Page 36 of Deadly Peril

Chapter 10

As it turned out, Jana’s business partner had taken the day off, so she wasn’t able to discuss the financial situation with him. He’d called in saying that he was driving his wife to a couple of doctor’s appointments that had been rescheduled for an earlier date, due to a change in her condition.

Thaddeus had hoped to glean more from the confrontation, but that would have to wait. Meanwhile, he texted his boss to have Cooper dig deeper on Alton Parker. He couldn’t predict what might or might not be uncovered. He wouldn’t be surprised either way.

He understood how Jana felt. As it stood, trouble could be around any corner. Anyone she knew was potentially an enemy. It was better that she had Thaddeus around, as without any sobering influence, she might turn a blind eye to clear signs of danger. It was human nature to see actions as innocent when they might not be.

The rest of the day had been uneventful. That evening, Eva had cooked dinner, which she’d seemed pleased to do. The meal had been tasty, and the atmosphere homey. It was preferable to have Eva at the table, as it precluded Jana and Thaddeus being alone.

The one evening Thaddeus had shared with Jana had left him unsettled. He preferred to avoid another such occasion for a few days, until he’d fallen back into the groove of professionalism. Being around Jana made that difficult, but he was determined not to be distracted.

The next afternoon, Thaddeus drove Jana to the local police station to answer questions about the bomb threat. The officers were going through the motions. Since no one was injured, law enforcement couldn’t afford to devote resources to solving the case.

However, not interviewing the owner of the vehicle involved in the incident would constitute negligence, so the interview had been scheduled. Thaddeus was also questioned due to his role as bodyguard. He was interviewed separately, as the authorities didn’t want Jana influencing him, or the other way around.

Thaddeus didn’t tell the officer much. He was as confused as the police about why Jana’s vehicle had been targeted. It appeared the perpetrator hadn’t left fingerprints, which Thaddeus had predicted. The police had little to go on, and the officer stated that he was glad no one had been hurt.

Jana returned to the lobby after speaking with her interviewer. “I can pick up my truck from impound. It’s been inspected, so I can have it back.”

“Great, we’ll go by and get it,” Thaddeus said. “Anything happen in the interview?”

“Not much,” Jana said. “You know everything I know, and I already told the police at the scene. The officer was curious about you, as it’s unusual for a resident around here to hire a bodyguard.”

“What did you tell him?”

“The truth: that my grandmother hired you.” Jana hesitated a beat. “That got a smile out of him. He had the incident I’d reported on file, so he knew about that time a bullet grazed the tree near me.”

“And…did he have any comment?”

Jana shook her head. “It had been labelled an accident, which I already knew.”

“I guess having a bullet come within inches of your head, then finding a car bomb on your vehicle, qualifies as coincidence?”

“As far as the police are concerned, until I’m injured, there isn’t much they can do,” Jana said. “The officer said they’d pursue any leads and let me know.”

“Right,” Thaddeus said. “Let’s get out of here.”

When Thaddeus stepped onto the sidewalk, a brisk wind hit his face. It was a blustery day but not snowing. On the way in, he’d scanned the area to get a baseline on the scene.

The police station was standard issue, a brick structure with limited parking. That had required Thaddeus to acquire a spot along the street, several blocks away. Not his preference, but there hadn’t been an alternative.

The street was lined with government buildings, including the courthouse two blocks over. There were no restaurants or shops, so that meant no window shoppers or lingerers. When Thaddeus had walked Jana to the station, a few people had been on the streets and others in the lot.

Each had looked preoccupied, since their destination must have been one of the city buildings. With no pleasant business to anticipate, any person he’d seen had been focused on getting where they had to go. The weather was also a deterrent to strolling the sidewalks.

Upon exiting the police station, Thaddeus took in the situation. It appeared to match what he remembered—different people, but same tone and activity. He saw no reason for alarm, but kept his eyes open, watching movement in his peripheral vision.

Thaddeus walked slightly behind Jana, just enough to have a full view of her. He didn’t want some idiot approaching from behind without being seen. Jana walked down the sidewalk toward the location where the Jeep was parked.

Jana texted on her phone as she walked—not a good idea. Her situational analysis could use some work. But Thaddeus had eyes on the surroundings, intending to head off any crisis before it happened. It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle anything that came his way, but it was best to avoid violent confrontation when possible.

Staring down at a cell phone was ill-advised. If Thaddeus hadn’t been there to watch over her, Jana would have been an easy target, simply because she hadn’t been paying attention. It irked him, but it wasn’t the time for a lesson in safety.

A block from the police station, a dude in a parka appeared from a side street and made the mistake of looking at Jana. It wasn’t a glance; the guy watched her a second too long. Thaddeus caught the act, recognizing it as an enemy spotting his target.

Thaddeus said sharply, “We need to pick up the pace.”

Jana held up one hand. “Just a sec.” Then she continued to text without looking up from the screen.

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