Chief shook his head. “I know for a fact Raven’s not certified yet. Last I knew, Joe said she had a heap of potential but some obedience issues. She hasn’t been in the program long enough for testing. Takes a minimum of a year, from what I understand. Besides, didn’t you say you were on this property because she broke off the leash in pursuit of a squirrel?”
Alexis felt her cheeks heat but knew that the chief was right. If Raven wasn’t certified and court-qualified, her skills would be inadmissible in court. Not that they needed or wanted her opinion.
Chief sighed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t hunt down a judge and an out-of-town mayor on a holiday weekend for this.” He gestured to the downspouts. “Let’s say you’re right. For all we know, this was a dead drop gone wrong, so it doesn’t do me any good to search the mayor’s house. He’s visiting family.”
In other words, the chief didn’t want to risk bad publicity. She’d read the news headlines. A mayor in Maine had been an unwitting victim of a dead drop. The drug runners would send packages of drugs to addresses that likely wouldn’t answer the door. The mayor in Maine sued the police department after they’d raided his home, scaring his wife and children.
Nick’s eyes implored Alexis. “Did you recognize any of the men?”
“From town? No, but I haven’t been that observant lately. I didn’t recognize you.” She sighed. “I’d guess the man who talked to us was in his early forties. The men with guns...” She strained to remember any important details and failed. “Everything was a blur once shots were fired.”
“I think the guy we talked to was a scout,” Nick added.
“You said that before. What was he scouting for?” Alexis questioned.
Jeremy looked like he was struggling not to roll his eyes. “They serve as guides for drug shipments. They aren’t the actual ones to pick them up. They go ahead and make sure the coast is clear. Oftentimes they don’t have weapons or drugs on their person, so if they get picked up, we’ve got nothing on them.”
“They serve as both spies and decoys?”
Nick looked at her, as if impressed. “Basically.”
“If Lexi thinks they’re not from here, it’s unlikely they’ve made the two of you targets,” the chief mused.
She wasn’t so sure they should rely on her knowledge of residents. She hadn’t recognized Nick as being from the area, either, though he claimed he’d been here the past year. He was running for mayor, after all. She knew she’d been closed off, but this seemed like a wake-up call. The past year she’d been downright antisocial with her head stuck in the sand.
“I made sure they didn’t get our names,” Nick added.
“That was quick thinking,” she admitted. Her neck grew hot as she remembered how it felt to have him speak so tenderly when he called her honey. Now Nick smiled at her, which didn’t help. She knew from experience that her neck probably was beet red at the moment.
Chief nodded. “Good. Here’s what we’re going to do. My boys are going to walk the property and see if we have anything to go on. I’ll set up a patrol car to drive by your houses tonight. We’ll keep a watch out for any trucks that look suspicious.” His radio chirped. “We’re going to be combing the area now. We’ll give you a quick ride back to your place and take it from there.”
“What about Nick? They know where he lives.”
Chief shrugged. “Not necessarily. They just saw you run to the neighboring property.”
Alexis tightened her hold on the leash. His words didn’t comfort her.
She replayed the events of the evening on a loop, searching for something that could help. There’d been a click. She was sure of it. “What I don’t understand is, if scouts are just making sure the coast is clear, then why did he take our picture?”
Nick spun around, a look of alarm on his face. “Are you sure?”
“I think...” She looked up at the clouds, trying to picture it. “He had his phone in his hand while you were talking to him.” She nodded. “His thumb moved, and the phone clicked when I stepped toward him to introduce myself. That’s when you stopped me. What else could the click have been?”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet,” the chief said.
Nick’s face took on an ashen tone as he closed his eyes. “We’ve been marked.”
Only a few hours ago, Nick had been looking forward to a quiet long weekend at home. Now he was on a drug ring’s most-wanted list.
“What do you mean marked?” Alexis stepped in front of him. Her intense gaze demanded his attention.
“It means they’ll take us out if they think we are going to cause them problems.” He gestured out at the town, north of them. “It means that every member in their cartel likely has our photo. It means we need to watch our backs.”
Chief put his hand on Alexis’s shoulder. “We don’t know that for sure. Let’s just take it one step at a time.” He led her to the backseat of the cruiser, but not before he leveled a disapproving glare at Nick.
Nick didn’t regret what he’d said, though. Not knowing the full truth wouldn’t help Alexis stay safe. Ever since his brother had died, Nick had found out everything he could about drug trafficking, specifically in the Northwest. It wasn’t something to be taken lightly. The cartels had sophisticated ways of communicating, and the intel they shared with each other rivaled that of most three-letter government agencies.
Nick called Raven into the car and took his seat. Alexis scrunched her nose. “Didn’t you hear the click from his phone, too? Maybe I imagined it.”
The hopefulness in her voice was difficult to ignore. “It was hard enough to think straight with blood rushing to my head. Don’t second-guess yourself, even though we’d both love it if you were wrong.”
She stared ahead, her face pale. It took only a minute to arrive back at his place.
“Where’d you park?” the young officer asked her.
“The lot at the trailhead. Could you take me there, Jeremy? I’d really rather not walk back alone, if that’s okay.”
“Understandable.” Jeremy nodded. “You still driving that bucket of bolts you call a car?”
She lifted her chin. “Hey. A little respect. It’s a classic.”
“Dream on.” Jeremy shook his head. “Never seen a lawyer drive such a crummy car before.”
Nick’s neck tingled, and he couldn’t place his finger on why. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have wondered if he was jealous that the young cop talked to Alexis in such a friendly manner. “You’re a lawyer?” he asked her. “I’d tell you a lawyer joke, but—”
“—you’re afraid you’d get sued,” she said. Her face reddened, and she pressed her lips together in a firm line. “Trust me, I’ve heard them all. Besides, I wasn’t that kind of lawyer.”
A crackly voice came over the radio. “Possible domestic disturbance called in. Shouting heard next to the burned-out barn on Garrett property.”
The dispatcher’s description was yet another reminder that Nick wasn’t in the big city anymore. The chief shook his head. “We need to get this.”
The car pulled to a stop. “I’ll take her to her car,” Nick said. They hopped out and the cruiser sped away.
Alexis