Saints and Sinners, page 2
part #1 of Jessie St James Adventures Series
“I didn’t do anything specifically to hurt her, and John Lucky didn’t almost get me killed. If anything, he saved my life. More than that, he doesn’t have anything to do with my decisions,” Jessie said. “I just always felt like this was what I was supposed to be doing. I went to the police academy and I got assigned a job here. In a few months, I took the detective’s exam. None of that happened because I wanted to make my mother feel bad or because I wanted to impress an old flame.”
“No, but you knew she would feel bad,” Katie said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have done it all in secret. You know how your mother feels about the idea of her child being a police officer. She’s felt that way ever since your brother—”
“I remember what happened to my brother,” Jessie snapped, stepping back a few footsteps out of instinct more than anything. It was like she wanted to run away from the memory, run away from that night and what it took from her. “Storms pass,” she muttered. “They always pass.”
“I don’t want you to feel hurt or attacked,” Katie said, rounding the car and settling in front of her best friend. “Especially seeing as how you just gave me this sweet television.”
“That was Aunt Paula, not me,” Jessie said. “The perks of getting engaged to a rich man, I suppose.”
“How many engagements is this for her, anyway?” Katie asked. “I lost count at six.”
“You know Aunt Paula. She likes to change her mind,” Jessie said. “Besides, after both John and Eddie, I feel like I might be following in her footsteps.”
“Good thing she’s never actually gone through with any of these marriages,” Katie said. “Otherwise, you’d need a glass of water on hand just to say her full name.”
“Very funny,” Jessie said. “I really hope this is the one that works for her.”
“Me too,” Katie said. “And I’m sure your mom thought the same thing about you and Eddie or you and your job at the law firm. She doesn’t want to control you. She just wants you to be safe and fulfilled because she loves you.” Katie nudged her best friend with her shoulder. “We both do.”
“I know that,” Jessie said. “It’s just . . . sometimes, it’s hard to cut through the rest of it.”
“You should try,” Katie said. “As someone who would give literally anything in the world for just one more day with her mom, trust me when I tell you it’s worth it.”
“I know that too,” Jessie said, wrapping her best friend up in a quick hug. “And thank you so much. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Have an extra flat screen, for starters.” Katie laughed.
Jessie’s phone buzzed on her hip and she looked down at the screen. “There are other reasons, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to discuss them later.” She held the phone up, showing that the message came from her boss, the chief of police. “I’m afraid duty is calling.”
2
When Jessie showed her best friend Katie the phone, letting her know her boss needed to see her, it went without saying that her boss was also her father. They didn’t need to say this because in a place as small and tight-knit as Sanibel Island, everyone knew who the chief of police was. He was the person who got free pie at Peggy’s on Thursdays nights. He was the man who left the collection plate a little heavier as he passed it on during Sunday services. He was the man who’d lost his son all those years ago to a killer who still hadn’t been caught and brought to justice. He was something of a legend in this town, but Jessie just called him Dad. Well, she did most of the time, anyway.
“Chief St. James,” she said, using both her father’s title and surname as she stepped into his office and closed the door behind her. It wasn’t for any covert reasoning. She knew everyone knew of their relationship, and she imagined that more than a few town residents figured her quick rise to detective status had less to do with her own skills and more to do with obvious connections. If they’d have seen the way her father pushed her, they’d know differently. Chief Clint St. James had no desire to see his daughter on some fast track. In fact, if anything, he was harder on her. The fact that Jessie was where she was in such a short time was even more impressive given who her father was. It also probably had a lot to do with her tenacity and the fact that she already had a master’s degree in criminal justice and years of experience working closely with detectives thanks to her former job as an assistant district attorney. Or that’s the way she saw it, anyway.
“Detective St. James,” he answered, using similar formality. He too didn’t want to give off the image of impropriety. So, even with the door closed, while they were in uniform, they acted just as any other officer and her boss might. “Your mother’s making pot roast tonight. I’m very excited.”
Well, for the most part they did, anyway.
Jessie’s eyes tightened. “You didn’t call me in here just to tell me that, did you? I mean, I’m a fan of Mom’s cooking just as much as the next guy, but I was kind of busy.”
“Raiding your Aunt Paula’s house for valuables is hardly what I’d call busy,” her father said, writing on the first of what had to be a stack of a hundred and fifty papers that sat in front of him.
A smile crept across Jessie’s face. “And how do you know what I was doing?” she asked.
“I’m the chief of police. I have eyes everywhere.”
“You wouldn’t spare even a set of those eyes to keep tabs on me,” Jessie said. “Not when they could be patrolling. Good to know Mom’s been keeping a close watch over me.” Jessie shook her head. “I do find it curious, though, that while she refuses to talk to me, that doesn’t keep her from knowing my every move.”
“Your mother doesn’t refuse to talk to you. That’s ridiculous,” her father answered.
“Is it? Because it’s been three days since she’s even said so much as ‘Good Morning’.”
“She’s busy,” her father said.
“She’s not that busy.”
“Look, we can argue about your mother later. That’s not why I brought you in here.”
“I didn’t figure it was,” Jessie responded. “So, why don’t you tell me why you brought me here, Da—er, Chief St. James?”
Her father looked up at her, hitting her with eyes that looked so much like Nate’s that it took her breath away for a moment. It happened like that sometimes. She would just be going about her day, minding her own business and trying to live her life. Then something small would happen out of the blue. Someone would laugh, and it would sound like his laugh. A person would say something that he used to say. It would storm, and she’d remember how he used to be there to comfort her, to promise her that, like all storms, this one would pass too. But he was gone and she had to do that herself now.
Jessie shook her head slightly, pushing the thought from the forefront of her mind.
“Daisy Marks went into labor last night,” her father said.
“What?” Jessie asked, tilting her head to the side. “Jack’s wife? That’s great. How’s everything going?”
“Everything already went,” Chief St. James said. “It went very well, actually, to the tune of a six-pound, five-ounce baby girl. They’re thrilled.”
“So am I,” Jessie answered, a smile tugging its way across her face. “I’ll have to go see them later.”
“You should,” Chief St. James said. “And, when you do, be sure to wish Jack well in Naples.”
“Naples?” Jessie asked. “What would Jack be doing in Naples?”
“Moving there,” Chief St. James said. “He put in for a transfer this morning. Apparently, it’s where Daisy’s mother lives, and she wants to be close to her now that the baby is here. They’ll be leaving as soon as mother and daughter are released from the hospital.”
“But Jack’s my partner. He can’t leave town,” Jessie said.
“Correction. He’s your ex-partner, and seeing as how this is America and we’re not allowed to tell people what to do with their lives, he most certainly can leave. And I’m afraid he is.” Chief St. James shook his head. “Look, I’m sorry to see him go too. We don’t have many detectives on Sanibel Island, all things considered, and he’s definitely one of our better ones. But the road turns the way it turns. Everything happens for a reason. You know that.”
“Spare me,” Jessie muttered, rolling her eyes. The last thing she needed was one of her father’s ‘everything happens for a reason, there’s a grand plan for you’ speeches. Jessie didn’t believe in that. She hadn’t for a very long time.
“Regardless of how you feel about it, it’s happening,” Chief St. James said, turning his attention back to the papers on his desk. “I’ve assigned you a new partner, and I’m afraid the two of you are just going to have to try your best to get along.”
“Try my best?” Jessie asked. “Why would I have to try to get along with someone?”
Chief St. James shook his head and sighed. “Just don’t bring up prom, okay?”
“Prom?” Jessie asked, confused. “Like high school prom? Why on earth would I ever—” The woman’s eyes went wide as the truth dawned on her. But no. It couldn’t be. Her father couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have. Sure, they had a strictly professional relationship while they were in uniform, but even so, he would certainly know better than to team her up with him.
“Tell me it’s not Roman Parks,” Jessie said, throwing her hands in the air.
“Look, sweetheart. If you would just—”
“No!” Jessie said, running a frantic hand through her hair. “You have to look at me, right now, and tell me that you haven’t assigned me to work with Roman Parks, of all people.”
“Jessie,” Chief St. James said. “You need to—”
“Dad!” Jessie shouted. “If Roman Parks comes walking through that door, I’ll—”
Jessie turned to look, as if to add a bit of flavor to her argument. Instead of finding a closed door, she found it wide open, with none other than Roman Parks leaned up against the doorway, an infuriating smirk on his face.
“Don’t let me stop you,” Roman said, cockiness dripping from his words. “I’m really curious to know what happens if I come walking in.” He bit his lower lip. “The suspense is killing me.”
3
“Get in here and close the door behind you,” Chief St. James said, glaring at Roman as he finally stood up from his desk. Jessie knew her father well, and she knew the look on his face. It was the same look he’d had that day he drove her and Kelly all the way to Orlando and the girls refused to stop singing Backstreet Boys songs in the backseat. It was his ‘I’ve had enough of this’ look, and Jessie knew exactly what happened after her father started wearing it.
“Dad,” Jessie said, holding her hands out in front of her and keeping her tone calm.
“Not another word. I’m talking now,” her father said, shaking his head. “Do you think I need this? Do you think it’s good for my image for people to see my daughter throwing a fit inside my office at the simplest change, a change they’re all subject to as well?”
“It’s not a simple change, Dad,” she said, forgoing the formalities given the nature of the conversation.
“It’s as simple as they come around these parts,” Chief St. James answered. “People train for trouble in this job, Jessie. They wake up every morning not knowing whether they’re going to get shot at.”
“Oh, come on,” Jessie exclaimed. “This is Sanibel Island. It’s not exactly crime infested.”
“You think that because you’re not in the big city anymore, you’re not going to be faced with serious things?” Jessie’s father asked, genuine shock on his face. “I certainly hope that’s not the case because if it is, you won’t last very long in this job.”
A wave of shame ran through her. Jessie hadn’t meant to make assumptions about this town or the nature of her father’s job or the jobs of the people who worked under him. She hadn’t been in this position nearly long enough to do that sort of thing. Still, she had to believe there was some truth to what she’d said. Certainly, the sort of crime that existed in an island town that ran on tourist traffic and farming income wasn’t the same as what ran rampant in Chicago, where she’d just left.
What was more, she had seen more than her fair share of horrible things while working as a lawyer in the Windy City. If her father thought she was going to shock easily, then he had another thing coming.
“I promise you, I can take whatever this island wants to throw at me,” Jessie answered.
“Somebody’s got her big girl pants on,” Roman muttered from beside her.
“And you!” Chief St. James exclaimed, pointing a sharp finger at Roman. “Don’t think I can’t see what you’re doing.”
“I assure you, Chief, I’m not doing anything,” the man answered, batting bright blue eyes at Jessie, the same bright eyes that had once enticed her and now only seemed to irritate the woman.
“Don’t play coy with me, Detective Parks,” Chief St. James answered. “I know what intentionally pushing my daughter’s buttons looks like, son. Let’s not forget that I was there when they were installed.”
“Chief,” Roman said, sighing and looking from Jessie to her father and back again. “I promise you that whatever ancient problems your daughter might have with me, they’re a mystery to me. I’m more than happy to do my job in whatever capacity is asked of me.”
“Well, I am too!” Jessie shouted as though this were a contest and she was afraid she was going to lose. “I’m even happier to do my job, and my ancient problems are forgotten, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Isn’t that nice,” Chief St. James said, shaking his head. “You’re both good liars.”
“What?” Jessie asked, her eyes widening.
“You think I didn’t know you had a problem with Roman? I remember prom. I remember how much you cried when—”
“Dad!” Jessie shouted, a blush running up her cheeks.
“It doesn’t matter,” Chief St. James said, waving his hand. “The fact of the matter is, I don’t have any place to put either of you. You’re brand-spanking-new, Jessie, and Roman has something of a reputation as being hard to work with.”
“Shocker,” Jessie murmured, crossing her arms over her chest.
Roman scoffed. “Two of your partners ask for transfers and suddenly, you’ve ‘got a reputation’,” Roman said, putting up air quotes around the last words.
“Honestly, I’m surprised it was only two,” Jessie said, looking over at the man.
“And I’m not surprised you’re already halfway there,” Roman said. “Word around town is Jack Marks is skipping town after only two weeks as your partner. That’s impressive, even for me.”
“Why don’t you go jump in the Gulf?” Jessie mused.
“Why don’t you go show me how?” Roman asked.
“Are you two being serious right now?” Chief St. James asked. “You’ve been in the same room for all of three minutes, and somehow, you’ve devolved into spatting teenagers. Honestly, I expected more from both of you.”
“You-you had expectations of me?” Roman asked, narrowing his eyes.
“I have expectations of all my officers, especially the ones who have as much potential as you,” Chief St. James said. “So, here’s how this is going to work. You’re not the first officers in the world to be assigned new partners. I’m going to go so far as to say that you’re not the first to be assigned to partners they don’t like. You’re going to have to do what all of those people did. Which is to say you’re going to have to do your job.” He shook his head again. “You will suck it up, you will find a way to work with each other, or the two of you will be looking for other jobs. It’s as simple as that. Are you understanding me?”
And just like that, Jessie was a little girl again, standing in front of her father and being scolded.
“Yes sir,” Roman answered through a clenched jaw.
“And you?” Chief St. James asked, turning to his daughter. Jessie didn’t answer. “Jessie?” he insisted.
“Yes sir,” she said softly.
“Good,” Chief St. James said. “Because I need the both of you to go out to the beach. We have a situation there.”
“What sort of situation?” Jessie asked, her eyebrows knitting together.
“A couple of tourists called it in a few minutes ago. There are a few beat cops out there now, but they’re in over their heads,” Chief St. James said.
“In over their heads how?” Roman asked. “What happened at the beach?”
Chief St. James blinked hard. “The tourists,” he said. “They found a body.”
4
The idea of a body washing up on the shores of Sanibel Island didn’t sit too well with Jessie. In fact, it stirred up all sorts of complicated emotions. Before leaving, her father informed her and Roman that the initial reports from the crime scene led him to believe there had been some sort of foul play involved. To the best of her knowledge, which was pretty good considering her father’s job, there hadn’t been a death that involved foul play on Sanibel Island since that horrible night back in her house, the night when her brother died.
The fact that it seemed to be happening again was enough to throw her right back into that mindset, to toss the woman directly into the worst night of her life. She remembered how she felt that night, her hands clasped together, praying that the man who’d broken into their house wouldn’t find her. She prayed that her father would come home and save her. She prayed that her brother would be all right. A few of those prayers were answered, but not enough of them, if you asked Jessie.
In fact, part of her believed that what happened that night, stuffed between the dryer and the washing machine, was the reason she’d ended up with the police department. If she couldn’t rely on someone or something else to keep her and the people she loved safe, to answer her prayers, then she’d have to go about the business of answering them herself. That was why she had no intention of letting the sight of this body shake her nerves. It was why she pushed the thoughts of her brother and the way his death affected her and her family far into the back of her mind. It was why she steeled herself and turned her attention to something else as she looked over at Roman, who was behind the wheel of the squad car they now drove in.
