Beauty and the Chief Read Online Free PDF Page B

ended up with a fifty-year-old woman who had her family all raised and moved away and needed something productive to do with her time. The combination was perfect. Nan had great taste, was extremely efficient, and watched after Jillian like a mother hen.
    Nan remained silent, staring down at her, Jillian fidgeted in her chair. “It doesn’t matter.”
    Nan’s eyebrow arched. “Now, if you were dating someone, I’d say you broke up last night. But, since you hardly take time to go out, and the only males you have penciled in your life right now are ten and eleven years old and wear shin guards, I’m not buying that, so give. What’s happened since yesterday? You didn’t lose the Van Buren account? No, that’s what you’re working on, and it wouldn’t do this to you.”
    “Do what?”
    “Upset you so. There’s a … shadowed quality about you today.”
    “That bad?”
    “No, not that bad, but you forget, I know you.”
    Jillian sighed. There was going to be no getting around it. Besides, it would probably be best to talk it out, and there was no one better to talk to than Nan. “Remember a month ago about the young woman who was murdered? It made the news for several days because it was similar to another.”
    “Yes.” Trepidation tightened Nan’s voice. “Jillian, what happened, Poppy?”
    “Last night, when Abby and I were running, she broke away. I raced after her. We … there was … he was going to kill her. Abby stopped him. She saved her. Then he tried to kill me.”
    “Jillian!” Nan wrapped her arms around her.
    The tears she’d been holding back broke free to run down her cheeks as she soaked in the comfort.
    After a moment she pulled back. “I’m okay. Abby saved me, too. But he cut her. Then the police got there. She’s at the vet’s. I haven’t been able to see her yet.” She wiped her eyes and looked at the clock. “The vet should be open by now, don’t you think?”
    “Yes, of course. Do you have the number? I’ll check.”
    Jillian shook her head. “Chief Richards said it was Mountain View.”
    “All right, you go clean up. I’ll call and change your morning appointments to give you some time.”
    Jillian nodded her thanks. She felt better again. “I also have to go to the police station and sign a statement.”
    “We’ll figure that in, too.”
    ***
    Jillian spent an hour with Abby, who just wanted to cuddle up in her lap. It was a habit she’d had been trying to break her of, but at that moment Jillian didn’t mind it or the yellow hairs on her black skirt. She was just happy to see Abby doing so well. Even the fact that she couldn’t bring her home until the next day, and there would be no runs for a while didn’t dull her pleasure.
    Next, she stopped at the hospital to check on Sandra but found they wouldn’t release any information since she wasn’t a relative. As she turned to leave, an older man approached her.
    “Excuse me. I heard you asking about my daughter. You said you were at the park last night?”
    “Yes. I was jogging with my dog.”
    “You’re the one who saved her.”
    “Actually, it was my dog that did. How’s Sandra?”
    “I was just headed to the cafeteria. Would you join me?”
    She nodded, letting him lead her away from the desk.
    “She survived the night,” Sandra’s father said wearily. “The doctors are now hopeful, but they cautioned us it will be sometime before we know anything for sure. She would not have had that chance if not for you and your dog.”
    “We just happened to be there at the right time.” Jillian suppressed a shudder. Until then she’d been feeling like it was bad luck being there. Now, talking with Sandra’s father it gave her a whole new perspective. Something good had come out of it. Sandra was alive.
    Her father went on to thank her again. Her mind clung to the positive as they exchanged numbers and promises to keep in touch.
    Jillian felt better as she headed to the police station. On the stone steps