Free Catch a Shadow by Patricia; Potter Page B

stakes involved in the murder of Mark Cable, alias Del Cox.
    No one knew Gene Adams as he did, and Jake knew him even better now. He’d betrayed his country, his employers, and his comrades. And that put a huge target on his back if his continued existence was known.
    Jake knew he didn’t have enough proof at the moment to go to anyone. He’d just be slapped back in prison, and Ms. Palmer would probably die.
    The late hour made traffic less hassle. He stopped at an all-night market. Now that he knew her full name and address, he quickly found her phone number and used the pay phone to call her. As before, he hesitated to use his cell phone. Adams might well have tapped her phone and thus could get his cell number.
    â€œIt’s David Cable,” he said when she answered. “Just wanted to know if you’re okay.”
    â€œI am,” she said in a suddenly wary voice.
    â€œHelp!” came her voice but in the background.
    â€œPay no attention to Merlin,” she said. “He thinks he’s a hero and won’t stop yelling for help.”
    He liked the fond amusement in her voice. Truth was, he’d liked most everything about her. The tousled hair. The direct, hazel eyes. The lack of pretension. She was no beauty, but she was attractive in a girl-next-door way, and her warmth and personality were appealing. To be truthful, more than appealing.
    He’d been too damned long without a woman.
    â€œDid you call the police?” he asked.
    â€œNo,” she said. “Nothing was taken. And I might have left the computer on.”
    But not at the times indicated by the computer. He knew it. She obviously knew it. Had she not called the police because she had something or had done something she didn’t want revealed?
    â€œThe alarm is on?”
    â€œYes, including the avian one. He’s mumbling about my ingratitude at the moment.” She paused, then added, “I also nailed the back window.”
    â€œOkay,” he said and hung up.
    She’d had a long day. He knew from the information he’d collected that paramedics here worked twelve-hour shifts four days a week. He knew what a strain that was, particularly with a job as stressful as hers.
    He went inside the market and bought a large cup of coffee along with a package of donuts. Then he drove to her street and parked among others lining the street.
    From his position, he could see the porch light as well as a light in her front room window. He couldn’t see more. He hoped watching the front door was enough. She shared a common wall with the other side of the duplex and had no back door. The back window was now nailed shut, and the other window he’d noticed, the one in the kitchen, was small. And visible.
    At least he knew her name now. Kirke Palmer.
    He liked the sound of it on his lips. It had a uniqueness that suited her.
    Down, Jake .
    He took a sip of coffee. It was going to be a long night.
    He thought of the conversation. She’d held something back. He would bet on it. She hadn’t trusted him—not completely, maybe not at all—though she’d allowed him inside her house. It had been a matter of the worse evil, him or a possible burglar. He’d won that battle, but she’d sensed something in his story that didn’t ring true. He had to do something to change that.
    He had to grin as he remembered the parrot, Merlin. He was a magical bird indeed if he’d frightened off Gene Ames. Jake would like to be there when Gene discovered who, and what, had spoiled this particular ambush.
    After David Cable had left, Kirke made herself a cup of coffee and tried to wipe away the exhaustion she felt.
    She microwaved the last of the turkey and wild rice soup she’d made and frozen a month earlier. It was thick and rich and just enough. She cut some pineapple slices for Merlin. He signaled his approval by singing a few notes from “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien,” a song