Border Breach

by Darlene L. Turner

  “It has to be because I vowed to get rid of drug smugglers.” He sighed. “I need to take you off this case. You’re not equipped for this.”

  She cringed. Why couldn’t he trust in her abilities? “Dad, I know what I’m doing and I have Hudson. He’s a good officer.”

  “Not enough.”

  “Trust me. I’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise.”

  There was no running. She would face the ring head-to-head, if need be. After all, she was stronger than that ten-year-old who got a B-minus. Smarter, too. He would not take her off this case.

  After what seemed an eternity, he blew out a breath and relented. “Keep me updated. Stop these guys. Fast.” Then he clicked off.

  That was it? He couldn’t tell her he loved her?

  Again.

  Well, she’d prove to him she could bring this ring down.

  Nothing would stand in her way. Not even her father.

  * * *

  Hudson’s knee bounced as he waited for Kaylin. What was taking her so long?

  Lord, be with her.

  He sipped his coffee, and by the time he finished, Kaylin returned. Her eyes were glossed over, but in her expression he noted resolve. Determination. “How is your father?”

  “As ornery as ever.” She opened Benji’s journal. “Shall we get back to it? What else did Bianca say?”

  Hudson noticed how quickly she wanted to move on. She was off. Withdrawn. But he knew better than to press. If she wanted to share, she’d do it. Maybe she just needed time to trust him. “The owner of the van is DJ’s Florist. Shall we go pay them a visit? Snoop around?”

  She stood. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Make sure you turn your cell phone off again. Just in case you’re being tracked.” He threw his coffee cup in the trash.

  Moments later they parked in front of DJ’s Florist on Walker Road. Potted daisies, mums and roses lined the sidewalk, inviting customers to peruse and come into the establishment. A white van sat in the driveway. Same make and model as the torched one. Hudson held open the shop’s door for Kaylin. The bells chimed, announcing their presence.

  Kaylin bent to smell a bucket of yellow roses. “These are my favorites. They make me smile every time I see them.”

  Maybe he’d buy her some. One day.

  He tossed the thought away and studied the small shop. Buckets containing various flowers were placed throughout the store and beautiful arrangements lined the shelves of the cooler. Shoppers filled the tiny space as they picked through the merchandise.

  Hudson pointed to the front. “Let’s see what we can learn from the florist.”

  The florist was a petite brunette in her midforties. As they approached her, she stooped over to grab a daisy. She clipped the bottom and stuck it in the arrangement she worked on. She stood back and eyed her creativity. Obviously satisfied, she grabbed another flower.

  Kaylin stepped to the counter. “Morning, ma’am. Can you help us?”

  The woman startled at the sight of them and eyed them up and down. She wiped her forehead with the back of her gloved hand.

  “What can I do for you, Officers?” Her lips slowly curled into a smile.

  Hudson withdrew his badge from his pocket and introduced himself and Kaylin.

  Kaylin produced her credentials. “We have some questions for you.”

  “What could I possibly help you with? I’m just a florist struggling to make a living.” She studied the flower arrangement she’d been working on.

  She’s hiding something.

  Hudson was sure of it.

  Kaylin stepped closer to the woman. “You can tell us why someone shot at us from one of your vans when they attempted to cross the border.”

  The woman’s head snapped back, eyes bulging. “What? Impossible.”

  “Are you down a van?” Hudson fingered the arrangement she’d been working on. “Some employees?”

  She scratched her head. “I’ve been waiting for my latest shipment and haven’t heard back from the driver. I figured he decided to stay overnight in Detroit.”

  What? She didn’t keep track of her delivery workers? Hudson pulled out his phone and flipped to a picture of Akio. “This your driver?”

  “Yes. Where is he?”

  “Dead. Taken out by a sniper.” Kaylin leaned on the counter as she studied the woman’s face.

  “What?” the florist exclaimed. “Why would anyone kill him?”

  “You tell us, ma’am.” Hudson paused. “What’s your name?”

  “Colleen Oliver.”

  Kaylin stood tall. “Do you own this place?”

  The woman nodded. “My husband Lyle and I do. Have for fifteen years. Named our shop after our two kids. Daniel and Julia.”

  “Why do you import flowers from the States?” Hudson said.

  “We buy exotic flowers from all over the world. Not just the States.”

  “Why?” Kaylin probed the woman closer. She was good at her job, Hudson thought to himself. Why had he given her such a hard time in their last case?

  “Better choices and higher demand. I always follow the necessary steps to get them into the country. Nothing illegal about it.”

  “Then why did your driver and his partner torch the van?” Kaylin said.

  Colleen clenched her jaw. “You need to speak to my husband.”

  “Is he here?” Hudson read the fear in her face. They had her nervous. Good.

  “He should be back from his deliveries now. Let me check.” She set her clippers down and exited into a room at the back of the store.

  Kaylin picked up a flower and examined it. “Do you think she’s hiding information?”

  “Her tightened body language indicates she’s nervous about something. She knows more than she’s letting on. And what business today doesn’t keep track of their drivers? Doesn’t make sense.” As he spoke, he checked his cell phone for updates from his sister. As of this morning, there had been no change in Matthew’s condition. The doctors were losing hope but not Hudson. He trusted God would pull him through. He tucked his phone back into his pocket.

  “Agreed. You would think she’d keep a closer eye on her shipments. She seemed genuinely surprised when we told her the van was torched.”

  Hudson mentally reviewed the details of the case. The driver Akio dead. Blaine Ridley’s whereabouts undetermined. Benji involved, but how deep? Benji’s father acting suspicious. What tied them all together? It didn’t add up. He rubbed his brow. “I don’t get what’s going on with this case. We have too many moving parts. What does one have to do with the other?”

  “We need to find Blaine Ridley. Maybe he holds the key. Or at least more information leading us to Valentino.”

  Colleen emerged with a plump, dark-haired man with circular rimmed glasses. His frown told Hudson he wasn’t happy to see them.

  The man wiped his brow. “What can I do for you, Officers? I’m Lyle. My wife says you asked for me?”

  Hudson introduced them to the man and shook his hand. “Tell us what you know about your latest shipment. What were you having transported across the border that warranted your employees destroying it?”

  Lyle’s mouth flew open. “He did not act on my orders. He was simply to pick up the flowers and bring them here. That’s all.”

  Kaylin split her stance. “So why would your driver draw a gun and shoot at me?”

  Lyle blinked. “He did what now?”

  “You heard me,” Kaylin said. “What aren’t you telling us?”

  Hudson tapped his watch. “Where were you at eight fifteen last night?”

  “Why, what happened?”

  “Your driver, Akio Lee, was taken out by a sniper. Obviously someone didn’t want him talking.”

  Lyle pushed his glasses further up his nose with a shaky finger. �
�I was here until closing. Nine thirty. You can check our video cameras. Besides, I’ve never fired a gun in my life.”

  Kaylin turned to Colleen. “What about you?”

  The woman tilted her head. “You’re accusing me of murder?” Her high-pitched voice boomed in the small shop.

  Shoppers gawked at her.

  She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “That’s absurd. I was here with my husband. Just like every night. We close the shop together.”

  “Then why do you suppose someone wanted Akio out of the way?” Hudson asked.

  “No idea. We’re only simple florists.” Lyle didn’t make eye contact with either of them.

  Hudson’s gut told him there was more to this flower shop than this couple let on. Could they be working with the drug smuggling ring? He pointed to a rear door. “Can we see your back room?”

  Lyle folded his plump arms. “That’s private. Only employees. Do you have a warrant, Constable Steeves?”

  So they were going to play that game. “Well, it looks like we’ll have to do just that. Don’t take any vacations anytime soon. We still need to talk to you.”

  Kaylin moved toward the exit as more patrons entered. “One more question. Where can we find Blaine Ridley?”

  “Who?” Lyle studied his feet.

  Interesting.

  “The passenger who was in the van with your driver. Doesn’t he work for you?” Hudson was tired of this man’s attitude.

  “Never heard of him. We only hired a driver to go across to the States.” The man grabbed a cloth and wiped the counter, pushing cut flower stems onto the floor. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have customers to attend to.”

  Hudson tipped his hat. “We’ll be back.”

  He put his hand on Kaylin’s arm and led her through the door. The midafternoon sun hit him like an open oven. He took a breath and exhaled. “What do you make of that interview?”

  “They’re definitely hiding something. Do we have enough to get a warrant to search the place?”

  “I’m going to try.” He fumbled in his pocket for his keys, dropping them on the sidewalk. Klutz!

  “Where to—”

  His cruiser exploded with a thunderous roar.

  * * *

  The blast thrust Kaylin into the front of the building, breaking the window. Glass shattered onto the pavement and sliced into her skin as she fell to the ground. Trickles of blood oozed down her arms. Her head throbbed. The heat from the inferno burned her face and she tried to shield herself. It assaulted her nose. Her pulse raced, bringing a wave of nausea with it. She breathed in. Out. In. Out. She needed to slow her heart rate down. She willed herself to move but couldn’t.

  Flames torched the cruiser and rose higher into the sky, blanketing the area with smoke. She placed her hand over her mouth to prevent further inhalation. Where was Hudson?

  Kaylin shook her head to clear the fogginess. She exhaled. What would have happened if Hudson hadn’t dropped his keys? A shudder ran through her body. Could it be God had protected them?

  Dare she even consider that? He hadn’t been there all her life, so why now? Surely it was just a coincidence.

  She placed her bloody hand on the rough pavement and eased herself up. “Hudson?”

  Silence.

  The constable lay a few feet away. He’d been thrown down the sidewalk.

  She stumbled over to him. “Hudson? Can you hear me?”

  Nothing.

  She swayed and grabbed the side of the building to steady herself. Once the wave of dizziness passed, she knelt beside him. “Hudson, talk to me.” She turned him over.

  Blood caked his face.

  She checked his pulse. Steady. She shook him. “Hudson, wake up.” She reached for her cell phone, but her pocket was empty. She glanced around. It lay shattered on the pavement. Useless.

  Colleen and Lyle rushed out of the florist shop. “Are you okay, Officer?”

  “He’s unconscious and needs help. My phone was damaged. Call 911.”

  Colleen ran back into the building.

  Lyle walked closer to the flaming cruiser and whistled. “Who would have done this?”

  Good question. Had they targeted her again?

  A crowd formed. Onlookers filled both sides of the streets, trying to catch a glimpse of the event. Was the bomber among them? They said suspects sometimes stayed to watch after they’d committed a crime, as if admiring their handiwork. Did that happen today?

  She jumped up and surveyed the expressions on the faces of the onlookers. “Someone bent on preventing us from getting any answers,” she finally replied to the florist.

  Had the suspect been watching them? If so, why not wait until they were in the vehicle? Then she remembered what was in the cruiser. The journal. Obviously, someone wanted it destroyed. That meant there were incriminating names listed on the pages. She eyed the burning cruiser. All was lost now.

  Colleen joined them back out on the street. “EMS, fire rescue and Windsor police are on their way.” She looked at the shop. “Our window is destroyed.”

  Kaylin stopped picking shards of glass out of her hair, her eyes narrowing. “You’re worried about your window when Constable Steeves is lying unconscious?”

  The woman shrugged and walked back into the shop.

  Kaylin’s face flushed, and she rubbed her brow. She would never understand how some people reacted in a crisis. She shook her head and crouched beside Hudson. She rubbed his arm. “Come on. Wake up.” She couldn’t lose him. Not now. He’d raced into her life unexpectedly, taking her by surprise. Even when she had been resolved to steer clear of men.

  Sirens sounded in the distance. They drew louder.

  Good, they needed to get him to the hospital. “Come on. Come back to us.”

  Hudson lay still as the blood dripped down the sides of his face.

  The ambulance, fire truck and police cruiser pulled up in front of the flaming car. Firemen jumped from their truck and hooked up their hose to a nearby hydrant as EMS workers rushed to Hudson’s side.

  “What happened, Officer?” one of the technicians asked her as he checked Hudson’s vitals.

  Kaylin stood. “He was thrown from the blast. I think he hit his head on the pavement.”

  One paramedic shone a light into both eyes. “His pulse is strong. Could be a concussion. We need to get him to Windsor Regional right away.”

  Another paramedic approached with a gurney. They eased Hudson onto it and lifted him into the back of the ambulance.

  Two police officers canvassed the crowd, asking questions. Another officer approached her. “We’ll need to take your statement.”

  Kaylin shook her head. “Not now. I’m going with him.” She nodded toward Hudson in the ambulance.

  “You’ll need to get checked, as well, ma’am,” one of the paramedics interjected as he walked by.

  The officer stepped back. “Then we’ll meet you at the hospital after we talk to the others here.” He nodded toward the florist shop’s owner.

  “Sounds good.” She willed her weakened legs to step into the back of the ambulance. The situation had stressed her more than she realized. Would Hudson be okay? She sent up a quick prayer.

  Would God hear her after all of the negativity she had toward Him?

  An hour later, after getting checked out at the hospital, she sat by Hudson’s bedside. He still hadn’t regained consciousness. She studied his cell phone, which she’d removed from his pocket. Whom should she call? Where was his mother? A girlfriend? The thought of a woman in his life somehow stung. Why did it bother her so much? To think she couldn’t stand his cocky attitude six months ago. What had changed? Or perhaps he had simply warmed up to her.

  She eyed the handsome officer. Nurses had washed the blood from his face and bandaged his cuts. Kaylin had cringed at the amount
covering his cheeks. The laceration on his forehead had to be stitched due to the depth of it. No wonder the blast had knocked him unconscious. She sat beside the bed and took Hudson’s hand, rubbing his fingers. Why did she want to get to know this man all of a sudden?

  His cell phone buzzed.

  A gorgeous redhead’s face popped up on his screen with a name above it.

  Rebecca.

  Kaylin bit her lip. Should she answer?

  She hit the Talk button. “Officer Poirier here.”

  “Who? Where’s Hudson?”

  “Can I ask who’s calling?”

  “Rebecca. His fiancée.”

  Kaylin froze.

  EIGHT

  Hudson licked his cracked lips and swallowed. His parched throat longed for water. He opened his eyes and blinked several times to clear the fogginess in his throbbing head and get accustomed to the bright lights. He touched the bump on his forehead and moaned. Where was he? Why did his entire body feel like a cement truck had hit him?

  Wait. The blast.

  Where was Kaylin?

  He bolted upright, but immediately regretted it as a wave of nausea slammed him. He eased back down and took big breaths until the feeling subsided.

  The smell of rubbing alcohol filled the small room. Beeping noises sounded from outside his door. He was in a hospital. Windsor Regional.

  He looked around the room and found Kaylin asleep in a chair beside him. How long had he been here?

  Who blew up his cruiser?

  Questions raced through his mind, but he was only concerned about the beautiful woman sitting next to him. Relieved she was okay, he took her hand.

  She startled. “You’re awake.”

  “Were you worried about me, Officer Poirier?” He winked.

  She smiled mischievously. “What do you think?”

  “How long have I been out?” He eased himself up. He had to get out of here and back on the case. It wouldn’t solve itself. If he didn’t, he’d never hear the end of it from his boss.

  “Five hours.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  She rubbed her hand over the armrest. “The blast threw us both. Thankfully you stopped to pick up your keys. I think that saved our lives.”