Chapter 7
SEVEN
Allie was still fixed on Dakota’s story as they walked along the river. Her heart broke for the little boy trying so hard to win the approval of his father only to be beaten. He might not have said it in so many words, but something told her he was still trying to protect her, not wanting to burden her too much with the darkness of his past.
Little did he know she had her own darkness. And unlike his childhood, she’d completely deserved it. But maybe he wouldn’t feel so alone if he knew some of her own secrets.
“My family doesn’t know this—I haven’t even told my best friend Belle—but for a while, I moved in with my college boyfriend.”
He stared at her, eyebrows lifted. “You?”
“Yeah. Me, the pastor’s kid.”
“You never told them?”
“How could I? It was the ultimate sin in my family. I was raised to know better. Do better.” She looked out across the water at the foothills. “But I was convinced we were in love and that any day, he’d ask me to marry him. And the secrecy of it, it made me feel…special, like we had this tiny world all to ourselves. For a while it was good, because I was stupid enough to believe him when he said all we needed was each other, that he’d do anything for me.”
“And here I thought with your big Christian family you were indestructible when it came to temptation.” He said it with a wink, trying to lighten her load as always. There was no chastisement or condemnation. And in the quiet place between them, the past was clawing its way out, begging for release.
“Kota, you don’t know the worst part.” Her whispered voice cracked.
He took her hands and held them, gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “You don’t have to tell me anything, Allie. I’m no saint myself.”
It was sweet of him, really. And she’d never be able to get the words out to tell him all of it, but maybe she could help him understand why she did the work she did. How desperately she needed to find her dog.
“Eventually the fantasy came crashing down on me, and it almost destroyed me.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Let’s just say my dog Dixie was the only good thing to come out of it.”
“Dixie?”
“I adopted Dixie right before the breakup. After Christian left, I could hardly function. I’d made him, our relationship, everything. Without him, I didn’t want to get up in the morning, but she gave me a reason. And when I didn’t want to eat, I would do it because I didn’t want anything to happen to her. When I didn’t want to leave the apartment, I would because I knew she needed exercise.”
“Sounds like you took good care of her.”
“I owe her my life. She gave me purpose again. And she was so smart. We were at a park where they were doing some SAR training. She jumped right in and passed their agility course on the first try. Watching them, I knew. That was what I was meant to do. I quit nursing school and started training with Dixie. She caught on so easily. And slowly, I began to build a new life.”
“She’s your hero.”
Allie nodded.
“I’m so sorry you lost her,” Dakota said.
“Me too. But hopefully, if I find Scout, we can finish our training and get back to work. He’s a good dog too, but I didn’t let myself get close to him. I didn’t want to depend on him like I did Dixie. But I’m going to do better. I just need to find him.”
“I promise, as soon as we can let you back there, we’ll go and look for him. I truly believe he’s still alive. But since we can’t do anything today, what do you say we go find some more answers about this body Houston and Sophie found.”
“How will we do that?”
“I want to talk to the medical examiner. My gut says something is going on here. And I wonder if Ethan and Nolan might be in the middle of it. If they really saw someone shot and killed, they could be in danger. If the ME has an ID, then we can see if Ethan recognizes the guy.”
“What if that traumatizes him even more? Shouldn’t the cops do that?”
“It would be a lot less invasive if you and I can talk to him first, confirm that it’s true, and not send the sheriff on a wild-goose chase. I don’t know how much he’ll listen to us without proof.”
It made sense. And since she couldn’t do much more to look for Scout, at least they could be doing something to help the boys.
“Okay, so where do we go?”
They walked back to her SUV. Dakota directed her as she pulled back into the street. “What’s the plan? You’re just gonna walk into the medical examiner’s office and start asking questions?”
“It’s worth a shot. And I happen to know the ME.”
Oh, well, if he knew the guy, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Her phone rang again. This time her father. Probably trying to redouble the effort to guilt her into coming home.
“Do you need to get that?” Dakota asked her.
She silenced the call and stuffed the phone in her pocket. “It’s just my dad. He’ll leave a message.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yup. We have more important things going on right now.”
After a quick stop at a convenience store, she drove a few blocks to the heart of Ember and parked outside a brick building between the hospital and county courthouse.
At the reception area desk, Dakota asked to see Dr. Evans.
“It’s kind of late, don’t ya think?” Behind the counter, the stocky woman in a security uniform studied them.
“I know the doc isn’t expecting us, but we met at a conference a few years ago out in Washington, where I’m from. I’m here for work though. Thought I’d stop by. And I happen to know Dr. Evans has a particular weakness for potato chips with cookie dough ice cream.”
The woman smiled warmly as Dakota held up both items. “That’s Dr. Evans all right. Okay, I’ll take you back.” She probably didn’t get many visitors this time of day. And Allie could admit it—Dakota could be rather charming. Still, she shouldn’t read much into his warm hand on her back as they followed the woman.
She led them down a hallway. “Why don’t you wait in the office. I’ll let the doctor know you’re here.”
They waited in a small room. One wall was a bookcase, the chairs were cheap plastic, and the carpet had seen better days but had recently been vacuumed, lines still running through it. Certificates with various colors of ink and fancy fonts hung on another wall. But it was the big picture window that captured her gaze. The gold sunlight of evening hit the mountains, turning them lavender, pink, and apricot. If not for the plumes of thick smoke rising from the forest, it would’ve been idyllic.
Lord, keep Scout safe out there. And I’d be just fine to never see another fire again .
The door opened and Dakota stopped pacing. Allie shouldn’t judge someone based on their profession, but she had already conjured up a picture of this medical examiner. But instead of a middle-aged graying man with glasses and pasty white skin, a tall, gorgeous brunette wearing high heels walked in. Her darker skin and fabulous cheek bones hinted at Native American heritage.
This was the medical examiner? No wonder Dakota had wanted to “stop in.”
Allie was still picking her jaw up off the ground when the woman walked up to Dakota and kissed him on the cheek. Her nails were glossy blue, her teeth bright white, and the lipstick could only be described as bombshell red. Well, wasn’t that patriotic.
And here Allie sat in sweaty trail pants, a stained T-shirt, and clunky hiking boots.
“Dakota Masterson.” Even the doctor’s voice was sultry and sweet. “What are you doing in my neck of the woods? It’s been a couple years since that conference in Seattle. I thought you’d forgotten all about me.” She tossed a couple of the perfect beach waves over her shoulder, sending a whiff of strong perfume.
“Brought you a little something.” Dakota held up the potato chips and pint of ice cream.
“Oh, you are an angel! I’ve got a late night ahead of me, and this will be just the thing to get me through.” She took his offerings and put the ice cream in a tiny fridge hidden in one of the cabinets. “And who is this?” She smiled at Allie.
“Felicia, this is Allie Monroe.”
Allie stuck out a hand and tried not to cringe when she noticed the dirt and ash still under her fingernails. But the beautiful doctor had perfect manners and didn’t seem to notice as she shook hands.
“You’ll have to excuse my appearance. I’m not usually dressed so fussy for work, but I had a court appearance earlier today and then meeting after meeting.” She sat behind her desk. “I can’t wait to get back into scrubs.”
Movement from underneath the desk caught Allie’s eye. The doctor quietly kicked off the high heels. Maybe she wasn’t so bad.
“So, what can I do for you? Did you want a tour or?—”
“I was hoping you could help us. We heard there was a body found a while back, shot and then burned. We ran across a couple of witnesses, so I was hoping to get a picture to confirm that they saw the same person.”
“Are you on that case? All the way out in Benson?”
Dakota flashed her one of his handsome grins. “Just helping out while I’m here in town. Like I said, we have a couple kids who say they saw a guy get shot in the woods. And then I heard about the body found out near that ranch.”
Wait a minute. The woman was assuming he was still a cop. And although he hadn’t outright lied, he was withholding the truth.
“Let me check…”
Allie tried to get Dakota’s attention while the doctor started typing on her keyboard.
He was too busy looking at Felicia .
“Psst.” Allie shot him low whisper.
He gave her a slight shake of the head and returned to smiling at the doctor. “So, did you ever finish remodeling your kitchen?”
She laughed. “You remember talking about that?”
“I remember being impressed that a woman knew the difference between an impact driver and a cordless drill.”
While the two of them chuckled together, Allie had the insane urge to kick something. All because some cute guy had shown her a little attention and now was focused on someone else. What was happening to her?
A printer behind the doctor started whirring and soon spat out two pages. Felicia handed them over to Dakota. “Here you go. It took a while, but we did ID him finally. Army Ranger Kurt Paulson. There was no next of kin to notify.”
“An Army Ranger?” After studying the picture, Dakota passed it to Allie.
The photo was of a rough-looking man with dark features, a military haircut, and dress uniform. The boys had mentioned him wearing a necklace of some kind.
A sudden chill ran down her back, and she looked up from the paper. “Was he really shot and burned? Is that odd?”
Dr. Felicia held up two fingers. “He was shot twice. Once in the back and once in the head, then he was burned and left in an area where the fire was approaching. We’re pretty sure the body was moved there, that it wasn’t the initial crime scene. The sheriff believes he was executed and someone tried to cover it up.”
So Ethan and Nolan very well could’ve been the last ones to see this man alive. And if someone had gone to all the trouble of killing an Army Ranger, they probably wouldn’t have any qualms about silencing two little boys.
Allie locked eyes with Dakota. “We have to find the boys.”
Dakota was completely on board with Allie. They left the building with the pictures. Now to find Ethan and Nolan and keep them safe.
“We need to go to the cops, right?” Allie asked.
What? Hadn’t they already been through this? “First we talk to Ethan and Nolan.”
“I know that’s what we planned, but?—”
“Allie, we have the picture. We need to see if this is the man they saw. This is no made- up story about Ray. Those boys actually witnessed a murder. And the killer is still out there somewhere. We have to figure this out.”
She stopped on the sidewalk and folded her arms across her chest. “But you don’t have the authority to do stuff like that. You’re not a cop anymore. And you lied to Felicia. You’re not officially on this case.”
“What are you saying?”
“That it’s not your job anymore. And I want to protect Ethan and Nolan just as much as you do, but I bet that doctor would’ve still given you the information if you’d been up front with her. And”—she let out a short breath and looked him straight in the eye—“at some point you’ve got to come to terms with the fact that that part of your life is over.”
He tried hard not to wince at that. Over. Finished. Washed up. Yeah, that all fit him to a T. But it didn’t mean he had to like it. Besides, how exactly did one come to terms with losing one’s whole identity?
Allie stepped closer and laid her small hand on his arm. “You don’t have to be a SWAT guy to help others. The world still needs you, Dakota. It just might look a little different now. That’s not a bad thing.”
Wasn’t it? Why did it seem like no matter what he did, it wasn’t enough? But somehow, the way Allie looked up at him, her hazel eyes filled with something he’d been desperately longing for, he began to hope. Maybe there was some other way to prove to Will and the world that he wasn’t just a hotheaded addict who’d thrown his life away. Maybe he did have something to offer an amazing woman like Allie.
And he hated disappointing her. “I’m sorry I didn’t admit to Felicia that I wasn’t with the PD anymore. It’s…not something easy to say. I ruined a great career.”
“Dakota, you fought back against an addiction. That takes incredible strength. You don’t need to hide it. You should be proud of who you are and what you’ve accomplished. I’m proud of you.”
She was proud? Of him? After everything she’d witnessed?
The question must’ve shown in his face, because Allie reached up, her small hand brushing his jaw, her eyes alight. “There’s a lot more to you than a badge or your résumé. You’re a good man, Dakota.”
Her words stoked something deep inside, feeding a hunger he’d tried so hard to ignore. How did she do that? They barely knew each other.
But he wanted to know her. He wanted to help her, show her that not every guy was like her ex. He wanted something true, someone to build a life with, a family. Maybe God had brought him all the way out to Montana just to reconnect with her.
His gaze fell to her lips. Everything inside screamed to kiss her.
Maybe someday, but not yet. He still had a ways to go to be the kind of man she deserved, not to mention he had a job to do and a couple of boys to protect.
Dakota cleared his throat. “Thanks. What do you say when things calm down a bit we go out and get dinner? Maybe not barbecue though.”
Allie laughed. “I’d like that.” She grew somber, her grin fading. “But what do we do now?”
Right. Back to the task at hand. He relaxed his clenched jaw. “I need to talk to the boys. I want to see if they recognize this Paulson guy.”
“Yeah, but Ray?—”
“If I know guys like Ray, he’ll be drinking by now. If we’re lucky, he’s doing it somewhere else other than home. So why don’t we drive by the house. If we see his truck, we’ll think of something else. But if it’s not there, we’ll see if Jen will let us ask Ethan some questions.”
“Okay,” she said with a quick nod. “Let’s go.”
Her confidence rubbed off. It was nice to have her believe in him at least this much. Maybe she was right and he had some things to figure out with his career, but for now, he had a case he very much wanted to close, official or not.
The sun was setting as they turned onto the Haroldsons’ street.
Allie pointed at the house in the distance. “Is that smoke?” A tree on the corner of the lot blocked their view of the back of the home, but the columns of gray-black smoke marring the sherbet-colored sky couldn’t be missed.
“Hurry.”
They pulled up to see flames consuming the corner of the roof. Ray’s truck was nowhere to be seen. As soon as Allie parked, Dakota sprinted to the front door and pounded. “Anyone home?” He jiggled the knob. Locked. “Ethan! Jen!”
The boys came from the side of the house. Ethan limped still. “We’re here!”
Allie rushed over to them. “Where’s your mom? What happened?”
Tears coursed down Nolan’s face. Ethan kept a strong arm around his brother’s shoulders. “We just came back from a bike ride and Ray was gone. We saw the fire, but we can’t find Mom! And the door is locked.”
“Call 911,” Dakota told Allie. She ran for the car and came back with her phone. “I’m going to find a way inside, but I need you to keep these guys safe. Maybe they should wait in the car?—”
Ethan pulled away from them. “We need to find my mom!”
“We can’t do that if you and Nolan aren’t safe,” Dakota tried to explain.
Allie said, “Can you stay here on the sidewalk?”
“Please, just find her.” Ethan hiccupped, sending a shudder through his whole body.
Fine. He didn’t have time to argue. “Allie, make the call. I’m going in.” Dakota rushed back to the porch. The fire seemed to be in the back of the house somewhere. After a quick touch to make sure the handle wasn’t hot, Dakota sent a swift kick to break the locking mechanism. The front door swung open and smoke poured out.
“Jen! Jen Haroldson?” Dakota pulled his shirt up over his nose and walked in.
He stayed low to the ground and searched the living area. Nothing. The steps leading upstairs were already on fire. The kitchen was engulfed in flames.
Dakota got as close as he could and didn’t see anyone. Heat seared his skin and pushed him back.
Jen was nowhere to be found, and if he stayed in here much longer, he could die.