Page 9 of Crossroads of Innocence
The sound of an engine motoring to life caught his attention, and he turned toward the parking lot. A black SUV with tinted windows slid out of a spot and slipped onto the mountain road, turning toward town.
Apprehension tickled his spine. He stared after the glowing taillights until they disappeared, and a Pine Valley police cruiser came into view.
Macey trotted over to Wade and whined. He lifted her off the ground and tucked her close to stop her tiny limbs from trembling.
Cruz parked his car in the spot closest to the front door and stepped out of the vehicle. His ever-present cowboy hat was perched on his head, his blue eyes full of questions. Pocketing his keys, he touched the brim of his hat. “Someone have a late night and come back for their car?”
Wade frowned. Wouldn’t be the first time a patron had needed a ride home after more than a few drinks then returned the next morning. But a heaviness in the pit of his stomach told him that wasn’t what happened. “Not sure, but I don’t think so.”
“Who do you think it was then?”
“A detective from Michigan who I lied to about a murder suspect.”
Cruz’s eyebrows hiked high and disappeared under the brim of his hat. “Looks like we’ve got a lot to talk about.”
* * *
Heat from Jude’smug seeped into her palm. Thank God she’d finished half a cup of coffee before Officer Cruz Sawyer showed up because now the French Roast burned her esophagus like acid. The cop nodded along to every word she said, not interrupting once as she finished the whole story of what had brought her back to Pine Valley.
“Okay,” Officer Sawyer said, drawing out the word in a long breath. He sat back on the recliner and wrinkled his nose. “I wish you’d have given me a heads up about what I was walking into first thing in the morning.”
Wincing, she set her mug on the coffee table in front of the sofa. The movement woke Macey, who perked up from her spot on the opposite end of the couch. She padded over to Jude and curled against her hip.
“Sorry, man. Wasn’t sure what all to say.” Wade stood beside the fireplace, his second cup of coffee cradled in his hands. “I wanted you to have an open mind when you spoke to Jude.”
“Can I see the photos?” Officer Sawyer asked.
“Sure.” She jumped to her feet and found her camera in the backpack. She offered the stranger who held her fate in his hands a tight smile then showed him the pictures she’d already described.
“And you’re sure the detective who showed up at the bar last night is the same one you spoke with? The one who attacked you?”
She nodded. “No doubt in my mind, Officer.”
He smiled. “You can call me Cruz.”
She worked the name over in her mouth, unwilling to say it out loud until she knew for certain what he planned to do with the information she’d laid at his feet.
“What do you think of the photos?” Wade prodded. “Is that enough to prove she’s the one in trouble?”
“It’s hard to say without knowing exactly what the police supposedly have on you. What made you run?”
“When I went back to the station to report the vandalism to my apartment, I saw the detective again. As soon as he saw me, he gave chase. I was panicked and scared. He’d already hurt me once.” Memories of the assault lifted her fingertips to the tender bruise around her eye. “I made it to my bike and as I drove off, he screamed that he knew what I did. That I couldn’t hide.”
“Interesting he’d yell this but not have more officers chase after you.”
She shrugged. “Agreed, but this guy is clearly bad news. I mean, what kind of a cop hits and strangles a woman?”
Wade pushed off the wall he’d been leaning on and paced. “One who needs his ass kicked.”
“Or one who’s not a cop at all,” Cruz muttered.
Validation tightened her stomach muscles. Something had rung disingenuous about the man who’d approached her, claiming to be a detective who was interested in her photos. But when she’d seen him at the station, laughing with other officers, she’d kicked herself for thinking she could just walk in and be believed when he was surrounded by his brothers in blue.
But here was an officer she’d never met, who had no reason to lie or trick her, who gave voice to the very thought that made her run in the first place. “Do you really think he lied?”
Leaning forward on the chair, Cruz clasped his hands together and stared at her with kind, blue eyes. “First off, Wade’s right. This guy, no matter who he is, deserves to get his ass kicked. Someone who follows you home and attacks you needs to be held accountable. No questions.”
Tears of appreciation stung her eyes.
