The Poppy Drop

by C L Bauer

  “Grandpa J likes this one.” Her smile faded as she played with the crisp knot on his tie. “You sure he’s with God, Dev?”

  Now his smile vanished. “Yes, I know he is, angel. I do and he’s going to watch over you.” She gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.

  “You mean when you’re not around?”

  He whispered in her ear. “Count on it.”

  The ladies waited patiently but it was time to go. Angelica squirmed a bit and Dev lightly placed her on the ground. She immediately bounded into her mother’s arms.

  Alise passed in front of him toward the car. “Thank you for all you did for us.”

  Dev nodded but said nothing. Lily suspected he couldn’t. She saw him gulp a couple of times. He popped his watchband.

  John’s wife patted her arm. “It may take me a while but I’m going to visit your shop, Lily. We will stay in touch.”

  “Yes, we will.” Lily gave her one more hug before releasing her. As she walked past Dev, she mouthed “thank you” to him and went on her way. The two of them were left looking at each other.

  “Your case is closed now.”

  He shifted his weight back and forth. “Yes.”

  “So, now what?”

  “More paperwork for me, a few more interviews for you, maybe a court case…” Dev was uncomfortable as the recipient of questions that needed answers. She was working her way up to a very large question, one that he couldn’t answer. Thankfully, Tom joined them and it was time to go. It was time to drive away, take Lily back to her shop so she could go to work and way past time for him to go back to Washington DC. It was time to go home. The day had really come… the case was indeed over.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Well, you’re a thousand miles away already, Dev.” His aunt eyed him suspiciously as he slid a drink coaster back and forth on the table. He hadn’t looked up when the waiter brought their waters and menus.

  “Did you say something?”

  “Dev, what are you thinking about? Something about work?”

  He picked up the menu and scanned the items.

  He knew when he walked into the grill he was going to have a steak tonight. He wasn’t going to leave a city known for its meat before he had one.

  “No, the case is over. Good guys won again.” He stopped. Not all the good guys won.

  Surprises didn’t usually happen to him but Big John’s duplicity had proved the exemption to the rule but he’d had his solid reasons. Winning gave way to disappointment in humankind. Again.John’s betrayal of Lily’s friendship infuriated him more than he could convey to her. When John placed her in danger, even to protect his family, it was inexcusable. Dev would never forget her voice on the phone the day she had made the discovery that they knew for weeks. She had sounded like a wounded animal, pitiful and fearful of what was to come. But when she figured out that she’d been the only one not aware of all the facts, she’d become an enemy with rightful grounds for her anger. Tom and he had weighed that so many times of what she would think when she finally found out, but they needed Lily to be Lily which meant she knew nothing of all the chess pieces moving on the board. The game had to be played to catch rooks, maybe even a king or queen.

  The waiter returned to take their orders. Once that was completed, Dev returned focus on his water glass rather than his dinner guest.

  “Devlin Pierce, what is going on? Don’t tell me nothing.”

  His head shot up to look at her as though he was a five-year-old boy caught at the table passing food to the dog. For a brief second he had heard his mother’s voice unwavering in a reprimand. Aunt Pat had her sister’s tone when she was demanding attention. She had his now totally.

  “I’m going to miss this city. It’s hard to go back to DC when you’ve been somewhere, well normal.”

  She eyed him.

  “Devlin Anthony Pierce, it is not the city. It’s her isn’t it?”

  “I haven’t thought about it that way.”

  Sometimes her nephew could be a complete idiot. She knew he was intelligent or he would never have graduated from West Point and law school with honors. She knew he was a tough guy, managing to come home safe and fairly sound from deployment after deployment. But he could be denser than a concrete wall.

  “Stop being so analytical and aloof. You know sometimes people do get together through their work environment. Your job is just a little more unusual than some with certainly different situations. It’s so much easier to meet over the coffee pot, the copier or at the microwave. It’s not like she’s a murderer for heaven’s sake.”

  He shook his head and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He felt as though he would soon be interrogated. He’d leave before she grabbed a pitcher to waterboard him.

  “It isn’t that easy. She was a witness, a suspect, well not for long, a victim and it was my job to protect her. We used her and before she figured that out we had become friends.”

  “Hah,” she laughed out loud as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Friends, is that what they’re calling it now? You have some feelings for this girl, woman…how old is she? You’re not robbing the cradle are you?”

  He shook his head at the assumption. “I don’t like your insinuation. She’s over thirty and her birthday is December twelfth.”

  “So she knows who she is by now.”

  He rubbed his chin and leaned on the table with both elbows.

  “You make it sound so simple. I’m not sure she does know who she is. She’s a real enigma. She’s confident in her work and unsure in her private life. She’s smart but she makes these lists to remind herself of this or that and leaves post- it notes all over just in case she forgets or loses her list. She’s so neurotic about those lists she’s rubbed off on me and now I’m doing lists in my head.” Dev sighed and continued.

  “She’s funny as hell and I haven’t laughed so much in so long. And she gives as good as she gets. She knows something about everything; loves politics, music, theatre and sports. She even know’s sports. It’s a man’s dream.”

  He stopped short of saying anything more after that admission. He could tell his aunt was seeing right through all of his smoke and mirrors rhetoric, of course she was his mother’s sister. Damn genetics.

  Aunt Pat came closer across the table and took both of his hands in hers. The intimacy made him nervous. He wouldn’t be able to lie to her now. “Devlin, is she your dream? For so long you’ve been doing everything for your family, your friends, your country. Maybe it’s time for you to do something for you.”

  He removed himself from the closeness to toy with his water glass. “I don’t know. Really. She is a surprise and nothing I was looking for and someone very unexpected. I mean, she’s not even my type.”

  “What a snob you are, boy! My gosh, do you think I was ever looking for an early balding pudgy insurance salesman? No, I wanted Ed John, an all-American basketball player so I could wear heels and still have him loom over me. But I fell in love with a man who was three inches shorter than me and had a BMI that was over the limits for his age from the time he was twenty- one. You know what I did? I threw away all my heels and flats. He always said the more he loved me, the more insurance he sold so it was a win, win.”

  She looked away, fighting back the tears and pushing them aside with her hand. “I bought a pair of heels last month, finally, but I had to return them because I couldn’t walk in them. I miss that man every single second, minute, hour, day and more at night than you could possibly imagine. I slept next to him all those years and sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up, still hearing him snoring. I’d give anything to hear that sound again, to be woke up in the middle of the night so I could throw a pillow at him.”

  Aunt Pat turned to look him straight in the eyes. “Devlin Pierce, when you find love you don’t see the facade, you see the heart and the soul. This woman has gotten to you.”

  “But she’s not my type.”

  “Why not?” This truly was a full inv
estigation by Aunt INC.

  “Well, she’s short and barely comes to my shoulders and then there’s her hair. It’s short and curly and I love a woman with long hair. I never know if her eyes are green or brown, mostly because her lashes are so thick I can’t see them. She has a nice nose, lips, short neck and she’s not athletic at all.”

  Aunt Pat was completely disgusted. Her sister would’ve kicked him in the shins by now. “So, the kids will have you for all that hiking and running stuff.”

  He laughed nervously. What was the woman thinking? “I think you’re getting way ahead of yourself.”

  What had he become that he couldn’t see what was obviously right in front of him?

  “And I think you’re a coward. I never thought I’d see the day when a highly decorated former special forces soldier would shy away from someone who might have the ability to offer him a life he always wanted. It sounds like you two are compatible from what you’ve told me before. Is she too much over the top, a talker, a whiner?”

  “No, don’t be silly. She has complained some through this ordeal but she’s had the right. She was angry when we used her trusting nature. When we were together we could be silent. It used to be uncomfortable but now the silence is a soothing feeling. It feels natural.”

  Their steaks came. If meat could be beautiful then they would have won the pageant.

  Briefly, he was allowed to dig in, swallowing only food, not his pride.

  “I know you’ve lost your mom and some of your friends. You don’t talk about your time in the Army and you certainly haven’t shared your feelings about your mom. So, I just want you to consider one thing.”

  He kept eating but he was listening. Her tone was softer, not judgmental at his obvious discrimination based on the looks of someone.

  “If you heard tonight she had been hurt, or worse killed, would your life be changed in any way? That’s it. I want to enjoy the rest of the night with you, maybe let’s go to a movie. But just think about it.”

  Dev placed his knife and fork on the plate and took a swallow of water.

  “A movie sounds good. I appreciate your concern,” he paused setting his glass down, “and I’ve wondered that same thing almost since the moment I met her. I’m not sure I could go on knowing she wasn’t here in Kansas City in that little flower shop making those brides happy every weekend. Happy?” He’d had those feelings the night he saw her in the rain, sitting on a sidewalk, her world turned upside down.

  Aunt Pat smiled. “Delighted. I would love some non-athletic, plain looking great nieces and nephews. They’ll remind me of my husband.”

  A couple of customers stared at him as his laughter filled the restaurant. He looked out the window to see Lily’s car rounding the corner but she wasn’t looking into the building. She had flowers in the back and this time really was on a delivery. She’d passed him by and didn’t know it. He didn’t like how that felt at all.

  Chapter Thirty

  Lily pushed the buttons on the security pad automatically. She was a robot this Monday.

  She looked wistfully down the sidewalk, half expecting John to saunter down, greeting her with a much needed caramel macchiato. She wiped back a tear as she looked down and saw the discolored concrete. How long would that be there?

  Lights and computer were turned on and she listened to the phone messages while she put her lunch in the fridge. There were a couple of calls to return but it would soon be her down time. It was cool every morning now and she couldn’t wait to wear sweaters and leggings daily.

  She went to the front of the store to check on the door when she saw Devlin Pierce walking up the sidewalk from the parking lot. He looked like a federal agent today with those blasted sunglasses, polished shoes and a sedate blue tie. He stood out like a shining light wearing the brightest white fitted shirt. He looked like he belonged in some romance novel, the soldier who returns from serving his country to the states where he serves his country. He meets woman after woman until he meets “that one” and she means everything to him. They would live happily every after until the terrorists tracked him down, kidnapped his love and wrecked havoc on their perfect world.

  Really, Lily, she asked herself. The reality was that she hadn’t seem him since the funeral. She could still remember the final news account…”The FBI, in coordination with the DEA, have ended a sting operation to stop a Cartel shipment of drugs from reaching the open market in the Kansas City area. Several area businesses were integral in assisting the federal agencies.” She could still see Gretchen holding those two bags like she was the new model in a hand lotion commercial.

  She opened the door. “Hello stranger.”

  He was close enough she could smell his light cologne. Removing his sunglasses, he looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy wrapping this all up and making a few changes. May I come in?”

  Lily waived him in. “I don’t suppose you brought me coffee?”

  “I thought about it.” His words lingered on the air and they both knew that the other was thinking about that discolored sidewalk out front.

  He sat down in one of the consultation chairs. “I wanted to say goodbye and thank you again. We really couldn’t have done it without you. Seriously. You were our rock star.”

  She sat down, actually, fell like a brick. It was over. Her daydreams and thoughts could now be put away like an overly used book with its pages weathered and torn.

  Dev saw something in her face. Perhaps it was fear, disappointment or simmering anger? He needed a translator to understand Lily. Like with any foreign language, there were times of understanding but then someone would speak too quickly and lose you in mid-sentence. He was lost in this silence.

  “Lily, I’ll stay in touch. You may see Tom now and then and frankly, he loves stopping in to see you and Abby. His wife loves the flowers.” He was using the word love too many times.

  She stared at him blankly. What did she want or need to say to him? That she cared for him? That she loved him? Her last relationship had been such a disaster. Dev was just doing his job all along. Put this case in the file cabinet and move on.

  “Lily, say something, please,” he finally pleaded. He couldn’t take the silence, the hurt he was now seeing clearly.

  “Goodbye.”

  Dev sucked in air at that one word. He stood up to leave. Robot woman stood as well, walking past him to reach for the door to show him out.

  “Agent Pierce, I won’t say it was a pleasure but it was very nice meeting you, and to know you. Thank you for all you did for me. Tell Agent Fullerton that his wife will love my leftovers… they have no calories.”

  He saw professional Lily, the one who could be crying and screaming on the inside but telling the bride exactly what she wanted to hear on the outside. She had hated lying but he had taught her the skill of artful omission and she had become an exceptional student. She was punishing him and rightly so. She was moving on and so was he. It would be easier this way. For both of them. But was this really want he wanted?

  “I’ll tell him. Take care. I’ve got to catch a plane back today so I better get going.” He extended his hand to shake her’s. Awkwardly, she moved one hand from the door and the other to his, lightly touching his hand. She felt that warmth again.

  “Bye now.” She was pushing him out the door like an appointment that had lasted too long.

  He looked back once, shaking his head, slowly making his way to his car.

  No more twinkling eyes, no more sudden heatwave whenever he touched her for any odd reason. You have a busy week making everybody else happy.

  “I want to be happy,” she yelled out loud. She refused to cry. She needed to go to work.

  She began on the emails. Mrs. Carson wanted to make her corsage into a wrist. The wedding for the first part of December was wondering if the church would be decorated for Christmas.

  There was a text on her phone…from Dev.

  “Lily, I will miss you and I want to stay in touch. You
weren’t just a damsel in distress.”

  Her hands began to shake. She didn’t know if she could just be friends with this man, if that’s what he wanted. She wasn’t sure what she wanted right now.

  “Lord, what should I do?” She looked up in prayer and ignored the text.

  Sitting in his car with the engine running, Devlin Pierce was completely dumbfounded. He had been summarily dismissed as if it were his final day at a very bad job. Basically, the boss had told him to get out, nice knowing you, we’re done now, scoot. But he didn’t want to be gone.

  On the way over to Lily’s he had made a list in his head. Saying goodbye had not been on it.

  Instead, Lily had built a wall hiding what she really wanted. He couldn’t climb it, at least not today. He pulled the car out of the lot and began driving to the airport. As he drove through the Country Club Plaza, he sighed. He really was going to miss walking those streets, the food and the people. He was headed back to traffic, politics and everyone knotted into never-ending circles. By the time he turned in his rental and shuttled to KCI, he’d almost stopped making lists in his mind. But he couldn’t shake number one on the list. He’d meant to kiss her goodbye.

  He hadn’t been her knight in shining armor, nor had she been the damsel in distress.

  Dev took the Metro from Reagan to the Alexandria, Virginia station, walking the three blocks to his townhouse. He turned the key and opened the door to another planet. There was a stack of sorted mail on the coffee table. His Dad had taken care of all that and considering the clean smell in the home, his maid service had made sure everything else was in order.

  Everything was in just the right space, clean and orderly. It was an analogy of his life prior to this investigation, until Lily. She’d made a mess of everything. She’d come into his life like a tornado throwing everything he knew before her around in circles. But more than that, she’d attacked his heart and made him feel.

  He looked around. It was a beautiful thing to have order, no stacks of unread magazines or Elmo slippers residing near the door. There were no post-it notes. He peered over to the kitchen with its bare countertops. His wood floors were shiny, his sink glistened.