Page 28 of Deadly Peril

Chapter 8

After coffee, Thaddeus drove Jana directly home, to make sure that she was safe. During the drive, he didn’t inquire any more about Jana’s broken marriage. He knew enough for the moment. And Jana seemed thoughtful. If she remembered something that might be helpful, he assumed she’d let him know.

The encounter with Jana’s ex-husband had left a bad taste in his mouth. The man couldn’t be ruled out as Jana’s attacker. In fact, statistics weighed heavily against Rakel.

One thing that Thaddeus kept up on was crime studies. Apparently, in nearly a third of the violent crimes against women by lone offenders, the perpetrator was a husband or boyfriend. Or, as was relevant in this case, an ex-husband or boyfriend.

Thaddeus didn’t like the setup. From what he’d learned from Jana, it was smart to suspect her ex. He planned to find out more about the man and keep an eye on him. He couldn’t assume Rakel was the source of the trouble, but couldn’t rule him out.

Jana looked over at him. “I’m kind of spooked. It feels like I’m being hunted. I don’t know who it is or why, but it’s unnerving.”

“I can understand that,” Thaddeus said. “Whoever it is will make a mistake, sooner or later.”

“I hope for sooner, because I don’t think my nerves can take much more.”

“If I have my way, you won’t have to.” Thaddeus spotted the house up the road. “Let’s get you inside, where you can relax. I’ll make sure the place is secure.”

Jana ran her hand through her hair. “Even the fact that you have to say that is unsettling.”

Once inside, Thaddeus checked the security of her home, but it looked good. There wasn’t anything to indicate an intruder.

Jana had gone to the kitchen, so he went to check on her. She was busy with food preparation. “I thought we could have a late dinner together. My grandmother is out with friends, so she won’t be cooking. But I can throw something together.”

“You can cook?”

Jana laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised. My grandmother taught me, but I have to admit that I don’t often put in the effort on anything gourmet.”

“Whatever you have will be fine.” Thaddeus watched as Jana moved about the kitchen looking very domestic. “I can help, if you like.”

Jana handed him a knife. “You can slice those tomatoes then shred that chunk of cheese.” She pulled open a drawer to retrieve a cheese grater.

“You got it.” Thaddeus went to work on the tasks but couldn’t take his eyes off Jana. The scene was homey and felt good. It had been a while since he’d spent time with family. And on dates—although he hadn’t had one in a while—he’d taken the woman out.

He hadn’t been with someone he’d cared to spend an intimate evening with. And this dinner shouldn’t qualify as that either. He had to eat, so it made sense to dine together. It was that simple, so he didn’t need to read more into it.

When the food prep appeared to be in hand, Thaddeus said, “While you finish up, I’m going to check in. Maybe I’ll get more information for us.”

Jana was setting the table in the breakfast nook. “Sure, go ahead.” She looked up. “I figured we could eat here, instead of the dining room.”

“Sure, sounds good to me. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Thaddeus went to his suite, which was more spacious than he needed. But he wasn’t about to complain. He was close to Jana, and that was the point. He took a quick shower and saw to his grooming. It wouldn’t do to show up for dinner looking scruffy.

He donned a clean pair of jeans and a sweater, then pulled out his phone to call the boss.

“Hey, Thad.”

“Any updates?”

Travis didn’t miss a beat. “Not really. The official reports on the bomb threat don’t say much. I had Rip tap into his police contacts, but the authorities don’t have any leads.”

“Were there any prints?”

“Only yours and Jana’s.”

“I figured as much.” Thaddeus paced the room. “There was always the chance the car wouldn’t blow and take his prints with it, so he hedged his bets by wearing gloves.”

“What about on your end?”

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