Call of the Cougar (Heart of the Cougar Book 2) by Terry Spear Page A

to track down the men who could have killed her and her partner.
    This afternoon when she'd checked on Anton, he was sitting up, looking much better, not as pale, and he was talking again. His ex-wife, Shirley, truly seemed to want to work things out between them, whether he continued to serve on this job or ended up in another. Tracey thought his wife's change of heart was another reason that Anton was looking so much better. She liked the wife and their adorable daughter, so she hoped it would work out between them. Which meant it was time for Tracey to get on her way.
    It would still be early when she left for Yuma Town. The ghost town of Anderson was right on her way. She had the greatest urge to stop there and walk through the town—to try to understand why the traffickers had been there twice and had shootouts with her both times. She knew she couldn't ditch her police escort without getting into hot water with her boss though.
    Before she left the hospital, she said to the patrolman who would follow her to Yuma Town, "I want to stop off at Anderson to just—walk through it."
    His dark eyes narrowed a little, Patrolman Howard Holland said, "You know your boss will want me to report this."
    "Haven't you ever been in a situation before where you had to return to the scene of the crime to try and figure out the significance of it?"
    "Yeah, I have, actually." Howard looked around as if the waiting room walls had ears. "Okay, look. You know what your boss said. Sorry about that. I'd feel the same if I was in your shoes, but my boss is in agreement with your boss. It's time for you to go on vacation. I'm escorting you to Yuma Town and after that?" He shrugged. "It's up to you as to what you want to do."
    "Just for a few minutes? It's miles from Yuma Town, but we'll pass up the wagon trail along the way there."
    "Sorry, no can do. Orders were specific. You need to step away from the case. I've been there, done that," Howard said. "Actually, I was the one who got shot on a case similar to this, different perps, but I was raring to take down the bastard who'd nearly killed me. I needed the time to recover, both physically and emotionally. You lost your other partner. And now this. You need the break."
    She thought he was saying one thing, but meaning something else. That he was watching what he said because the police who were providing security for her partner might be listening in on their conversation, and he didn't want to get into trouble with his own boss.
    "Okay, so if I just happen to take a little detour—"
    She thought he was fighting a smile a little as he shook his head. "Come on. Let's drop by your hotel and grab your bags."
    She wasn't sure if he would stop her or not. But she was going to give it a try. After saying goodbye to Anton and his ex-wife in his hospital room, Tracey returned to her hotel and picked up her bags, then headed out to Yuma Town.
    When she was close to the old wagon trail that turned off to Anderson, she flashed her left turn signal. She thought if Howard was opposed to her going to Anderson, he would flash his police lights to let her know that he wasn't going to allow it. And she really expected him to do so. To her surprise and delight, he followed her up the rutted, dusty trail. But then, she felt a sudden chill race down her spine—a fitful apprehension suddenly filling her. If she hadn't managed to get herself killed the last two times she was here, why not try it again? Yet part of her said that the men would not be here again. The odds were totally in her favor.
    Like she thought was the case the last two times she came here.
    Howard followed her to the spot where they had to park and then walk. When she got out, he was calling someone, and she assumed it was her boss or his. Maybe just letting everyone know they could be headed into danger.
    "What do you think you'll find?" Howard asked, as he walked with her up the trail, side by side.
    "Nothing really. But I just have to see the