Lullabies & Dead Bodies, page 22
“What’s wrong, Pete?”
“Just a tough day at the office.”
He could hear the wariness in his own voice, but it couldn’t be helped.
“This case we’re working on is not only heartbreaking, but it’s also becoming hazardous to our jobs. I just made detective a few months ago. That was my dream, you know? And now it seems that doing my job to the best of my ability could put that dream in jeopardy.”
He shook his head, thinking about the bitch of it all.
“I can’t talk about it to mamá or Mateo. To be honest, I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about it either, but I just…”
He sighed, and his voice trailed off. Jada was silent, and Pete could almost hear her thinking.
“Pete? Diga me.” Tell me.
Her voice was a soft comforting whisper, and Pete wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything. More than that, he wanted her to wrap her arms around him, and tell him it would all turn out okay.
“It’s just getting scary, you know? Being a police detective is all I ever wanted to do. It was the whole reason I chose to go to the academy… to make detective and become a great investigator. How fucked up would it be if I lost my dream job simply by trying to take down a corrupt high ranking officer who’d aided and abetted a serial killer?”
It was way more than he should’ve said, and he knew it. But he needed to vent to someone. He hadn’t lied to her; he truly could use a friend tonight.
“Why don’t you come over, Pete? We can talk for awhile.”
Her offer sparked a swell of hope in his chest.
“What about not wanting to introduce me to Charlie?”
He’d understood her reasons for not wanting him to meet her son just yet, and he respected them.
“Well… we’re just friends, right? That is what we decided.”
Just friends for now. That’s what she’d decided, and Pete had agreed to her terms. He would’ve agreed to anything if it meant staying close to her.
“Yeah. Just friends.”
“There’s no reason Charlie can’t meet my friend.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure. Besides… you obviously need someone to talk to.”
Relief poured over him. “Well, I… I’m actually sitting in my car outside your house right now. I was hoping maybe you’d be able to come out here and talk to me for a while.”
“You are such a stalker.”
He could hear the smile in her voice, and Pete chuckled.
“Get in here, Detective.”
Pete hung up and got out of the car. He glanced over at Ike’s house and briefly wondered if his partner was having as much trouble as he was coping with this case. As he walked through Jada’s yard she opened the front door and smiled at him.
“Hey.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then he looked her in the eyes. “I don’t want to cause any problems between you and Charlie.”
“You won’t. Come on in.”
He followed her into the house and couldn’t help the slow jaunt his gaze took over her shapely form. She was barefoot and dressed in a pair of light pink, ass-hugging, jersey-knit shorts with a matching t-shirt, and her luxurious brown hair fell in waves all around her shoulders. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her properly, preferably while groping a few of those heat-inducing curves of hers.
“Have you eaten?” Jada turned to face him and motioned to the sofa.
Pete shook his head and took a seat. “No. I haven’t been home yet.”
“Charlie and I just finished. I made enough asopao de pollo for an army. Let me get you a bowl and you can tell me all about your tough case, okay?”
He wanted to decline, knowing his mom would have a plate of whatever dish she’d made for dinner waiting in the oven for him once he got home. But the mouth-watering aroma coming from Jada’s kitchen made his stomach growl, and she’d already scampered away. He leaned back against the couch, drew in a deep breath and sighed.
Jada returned a few seconds later with a piping hot bowl of the Puerto Rican-style chicken and rice gumbo and handed it to him with a spoon.
“Thanks.” It looked as delicious as it smelled, and Pete savored a big spoonful. “Mmm! Wow. Baby this is amazing.”
She smiled brightly at him.
“Thanks. I’m glad you like it, but ah… friends don’t call friends baby.”
Pete gave her a sheepish grin and then took another big bite. “Sorry,” he murmured around his mouthful.
“Uh huh. Let me get you something to drink.”
“Water would be great.”
She disappeared into the kitchen once more, and Pete enjoyed the gumbo. He was halfway through the bowl when he saw movement on the stairs to his left.
“Mom, did you find my…”
Spoon lifted, mouth full of rice and chicken, Pete sat frozen on the couch staring at the ten-year-old boy who was eyeing him back just as hard. His heart rate shot up. Then he slowly began to chew his mouthful and swallow it down.
“Hi,” he finally managed to say.
The boy said nothing. He just stared.
Jada walked into the room with a glass of ice water. She stopped short when she noticed them staring at each other.
“Oh! Charlie… good. You came downstairs.”
She sounded as nervous as Pete felt, and she handed him the glass of water.
“Here you go.” She turned back to Charlie and smiled. “Charlie, this is my friend, Pete. He came by to talk to me about something and I offered him some dinner.”
She tried to make it sound like no big deal, but Pete knew better. This moment was a very big deal, and they all felt it.
“Why do you have a gun?”
“Charlie!”
The question surprised Pete, but he smiled.
“No, it’s okay, Jada. It’s a good question.”
Living with Mateo had taught him that honesty was always a good starting point with kids. And so was not talking to them as if they were little children.
“I’m a police officer, Charlie. A detective.”
“As a matter of fact, Charlie, Pete is Sgt. Taylor’s partner,” Jada jumped in to help explain. “You know Sgt. Taylor who moved in next door with Ms. Fairchild? He’s a detective, and Pete is his partner.”
“Oh.”
“I apologize Charlie.” Pete put the glass of water and the bowl on the table in front of him. “I should’ve taken it off and left it in my car, but I wasn’t thinking. If it bothers you, I’ll put it away.”
“It’s okay.” Charlie walked over and plopped down in the chair, never taking his eyes off Pete. “Is my mom in trouble or something?”
Pete smiled at him. “Nope. She’s just my friend. I needed to talk to a friend tonight, that’s all.”
“Why? What’s wrong with you?”
Charlie looked him over with a curious gaze.
“Charlie!”
Jada sounded shocked and Pete chuckled.
“I just had a really tough day at work. I can’t talk to anybody at home about it so… I thought maybe I could talk to your mom. She’s a good listener.”
Charlie’s gaze went from curious to something else. Something that looked a lot like suspicion to Pete. Then the kid’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you married?”
Jada gasped. “Okay, that’s enough young man!”
Pete held up a hand to quiet her. “Jada, no. It’s okay. In fact, I think it’s a great question.”
He motioned for her to take a seat next to him. Then he turned his gaze back to Charlie and studied him for a moment before he looked the kid in the eyes.
“You’re looking out for your moms, right? I get that. I respect it. It’s what any good son should do.”
Pete nodded, still studying Charlie. He seemed like a thoughtful kid. One who carried the weight of the world around on his narrow shoulders, just like Mateo.
“I am not married, Charlie. I’ve never been married. The people at home I mentioned are my mom, and my nephew, Mateo. He’s just three years older than you, and his mom… my sister, Paulina… well, she’s um…” He hesitated, wondering how best to explain. “She’s not around anymore. My mom became Mateo’s legal guardian, only she’s not in the best of health, so I moved in to help take care of him. Well… to help take care of them both, really.”
God, he hated talking about his family situation — his mother’s illness, his sister’s incarceration. It all made him incredibly sad. When he looked at Charlie again he could see the kid’s mind working, and he wondered what he was thinking.
"I don’t like talking to them about my work cases because I just don’t want either of them to worry about me, you know?”
Charlie thought about that and slowly nodded. “Because your job is dangerous?”
“It can be. Sometimes.”
The boy seemed to study Pete then.
“You like my mom. I can tell.”
Charlie’s voice held none of the tension it had earlier, and Pete surmised that he’d just passed the kid’s test.
“Other guys have liked her before too, but she didn’t like them back. I can tell she likes you though.”
Pete smiled at him, and Jada stared at him with her mouth hanging open.
“You’re right. I do like her. I like her very much. Is that going to be a problem for you?”
Charlie appeared to think about that for a moment.
“Well, you don’t seem like one of those player guys that only wants one thing from her.”
“Carlos Miguel Lopez! Exactly what one thing are you referring to?”
Jada practically shrieked, and Charlie only smirked at her.
“Come on, mom. I’m not a little kid. I’m eleven.”
“You’re ten!”
“I’ll be eleven in nineteen days. And I know what guys want from girls.”
“Oh. My. God!”
Jada sounded truly mortified at the sharp turn this conversation had taken, and the look on her face had Pete fighting hard not to laugh. Charlie turned back to Pete with a most serious expression.
“You know what I’m talking about?”
“Uh… yes. I do, I… I do.”
Was he hiding his amusement well? He didn’t want Charlie to feel patronized.
“And you won’t hurt her that way, will you?’
“Never. I wouldn’t hurt your mom in any way, Charlie. Ever.”
“You’re also not one of those thug gangster guys, so that’s good. Hope you’re not a dirty cop.”
“That is it! Go to your room, Carlos. Right now.”
Pete couldn’t hold it in any longer. He laughed out loud and placed a hand on Jada’s knee to calm her.
“Baby, he’s okay! We’re just talking man-to-man here. It’s fine.”
“It is not fine, Pete! And don’t call me baby. You’ll give him the wrong idea.”
“Oh, I think he’s got the right idea already, Jada.”
He laughed again, much to Jada’s dismay. Then he cleared his throat and turned back to Charlie, growing serious once again.
“I am definitely not a dirty cop, Charlie. Believe me… my partner would be able to spot that immediately, and he would take me down without a second thought. But this case we’re working on right now might actually involve a dirty cop. That’s why it’s so troubling. And why I needed to talk to a friend tonight.”
Charlie’s eyes grew big and round.
“You and Sgt. Taylor should be really careful, Pete. In the movies, the dirty cops will do anything when they get desperate. They’ll even kill other cops. Sometimes even their friends.”
Pete nodded, his guts suddenly grinding like a faulty gearshift.
“Yeah. I know.”
After his A-team of detectives left for the day, Gavin stuck around for a few more minutes — as he always did — to quickly brief the night shift detectives before he gathered his things, locked his office, and left the building.
The evening June air was warm and sweet, and the sky still held plenty of light. Gavin’s thoughts were muddled as he made his way to his car. Before he reached it, a distracted glance off to his right had him stumbling to a halt.
Gerri Miller.
She floated across the parking lot several yards away from him, and Gavin swallowed hard. Just the idea of her did crazy things to his insides. He’d done a good job of keeping his distance from her since that kiss in his office a month ago. The kiss that had nearly shattered all his resolve and had him begging for more. The kiss that was now threatening to rip apart his homicide division.
How many nights since then had he laid awake thinking about that damn kiss?
Abandoning the trek to his own vehicle, he marched toward her with determination and swagger in his gate. He had to talk some sense into her before he lost one of his best detectives over that stupid kiss.
“Can we talk?”
Gerri jumped slightly and turned around to face him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Gerri backed up and leaned against her car. “I don’t want to talk.”
“Detective Miller…”
“What is there to say, Lieutenant?”
She met his gaze head on, her dark brown eyes flashing fire and passion, and Gavin had to catch his breath.
“I want to stay a homicide detective,” Gerri continued. “I love my job and I’m good at it. But I don’t want to torture myself everyday either.”
“And working here everyday is suddenly torture?” Gavin asked. He knew he was being deliberately obtuse, but he had a good reason. At least, he thought he did.
Gerri rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, and Gavin inwardly cursed at the ever-present stab of hurt he saw in her beautiful eyes. She moved to open her car door, but he reached out and covered the door handle.
“Gerri, we need to talk. I need some answers here. I don’t understand what’s happening. I did things right! I stopped us from going too far. But you’re acting like a woman scorned. Like we had some kind of deep relationship that’s come to a bad end and…”
“No!” Gerri cut him off and pointed her finger in his chest. “We never got the chance to have a relationship because you cut me off at the knees. And you didn’t do it because you’re not interested in me. You are interested. I can see that; I can feel it. You want me every bit as much as I want you! And, God, I wish you didn’t, because that I could handle. But you run from me out of fear for your position. Because your job means more to you than getting involved with me. And that’s the part I can’t handle!”
Gavin opened his mouth to say something, but she kept her tirade going. And to his dismay and horror, her beautiful, soulful eyes were suddenly brimming with unshed tears.
Fuck.
“So yes… I would like to transfer to another precinct where I can continue to be a homicide detective in this city and not have to torture myself by seeing you everyday! And I’m really sorry if that makes you look bad to the chief, or whatever. That is truly not my intention. I know how important climbing the ranks is to you, so I’d never want to mess that up.”
“Gerri…”
“I have to go, sir!”
She swiped at the one traitorous tear that hit her cheek, refusing to allow anymore to fall. But he noticed she wouldn’t look him in the eyes anymore either. Gavin stood frozen as he watched her, so beautiful and so broken. He’d done that to her.
He hated himself a little for that.
“Gavin, please.”
The words were a softly spoken plea.
He silently stepped aside and allowed her to climb into her car. She started it up and slowly drove away without looking back at him. Gavin’s shoulders sagged down, as though someone had placed 80-pound weights on each of them. Then he resumed the trek to his own car wondering how he’d fucked things up so badly.
18
“So if this trip to Iowa materializes, how long will you be gone?”
They sat eating a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, and Isaac took a sip of his coffee.
“Not long. I’m guessing just an over night. Maybe two. Could end up being one of those quick over and back things.”
“When will you know?”
“As soon as Special Agent Fox knows something, I imagine. In any case, I thought it was wise to put an overnight bag in the car. And I promise to keep you in the know either way. Okay?”
Sidney smiled at him, but he could tell her heart wasn’t in it.
“I don’t like the idea of sleeping without you.”
The soft simple words gutted him like a fish. He still couldn’t figure out how in the hell he’d gotten lucky enough to find her — the one woman in the world who could change everything for him. The one woman on the planet whose touch not only didn’t cause him pain, but also soothed him when his psychic abilities went on overload. His shield. His Sidney.
He reached out a hand and took one long curl, twirling it around his finger and gently tugging forward. Sidney grinned and leaned in close. He kissed her, tasting the strawberry preserves from the toast on her lips.
“I don’t like the idea of sleeping without you either, darlin’. But we’ll get through it. Okay?”
“Okay. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
“You know I will.” He kissed her once more. Then they ate in silence for a while, and Isaac tried his best to be present and not dwell on the case.
“So how are things at the Hope House?”
Sidney brightened, and he loved the look of excited determination in her pretty eyes.
“Good so far. I think I’m really going to like it. I wasn’t aware that they sponsored programs to help these women get back on their feet. Things like resume writing and job fairs. A clothing co-op where women can donate their gently used business and professional wear for the residents of Hope House. Study sessions for those who want to take the GED exam. They do good things.”
Isaac grinned at her. “I’m glad you found a place where you feel like you can make a difference.”
“Me too.” She glanced down at her watch. “And I’d better get a move on so that I’m not late.”
She stood and began clearing the table and Isaac picked up his empty plate and followed her to the dishwasher.
