Page 19 of Her Baby, Her Badge

“I was hoping you’d sleep in,” he said.

She shook her head. “The baby’s kicking.”

That shifted his focus, and he wanted to put his hand on her stomach, wanted to feel those kicks. He didn’t, though. And Grace didn’t invite him to do it, so he stepped out of the bathroom to let her enter.

“Rory’s in the kitchen,” she informed him. “There have been a few updates, and he can fill you in.”

Since Dutton very much wanted to hear any updates, he finished dressing, put on his boots, holstered his gun and made his way downstairs.

Unlike Grace’s house, his brother’s was only a few years old, and it had that new, modern feel to it. It was also closer to town, even though it was still out in the country, and like Dutton and the rest of the McClennans, Rory kept up the family tradition of raising horses. Rory had obviously shucked another tradition, though, by becoming a cop.

Dutton spotted two palominos out the side window that faced the pasture. He also spotted plenty of toys and a mesh playpen, a reminder that Rory was the father of a baby boy, Tyler, who wasn’t quite one year old. Rory and the baby’s mother, Eden, were estranged, but apparently they were managing to co-parent. Dutton was hoping Grace and he would be able to manage the same.

He followed the scent of coffee and found Rory in the kitchen, scrambling some eggs and frying some bacon. Rory took one look at Dutton and poured him a huge cup of the coffee. “Good thing you take it black because I’m out of sugar and milk.”

“Thanks,” Dutton said and took a sip. It was too hot, but he needed the caffeine hit. Needed to say something to his brother as well. “Thanks for letting us stay here last night.”

His brother shrugged. “Anytime.” He studied Dutton from over the rim of his own mug. “But I’m guessing you would have preferred to take Grace to your place at the ranch?”

Dutton made a sound of agreement. “This was a good compromise.”

Rory’s home had a security system along with a reserve deputy sitting in a cruiser out front. Dutton figured the killer wasn’t bold enough to try to tape any notes written in blood on Rory’s door with a cop watching and two more cops inside.

“Grace said you have some updates,” Dutton prompted while he continued to gulp more coffee.

“Lots,” Rory acknowledged. Some toast popped up from the toaster, and he put the two slices on a plate and set them on thecounter next to Dutton. “The injured woman has been identified as Georgia Tate. She’s in critical condition and unconscious so we haven’t been able to question her.”

“How’d you get an ID so fast?” Dutton asked while he ate some toast. He wasn’t hungry, but his body needed fuel, and that was probably why his brother added some of the eggs and bacon to the plate. “Did she have a police record?”

“No, her sister filed a missing-person report on her. Georgia works in San Antonio, but she shares a house with her sister about ten miles from here, in Comanche Creek. She’s employed as a cocktail waitress, and when she didn’t come home after work, her sister filed the report. Good thing, too. Since there’s no minimum period for filing a report in Texas, it helped us make a quick ID.”

Dutton took a moment to process that. “Does Georgia have any obvious connection to Renegade Canyon or to Grace?”

“None that we’ve found so far, but Eden’s working on it.”

At the mention of the deputy’s name, Dutton had to ask. “Are Eden and Tyler alright?”

A muscle flickered in Rory’s jaw. “They’re safe. Eden wouldn’t stay here,” he added. “But Livvy is at her place, and they have a reserve deputy outside in a cruiser as well.”

Good. Livvy was a solid deputy. And possibly a target, too, since she was female. This way, Eden and Livvy could look after each other. But Dutton totally understood his brother’s tight-jawed reaction. Rory would have preferred having his ex and son with him.

“A rep for the electric company came in early to check their records,” Rory continued a moment later, obviously returning to the updates. “And they didn’t send anyone to the ranch.”

So that was bogus, which could mean a couple of things. Either the person was the actual killer, and the ploy was to steal the knife. Or the killer could have hired someone to go in. Eitherwas possible, but it still didn’t make sense to Dutton that the killer would use Ike’s knife.

“Yeah,” Rory said, and he was watching Dutton. “You’re trying to work out what’s going on with that knife. Maybe the killer didn’t think Dad would have alibis?”

Dutton nodded. “Or else this is a way of creating bad publicity. Some stress, too. Because now the ranch and the family are part of the investigation.”

Which pointed right back to Grace and him being the primary targets. It was possible the other murders had simply been meant to create more of that stress Dutton had just mentioned. But there was another possibility.

“What about the lying, cheating fiancé, Brian Waterman?” Dutton asked. “Any sign of him yet?”

“None, but there’s an APB out on him now.”

That was the right call because it was possible Brian was the person killing the female cops. Maybe all in an effort to cover up the murder of his own fiancée and to take the focus off him. But as far as Dutton was concerned, the focus was there, especially since Brian had seemingly dropped off the radar.

Dutton turned at the sound of footsteps, and as expected, Grace came in. Somehow, she’d managed to make herself look rested and ready for work. If he didn’t look her straight in the eyes, that is. But he did, and saw the fatigue and the pressure this investigation had caused. Yet even that didn’t lessen the reminder that she was a beautiful woman, and once again, he felt that usual kick of heat.

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