Another thought struck him. He must have been in his truck when his attacker approached. If he’d been accosted before he reached his truck, Harley wouldn’t have been at the fire. The attacker wanted his truck. Had he wanted Harley, too?
The idea of Harley dying because of some perceived hate against his handler made heat pulse behind Noah’s eyes. Harley was trained to find explosives, as dangerous a job as any a K9 did. Because Harley, like any dog, wasn’t aware of the danger inherent in his job. It was up to his handler to make certain his K9 did that job with as many security controls in place as the handler could manage. There were even situations where a handler could refuse to subject his K9 to danger if the conditions looked dicey.
Secrecy wasn’t all that easy in the real world. Someone must have seen something. Perhaps they just didn’t realize the importance of it. Moreover, there should be footage from the security cameras that nearly all businesses had.
Of course, he’d have to be careful about trying to obtain a look at such footage. As Durvan warned him, talking to people he’d been with the night of the fire would be seen an as attempt to tamper with witnesses. He’d have to come at it another way. What that way was, he had no idea. Right now, he and Harley had a job to do.
Carly. What was he going to do about her? Nothing, yet.
He whistled for Harley, who shot toward the exit like a furry cannon ball.
For four and a half years, he’d had no life other than his son, his job, and Harley. That had seemed enough. Until last night.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“We’re almost done here. Just a few more questions.”
Carly made a production of glancing at the clock above the fireplace before looking back at her unexpected guest. Investigator Durvan had made that statement the first time ten minutes earlier. “I hope so, Mr. Durvan. I’m meeting my aunt at church in twenty minutes.”
“Yes. You mentioned that before.” Durvan looked down at the computer tablet on which he’d been making notes and scrolled up and down, as though needing to reread every word.
After years of enduring couture fittings, Carly was a pro at not fidgeting when she was bored. But she was losing her patience with the man who’d interrupted her Sunday morning. They’d already discussed why she’d been at her store after hours. How she’d gone to investigate strange noises next door and found an unconscious man and a dog. That she’d called 911 immediately, before the fire began. Now she’d repeated it all. Why was he was still sitting on her sofa as if she had all the time in the world to entertain him?
“You’re certain you never met Noah Glover before the night of the fire? Casually. Perhaps at a social function? Maybe, at a night spot?”
“I’m not much for going out. My life is pretty busy since I’ve returned home. To be perfectly honest, Inspector Durvan, we didn’t even meet on the night of the fire.” She saw his eyes widen ever so slightly and smiled. “We met the morning after the fire, in his hospital room.”
“Really? Why would you go there?”
Carly thought about telling the truth, but remembered in time her promise to Jarius not to reveal how she’d learned about the suspected suicide attempt. “I had his dog.”
“I see.” Though his expression didn’t change, this was new knowledge to him. She’d bet on it because he made a note. “Why didn’t you turn the animal over to a police officer at the scene?”
“It didn’t occur to me. Things were pretty intense. Mr. Glover was rushed to the hospital before I realized I was left holding his dog. Maybe it doesn’t make real sense thinking about it today. But, after I’d saved both their lives, I felt responsible for the dog until he could be returned to his owner.”
“How did you know where to find Mr. Glover?”
“I overheard one of the EMTs say where they were taking him.”
Those shrewd gray eyes held hers. “How did you know Mr. Glover’s name?”
“I didn’t.” Carly looked him straight in the eye.
“I met Mr. Glover’s sister in the hallway.”
He looked surprised, again. “You know her?”
“No. She was coming out of a patient’s room and I heard her say something about a fire. So, I approached her and I explained that I might have been in the same fire, if it was the one on Magnolia. Turns out she already knew about a woman saving her brother. She threw her arms around me and thanked me for saving him.”
“I see.” Durvan typed another note, using his thumbs. “Did you leave the dog with her?”
“No, she told me to go on in and introduce myself. That’s when I met Mr. Glover.” Better not to add in all his glory.
“Did he remember you?”
“No.” Carly held on to her temper. She didn’t like being questioned like a suspect.
“When did Mr. Glover recover his dog?”
“He came by my aunt’s home after he checked out of the hospital.”
“Your aunt’s home?” The eyebrow twitch was the tell of his surprise this time. “Why there?”
“She has a fenced yard.” She glanced around her flat for emphasis. “My apartment doesn’t allow pets.”