A little late, he thought sourly, but didn’t say. “Of course I don’t mind. I can make dinner if you’re hungry.”
“Actually, I was planning to pick up some pizza on the way. Would you be okay meeting at my place? Like I said, we should be there in twenty minutes.”
“Sure, that’s fine.” He eyed his watch. “Okay to bring Cutie? She seems to love Bear.”
“Sounds good. The more dogs the merrier.” Maybe it was his overworked imagination, but he sensed a forced cheerfulness in Autumn’s tone. “See you soon, okay?”
“Yep. Soon.” He lowered the phone and ended the call. Now that he had a deadline, he picked up the pace with his chores, needing to get everything done so he could meet with Autumn and the other cop, River.
He told himself it was a good thing that the feds put a task force together. He only wished they’d done that sooner.
His father would have told him that God had a plan. And maybe that was true. But Jordan had trouble believing God’s plan included his sister being found dead shortly after giving birth.
Shaking off the despondency, he quickly finished up outside then fed Cutie. He hit the road in his damaged truck, heading for Autumn’s house despite knowing he’d be early.
When he pulled up to her house, he wasn’t surprised to find it dark. He killed the engine and sat in the driver’s seat with Cutie on his lap, wondering what to expect from the upcoming interview.
They wouldn’t make him feel like a lousy brother on purpose, but that would likely be the result of the discussion. He wished he knew more about Jenny’s life. Her friends and acquaintances. Even her deadbeat boyfriend, who clearly hadn’t been involved in her disappearance.
A black car rolled slowly past. It was odd that the sedan moved well below the posted speed limit. He frowned upon noticing that the license plates were muddy as the vehicle passed.
Muddy on purpose? Remembering the assailant that had shot at him in the middle of the night, he felt his instincts go on high alert. What if the shooter had come back for a second attempt? He set Cutie aside, pushed open his driver’s side door and slid out of the truck. He quickly closed the door behind him, then strode down the street, trying to visualize the black sedan in the distance.
Where had it gone? Was he overreacting here? He stood there for a moment, frowning. Then bright lights abruptly flashed on, blinding him. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes as the car raced toward him, picking up speed.
What in the world? Surely the driver didn’t intend to hit him! Yet there was no doubt that was exactly the guy’s intent. Jordan dove to the side of the road at the last possible moment to avoid being hit, the car’s bumper lightly striking his hip.
He hit the ground, rolled and then lifted his head in time to see the vehicle’s brake lights flashing on as the driver tapped the brakes then turned and disappeared into the night.
Heart pounding at the near miss, he pushed himself to his feet and rushed over to get Cutie out of the truck. As he stood there, cradling the dog, he knew the driver of the black car had to be the same intruder he and Autumn had chased earlier that morning.
And he was now a target, too.
FOUR
Seeing Jordan’s pickup truck in her driveway, Autumn hoped he hadn’t been waiting long. She pulled up alongside the vehicle, grimacing at the bullet hole in the truck’s windshield. She’d included that aspect of the chase in her report, but realized she should have brought a copy with her for Jordan to submit to his insurance company.
She opened the back hatch of her SUV, then went around to help Bear get down. Jordan crossed over to join her.
“We have trouble.” His voice was low, husky and grim.
Arching a brow, she turned to face him. “What’s wrong?”
“I was here early. I noticed a black car rolling slowly past your house and the license plate was covered in mud. Next thing I know, the headlights abruptly flashed on and the vehicle sped straight toward me.” He glanced at his muddy jeans. “I jumped out of the way. The bumper only grazed my hip, but I’m convinced the driver’s intent was to hit me.”
“That’s awful. I’m so glad you’re not hurt.” She frowned as she stepped back to close the hatch. Then she went around to the passenger’s side door to get the pizzas. “We should call the police to make a formal report.”
“And say what? A car I can’t identify tried to hit me?” He waved a hand. “Nothing they can do.”
She grimaced. He was probably right, but she could make a report on his behalf. Then she frowned, thinking about the intruder who’d taken a shot at Jordan earlier that morning. Had the driver recognized his truck? The bullet hole was still in the windshield. Like most cops, she didn’t believe in coincidences. “I wonder if it’s the same person who shot at us earlier today?”
“That was my thought. Why else strike out at me right outside your place?” Jordan scowled and reached over to take the cardboard boxes. “Let me carry those for you.”
“Thanks.” He was right. They did have trouble. Before she could say anything more, his black-and-white dog came running over to greet Bear. Her bloodhound was mellow around other dogs, but he also wasn’t one to play for hours on end. Bear stared at the smaller dog, who was playfully jumping around and pawing at him, then lifted his soulful eyes to her as if to ask why the puppy was on his turf.
“Be a good boy, Bear.” She knelt for a moment to stroke the puppy. “This is Cutie, remember?”
Bear’s tail wagged half-heartedly. She hid a smile as she rose to her feet. Then sobered at the thought of the gunman returning to her home. And targeting Jordan. She’d identified herself as a police officer, so this helped confirm that the perp knew her and was seeking revenge. And while she was armed and had Bear, she wasn’t sure staying at her place was smart.
