The Soldier's Promise Read online

  “Any ideas?” she asked.

  “None, but I suspect a number of people do.”

  “Joshua Manning.”

  “Right on. But I don’t think so. The background check produced darn little except he’d been an army staff sergeant with an honorable discharge for medical reasons. The army wouldn’t release anything else.”

  “Staff sergeant?”

  “Pretty responsible job. Staff sergeants make the army work. Incompetent or dishonest guys don’t make it. Don’t even come close.”

  Eve wasn’t surprised. It validated all her instincts. A dangerous man who’d lived on, and probably for, the edge. Nothing like her peace-loving husband or her father, who, despite being police chief, would go a mile out of his way to avoid trouble. Except for one time, and that one time killed him.

  “Thanks. I think you should end any further searching.”

  “I agree. I’ll steer Sam away from him.”

  “Good.”

  “But something like this burglary can escalate. The town will go into a frenzy if there’s a third. I’m going to start Fred and Mike patrolling the downtown area at night.”

  “Good idea. If you need overtime I’ll find the money. Somewhere. Do what you have to do.”

  “I think I’ll process the crime scene myself and see what I can find. Are you going to be here?”

  “I have that budget to finish and I plan to meet Stephanie for lunch so we can talk about the fund-raiser for the community center. Then I have to leave early to pick up Nick for baseball practice, but you can reach me anytime on my cell.”

  She didn’t tell him she planned to drop by the Hannity place sometime in the afternoon. She hoped Marilyn wouldn’t be home, either. Because of the trees, Marilyn couldn’t see the Hannity cabin from her house, but from the information flowing in, Eve would bet she had taken many walks down his way.

  Eve worked all morning on the budget, trying to eke out funds for the community center. It was to be located in an abandoned building on Oak Street across from the city park and ball fields. The owner had died, and the heirs had moved away long ago and didn’t want to invest the money it would take to bring it to code. The city claimed the building in lieu of taxes, and volunteers had painted and repaired it. It had required a lot of work, but it was something she’d wanted for a long time: a place for club meetings, for craft groups to work, for Cub and Boy Scout meetings. A room was set aside for computer use, and another for a library. She wanted computers available for kids whose families couldn’t afford them and for adults who wanted to learn how to use one. The library area would replace the current library, a corner in her father-in-law’s drugstore.

  But looming over all the other city business was finding a chief for the police department. Tom had contacted friends in the Colorado state police and some chiefs he knew around the state. The job was perfect for a retired officer. Not much happened in Covenant Falls, although the town limits included a large geographical area. The cost of living was inexpensive compared to other parts of the state. But pressure was building to name Sam Clark. She worried how long she could hold off on the appointment without presenting a reasonable alternative at a salary the city could afford.

  She worked for nearly three hours, then gave up.

  * * *

  STEPHANIE WAS WAITING for her at Maude’s for their lunch date. Eve slid into the booth opposite her. “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself. I heard Nick practically won the game all by himself. Takes after his dad, and you, I hear.”

  “I wish you would forget that,” Eve said. She had been a dedicated tomboy, a daddy’s girl, despite her mother’s attempt to “civilize” her. Her father had treated his only child more like a son than a daughter and taught her to fish, shoot and play poker. He’d taken her on volunteer work sessions when someone needed a home painted or repaired. Most of all, she’d loved playing ball with him, and she was darn good at it. She’d sued to play in Little League. Her mother nearly died of embarrassment. She lost, but it was another battle that had torn her parents apart.

  “How’s the motley crew?” Stephanie asked. “Haven’t seen you in the office lately.”

  “That’s a good thing,” Eve said with a grin at Stephanie’s description of her four dogs, cat and two horses. “I’m just glad you’re boarding your horse at my place or I would probably be bankrupt.”

  “Since I stuck you with two of the dogs, it’s only right.”

  “Nick thinks they’re all wonderful and the best dogs ever.”

  “He would. He’s a great kid. Wouldn’t mind having one like him some day, but probably won’t happen now. You have to have a husband, or at least someone you think could be a good father, and I’m not too keen on going that route again.”

  Eve knew Stephanie had been married twice, the first when she was young and a bit wild. The boy was killed while buying drugs. The second husband was the total opposite, a lawyer who’d liked the idea of an independent wife until he had one.

  “Think about adoption?” Eve ventured.

  “Not with my schedule. I never know when I’m going to be away all night with a sick cow or pregnant mare.”

  Mary came to take their order, although they usually got the same thing. Their guilty pleasure, they both agreed, and to be enjoyed once a week.

  “Let me guess,” Mary said. “Two patty melts with fries, and iced tea, one sweet, one without sugar.”

  “Got it.” Eve beamed up at her. She would have a salad tonight and make Nick a hot dog. He ran all his calories off.

  “I heard you went out to the Hannity place,” Stephanie said.

  “Marilyn again, I suppose,” Eve replied with a deep sigh.

  “Yep. I think she sits at that window all day long, just praying for more gossip fodder.”

  Stephanie nodded. “Mr. Manning came to my office day before yesterday to discuss his dog.”

  “And—” Eve held her breath “—was the dog as starved as Marilyn charged?”

  “No,” Stephanie said. “I can’t talk about it. Mr. Manning requested that I don’t, and I won’t. I can say, though, that he is a responsible owner and, hopefully, that will end the talk.”

  That shut down that subject. Eve had heard harsh words come from Stephanie when talking about owners who did not take care of their animals properly, and her defense of Joshua Manning told her a great deal.

  She couldn’t help but pry a bit more. “What did you think of him?”

  Stephanie shrugged. “It’s clear he’s carrying a lot of weight on those shoulders. Don’t know what, and it’s none of my business, but I like him. He doesn’t bullshit.” She peered at Eve. “Rumor is that you went by his place.”

  “I did. I took him a land survey he’d requested.”

  “Do you usually do that?”

  “I wish people would stop asking me that,” Eve said.

  “Ah,” Stephanie said. “Same question you asked me, then. What did you think of him?”

  “Prickly. Defensive. Secretive. Rude.”

  Stephanie’s face creased into a smile. “And you liked him! I’ll be hornswoggled.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Eve protested.

  “Yeah, you did,” Stephanie said with a big grin. “Not exactly with words but...”

  Eve’s face flushed.

  “Okay,” Stephanie said. “I’ll drop it. But one small warning. He is attractive in a rather rebellious way, but he’s a loner. I’ve seen them before. I know the type. My first husband was one of them.”

  Eve started to say something, then stopped. Why was she even carrying on this conversation? She’d had her love. It was as love should be: warm and caring and gentle.

  And safe.

  She wanted to tamp down the last word. But she knew there was some truth in it. Her
mother and father had been passionately in love in the beginning, but they were entirely different. He loved the outdoors; her mother didn’t. She was an Easterner who hated guns; guns were part of her father’s life. He liked animals and wanted his daughter to have one; her mother believed dogs belonged outside. She’d watched her mother change through the years into a bitter woman and when Eve’s father was killed in the line of duty, it had confirmed all her mother’s fears and dislikes. The day after his funeral, she’d left Covenant Falls, never to return.

  Passion, Eve had learned, was not enough for any relationship. Eve hadn’t wanted to go through that, or turn into the person her mother was. She was grateful that Russ chose to be a high school coach rather than go into law enforcement or soldiering or some other dangerous profession. The irony was that he had died before her father. She shrugged. “He’s definitely not my type, and I’m most definitely not his.”

  “Just how do you know that, my friend?”

  “I just know it,” she said. “This whole conversation is ridiculous. My life is just as I like it right now. I have Nick. I have a great job. Well, most of the time. I like my independence. I don’t need any problems, particularly a large, walking, talking one like Joshua Manning.”

  “I think thou doth protest too much.”

  Maybe she did. She didn’t even know why he held such a fascination for her. She decided to change the subject, wipe that man right out of her mind, to put a new slant on an old song. “How’s Sherry doing?”

  Stephanie’s eyes lit up. “Great. She’s one of the best rescue dogs I’ve had. Head of the class at field training in Denver. Stryker, on the other hand, did not do so well. He has the nose for it but not the discipline.”

  “I hear you’re doing an obedience training session at the fund-raiser week from Saturday. And donating your training services to the highest bidder. You think anyone in town will admit they have unruly dogs?”

  “Why not? You do.”

  “What can I say? They had sorry puppyhoods.”

  “True. You’re also a soft touch for anything with four legs and a tail. Which brings up a request I want to make. I need a volunteer for the obedience session. One of your tribe of little miscreants would be good. Nick can be my stooge,” she said with a grin.

  “I don’t think he would care much for that description. Which specific miscreant are you considering?”

  “I’ll let Nick choose, although Miss Marple would be the biggest challenge.”

  “I can almost guarantee it will be Fancy. He wants everyone to see her for the gentle soul she is.”

  Stephanie grinned. “He would pick the plainest one.”

  “Well, Braveheart is certainly not ready to confront a crowd, and Captain Hook can’t keep still for a second. Miss Marple wouldn’t stay still long enough, either. Besides, Nick thinks Fancy is misunderstood because of her looks. He’ll want to prove to everyone that she’s charming.”

  “He really should be a vet,” Stephanie replied.

  “I wish. He’s fixated on detective shows. He wants to be a cop like his grandfather and catch the guys who killed him. I’m trying to steer him toward a different path. Doctor. Lawyer. Rodeo clown. Anything but a cop. Or a soldier.”

  Stephanie shuddered. “Not a lawyer. Please.” She glanced at her watch. “I’m late. I have some inoculations to do at the Morgan ranch.”

  “I’ll see you Saturday, then, if not before,” Eve said.

  Then she was off. Eve paid the bill and left a hefty tip.

  She was having second thoughts about another visit to the Hannity cabin. Steph had seen too much. More than she had. She needed to keep a distance. And yet she felt like a magnet drawn toward a lodestone.

  Which made no sense. No sense at all.

  CHAPTER SIX

  EVE’S PLANS TO visit the Hannity cabin were thwarted by one of her least favorite people.

  Al Monroe, council president, called an emergency meeting about the second burglary. He wanted something done. And he wanted a new police chief.

  “Tom said he would stay with us until we find the right person,” she said.

  “He’s turned in his retirement papers,” Councilwoman Callaway said.

  “I haven’t accepted them,” Eve replied. “He’s willing to stay during this investigation.”

  “We have a perfectly qualified candidate now,” Al insisted.

  “You mean your nephew?” she said tartly. She was out of patience with Sam’s maneuvering for the job.

  “He’s been with the department five years.”

  “And there’ve been complaints,” she said.

  Al frowned. “They were unjustified. You know they were all dropped.”

  “Tom didn’t agree.” Then, unfortunately, Eve’s temper got the best of her. Al had pushed Sam on her father and had pressured Tom to keep him. She believed Al had intimidated—or bribed—complainants. “And if he’s so bright,” she continued, “why didn’t you keep him in your business?”

  Al Monroe stiffened. “You know business has been slow. And Sam’s always wanted to be a police officer. He’s got a degree in criminal justice.”

  “That’s very admirable, but we need someone with proved leadership skills to be chief.”

  “Young lady, you work for us.”

  Eve looked around the table. “I beg to differ. I was elected by the people in this town. I work for them. I will not support your nephew for chief. He’s not ready.” Then she reiterated her position to make it very clear. “We need a seasoned chief, someone with supervisory experience.”

  Al looked as if he was going to have a stroke.

  “Now, Al, she’s right,” another councilman said. “Sam is young and, I must admit, a little hotheaded at times.”

  “Well, our current chief isn’t all that good, or we would have the culprit by now. Sam thinks it’s that new fellow out at the lake.”

  “Tom’s already ran a check,” she said quickly, “not that we had any reason to do so. Mr. Manning has full title to the cabin, having inherited it from David Hannity. He’s rehabbing it, which should make all of us happy. He has an honorable discharge from the army, where he was a staff sergeant. There’s no reason to suspect him.”

  “Nothing happened until he got here,” Al grumbled. “Did Tom check his alibi?”

  “He doesn’t need an alibi. There’s absolutely no evidence,” Eve replied. “Anything else you want to discuss?”

  “That’s all anyone cares about,” Al retorted. “Our business owners are scared.”

  Eve bit her tongue and shifted the subject. “Are you all planning to be at the fund-raiser a week from Saturday?”

  Five of the six members nodded.

  “Good. We need support. It would be great if you could donate some baked goods. We also need any books you can spare for the library and items for the garage sale. Crafts and services are welcome. For instance, Stephanie will conduct a dog-training session and donate free training services to the highest bidder. Cash would be good, too. We’re going to list the donors in the newspaper.”

  A bit of blackmail proposed by Stephanie, but Eve wasn’t going to mention who suggested it. Stephanie had a way of antagonizing the powers that be. Being the only vet for forty miles, she didn’t have to worry about a boycott by clients.

  She looked down at her watch. “I have to pick up my son. Anything else?”

  Al glared at her as he left. The others followed without comment. So far, the council had skittishly refused to go along with him on promoting his nephew, relying on the fact that Tom had not officially left. They all knew Tom had more friends than any of them had.

  She looked at her watch. Just enough time to go by the Hannity cabin if she stopped on her way from school to the baseball field. Nick would be with her then.
/>   Maybe that would be a good thing. She would make a quick apology, drop off the copy of the deed and tell him the work to enlarge the porch could go ahead.

  That way she would be safe from those feelings that had been so persistent. Safe. She was beginning to hate that word.

  Nick was waiting for her at the school. He jumped in the car. “You’re late,” he said.

  “I know. City business. And I have a quick call to make on the way. That okay with you?”

  “Where?”

  “The last cabin on Lake Road.”

  “You mean the guy with a dog. Awesome.”

  “What do you know about that?”

  He shrugged. “All the kids are talking about it.”

  “What are they saying?”

  “Maybe he robbed Maude’s and the gas station.”

  “And you think going there is awesome?”

  “You always tell me never to believe everything I hear. And you’ve been there. You wouldn’t let me go if you thought he was bad.”

  Her son was ten going on forty. Not only that, but he would also make a good lawyer.

  “You’re right. I don’t think he had anything to do with those robberies. But I’m just going to drop something off with him, and then we’ll leave. I want you to stay in the car.”

  “Aw, Mom. I want to see the dog.”

  He always wanted to see the dog. Any dog.

  She turned onto Lake Road toward the cabin. Mr. Manning was replacing some of the slats holding up the porch railing. She wondered why he bothered doing the work. Did he plan to stay? Fix the cabin and sell it?

  Biggest question of all: Why did she care?

  She didn’t, she told herself. She grabbed her briefcase and looked at Nick, who was peering at Mr. Manning with great interest. “You stay here. You can get started on your homework.”

  “You said you wouldn’t be long.”

  “I promise.” She leaned over and kissed his tousled hair.