Page 34 of Protect My Heart

Then he slipped to the window and with one finger, pulled back the curtain. He gave her a stern look and crossed as silently as a ghost to the back of the house.

Liz turned to Tigger and slipped an arm around him. “Maybe I’ll stand in the light after he catches the crazy person stalking me.”

Chapter 11

Gun up, Jim crept through the house checking windows on the first floor. Slowly, he opened the back door then flipped the lock before he slipped out. The air was crisp and still. A snowmobile buzzed in the distance. He moved around the side of the house.

Footprints in the snow revealed someone had stood by the back window before moving to the front of the house.

The bastard was here. Fucker likes to spy on people.

Jim followed the tracks until they stopped at the sidewalk. He knelt to examine the prints. A size twelve had been stamped in to the bottom of the boot. Most likely a large man, six-foot in height but not a guarantee.

Holstering his gun, he pulled out his phone, snapped a few photos, and was about to track back when he heard glass breaking.

Tigger barked wildly, but it was the scream that had his heart pounding and his legs pumping as he rounded the house, gun in hand. Broken glass lay on the patio, but the door was still closed. “Doc, you okay?”

“Yes.” Her shaky voice reached him a second before she stepped into view, Tigger at her side. Her fingers rubbed Tig’s head as he stood on alert. She flipped the lock on the door, and Jim entered.

“He in here?” Jim’s gun was still in his grasp.

“No.” She wrapped her arms tight across her chest and nodded to the concrete statue that lay on the floor. “He threw this through the door.”

“Don’t touch it.” He took out his phone and called it in. Crossing to her, Jim petted Tigger, who was turning out to be a great guard dog, then pulled Doc into his arms. He stroked a hand up and down her back, chasing her shivers away. His phone rang and he pulled it out. “Yeah?”

Doc moved out of his embrace and crossed to the coffee pot. Jim watched her as he half listened to CJ. Hell, Doc could probably hear CJ through the phone, ice fishers on the lake could probably hear his partner. Jim moved the phone away from his ear.

“I’ll fill you in when you get here then. Fifteen minutes? Ten. See you then.” He ended the call and accepted the cup of coffee from Doc. Her hands were steady now. “CJ will be here in a few minutes.”

“I heard.” She held her coffee but didn’t drink. Unfocused eyes scanned the room, then she set the mug on the table. “I should find something to cover the broken door.”

“Doc, look at me.” He stopped her with a hand on her arm. “We will get that after the crime scene guys do their thing.”

She nodded, but still didn’t make eye contact.

“Talk to me.”

“About what?” She shook her head. Another shiver racked her body.

“Come sit down.” He led her to the living room. Tig followed. Taking the large blanket from the couch, he wrapped Doc up tight like a burrito, swaddling her as the cold rushed in from the broken door. “They will be here soon, and then I’ll board up the door.”

Two minutes later, a police car pulled up and Jim opened the door. Officer Amy Larson arrived first. He gave her a quick summary of the events. The second car was CJ, followed by the team. Larson took another officer and canvassed the neighborhood.

“Why is your ice house in the driveway?” CJ asked as he walked up.

“You said to keep an eye on her. I am.”

CJ didn’t reply but shook his head.

“Back here.” Jim led CJ and the crime scene tech to the broken door. “The guy looked in that window over there before he doubled back around the house and threw the statue through the window.”

“Where’s Lizzy?”

“She’s in the other room.” Jim stopped CJ as he moved to find his cousin. “Give her a minute.”

Jim could see the inner debate in his partner’s eyes. After a moment, CJ nodded and turned to the scene.

The crime scene guys snapped photos and started gathering evidence. With latex gloves on, they dusted the statue for prints.