“You’ll do fine,” Aurora assured her. “We Martin women are strong and tough.”

  “But not bulletproof,” Maddie said. “I can’t believe you were standing right there when my car got shot full of holes, not to mention the prowler in my apartment.”

  “I wasn’t exactly standing by your car,” Aurora said with a smile. “I was kind of hunkered down on the ground with Daniel Slater and that pony-size Dane of his.”

  “My, my. Tell me more.”

  As Aurora said, “There’s nothing to tell,” she remembered the brief amazing kiss and wondered when that man, when any man, had managed to make her feel so special and vulnerable at the same time.

  “Other than the fact he probably saved your life,” Maddie countered.

  “Yeah, well, there is that.” She laughed to herself and at herself.

  “And he is passable-looking if you don’t mind old guys.”

  “What do you mean old? Daniel is perfect. He’s mature and settled and smart and capable and, and…”

  “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought. So, does he know you’re a card-carrying member of his fan club?”

  “I sure hope not.” Feeling warmth rising in her cheeks, Aurora was glad she was alone in his office. “The last thing he needs right now is some flighty woman chasing him.”

  “You’re not flighty,” Maddie said. Aurora could tell her cousin was laughing.

  “I have felt kind of disconnected since Mom died,” she admitted. “My dad’s no help. I’m sorry if I’ve pushed you away lately. Grief does funny things to people.”

  Maddie sobered. “I know what you mean. You’re still the sister I never had. So keep your head down and concentrate on surviving whatever’s going on, will you?”

  “You too.”

  “Always.

  “So, we’re on for lunch?” Aurora asked.

  “Let’s make it eleven thirty.”

  “Okay. Earlier is better. We’re going to see Joy’s mother in hospice at two,” Aurora told her. “I’ve never met Serena but Daniel wants me to go along this time.”

  “Really? Wow. That sounds like he has a thing for you.”

  “Not really. I think it’s mostly because he wants to keep an eye on me and is afraid I’ll wander off on my own.”

  “Is that likely?” the ADA asked, sounding concerned.

  “No, ma’am. It’s been a long time since anybody volunteered to look after my best interests and I’m managing to tolerate Daniel’s micromanagement. Besides, Joy is the sweetest little thing and I want to support her in case the visit doesn’t go well.”

  “Serena’s that bad off?”

  “Yes,” Aurora said soberly.

  “Then wait until you see me,” Maddie said brightly. “I got a new cut to make me look tougher for the trial. My hair stands up in the cutest spikes.”

  Aurora almost laughed in spite of their serious conversation. How like Maddie it was to change the subject in order to cheer her up. She and her cousin had often mimicked each other in the past but matching her hair to Maddie’s this time was definitely not happening.

  “Whatever makes you happy, cuz, but I’m sticking with long hair I can put up if I want to. See you soon.”

  She had just ended the call when Daniel returned, his spine rigid, his demeanor officious. In spite of the off-putting attitude, Aurora smiled at him. “We’re on for lunch. Maddie will meet us in front of the courthouse at eleven thirty.”

  He glanced at his watch. “No problem. I have a few team members to check in with and I’ll be done here.”

  “Any news about the gun trafficking?” she asked. Seeing him raise an eyebrow at her, she added, “It’s not like I’m a civilian messing in police business, you know.”

  It looked as if he was upset about something and that concerned her. If he was sorry he’d kissed her, she intended to remind him that it took both of them to decide to do it. Asking him however was out of the question. She squared her shoulders to mimic his formality.

  “There have been sightings of some of the traffickers in Fargo, which isn’t all that surprising. The ones we have in custody have legal representation so the questioning is slow. The best we’ve been able to do is get bail denied.”

  “Is Brandon Murray footing the bill for the lawyers?”

  “Yes, and no,” Daniel said with a frown. “He’s the primary contact but as far as we can tell, he’s not the money man.”

  “Really?” Thoughts of a personal nature fled as she tried to figure out who could be supporting their primary suspect. “Is that part of why you haven’t been able to track him down? He has influential friends? What about his family? I mean besides Hal.”

  “I think that’s part of what’s made him so volatile. He’s an orphan. His brother was all he had.”

  “I wish forensics had been more help. Maybe if we had more clues…”

  The look he gave her was unreadable. “Please,” Daniel said flatly. “No more clues that involve people getting shot at.”

  She was quick on the defense. “I didn’t mean that.” Which was true, sort of. The trouble was, the fewer encounters the police had with the gun trafficking group, the less likely they were to track them down. And they were still left wondering whose gun the bullet holes in Maddie’s car had come from. And why.

  “Being a target is not my favorite pastime,” she told him. “Coming up with leads that put criminals in jail is different. I’ll take my clues however I can get them.”

  As she watched, Daniel took his gun out of a shoulder holster, checked the ammo, then replaced it with a snap before straightening his jacket. “All right. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  NINE

  By the time Daniel and Aurora reached the courthouse, he had received a dispatch for that very place. Someone had phoned in a bomb threat and the warning was being taken seriously. The formidable stone building was surrounded by police cars, lights flashing, and a cordon of officers was setting up a temporary barricade.

  To his surprise, Maddie Martin was already outside, briefcase in hand, purse strap slung over one shoulder of her suit coat. Daniel did a double take. Whoever had said she looked exactly like Aurora had been right—and wrong. He unlocked the door and stepped out, engine running.

  “Slide in behind the wheel for now while I get my team assigned to specific areas,” he said. “Lunch may be a little delayed.”

  “The story of my life,” Maddie said with a brief smile. “What a morning.”

  He watched as the two women embraced like long-lost sisters and was reminded of all the family time he’d missed by not meeting Serena as a child. He was also struck by how much alike the cousins faces and physiques were. If not for Maddie’s wild spikey hairdo, it was easy to see how they could be mistaken for each other, particularly when Aurora was driving the car registered to her look-alike.

  Daniel radioed Kenyon Graves first. He and Peanut, the gun and explosives-detecting beagle, were already inside, leading the DGTF portion of the search for a hidden bomb.

  “Graves.”

  “Kenyon, it’s me, Daniel. How are you doing? Managing okay?”

  “If you’re asking if my past has surfaced to make me unstable, the answer is no. Peanut is doing fine too. If there’s a bomb in any of the rooms we search, he’ll find it.”

  “Good. What’s your projected time frame?”

  “I know Lucy and Piper are checking the basement. If we had a dozen Peanuts and Pipers on the team, we’d be done in an hour. Regular officers are searching the courtrooms. West, Lucy and I will move our dogs to the judges’ chambers when we finish here.” Daniel was grateful to have Kenyon on the team, along with Lucy Lopez and her bomb-detection K-9 and West Cole, whose K-9, Gus, specialized in weapons detection. While Dakota was skilled in weapons detection and could help them, she was also trained in protection—and right now protecting Maddie and Aurora was his top priority.

  “What about the DA’s offices?”

  “West and Jenna are checking those. So far, so good. They’re clear.” The two officers and their K-9s would have that part of the search well in hand.

  “Okay. Thanks. I’ll be off duty this afternoon for an hour or so to visit my sister. If you turn up anything, call my personal number.”

  “Copy that.”

  Daniel paused to scan the street and other surroundings. Bright sunlight had burned off the early morning fog. A few stubborn patches of snow lingered in shaded areas but, by and large, the November day was surprisingly warm.

  He checked in with the local incident commander and touched base with a fire engine on standby before returning to his vehicle and opening the driver’s door. “If you ladies still want lunch I suggest we grab something quick and eat in the car. It’s not wise being exposed like this.”

  “Do you think the bomb threat was made to get us out into the open?” Maddie asked. “It did occur to me.”

  “Possibly.” He was eyeing the rear compartment where Dakota usually rode. “I’m a little short on comfortable seats. We’ll have to make do.”

  “Maddie and I can scooch in here together,” Aurora said, glancing behind her. “You can’t ask Maddie to ride where the dog does.”

  That brought a wry smile. “Actually, I was thinking of asking you to sit back there. You’re dressed for it and she isn’t.”

  Aurora laughed good-naturedly before settling in the back.

  It did occur to him he could’ve borrowed one of the patrol cars but since he didn’t plan on going far and his SUV was armored, it was the safest place for all of them, at least temporarily. He’d never had reason to transport more than one other person and their working dog so the vehicle was usually ideal.

  “Okay,” he said, glancing at Maddie. “There’s a good chance this bomb scare was a ruse to get you out of the courthouse where you’d make a better target. Let’s get you both out of here. We still need to eat so we should go to lunch.”

  “Good. I’m starving,” the ADA said with a smile. “If you’re buying, even better.”

  A glance in the rearview showed him Aurora’s blush as Maddie laughed lightly. The women might resemble each other in many ways but it was clear that one was much bolder. Backing out and pulling into traffic, he decided to use the drive time to settle a few things. “I’ve been in touch with Lorelei Danvers about moving each of you to new homes for the time being,” he said, continuing before either of his companions had a chance to protest. “It’s not going to be easy to keep you close to your jobs without giving away your locations so we’ll take it one day at a time. She’ll have Maddie picked up at the courthouse, assuming it checks out by quitting time. If not, they can make other arrangements. I’ll be keeping you, Aurora, with me this afternoon until we see if it’s feasible for you to be relocated. If we do move you, it has to be done covertly. There’s no sense changing locations if we do it publicly.” He paused. “Agreed?”

  “As long as I can still work,” Maddie said.

  Aurora agreed. “Same here. I can’t think of a safer place to work than inside a police station, can you?”

  “Did you get a chance to confirm the whereabouts of the felons I listed?” Maddie asked him.

  “Yes. Kyra Fellowes’s alibi for the time of the drive-by shooting is solid and her former boyfriend is in jail in California. How about others? You said there was a list.”

  “How much time have you got?” Maddie said wryly.

  * * *

  By the time lunch was finished, the courthouse had been declared safe and Daniel had delivered Maddie back to her office. Aurora would have preferred to have spent more quality time with her cousin but little Joy needed moral support and she was actually looking forward to helping the sweet toddler. Jack and Beau delivered the others to the hospice lobby where they all met. Listening to the men’s conversation was unsettling.

  “Sorry, Daniel,” Jack said. “I know it’s not what you want to hear but I really don’t think your house is totally safe unless some of us are staying there 24/7.”

  “You know I can’t justify that,” Daniel said. “I pushed the rules hard in order to station you there this morning.”

  “Then I suggest you reconsider a safe house for your family too, since last night’s prowler seems to be so well connected.”

  “The fancy lawyer, you mean?”

  “Yes. He’s invoking client privilege and won’t disclose who hired him to represent the guy so it can’t be an innocent third party.”

  “I think you’re right,” Daniel said. “And our stubborn CSI has finally agreed to move if we can find a convenient place.”

  Daniel offered his hand and Jack shook it. “Thanks for your help looking after my family.”

  “Anytime. Just holler. Beau has a doggie crush on Dakota.” He looked around. “Where is she, anyway?”

  “I left her back at the station since we were coming here after lunch. She needs the R & R and it wouldn’t be good to bring her into such a sterile environment, even if it is legal.”

  “Sensible, as always,” Jack said with a smile. “Okay. I’ll hit the road. See you tomorrow?”

  “I’m sure. There’s a high-profile murder trial starting at the courthouse. A few of us will need to do another explosives sweep before then. I’ll probably put Lucy, West and Kenyon on it again. I definitely want Lucy and Piper and Kenyon and Peanut.”

  “Copy that.” Jack gave a casual salute that looked more like parting gesture than a military one.

  Turning, Daniel rejoined them and they all entered the deathly silent, sterile-smelling environment. Joy reached for him and Aurora was pleased to see him scoop her up and balance her on one hip. She followed the family as they quietly entered Serena’s room and stood around the bed. There was a palpable sense of peace in the room. A nurse in blue scrubs stood to one side and nodded a greeting.

  “Hey, sis,” Daniel said, sounding more upbeat than Aurora knew he felt. “You have company.”

  There was a gleam in the young woman’s green eyes when she opened them and smiled at her daughter. “Hi, honey.”

  Joy clung tightly to Daniel’s neck and hid her face against his shoulder. He tried to turn her. She resisted.

  Catherine handed Serena a fresh tissue and bent to kiss her on the forehead. “I see you’re wearing the scarf I gave you. I thought real silk would be easier on your skin than cotton or synthetics”

  Serena’s thin fingers ruffled the loose ends. “It’s beautiful. I love it. Later, when I don’t need it anymore, maybe you can give it to Joy to remember me by after I’m gone.”

  Joy looked over Daniel’s shoulder at Aurora, then shifted to gaze down at the bed. “Mama’s goin’ to Heaven, huh?”

  “Yes,” Aurora said softly. She smiled at the child, then at Serena. “Do you belong to Jesus?”

  Tears began to trail down Serena’s cheeks. “Oh, yes. And thank you for asking. I didn’t know how to explain my faith to Joy. I’m not afraid of death. The only sad part is that I’ll have to be away from my baby.”

  Approaching, Aurora spoke to Joy. “Would you like me to help you give your mama a hug? We’ll be very careful so we don’t hurt her.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  And just like that, the previously reluctant toddler let go of Daniel and reached for Aurora, who then lowered her gently onto the bed into Serena’s waiting arms.

  The hospital atmosphere ceased to matter and their surroundings faded away as Aurora’s hands came to rest gently on the pair, one on Joy’s fine curls and one caressing Serena’s tear dampened cheek as if giving a benediction.

  When Serena began to whisper a prayer, Aurora joined her. Their eyes met. Understanding flowed, as did mutual tears. “Take care of my baby.”

  What could she say? How could she make a vow like that? And yet, it seemed to be the right thing to do.

  “I promise to always be there for her if she needs me,” Aurora whispered, hoping that Daniel wouldn’t take it wrong. She didn’t mean to usurp his authority or invade his family; she simply wanted to give a dying woman some hope.

  A sidelong glance was all it took to assure Aurora that she had not overstepped. The stalwart federal agent was blinking back tears of his own and almost smiling at her.

  * * *

  For the time she was with Daniel’s family, Aurora had felt at peace, even when she was consoling Serena and Joy. The bond between mother and daughter was one that she understood, particularly since the loss of her own mom. That was how life was, she told herself. Loved ones came and went in spite of anyone’s intervention and all you were left with was fond memories. And faith, she added immediately. Without her faith to lean on, she knew she would have been far more devastated. Yet that didn’t keep a loss from hurting, it simply provided reassurance of a reunion someday. To ask, to yearn for more was not only futile, it was self-defeating.

  Leaning back in the passenger seat of Daniel’s SUV as he drove them back to the station, she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the prodding of her conscience. Was that her problem? Was she fighting the reality that her mother was gone because she so wanted it to be otherwise? That possibility had never occurred to her before. Now, she gave it a place in her mind, if not her heart.

  Daniel broke into her reverie. “Lorelei Danvers, the US marshal on my team, has arranged to move Nana and Joy tonight.”

  Aurora’s head snapped around and she blinked to clear her thoughts. “Catherine agreed?”

  “We’re doing what we think is best for Joy.”

  “I get that. I do. But why leave that house? It’s a fortress.” It was clear by his expression, even though his face was in profile as he drove, that he’d been asking himself the same questions. His explanation however made sense.

  “My team is close to shutting down the gun traffickers. It’s only a matter of time. We’ve confiscated multiple shipments and are finding caches in several nearby national parks. That’s federal land. When they chose to bury and hide their illegal merchandise on government property, they were overconfident. It was a big mistake. One they’ll pay for soon.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “We’ve always known the target the other night at my place could’ve been me. One of Jack’s confidential informants worked for Brandon and Hal Jones/Murray. He’s positive that the death of Hal unhinged Brandon. Killing his girlfriend disgusted the confidential informant enough to make him talk.”