Lone Star Standoff by Margaret Daley

Author:Margaret Daley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-02-01T17:59:23+00:00

* * *

A short time later, Sean and Aubrey left Judge Rodriquez’s chambers with the court order to open the safety-deposit box. “I’m going to the bank right after I leave the courthouse. I’m going to talk to the security office to get details about the bomb threat yesterday. I noticed the security at the entrances is much tighter.”

“I’m having everyone who comes into my court be checked again. I’m not taking a chance, even though they’ll be searched at the main doors, too. The other trials going on aren’t high-profile like Villa’s.”

When they reached her office, two deputy sheriffs stood guard outside. Even with them in place, Sean went inside first and searched the whole chamber, then tested the door that led to the courtroom. It was locked. He opened it and looked into the short hallway. Empty. Once he felt there were no surprises for Aubrey, he escorted her inside and stayed while she readied herself for the Villa trial, then he walked with her to the courtroom. The urge to hold her close to him and not let her go was strong.

He had to remind himself he was on duty and he’d done everything he could to keep her safe. As he left her chambers, a police officer and a dog came out of the room after checking where the trial was going to take place. The rest he had to put in God’s hands.

Sean walked down the stairs to the first floor and crossed the lobby to the security office. When he entered, Sheriff Bailey was talking to the deputy sitting in front of a bank of screens showing different areas of the courthouse.

The sheriff glanced at Sean then tapped three of the screens. “Make sure you pay attention to the three entrances into the building. Until the Villa trial is completed, we’ve locked all doors in and out of here except these three—front, rear by the employee parking lot and the one on the west side where prisoners come into the courthouse near the holding cells. We have guards at all of them. We now have screening at the back and west doors like the front.”

“Did you figure out which entrance the person who brought the bomb into the courthouse used?” Sean asked as another deputy entered the room and sat at the second chair in front of the security screens.

Sheriff Bailey shook his head. “The bag with the bomb was placed out of camera view. So far we haven’t figured out how it was brought into the building.”

“You think someone who works here is helping?”

“It’s a definite possibility. We’ve added two bomb-detection dogs on the first floor continually making the rounds, as well as one dog on the second and another on the third floor. That’s in addition to the one in the parking lot. I’ve had to call in a few favors for extra assistance.”

“I noticed you have a couple deputies outside in the rear parking lot.”

“I’ve been thinking about possible ways of getting a bomb in here unnoticed.

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