Benefiel - Shot Through the Heart

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Shot Through the Heart

Copyright 2015 by Diane Benefiel

ISBN: 978-1-61333-795-0

Cover art by Tibbs Designs

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Shot Through the Heart

By

Diane Benefiel

~Dedication~

To my family, with their love and support nothing is impossible.

John got out of his truck and glanced around the neighborhood. Several of the homes looked like theyd been restored, and the street appeared neat and tidy. He eyed the Craftsman bungalow as he approached. Bare wood showed where window trim had been stripped. Maybe the woman did the work herselfa heck of a job for anyone. A pole sander and can of wood putty sat near the screen door, the front door open behind it. He pressed the bell then stuck his hands in his back pockets to wait. A monster doga German shepherdlaunched itself against the screen door, barking furiously, and John stepped back.

A womans voice came from inside. Down, Cooper! Sit.

The dog sat, alert, attention focused on him through the screen. A figure approached from another room, phone to an ear. Theres someone at my door, Lily. Yes, yes. Ill cover your shift. Uh huh. No problem. Bye.

She peered through the screen. May I help you?

John Davidson, maam. I spoke to a Rane Smith about an apartment for rent.

The woman opened the door and stepped out. The shepherd, purebred by the look of him, nosed around her to sniff at his jeans. John put a hand down for the dog to smell then lifted his gaze to study the dogs owner. Rane Smith. This was the first time hed seen her other than in photos. Dark hair, longer now, framed an interesting face just about swallowed by sea-green eyes. Pretty, lean, athletic. Sure didnt look like the type to hook up with drug smugglers.

She stuck the cell phone in her back pocket and held out her hand. Im Rane Smith.

He shook, smiled, played the part. This is a nice neighborhood. I like the street.

Ill be honest with you. This is a decent area, but we still live in a big city and close to downtown. There have been a few break-ins. The neighbors watch out for each other, though, and arent afraid to call the police. Her voice had a throaty quality that reminded him of Sheryl Crow.

Thats good.

She studied him. I like to know something about who Im renting to, so tell me about yourself, John. On the phone, you said youre ex-military.

He launched into his carefully constructed bio. His number one rule was to stick as close to the facts as possible to avoid screwing up. Hence, John David Garretson became John Davidson. Yes, maam. US Army. I did two tours in Afghanistan then decided that was enough. Im training to become a firefighter.

She leaned back against the porch rail, reaching down to tug on the dogs ears. Do you have family in Seattle?

No. My family is in California.

So you didnt want to live near your family? Why Seattle?

John stooped to rub the dogs head then straightened. She was asking a lot of questions, but, he figured, in her position, hed do the same. I grew up here. My parents moved to California to be near my sister and her family, but I wanted to come back to Seattle after the service. I like the rain. Except for his brother still living in the city, all true enough.

She flashed a smile, revealing dimples. Very pretty.

Well, youll get plenty of rain here. Ill show you the apartment, and if youre still interested after you see it, we can talk some more.

Her open expression was at odds with the image hed formed from reading her profile. John wondered which was the true Rane Smith. The profile had been sketchy, but her relationship with a member of the DiNardo drug family couldnt be disputed.

At his nod, Rane turned and followed the half-painted porch around the corner of the house. They went down a short set of steps and along the side of the house past a doorJohn guessed to the kitchenthen up an outside flight of stairs to the second floor. From the top, he could see a distant glint of the Sound. It looked like part of the second story had been converted to an apartment with the outside entrance added on. She pulled a key out of her pocket and opened the door, the dog following her in.

Undercover work didnt bother him. You lied to people, got them to trust you; you used them if you had to, and all for the job. But he felt a sudden twinge of guilt. Her face had revealed warmth and humor and made him feel like a jerk for lying to her. He shook his head and took a mental step back. Looks often deceived, and the end game would make the lies and deception all worth it.

He acted like any potential tenant, even though there was no way he was going to let this opportunity pass. The challenge of keeping watch on Rane Smith had become a whole lot simpler when hed discovered her apartment for rent. It put him exactly where he wanted to beclose. He went through the motions of checking out the bathroom and bedroom.

The kitchen is small, so if youre a gourmet chef, youll be disappointed.

John laughed. Not likely. Thisll do fine. He opened the refrigerator, standard size, thank God, and examined the rangeone of those combo deals with the stove and oven together. He noticed the smell of fresh paint. Did you do the painting yourself? He hoped he wouldnt have to deal with a handyman underfoot.

Dimples flashed again, giving him a little pull on the attraction meter.

I do what I can myself. I think it turned out okay.

Shed picked out good colors. He liked the pale green contrasted with white crown molding and wide baseboards. Yeah, he agreed. Looks nice.

If you rent the apartment, youll have access to the laundry room off my kitchen.

He closed a cupboard and angled toward her. His kept his stance open and non-threatening, hands on his hips, expression neutral. All designed to gain trust. Did you have a chance to call the references I put on my application?

Yes, your references spoke highly of you. If youre still interested in renting, Ill get the paperwork together.