Proof of Innocence

* * *

Much later, after he’d sent Erin to bed in the adjoining room, Chase lay awake on the sofa, Valor by his feet, and went back over this case and tried to make a plan of action. First, he needed to let the team know that he’d heard her statement. They’d want to question her, too. Then he needed to go back to Leon Ridge and interrogate him about what had really happened that night and he also wanted to once again interview some of Michael’s friends and coworkers. They’d have to go from there, but Chase wasn’t sure what might happen.

He was a rookie, only a year into being on the elite handpicked K-9 team. What if they took him off the case? How could he protect her then? Chase was former Secret Service, so he knew how things worked. But he also knew he had a duty to protect Erin, no matter what.

He said a little prayer for guidance and hoped General Meyer would allow him to continue protecting Erin. She would be in a lot of danger once word got out that she’d been located.

Chase finally gave in to his fatigue and dozed on the uncomfortable little couch for a while. Around 2:00 a.m. Valor alerted with a low growl and Chase was up and holding a weapon toward the French doors out to the upstairs porch. The doors he’d believed no one would breach.

A few minutes later, the intruder broke into the room and found them waiting for him. Chase gave Valor the “Attack” command and Valor leaped into the air and went for the man’s throat while Chase circled the culprit.

The man screamed and covered his face, causing Valor to go for his arm. Chase let Valor hold the culprit until he could move in. The man squirmed and writhed in pain, which only made Valor’s teeth sink deeper into his bleeding wounds.

“Drop the weapon,” Chase said, motioning to the gun the man held in his right hand. Valor backed him up with a low growl and another show of his teeth sinking into the man’s left arm. But the man wasn’t ready to give in. He pulled the trigger and a shot hit the ceiling with a loud ping. Chase fired back and the man crumbled onto the floor, Valor still holding his arm.

“Release,” Chase said. “It’s too late for this one, Valor.”

When he turned around, Erin was standing in the open door to the other room, her gaze falling across the dead man at Chase’s feet.

* * *

“You okay?” he asked over his shoulder while he checked the man’s pulse and found none.

“Yes,” she said behind him, the one word breathless. “That’s the man who was chasing me in the woods.”

Chase looked back to make sure Erin really was all right. She stood inside the door, wearing the oversize robe, her arms held tightly against her waist.

Chase commanded Valor, “Stay.”

Erin advanced a step into the room, her gaze still on the dead assailant. “He was wearing a hat, but I saw his face when I was running away from the hotel. I don’t recognize him.”

A knock shook the door. “Hey, what’s going on in there?”

Janey. Chase gave Erin a warning glance. “Let me handle this.”

He opened the door and showed the wide-eyed Janey his badge. After explaining things, he told Janey he was about to make some calls. “I’d appreciate it if you inform the other guests about what’s happening and keep them out of the way,” he told the frightened woman.

“This won’t be good for business,” Janey whined. “A dead intruder in the best suite we have. That’s a first.”

Chase turned to Erin after Janey left and tugged her across the room away from the body. “I need to call this in.”

Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of fear deepening them to midnight blue. “You can’t take me back. I’ll go to jail for something I didn’t do.”

Chase leaned close, his hand on her elbow. “I don’t believe that’s gonna happen now. Think about it, Erin. The congressman fled because of the corruption charges and...we now know that Juan Gomez is his son. That’s enough to bring him in on murder charges, too, since we have witnesses who say Rosa Gomez was shaking him down for more money right before she died.” He also reminded her about Leon Ridge. “We have him in custody and when he hears you’re alive and well even though they sent someone to kill you yet again, he’s gonna panic.”

“But...none of that can help me, Chase. Leon will accuse me since the congressman is pulling his strings. He’s too scared to tell the truth and we both know it.”

“I’m going to make him tell the truth,” Chase said. “Now we have one of Jeffries’s thugs breaking in on your room—a room only you and I should have known about. Why would he go to all of this trouble if he isn’t trying to kill you?”

“He could convince everyone that he wanted to bring me in to prove I did this.”

“But the congressman hasn’t told any of us that he was conducting his own investigation and he never fully admitted to seeing you at the scene. We’ll question Ridge until he gives us what we need.”

“And in the meantime, what happens to me?” she asked.

Chase glanced back toward the dead guy and then turned to her again. “In the meantime, I’m going to make sure you stay safe.”

* * *

Erin sat on the sofa and watched as law-enforcement people tramped back and forth in what had started out as a beautiful suite in a quiet country bed-and-breakfast. She’d been questioned and prodded and interrogated and analyzed to the point that she was no longer coherent. All she wanted right now was a soft bed and sleep. Lots of sleep without nightmares or visions of people chasing her through the woods.

“How you holding up?” Chase asked, sitting down beside her for a brief moment. Valor had stayed by her side while his human partner did his job and filed his own report.

“I’m okay,” she said. Then she shook her head. “No, that’s not true. I’m tired, scared and worried that I’ll be hauled away the minute they’re done here. Poor Janey is probably afraid they’ll take her in, too. I think every branch of law enforcement sent several representatives to gawk at me and get me to confess to anything and everything. I’ll probably be blamed for Leon Ridge’s confession, too.” She lifted her hand toward the window. “Not to mention the reporters already gathering out there. I’m the topic of the day.”

“Janey can use all of this as PR,” Chase said, obviously trying to make her smile. “She’s handling the reporters with cookies and coffee. I don’t even want to think about what she’s telling them. She’ll have gawkers driving by for weeks.”

“At least someone will profit from my notoriety,” Erin replied with a frown.

Chase touched his hand to hers in a quick gesture. “It’s going to be all right. Oh, by the way, your father’s on his way, too.”

Erin moaned and held a hand in her hair. “I was hoping I’d see him back at his town house in DC. He shouldn’t drive all the way out here. We’re at least two hours away from the city.”

“He’s bringing lawyers,” Chase said, his eyes full of understanding and sympathy. “I tried—”

“—to talk him out of it,” she finished. “I know how that goes.” Then she turned serious. “Will I have to be arraigned or post bail or whatever comes next?”

Chase’s smile was soft and swift. “Hold on, Sherlock. You aren’t going to be charged with anything right now. But you will be questioned.”

She pushed at her hair. “Again?”

“And again,” he said, his eyes holding hers. “You are innocent until proven guilty, remember? Leon Ridge did tell us that the congressman accidentally shot his son.”

“I am innocent,” she said, hoping he really did believe her. “But Chase...if it’s all over the news that... I’ve been brought in, what do you think Congressman Jeffries will do?”

Chase glanced around to where Captain Gavin McCord stood talking to two FBI agents. They’d already taken the dead man away, but Erin wondered what they would do with her. Did Chase really think he could stop this steamroller?

“Chase?”

He turned back to her. “The congressman will come after you.”

Erin tried to ignore the shudder creeping down her spine. “He’ll be in a panic knowing Leon’s been arrested and that another of his minions is now dead. He still wants me dead. I can’t see that changing. I think it’ll only get worse.”

“He’s running out of options so he’s getting desperate,” Chase said. “Look, let’s get done here and...if you don’t want to go back to your place or to your father’s house, you can come home with me.”

“That won’t be necessary, Officer Zachary.”

Erin cringed and turned, recognizing her father’s stern voice. She shot Chase a glance and saw the dare in his green eyes. Getting up, she hurried to her father before Chase said anything. “Dad.”