Avery waited for Gareth’s reply, feeling as though they were in a different universe as he gunned the engine and drove toward the road leading out of Itirangi. Her laboratory—her pride and joy—had suffered tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. Not to mention the setback to her groundbreaking research. Her life’s work had been vandalized as effectively as the lab, and dozens of criminals might avoid sentencing as a result. On top of that, her home had been obliterated.
She hadn’t fully processed what the loss of her home meant, hadn’t cataloged all of the things that had been ruined. Instead, she felt dazed and disoriented, as though this was all a nightmare she needed to wake up from. The murky slowness of her thoughts supported that theory. Usually, she was quick-smart, not sluggish and foggy-headed.
“Well?” she challenged Gareth, vaguely aware he hadn’t answered her question—which had been what, exactly?
He swallowed, his throat working. Her gaze skimmed from his even-featured face down his broad chest encased by a pale blue uniform shirt and navy protective vest then further down to his lean hips and strong thighs. With a certain detachment, she noted that he was as sexy as ever. Damn, she sure had been disappointed when she’d moved back to Itirangi and found him hotter than when she’d left. It would have satisfied her vindictive streak if he’d gone to seed since they’d broken up.
“You’re in danger,” he said. “That’s why we’re going out of town. We need to get you out of harm’s way.”
“I’m in danger?” she asked. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit overdramatic? If someone wanted to hurt me, they would have trashed the lab or burned down my house while I was inside it. But they didn’t. Ergo, no one wants to hurt me.”
She’d already followed the chain of logic in her head. The arsonist could have set a fire while she slept, but they’d waited for her to leave, so there was no sense in panicking now.
“The inspector told me what you’re working on,” he said quietly.
She sucked in a breath and released it slowly. That made him the first of her social circle to know about it. Oddly, it was a relief to have it out in the open. “Then you can understand why I need to be at my lab, doing whatever I can to get the situation under control.” Not that she could stomach the thought of seeing the devastation there again yet. “The sooner I can replace or repair my equipment, get my hands on another sample of the soil—if one exists—and run more tests on it, the sooner I can narrow down where it came from, and the sooner we can put all of this behind us. I need to be working.” She fairly itched for something useful to occupy her hands and brain so she wouldn’t keep recalling the acrid smell of her life as it went up in smoke. “This has put me a few days behind in terms of finishing my analysis for the police, and then there’s an overwhelming amount of work I need to do to get my research back on track. I can’t afford to waste any time worrying about what may or may not happen.”
She’d also rather be hard at work than in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to do but dwell on everything that had gone wrong on this hellish day. For crying out loud, she didn’t have anywhere to live. Where would she sleep tonight? What clothing would she wear tomorrow? What would she use to brush her teeth, and what could she snuggle up with for comfort in the evening? She flicked the soft skin on the inside of her left forearm with her right forefinger, telling herself to snap out of it. Worrying wouldn’t do her any good.
“Thing is,” he said, “assuming the perp wanted to mess with the Millie Grant investigation, it won’t be long before one of two things happens. Option one, he realizes that your system is backed up and that the tests can still be done, in which case he’ll have another go at destroying them. Or, option two, he realizes that the preliminary results are in your head and that you’ll be a valuable witness if a body is found and it goes to court.” She opened her mouth to counter his argument, but he barreled on. “Come to think of it, there’s a third option. The perp realizes that your system can be fixed and that you’re the only person who is capable of using it. Then he comes after you.”
“Someone else could use my system,” she broke in. “Many other scientists are capable of using the technology. It’s just that, well, no one else has had oversight over the entire project and I haven’t written any standard operating procedures yet. Without those, they’d be fumbling along blindly.” A situation she should rectify as soon as possible.
He raised an eyebrow. “So my argument stands. In two out of three possible scenarios, the perp decides you’re worth getting rid of.”
Avery shook her head, dismissing the notion. “I think you’re overreacting. This isn’t an episode of CSI or something. People don’t just go around killing scientists in real life.”
“Maybe not in Itirangi, but it does happen, and you need to take the threat to your safety seriously.”
She thrust her chin forward. “I will when you take me seriously. I’m not some silly child.”
He muttered something under his breath. Just like old times.
“Relax, G,” she said. “There’s no need for name-calling.”
He glanced over guiltily. “Didn’t call you any names.”
“Uh-huh.”
He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. Snookie whimpered in the back seat, as if sensing her master’s tension.
“As it happens, my boss gave me orders to protect you. So whether or not you think it’s warranted, I’m going to do just that. And yes, I have no doubt that you’re smarter than me, but when it comes to criminals, I’m the expert.”
She could hear the conviction in his voice, so she didn’t push the issue, certain she’d get another opportunity to say her piece later. They drove along the road that bordered the lake, but as they went deeper into the countryside, it became separated from the water by a narrow strip of forest. She remembered that Ram’s cabin was located within that strip of forest, out of sight from the road, and only a short walk from the shore.
She also remembered it was where she and Gareth had lost their virginity to each other. It was the first thing she’d thought of when he told her their destination. They’d spent dozens of long summer days paddling together on the lake, hiking the trails through the forest on the other side of the road where it was deeper and thicker, and making out on the narrow bunk bed. Then, one night, they’d gone further.
But that had been a lifetime ago.
“How long have you been working on the soil map?” he asked, breaking the silence that had descended.
“Since I moved back,” she replied. “Two, maybe three, years. I did the initial planning while I was studying and pitched it to the right people so I could get started as soon as I graduated. I haven’t done all of the grunt work by myself, I’ve had help along the way, but it’s still my baby.”
He nodded. “I get that.”
Avery watched him navigate the road as the hard seal ended and a stretch of gravel began. There was such concentration in his expression that she knew it wasn’t wholly focused on the terrain—he’d driven this road dozens of times. Gareth was thinking, hard. And damned if she didn’t find his intensity sexy.
It’s the effects of adrenaline, she told herself. Adrenaline increases levels of arousal and attraction to the opposite sex.
Knowing that didn’t stop it, but it gave her the motivation to turn away and watch the trees fly by. Another ten minutes passed, then he slowed and veered down a narrow driveway that wound into the forest. The cabin came into view. Timber-framed, rustic, with a rainwater tank to the side, and a lean-to stacked with firewood nailed to one of the external walls. A pair of kayaks lay upside down in the small clearing beside a trail that led to the water.
Avery’s stomach tightened. She tried, and failed, not to remember that blissful summer with Gareth. Something wet touched her ear and she jerked in surprise, turning to see Snookie’s nose inches from her face.
“Leave me alone,” she muttered. “I’m not a dog person.”
“She’ll take that as a personal challenge,” Gareth told her.
Great. She threw the car door open and stepped out. A cold breeze stirred her hair and goosebumps rose on her skin. She’d planned to spend the day inside at work, so the jeans and t-shirt she wore weren’t suited to the outside temperature.
“Let’s go inside,” he said. “Get comfy. Then we can talk about what to do next and you can take a little time to process things. I’ll text Ram and let him know we’re here.”
“Will it be a problem?”
He shook his head. “Doubt it. He hardly ever comes here during winter.”
Avery could understand why. Though the forest was beautiful, it was also soggy, the ground muddy, and from what she could remember, the cabin had no insulation.
She waited until Gareth had let Snookie out of the back seat and slung his bags over his shoulders before she retrieved her damp clothes from the trunk and lugged them to the door. He collected the spare key from the woodshed and unlocked the door. Stale air met them.
She coughed. “You should’ve mentioned no one’s been here since the dark ages, G. I would have stood back a little more.”
She expected him to chuckle, but instead he said, “Don’t be overdramatic. I’m sure it hasn’t been more than a few weeks, tops.”
“Not sure I’m buying that.”
She dumped her basket on the wooden bench just inside the door, walked across the room, and opened the window to freshen the place up. Then, with mechanical movements, she started to hang each item from the laundry basket on the clothesline that crossed the cabin at head height. She’d made it halfway through when she realized she’d put her bras and panties on display in front of her ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, the space felt too small. She wanted to snatch them back, but forced herself to continue like she hadn’t noticed, as though it didn’t bother her.
Gareth sat on the bottom bunk, forearms resting on his thighs, and watched her. She could sense that he wanted to talk, but didn’t know what to say. Strange, the boy she’d known had never been at a loss for words around her. Sure, he’d been a little awkward at times, but never lost.
“Cat got your tongue?” she asked, hoping to provoke him into losing that expression. She didn’t like it, not one bit.
“I’m surprised you’re so calm about this,” he replied. “Most people would be in hysterics by now.”
Calm. He thought she was calm. She certainly didn’t feel it. Thoughts whirred busily through her mind, circling away before she could grasp them, but provided she kept moving, kept doing things, she could ward off the feeling of powerlessness that threatened to descend.
“No point in hysterics. We need to figure out what we’re going to do next.”
“What we’re going to do next,” Gareth began, “is hide out here and keep you safe while the inspector catches whoever is behind the attacks on your home and work.” As he’d thought, she didn’t appear to like that answer.
“Whoever is behind those attacks is probably the person who’s responsible for Millie Grant’s death,” she said. “So the smart thing to do would be to find the body and put the killer away. Then there’s no more reason for anyone to target me.”
There it was. Right on cue. Avery thinking she knew better than anyone else.
“Not gonna happen. At least, not today. It’s my job to protect you and at the moment, that means keeping you here.”
She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Are you going to hold me down to stop me leaving?”
His back teeth ground together. “If I have to.”
Her posture stiffened. Finally, he’d surprised her. Good. It was important she know that he wasn’t the same easygoing kid he’d been. He wouldn’t let her get her way all the time. She didn’t have him wrapped around her talented pinky finger anymore. Moreover, he damn sure was going to keep her safe. He’d seen what happened when policemen didn’t take threats against women seriously, and he wouldn’t allow that to happen to her. Intellectually, she was leagues ahead of him, but physically, he had the advantage and he wasn’t afraid to use it.
“Okay,” she acknowledged. “Not today. But you should call Rata and ask her to arrange for another soil sample to be sent in, if there is one. I can find another lab to do the tests. Shouldn’t be a big hassle. When do you think I might be free of my bossy bodyguard?”
“I’ll stop protecting you when you’re no longer in danger,” he said. “Forget about the case. Think of the long-range implications of your work. It’s important you stay safe so you can take it where it needs to go.”
She huffed out a breath. Took a step back. Nodded. “That makes sense. But I need to do something.”
She started to pace with restless energy, the old wooden floorboards creaking beneath her feet. He had seen this before. When someone was victimized, they needed to feel in control. He should assign her a task. Something that wouldn’t get her in trouble, and which she could do from here.
“Give me a minute,” he said. “I’ll cut some timber and you can get the fire going.” He didn’t want to risk her going outside unless absolutely necessary. He paused before he left and held out his palm. She stared at it blankly. “Give me your phone,” he said.
She reflexively covered the pocket where her phone was with her hands. “Why?”
“Because there’s a chance someone’s tracking it. You can’t use it, and we should take the battery out, just to be safe.”
She rolled her eyes. “No one will be tracking it.”
“You don’t know that. These guys go to big lengths to keep themselves out of prison.”
She extracted her phone from her pocket but didn’t seem willing to hand it over. “What if I need to use it?”
“You can use mine.” He handed her the encrypted satellite phone that had been issued to him earlier in the year. “It should be safe from any tracking devices or programs and it actually has coverage out here.”
He thought he glimpsed irritation cross her features, but it vanished so quickly he wasn’t certain. “Guess that’ll have to do.” The words were reluctant but at least she’d moved on from being openly antagonistic. She slapped her phone into his palm and he cracked the back cover off it, pulled the battery out and pocketed it.
“Sit.” He gestured to one of the old camp chairs in the corner, beside a rickety two-person table. She glared at him and remained standing. God save him from difficult women. “I’ll be outside,” he told her. “Keep Snookie with you. I’ll be back soon. Sit, or don’t sit. Suit yourself.”
“I’m going to call the insurance company,” she told him. “Try to make a start on the paperwork for the lab and,” she sighed, “my house and contents.”
Gareth patted her shoulder, then cringed at his own awkwardness. “Go ahead, as long as you use my phone. I’m right outside if you need me.”