Page 51 of Cowboy's Last Stand
She always parked in the far corner of the lot, near the outdoor garden.Although there were open spaces everywhere, there was a dark green panel van right next to her bug, almost completely obscuring it.Her giddiness and good humor evaporated as she got closer.Her heart rate increased as memories flashed in her mind.Firecrackers and smashed mailboxes, bloody noses and black eyes.
Hands trembling, she removed the keys from her bag and held them in the way Jason had demonstrated to Marcus.She’d been aware of the technique before but rarely used it.She approached with caution, giving the van a wide berth.
“Hey,” a voice called out from behind.
She startled at the sound and almost jumped out of her shoes.The books she was holding fell from her arms.One landed on her foot and struck her toe hard enough to make her wince.She whirled to face Wade Hendricks in uniform.
“Sorry,” he said, hands raised.“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She still had her keys in a death grip, pointy end ready.
“Please don’t hurt me,” he teased.
Natalie dropped her hand, feeling self-conscious.She couldn’t defend herself against a man Wade’s size.
“I’m sorry,” he said again and crouched to help her.“I shouldn’t have made fun of you.The key thing is good.Pepper spray is better.”
“What if I’d sprayed you?Isn’t that assaulting an officer?”
He handed her a book.“I’d let it slide.”
She unlocked her car and put the books inside.
“Studying martial arts?”
“Marcus is.Where did you come from?”
“The coffee shop.”He gestured across the street, where his squad car was parked.“I thought we could sit down for a minute to talk.”
She didn’t have time for coffee.“Can we talk here?School gets out at two thirty.”
“Sure,” Wade conceded.
They sat down at a nearby picnic table in the library’s outdoor garden.It was quiet and sun-dappled, the trees lively with birdsong.
“Are you all right?”he asked.
She didn’t feel the need to explain her jangled nerves.“I’m fine.”
He leaned toward her, his voice low.“I tracked down Billy last night.He was with Gabe Luna and two girls at the Lookout on Temple Heights Lane.They were all drinking.One of them was your neighbor.Brooklyn, or something.”
“London.”
“That’s her.”
Natalie shook her head, sighing.The news didn’t surprise her.“She’s my son’s babysitter.”
“I took the girls home because they weren’t old enough to drink.”
“Neither is Gabe.”
“I know.For the record, he didn’t admit to being involved in the mailbox incident, but he went pale when I mentioned it.”
She blinked in surprise.“I don’t believe it.”
“Billy didn’t act alone, Natalie.He had help.”
“Not Gabe.”
