Trail of Evidence

“I’m not.” But she was. If he hadn’t pulled her out of the way, she would be dead or seriously injured. “This guy is playing hardball,” she muttered. She maneuvered around the part of the desk that blocked the stairs and started up. Nicholas stayed right with her. Barking reached her ears.

“I hear Max,” Nicholas said.

“Yeah, I do, too. He’s already up there?”

“I sent him up as soon as I pulled you out of the way. Mercy’s just inside the door downstairs waiting like a good girl.” He radioed in that they were still in pursuit. Brooke led the way down the hall, her footsteps echoing on the bare concrete that once had probably been covered in carpet.

The barking continued. “He’s got someone cornered.”

“Or he’s trapped and can’t get to the person,” Brooke agreed.

Brooke and Nicholas came to the end of a hall. And a closed door. Nicholas gave the command for Max to sit and be quiet. Brooke held her weapon ready. Nicholas reached around her and opened the door. Brooke swung in. Max darted ahead and up another set of stairs. She followed him to the next level.

“Roof access door,” Nicholas said.

They played the same dance and she breathed a bit easier when no gunshots came her way. Max pushed through and out onto the roof. Nose to the ground then in the air, he darted to the side of the building. And sat.

Brooke rushed over. “Fire escape.”

“The guys would have seen him. Where did he go?” He tapped into his earpiece. “Did you see him come down the north side of the building? Down the fire escape?”

Brooke heard the negative response and took in the area. She stepped out on the fire escape and tried to think like a desperately fleeing fugitive. “He didn’t go down.”

“What?”

“He went over.” She nodded to the overgrown trees lining the back of the building, just on the other side of the fence. “He grabbed that limb and shimmied down that tree. Or even crossed over to the next one. They’re so close together, he could have been three or four trees in before he climbed down.”

Nicholas shook his head. “You’ve got to be right. He never set foot on the ground or our guys would have nabbed him.”

She slapped a hand against the wall. “Which means he got away.”

And would live to come back and strike again.

* * *

Jonas breathed a sigh of relief when Brooke walked out of the building, Mercy trotting at her heels. She was a good distance away, but he’d recognize her and her dog anywhere. “Where’s the guy who tried to break in my house?”

Chase shook his head. “I’m guessing he got away. We’ll find out soon enough.”

Jonas frowned and reached for the door handle as several law enforcement vehicles spun out of the parking lot. Nicholas and Max went with them. “Where are they going?”

“The suspect may have been seen in a different location and they’re going after him,” Chase said. “Nicholas will see if Max can pick up his scent.”

For the next several minutes, Jonas watched the organized chaos. Brooke and Mercy disappeared back into the building. “Where’s she going now?”

“To see if Mercy can find anything.”

A short time later, Brooke and Mercy appeared once again. She moved closer to the fence. Closer to Jonas. He could finally see her clearly. “I’m going to guess by the look on her face she and Mercy didn’t have much success.”

Chase sighed. “I’d say that’s a good guess.”

“Yeah.” Jonas’s sigh echoed Chase’s. “May I go talk to her now?”

Chase nodded. “She’ll have a bit of paperwork to do for this one.”

Jonas stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the edge of the fence then along the perimeter until he came to the gate. Brooke spotted him and her brow rose. She clicked to Mercy and walked toward him. “What are you doing here?”

He drank in the sight of her. Safe, whole, alive. “You hung up on me.”

That brow rose higher. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. You scared me.”

Brooke’s jaw dangled slightly before she snapped it shut. “Sorry about that.”

“I know it’s your job, Brooke,” he said softly. “It’s just going to take a bit of getting used to when you’re called into a dangerous situation.”

“Getting used to?” she repeated.

He supposed that statement did make it sound like he planned to be around for a while. Then realized that was exactly what he planned. Now if he could just convince her.

Her expression softened. “I get it, but you really should have stayed put. You’re going to have to trust that I can do my job. That I’m good at it and I take precautions, not risks.”

He nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

“Good.”

A man in khakis and a blue polo shirt headed toward them. He held a hand out to Brooke. “Officer Clark. You want to tell me why the Capitol K-9 Unit is involved in this one?”

Brooke shook the man’s hand. “Detective David Delvecchio of the DC police department, meet Jonas Parker. It was his house the guy was trying to break into. We had a stakeout going on, but unfortunately, as you can see, he got away.”

The detective eyed Jonas, then turned his gaze back on Brooke. “You want to tell me a little more?”

“Jonas’s son found some evidence linking to the Rosa Gomez case, which of course is also related to the Jeffries shooting.”

“I see.” His eyes flicked back and forth amongst the three, Brooke, Chase and Jonas. He finally settled back on Brooke. “How did he get away from you?”

She rubbed her forehead. “He went out onto the fire escape on the second floor, jumped into one of the large trees across the fence line and climbed down. At least that’s what we think.”

“So it’s time to expand the search.” Chase finally broke his silence.

“Yes.”

Jonas pulled his keys from his pocket. “I guess I’ll head back home...er...to my office, I mean.”

“I’ll take you to your car then follow you,” Brooke said.

Chase nodded. “I’m going to check in with Gavin and Nicholas and see what I can do to help.”