Read SH Medical 08 - The Baby Dilemma for Free Online Page B

secure in her own home, but Mike knew better. The beach attracted all kinds of characters. Also, from working crimes against persons at the police department, he’d seen behind the fancy closed doors and elegant drawn curtains. Domestic violence, robbery, sex crimes, even the rare but deeply disturbing homicide troubled the peace of the community. Now, whenever he got bored tracking runaway kids, spying on unfaithful spouses or nailing employees who lied about their credentials, he reminded himself of how much sordidness he was spared.
    He certainly didn’t want to see a woman he cared about face off against some thug who existed in an entirely different universe. She had no idea how unprepared she was or what such a man might be capable of.
    Yet as he followed Paige to the narrow beachfront Seaside Lane, Mike reminded himself not to underestimate her. Doctors spent part of their training in emergency rooms. She wouldn’t panic easily.
    Interesting woman. He’d enjoyed more discussions about her work and a lot of other topics. During their dance, they’d barely scratched the surface. He’d become caught up in their conversation, despite his instinctive response to the sway of her hips and knowing curve of her mouth.
    Dangerous territory, as he already knew. And getting riskier to his heart by the minute. More enticing, too.
    Traffic was heavy along the beach route on a Saturday, with visitors prowling in search of parking spots. When he trailed Paige’s car onto one of the small residential streets at right angles to the beach road, Mike didn’t see a single open space by the curb. Instead, his eye flew to a police car, light bar flashing, double-parked in front of a tan cottage with blue shutters.
    Paige’s coupe pulled into the driveway and she leaned out to speak to a uniformed patrolman. Mike recognized Bill Sanchez, and a moment later, around the corner of the house, appeared Bill’s partner, George Granger.
    Mike didn’t hear an alarm, so the security company must have shut it off. He wasn’t sure how audible it would have been anyway, given the rock music throbbing from the neighbor’s house. Guests in cutoffs and swimsuits wandered through the open door and jammed the postage-stamp front yard to stare at the policemen. When he lowered his window, Mike could smell beer, along with barbecue smoke.
    The garage door rolled open. Bill peered inside, then waved Paige in. The officers stood aside as Mike parked in the driveway.
    “Friend of yours?” George called as Mike got out. “Hey, I like the monkey suit.”
    “Penguin suit,” Mike corrected, and tossed the tuxedo jacket across his rear seat. “We were at my brother’s wedding. You’ve met Lock.” George and Bill had played pool with them a time or two. “I wanted to be sure she wasn’t walking into a bad situation.”
    “More obnoxious than dangerous.” Bill indicated the party next door. “We were about to go tell them to turn it down.”
    Paige emerged from the garage, her expression anxious. In contrast to the half-clad guests next door, she shone like a goddess in her emerald gown. “Did someone get inside?” she asked George, half shouting over the music.
    He dragged his gaze from her striking figure. “Someone smashed a rear window but couldn’t get the door open. Smart lady, having a double-keyed lock.” That meant someone reaching inside couldn’t turn the knob without a key. “Judging from the fact that he took a leak on the back steps, I’m guessing he wanted to use the bathroom.”
    Paige’s nose wrinkled. “Gross.”
    “Hang on.” Bill vaulted a low dividing wall and vanished into the next house. A moment later, the music cut off.
    “That’s a relief,” Mike said as he, George and Paige moved to her brick patio. A low-growing acacia screened it on one side, while a white wrought-iron fence discouraged sidewalk trespassers. From a window box spilled striped red petunias, a bright punctuation to the blue-and-white