SAVING HIS SON
Why is a dead womanâs phoneâevidence in a murder investigationâin Jonas Parkerâs sonâs bedroom? Dangerous thugs are after that phone and his terrified teenager, so the single father turns to Capitol K-9 Unit officer Brooke Clark. Years ago, Brooke broke Jonasâs heart without explanation. But he has to trust her and her highly trained golden retriever to keep his son safe. When the boy goes missing, Jonas and Brooke must make peace with their past to find the teenâbefore increasingly desperate criminals get to him first.
Capitol K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners.
âI hate to ask this, butâ¦â
Brooke looked uncomfortable.
âWhat?â Jonas asked.
âYour son had a dead womanâs cell phone in his room. Do you think he had anything to do with her death?â
Jonas stepped back, her words hurting more than if sheâd slapped him. âWhat? No. Of course not.â He raked a hand through his hair, hating the flash of doubt that raced through him. âNo. I mean my son has been getting in some trouble lately, but heâd never hurtâkillâsomeone over a stupid phone.â
She held up a hand. âJust had to ask.â
The anger fizzled as fast as it had flamed. âI understand why you might ask that, but no. Itâs not possible.â
âThen how did the phone wind up under his mattress two months after its owner was found murdered?â
* * *
CAPITOL K-9 UNIT:
These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners
Protection DetailâShirlee McCoy, March 2015 Duty Bound GuardianâTerri Reed, April 2015 Trail of EvidenceâLynette Eason, May 2015 Security BreachâMargaret Daley, June 2015 Detecting DangerâValerie Hansen, July 2015 Proof of InnocenceâLenora Worth, August 2015
ONE
Veterinarian Jonas Parker jerked from his slight doze and lay still in the recliner where heâd crashed only a few minutes earlier shortly after midnight. Heâd spent the night treating a longtime clientâs Doberman, whoâd gotten hit by a car. A few lacerations and a couple of broken bones later, the dog now rested in the kennel at the office and Jonas had come home to get some much-needed rest. Only now he was hearing things. His ears honed in on the noises of his house and he frowned, wondering what had awakened him.
Silence echoed back at him.
Annoyance rushed through him. Heâd just gotten relaxed enough to maybe fall asleep, and his house settling had disturbed him. He snorted. Earplugs might be a good investment. He closed his eyes and let out a low breath.
Crash.
Jonas shot into a sitting position as his blood pounded through his veins.
That wasnât the house settling. Someone was in his house. Upstairs.
Felix! He had to get to Felix, his thirteen-year-old son. He froze, his thoughts scrambling. No. Wait. It was Saturday night. Felix was sleeping over at a friendâs. A flash of relief, then determination made his heart kick up speed.
Who was it? What did the intruder want? Money? Jewelry? Moving as silently as possible, Jonas rose from the recliner and stood, fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides.
A weapon.
He needed to be able to defend himself.
Where was his phone? He had to call for help. And get out.
The stairs creaked. He stopped at the edge of the room.
To get to either the front door or the back, he would have to go through the kitchen. Which meant passing the stairs.
While his adrenaline pounded, Jonas thought hard. His cell phone was on the kitchen counter. He didnât have a landline.
Soft footfalls on the steps reached his ears as though someone didnât want to make a lot of noise, but wasnât very skilled at being quiet.
Jonas grabbed the nearest thing he could use as a weapon from the built-in shelf. Felixâs track meet trophy, his sonâs pride and joy. Hefting it in his left hand, he decided to bolt for the kitchen, grab his phone from the counter and keep going out the back door. Heâd avoid a confrontation if at all possible but he needed to get help on the way.