Just Intuition Read Free

members' vehicles behind the station, and calls for upgraded security cameras. She might be a bit protective of her girlfriend, but this was Erin's life, not the life Allie had signed on for. In a town this size, criminals knew who you were and a cop could never let down her guard.
    Sighing, she used the dish cloth to swipe at three dusty footprints on the window ledge. The cat was invisible most of the time but she sure made her presence known.
    Fiona watched Erin go about her morning coffee-making routine, tail thumping when she moved between counter and sink. The shiny Italian coffee machine was one of Erin 's few indulgences and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the kitchen's dilapidated appearance, no substandard coffee was served here. Only the very best beans from a specialty roaster in The Cities would do.
    Erin chose a mug, her favorite with a big hand-painted flower and perfectly shaped handle, and poured coffee to just under the rim. When she was on night shift, she stuck strictly to decaf. She had enough trouble sleeping and didn't need to add caffeine to the mix. When she brought her mug to the table, Fiona lay on her feet, hot breath steaming the toes of her socks. Those adorable doe eyes and eagerness to please made Fiona infinitely endearing. The dog was growing on her. The cat, not so much.
    One hand on her coffee mug and the other on her iPhone, Erin opened the News App and thumbed through the highlights. Ever since the horrible events of 9/11, when she'd overslept and awoken to a world under siege, she began and ended her day with the news. She rarely missed a thing.
    Her ears pricked at muffled cries and a crashing thud upstairs. Allie! The all too familiar sensation of adrenaline knocking on her skull overtook Erin's exhaustion. The dog startled up ramrod straight and froze. For all her virtues, no guard dog was Fiona. Break in? Did the decrepit alarm malfunction? Why didn't Fiona alert earlier?
    Because she had learned to think and move, Erin was at the front closet in a few swift strides. She located the off duty pistol in her leather bag, unsnapped it from its concealed holster and palmed the 9 mm SIG Sauer P220 in one fluid motion. Up the stairs in seconds, she operated on instinct. In a half crouch on the balls of her feet, Erin continued down the hall on silent socks. Her nerves wired for sudden movement.
    Bathroom: Clear. Guest room: Clear. Windows: Secure. Nothing out of place. No sign of forced entry.
    Finally, she approached the master bedroom and toed the door from the side. The window was open and wooden blinds swayed in the breeze. There was the empty bed, but no sheets, no blanket—and no Allie.
    Panic rose in Erin 's throat. She tore the window slats aside. Sunlight stabbed mercilessly into every dark corner. Thumbing the magnetic alarm contact on the window frame, confusion roiled in her gut. Why had the alarm not activated with this security breach? She dove onto her belly and peered under the bed, commando crawling behind the armoire. Nothing but a few dust bunnies. One ear against the oak floorboards, she held her breath to listen. The house was eerily still and only Erin's heart thundered in the silence. An unexpected wave of nausea overtook her and she swallowed hard, her face flushed with the effort.
    She lay still and tried to calm her breathing but a faint scrabbling noise sent her vaulting over the mattress. With the Sig 9 mm gripped in her right hand, she covered the hall, semi-barricaded by the doorway. Blood pounded in her ears.
    Light padded footsteps approached from below and Fiona's timidly inquisitive muzzle appeared at the top of the stairs. The dog proceeded down the hallway, sniffing the air as she walked. She stopped in front of the linen closet, peered with clouded eyes at Erin, wagged her tail once and lay flat. Nose pressed to the crack beneath the door, the dog emitted a low moan. Erin joined her outside the tiny closet, turned the knob and eased open the