Mirror Image

“Yeah, but it still seems out of proportion for him to come after me like that. The guy who grabbed me clearly wanted to physically take me down, as if to punish me. I have to agree with you that it’s odd he didn’t try to use a weapon.”

Griff nodded, then reached over to shut down the computer. “Okay, let’s call it a night. I’ll drop you off at home.”

For a minute it looked as if she wanted to protest, but she gave in with a brief nod. “Fine. Tomorrow morning I’ll see if I can find any link to the Brookmont matter. The more I think about it, the more I believe that the guy who attacked me might have been sent by the former police chief. You’ll warn Nate?”

Griff couldn’t deny that taking down a huge drug ring placed both Nate and Jenna at risk for revenge. “Yeah, I’ll call him. And I expect you to let me know if you find anything. I’ll see if there’s anything I can shake loose from the DA’s office. Maybe they have a list of Randall Joseph’s known associates.”

“Sounds good.” Jenna turned and walked out of the office. He followed close on her heels.

This time, when Jenna approached the SUV, he held back from opening the door for her. She lifted a brow and smiled, as if reading his thoughts.

The ride to Jenna’s house didn’t take long, and when he pulled onto her street he found an empty parking spot near the front of her house. When he stopped the car, he noticed she already had her hand on the door latch, ready to bolt.

He put out a hand to stop her, concerned that the assailant might have returned in their absence. And when he caught a flash of movement near the corner of her house, he knew his instincts were right on.

“Wait—I think there’s someone out there,” he said in a hushed tone.

“Where?” Jenna whispered, pressing her face to the window.

“Near your house.” He stared through the darkness, wondering if he’d let his imagination get the better of him.

“I don’t see anything,” she said after several long minutes. “I’ll be fine. This time, I have my gun.”

Tough to argue that logic. He dropped his hand and watched helplessly as she pushed open the passenger-side door.

“Later, Lieutenant,” she said before closing the door with a solid thud.

Griff didn’t move from his spot on the street, even after Jenna opened her door and disappeared inside.

He reminded himself she was a highly trained deputy on their SWAT team.

He waited five minutes. Then ten. Just as he was about to drive away, he caught another glimpse of movement.

Enough to have him turning off the car and charging out of the vehicle to make sure the assailant hadn’t returned to finish what he’d started.

THREE (#ulink_ec1c550b-64ce-5d5a-985f-6541755b6c45)

Jenna pulled the bracelet out of her pocket as she headed into her bedroom to find the small jewelry box she had stashed in the top drawer of her dresser. She opened the lid, gently lifted her bracelet out and set it beside the one still contained in the plastic bag.

They were identical in size, shape and every other detail, except for the engraved initial on the heart-shaped charm. If her mother was still alive, Jenna would have called to ask where the bracelet had been purchased. But Jenna had lost her shortly after graduating from the police academy.

It wasn’t likely her father would know anything about it, either. Besides, he was the last person on earth she wanted to talk to. It still burned to know he’d done only ten years of his twenty-year sentence for attempting to murder Jenna and her mother.

After his arrest, Ruth’s shelter had been their home for several months while the slow wheels of justice slogged forward on her father’s case. Only once he was found guilty were she and her mom able to come out of hiding. They moved in with Grandpa Hank, her maternal grandfather, managing to scrape by on her mother’s waitressing tips from the nearby café.

When Jenna was old enough to work, she joined her mother as a waitress. But she’d always known that she wanted to be a cop.

Just like the female officer who’d come to their rescue on that fateful night.

She shook off the disturbing memories and carried the bracelets into the living room, where she’d left her laptop. The hour was edging toward two in the morning, but she knew she wouldn’t sleep until she’d at least tried to find some information on the bracelet.

She’d just clicked on a search engine when she heard a muffled thud from somewhere outside. She rose to her feet and reached for her weapon. Then she quickly doused the lights and inched toward the living room window, which overlooked the street.

She frowned when she noticed Griff’s squad car was still parked at the curb. But why? She squinted, trying to see if he was inside.

Then she realized he was running toward the south side of her house as if he was going after someone.

The attacker was back!

Jenna didn’t waste any time, but quickly opened the front door and headed outside. When she saw Griff disappearing around the corner, she took off after him.

She was light on her feet, gaining on Griff as he veered around the trees in her neighbor’s yard. She couldn’t see who he was chasing, but the least she could do was back him up.

As she closed the gap between them, he slowed, obviously hearing her behind him.

“Reed on your six,” she whispered.

He didn’t hesitate, but nodded, indicating he’d heard.

She put on a burst of speed so that she could run alongside him. “Who are you following?”

He glared at her for a moment, looking annoyed. “A teenage girl was hiding around the corner of your house.”

A teenage girl? That didn’t make any sense. But there wasn’t time to argue as Griff veered around some lawn furniture, making her realize he had a destination in mind.

He slowed down, gesturing for her to come closer. He leaned in, his mouth next to her ear. “Behind the tan shed ahead. We’ll need to circle around to meet in the back.”

She gave a terse nod, then ducked around a low branch of a huge maple tree. She couldn’t begin to fathom why a teenager would be hanging around her house, but the timing was certainly suspicious. Being in law enforcement had proved to her that anything was possible, so right now they were approaching this suspect carefully. It was entirely possible this girl was somehow connected to the earlier assault.

Stepping carefully, Jenna approached the edge of the shed. Leaning against the wooden structure, she listened intently.

Crickets chirped; tree frogs belched. But she didn’t hear any telltale sign that someone was hiding there.

Had Griff made a mistake? Unlikely, despite the fact they were all human. Griff was one of the best cops she knew, tough yet fair. She’d been thrilled when he’d hired her to join his team. She inched closer to the edge of the shed and peered around the corner.

At first she didn’t see anything amiss. Then she realized there was a slim figure crouched beside a woodpile. The teenager was curled up in a tight ball, as if trying to make herself invisible.

Jenna didn’t think the teen was armed, but there was no point in taking any chances. Griff poked his head around the opposite corner, and she gave him a quick hand signal, indicating their quarry was there.

“Police,” Jenna said, stepping around the corner and leveling her weapon at the figure hiding beside the woodpile. “Hold your hands up where I can see them.”

From the corner of her eye she noticed Griff came out to join her. She kept her gaze on the small figure, relieved when two pale, slender hands slowly rose above the teen’s head.

“Are you Jenna Reed?” the girl asked in a shaky voice.

Jenna blinked in surprise. How on earth did this girl know her name? “Yes. Stand up and keep your hands in the air.”

The teen did as she was told.