Annie's Neighborhood (Harlequin Heartwarming) by Roz Denny Fox

relief at seeing that their intruder was Sky—and not some gang member—was palpable. But he didn’t sound too happy when he asked, “Why aren’t you chasing our shooter?”
    Sky paced to the wall and back. “A neighbor across the street flagged me down. He said he’d opened his gate, intending to walk his dog, when he noticed a dark blue Caddy driving past real slow. His name is Dawson. I had to drag that out of him. Annie says that according to the other neighbors, he’s a bit of a recluse. Anyway, he said he ducked out of sight and kept his dog quiet because it looked like the same car from the other night. The car that let out two young guys, then peeled out fast. He saw them from an upstairs window that night and he thought they were teens based on their builds. They wore dark clothes and acted furtive. But later, they apparently made no effort to hide as they spray painted Annie’s place. Like you said, Annie, he didn’t report it because he was afraid of retaliation. The other night, he didn’t see who picked the guys up.”
    “Did he get more information on the Caddy? Did he read any part of the license number?” Koot asked halfheartedly, his attention still on Sadie.
    “No, and by the time I took his statement—and he insists on remaining anonymous again—it was too late for me to pick up a trail. He did mention that the car was lowered all around and had pricy chrome spinner hubcaps. I sent the Louisville cops a bulletin saying we have an official interest in locating a car like this.”
    The siren drew closer, then stopped, and Annie, who was stationed by the door, opened it and welcomed in four firemen. In spite of the fact that they knew Sky and Koot, the newcomers took charge of the scene and of Sadie, who had suffered the worst injuries.
    “How bad is she?” Koot hovered over a medic breaking open a Ringer’s IV to restore Sadie’s fluids.
    “I’ve seen worse,” the medic said. “We have to transport her, Talmage. You can meet her at the hospital. Hey, calm down. She’s not in serious danger. It’s a flesh wound and the bullet passed clear through the underside of her arm. Your time will be better spent figuring out the slug’s trajectory and digging it out from wherever it landed for evidence.”
    “We’ll do that,” Sky said, but he hovered as one man dabbed an antiseptic-saturated gauze square to a deep cut on Annie’s cheek. “We’ll take her, too,” the fireman told him. “This cut may take more than a butterfly to close. Besides, she’s got glass all through her hair. The E.R. nurses are better equipped to remove the particles without doing further harm. Right now your cuts look minor,” he said, returning his full attention to Annie. “I’ll cover your hair with a sterile plastic cap. You won’t win any beauty contests—” he gave her a wink “—but it’ll keep glass bits out of your eyes and from falling on your shirt.”
    “I should stay here,” Annie fretted. “I need to cover the window. And there’s glass to sweep up in every corner of this room.” She clutched the broom, but Sky pried it out of her hand.
    A third man, who’d begun to pack up the medical kits, indicated the open, almost-full pizza boxes on the table. “Somebody did a number on your supper. Whoever cleans this up, be sure to secure the leftovers well before you toss them in an outside garbage bin. We frequently see homeless folks and hungry kids riffling through cans around the neighborhood.”
    “That’s terrible,” Annie said. “I had no idea hunger was such a problem here. Oh, Sadie,” she cried, transferring her concern to Koot’s wife. “I couldn’t be sorrier that this happened to you in my home.” She held Sadie’s uninjured arm and helped a little as a fireman and Koot settled her onto a gurney.
    Sadie’s beautiful complexion had gone pale from pain and anxiety. Her color began seeping back after the medic gave her a shot of mild painkiller. Now she did her best to