Take Another Look by Rosalind Noonan

shaking hand.
    Nine. One. One.

Chapter 4
    T he pounding on the door rocked the house like a barrage of gunfire. Pressed into the newel post for shelter, Jane had her arms wrapped around Phee, who had wandered over, curious and obviously concerned. Jane tightened her grip on the dog as she strained to hear sirens. She had told the dispatcher he was breaking in, and the woman had assured her that a car was on its way, but it seemed like an eternity had passed since the time they’d hung up.
    There was a sound from the street—a squeal of tires? Yes, a car screeching to a halt. Afraid to approach the door, Jane crawled to the living room window, with Phoenix following curiously alongside her. She tugged the cord of the Tiffany lamp to plunge the room into darkness, crouched down on her knees, and lifted the corner of the silk shade.
    Jane trembled in relief and fear. Luke had returned.
    At the edge of the lawn, Luke stood in the firing position she’d seen on crime shows, his legs planted securely, his arms stretched in front of him, pointing his revolver toward her front porch. From behind him, the lights of his car carved an eerie silver path over the grass. The Volvo sat cockeyed on the street, the driver’s side door hanging open.
    â€œWhoa! Sir! Put the gun down.” The order came from the front steps.
    â€œNot a chance.” Luke’s voice rang out, a steel hammer. “Put your hands on your head and sit down on the porch step.” She had never seen this side of him, not even when he was dealing with the most recalcitrant students. Because of the way the porch cut in, Jane couldn’t see Frank from this window, but Luke’s response indicated that he was complying.
    â€œI’m a police officer,” Frank said.
    That was one of the things that made him so dangerous, Jane thought as she rose and steadied herself against the console table. She didn’t dare open the front door, but she could go out through the garage. Phoenix barked behind her as she hurried through the laundry room and hit the button for the garage door.
    â€œLuke!” she shouted, bending down to see that he had moved a few feet closer. “I called the police. They’re coming.”
    He nodded without taking his eyes off Frank.
    Phoenix spilled out behind Jane, barking at the intruder.
    â€œGood dog.” As Jane went to grab the dog’s collar, she peered around the corner of the house to get a look at Frank. Instead, she saw an attractive Hispanic man with a strong jaw and sleepy eyes.
    What? The pulse that had been pounding in her ears began to fade. He was dark-haired with a medium build, but not the man she feared.
    â€œYou’re not Frank!”
    The man winced, but he kept his hands propped on his head and his eyes on the man with the gun. “Please, tell him not to shoot.”
    Still compelled to keep her distance from the stranger, she hurried across the lawn to join Luke. “It’s not him.”
    There was a fine sheen of sweat on Luke’s forehead. “Are you sure?”
    â€œPositive.”
    â€œThen who the hell are you?” Luke relaxed his stance, but didn’t lower the gun.
    â€œName’s Alvarez . . . Dennis Alvarez. I’m a police detective with the DA’s office of San Joaquin County. I’ve got ID.” Alvarez took one hand from his head to point down at his pocket, but he quickly clamped his hand back onto his hair when Luke waved the gun at him.
    â€œWho hired you to stalk her?” Luke demanded. “You were at the school today, and now this. What the hell? Coming after a woman at night?”
    â€œI haven’t broken any laws. I have some questions for Ms. Ryan, that’s all.” He turned to Jane. “I was trying to be discreet, didn’t want to make a scene in front of your friends. I didn’t mean to frighten you, but you’ve been a hard person to track down.”
    Jane scowled. “And you