Courage Under Fire. Sharon Dunn

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СКАЧАТЬ was only a few blocks from her house in Rego Park. Lani and Reed lived on a quiet street. At this hour, there was no one outside. He spoke again to get her attention. “Lani?”

      “I’m all right.” She stared straight ahead.

      He knew she wasn’t. “It’s pretty normal to feel off-kilter after what you’ve been through.” She hadn’t been an officer very long and already she’d seen a degree of violence. “It wouldn’t hurt to make an appointment with the police psychologist. I know it was required you meet with one after you shot that guy who came into your house. It wouldn’t hurt to make another appointment.”

      She lifted her chin slightly. “I just need a good night’s sleep and run in the park in the morning. That’s my therapy.”

      He had a feeling the bravado she showed was because she didn’t want to appear incapable in front of the chief. Sometimes he didn’t like his title. It put a barrier between him and his fellow officers.

      After circling the block, he found a parking space not too far from her house. He appreciated how tough she was acting. He’d been a cop long enough to know that denial didn’t make the trauma go away. “At least let me stay with you until Reed gets off shift.”

      She lowered her head and pushed open the car door. “Okay, but only if Scotty can come in too.”

      Scotty let out a low-level woof of approval.

      Both of them laughed.

      “Scotty seems to like the idea,” said Lani.

      He had to hand it to his square-jawed partner. He could be very entertaining. Noah walked Lani to the house which had a stone facade and pillars. The flower beds were covered in straw. Though he could picture them in full bloom. Lani struck him as a plant kind of person. Who was he kidding? Lani was a people person and a dog person—warm and connecting, vivacious about all aspects of life. That’s why it bothered him to see her so quiet.

      With Scotty heeling beside him, they went up the steps and onto the porch. Lani unlocked the door.

      Noah stared up at the second story. “This whole place is yours?”

      “No, we have an upstairs tenant.” She pushed the door open.

      Once inside, Lani invited Noah to sit on the couch while Scotty sniffed his new surroundings. She excused herself to change out of her wet clothes.

      Family photos, many of Reed and Lani doing sports together, adorned the wall in the living room. There was a picture of them attending a Yankees game with an older couple. Judging from the resemblance, the older couple must be Reed and Lani’s parents. His eyes rested on a picture of a teenage Lani in a leotard with her arms around two other dancers. A more recent one showed Lani on stage in a Western costume with other actors.

      Noah understood why Lani was referred to as Cover Girl by the rest of the team. Her vitality and positive attitude came across in the photos and she was beautiful enough to be a model.

      Several photos featured Reed working with his K-9 partner, Jessie.

      Lani entered the room dressed in an oversize orange sweatshirt and jeans. “Do you want some cocoa or something?” Her blue eyes did not have their usual sparkle. He detected the weariness in her voice. It was important that she not be alone after having gone through such an ordeal.

      “Sure, that sounds good,” he said. “Let me help you.”

      While Lani filled the kettle and put it on the stove, Noah rooted through cupboards for mugs.

      Lani pulled a basket filled with tea bags and hot chocolate packets from a cupboard. “Pick whatever you like.”

      The toll of the attack was evident in her movement and on her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you go sit down and I’ll bring you the drink?”

      She nodded and stepped back into the living room. Again, he knew something was up because she didn’t argue with him.

      He opened the packets of cocoa and sprinkled them into the mugs. The kettle whistled. He poured the water into the cups. He carried the steaming mugs into the living room where he found Lani standing, not sitting, staring at the wall of photographs. Scotty had finished sniffing his surroundings and now sat at attention. His ears perked up when Noah entered the room.

      She pointed to a bare space on the wall. “Do you know what goes there?”

      Noah shook his head.

      “A picture of me with my dog when I’m assigned one.” Her face shone with a sort of inner glow.

      The bare space was next to a photo of Reed with his Jessie. The bloodhound’s saggy-skinned expression seemed to contradict the dog’s tenacious personality.

      He knew from Lani’s file that she was twenty-nine, old for a rookie. His estimation of her abilities had changed, but he still had his doubts. Her background was not the normal career route for a cop. “That will happen soon enough.” It had been months since Lani had been accepted to the K-9 unit and a suitable dog had still not become available. She’d tried out several. The dogs were either not compatible with her or they washed out of the program. Jordan’s death and Noah getting used to being chief had slowed everything down as well.

      “Tonight didn’t go like I expected.” She stared at the floor.

      He stepped toward her, touching her chin so she lifted her eyes. “But you handled the unexpected. That’s what a good cop does.”

      A little light came into her blue eyes. That spark of energy that he liked about her returned.

      “Thanks,” she said.

      She let out a heavy breath and sat down on the couch. Noah sat down beside her sipping his beverage. Scotty lay down so his butt rested against Noah’s feet and his head rested close to Lani’s feet.

      Noah pointed toward the photos. “So you did a lot of plays?” It was important to keep her mind off the attack.

      “Mostly off Broadway, and I did a couple commercials and even some stunt work,” she said.

      “I know I’ve lived here my whole life, but I think I made it to the theater twice in my life and one time it was with my school.”

      Lani laughed, “I know. There are people born and raised here who have never been to the Statue of Liberty.”

      He reached down to pat Scotty’s head. “My family goes to the Mets games quite a bit.”

      “Sounds like fun.” Lani took a sip of her cocoa.

      They talked awhile longer. When the door opened and Reed stepped in with Jessie, Noah glanced at the clock. An hour had passed without him realizing he’d been so caught up in his conversation with Lani.

      Jessie loped over to Lani, who leaned so the dog could give her a sloppy kiss.

      “Long night?”

      “Something like that. Had a couple other calls after we got stuff wrapped up at the refuge.” Reed took his coat off and hung it up on a coatrack. “Sorry I’m late. СКАЧАТЬ