Page 64 of Fatal Witness

“Yeah. I got the same impression of him. He mentioned heplanned to ask Dani for a DNA sample to compare hers to the fiber evidence the Montana State Police collected at the crime scene, but I told him she’d given me one. I’ve requested a copy of the results be sent to him.”

“Any idea when it’ll come back?”

“Shouldn’t be long. The company I submitted it to usually gets the results back to me within a week. How is Dani holding up?”

“As well as can be expected. She’s taking care of Keith’s arrangements tomorrow and talking to his attorney. How is Mae?”

“Improving. She’s a little anxious about Dani. I think she’s afraid Dani might not want to come back.”

“She does, trust me. I think she’s shooting for Thursday to return.”

“Great. I’ll let Mae know. And keep me updated ... but check the time first unless it’s an emergency.”

“Will do. And sorry, again.” He disconnected and crawled into bed. Mark ran through what he knew about Dani’s case. That was where he needed to keep his focus—on the case and not her. And that was the problem. Somehow it had subtly switched.

And Keith’s death. He didn’t understand how the killer got inside this place. The house had a security system that rivaled that of a bank. There was no way the killer just walked into the house unless Keith let him in. But why would he do that? He finally drifted off into a troubled sleep...

Mark lay flat on a rooftop as he kept overwatch, providing support as Marines went frombuilding to building, clearing the town.

Hot. He was sohot.

Sweat trickled from his brow into his eye, and he knuckled it away. Suddenly, gunfire erupted and the enemyspilled into the street. His Marines took cover in anempty building. Mark and another sniper opened fire, driving theenemy inside a house...

He jerked awake, gasping for breath. Gem jumped up on the bed and pressed her body against his with a whimper. “It’s okay,girl. Just another bad dream.” She’d witnessed many of them. At least this time he woke before the worst of it.

Mark focused on calming his heart with measured breathing. But nothing could erase what happened to Jolie. His Jolie. She’d been dead when he reached her.

He tried to go back to sleep, but his mind wouldn’t let the dream go. What if he let someone else down? Mark sat up on the side of the bed. Maybe a cup of coffee would help, but since he wasn’t familiar with the kitchen, he’d probably wake Dani. She needed all the rest she could get.

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you.He’d almost forgotten the verse he’d repeated so often in Afghanistan. Mark took out his phone and opened his Bible app and found the Psalms, then he turned to Psalm 91. “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty...” He read the rest of the psalm and let the words wash over him. Maybe he’d just read the Psalms the rest of the night.

Daylight was peeking through the curtains when Gem nudged Mark. Was that coffee he smelled? And bacon? He quickly dressed and followed his nose to the kitchen, where Dani stood at the stove.

“Good morning,” he said. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

She laughed. “I can see why after your dinner last night. Cups are in the cabinet over the coffeepot.”

He grabbed a cup and filled it. “This is good,” he said after taking a sip.

“Thank you. Couldn’t find any eggs, but there are biscuits. They’re in the covered dish to go with the bacon, and no, I didn’t make them, I found a can in the fridge. My biscuits can kill at thirty paces.”

“I doubt that.”

“Trust me. Laura tried her best to teach me how to make them, but I never got the knack.”

He filled the plate she handed him with biscuits and bacon. “Did you cook a whole pound?”

She joined him at the breakfast table. “I wasn’t sure how much you would eat. We’ll save what’s left for tomorrow.”

“What’s up for today?”

“I thought I’d go by the sheriff’s office and leave my prints, and I have an appointment with Keith’s attorney at ten. Then, we’ll go from there.”

A little after nine, they pulled through the gate in Dani’s RAV4. “So this is what you drive around here?”

“Yeah. It’s easier on gas mileage than Keith’s Navigator or his pickup,” she said, then turned pensive. “Which I suppose are mine now.”

“This can’t be easy.”

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