Frankie rubbed the dog’s head and said, “I just can’t win with that one.”
Chapter 63
Once Danielle and Tyler were in bed, Frankie poured a shot of rum into her diet Coke. She felt like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders. There had been no time to process what she had been told by Emma. Child Protective Services had been called, and all Frankie could do was pray they wouldn’t send the girls back to their families. And that the foster family they were sent to wouldn’t harm them more. The social worker even said she would try to keep them together if possible.
Frankie sank into her overstuffed chair and released a loud sigh. As if work wasn’t enough, Danielle was pushing every button she had. Some of it was definitely her age, but Dani had gotten noticeably worse since the attempted kidnapping. She was perpetually angry, primarily at Frankie, and refused to talk to the therapist she had taken her to. It was the one area in her life where Frankie felt like a complete failure.
The ding of her phone interrupted Frankie’s thoughts. She wasn’t on call and debated on looking at the message. Frankie took a sip of the smooth drink as she picked up her phone.
“We have a hit on the duct tape. Give me a call. B.”
Frankie recognized the number from Boyd Miller, a technician in the crime lab. Her call was answered on the first ring.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” laughed Boyd.
“Your text was a bit of a tease.” Frankie chuckled then took another drink.
“I can’t give you too much via text, or I may never hear your voice.”
“Haha. What did you find on the duct tape?” Frankie asked, redirecting the conversation back to business.
“There was a mixture of DNA, but it may be a few more days before we get that back. The reason I texted was because we found a couple of fingerprints.” Boyd said, following with a dramatic pause.
“And…” Frankie drew out the word in mock frustration.
“One of the prints belongs to Lamont Foster. The other was to Corey Simpson. I’ve already emailed you the report but figured you would want the news.”
“You know me too well, Boyd. Thank you for texting me. I’ll let you know if the victim identifies them. Keep me posted on the DNA, okay?”
“Of course. Talk to you later.”
Frankie sat in her chair, staring at her drink. She was resisting the urge to call the office and have Foster ran through NCIC. Before she could give in to her impulses, her phone began to ring.
“What are ya wearin’?” Derek’s velvety baritone voice sent a quiver up Frankie’s back.
“Nothin’ but a smile. What are you doing?”
“Finally driving home from the office and thought I’d see what my girl was up to.”
Frankie smiled. Derek always seemed to sense when she needed a call to distract her from the craziness in her life. The pair talked mindlessly for the time it took Derek to get to his house. Even though they had not discussed any of what had happened that day, Frankie felt a sense of ease when she hung up the phone.
Chapter 64
The next few days were a blur. Frankie created photographic line-ups to show Heather, but new cases prevented Frankie from contacting her. Frankie had been playing phone tag with Detective O’Brien. She and Mia had been going non-stop since they returned from days off.
“Did I read the schedule correctly, are you taking Saturday and Sunday off?” Mia asked.
Frankie laughed out loud. Mia knew her too well. Normally when they were on the night schedule, she worked weekends so she could be home with the kids a couple of nights during the school week.
“Yeah. We are going to the farm on Saturday. Dad and Jake are smoking a brisket.”
“How’s your dad doing?”
Frankie smiled at the question. Frankie’s dad, Frank, suffered a heart attack and almost didn’t survive. It was one of the scariest moments in Frankie’s life. She could not, no did not want to, imagine a world her dad wasn’t in.
“Dad’s doing great. He went for a check-up recently and came back with a clean bill of health. He and Jody are back on the trail every day. He told me the other day they were going to start taking scuba diving lessons!”
“That’s fantastic!”
“Yeah, I think this was a wake-up call. Dad said it’s time to start doing all the things they’ve been putting off.”
“Good for them. And Jake?”
“Ah, little brother Jake. I think he’s actually going to settle down.”
“What?” Mia did not try to hide the surprise in her voice. “With the girl he brought to the party. Ann, something?”
“Yep, Ann Marie. She is super sweet. Sophie and I approve.” Frankie chuckled. “As if that matters.”
Frankie and Mia spent the next few hours working on paperwork. The darkness had set in when Mia said, “I need a diet Dr. Pepper. Want to run to Quick Trip?”
Frankie looked at the clock and nodded.
Twenty minutes later, they were circling the block of one-way streets to find a parking spot in front of the sally port. As they drove past the courthouse, Frankie couldn’t help but glance into the parking lot, noticing Derek’s SUV in its regular parking spot. The only other cars in the parking lot were a red convertible with personalized tags and a dark blue RAV4.
Chapter 65
Frankie fought the urge to call Derek and see if he was with Jessica. She had jumped to conclusions before and been wrong. It was probably just a coincidence that they were both working late. She’d send him a text and see if he responded.
“Hey babe. How’s your night going?”
Frankie laid her phone back on her desk, screen down. How long would it take Derek to answer? She tapped her pen on her desk as she stared at the computer screen, finding it difficult to concentrate on the report she was writing.
“You okay, Frankie?”
Mia’s words jolted Frankie from her brooding.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just lost in thought.”
Frankie’s phone began to buzz, indicating an incoming message.
“Working late. Tying up some loose ends at the office. Are you working this weekend?”
Frankie read the message and thought to herself, “This might be a good way to ask Derek if he wants to go to the farm on Saturday. Or maybe help with the cookout on Sunday?”
“Took the weekend off. BBQ at the farm Saturday. Want to join us?”
Frankie watched the screen of her phone for what seemed like forever. Just when she began to believe she wasn’t going to receive a response, the phone vibrated.
“I need to work. Sorry babe. Maybe another time.”
“Want to come to the park on Sunday for a BBQ? I’m having the VISION kids come up to Macken.”
“I’ll be working. Have fun. XO D”
Frankie recognized the signature “conversation is over” text. She didn’t understand. One minute, things were great and the next, he was putting a wall up between them. The ringing of the unit phone broke the silence.
“Sex Crimes, Detective Boden.”
Frankie looked at the clock. Ten o’clock.
“Uh-huh. Okay. Mmm hmmm. Okay. Put me down as notified. Boden. B-O-D-E-N.”
“What do we have?”
“A weeny-wagger up north.”
Frankie let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
“White male, average height. No other descriptors. Sounds like the cases Coleman is working.”
“Did the victim in this case get anything additional the others did not provide?”
“A car with a partial plate.”
“Good. More than Coleman has, I think,” Frankie said as she took a drink from her diet Coke.
“That’s good because I really doubt they’d let us do a penis line-up.”
Frankie choked, trying to keep the soda from coming out of her mouth. She and Mia broke into a fit of laughter. It was the best way to end the night.
Chapter 66
Fr
ankie awoke to a perfect Saturday. The sun was shining, and not a cloud was in the sky. Perfect day to go to the farm. She grabbed the kids and had them help her take the top off the Jeep. Danielle and Tyler giggled and had fun as they rendered the Jeep topless.
Thirty minutes and a stop at Quick Trip later, they were off to the farm. Frankie let her mind wander as the sun warmed her face and the sound of the kids singing along to the radio warmed her heart. This was not the first time she had asked Derek to meet her family. He always evaded her invitation. Frankie knew there was an unspoken meaning behind it, but she wasn’t ready to face it. Earlier that day she had received a text from him saying he was sorry to miss the cookout. Frankie resisted the urge to say something smart back – in the end, it wouldn’t do anything but put a wedge between them. Instead, she told him she would miss him and to not work too hard.
Tyler’s voice interrupted Frankie’s thoughts, “Hey mom, is Grandpa Frank going to be at Jake’s?”
“Yep. Aunt Sophie, Jody, and Ann Marie’s boys will all be there.”
“Anyone my age?” Tyler asked.
“I think Ann Marie’s boys are about your age.”
“Yahoo!”
Frankie smiled and looked over at Dani, sitting in the passenger seat.
“Why can’t I go to dad’s? The girls are there. It’s not like anyone my age is going to be at Jake’s. You could drop me off on your way.”
Frankie forced herself to continue smiling as she said, “Because I took the weekend off for a family cook-out. And you are part of this family too.”
Dani put her earbuds back in her ears and mumbled, “Whatever.”
Frankie worked to stay present while Tyler asked more questions about Ann Marie’s boys.
“Bud, I don’t know. I haven’t met them. You’ll have to ask them when you see them.”
Frankie turned onto Moon Glow Road, a gravel road that led to the farm where her brother lived. As she began the descent down the hill, Frankie’s breath caught at the beauty of the property that had been in her family longer than she had been alive. Water met the bottom of the bridge that crossed the creek bordering the edge of the property. The trees were dressed in their spring leaves and the pasture was a deep, lush green. The air was fresh and smelled of the season.
The old white farmhouse sat on a hill with a new barn to its left. A huge tree with roots older than Frankie sat in the front yard with a tire swing hanging from a branch. Frankie couldn’t help but smile at the memories of swinging on that old tire for hours, only stopping when the fireflies came out, and her dad or grandfather called for her to come inside.
Frankie didn’t even have the Jeep in first before Sophie was yelling, “Hurry up!”
“Hey sis! What’s the rush? I thought dinner wasn’t for a few hours.”
Sophie was at Frankie’s door, “It’s not, but Jake said he had something he wanted to tell us before mom and dad got her. I have a feeling it’s about Ann Marie. I bet she’s knocked up!”
“Sophie!” Frankie glared at her little sister and nodded her head towards Tyler.
“What’s knocked up mom?” Tyler asked.
“Never mind, Tyler. Sophie is just being silly.” Dani began to say something, but Frankie firmly said, “Danielle.”
Dani and Tyler jumped out of the Jeep. Dani went to sit on the porch swing to sulk while Tyler found Jake’s dog Earl and began to run towards the tire swing. Frankie followed Sophie to the barn.
“What’s up, little brother?”
“Hey Frankie!”
“Okay big brother, she’s here. What’s the big news?” Sophie asked. And Frankie thought she was the impatient one.
“Geez, Sophie. Chill.”
Frankie stifled a laugh, “C’mon little brother. Don’t keep us waiting.”
“Fine. I’m going to ask Ann Marie…”
Sophie interrupted, “To marry you? See, I told you she’s knocked up.”
“What? No, to move in with me. What the hell, Soph – are you crazy? She’s definitely not knocked up.”
“She’s got a point, little brother, why not ask her to marry you?”
“Because I’m not ready to buy a ring, and I need to make sure she’s willing to live down here. Heaven knows I’m not moving to the city.”
Frankie and Sophie said in unison, “No, you’re not.”
Before either could ask any more questions, Jake said, “Cool it, here she comes.”
Frankie watched as Ann Marie drove up in her little car. The closer she got to the barn, the bigger Jake’s smile got. Ann Marie pulled the car in next to Jake’s truck and before she could turn it off, two towheaded boys tumbled out of the backseat. It was obvious they had been there before because the first place they went was to the tire swing.
Frankie knew Tyler would introduce himself and all would be well in the lives of the three little boys.
Chapter 67
“Frank-ee!” The sound of Jake’s best friend, Bill, echoed through the barn. “Where’s your FBI friend?”
“Hey bud!” Frankie returned Bill’s one-armed hug. “He’s probably working or breaking hearts this weekend.
“Well shucks, I was hoping he would be here,” Bill quickly turned his attention to Sophie and Ann Marie. “Ladies, how are you two tonight?”
Frankie used the opportunity to slip out of the barn to find Dani, who was sitting on the porch swing with a scowl on her face.
“Mind if I sit down?” Frankie asked as she sat on the bench. “Looks like the boys are having fun.”
“Glad someone is.”
“What’s wrong, Angel-girl?”
“I told you, I want to go to dad’s house. The girls are there, and there’s a big event at the church tomorrow. I’m missing everything.”
Frankie sat quietly, watching the boys run around the field, undoubtedly playing a game they had made up. What she wanted to say was, “You are missing everything. Your grandparents, your aunt and uncle, time with me and your brother.” But Frankie knew there was nothing she could say that would change what Dani was feeling, so she said nothing.
The mother and daughter sat in silence for several minutes before Frankie slapped Dani on the leg and said, “Let’s go help Uncle Jake and Aunt Sophie.”
With a barely disguised huff, Dani said, “Okay.”
As they walked back to the barn, Frankie put her arm around Dani’s shoulders and said, “Know how much I love you?”
Dani did not even try to hide her irritation but answered, “More than all the sand and water in the sea.”
“Yep, even when you are grumpy.” Frankie squeezed Dani’s shoulder then let her hand drop. “Hey dad!”
Frankie’s heart was full as she watched her father, Frank, stop at the truck door and wait for her to reach him. It had been months since the heart attack almost took his life and he seemed to be doing really well.
Frank ruffled Dani’s hair and asked, “How are you?”
“Hey grandpa. I’m okay.”
“You playin’ ball this spring?”
“If I make the team.”
“I’m sure you will. Have your mother send me the schedule so I can come see a few games.”
Dani nodded and walked away.
“What’s wrong with her?” Frank asked.
Frankie filled her dad in on the latest.
“She’ll come around. You just have to give her a little time.”
“I know, dad. It’s just hard. And they are not making it any easier.”
“They’re not going to. Her dad is going to do what he can to make her want to live with him. He knows you can’t compete. Not that you should be trying.”
“You’re right, dad.”
Frank ruffled his daughter’s short hair and laughed, “Aren’t I always?”
Frankie nodded, ran her fingers through her mussed hair, and said, “Yep. Somehow you always are dad. Let’s go see how long until we eat.”
Chapter 68
The bonfire was reduced
to smoldering embers when Frankie loaded up the kids to head home.
“Sure you don’t want to stay the night?” Jake asked.
“I would little brother, but I have a mentoring event tomorrow at Macken Park and have a bunch to do in the morning.”
“Alright, be careful driving home. You too, Soph.”
“Who says I’m going home?” Sophie asked, winking at Frankie.
Jake held up his hand, “Honestly, I don’t want to know.”
Sophie leaned over and whispered, “See you in a bit!”
Frankie and Sophie spent the rest of the evening at her house, talking like only sisters can do. Dani stayed up with them for a little while but eventually fell asleep on the sofa. Frankie watched as the teenager slept peacefully, marveling at how the sweet girl sleeping could be the same one who could be so harsh when she was awake.
“You gonna let her join the Bible Quiz team with those girls?”
Frankie sighed, “I take it she told you about that. Honestly, Sophie, I don’t see how I can. At least not with her sisters. I offered to help her find a place near the house, but she snubbed her nose at that. She said it wouldn’t be the same. There’s no way I can drive her back and forth and I wouldn’t ask anyone else to either.”
“Did she tell you the girls told her she should move in with them?”
“What?” Frankie’s voice rose slightly, enough to make Dani groan and move. Lowering her voice she asked, “Sorry, what? When did that happen?”
“I don’t know exactly when they told her that. She just said something to me tonight. She asked me what I thought about it.”
“What did you tell her?” Frankie’s stomach was in her throat. She knew things had been rough, but she didn’t want Dani to move out.
“I told her I thought it would be a mistake. What did you think I’d say?”
Tears welled in Frankie’s eyes. She didn’t trust herself to speak.
“But Frankie, I kind of see her point…”
Frankie interrupted, “What do you mean, you see kind of see her point?”
Across State Lines Page 15
