Threat Detection, page 9
“Brandie and Ruby are going to help with finding Emily,” he said. “If we can locate her, I think she might have some answers for us.”
If they could find her before she ended up dead too. “All we know is that Emily dated the man who is now dead. What links the professional climber and the other two men together?”
“Jasmin may have come up with something by now. We’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to check my texts or voice mail. When I have a free moment, I need to call the chief about an issue with the candidates, and I’ll check in with Jasmin if she doesn’t contact me.”
“Brandie seems nice. What’s going on with the candidates?”
“With four people vying for two slots, we think one of them is trying to eliminate the competition, do things that make the other candidates look like they can’t do their job or try to harm them like what happened with Brandie,” said Isaac.
A man moved the circular curtain and poked in his head. “I thought I heard voices. I’m Dr. Crockett. I’d like to take a moment to look you over.”
“I’ll give you some privacy.” Isaac got up and left her bedside.
After the doctor did a quick exam and asked her some questions, he said he would sign her out. “Your lungs have been damaged by whatever chemical concoction you inhaled. Rest is the best thing to ensure recovery.”
She got dressed. When she stepped out from behind the curtain, Isaac was waiting for her. He led her back to his K-9 vehicle where Freddy gave her an enthusiastic greeting. “Ruby and Brandie got rooms at the lodge and picked up some dinner. They’ll be waiting for us.”
She didn’t need to ask if Emily had returned to her apartment. Isaac would have given that news up front.
“I thought the four of us could eat together. Brandie needs to sit in on the conference call with the other candidates, but Ruby and Pepper can keep you company.” Isaac must have made the call to his chief while the doctor was checking her out.
“By keep me company you mean protect me from another attack,” said Aubrey.
Isaac chuckled. “I guess the euphemistic language doesn’t make it any less bad.”
Isaac’s laughter had always sounded like a song to her. Even under such trying circumstances, it was good to hear it.
When they arrived at the lodge, Brandie and Ruby were waiting for them in the lower-floor room they’d checked in to. The burgers and fries were from the same food truck they had been to before when their dinner had ended up on the ground.
Though Brandie seemed on the shy side, the banter between Ruby and Isaac indicated that they were close. Their interaction reminded Aubrey of how a big brother would be toward a sister. The dogs sat by the door watching their respective partners, a Lab, a beagle and a German shepherd all lined up and ready for the next command.
Isaac and Brandie excused themselves to head upstairs for the conference call, taking Freddy and Taz with them.
While Ruby locked the door and closed the curtains, Aubrey sat down in a plush chair.
“Feel free to turn on the television.” Ruby had already removed her gun belt before dinner. She pulled the gun out of the holster and placed it on the nightstand by one of the beds.
“I’m not much of a TV watcher. I think I downloaded a book on my phone.”
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab a quick shower. I’m sure you know the drill. Not to leave the room or answer the door.”
“Don’t worry. Unfortunately, I’m getting used to this.”
Ruby trotted into the bathroom. Her dog, Pepper, still sat by the door. As she opened up her e-book, Aubrey felt an emptiness. She was getting used to having Isaac close. She found herself missing him.
Aubrey was sure Ruby knew how to do her job. But it was Isaac she wanted to be with right now. He seemed different, less guarded since the accident in the lab. There was no indication, though, that he was over the hurt she had caused all those years ago.
* * *
Isaac and Brandie sat in front of the laptop, waiting for the other candidates and the chief to sign in.
“I told the chief what happened to you today,” said Isaac. “You’ll have to summarize for the other candidates.”
Brandie nodded. “Thank you for setting this up.”
The chief’s face appeared in a square, and a few seconds later, the other trainees were visible. Owen, Parker and Veronica. Veronica was Jasmin’s sister. There had been some talk of nepotism early on among the candidates, but Veronica really had held her own through all the assessments. Veronica looked a great deal like her sister with the same pixie haircut. Blond Owen came on the screen and then the dark-haired Parker.
The chief spoke up first. “I know that the competition between the four of you for the two open slots on the team has been intense. What we are concerned about here today is that one of you may have acted in an unethical and even dangerous way to make the other candidates look bad or unprofessional. Veronica being delayed when her help was required and Owen letting a safe house be breached because of bad communication are serious issues. Today, though, Brandie nearly lost her life when she was pushed toward a van that was backing up. Brandie, do you want to explain what happened?”
Brandie rubbed her hands on her thighs, communicating nervousness. She looked to Isaac for reassurance. Revisiting a near-fatal accident was never easy. He nodded.
Brandie recounted the accident.
“Did you see who pushed you?” asked Owen.
Brandie shook her head. “It was really crowded in the parking lot. I felt the weight and force on my back.”
“Are you sure you just didn’t stumble or trip over the leash?” Parker’s question came across as condescending.
“Brandie took a pretty good tumble. I’d say she was pushed,” said Isaac.
Veronica leaned closer to the screen as concern etched across her face. “Are you okay, Brandie?”
“Just got a little scraped up is all.” She held up her hands. “Taz was pretty upset.”
“Here’s the thing,” said Isaac. He retrieved the bagged napkin from one of his pockets. “We found this close to where Brandie was pushed. Or I should say Freddy found it.” Everyone present knew that dogs will sometimes alert on something with a smell they have smelled before. Just as Freddy had done in Emily’s apartment. He held the napkin close to the screen.
“Olympic Bed and Breakfast,” said Owen. “Isn’t that where you’re staying right now, Parker?”
Parker wiggled in his seat and shook his head. “Hey now, wait a minute. Are you saying I drove all the way over to Mount St. Helens so I could push Brandie into traffic?”
“Can you account for all your time today?” asked Isaac.
Parker’s voice dropped half an octave. “Not all of it. There was a huge chunk of time in the middle of the day when I was helping on a search and was alone in the forest.” Parker bit his lower lip and let out a heavy breath. “Look, anyone could have dropped that napkin to frame me.” Parker’s speech had become staccato as he grew more agitated. “I don’t like the way everyone is pointing the finger at me.”
The chief was choosing to remain quiet, maybe gauging everyone’s reaction. Isaac thought that was a good strategy.
“You are the only one who hasn’t been made to look bad at this point,” said Veronica.
“I know I got off on the wrong foot when this whole thing started. All I could think about was winning one of those slots. Being with this team working with these fantastic dogs has changed me. Finding God has made me want to be a better person. I get that I can come across as kind of stuck-up. I still want to be a K-9 handler with the PNK9 unit more than anything. But I wouldn’t hurt Brandie or anyone else to get that.” Parker’s voice faltered. “You have to believe me.”
No one else said anything.
“I don’t think I’m being treated fairly,” said Parker. “Most of the team has given Mara Gilmore the benefit of the doubt. I think I deserve the same courtesy.”
“Parker is right that anyone could have dropped that napkin,” Brandie said.
Isaac wondered if all the candidates would have been working close enough to the lodge in Olympic National Park to have grabbed the napkin. Including Brandie at some point. He’d take it up with the chief later.
“Parker,” said Veronica, “I’m sorry if you feel attacked. We’re police officers. What we should focus on is evidence.”
“I’m not sure what to say,” said Owen.
“I think Parker is right about giving him the benefit of the doubt,” said Isaac. “We’ll have to look into this some more.”
“I agree,” said the chief. “We will be back in touch. If you’ll excuse me, I have a fundraiser I have to get to.”
One by one the other candidates signed off.
“That was awkward.” Brandie rose to her feet.
“A lot of tension there,” said Isaac. “We’ll get this resolved, just not right away.”
“Thank you for setting everything up,” Brandie said. “Even with the accident, I had a good day working with you and Ruby and staking out Emily’s place.”
In his brief interactions with Brandie, this was the first time she had seemed open to conversation.
“Ruby and I talked about a lot of things while we sat outside that apartment building,” Brandie continued. “She’s pretty upset about Eli Ballard being a suspect. I think she’s going to try to find a way to cut things off with Eli without making him suspicious that the team is onto him.”
“I kind of wondered. She got real quiet the other day on the video call when Eli being a suspect came up.” Isaac rose to his feet and stretched.
“I agree with what Parker said. This is a great team. You support each other in your work and your personal lives,” said Brandie.
She seemed to be hinting at something. “We’d do the same for any one of the candidates. Is there something on your mind?”
Brandie sat down in a chair, took a breath and looked at him. “I have a very personal reason why I wanted this assignment to work in the national parks. I talked a little bit about it to Ruby today. She said I should tell you too.”
“I’m listening,” said Isaac.
Brandie looked off to the side. Taz rose from where he had been resting and licked her hand. She stroked his head. “I think I may have been kidnapped as a child.”
Though what Brandie had said was shocking, Isaac kept his response calm. It had probably been hard for her to reveal such a secret. “What makes you think that?”
“My parents, the people who raised me anyway, lived a really strange lifestyle, always moving, never really connecting with a community or neighbors. I had a feeling of not belonging even in my family as I was growing up. I didn’t look like either of my parents. After they died, I found brochures of national parks in Washington from over twenty years ago. We must have visited them. I would have been three or four.” She jerked to her feet and paced. “Here’s the thing, and I hope this doesn’t sound weird.”
“Go ahead,” said Isaac.
“As a child, I had these flashes of memory—at least I thought they were memories—of being surrounded by trees or next to a river. Since I have been in the parks, I realized that the people who raised me were never in the memory.” She sat back down, shaking her head. “I might just be making this whole thing up.”
“You know, there is a very practical way to look into your theory,” Isaac said. “With Jasmin’s help, we can access the cold case kidnappings that took place in the parks around the time you think it happened.”
“You believe me,” said Brandie.
“Why wouldn’t I? It sounds like this is something that has followed you your whole life,” said Isaac. “I think you should tell the rest of the team. We’ll support you.”
“Ruby said the same thing. Even if I don’t get one of the spots on the team, working with everyone on the PNK9 unit has been a genuine pleasure.”
“I’m glad I got to know you too.” Though he couldn’t say it, Isaac thought that Brandie deserved a spot on the team. Her initial aloofness now made sense.
Brandie’s eyes teared up. “There’s one more thing. Sometimes when I have dreams about being in the park, there’s a little boy. I never see his face, just see him from the back. I think he’s calling for me, but I can’t hear what name he’s saying. It’s like he’s just out of my reach. I don’t know if it means anything. If memories and dreams can get all mixed up. It just seems so real.”
Isaac handed Brandie a tissue. “That must be a pretty powerful dream if it causes you to cry to talk about it.”
“Yes, but is it a dream or some fragment of a memory, something that really happened?”
“Hard to say.” Isaac put his hands in his pockets and stared out the window. “Just know that we’re glad to help you with the investigative part of your search for answers.” He stared down at the parking lot and then out on the street.
There were new cars coming and going every day. No way to tell if the lodge was being watched. “I’m going to go get Aubrey and escort her up here. I will need you and Ruby to do guard shifts outside the room. Notify me if there is any strange activity in the parking lot or the trees at the back of the hotel.”
“I can take the first shift. I’ll go with you,” said Brandie. Once they were down the stairs, they walked across the courtyard. “So is Aubrey the woman who broke your engagement years ago?”
“Has the team been talking about that?”
“Not in a gossipy way. I think they appreciate your professionalism under such difficult circumstances. Ruby and I were just worried about how you were doing emotionally.”
He stopped staring out at the setting sun and gray sky. “My feelings are all over the place where Aubrey is concerned.” His throat felt tight even talking about it. “Not sure what to think. Seeing her unconscious after she inhaled that chemical really wrecked me.”
“Well, if you ever need to talk, both Ruby and I are in your corner,” said Brandie. “You were a good sounding board for me, so I’d be glad to return the favor.”
“Thanks for that. I hadn’t realized how much I had been trying to deal with this on my own,” said Isaac.
He knocked on the room where Ruby and Brandie would be staying. Ruby opened the door. When she stepped aside, he saw Aubrey from across the room. Her face brightened when she looked at him.
Isaac outlined the security plan for the evening. Starting at ten, Brandie would patrol the grounds and keep an eye on the door outside the suite. After four hours, Ruby would take over.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
Aubrey nodded, rose from her chair and crossed the room.
As Isaac and Freddy walked Aubrey back to the suite, Isaac prayed for a quiet night.
TEN
Aubrey awoke in the darkness to the sound of Freddy’s intense barking. Still disoriented, she pulled the covers back and stumbled toward the light switch. She ran into the living room to find Isaac fully dressed and trying to calm Freddy.
“He never barks like that unless he’s trying to tell me something.” He pointed to the table across the room. “Hand me my phone.”
She picked it up and brought it to him. Isaac was kneeling on the floor petting Freddy. “Brandie should still be on duty. Maybe she saw something.” After a long moment, he pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. “She’s not answering.”
“Would Ruby already have taken her turn on patrol?”
He shook his head. “They each had a four-hour shift that started at ten. It’s only one o’clock. If they changed the plan, they would have texted me.”
Though Freddy was no longer barking, he still seemed upset.
Her mind scrambled for an explanation that didn’t involve another attack. “Would he bark if Brandie had come up the stairs?”
“I don’t know if she would do that unless she needed to warn us. She could watch the door and the stairs from below.” Isaac pressed in more numbers. “I’m going to have to wake Ruby.”
Feeling a rising tension while she listened to Isaac’s phone call, Aubrey stood by the window that looked out on the forest.
“Hey, sorry to wake you...Brandie’s not answering her phone and Freddy is agitated about something...Yes, that would be great if you and Pepper could have a look...I’ll stay with Aubrey and wait to hear from you.” He pressed a button on his phone and rose to his feet.
His face was etched with worry from the tight jawline to the crease between his brows.
“So much for a good night’s sleep, huh?” She hoped her comment would lighten the moment.
Several minutes passed and Isaac stared at his phone. He pressed in a number. It must have rung several times. “Now Ruby’s not answering her phone. Something’s not right here.”
“Maybe she’s chasing someone and can’t answer right now.” Even that theory made her afraid.
“My gut instinct and Freddy’s response are telling me we’re under assault.” He walked toward the door and then looked back at her as if trying to make up his mind. “We’ll wait a few more minutes.”
“I’ll be all right if you need to go. I’ll lock the door,” said Aubrey. “It’s important that you make sure the rest of the team is safe too.”
He nodded. “Freddy will stay with you.”
Isaac grabbed his gun belt and headed out the door. She walked across the floor to slide the dead bolt in place. She sat in a chair and stared at the floor, praying for everyone’s safety. Freddy lay down at her feet.
After a few minutes, she rose and wandered to the window that looked out on the parking lot. With only one streetlamp working, it was pretty dark. Something moved at the edge of the lot and then disappeared behind a car.
