"I called the Sheriff immediately, then I looked around."

A brave but dangerous thing to do , Reese thought to herself. "Did you see anyone walking on the road before you got here, or a car that seemed out of place?"

"No. But then I wasnt looking for anything. I came straight here from Herring Cove."

Reese studied the woman carefully, noting the strong forearms exposed by the rolled sleeves of her white coat. She wore a simple deep blue polo shirt and pressed blue jeans underneath. She looked to be about thirty-five, lightly tanned with a smattering of freckles on her cheeks that only added to her attractiveness. She had the well-toned look of an athlete, despite the cane at her side. "Your kayak?"

Victoria ran a hand absently through the short layers of her shoulder length hair, shrugging slightly as she did so.

"Yes." She waited for the expression of disbelief that usually followed. Most people looked at her leg and assumed she couldnt manage anything physical. She had come to expect it, but it still angered her.

"Do you do that everyday?" Reese asked pointedly.

"Yes, why?" Victoria replied defensively.

"Because in a town this small any local would know that," Reese responded evenly, giving no sign that she had heard the edge in the doctor's tone. "And they would also know when the clinic was empty."

"Oh, I see," Victoria murmured, feeling a little foolish at her own reaction. She wasnt usually so sensitive. Maybe it was just the stress of the situation or the fact that this rigidly professional officer unsettled her. The cool, controlled manner of the woman across from her was disconcerting. She was so remote as to be unreadable. Victoria was used to establishing rapport quickly with people, and now she felt a little off balance. The sheriffs precise, impersonal approach reminded her of some surgeons she had known - excellent technicians but no feel for people.

"Are you all right, Doctor?" Reese asked quietly. The womans tension was obvious.

Victoria was more affected by the violation of her clinic than she had realized, a fact that apparently had not escaped the notice of the observant sheriff. She was embarrassed to appear less than capable in front of her, and then quickly wondered why she should care. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, Im fine, thank you. Im usually much better in a crisis."

Reese smiled. "I dont imagine you deal with this sort of thing very often."

Victoria breath caught at the sudden transformation that accompanied that brilliant smile. Suddenly, the sculpted features were suffused with compassionate warmth, and a stunning beauty. It was like watching a work of art unexpectedly come to life. She blushed at her visceral reaction, hoping she wasnt as transparent as she felt. She was grateful to see that the dark head was bent over a small note pad Reese had balanced on her crossed knee. Taking herself firmly in hand, Victoria replied calmly, "Youre right. What can I tell you that will help?"

"Whats missing?"

Victoria raised her hands helplessly. "I have no idea. Ill have to inventory all the examining rooms and the pharmacy."

"What drugs do you have here?"

"The usual - antibiotics, a lot of pharmaceutical samples, AIDS meds"

"What about narcotics?"

"Not much. I dont dispense drugs here, but I need a small quantity of a variety of medications in the event of emergency. Im the only doctor for thirty-five miles. I have a limited supply of codeine, percocet, methadone."

"Injectibles?"

"About a dozen ampoules of morphine. All of the narcotics are locked in the drug closet."

"Was it broken into?"

"I didnt have time to check."

"Lets do that."

Reese followed the doctor into a small room at the rear of the building that was little more than a walk-in closet. Shelves held linens, sealed surgical packs, IV solutions, and other supplies. A cabinet with a built in lock was tucked into the corner of the room.

Victoria sighed with relief when she saw that the door to the drug locker appeared sound. Inserting a key, she opened the front and scanned the interior.

"It looks okay."

"Good," Reese replied. "Ill need a list of all the employees, the cleaning service, and anyone else who has access to this building. Who owns the building?"

"I do." Victoria grasped Reeses arm as Reese turned to leave the storeroom. "Theres no way anyone who works here would do this."

Reese faced her, her expression carefully neutral. "Im sure youre right. Its just routine."

After Victoria prepared a preliminary list, Reese folded it into her note pad. She studied the doctor for a moment, not missing the slightly distracted look in her eyes.

"Are you sure youre all right?"

Victoria extended her hand, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin. She was very aware of being appraised by the cool blue eyes that searched her face. "I am. Thank you, Sheriff."

Reese shook the offered hand.

"Maam." She touched a hand to her cap and left.

Chapter Two

"Tory! Tory! Where are you?"

"In here," Tory called, "in the procedure room." She looked up from where she was kneeling, sorting and cataloging supplies, to greet the clinics head nurse. "Hey, Sal - glad to see you."

"What is going on? Are you okay?" Sally Price asked anxiously, surveying the mess on the floor.

"Yeah, Im fine - somebody broke in last night."

"I saw the cop out front. Shes a new one, isnt she?" Sally retrieved several unopened boxes of surgical gauze from the floor and stacked them on the counter. "What a hunk! Did you catch the body? Jesus!"

"God, you never miss a thing do you?

"Not when it comes to women," Sally laughed. "So are we seeing patients or what?"

Tory rose slowly to her feet, trying to ignore the cramp in her leg. "I think wed better reschedule the morning ones. We need to clean this place up and figure out whats missing.

Sally sighed. "Ill start calling. Come out when you can and tell me about this morning."

"You mean tell you all about the Deputy Sheriff, dont you?" Tory questioned sharply. She wasnt sure why, but she didnt want to talk about the remote, albeit attractive sheriff. She would rather forget about her all together. Tory knew that the sheriff had simply been doing her job - calmly, coolly, and entirely professionally. But there had been something about her attitude of command that had taken Tory by surprise. No one had ever managed to set her emotions so on edge from a single encounter. And no woman had captured her attention so immediately in more years than she could count.

Sally couldnt miss the strain in Torys voice. She had never known anything to upset her usually implacable demeanor. In fact, sometimes Sally wondered if her reclusive friend wouldnt benefit from a little disruption in her life. From her point of view, Torys life was all together too safe and predictable. In the four years they'd worked together, she had never known her to date anyone, or even show interest in doing so. Tory worked longer and longer hours, refused to consider taking on an associate, and even when she could be coaxed out to a party, she usually made an excuse to leave early. Sally had made any number of attempts to set her up with friends, but Tory always smiled and firmly declined.

"You dont like her, do you?" Sally stated. "Shes so gorgeous she should be illegal - so tell me what she did to piss you off."

Tory looked startled, her cheeks coloring. "I dont have any opinion of her, one way or the other. I hardly know her!"

"So, okay!" Sally cried, raising her hands in mock surrender. "So dont tell me what she did to make you so touchy!!!"

Tory stared at her in total exasperation. "Just go, already! Call patients!" She turned resolutely back to her checklist, determined to put the tall, handsome officer from her thoughts.

*********

"So, what have you got?" Nelson asked before Reese even reached her desk.

She pulled a blank report form from a stack in the file cabinet and settled into her chair.

"Amateur break in. Rear window smashed, cabinets rifled, stuff thrown around. They didnt get to the drug cabinet, which either means they werent locals or the doctor surprised them before they had finished."

Reese reflected on the clear strong features of the clinic director -- her rich auburn hair and porcelain skin, and the way her green eyes sparked fire when she was provoked. The thought of Victoria King walking in unexpectedly in the midst of a bungled robbery made her uncomfortable. She had a feeling the doctor might have tried to handle things herself. Reese dismissed the disconcerting image and unfamiliar disquiet and methodically began to fill out her report.

"What?" Nelson asked when he saw her frown. He could tell something was on her mind; she had that distant look in her eyes again.

"If she had walked into the middle of that, it might have been a disaster," Reese said quietly. "She doesnt look like the type to back away from trouble, and she could have gotten herself hurt."

Nelson snorted. "Dont bet on it. The doc has some kind of black belt in one of those martial arts. Plus shes strong as a horse. Ive seen her lift a grown man onto a stretcher without blinking. That leg slows her down some, but it sure doesnt stop her."

"Im glad to hear she can take care of herself," Reese said, bending her head to her paper work, ignoring the strange lingering unease. There was no point thinking about something that hadnt happened. She had work to do.

Nelson stared at her, aware that he had been dismissed, but at a loss to know why. Damn, she was a hard one to figure!

When Gladys Martin, the sole department secretary, dispatcher, and general all around manager showed up for her nine to five shift, she found them both silently typing. She wondered, not for the first time, how well the chief was going to adjust to his new deputy. It wasnt so much that she was a woman, as the fact that she wasnt so much like a woman. Gladys had a feeling that he hadnt had much close experience with this type. The girl was so private it made you all the more curious. And God knows, Nelson Parker was too curious as it was! But anyone with a smile like that young one had - the kind that breaks your heart whether you were "that way" or not - was worth getting to know, even if it did take some work!

"Good morning you two!" she said, settling behind the reception desk and general message center. "Why is it you both look busy? The president coming?"

Nelson snorted and Reese smiled as she tilted back in her swivel chair.

"I thought he only went as far as Nantucket," Reese joked. "Not civilized enough out here."

"Then it must be the excitement out at the clinic."

"How do you know about that?" Nelson asked in surprise. Was there nothing Gladys didnt know about?

"You forgot about my scanner, Chief," Gladys replied smugly.

"Dont call me Chief ," Nelson replied automatically.

Reese stood up and stretched, grinning at the friendly banter. "Im going to make another tour, Chief," she called, already anxious to be out of the cramped office.

Gladys waited until the door swung closed before turning to the Sheriff.

"Hows she doing?"

"About what youd expect, considering her resume. Shes the best officer Ive ever had!"

"Quiet, isnt she."

Nelson eyed his old friend speculatively. "Just what is it you want to know, you old busybody?"

"Ha! Like you arent nosey! I worry about a young girl like that in this town out on the end of nowhere. Could get mighty lonely."

"She doesnt seem lonely to me," Nelson mused. "Just solitary - like shes used to being alone."

"That can get awfully close to lonely," Gladys observed.

"Maybe. But I wouldnt worry about her too much. Looks to me like shed have no trouble finding company, no matter what kind she chose."

"As if it aint plain what kind of company that would be!" Gladys commented dryly.

"Now dont go making assumptions, just because this is Provincetown," Nelson remarked, irked that Gladys always seemed to know more than he did.

"Oh, Nelson. You could put that girl anywhere in the country and shed be turning womens heads!"

"Yours too, Gladys?" he joked.

"If I werent so old and twenty years married to George, she just might at that."

Nelson stared at her, finally at a loss for words.

**********

Reese left the engine running outside the deli while she ran inside for a sandwich. The two women who ran the tiny gourmet market in the center of town greeted her warmly. After only a short time she seemed like one of their regulars.