still, I did wonder if it was my fault. If I had failed him. The guilt nearly destroyed me. Which is why I handed in my notice and sought out a new home in a quiet town where nothing exciting ever happened.”

  “Why do you think you failed him?”

  The glance she flung in his direction clearly said she thought he was being thick. “Seriously? I’m a nurse. I came back from a medical conference to find the man I planned to marry had been admitted into the hospital after supposedly trying to kill himself.”

  “Surely, though, you knew you weren’t at fault when he died at the hospital.”

  Alexa shrugged. “I wasn’t the nurse taking care of him, so obviously I knew that I hadn’t made the mistake with the IV. However, I thought that if I had realized he’d been depressed and gotten him help, he wouldn’t have been in the hospital to begin with.”

  “Alexa, I will look into his death and the situation at the hospital. I will say this—I find it too much of a coincidence that both your fiancé and a man under your care at a medical facility have been hurt, or worse. Add to the mix the flowers that you got from a flower shop destroyed by arson.” He tightened his lips. He knew in his gut that Brett had been murdered. Without absolute proof, though, he was reluctant to voice the thought. Even though he was sure both Parker and Alexa were thinking the same thing.

  “Alexa? Are you all right? Maybe you should sit down.” Parker’s concerned voice broke into his thoughts.

  Looking up at the woman standing on the other side of the table, he understood why. If he thought her face was white before, it was completely colorless now. For a second, he feared she’d faint. He stood and moved to her side. Gently he urged her back to her seat. When she sat, he pulled out the chair beside her and sank into it.

  “Alexa?” He touched her shoulder.

  Finally, she turned her head, slowly, like it took great effort. “He followed me, didn’t he? The man stalking me followed me from Chicago. I hadn’t realized that someone was watching me there, too.”

  That startled him. “Too? Alexa, has someone been watching you?”

  The urgency of his voice seemed to jerk her out of her of the dark place she’d gone in her mind.

  “I don’t know. I can’t be sure. It’s just that sometimes...sometimes I feel like someone’s watching me. You know the feeling?”

  Both sergeants nodded.

  “Where are you when this happens?” Parker asked. “At work? Home?”

  She raised her hands, palms up. “Yes, to both. Home, work, once outside the post office. I never actually saw anyone suspicious. Nor have I noticed the same person in several places.”

  Gavin digested that information, not liking it at all. “What about other incidents at the clinic? Anything unusual or suspicious stand out to you?”

  When she shook his head, he held in a sigh. Not from impatience with her. She was a victim here. No, he was impatient with the idea that he had to let her go home without any assurance that the attacker was beyond bars. Who would protect her?

  He would have to make sure that she was safe.

  “Was it my fault?” she asked in a small, dull voice. “Did Brett die and did Noah get shot because of me?”

  “No!” She flinched from the force of his response. He gentled his voice. “No. Alexa, it’s not on you that some creep is following you. You did not ask for it. And you certainly don’t deserve it. No woman does.”

  “I get that, but Brett—”

  He cut her off. “Brett loved you, right? I am sure that he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.”

  Gavin waited for her nod, then he stood. “Okay. Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll see about getting you some protection where you live. Obviously, you’ll need to take some time off work—”

  “I can’t!” she interrupted him.

  “What do you mean you can’t?” Why would anyone want to go to work when someone was literally gunning for them?

  Parker stood and came around the table. “Alexa, you’re in danger. Going to work will bring that danger to the others who work there.”

  “Gah!” She exploded into a standing position so fast her wooden chair fell over with a loud clatter. Parker stooped to pick it up. Alexa strode to the window. The tension was vibrating off her. “I get what you’re saying. I do. But I don’t have a choice. Maybe if we weren’t in the middle of a flu epidemic. As it is, the clinic is already short-staffed. We have patients who depend on us.”

  Gavin considered the situation. “Hold on for just a minute, okay?” He strode to the do
or.

  “He’s always on the go. Don’t mind him,” he heard Parker murmur to Alexa as he exited. He rolled his eyes, smiling briefly to himself. The amusement was short-lived.

  He had a job to do. A woman to protect, and a stalker to find. A stalker who had already murdered in order to get close to his obsession.

  A stalker who would kill again unless Gavin could stop him.

  THREE

  Using a knuckle, Gavin rapped sharply on Chief Paul Kennedy’s office door. Impatiently he waited for the chief to answer. He was getting ready to knock again when Lieutenant Jace Tucker strolled past him.

  “The chief’s not in, Jackson,” Tucker informed him. “He had to go with his wife to the doctor. He said he should be back in the next hour or so. Anything I can help you with?”

  “Is Irene okay?” He hated to think of anything being wrong with the chief’s feisty red-haired wife. Irene was well-loved by all the officers. Paul Kennedy was her second husband. Her first, Tony Martello, had been a solid cop. And a good friend. Four years ago, he’d been killed in the line of duty. The loss had been devastating to all involved. Especially to Irene. They were all happy when she and the chief had found each other.

  She was also Lieutenant Tucker’s sister. He didn’t seem too worried. So it couldn’t be that bad. Right?

  “Nothing serious,” Tucker said, confirming his thoughts. “What do you need?”

  Switching gears, Gavin related what he’d learned so far. “What I’d really like to do is to order some sort of protection for Alexa.”

  At this moment nothing was more important than the frightened woman sitting in the conference room. “The woman ran from Chicago. And all evidence points to her stalker being from there, too.”

  Lieutenant Tucker straightened, his gaze sharpening. “Really? Let’s put this on a priority level. I will inform the chief when he gets back. Can you hang with Miss Grant until we get the details worked out?”

  He ignored the jolt of relief at the words. He should not, under any circumstances, have a preference for which officer stayed with Alexa. Nor should he be glad to have an excuse to stay with her.

  The sooner he got her back to her place and another officer watching over her, the better. He’d been with her only a couple of hours and she was already messing with his mind. He didn’t need that. Hadn’t his dealings with Lacey taught him anything? He was better off alone than setting himself up for that kind of heartbreak. And heartbreak and disappointment it would be. He was the kind of man that women liked until someone steady and smooth-talking came along. Someone like his brother, Sam.

  He wasn’t going there.

  Alexa’s life was in danger. He was chasing her stalker turned sniper. As far as he was concerned, that was as far as their connection would go. Could go. He refused to allow it to become anything more.

  “I can do that, Lieutenant Tucker,” he said. “What kind of plans are you thinking of?”

  He didn’t mean to be pushy, but he needed something concrete here.

  Lieutenant Tucker gave him a level stare, and his right eyebrow twitched, but he didn’t give Gavin any grief. Probably because Tucker himself had once had to protect a woman from a killer. A woman who was now Lieutenant Tucker’s wife. Irrelevant. Shoving the annoying thought away, he focused once again on his superior officer. “I’m sure we could do some sort of drive-by. Like I said, I will run it by the chief when he gets back. We’re limited on how much surveillance we can do. But we’ll do our best.”

  “Yeah, that’ll have to work.” He ran a hand through his hair, thinking rapidly. “Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll drive Alexa back to get her car. Then I’ll follow her to her place and check it out. Maybe Parker can meet me there, and we can canvas the neighborhood, talk to the neighbors. See what’s the situation there.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll pass your message along to the chief when I see him.”

  There was nothing more to do at the station. He needed to confer with Parker. One of them needed to get to the hospital and get Noah Hostetler’s statement the minute he was out of surgery and conscious. Amish folk didn’t particularly go out of the way to converse with cops. However, given that he’d already told someone he had caught a glimpse of the sniper, Gavin didn’t think the man would protest answering a few questions. Gavin retraced his steps back to where he’d left Alexa with Parker. They were talking quietly when he entered.

  “Hey, Parker. One of us needs to go to the hospital.” He didn’t go into details. Parker was a smart man and an experienced officer. He’d be able to connect the dots. He switched his gaze to the anxious woman. The shadows drenching her eyes tugged at him, despite his desire to not be moved. It might take a while, but he would do everything in his power to clear away those shadows. “Alexa, how ’bout I drive you to get your car, and then we can head back to your house?”

  She caught her lip between her teeth and blinked up at him. As her blue-gray eyes zeroed in on him, he knew that she wasn’t going to agree with his plan. He waited for her argument.

  Gavin fought against the frustration that was tearing at him. All he wanted was to find the stalker who was after her and give him a lengthy stay in a prison cell. Letting his emotions get out of hand would only get in his way. He couldn’t afford that kind of complication. If he was to keep his wits about him and work with a clear mind, he needed to stay detached.

  Especially from pretty blondes like the one gazing up at him. Nope. Not going there.

  “Just say it, Alexa. Whatever’s on your mind, just go ahead and say it.”

  She smiled slightly. “If you don’t mind, I would like to go to the hospital with whoever is going. See how Noah is doing, and if his wife has arrived yet. I’ll never be able to sleep until I know how they’re coping.”

  He just wanted to get her home and locked up tight. The thought of her being out in the open when there was a sniper after her didn’t sit well with him. Gearing up to tell her no, they couldn’t visit the hospital, he glanced into those blue-gray eyes. The denial never made it past his lips.

  After all, he had just said that they needed to go there. It might as well be him. Plus, Tucker did tell him to stick close until they had a plan approved.

  “Sure. Parker, I’ll take Alexa to the hospital. Cover the details there. We have to get her neighborhood checked out.”

  “I’ll go ahead and start on that, Jackson.”

  He threw a grin toward Parker. “I was so hoping you’d say that, buddy.”

  “Yeah, I figured.” Parker waved his hand at them in a shooing motion.

  Alrighty, then. Alexa’s stalker had already escalated to the point of violence. Violence that possibly had led to at least one death. If his suspicions proved to be true, then he was also responsible for the deaths when the florist shop had burnt down. It was only a matter of time before he struck out again.

  Unless he could stop him.

  * * *

  Check out her neighborhood? Alexa paused, her coat halfway on. “Why do you have to check out my neighborhood? It’s a very quiet one. Nothing ever happens there.”

  “Until we can narrow things down a bit, everyone around you is a potential suspect. I have requested some security for you. Lieutenant Tucker suggested that a police car do a periodic drive-by to keep an eye on your place. He’s going to run that by the chief and let me know for sure. Hopefully, if someone is watching your home, that will keep them away. You have good locks on your place, right?” Gavin asked.

  Irritation fled. A melting warmth took its place. It had been years since anyone worried over her well-being. She gave herself a mental shake. She wouldn’t go all soft because someone asked her to lock her doors.

  “I have locks.” She hesitated. “Actually, they’re kind of old locks. I don’t think it would take too much for anyone to breach them.”

  Gavin and Sergeant Parker exchanged glances
.

  “What?” She heard the defensive tone in her voice. “Until today, I had no idea I had a stalker. In the neighborhood where I live, half the people don’t even bother locking their houses.”

  Their faces grew grimmer. “Well, you’re going to lock yours,” Gavin said.

  Her shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t argue. Independence was one thing, but arguing when she knew he was right wouldn’t help the situation.

  “Alexa.” She turned her gaze to Sergeant Parker. “I’m also wondering if you would consider installing dead bolts on your doors.”

  “Of course,” she responded quickly. “If it’s that important, I will check on dead bolts tomorrow.” Was it her imagination, or did some of the tension leave Gavin’s shoulders when she agreed?

  “We’ll be by to check on your neighbors, make sure none of them are your admirer. Once we can rule them out, I’ll feel a whole lot better about your being in your home by yourself.”

  Sergeant Parker nodded at Gavin’s words.

  She didn’t like the sound of that at all. The idea that one of her neighbors might be her stalker had never crossed her mind. Briefly, she considered what she knew about the people who lived around her. Not much, she realized with some shame. Since leaving Chicago, she’d kept to herself. She had no real friends in the area. Sure, she got along with Megan, but they were colleagues. Megan had tried several times to convince her to go grab coffee or go to a movie with her. Each and every time, Alexa had shut her down with one excuse or another. Hence, here she was, in the police station, a stalker on her tail, and unable to account for her neighbors.