Star Witness

chapter Four

“I’ll call you,” Harte said. “Check to see how you’re doing. And tomorrow, I’ll start prepping you for your testimony.”

Dani nodded.

Harte headed out the door, pulling a key ring with two keys on it from his pocket. “Officer? Walk me out, will you?” he said as he passed Field. “These are duplicate keys to the front and back doors. I’m giving you one and keeping one myself. You and the second-shift officer will exchange keys. One of you will be here with Ms. Canto at all times.”

“Yes, sir,” Field said, turning on his polished heel to follow him.

Imperious. That was it. She’d been searching for just the right word to describe Harte Delancey. And imperious was perfect. He was arrogant too, and she didn’t like him at all. Forget how very nice he’d looked this morning in old worn jeans and a faded T-shirt with his hair tousled from sleeping in his car and his jaw shadowed by morning stubble. Forget how easy it was to imagine that he would look just like that after they spent the night...

You are so not going there, she admonished herself, even as she pushed the curtains aside with two fingers and watched him fold his long, lean body into his car and drive away.

She wondered why an attorney in New Orleans drove a Jeep. But it did suit him, like the jeans and T-shirt and, she had to admit, the stubble.

“Ms. Canto?”

She jumped and let the curtains drop into place. “What? Oh yes, Officer Field.” She hadn’t heard him come back inside.

“Do you need anything?”

She gave him her sweetest smile. “Only a ride to the courthouse.”

“If you’re ready to go, my car is right out front.”

“The Camry?” That was the only other car she’d seen parked in front of the B & B.

“Yes. I’m driving my own car. It’s not a good idea to have a police car sitting out front all day and night.”

Dani grabbed her purse, its extra weight reminding her of the gun and the lock-pick kit inside it. She glanced quickly at Field. Would he be able to tell she was carrying just by how the heavy bag swung against her side? Thank goodness Harte hadn’t noticed. She slung the long crisscrossed strap over her head so the bag lay diagonally across her torso and rested against her left hip. Its weight reassured her. Babysitters or not, she wanted the feeling of security and control the gun gave her until the trial was over.

Looking at the back of Field’s head as he opened the front door, she still wasn’t sure he had what it took to protect her, if Harte was right about the danger.

Chewing on her lower lip, she wondered how easily manipulated he was. “I’m hungry,” she said. “Are you?”

Officer Ronald Field turned to look at her. “Ms. Canto—”

“Dani,” she said, still smiling.

“Dani. Mr. Delancey gave me my instructions. You can order something delivered later, because right now I’m driving you straight to the courthouse and straight back.”

Dani suppressed a smile as she assessed him. So, Officer Field was more strong-willed than he looked.