Page 40 of Stirring Attraction (Second Shot 2)
“I thought she’d be with you or I would have called with the news.” His dad deposited one plate in front of him. “But it might be better for you to hear it first.”
“News about what?” Dominic plucked a piece of toast off the plate in the center of the table.
“The Salem police called yesterday and reported a similar crime. Young woman attacked while jogging.”
His hand froze, still holding the bread over his plate. “Attacked with a knife?”
His father nodded. “He spoke with one of my deputies. I wanted more details before I told you and Lily. When I called him back, the chief said they had a suspect in custody and they’d like Lily to come up.”
“He’s tall and broad shouldered?” Dominic had read through the case file so many times he knew the description by heart. “Wearing a sweatshirt?”
“No sweatshirt this time, but the suspect wore a mask.”
Dominic nodded. He’d reviewed the case file and come up with next to nothing aside from a belligerent dad who picked fights over PB&J and one locked in a custody battle. But none of that involved Lily.
He stared down at his plate, his teeth grinding together. He knew damn well that she honest to God believed she’d been the target of the attack, that there was a reason a knife-wielding lunatic had come after her. But he also knew how hard it was to swallow the fact that sometimes you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time—like in front of a terrorist with a gun.
He’d wanted to support Lily. And yeah, he wanted a chance to crush the guy who’d attacked her. So he’d tried to replace the facts with new ones. He’d allowed his feelings for Lily to cloud his judgment.
“He took the victim’s phone,” his father added between bites of egg. “The Salem PD used it to track him.”
Dominic buttered his toast, his brow furrowed. “That doesn’t fit. The guy who attacked Lily never went for her cell. She was listening to music on it. She had it in her hand when those girls found her. He never tried to take it.”
His father set down his fork. “The man they arrested isn’t a hardened criminal. They found prescription antipsychotics on him. Enough to suggest he hadn’t been taking his meds.”
“Are you sure they were his?”
His dad nodded. “They ran his prints. He’s been arrested before. Mostly public disturbance, that sort of thing. And a long psych record.”
“Did he confess to attacking Lily?” he asked.
“No.” His father let out a sigh. “The suspect claims he’s never been to Forever. Never heard of it. And they didn’t recover a knife. Just the phone.”
“How many times was the Salem victim slashed?”
“Just a few. Mostly on her arms and face. No deep cuts. I have a copy of the report at the station. I can bring it home for you this evening and you can share it with Lily. The Salem victim’s name has been blacked out, but she can get a sense and decide if she wants to drive over and try to ID the guy. The mug shot’s in there too.”
Dominic nodded. “I’ll come back for it. And she’ll want to go to the station and talk to the Salem PD. She’ll need to hear the details. She’s convinced that she knew her attacker. And hell, I was too. But knowing he’s behind bars will help her sleep at night.”
“You too, I imagine.” His father picked up his fork, but kept his grey-green eyes focused on him. “Still keeping watch from her couch?”
“For now.”
“Does this mean you’re heading back to Georgia?” his father asked. “Now that there’s been an arrest?”
“I don’t know.” He stabbed the yolk and watched it run over his plate. Then he picked up his toast and dipped it in the gooey center. His dad cooked the perfect egg. It might be worth staying just for that. “I still have the apartment out there. And I’m not sure what I’d do with myself here. It’s not like this area has a lot of jobs right now,” he added.
“I’ve been waiting for you to ask me for a position. I didn’t want to push. But with your military experience—”
“I still can’t fire a gun,” Dominic cut in.
“Have you been out to the range? Tried your other hand?”
Yeah, he had. Back in Georgia, before he’d given up hope. But he was a shitty shot with his left. He could do it, sure. But hit a target? Defend a teammate? Not a chance. Being able to pull a trigger didn’t make a man a ranger or even a policeman.
“Dad, I’m not the best man for the job. There are plenty of guys, probably some fresh out of the military, who still have the full use of both hands.”
“What about a desk job?”
