Page 31 of Shadow Burn

He looked it over, brushing a gloved thumb over the crack in the face. It was still on, and a photo of a woman who favored Katherine appeared. She was hugging two young girls. Their bright smiles were a sharp contrast to the situation.

“Here,” Mallory said, handing it to her.

Her shoulders dropped with relief and she clutched the phone to her chest. “Thank you.”

Jasper moved carefully, avoiding evidence markers and glass, collecting what Katherine had listed. The hardcover book she had used to hit the intruder sat on the floor near the dresser, its dust jacket torn.

Jasper pointed at it. “This needs to be bagged. She hit him with it.”

Mallory’s brows rose. “With the book?”

“She’s an archivist,” Jasper said. “Improvised weapons are on theme.”

From the hallway, Katherine harrumphed. “It did the trick, didn’t it?”

He gathered the items she wanted into a suitcase, not letting the feel of her clothes or the lace of her underthings distract him. When he stepped back into the hall. Katherine took the document bag first, clutching the strap like it had weight beyond leather and paper.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

Mallory cleared his throat. “I’ll need you both reachable tomorrow, Ms. Townsend. And I’m going to want more information about why someone might target you.”

“You’ll have what I can give you,” she said.

Mallory’s gaze sharpened. “That sounds like a qualified answer.”

“It is.”

Jasper watched the detective decide whether to push. Garrett, who had retrieved Priss’s carrier and food bag, said, “Ms. Townsend has been through a trauma. She needs rest.”

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Mallory said. “For tonight, get somewhere safe. I can offer one officer to keep an eye on you.”

“SPS is handling it from here,” Jasper said.

They returned to the kitchen, where Katherine changed into socks and boots with slow, careful movements. Garrett took a call near the back door, his voice low, and Jasper retrieved an indignant Priss from the laundry room.

Garrett ended the call. “There’s no sign of him. Local units are checking roads, but if he had a vehicle staged beyond the fence, he’s gone.”

“If he’s smart, he’s getting the hell out of town,” Jasper said.

Katherine stood from the kitchen chair. “The library.”

Jasper had known it was coming. He still hated hearing it. “No,” he said. “We’re not going there.”

Her eyes came up. The shock was still there, but also anger. “The boxes are there,” she said. “I have to protect them.”

He could work with anger. Anger meant she was still in the fight. “And you were just attacked.”

“And he failed, but if he steals those documents, a lot of people could be jeopardized.”

“I will handle it.”

Her chin lifted. “Those documents are my responsibility.”

“They aren’t worth your life.”

“I didn’t say they were. I said they’re my responsibility—and they hold the key to uncovering whatever this is. I want to know why he came after me. The answer is in those documents. We both know it.”