Tracking Tahlula (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) (On Call Book 3)

by Freya Barker

  “That doesn’t sound too promising.” As much as I don’t mind staying here with Evan—after my initial knee-jerk objections—I didn’t move to Durango only to start hiding out again.

  “We’ll get there,” Keith says with a reassuring smile. “The bad news is we have a lot of leads still to run down—including locating that truck—but having a lot of directions to go in is also the good news. Better than having no leads left. In other news, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Ms. Griffion’s body will be released tomorrow. Her sister is arranging to have her transported back to Denver.”

  I hadn’t heard. The last time I spoke with Jaimie was some time before the weekend, so I resolve to give her a call as soon as Keith leaves. With everything that has happened, I haven’t allowed myself much time to grieve the loss of my friend, something I’ve known would catch up to me at some point. The detective’s reference to her as a ‘body’ suddenly hits home and my eyes burn with tears.

  “Shit,” he grumbles, covering my hand with his. “Autumn would kick my ass. I don’t always think before I speak; I’m sorry if I upset you.”

  “No, not at all,” I reassure him quickly. “I guess I’ve just not yet processed the fact she’s really gone. She was my go-between to the outside world for so long, it’s hard to imagine handling things without her.”

  “No word on what’s happening to her agency?” he wants to know.

  “Her assistant, Jaimie, could run it, but we’re not sure what her sister wants to do with it. I may be in the market for a new agency to represent me.”

  “I’m sure the business part of things will work out for you,” he says, getting up from his chair. “You can always skip the agency and hire Mrs. Sutherland directly.”

  “I guess that could be an option.” I stand as well and follow him to the front door.

  “Before I forget,” he says, turning to me. “Autumn wanted to know if you and Evan would like to come over for dinner sometime this week.”

  “I’d love that, but I’m not sure about Evan. I don’t even know what his schedule will be. He’s finding out if he’s cleared for work as we speak. I can let her know.”

  Being invited for dinner is new for me, as is being treated as part of a couple. I’m not sure yet if I like it.

  As soon as Keith backs out of the driveway, I call the agency and get Jaimie on the phone.

  “Did you know Lena’s body is being released?”

  “Yeah. I was gonna call you. I just got off the phone with Sue; she’s already met with the funeral home that is arranging for Lena’s transport. She is working out the details for a funeral on either Friday or Saturday and asked me to get in touch with you to see if you’d consider speaking at the service.”

  “Me?” Jaimie chuckles at my reaction.

  “Yes, you. Of all her authors, Lena was always closest with you. Besides, you do have a way with words.”

  “Writing them. Not reciting them in public,” I protest, a little nauseated at the thought. It’s one thing to write the words thousands read in the anonymity of their own homes, but completely different to stand up in front of a crowd and address them directly.

  “You’ll be great,” Jaimie assures me. “Do you want me to make travel arrangements for you?”

  “I can do that. Just let me know what day it’s going to end up being.”

  “Will do, and if you could possibly tack on a day or two, I have a few things I’d like to go over with you, and your editor would like a meeting to discuss a few things about Mens Rea.”

  “As long as they don’t expect me to fly to New York.” Last thing I want to do right now is travel across the country. “Tell them I’m in my third trimester and don’t want to venture too far from home.”

  “Already done. She says she’ll come here to meet with you, if you tell her when you can make yourself available. I think she might want to be here for Lena’s funeral as well. That would make things a lot easier to organize.”

  “Okay, in that case, you can book me a flight as soon as you’ve figured out what is happening.”

  I’ve barely hung up with Jaimie when Evan walks in the front door, not even pausing before taking me in his arms, kissing me hungrily.

  “What’s that all about?” I ask grinning, when he lets me up for air.

  “I’m back on shift tomorrow morning,” he announces. “As much as that pleases me, the moment I step foot in the firehouse, my time is no longer my own. I have fifteen and a half hours left and very specific ideas on how I’d like to spend those.”

  “Is that a fact?” I tease him playfully.

  “Damn right it is,” he mumbles, curling his fingers in my hair and pulling my head back, leaving my neck exposed. With open mouth he trails lips and tongue along the stretched tendons, tasting the hollow at the base of my throat. Goosebumps rise over my sensitized skin and heat pools between my legs.

  “What about dinner?”

  “Fuck dinner. I’d rather eat you.”

  18

  Evan

  “We found the truck.”

  Tony Ramirez—another one of Durango PD’s finest—walks up to the rig.

  We were called out to a fire at a storage facility, north of town, a couple of hours ago. One row of units was already almost engulfed when we got there. We had to use a bolt cutter to get into the storage lockers and discovered a bunch of weapons and what was left of a cot in one of the larger ones. Durango PD was called in immediately.

  “The truck?” I echo.

  “Blue. Confederate flag. Damage to the passenger side rear. Stored in a unit two rows over, at the back.”

  “No shit.”

  “Manager said the same name on the rental agreement for the locker with the guns was also on a second one. We checked and the truck was parked in there. Wanna come have a look and confirm?”

  I finish storing and securing the hose before following Tony to the back of the property. I can see from a distance it’s the same truck. Blackfoot is talking to the manager when we approach.

  “That it?” he wants to know.

  “It is. Know who owns it?”

  “We’re just figuring it out. Both units and the vehicle are registered to a business called RDS. Ever hear of it?”

  “Nope.”

  “Me neither. We’ve got someone looking into it. The address is a Grand Junction one.”

  “Cheddar! We’re ready to roll here!” Cap waves me over.

  “I should head out. Keep me in the loop?”

  “We’ll be in touch.” Tony gives me a chin lift before turning back to the truck, and I jog over to where the guys are waiting by the rig.

  The call had come in about half an hour before the next shift was scheduled to start, so it’s already closing in on eleven in the morning by the time we get back to the fire station. Instead of going up to shower first, I grab my things and calling goodbye over my shoulder, jog out to my truck.

  Tahlula has a plane to catch. I’d offered to take time off to head to Denver with her, but she didn’t want me to miss more work. I was determined to take her to the airport, though. Jaimie is supposed to pick her up in Denver, and Tahlula will be staying at her friend’s instead of at the hotel she’d initially booked.

  I quickly shoot her a text I’m on my way before pulling out of the station parking lot.

  “You stay with Evan, buddy,” she tells Luke twenty minutes later while I haul her suitcase out to the truck. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Of course not. We’ll be fine, won’t we, big guy?” Luke seems to understand when he lumbers back to his bed and flops down with a groan.

  “I see I’ve been replaced,” Tahlula comments, and I pull her into my arms.

  “No one could replace you.” Her eyes smile at my words and I realize how true they are. I’m seriously falling for this woman. I press a hard kiss to that inviting mouth of hers before dragging her out of the house, locking the door behind us.

  “So you know, you’re pretty ir
replaceable yourself,” she says when we hit the road. “I was just thinking how weird it’ll be all of a sudden sleeping alone again.”

  “Are you telling me you’ll miss me?” I tease.

  “I guess. Hey!” she yelps when I poke her side.

  “I guess I’ll miss you too,” I confess, grinning. “I always liked my house, but I’m afraid you’ve ruined it for me.”

  “That a fact?”

  “Mmmm. I may have to convince the dog to snuggle with me tonight.”

  “You’re gonna spoil him, aren’t you?”

  I don’t respond. We both know I will. Tahlula’s fairly strict with not feeding him people food and has caught me, a time or two, sneaking him a piece of bacon or steak. He and I have plans for dinner involving a grill and a couple of T-bones.

  Traffic isn’t bad since it’s in the middle of the day, and we get to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

  “You don’t have to park, you can drop me right at the door,” she suggests.

  “I’m seeing you off, not tossing you out.”

  She rolls her eyes, but her mouth smiles. “Let me guess, it’s no use objecting because you need to do this?”

  “You’re learning.”

  She doesn’t even object when I drag her suitcase behind me instead of letting her. When she first told me about Lena’s funeral tomorrow, and her appointment with her editor on Monday, we got into a bit of an argument. I’d voiced some concern about her flying at this stage in her pregnancy and had suggested she visit with her doctor first. She’d countered she’d drive instead, since her Lexus would be fixed this week. I really didn’t like that option at all and didn’t hesitate sharing, which led to a rather heated discussion around safety. We ended up compromising; Lula called her doctor, who cleared her to fly, and I didn’t interfere and trusted her to stay safe. The deal was sealed with a healthy round of make-up sex that had her riding me hard as I watched myself disappear into her beautiful body.

  She doesn’t even budge when I tell the United Airways attendant to check her carry-on suitcase, because I don’t want her to lift that thing into the overhead luggage compartment. The attendant snickers when Tahlula flashes a suffering expression the woman’s way. Let them make fun of me, at least I’m getting my way.

  “Call me when you’re with Jaimie.”

  We’re waiting in a short line before security and I have my arms looped around her waist. Her hands are on my chest and she tilts her head back. “That’s in a little over an hour. You’ll be at home asleep. I’m not going to wake you, I’ll call tonight.”

  “I’m not sleeping until I know you’ve landed safely and have someone with you. Call me.”

  “Fine. Bossy much?” she mumbles, and I tug her closer for a thorough kiss.

  “Thank you,” I whisper, my lips still against hers.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I’m gonna miss you.”

  “I’ll be back on Tuesday.” She smiles and I look down into her amused eyes.

  “That’s four mornings of waking up to doggy breath.”

  She chuckles. “You’ll live.”

  I drop my forehead to hers and dead serious I tell her, “Barely.”

  Tahlula

  Jaimie booked me business class, which isn’t saying much on the short one-hour flight from Durango to Denver. We’re barely in the air long enough to get drinks served, which in my case have to be non-alcoholic anyway. I am grateful for the extra room, though. This past month my ass seems to have doubled in size—it needs it.

  A very nice gentleman lifts my suitcase off the conveyor belt for me, just as I hear Jaimie’s squealed greeting. Jaimie, who is five nothing, plasters herself against my front, her arms wrapping around me.

  “I’m so happy you’re here! My God, look at you—you’re glowing and you’ve expanded.”

  “Don’t remind me,” I grumble, as she grabs my case and starts leading the way to the exit.

  Once in the car, she twists in her seat to look at me. “I’m serious, you are glowing. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you…” Something in my expression must have given me away. “…got laid? You got some? I’m so jealous! Here you are, even more gorgeous pregnant, when I looked like a sleep-deprived Michelin man. I still do, and I already popped the baby. Of course, I haven’t had sex in over a year—not since that asshole got me knocked up—but I’m so glad for you!”

  There is so much information there, and most of it makes my heart ache for her.

  “How is that beautiful baby boy?” I ask, carefully avoiding the subject of her husband while she’s behind the wheel. At least until I have access to a bottle of wine to numb her when I rip that thin scab off.

  “River is finally sleeping through the night, which I’m super grateful for. I thought for sure the day would never come. He smiles these big, beautiful, drool smiles, and his eyes light up when I get him from Mom’s. Do you mind if we swing by there and pick him up? Mom offered to keep him until after the funeral, but I prefer having him close. We’ll drop him off on our way out tomorrow.”

  “I don’t mind at all. I can’t wait to get my hands on him to practice.”

  “How much longer?” she asks.

  “Eleven weeks, if all goes well.”

  “Why wouldn’t it go well?”

  “Apparently I have some condition called gestational thrombocytopenia, a shortage of platelets. It’s something they’ll keep a close eye on. It’s generally harmless and resolves itself when the baby is born.”

  “Never heard of it. Do you need meds for that?”

  “Only if the counts go down further.”

  “And what about the man who put that glow on your face?”

  I haven’t exactly filled Jaimie in on Evan yet. We’ve both been a little preoccupied with Lena’s disappearance and death. There simply hasn’t been a good time.

  “He’s a firefighter.”

  Her face perks up. “He hot?”

  I snicker. “What do you think?”

  “He’s hot.”

  “Yeah. Tall, ginger, beard, great smile.”

  “Big hands?”

  “Shut up.”

  “He’s got big hands,” she crows, as she pulls up to a modest house in the suburbs.

  “I moved in with him,” I admit and watch as her mouth falls open. “Temporarily,” I quickly add. “It was that or move in with my brother at the MC clubhouse, and I wasn’t gonna do that.”

  “Life is so fucking unfair,” she grumbles, half-joking as she grabs her bag sitting at my feet. “The only male attention I get these days is from a six-month-old.”

  “He’ll be back,” I comfort her, slipping my arm through hers as we walk up to the house.

  “I’m not sure I want him back,” she says softly, pushing the front door open and walking in ahead of me. I don’t get a chance to respond to that comment until after we’re back at her house following Lena’s funeral.

  The service was simple and relatively small, with just Sue representing the family. There were a few friends, one of whom apparently had been more than just Lena’s friend, but her lover. I discovered that when Jaimie introduced her to me and the poor woman burst out crying. It was obvious Sue had not been comfortable with Lena’s sexual orientation, since she avoided even acknowledging Janice, but some of the other women stood by her in support. It was a bit awkward to say the least.

  As asked, I said a few words. I’d agonized over them, but was pleased when they seemed to hit the right note. Janice thanked me after, as did Sue, who proceeded to inform me, in private, she intended to shut down the agency. I can’t say I was surprised—from what I’ve heard about Sue, she never had much of an interest in the agency—but it would be a hit to Jaimie.

  Unless…something Keith Blackfoot mentioned last week bounced around in my head as we were saying our goodbyes.

  “What’s happening with Rob?” I ask her when we get to her place.

  River is still napping at his grandma�
�s house, who would be dropping him off later. We changed out of our funeral garb and are having a pot of tea.

  “He’s an asshole,” she states firmly.

  “Did anything happen?”

  “He hasn’t returned messages for the past three weeks. What father does that? Never mind what husband. Three weeks incommunicado. I’ve left at least twelve messages, and he hasn’t responded to a single one.”

  “Could something have happened? Maybe he lost his phone?” Poor excuse if he has—surely they have phones in Montana—but at least he wouldn’t have seen her messages.

  “Nope,” she says, taking a deep swallow of her tea before setting her cup down and leaning forward, looking at me. “I finally called his parents to see if they’d heard from him, and he apparently spoke to his father a few days ago, picking up right away. It’s me he’s avoiding.”

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Nothing to say. Like I said, he’s an asshole. He got me pregnant with River and never touched me again.”

  “Never? You mean no—”

  “No sex, no nothing. No touching whatsoever, and I stopped trying after he blew me off the third time.”

  I really don’t know what to say to that. I’m the last person who should be doling out relationship advice, but I do know my share about standing on your own two feet. It may not be my place, but I don’t think Jaimie needs to be blindsided by something else in her life. “I have a proposition for you.” I watch her eyes go big. “Not like that, you freak. Please, hear me out; Sue suggested today she may not continue the agency, but I have an idea.”

  “I suspected as much,” she says, a bit dejected.

  “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but after what you said about Rob, I can at least give you an option.”

  “Running out of those.”

  “You know what they say, one door closes…”

  “Another one opens, I know.”

  “Actually, I was going to say…kick that sucker back open. I want to hire you. Full time. Not just as my agent, but also as my business manager, assistant, sounding board, and bookkeeper. You name it, I need it. I’m overwhelmed at the thought of doing everything I used to do for myself after this little one is born. It’ll be hard enough to try and stick to the release schedule my publisher has me on. You know everything there is to know about this business, and with your help, I might even be able to eventually up my productivity.”