Page 20 of Forged By Fire (Danger in Destiny #9)

Chapter Nineteen

F irst, someone broke into her home, and now her car.

Clint said something had been left inside.

Leslie had no idea what to expect when she saw it.

Whoever did this was bold enough to come back to her house and vandalize her car during the day, knowing that officers were patrolling the area more than normal. It was a scary realization.

“Hey.” Clint’s voice broke the silence and startled Leslie.

She’d been clutching the strap of her bag in her left hand so hard that it was beginning to ache.

He reached past the computer and took her hand, slipping his fingers between hers.

“Everything will be okay. This guy is going to mess up, and when he does, we’ll be right there to catch him. ”

She nodded and prayed he was right.

He squeezed her hand, then gripped the steering wheel as he turned onto her street and pulled to a stop just down from her car.

She released her seat belt, but Clint’s words stopped her .

“It’s starting to get cold outside. Do me a favor and stay here where it’s warm. Let me see what’s in your car first. That way, I can give you some warning. I promise I’ll come right back.”

“Yeah. That’s a good idea.” She refused to allow herself to go over the possibilities as she watched him approach her car, speak with another officer, and finally peer through the busted window. It looked like he might’ve taken pictures with his phone.

Another officer leaned into the car with a camera to capture official pictures of the evidence.

As she waited, she scanned the street and her neighbors’ homes.

One family was out on the front porch watching all the excitement.

She caught sight of someone else’s outline as they watched through their living room window.

Between this and her house, there’d been more excitement on this street in the last two days than in the last two years combined.

Officers were already heading out to knock on doors to gather statements and look for witnesses.

It seemed like an eternity before Clint finally walked back toward his car and sat behind the wheel.

“What kind of damage am I looking at? Please tell me he didn’t leave anything gruesome.” At this point, the one thing their suspect had proven was that he was unpredictable.

“It’s just the one window that was smashed. Nothing looks damaged inside. And no, it’s nothing like that. He left a melted child’s toy in the driver’s seat. I can show you pictures…”

“No. I need to see it for myself.”

Clint didn’t look the least bit surprised. He walked around the car and opened her door.

The instant she was out, she felt his protective hand settle on her back. Its warmth permeated her jacket and shirt, a silent transfer of strength as he escorted her toward the shattered window.

An officer stepped back and gave her a nod. Leslie leaned forward, careful not to touch the door, and gasped.

A toy fire truck sat on the driver’s seat.

It looked like it was crafted from a combination of plastic and metal.

Someone must have set it into the middle of a fire because parts of the front of the truck and the ladder drooped where the plastic melted and ran.

The tires had melted as well, and most of the sides were blackened.

The only part of the truck that hadn’t been touched by heat or flame was a piece of paper taped to the ladder. Written in black marker was the word, GRANGER.

Detective Paris approached. “It doesn’t look like the seat was damaged, which means the truck was melted elsewhere and brought here afterward.

He could have easily broken the window and thrown something inside to torch your car.

Instead, he’d wanted to send a message.” He turned and addressed a nearby officer.

“We need to process that truck as soon as possible. Focus on the note. It looks handwritten. I want to know immediately if you find anything.”

A touch to her arm drew Leslie’s attention to Clint.

“Come on. Let’s get you inside. This could take a while, and there’s no need for you to stand out here in the cold and wait.”

She rubbed her arms in an unsuccessful attempt to warm up and allowed him to guide her up the walkway to her house. Somehow, she was able to fish out her keys and unlock the door. Apparently, the unsteady range of emotions didn’t translate to her hands.

Leslie switched on the living room lights and waited for Clint to scan the house to make sure everything was secure. A minute or two later, they were in the kitchen. Red and blue lights from the police cars outside came through the blinds and painted colors on the walls.

Her adrenaline was still pumping, and she couldn’t seem to stop moving. Needing to feel useful, she put a saucepan of milk on the stove and started heating it up.

“Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?” It was all she could think of to do.

“That’s a great idea. I’d love some, thank you.”

She was aware of him watching her as she took out two mugs, found the cocoa mix in her pantry, and pulled a spoon from the silverware drawer. She measured out the right amount of powder for each mug.

Leslie went to stir the milk when she was stopped by Clint’s hand on her arm. “I’m okay.”

“I know you are, but I’m worried about you. You’ve been through a lot of stress over the last couple of days. It’d be enough to push anyone past their breaking point.”

She filled the mugs with hot milk and then set the saucepan on a burner. Methodically, she mixed the first cup and handed it over to Clint before mixing the other. The spoon clanged against the bottom of the sink where she dropped it to be washed later.

Leslie claimed a spot on the couch, and she was both surprised and pleased when Clint sat beside her. Without hesitation, he put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his side.

Together, they sipped their hot chocolate in silence. The sound of doors slamming and distant voices outside periodically interrupted their bubble of peace.

Leslie could picture Mr. Moody two houses down, griping about how the neighborhood was going to pot. If anyone had seen something, it likely would’ve been him. In fact, she wouldn’t be the least surprised if he was the one who called it in to the police in the first place.

“Security cameras.” The words left her mouth before she realized she was going to say them. “I think I’m going to get some security cameras after payday. I mean, investing that money pretty much guarantees I won’t need them, right?” She could certainly hope that was the case.

“I think one for each door would be a good idea.” He took another sip from his mug and rested his cheek against the side of her head. “This is some of the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.”

“I won a canister of it in a white elephant gift exchange at the station last Christmas. I’ve been hooked on it ever since. It’s hard to find during the summer, so I’m planning to stock up this winter, so I’ll be set for next year.”

She reached over and set her mug on the coffee table.

When she returned to her spot by Clint’s side, she rested a hand against his chest. The steady rhythm of his heart sent a wave of peace through her.

It was scary how quickly she was coming to rely on this amazing man who was dangerously close to capturing her heart.

“You’ll have to text me the name so I can get some for my parents. It’d make a good addition to their Christmas gifts.”

“I’ll take a picture of the canister for you.”

Clint shifted to place his mug next to hers. “Sounds like a plan.” He placed a hand over hers and softly stroked the backs of her fingers with his thumb.

When she tilted her head to look up at him, he was watching her with a longing that stole her breath. The last of the chill from being outside fled as he kissed her. His lips explored hers slowly, thoroughly, coaxing a sigh of contentment.

A knock at the door splintered their perfect moment of peace. Clint broke the kiss but pressed another to her forehead before standing and going to the door.

He greeted someone and then stepped aside so that they could enter.

Detective Paris stood in the center of the room and addressed Leslie.

“I knew you’d want an update. Your car has been dusted for prints, and we’ve taped plastic over your window just in case it rains.

You’ll want to call your insurance company tomorrow to have that window replaced.

We’re taking the toy fire truck back to the precinct with us.

With any luck, there’ll be some evidence left behind.

Even finding out what kind of fire melted the plastic could give us a push in the right direction. ”

Clint nodded. “That’s good. What about the neighbors? Someone called it in. Did anyone see anything?”

Smashing the glass out of a car window had to have made some noise. Surely someone heard that and looked out the window.

“Two different neighbors reported seeing a man in a dark jacket with the hood pulled low over his head. He had what looked like a baseball bat, and that’s what he used to break the window.

Neither of them saw his face or a car on the street that didn’t belong there.

Once he busted out the window and set something inside, he took off running south and cut across someone’s back lawn. That’s where we lost track of him.”

Disappointment coiled itself in Leslie’s chest. “This guy’s like a ghost. He keeps disappearing.”

“He’s also getting bolder,” Clint added. “He obviously thinks he can avoid getting caught. I think he likes the challenge.”

Leslie stood and reached for a section of hair and absently coiled it around one of her fingers.

Yes, the guy did seem to like the challenge.

At this point, she was pretty confident that she was the target.

Was it a matter of disrupting her life and frightening her?

Or did he have a bigger agenda in mind? Assuming this was the same man who shot Danny, he was clearly capable of escalating.

Detective Paris agreed with Clint. “He’s overconfident, and he probably thinks he’s in control.

That means he’s more likely to make a mistake.

The moment he does, we’ll be there. Tomorrow, we’re going to track down Ortiz’s old roommate and find out what he knows.

It’s time we got some answers.” He focused on Leslie, his concern evident.

“Someone will be stationed within view of your house until we find this guy. I’m sorry for all you’re going through, Leslie. ”

“Thank you.”

It did make her feel a little better knowing that an officer would be nearby.

Still, she had no idea how she was supposed to relax enough to fall asleep tonight.

Not when every creak was going to make her wonder if someone was prowling around in the shadows.

At the very least, she’d be keeping all the lights on.

Her vision swam as unwanted tears flooded her eyes.

She blinked them away. There wasn’t time to fall apart.

Clint walked the detective out. They exchanged a few words before he closed the door again and secured the locks. He’d just turned around when her cell phone pinged.

The moment Becca’s name appeared, Leslie’s stomach dropped. Even as she swiped to read the text message, she knew it wasn’t going to be good news.

“Please continue to keep Danny in your prayers. He’s developed a fever, and the doctor says he’s got an infection from the bullet wound or surgery. They’re starting antibiotics.

“What’s wrong?”

The kindness in Clint’s voice combined with the text had Leslie fighting for control over her emotions. Today had been one hit after another, and she wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take.