Treachery Rising (MidKnight Blue Book 4)

by Sherryl Hancock

  “Whoa!” Joe’s voice surprised her. “Calm down!” Randy thought she’d die from relief. She threw her arms around him, clinging to him as if for dear life. Joe held her close, but he looked up at the apartment block just in time to see Dick coming out the front door. Dick stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Joe. Randy turned as Dick started down the stairs—she noticed that he was reaching behind him. She knew he was going for the weapon that he kept at the small of his back.

  “Joe!” she yelled. “He’s going for his gun!”

  In one fluid motion, Joe shoved Randy behind him and drew his own weapon from his shoulder holster, just as Dick brought his gun up. They stood with their weapons pointed at each other.

  “Drop it, Dickerson,” Joe said sternly, “or I’ll drop you.”

  “Go ahead and try it, Sinclair.”

  They stood staring at each other for a long time. Joe tilted his head to the side, as if making calculations. “I’d say we’re about, oh, twenty to twenty-five yards apart. My best shot’s about twenty-three yards. That gives you about a two-yard leeway,” he said, his voice very calm and cool.

  Randy stood watching the two men. She knew Dick would have no qualms about shooting a fellow officer, but she was sure that Joe would have a problem doing so unless given enough reason. Making a quick decision, she leaned down and started patting Joe’s ankle, subsequently reaching up his pants leg and pulling out a particularly nasty-looking Walther PPK. She leveled it at Dick. “And if by chance he misses you, which I wouldn’t count on, then I’m sure at least one of these seven shots’ll hit you.”

  Joe’s expression changed just slightly, as if saying to Dick, “See, even your girlfriend wants you shot.” Dick stared at them both for a long few moments. Randy noticed Joe’s finger tense on the trigger as he stared down the sights of his weapon. Finally Dick lowered his gun, and without a word he walked back up the stairs toward the apartment. Joe didn’t lower his weapon until he saw Dickerson actually open the door, step inside, and close the door behind him.

  Joe holstered his gun, then looked over at Randy. “You’ve been listening,” he said proudly.

  “Did I have a choice?” She smiled as she handed his backup to him.

  “And you even remembered my favorite hiding place—that’s love for ya.”

  “Oh yeah?” Randy said as they turned to walk toward their respective cars. “By the way, what made you show up here?” She had suddenly realized that it had been a pretty lucky chance.

  “I called the house when I left the hospital, and when you weren’t home, I got worried. I got Sarah’s address from dispatch and headed over here.” Joe shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

  “Well, thanks.”

  Joe was looking at her closely. “You okay to drive?”

  Randy nodded.

  “I’ll follow you.” He kissed her quickly on the lips. Randy watched as he strode over to his car and got in. She was once again amazed at how he took everything in stride and just continued on. Her hands were still shaking from the confrontation. But she was very grateful to have her husband follow her back to their home. She thought she’d never want to leave it again.

  The next morning, Randy was surprised that when she got up to get ready for the academy, Joe got up at the same time. They had spent a quiet evening the night before. Randy had been reluctant to discuss what had happened, since part of it had to do with Midnight being hurt. It bothered her immensely that she was hiding her part in Midnight’s injury, but she knew that telling Joe now would only make things harder again. Joe hadn’t asked what had happened, assuming that she would tell him if she wanted him to know. So they had ordered Chinese again, and had relaxed out on the deck with a bottle of wine. They’d gone to bed early, since Randy had to get up at 5:30 a.m. to be at the academy by 8:00 a.m. Joe hadn’t mentioned getting up with her, but she didn’t mind the company, nor the fact that he made her coffee for a change.

  She was doubly surprised when she walked out into the kitchen after her shower and found that he had also showered, and was shaved and dressed. Joe was leaning against the kitchen counter, drinking his coffee and flicking through the paper. He glanced up at her when she walked in. She was wearing her academy uniform, and his eyes looked her over from head to toe. He gestured with his cup. “You might want to straighten that plum line,” he said. Being a sergeant, he was used to inspection requirements, although he hadn’t been subject to them for years.

  Randy glanced down and saw that her belt was just slightly askew. She grinned up at him as she fixed it. “Guess having a sergeant for a husband could come in handy yet.”

  “Just what I was thinkin’.” Joe tilted his head to the side. “Have you gotten your ride-along assignment yet?” he asked. He was surprised to see her tense, but he assumed it was because she thought he was going to be difficult about it.

  After a few moments Randy shrugged, shaking her head. “I had applied for a ride-along assignment with FORS, but…” She trailed off, not wanting to really go into why it hadn’t happened.

  “I see,” Joe said simply, nodding. “Midnight said no, huh?”

  Randy looked at him, shocked, but then she realized that Midnight must have told him about her behavior at her lecture. She nodded, embarrassed.

  “She was pretty pissed about that.” Joe knew she knew what he was talking about.

  “Tell me about it,” Randy said. “I was sore for about a week.” She rubbed her back to indicate where.

  Joe laughed. “That’ll teach you,” he said, wagging his finger at her. “Anyway, I think as the acting commander for FORS I’ll rescind that denial.”

  Randy stared at him, wondering if her mind was playing tricks on her. Her husband, the man who had been adamant about her not becoming a cop, wanted her to do a ride-along with his unit now? Then it dawned on her why.

  “You figure I’ll be safer with you than with some beat cop you don’t know, right?” she said, but with no anger in her voice.

  “You got it, babe,” Joe said, without a hint of apology.

  Randy just shook her head, grinning. “So where are you going this morning then?”

  “First, I’m taking you to school and clearing this with your training sergeant, then I’m heading into the office to get things squared away.” He looked at her again, this time with a mockingly shy expression. “Want to have lunch with an old training sergeant?”

  Randy looked as if she was considering the idea carefully. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “I do have an image to uphold.”

  “What image is that?”

  “The stupid broad that’s dumb enough to let a gorgeous man like Sergeant Joe Sinclair go image,” she replied simply, but her eyes indicated her mortification at her asinine actions.

  Joe shook his head. “Randy, don’t do that to yourself. You did what you felt was right at the time. I know I’m far from the perfect husband, and you put up with a lot of shit.”

  “Like what?” Randy said. She still doubted herself.

  “Like all the late nights, or the nights I didn’t come home at all because we worked on paperwork for so long I passed out on Midnight’s couch. My relationship with my boss. My moods, my drinking sometimes.” He looked at her pointedly. “Should I go on?”

  “I knew I was marrying a cop, Joe. That’s what you do, who you are. How can I find fault with that?”

  Joe scratched the side of his face, studying her for a moment. “It’s a lot easier to say than to do, Randy. I know that. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” He walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head. “I love you, and I want you to be happy too. If being a cop will make you happy…” He shrugged, still holding her against him. “Then I’ll just have to deal with that, ’cause I can’t let you go.”

  Randy wanted to cry. Hearing him say it that way made her aware once again of how foolish she had been. She had realized a number of times over the last couple of days that she had come dangerously close to
losing probably the most perfect man in the world. He loved her enough to give up some of himself to be with her, and that made him perfect. She also realized once again that she had Midnight to thank for making her snap out of her downward spiral. It just about made her sick to think about what Dick and she had done—she was sure the guilt would eat her alive. She told herself she would tell Joe soon, but inside she shrank from the idea of maybe losing him over something she really hadn’t meant to happen. And if Midnight didn’t want to tell Joe, her mind told her, why should she? She knew she was deluding herself again, but she refused to analyze the situation any closer.

  A couple of hours later, Randy felt everyone’s eyes on her as she got out of the black Porsche with the vanity plate that read “SNCLAIR.” Everyone knew Joe’s car; he had become kind of a legend as the cop who did the job because he loved it, even though he was rich and definitely didn’t need the money. Joe got out of the car, shrugging into his FORS jacket, and escorted her to her class with his hand placed gently at the small of her back. Just outside the room, she turned to look up at him. She knew she couldn’t kiss him, even if she really wanted to. He leaned down, his lips right next to her ear, but in a way that didn’t appear too inappropriate—though Randy found that she was willing to get a black mark just to have him kiss her. He didn’t.

  “Be good,” he whispered, allowing his lips to brush her ear softly. Randy shivered at the sensation it created. She was once again amazed by the effect he had on her. She couldn’t believe that she’d ever grown used to him. Joe straightened as the academy sergeant came up.

  “Hey, Sinclair,” the man said, clapping Joe companionably on the back and eyeing Randy. This was a unique situation for Sergeant James Jones. Here was one of his cadets with her husband, who also happened to be a sergeant that he knew pretty well. It was further complicated by the fact that Jones knew about Randy’s dalliance with another sergeant in the department, and he wasn’t sure if Sinclair knew it too.

  “How’s the LT?” he asked Joe. He was curious about Midnight’s condition but didn’t want to act too casually in front of a cadet. Randy took the hint and went into the classroom, glancing back and smiling at Joe, whose eyes followed her until she was through the door. He looked back at the other sergeant.

  “She’s good,” he said, nodding. “Look, I wanted to talk to you about Randy—I mean, Cadet Curtis.” Joe made a face. He didn’t like the use of her maiden name, but wasn’t sure how to refer to her without making it sound too easygoing either. “Oh hell,” he said, giving up. “I wanted to talk to you about my wife.”

  Sergeant Jones grinned at Joe, knowing it had to be difficult to balance a life with circumstances like his. Jones was aware, as much as many people in the department were, of Midnight and Joe’s previous relationship as well as their continued closeness even though they were both married to other people, one of whom was a member of FORS. Jones imagined that things got more complicated indeed when divorce and infidelity came into play. “Okay, so talk.” He gestured toward his office, a couple of doors away.

  Joe followed him in, leaning casually against the door jamb as the other man sat down in his chair. “I wanted to ask about Randy’s ride-along options.”

  Jones looked up at Joe, surprised that he wasn’t aware of the situation with Randy’s request to ride along with FORS. “Don’t you and your boss talk at all?” he asked, shaking his head.

  Joe nodded. “Well, yeah. I know that Midnight turned down Randy’s request, but I’d like to rescind that denial.”

  Jones looked at him critically. “Midnight’s a lieutenant, Joe. You can’t countermand her order.”

  “I can if I’m acting in her stead right now,” Joe replied calmly.

  “Yes, technically you could,” Jones said slowly. “But I don’t think you realize how strongly she felt about this denial.”

  “Yeah, I think I do. But some things have changed since then, and I don’t think it’s an issue anymore.” He looked at Jones. “Unless your office has a problem with it.” He kept his voice amicable; he didn’t want to step on any toes just yet.

  Jones looked at Joe for a few moments, not sure if he was willing to fight this one. It was obvious that there were some underlying circumstances here, and in reality, if Joe was really acting in Midnight’s place, he did have a right to countermand her order as long as he made her aware of it when she returned. It was not his place to decide how Midnight would “feel” about the countermand, just to make sure it was for all intents and purposes within regulations.

  “No,” he said finally. “I don’t have a problem with it. I just didn’t want you to get your ass in the fire.”

  Joe smiled. “Thanks, Jim. You know I don’t do anything on a whim. If truth be known,” he said confidentially, “I’d rather have my wife where I can keep an eye on her than out with some beat cop who already has too much to do to have to be overprotective of some sergeant’s bride. Ya know?”

  Jones nodded. “Yeah, I guess if I was still married I’d think that way too.” He grinned. “Just glad I don’t have your life, man.”

  “It does have its moments, I’ll tell you that.”

  A half hour later, still in class, Randy received a message from Training Sergeant Jones that her ride-along with FORS had been approved. Grinning widely, she glanced over at Sarah and found her more or less glaring back. Randy knew there was going to be a problem there.

  When they were released for lunch, Randy found that there was indeed a problem. Sarah strode up to her, glowering. “What the hell was this? I heard your husband pulled a gun on my brother?”

  They were standing just outside the doorway to the classroom, and Randy glanced around, realizing to her relief that Joe wasn’t there yet. She didn’t want him involved in this too; he’d had to stick up for her too many times lately.

  “Well, you’ve already got it wrong,” Randy said calmly. “It was Dick that pulled the gun first—Joe was just matching his actions.”

  “Yeah? What was he doin’ there in the first place?” It was a loaded question, and Randy knew Sarah really wanted to know if she and Joe were getting back together.

  She blew her breath out in a sigh. “He was worried about me, and he came to find me. Dick and I had just finished a fight, and I was running out of the apartment as Joe walked up. Dick followed me, and when he saw Joe he pulled his weapon.” It was a simplified version of the scene that had taken place, but it was the truth.

  “That’s not what he says,” Sarah replied hotly.

  “Yeah, well, I’ll just bet that he doesn’t always tell the truth when he’s on the receiving end of humiliation.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that your brother acted like a coward,” Randy said mildly.

  Sarah looked at her sharply. She didn’t like either her or her words—her brother was her hero, and she didn’t stand for people putting him down. “He’s a coward because he didn’t shoot your estranged husband?” she said derisively.

  “Hardly. He’s a coward because he found it necessary to draw his weapon for no plausible reason.”

  “Your husband was reason enough. He’s threatened to kill Dick, hasn’t he?” Sarah sounded triumphant at having remembered that.

  But Randy shrugged. “Sure, but that was when we were standing in his house and Dick was making nasty remarks about Midnight. In fact, Joe put his gun down that time, willing to take your brother on hand to hand, so I wouldn’t say he was bent on killing him, no.”

  “You’re all protective of him now, huh?”

  “We’re back together, if that’s what you’re asking.” Randy saw Joe walking toward them. His eyes went to Sarah and then back to Randy, as if trying to decide whether to interrupt. His decision obviously made, he walked up to stand behind Randy and looked down at Sarah.

  Sarah glared daggers up at him but said nothing. She looked back at Randy and shook her head. “I can see that much,” she said, then turned on her heel an
d walked away.

  Joe watched her go. “Nice girl,” he muttered, and Randy glanced back at him.

  “Dick told her that you drew down on him first yesterday,” she said angrily.

  Joe shrugged. “Figures,” was all he had to say about the issue. “You ready?”

  Randy nodded and followed him to the car. They went to lunch at a small Mexican restaurant close to the college. Joe didn’t mention Dickerson, so Randy didn’t either. She was still fuming, however, about Dick’s twisting of the truth. She could see him so clearly now, and it made her sick to think that she had almost given up Joe for him. It would have been like giving up Prince Charming for the frog.

  Joe dropped Randy back at the academy, telling her he’d be there on time to pick her up. Randy nodded. “You probably haven’t been on time a day in your life,” she said, grinning. “But I’ll wait for you.”

  Joe laughed and flipped her a wave as he drove off. He dropped by the hospital on the way back to the office. Midnight looked better again, and the doctors were saying that if she kept up the progress, they’d maybe let her go home the following week. Midnight made a face when they told her she would have to rest at home if she was released. Dr. Duhane, who had grown fond of his spirited patient, had warned her that he’d even go so far as to make a surprise house-call-slash-inspection to make sure she was taking it easy, and if she wasn’t he’d bounce her right back to the hospital.

  “I’ll be there to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t overdo it,” Carrie said, surprising Joe and Midnight. But what surprised Joe more was the fact that Midnight did not protest vehemently. Obviously he’d missed something. He made a mental note to catch up with her soon. He headed back to FORS.

  The office was chaotic, as usual, and Joe waded through the memos and paperwork on Midnight’s desk. By five thirty, he was basically running to get out of there. He shocked Randy by pulling up to the curb in front of the college at exactly 6:00 p.m. On the way home, they talked easily about what she had learned at the academy, and Joe got a chance to unload all of the problems he was having at the office.