others? When do you think they were taken?”
“This week.” She sorted them by what she had on. “Those two Monday morning. These Tuesday afternoon and the rest Thursday throughout the day. And I didn’t notice anything unusual.” Sweat rolled into her eye, and she swiped it away.
Chase gathered the pictures. “Thanks. When we find Hammer, this will help us with what questions to ask him. We’ll also try to figure out where Hammer was those days and if he has an alibi. Of course, we could catch a break, and he’ll confess.”
She rose. “I’d better go upstairs and get Rachel. The quiche will be ready in a few minutes. If the timer goes off while I’m gone, please turn off the heat and take it out of the oven.”
“I will and I’ll finish setting the table. Do you want me to do anything for the cinnamon toast?”
“It’s set up to go. I’ll do that at the last minute.” Kate hurried from the kitchen, needing to get away from those photos. The knowledge the kidnapping had been planned for days, if not longer, made the situation even more serious to her.
* * *
Later, after the man who replaced the window glass and the technician from the alarm company had left Kate’s house, Chase walked with his partner toward his car. “I wonder if Hammer has fled Cimarron City since his attempt failed.”
“Even if he left, his photo and license plate numbers have been sent to every county in Oklahoma. Hopefully something will come from widening the search.” Todd stopped at his sedan and twisted toward Chase. “How did she take the photos?”
“About as well as you would think.” Chase could still remember her hands shaking and the color leaching from her face. Chase had wanted to promise he wouldn’t let anything happen to her or Jamie, but he could never guarantee that. He didn’t want to give her false hope. She needed to be as vigilant as possible.
“I wondered, because she didn’t say too much through breakfast.”
“And she held Jamie rather than put him in his highchair. She kept looking at one of the pictures.”
“The photo of her standing at the window holding Jamie?” Todd leaned against his car, crossing his arms and ankles.
“Yup.”
“What are you going to do? Leave Mac here?”
“After the rock incident, I’m staying even if I have to sit out in front of her house. I wonder if the rock was thrown to test her security system.” Chase lounged against Todd’s car and stared at Kate’s house.
“That’s possible. I wish the two neighbors’ cameras hadn’t been covered.”
“The fact that he knew who had cameras is just another thing to indicate he’s been casing her for a while.” Every time he thought of the extent of planning the attacker had gone to, Chase’s gut knotted like a hard fist.
“I hope you don’t have to resort to sleeping in your SUV. A couch is a lot more comfortable. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know. Maybe Hammer’s car will be found, and he’ll be inside.”
“We can always hope. Talk to you later.” Chase shoved away from Todd’s sedan and started for Kate’s house.
When he entered, he retrieved Mac from the backyard then put the alarm in stay mode. He’d already told Kate and Rachel he would. Everyone was in the den, trying to act as if there was nothing wrong. Jamie sat on the floor, playing with his big blocks. Boss was sunning himself on a table near the window.
The second he spied Mac coming into the room, Jamie pushed himself to his feet. “Doggie.” A huge grin spread across his chubby cheeks, and he half walked, half ran toward the German shepherd.
“Mac, sit.” Chase knelt next to his pet.
Kate made her way to her son and slowed his steps by taking his arm. “Jamie, you need to be gentle with the doggie. Running at him could scare him.” Crouching on the other side of Mac, she raised his hand and ran it along the back of the dog. “Nice and easy. Mac loves to be rubbed here.” Kate showed Jamie the sweet spot on the dog’s neck.
“Mac likes that. See his tail wagging?” Chase pointed to it swishing back and forth in the doorway.
“Like doggie.”
Before anyone could stop Kate’s son, he laid his head against Mac, caressing his cheek. Chase could remember how much he’d loved his dog when he was growing up. They went everywhere together.
Jamie put his arms around Mac. “My doggie.”
Kate looked at Chase. He gave her a slight nod to show that she should handle this. She said to Jamie, “Hon, Mac is Chase’s dog. He’s loaning us the dog for a few days. He heard how much you love animals and thought you would enjoy having Mac here.”
Jamie lifted his head and switched his attention between her and Chase. “Me love Mac.” He ran his hand along the dog’s back. “See?”
“I do. Would you like to throw a ball for Mac to fetch? He loves to play that game.” Chase rose. “If your mom says it’s okay, we can go out back.”
His eyes as round as saucers, Jamie twisted toward Kate. “Go now.”
“It sounds like a great idea. Rachel, would you please fix lunch?” Kate pushed to her feet.
“Yes, we still have chicken salad. I’ll make some sandwiches.”
“Let us know when it’s time to eat.” Kate started to take Jamie’s hand.
Instead, her son moved to Mac’s side and settled his touch on the dog’s back. He talked to Mac, most of what he said being unintelligible. But there were a few words Chase understood sprinkled throughout the conversation.
In the middle of the fenced-in backyard, Jamie remained at the dog’s side and held out his arm. “Ball.”
Chase had snatched it from Mac’s things in the kitchen as they passed through a minute ago. “Do you know how to throw a ball?”
Kate laughed. “He loves to throw one, not necessarily accurately.”
Chase closed the space between him and the boy and knelt next to him. When he gave Jamie the tennis ball, it left the child’s hand before Chase could give him pointers. The ball bounced five feet to the side. Mac looked at Chase then moseyed over to it and picked it up then came back and dropped it at Jamie’s feet. The boy giggled and tried again.
Chase moved back to Kate. “Jamie has his own method.”
“Haphazard, yes.”
After a few pitches, Jamie decided to change things up. He would send the ball sailing, then ran after it with Mac. At first, Chase stepped nearer, not sure how his dog would deal with competition, but soon Mac turned it into a game. Sometimes he would get the prize while other times he’d let Jamie get it.
“Mac is great with little children.” Kate closed the space between them.
“My friend who gave me Mac had children. I never thought to ask him about how Mac would be with kids.”
“A natural. It’s like he knows Jamie is young and needs gentleness and patience.”
“Animals sense a lot of things.” When Chase had had one of his nightmares about that last skirmish and had woken up shaking and sweating, Mac had been right there to comfort him. In the past months, he’d had fewer of those dark dreams and part of the reason was Mac.
“I feel comfortable with Mac here. When the workers were fixing the alarm and window, he sat nearby and watched their every move. I’m glad we didn’t have to find out what he’d do if one of them stepped out of line.”
“He’d corner the person. Unless physically threatened, he’d just remind them he was there and prepared to protect.”
Kate