“Exactly what happened. But I’m not going to mention the other stuff that’s been going on. They’d think we’re a couple of conspiracy nuts. Always looking for sinister intent. I don’t want them to dismiss me out of hand. I want them to try and find this guy.”
A door slammed behind them, and a police officer came to Nico’s side of the car. Nico rolled the window down. “Thanks for coming so quickly, Officer.”
“Anyone injured? Tossed around in the car?” she asked, adjusting her belt.
“No. We both were wearing seatbelts,” Nico said.
“Tell me what happened,” she said.
Nico told the story, leaving out nothing. After he described how he’d slowed down as they approached the intersection, and what he’d done when he’d noticed the other car, the woman narrowed her eyes. “Sounds like you’ve had tactical and evasive driving lessons,” she said.
“I have. I was a member of Delta Force. One of our duties was protection details.”
The cop studied him for a long moment. “You on the job right now?”
“No. I retired a couple of years ago.”
Julia watched as Nico met the police officer’s gaze. He hadn’t even hesitated with his answer. But he was technically correct -- the police officer had asked if he was on a protection detail for Delta Force.
The officer nodded. “Where you folks coming from?”
“We work at a restaurant. We were on our way home.”
She leaned closer, as if trying to smell Nico’s breath. “Were you drinking at the restaurant?”
“No. I didn’t have a drink after work.”
The officer shined her flashlight at Julia. “How about you, ma’am?”
“No,” Julia said quietly. “I rarely drink after work.”
The officer’s gaze flicked from Julia to Nico. Back to Julia. “Would you take a Breathalyzer test?” she asked.
Julia’s temper flared. They were the victims here. Not the ones at fault. She opened her mouth to say that, but Nico put his hand on her arm. “Yes, absolutely we’d take a test. We were not drinking, and this was not our fault. The other driver was speeding and he or she ran a red light.”
The police officer’s gaze flicked from Nico to Julia again. “All right. I don’t think any tests are necessary. Let me get your contact information. We have traffic cameras along both of these streets, so we’ll probably be able to find the car and get a license plate. I’m confident we’ll find the person who hit you. We can issue citations for speeding, for running a red light and leaving the scene of an accident. I’ll call a tow company to take the car to our impound lot. Our evidence techs will look for paint on the point of impact, and anything else that could identify the other vehicle. Once they’re finished, we’ll have it towed to the repair shop you prefer. You want a lift back to your place?”
“We’d appreciate that, Officer,” Nico said. He turned to Julia. “Stay there until I come around to help you out.”
Nico hurried around the front of the car, opened her door and helped her out, treating her as if she were fragile. Delicate. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he led her to the squad car. The officer opened the rear door, and Nico helped Julia slid inside, anger flaring as he watched how carefully she moved. Regardless of what she’d said, she was hurting.
None of them spoke as the officer drove them to Julia’s house. After Nico helped her from the car, they watched the squad car drive away before they walked down the driveway to the back door.
At the bottom of the porch stairs, he leaned close. “Stay here,” he breathed into her ear. The sensation made her shiver. “I need to check the house before you get any closer.”
Aching and sore, Julia wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling hideously exposed standing on her driveway. “After last night, is it safe to stay out here?”
“I didn’t notice anything off. But if you hear or see anything out of the ordinary, hit the panic button, then scream at the top of your lungs. I’ll be out here three seconds later.”
“Okay.” She swallowed. “Be… be careful in the house.”
“Careful is my middle name,” he said. He cupped her face with one hand for a long moment, then stepped away from her. He nodded at the tall bushes that separated her house from her neighbor’s. “Stand in the shadows over there, so you’re less visible.”
She nodded as she backed toward the hedge, leaning into them until the sharp branches stabbed her back. Nico looked down the driveway, then back at her. Nodded as he silently climbed the stairs.
Julia saw the light come on in her kitchen, and she strained to hear Nico in the house. But he moved silently as he searched the house. No footsteps. No creaks.
What seemed like hours later, but was probably only a few minutes, he reappeared on her back porch and ran lightly down the steps. “All clear,” he said, steering her toward the stairs. “Nothing’s out of place, and my tells weren’t disturbed.”