Intuition

by Jennis Slaughter

  “Stays silly,” Ariel mumbled, already drifting back to sleep.

  Kissing the forehead resting on her chest, Raelin closed her own eyes to wait on her wife.

  Del popped back into the bedroom and immediately crawled back into the bed with her two favorite girls. “She’s out again, I see,” she thought to her wife.

  “Well, you did say that I have a comfortable chest.” Raelin opened her eyes to smirk at the blonde.

  “That is true. The little ones are fine. Three look just like Tasha and one of them has Rori’s coloring, but Tasha’s extra thumbs. That one was the runt of the litter, by the looks of it.” Del thought as she snuggled close to Ariel’s back and wrapped her arms around both of them.

  “Hmm, and how is Rori taking being a dad.” She placed a hand over Delaney’s arm.

  “He was standing guard over the box when I went down, but then he curled up with Tasha as I was leaving. I’m not sure he knew what to think. He is amazed at how tiny and perfect they are; he started bragging them up the second I walked into the room.”

  Chuckling, Raelin then sighed. “We’ll have to get him a filet of salmon as a gift. Did you sleep well?”

  “Well enough, I guess. You?”

  Mentally shrugging, the witch answered, “As well as can be expected, even though you did wear me out. I don’t think either one of us is looking forward to today.”

  “No, not at all. It’s going to be hard enough with all of the reporters after me, now I need to worry about Kasey too. At least I know she’ll be a damn fine Chief. Don’t have to worry too much about the department with her in charge.” Del thought sadly. She really didn’t like being at odds with Kasey, they’d become fairly close friends and she couldn’t stand the idea of that changing.

  “Kasey will be fine. Do not worry about it okay?” Raelin thought over a kiss. “I was thinking that maybe Ariel could stay with Jenny during the press conference. I don’t want her anyplace right now with a lot of emotions.”

  “That’s a good plan, although I would have thought Jenny would be at the press conference to support Kasey,” Del responded, returning the kiss.

  “Any suggestions then?”

  “Well you can still ask Jenny, she might not be going. Who knows? If anything, we can ask Kai to watch her for a few hours.” Del shrugged mentally.

  They laid there enjoying the quiet of the morning for a few minutes before the stillness was interrupted by the shrill ringing of Delaney’s cell phone. “It begins,” she muttered grabbing the phone off the nightstand and flipping it open.

  “Delacroix?” she answered in her usual manner.

  “Delacroix...Chuck Townsend here. The press conference is scheduled for eleven o’clock. Can you come by my office beforehand so we can go over a few things?”

  “Good morning, sir. Eleven is just fine. Is there anything you want me to bring?” she asked, sitting up and leaning against the headboard.

  “Please be in full dress uniform and ask if Raelin wouldn’t mind joining us.” The sounds of rustling papers could be heard though the phone.

  “She wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll see you around ten-thirty then sir,” Del agreed secretly groaning over having to wear her dress uniform.

  “Fine, see you then.” And the call was disconnected.

  Hanging up Delaney tossed it back to the nightstand and looked down at her wife and the four year old now awake between them. Cocking her head to the side, she regarded the little blonde curiously. “What are you crossing your fingers for baby?” she asked seeing the serious expression on Ariel’s face.

  “Cause big girls don’t suck they’s thumbs. Right, Aunty Rae?” Ariel said proudly.

  “That’s right. How much were you able to hear after you crossed your fingers Sweetie?” Raelin smoothed back Ariel’s hair.

  “Aunt Delly hates her uniforms. That’s all I gots,” she said with a nod.

  “Oh, she’s crossing her fingers instead of sucking her thumbs. I was wondering what those had to do with each other.” Del chuckled. “And you are right, Munchkin, I hate wearing the fancy uniform.”

  “Good job, Ariel. So what do you say for some breakfast? Anything special you would like?” The brunette smiled down at the little blonde.

  Ariel thought long and hard about what she might be craving before she spoke up. “Chocolate ice cream.”

  “Sorry Ari, that’s not on the breakfast menu. Try again.” Del smiled indulgently, kissing the top of the blonde head.

  “Bacons?” she tried.

  “Bacon is always on the menu.” Raelin sat up. “Now why don’t you and I go get you dressed and then we’ll go start the bacon while Aunt Del gets into her uniform.”

  “Should we warn her to stay away from Tasha and the kittens? I already moved their food dishes into the living room so they didn’t need to go too far from the little ones.” Del thought to her wife.

  “Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind, please tell her.” Raelin got out of bed to head into the bathroom to get ready really quick.

  Del grabbed the toddler and swung her up into her arms. “So it’s just you and me huh?” She paused to let Ariel’s giggles subside. “Ariel, I want you to do something for me okay? It’s really important.”

  Ariel nodded and cuddled closer in her Aunt’s arms. “Kays, Aunt Delly.”

  “Tasha had her kittens last night and that was the squeaking you heard. I need you to stay away from them, okay. They are really little and can’t protect themselves. They are too little to play with you right now and Tasha is very tired and sore from giving birth. Can you do that for me?” Del asked seriously.

  Looking at her Aunt Ariel nodded. “Mommy said the same thing when her and Daddy took me to see Uncle Jason and his baby. I was very carefuls. I will be careful with the kitties too.”

  “That’s right Ariel. This is just like when you met Mike’s nephew. Thank you for being such a big girl,” she gave Ariel a kiss, squeeze, then lifted her above her head, and ran around the room with her laughing and squealing all the while.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  The drive into town felt like forever and she could already see people gathering around town hall when they drove past to drop Ariel off at Jenny’s. They had called and found out that Jenny didn’t really want to be around the crowd that was going to be there anyway. They’d dropped Ariel off with a promise to get her in a couple hours’ time and then they finally started for the Mayor’s office.

  They’d had to plow through the waiting journalists insisting they had no comments at this time and by the time they got inside, Del’s patience and nerves were already wearing thin. Having been the last to arrive, they were ushered into the Mayor’s office and found the Mayor and Kasey waiting for them. “Hi, sorry we’re late. My niece is visiting and we had to leave her with Jenny,” Del said as they walked in.

  Raelin kept a hand on the small of Delaney’s back for as long as she could projecting a calmness that she honestly didn’t feel, but knew that they both needed to have.

  “Not a problem...Raelin, good to see you,” the Mayor nodded his head. “I’m just telling everyone that you are temporarily suspended until the investigation is completed, and that myself and the town has full confidence that you will be reinstated. That the past is just that...Blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. We will answer the questions as honestly as we can, and that’s it,” he laid everything out as he saw it.

  “That’s fine. Thank you for your faith in me,” Del said. “Do you have the article so I can at least see it and know what I’m in for? I take it both of you have already had a look at it.”

  “Yeah, I took a look already,” Kasey said, piping up. “Knowing who the writer was I think it’s pretty safe to say it was only done to drag your name through the mud.”

  Del took the paper that was handed to her and scowled as she read the name under the headline. “Collins, that jackass. I knew I couldn’t trust him. Kasey, did we find anything more on him? I can dig a little deeper
and maybe see who is lawyer is working for.”

  “No, we didn’t get anything and we couldn’t really dig because we had no evidence or reason to support a warrant. Try contacting Jessie and asking her if she knows him?” Kasey suggested.

  The Mayor spoke up. “I would prefer that you would keep a very low profile on whatever you decide to do. I know you well enough by now to know that you will try and find out what you can, but please don’t do anything that would jeopardize your reinstatement.”

  Raelin nodded her head. “Let Kasey and Director Jacobs do what they can behind the scenes please.”

  Frustrated Del nodded, knowing she didn’t have much of a choice either way. She went back to the article and skimmed over it, trying to ignore her mug shot glaring back up at her. “What the hell? It goes on about how I’m a heavy handed dictator and that I assaulted him and that me being picked up as a kid is proof that I’m a danger to public safety,” she growled, holding it out for her wife to read.

  Looking at his watch, the Mayor sighed. “Okay, let’s get this over with,” he took a step towards the door before turning to the blonde. “I just want to tell you once more that I have complete faith in you. I know how I bluster on that I’m the one that cleaned up the town, but I know that you, Kasey and Raelin had more to do with it. Politics aside, you’re a fine Chief, and I’m sorry that you have to go through this.”

  Raelin didn’t bother to read the article; she just tossed it into the trashcan.

  The blonde gave him a small smile, thankful for his support. She followed, as he opened the front doors to town hall and stepped down in front of the dais that was set up. She had to squint against the flurry of camera flashes that went off when she stepped out and she stood to the Mayors left as Kasey took his right. She felt Raelin’s strong presence just behind her and took a deep breath as the Mayor kicked things off.

  The Mayor cleared his throat and waited for the murmur of voices to die down. He read a prepared speech, which went over what he had already told Delaney in his office, and then he opened the floor up for questions.

  “Why didn’t you ask for help from the administrators at your school before you decided to sell drugs?”

  Del hesitated before she stepped up to the dais. “I was fourteen, and I lived in a bad part of town. I had friends in the system and they were not any better off. If anything, they were worse. I didn’t want that for myself. A part time job wouldn’t have kept food on the table or the roof over our heads. “

  “Where were your parents during this time? Didn’t they care enough to keep track of you or were they drug users also?”

  “I’d like to make it perfectly clear that I did not sell, nor was I a user. I just delivered,” she said with a glare. She glanced over to Raelin, and let out a long breath at her wife’s encouraging nod. “My mother didn’t survive my birth and when she died my father turned to drinking. I was raised by my grandmother until I was about ten. We were in a car accident that killed her and left me in a coma for a couple weeks. After that I pretty much raised myself because my father was never sober enough to take care of me,” she hated having to tell these perfect strangers the things that hurt her most in her life but there was no way around it at this time and if she didn’t tell them, someone else probably would.

  “Do you think given your past and your present lifestyle, that you are a good choice for Chief of Leroy, and what does your Department think of you now?”

  “What do you mean my lifestyle?” Del asked warningly.

  Kasey stepped up and stopped Del with a gentle hand on her arm. “As the Chief’s partner, I can honestly say I have never worked with anyone I could trust as much as I trust this woman. She knows the law, enforces it fairly, and has never abused her power. Her past is irrelevant as is her private life. She’s done nothing but good for this town. I can honestly say that along with me, everyone in the department is looking forward to her return once this is all cleared up. We all have every confidence in our Chief.”

  “Ms. Montrose, did you know about your partner’s criminal past? If not, how will this affect you?”

  Raelin walked up to the dais and waited until the flashes had quit going off before she answered, “It’s Mrs. Delacroix, and Delaney explained her past to me from the beginning, and that it exactly what it is, her past. It made her the way that she is today, which is an honorable, law abiding citizen that has strived to help all that she could,” she paused for another moment before continuing. “I would like to say that I am disappointed at the Picayune for running this expose and not getting both sides of the story. I thought that they were concerned about printing the truth, not what some salacious freelance reporter dug up and fabricated because neither one of us would give him an interview.”

  “I spoke to this reporter who wrote the article, he claimed you were having inappropriate relations in a public place. He claims when he tried to call you on it your Chief assaulted him.”

  Raelin’s eyes got darker as she fisted one hand. “I was kissing my partner in my place of business while there were no other customers in the store, and the last time I checked it was not inappropriate to give anyone a kiss. Don’t you often give your wife a kiss in public? As for the assault, Mr. Collins was asked on numerous occasions to leave the premises and told that he was not going to be given an interview, but refused to leave. When I asked him to be removed from the premises he lunged at me, leaving the Chief no course but to take him down. If you care to see the surveillance video of that afternoon, I can certainly provide it to you.”

  The Mayor stepped back up. “I believe that is all the time that we have for questions. I thank you for your attendance, and as I said, we look forward to having Chief Delacroix back at work protecting Leroy in the very near future.”

  He turned away from the crowd and escorted them all back to his office. “That went pretty well. I’m sorry about the personal questions, but we had to expect them.”

  “I knew it was going to come,” Del said around a tired sigh as she leaned against the wall of the office, rubbing at her head and trying to stave off the impending headache.

  Raelin didn’t care who was watching as she went over and put her hand on either side of Delaney’s face and stared into her eyes, thinking. “I love you, and don’t you dare let those people get to you.”

  Resting her hands on her wife’s hips, she gave them a little squeeze. “I know, they don’t know shit about us. You never mentioned surveillance before, why didn’t you tell me you had it.”

  “I thought that you knew. Mr. Roberts insisted that the store have a top of the line security system, in fact, Kasey should have gotten the recording of last night from the back of the store to see if it shows who threw the bomb.”

  A slow shit-eating grin spread across Del’s face. “Do you have one that covers the front of the store or just the interior?”

  “Now Darlin’, have you ever known me to do anything half way? It covers everything.” Raelin smiled down at the blonde.

  “That’s my girl.” Del grinned proudly. “Kasey, when do you think we can take a look?”

  “I’ve already pulled the chip but was waiting until after this was finished to take a look at it. I’m afraid though Delaney, that I can’t allow you to view it as you’re on suspension,” Kasey quietly stated.

  “Oh right. Damn it I keep forgetting about that.” Delaney sighed. Standing up from her place on the wall, she looked at the Mayor. “Are we done or do you need me for anything? I need to pick up Ariel because I promised her ice cream.”

  He waved her away, shaking her and Raelin’s hands before they left. Kasey followed them out and stopped Delaney before she walked outside. “However, there’s nothing that says that I can’t show the owner and her wife, the Private Investigator the recording. Nothing at all.”

  Del grinned at her deputy, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “You’re right, nothing at all. So, care to join us for dinner and a movie tonight?”

  “I would lov
e to. I’ll bring the pizza.” Kasey grinned.

  “Good. It’s a date. Don’t tell my wife.” She winked jokingly.

  Kasey grinned back. “As long as you don’t tell my fiancée.”

  Raelin stood there, shaking her head. “You two are so loopy. I’m going to head on over to the Nook. The contractors should be there soon.”

  “You want me to drop you off or you want to come with me to get Ariel?” Del asked.

  “I’ll walk over. I wanna check if any other stores have been having problems,” she nodded her head at Kasey. “I’m sure that you’ve already asked them, but maybe they would prefer to tell me than the law.”

  “That would be good. Please try and convince them to report it if anything comes up,” she glanced at her watch. “Darn, I need to get to the department. Douglas and Michaels have been up all night working and I need to make sure they can get some rest. We’ll be at your place around six or seven?”

  “That’s fine. See you then.” Raelin brushed her hand against Delaney’s cheek before she walked out of the City Hall and down the sidewalk towards the Nook. She stopped along the way and spoke with several owners of different shops and they stated that they had seen a dark car driving away after the explosion, but hadn’t caught a look at who was driving.

  Once she finally made it to the Nook, she sighed at the damage she saw as she opened the door. The contractor was waiting for her so they quickly came to terms on what was needed to be done, and she started on her inventory and he began to instruct his crew.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Del had picked Ariel up and gotten the promised ice cream and was now walking from the ice cream store to the Nook. She opened the door and took hold of Ariel’s hand so she didn’t get in the contractors way. “Raelin, it’s me. You out back?” she called out.

  “Yeah, hang on. I’ll be right out.” The witch appeared a few moments later. “Ariel, did you get any ice cream in your mouth or did you decide to wear it all?” The brunette chuckled.