Key Witness by Christy Barritt Page A

as family.”
    “Doesn’t everyone?” Denton decided to test the waters, see how the woman reacted.
    Annabelle grimaced. “Well, not quite everyone. There were some people threatening to protest the event tonight. Thank goodness they didn’t show up.”
    “Protest? Why?”
    “One of the senator’s votes on finances didn’t sit well with them. Such is the nature of politics.” Annabelle wobbled her head back and forth, making Denton wonder if she’d had too much to drink. “And then there’s that Travis Ambler.”
    “Travis Ambler?” He knew who Ambler was, but he wanted to hear this woman’s take on the man.
    “We call him the senator’s stalker. He seems to both idolize the man, and resent him for some of his votes. He’s one strange bird. If all else fails, there’s always Bob Allen, the bottom-feeder running against the senator. Is there anyone with more enemies than a politician?” Annabelle laughed—a little too loudly—and then stepped back. “Well, nice to meet you.” Her glance fell on Elle. “We hope to see you around. Both of you.” She chuckled as she glided away.
    Denton didn’t remove his arm from Elle’s waist. Their closeness would allow them some privacy as they talked. “What are your thoughts on Ambler?”
    She didn’t hesitate to look up at him, despite their proximity. “He pops up every once in a while. Sometimes he wants an autograph, other times he wants to protest. Something’s not quite right with the man.”
    Denton only let his gaze graze Elle for a moment before looking around the room again for anything suspicious. Servers with trays perched on their shoulders wove through the crowd, two security guards stood at each set of doors to the room, and the who’s-who of the area rubbed elbows. He recognized Bentley and Brianna and several other members of Senator Philips’s staff. What was it that was bugging him?
    “I think I’ve made enough of an appearance. Are you ready to go?”
    He pulled his gaze away from the crowd for a moment and nodded. “Yeah, let’s get out of here. I’ll radio my guy to pull up the car.”
    He placed his hand on her back and led her to the doors of the ballroom. Just as they stepped into the hallway, an explosion rocked the entire building.

NINE
    E lle heard the explosion, smelled the smoke. Screams filled the air as people scrambled in a frenzy to find safety. At the far end of the room, flames licked the ceiling, the walls.
    Dad.
    Dad had been over there. Was he okay?
    How about her mother? Where was she when the explosion happened?
    She craned her neck, searching for them. All she saw was a sea of people running, grabbing, panicking. The overhead lights went dark and only the dim glow of an emergency light flickered above them. Sprinklers showered streams of water throughout the room.
    Denton’s arm circled her waist. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
    “My parents...”
    “We’ve got men over there helping them. We need to get you to safety.”
    People pushed, shoved, bustled to get past. Arms grabbed at her, jostling her about.
    “Help! My wife! She’s trapped!”
    Elle would know that voice anywhere. “My mom. We’ve got to help.”
    “It’s not safe.”
    She squeezed his arm. “Please.”
    Denton’s gaze met hers, and Elle could see the strain in his eyes. His job was to protect her, but someone else—someone Elle loved—was in danger. She couldn’t live with herself if something happened to her mom when she could have helped.
    Denton grabbed her hand. “Don’t leave my side. Understand?”
    She nodded. Denton pulled her through the crowd, toward the fire. Elle’s gaze scanned the area, looking for any more signs of danger. All she saw was fear.
    The smoke thickened, creeping into her lungs. The acrid smell of burning plaster and metal became stronger. Her hair fell from the twist that held it back, causing wisps to cling to her face.
    There. Her mom was pinned underneath a beam as flames shot closer. Her