Page 2 of Catch Him
Sinead assessed the person in front of her. As a cop, even if it was the sleepy suburb of Mill Valley, she was expected to rely on her instincts. Her instincts about this guy said he was a non-threat. If he had been breaking and entering, he certainly wouldn’t have stuck around to wait for the cops. If he was telling the truth, the key and pictures were a pretty good indication he knew the person who owned the home.
Beyond that, Sinead wanted to stop the screeching of the home alarm. “Is there a land line inside?”
“I’m sorry a what?”
“A phone that’s not a cell phone.”
“Oh yes, right here in the foyer. I’ve already tried calling the security company, but they require the same code I obviously have wrong. I told them I could probably answer some security questions, but they insisted I wait for the police to arrive. Now here you are. You can hit the last number dialed to ring them.”
Sinead picked up the phone and did as he said. Sure enough she was on the phone with the security company. She gave them her badge number, verified she had interviewed the suspect. Then they asked her a series of security questions.
Her suspect was able to answer the town the home owner had been born in, his first pet’s name, and his mother’s maiden name. At that point the security company remotely switched off the alarm and the silence was a relief.
“Thank goodness,” the man said. “I thought I was going to go deaf from the blasted noise.”
“Do you have some identification?” Sinead asked.
“Of course.” He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a wallet. He fished out his driver’s license and handed it to her. Sinead looked at the picture, which if it was possible looked even more handsome than he was in person. Seriously, who took a good driver’s license picture? She compared it to the wedding photo.
It was good enough for her.
Sinead handed him back the license and the photo. “I would see about reaching out to your friend as soon as possible. You’re not going to be able to arm the security system until you know the passcode.”
“Right. I’ll find some way to track him down.”
She looked up at him and realized she was wrong. He was even hotter than Jax, if that was possible. Tall, lean but solid. A face that would make a woman cry, with golden brown hair that was probably a little too long and yet just perfect. Some scruff around his jaw that made him look human. Because other than that stubble around his chin, she would have said he had the face of an angel.
“Yes, ma’am. Miss. I’m sorry. Officer. I really can’t thank you enough, if for no other reason than sparing my hearing.”
He reached his hand out to her, and while it wasn’t really protocol she couldn’t stop herself from being curious about this handshake. Her father told her a man could be assessed in seconds by how he shook a person’s hand.
Tight, firm, but not overly aggressive. He didn’t pander to her because she was a woman with a weak hold. He didn’t squeeze her hand to show how much of a tough guy he was.
“I should introduce myself by the way. I’m David Whitmore, and you are Officer S. O’Hara. Please enlighten me, what does the S stand for?”
“Sinead.”
“Lovely Irish name. Do you spell it correctly?”
Sinead smiled. Her name was pronouncedShi-nadebut it was in fact spelled in the traditional Gaelic. An annoyance her entire life anytime anyone tried to sound it out phonetically. When she went to Starbucks and they asked for her name, she usually told them Kate. It was easier.
“Yes. I do.”
“Very good, I approve tremendously.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure my father will be thrilled to know you approve of how he named his daughter.”
David laughed and when he did, she could feel the sound vibrate through her body. Oh yeah, it was official. She was smitten.
“Right. That was awfully presumptuous of me. I’m afraid I’m a bit jet-lagged, and after listening to that blaring alarm for the last thirty minutes a mite cranky as well. I’m usually more charming than this.”
“Oh you’re charming enough,” Sinead said before she could check herself.
He flashed her another smile. “What can I do to thank you for coming to my rescue, Sinead, who spells her name correctly?”
For a second she didn’t understand the question. “Sir…”
“Please. David. Sir is so official, don’t you think?”
