Following the Evidence

banister leading upstairs. A dining room to his right. A living room to his left. His breathing was ragged, but the hand holding his weapon was steady.
Which way? Upstairs or toward the back of the house?
He paused, straining to listen. There. A noise coming from the kitchen. He raced down the hallway. Someone was coughing.
His flashlight caught a dark figure bolting out the back door. Reed swung to his left. Emma sat on the tile floor, one hand holding her neck. Her face was red and her long hair stuck out in all directions. Relief replaced the terror in her expression when she caught sight of him.
Reed bent down, scanning quickly for blood. How seriously had she been hurt?
“Go,” she choked out. “I’m okay, and he’s getting away.”
Reed dashed after the intruder.

TWO
Reed’s boots slipped on the mud and the grass as he rounded the corner of the house. Rain pelted him, and he blinked to clear his vision. The intruder was already across the yard, headed for the safety of the woods.
“Police!” Reed shouted. “Freeze!”
The dark form paid him no heed. Reed raised his gun, but the man was a quickly moving target. Reed had no shot. Within the span of two heartbeats, the intruder disappeared into the woods.
Reed wrestled with the need to give chase, but the rain and the dark put him at a distinct disadvantage. It wasn’t smart to go into the woods without backup. Smothering his frustration, he pulled out his phone and hit Speed Dial while jogging back to the house.
Mona answered before the first ring finished.
“I need every available unit to my location. I also need an ambulance.” He barked out his orders and a brief description of the suspect. Not that it was much. Male, roughly six feet, wearing dark-colored clothing and a ski mask.
He hung up and entered the kitchen.
Emma had turned on the lights, bringing the attack’s destruction into full focus. A tree branch had obviously been used to break the window. It lay discarded. A shattered cookie jar was partly on the counter, the rest on the floor. A Taser resting on the tile sent a fresh wave of adrenaline through him. Had Emma been attacked with it?
She was standing with her back to him, one slender hand clutching the wall as if it was the only thing keeping her standing. Her breathing was raspy. There was no blood on the floor or on her clothes, but it didn’t necessarily mean she was okay. Shock could be covering the pain.
Glass crunched under his boots. She turned at the sound of his approach. Her face was ashen, her eyes huge.
“It’s okay. You’re okay,” he reassured her. He scanned her body for wounds, stopping at the sight of the red marks around her neck. His jaw tightened in anger. “Did he use the Taser on you?”
“No.” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “Just his hands. The Taser’s mine, but he knocked it away before I could use it.”
Other than the marks on her neck, Emma was remarkably whole. A few minor cuts from the glass on her arms. Her pajama top and bottoms were wet from the rain. Her whole body trembled. Whether from cold, fear or shock, he couldn’t tell.
“The ambulance is on its way.” Reed took off his coat. The outside leather was wet, but it was layered and would help warm her until the ambulance arrived. He draped it over her shoulders.
“Is he gone?” she asked.
“Yes.” He pulled a kitchen chair around and gently led her to it. “Where’s your daughter?”
“Lily is with my sister-in-law, Vivian. They’re upstairs.”
“Wait here.”
Reed tore down the hall and ran up the stairs. A rumbling growl drew him up short.
A dog was standing in a doorway, teeth bared and hackles up. There was no doubt the animal would attack him if he went closer.
The stairs creaked as Emma came up behind him. “Stop,” she rasped. The dog immediately ceased growling but remained at attention. “Good dog, Sadie.”
“Can I move past her or is she going to bite me?” Reed asked.
“Sadie will only attack on my command now.”
He took her word for it. The bedroom was empty, but he could hear the sounds of a baby crying on the other side of a door. Reed rapped on the wood. “It’s Sheriff Reed Atkinson. Can you unlock the door, please?”
The lock clicked. A blond woman emerged, cradling a red-faced child. The vise around Reed’s chest loosened, and he took his first deep breath. Vivian and the baby appeared unharmed and although Emma was hurt, her injuries were minor. Things could’ve been so much worse.
Thank you, Lord.
Vivian spotted Emma standing in the doorway and rushed around Reed.
“Thank God, you’re all right.” Vivian started crying. “I was so scared. When I heard the banging—”
“We’re okay.” Emma wrapped her arms around Vivian. “We’re all okay.”
Sadie joined the group, standing as close to their legs as possible. Emma took the baby, shushing her. Lily was gorgeous, with her mother’s dark hair and eyes. Her chubby arms were wrapped around a stuffed lamb. Seeing Emma holding her little girl twisted something in Reed’s gut.
“What happened?” Vivian swiped at her tears before tilting Emma’s head to get a look at her neck. “You’re hurt!”
“I’m okay. Reed stopped him before...” Emma’s voice trailed off and her grip tightened on the baby. “Unfortunately, he got away.”
“He won’t be free for long,” Reed interjected. “Whoever did this will be caught, I promise.”
Emma spun toward him, her eyes widening. “Really? So it took him breaking in and attacking me before you decided to stop ignoring the situation?”
Sadie, sensitive to her owner’s temperament, growled, and Reed eyed the dog with trepidation. He held up his hands in a sign of surrender. “I know you’re upset—”
“I’m not upset. I’m furious.” Her cheeks flushed. “Tonight could’ve been completely avoided if you’d taken the threats I reported seriously.”
Reed stiffened as her words registered. His gaze snapped to hers. “Threats? What threats?”
“This is your last warning. Heyworth