A Hope City Duet

by Kris Michaels

  Disconnecting, he knew that his parents would rally around Harper, calling in other family members as they needed, taking care of her until he could be there. Walking toward Rory and Blay, he stumbled, his knees giving out. Rory grabbed him, holding on until Sean regained his strength. Reaching out, he grasped his brother’s hand, offering his heartfelt gratitude.

  Rory shook his head. “Hell, bro, all in a day’s work. You can just buy us a round of beer the next time we’re all at The Celtic Cock.”

  Bill walked over, his face covered with soot, his breaths heavy. “I called Sandy, and she’s going to go to the hospital as well. Harper will be well taken care of.”

  Clapping Blay on the shoulder, he nodded his thanks toward Bill. Looking up at the building, he said, “Soon as we get the all-clear, Jonas and I need to get inside.”

  He headed toward Jonas, who was standing next to the Fire Chief. He spied Beth and Terrence walking toward them as well and assumed Captain James sent in reinforcements.

  They were not given permission to investigate until the firefighters had entered Daniel’s apartment and secured the flammable chemicals. Once given the all-clear, Sean and Jonas entered the building after they donned hardhats, grabbed their evidence bags, and slipped on gloves.

  Standing at the entrance to Daniel’s apartment, he paused for a second, thinking of the smiling, friendly, helpful man that Harper had grown to love and tried to reconcile that with the maniacal screaming coming from the rooftop. Unable to combine those two visions in his mind, he gave a mental shake and stepped over the threshold, ready to get to work. After all, the woman he loved was waiting for him.

  He and the other arson detectives gathered evidence from Daniel’s apartment, including more chemicals, incendiary devices, and accelerants. They had found albums that were filled with pictures of his glory days with the HC Fire Department, including every newspaper article. The photograph of him carrying a child out of a fire with the inferno behind him and the title proclaiming him The Phoenix had been framed, hanging on his bedroom wall.

  Sean’s hands shook, and he forced his thoughts back to the investigation. Lock it down… I gotta lock it down. He could tell Jonas was hovering but kept quiet. Hours later, when the apartment had been processed, he stepped out into the hall. His gaze shot to Harper’s blackened hole of an apartment and he reached out to grab the doorframe, uncertain his legs would hold him upright.

  A hand clamped on his shoulder, and without looking, knew it was his partner. Once they walked down the stairs and outside, he finally sucked in a deep breath of cold air, clearing his head.

  “Go on and get out of here,” Jonas said. “Terrance will drive me to the lab.”

  Uncertain of his voice, he nodded. Taking a few steps toward his SUV, he stopped and turned, capturing Jonas’ attention. “Didn’t end the way we hoped, but we fuckin’ did it.”

  Jonas grinned. “Hell, yeah, partner.”

  “Thanks… for everything.”

  Throwing a two-fingered salute in the air, Jonas jogged to Terrance’s truck.

  Sean made it to Harper while she was still in the hospital. When he walked in, he found her surrounded by his family and her friends, and he wondered if he would ever get the image out of his mind of his brother carrying her out of the building.

  She looked up from the bed, most of the soot cleaned from her face, but the dark bruise on the side of her head had his rage boiling. As soon as her eyes met his, she smiled, and his heart threatened to pound out of his chest. He barely cast a glance at the others, moving straight to her, pulling her into his arms.

  He sat on the edge of her bed and relished the feel of her body crushed tightly to his, but the smell of smoke in her hair brought back the fresh horror. “Babe—”

  “Sean, I’m fine. Honest,” she assured, her voice hoarse. Pulling back slightly, she held his gaze and then pressed her lips to his.

  A throat clearing ended the kiss much too soon for him, but when he looked over his shoulder, he spied a nurse ordering everyone out. They all obeyed, but he simply lifted an eyebrow and the nurse smiled.

  “She’ll need to stay overnight for observation.”

  He nodded and while the nurse prepared Harper for the trip to another floor, he stepped out of the room and into the arms of his mother.

  “Don’t worry about anything, Sean. Just take care of Harper and then get her home tomorrow. The girls and I’ll come over to bring some food.”

  He pulled back and smiled his appreciation. “Mom, thanks, but you need to give us some time. I need to let her know what happened at her apartment.”

  “But, we can just—”

  “Sharon,” Colm said, gently tugging his wife into his arms. “Sean and Harper will be fine. We’ll get food to them tomorrow evening.”

  Lifting his chin in thanks, he hugged Tara, Erin, Caitlyn, and Sandy, then went back to claim Harper.

  35

  Several days later, the sun peeked through the slits in the blinds, giving evidence that a new day had begun. Harper woke slowly, breathing a sigh of relief that it was the weekend and Sean had the day off.

  His warm body was pressed against her back, the light snores giving proof of his sleep. She knew he was exhausted… worrying about her and wrapping up the case against Daniel.

  Daniel. Oh, Jesus. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut for a few seconds, the image of him standing in her apartment revealing who he really was. And then the image of Sean sitting her on the sofa, her hands in his as he gave her the news about Daniel’s death. She did not cry… not right away. It was too surreal. And her choking fear mixed with self-preservation had her glad he had been stopped.

  It was later, in the middle of the night, when the realization dawned that the man she had considered to be a friend had not only been the serial arsonist, but had tried to kill her. That was when the shakes and tears came.

  Thank God for Sean. He had held her, rocked her, talked to her, and comforted her until she finally found sleep again. And each time she woke, he repeated his actions, his love easing past the fear, rage, and sadness.

  The day after the fire, he had sat with her at the police station while she was being interviewed. Even though she had already given Sean an accounting of the events, she felt him shake as he listened to her speak about her last time with Daniel. Her voice cracked when she talked about how he tried to kill her. She tried to be strong for Sean but recounting the scene in her apartment sent chills throughout her.

  Jonas, Brock, and Kallie stayed near Sean, and she was sure it was to support Sean as much as her. Her gaze continually shot over to him, aware of his barely controlled rage, and finally Brock bent to whisper in his ear and the two of them stepped outside. Kallie slid into the seat next to her, and shooting her a grateful look, she finished answering the questions.

  Leaving the interview room, she spied Brock holding Sean by the shoulders, their heads inclined. She breathed a sigh of relief knowing he was getting the support he needed in order to give her what she needed. As soon as he heard her approach, Sean pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to the top of her head. Glancing to the side, she mouthed “Thank you” to Brock, gaining his smile and chin lift in response.

  When Sean escorted her out of the station and back home, his family had swarmed around them, providing the same support and comfort that he had experienced his whole life. His mother and Erin fussed over Harper, bringing food as though Harper would be unable to cook. Tara had sat with her, calmly listening as Harper talked out her churning emotions and then gave her the name of a crisis counselor.

  When his irrepressible youngest brother came by, she took one look at Rory and clung to him, tears streaming down her face as she thanked him over and over. Rory had welcomed her hug. Finding she could not let him go, Sean stepped in to gently pull her back into his arms.

  Once alone again, Sean insisted she take it easy, but she convinced him she could rest better if he was in bed with her. Somehow, with his arms aro
und her, she slept all night.

  The station handled the media, giving only official statements. Bekki King, Brock’s youngest sister, was a journalist, and after another day she interviewed Harper with the promise that the news station would not glorify Daniel about his heroics and being known as The Phoenix. The last thing the Police Department and Harper wanted was to encourage a copycat arsonist seeking attention. Sean had told her that there was the concern that many of the fires Daniel had battled when he was with the Fire Department had possibly been set by himself.

  Harper could tell Sean had been nervous about her speaking to Bekki, but when the tall, dark-haired beauty walked in, she greeted them both warmly. Sean hovered, but when Bekki treated Harper with kid gloves during the interview, they relaxed.

  And now, finally, she woke next to Sean and wondered if they could spend the whole day in bed. A slight pressure on her chest caused her to open her eyes wider only to see Smokey standing with his two front paws on her.

  Lifting her hand, she rubbed the large cat's head, whispering, “I’ll get you in just a minute, buddy.”

  Stretching, Sean smiled as Harper rolled toward him, burrowing in tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tight. “It’s okay. I’ll get him.”

  Smokey, understanding that somebody would be feeding him soon, hopped down from the bed, and with a twitch of his tail sauntered out of the room.

  She breathed in deeply, and even though the fire in her apartment building had been days ago and she had scrubbed her body and hair often, she still thought she could catch a whiff of smoke. She knew it was not really there, but the mind, when terrified, can play such tricks.

  Harper stretched and gifted him with a smile. “Smokey wants his breakfast.”

  Nuzzling her nose, he said, “Yeah, he made his desires known.”

  She shifted her body slightly, snuggling her curves against his. “And what about your desires?”

  With his cock pressing against her belly, he slid one hand down to her ass and squeezed. “I think I’m making my desires known as well. But your parents are coming today.”

  She slid her hand between them, firmly grasping his cock, eliciting a hiss from his lips. “We’ve got time. We’ve got nothing but time, Sean.”

  He held her gaze, knowing she held his heart. “I love you, Harper.”

  Her lips curved and her eyes sparkled. “I love you, too.”

  With that, he grinned, rolling over her, and bent to kiss her smiling lips. Smokey was going to have to wait a little while for his breakfast.

  Weeks later, the two friends sat outside in the Adirondack chairs as they had so many times over the years. Long legs stretched out. Crossed-over booted feet with heels resting on the ground. Each holding a beer as their heads leaned back, the wide expanse of star-filled night sky spread out before them. He had easily spotted Gemini, as was their habit.

  From the sounds coming from the house behind them, they could hear laughter, as familiar to them as the night sky.

  Sean felt no guilt leaving Harper inside his parents’ house while he and Brock shared a beer outside. By now, she was fast friends with his sisters, liked by his brothers, and adored by his parents. And the same went for the Kings, who were all inside as well, along with Brock’s girl, Kallie.

  “It looks good on you, man.”

  Rolling his head to the side, Sean stared, waiting for Brock to say more. In typical Brock fashion, it was not a long wait.

  “If I could have lined up a hundred women and picked the best one for you, it would be Harper.”

  Considering he felt the same, he knew exactly what Brock was talking about. He had brought Harper back to his house after she got out of the hospital, their lives blending seamlessly together.

  When he got called out in the middle of the night, she kissed him sweetly and sent him on his way with a travel mug of coffee and a promise that she would be there when he returned. When she came home upset about a displaced or injured family, he held her tightly, giving her a safe haven.

  “I’ve got a ring in my pocket,” he confessed to his best friend. “I kept thinking that I wanted to wait for a perfect moment, thinking she would like that.”

  “Don’t be an idiot, Sean. The only thing Harper wants is to be with you. Those are the only perfect moments she needs.”

  “You always did cut to the chase.” He lifted his beer, taking another drink. “But, you’re right. That’s why I’ve decided that tonight when we get home, I’m going to give it to her.”

  “Real happy for you, Sean,” Brock said, his head now rolled to the side, his gaze piercing Sean’s.

  Almost in unison, the two drained the last dregs from their beers and leaned forward, propping their elbows on the arms of the Adirondack chairs. Clasping hands tightly, they grinned.

  Another round of laughter came from the house behind them, and they both stood. With arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders, they headed inside, instantly enveloped in friends, family, and love. Immediately catching Harper’s bright smile, Sean made his way to her, his arms banding around her tightly.

  Epilogue

  Carter

  Young. So fuckin’ young.

  “Hard to tell, Detective. Maybe not as young as you think.”

  Realizing he spoke aloud, Carter Fiske looked up at the medical examiner as he squatted by the body on the floor. Natalie Bastion had only been working in Hope City for a few months but considering she came from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Chicago, he figured she knew a thing or two about dead bodies.

  He turned his attention back to the young man. Ill-fitting jeans. Well worn, black, long sleeved, thermal shirt. Heavy, scuffed boots. But his coat was new. Oversized, but new.

  He stood, perusing the scene. The kitchen was gutted and not by the fire next door. The row townhouse was stripped to its bones, appearing uninhabited for God knows how many years. Water pooled in the dips in the floor and still dripped off the walls where it blasted through the broken windows.

  “Not going to be much scene evidence in here,” he surmised aloud, as two more firefighters poked through the aftermath. The 9-1-1 came from a driver on the street, and once the fire Department determined suspicious burn patterns, the arson detectives had been activated. Then, when checking another unit and the body had been found, Carter received a call.

  “I’ll push this up in my que… give you what I can, just as soon as I can,” Natalie said.

  “Anything you can tell me about those?” He tipped his head toward the bag of pills that she had found in the deceased’s coat pocket. The reason he had been called in.

  “Some appear to be prescription, but anything beyond that would be premature.” Natalie stood, nodded to her two assistants indicating she was ready for the body to be transferred to the morgue. She followed along as the body was moved, snapping off her gloves and removing her plastic booties once she was outside.

  Following her down the steps, he observed the firefighters were emptying and rolling up their hoses. Portable lights were being hauled to the end unit, and he grinned, recognizing the arson detective standing nearby.

  “Good to see you, Sean.”

  Sean McBride turned to the side and threw his hand out in greeting. “Carter, good to see you, too. I wondered who they’d call in for this.”

  He dipped his head toward the burned, hole of the end unit. “You’ve been busy lately.”

  “That’s a fucking understatement,” Sean agreed.

  “Is Jonas around? You still partnered with him?”

  Sean nodded. “Yeah. He’s over there getting the lights set up. We’ve got extra and can send some over to you, too.”

  “Thanks. I was just going to call for some.”

  Sean held his gaze for a moment, and asked, “What do you think?”

  His hand moved to the back of his neck, squeezing some of the tension away. “Medical examiner didn’t see any signs of fatal injury, and I’m not seeing any signs of violence. I’ve g
ot several cases dealing with drug overdoses of homeless persons, so this may just add one more to my load.”

  “Hell, you probably see more of my brother right now than I do.”

  “You’d be right.” Sean’s brother, Kyle, was a detective with the HCPD, working with the Drug Task Force. “We’re both working the homeless drug cases. Up to our ears in this shit. We’re checking with some of the homeless shelters but it’s a slow go.”

  “Hey, I’ve got someone who could help. You might want to talk to my sis—”

  “Excuse me, Detective, but where do you need these?”

  Carter and Sean were interrupted with the arrival of the portable lights. Sean directed the ones he needed for he and Jonas to gather evidence in the burned-out hole of the first unit. After a quick clap on the shoulder, Carter walked back into the unit where the body had been discovered, setting up several lamps for him, as well.

  With more illumination, he turned around in a slow circle, his gaze searching the room. The walls dripped with water. The ceiling was dark with smoky soot. The floor gave no signs of evidence as to the identity of the deceased or his life here in this abandoned townhouse. The kitchen cabinets and sink had been removed, and Carter considered that the entire block of houses had probably been gutted of anything considered valuable.

  He crossed the room while pulling on a new pair of gloves and opened the door to a small closet. Inside, he discovered a cardboard box. Snapping several pictures, he knelt closer. The top of the box formed a shelf, containing a crumpled paper sack. Carefully opening the sack, he found several plastic baggies, all empty except for one which contained bread crust. The paper sack had a large PB written in black marker on the outside. He placed each item into an evidence bag, labeling them.