Page 77 of Protect Me
“Video footage.”
My good mood dimmed considerably. “I see.”
Hernandez straightened up, setting aside a pair of handcuffs on his growing pile of stuffas he pulled it off. “We have two videos with him in it. It’s clearly him, from identifying t-shirts to facial recognition. One from inside, one from a garage that he entered without permission. Now he’s escalated.”
“He broke into a house?”
Hernandez nodded. I bit back a curse.
“I see.”
“It gets worse.” He grimaced and sat down to unlace a boot. “They’re houses he’s clearly staked out. It started with wealthier people, you know? He’s taking the quick, easy stuff out of cars. Jewelry, tablets, watches, that kind of thing. Today, he got stupid, as we like to say.”
“How?”
“Held a knife to a homeowner and threatened to kill them while raiding a jewelry box. Luckily, we have the whole thing on camera, with audio.”
“Isn’t that a violation of parole or something?”
He snorted. “Major violation. If we could find him. He’s gone missing the last twenty-four hours. Hasn’t checked in.”
“Damn.”
“There’s no sign of him near your place that I can tell. At least, none of the reports have happened near you, but you might want to keep an eye out. He’s desperate, yet hasn’t shown any signs of being vengeful toward Kate. Not that I can tell, anyway. I think he’ll lay low for a while, then try to get out of here. If he’s not already gone. Man would be a fool for sticking around after his last stint, but I can’t say that people are always bright.”
“Him leaving for good,” I muttered, “would be the second-best thing. If he never came back, I’d be a happy man.”
The first-best thing would be Timothy walking himself off a very high cliff.
“Does Kate have my direct cell?” Hernandez asked.
“No.”
“Get it in her phone so she can call me if she needs anything, even if I’m off duty.”
“Thanks.”
Hernandez studied me, then nodded. “I like her. So what’s your problem?”
I scowled. “Not your business.”
His grin grew. “C’mon, amigo. Itismy business. I'm a happily married man!Abuelafinally likes me again and I want all my brothers to be happy too. You’re the only one left, anyway. Dagny is going to make it her business if you’re not careful.”
I sighed. “I’m working it out.”
Hernandez yanked his vest off. “Well don’t be an idiot while you’re trying to figure it out, all right? In my line of work, it’s the idiots that come in last.”
A rap on the front door drew my attention. I glanced up, waved to Hernandez to indicate I’d open the door, and crossed the kitchen. Kate stood on the porch, eyes darting around the neighborhood. Relief rushed through me when I saw her. Unable to help myself, I reached out, grabbed her arm, and yanked her inside. She landed against my chest with anoomph.
“Hello,” she murmured, close to my neck.
I kept a firm hold on her, probably for too long, before I pulled away. She peered up at me, surprise in her gaze.
“You good?” she asked.
“Yes, now I am.”
The desire to kiss her again was a physical thing I had to wrestle back, out of power. Two weeks had passed since she’d laid that kiss on me and rocked my metaphorical world.
