Between the Lines

by KD Williamson

  “Then why—” He blinked. “You…you think this is funny? What’s wrong with you?” he asked for the second time. There was fear in his voice, and she knew why.

  “I’m not turning into Mama. You can calm down.” Tonya was very matter-of-fact.

  His expression hardened, and then there was nothing there at all. “I don’t get you, and I don’t get any of this.”

  Tonya looked down into her coffee cup. Of course he didn’t. “We’re not okay. That’s all I need you to get right now.”

  He picked up his mug and turned away, but not before Tonya saw his hand shaking. There was a loud yawn, followed by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

  Wiping her eyes, Tracy walked into the kitchen. She stopped abruptly and glanced between them. There was no way to miss the strain in the air. It was close to suffocating.

  “Shit.” Tracy covered her mouth. “Um, sorry. Do I need to—”

  “You don’t need to do nothing,” Robert told his younger daughter. He smiled and motioned for her to come closer. Tracy did. He wrapped an arm around her. “It’s good to see you, and now I get to say congratulations in person.”

  Her sister’s grin was all sunshine and rainbows. “Thanks, Daddy.”

  For a moment, Tonya literally could not breathe, and when she did, the pain was horrifying. The jealousy that followed right behind it was a nasty chaser. Her whole body was trembling. Did she want things to continue like this? She couldn’t force things to change around her, but she did have the ability to remedy her response.

  “You’re really okay with us being like this…aren’t you?” Tonya stared at her father, refusing to let him run away.

  Tracy’s eyes widened.

  “We’re not doing this.” His expression was flat and so was his tone.

  “It’s just a question.”

  “No, it’s not.”

  Tracy backed out of his arms. “I’m gonna go shower.”

  At first, it didn’t seem like he was going to let her go, but he did.

  Now they were alone. They stood across from each other, squaring off like it was a gunfight. Only this time, Tonya was quicker and willing to take risks she hadn’t before. She was ready to draw whether he was going to or not.

  His eyes were hard. There was a flicker of something else, but it was gone before she could decipher it. “I’m not gone repeat myself. Yah heard me?”

  “And I’m not letting this go.” For a moment, Tonya let the hurt she felt guide her. Then, mentally, she retreated to tend wounds both new and old. She watched her father do the same, in his own way: He closed the paper he was reading and turned to pour himself a new cup of coffee. Without another word, he walked out of the kitchen.

  Chapter 10

  “He had to know.” Tim glanced at Haley as they stopped at an intersection.

  “That’s just speculation.”

  “Bullshit. Just think about it.”

  “I am! Payton can’t be everywhere. There’s gotta be a shitload he doesn’t know about his team or the rest of his coaching staff.” Haley threw her hands up in aggravation, but she had to admit that the conversation was stimulating. Things had settled between them a little bit. Haley still found him offensive and ignorant more often than not, but he had his moments.

  “The folks that run the Saints have to talk to each other or nothin’ would get done. They have to communicate constantly.”

  That was a big word for him, but she didn’t call attention to it. One thing at a time. “The past few seasons have been up and down, and they had some really big losses. I think that pretty much says they don’t communicate all that well.”

  Tim sighed, but it sounded more like a growl. “The balls are gonna always know what the dick is doin. They work together.”

  Haley stared. That actually made sense. Appalled, she pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, hoping that applying some kind of pressure to her head would jar her brain. It didn’t work. But it was early Thursday morning, and the weekend wasn’t that far away. So at least there was that.

  “But there’s an asshole too. It operates all on its own.” Haley blinked. She couldn’t believe that had just come out of her mouth.

  Tim glanced at her. He pressed his lips together, and one side of his mouth lifted. Haley wasn’t sure if it was a grimace or…no. It was a smirk.

  He grunted. “True. I need to think on that one.”

  “You do that.” She was not going to smile at him. She wasn’t.

  “You ever go to any of the home games?”

  “Nah, I’m a fan, not a fan, and I don’t have that type of money. I just watch them on TV sometimes. I’ve even been known to go to a bar if Nate’s free. It’s much more fun that way.”

  “We should go to one before they really start suckin’.”

  “Maybe,” Haley said. She wasn’t going to rule it out. He’d probably be a hoot to hang out with once she’d had a shitton of drinks.

  Tim stopped at the intersection of Earhart and Carrollton. Two homeless men holding cardboard signs with “Anything helps. God Bless” written on them took advantage of the red light to weave their way around the cars. It wasn’t unusual. On most days, there were one or two men and sometimes women at the corner of every stoplight from Earhart to Uptown. They were like postal carriers in a way, out in the sweltering sun or pounding rain; it didn’t matter. Panhandling was illegal, but really? She wasn’t going to be an asshole, and thankfully Tim wasn’t either.

  A loud ring filled the car, almost drowning out the voices on the radio. Tim reached for his phone, and after a couple of yeahs and okays, he hung up.

  “You got somewhere you gotta be this mornin’?” Tim asked.

  He didn’t look at her, but in profile, his expression looked the same as always. Haley still stared at him. “Not…really,” she said slowly.

  “I gotta make a couple stops before we go back to the station.”

  Tim wasn’t asking her permission per se, but he wasn’t just doing what the hell he wanted either. Progress came in weird forms sometimes. He made a U-turn on Earhart and headed toward the parish line. Haley looked out the window. NOLA Box Supply stuck out, huge, puke-green, and pristine. Maybe it just looked that way compared to the boarded-up, graffiti-covered houses and the Church’s Chicken right next to it.

  Fifteen minutes later, Haley rolled her eyes when they pulled into the Krispy Kreme drive-thru. “Really? You drove all the way to Metairie for this?”

  “What?”

  “Donuts!”

  “Whatever.” Tim let down the window and barked out his order: half dozen crullers. A couple minutes later, he shoved the still-warm box in her direction.

  Haley sat it on her lap. God, the smell made her mouth water. She was going to take one whether he liked it or not. Who the hell could eat six donuts in one sitting anyway? Haley opened the box.

  “What the fuck you doin’?”

  “What’s it look like?”

  Tim snatched the box away. “Did I say those were for you?”

  “You don’t need all six.”

  Tim closed the box as best he could and put it in the backseat. “I didn’t say those were for me either.”

  Haley stared at the side of his head. “What are you doin’ with ’em, then?” Her mind was working a mile a minute, and none of the scenarios were pleasant. They were all vaguely sexual. It was Tim, after all.

  “Don’t worry ’bout it.”

  She didn’t say another word. Haley really didn’t want to know. It was after six when they got to their second destination, which was thankfully Uptown. The sky was bright, and it was already humid. Tim pulled into the driveway of Crest Manor. He got out of the car almost immediately.

  A woman in scrubs opened the door. So this was either a nursing home or some kind of assisted-living facility. The nurse didn’t let Tim in, but they knew each other. She smiled and nodded and he did that grimace-smirk thing again before handing her the crullers.

  He wa
s still grinning when he got back in the car. Part of her wanted to know what or who put that look on his face, but that would mean she was invested in him somehow. The guy was a cartoon character. Haley just couldn’t…didn’t want to believe there was more to him.

  “Shots fired on Belfast and Eagle with at least two gunmen involved. Eight forty-seven needs assistance. Eight twenty-two, are you in the vicinity?”

  Tim groaned. “The fuckin’ Zoo.” He picked up the radio receiver. “ETA ten minutes.” He flicked on the siren and glanced in Haley’s direction. “Good thing you got some real-life practice under your belt.”

  “Yeah, for real.” She hated that Hollygrove was called the Zoo. NOPD had to be the ones who’d started that. Haley couldn’t believe that anybody would think of themselves as caged animals.

  They sped down Claiborne to get to Earhart, ignoring traffic signals and swerving around cars that just refused to get out of the way.

  Haley’s heart jumped in her throat, and she deepened each breath. Despite the sudden surge of adrenaline that sent her heart into double time, calmness was the key.

  She was preparing for fight mode.

  Flight was not an option.

  Haley rolled her shoulders. The bulletproof vest was bulky and awkward, but right now, it had never felt lighter.

  Tim turned onto Eagle. The cruiser bobbed up and down as he drove over potholes. “Keep your eyes open.”

  The other police car was in the middle of the road. There were no officers present.

  Haley didn’t hesitate to find out why. “This is Officer Jordan. What’s your location? Is the scene secure?”

  There was a crackle of static.

  “That’s a negative, Jordan, but no casualties. They shot through someone’s windows, but no one was home.” He was out of breath. “We are in pursuit on foot and there is no sign of the shooters. We’re making our way back to the car to search the other side of Belfast.”

  “What are we…” Haley stopped mid-sentence as a black man in a basketball jersey and shorts ran past them. There was no way to miss the gun in his hand.

  “Shit!” Tim scrambled out of the car, Haley right behind him.

  “We’re in pursuit of one of the gunmen. I repeat. We are in pursuit, heading east on Belfast!”

  Haley ran like her ass was on fire. She passed Tim and was on the heels of the shooter. She expected bullets to whiz past her head, but he was either out of ammo or too scared to fire on the police.

  He was probably just out of ammo.

  They zigzagged between houses. The air was stagnant, hot, and overwhelmingly humid. Sweat dribbled down Haley’s face, stinging her eyes.

  Dogs barked angrily.

  Haley waved and yelled at the few people who were actually standing around watching. “Get down!”

  The gunman kept glancing over his shoulder. His eyes were wide. Haley was gaining on him.

  Seeing an opening, Haley lunged, and they both dropped to the grass. His gun went flying into the yard.

  He tried to struggle, but Haley kept a knee in his back as she forcefully pulled his arms behind him.

  The man cried out, but that didn’t keep Haley from cuffing him.

  Haley stood. Hearing a racket behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to see another man slightly bent over and sucking wind, but it was the gun in his hand that gave her pause. Shit.

  With a quickness she didn’t know she possessed, Haley unholstered her Glock. “Drop it!”

  He straightened and looked up. His eyes went wide with panic, but he raised his weapon anyway.

  Haley held her ground. She concentrated on her breathing once more. It heightened her awareness.

  “Nigga, shoot this white bitch and let’s go!”

  Time slowed, and Haley heard every second as it ticked by. The man’s shiny silver 9mm somehow seemed bigger, closer. Haley aimed at his chest. She was poised to shoot.

  Tim appeared out of nowhere, smashing the man in the back of the head with his weapon.

  He didn’t even cry out in pain as he crumpled to the ground.

  Haley met Tim’s gaze. Slowly, she lowered her gun.

  “You all right there, Rook?” Tim was red-faced and breathing hard, but there was a glimmer of concern in his eyes.

  “Ye—” Haley’s voice was husky, thick. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for—”

  “Yeah, you’re welcome.” Tim nodded, but he stared at her for a few more seconds before pressing the button and talking into the radio on the shoulder of his shirt. “This is Hudson. We got your shooters.”

  * * *

  By the time Haley left the station, it was well past ten. She yawned as she weaved through the parking lot to get to her truck. A sense of satisfaction and accomplishment settled over her, but fear was there too.

  Haley refused to let it overtake her. She couldn’t. Death had stared her in the face again, and it was closer than before. It was a hell of a thing to have to deal with, but the constant threat to her mortality was a reality of her job. She couldn’t let herself get used to it. That meant complacency. That meant sloppiness. That meant a step closer to being jaded. Haley didn’t want to be any of those things. So, while she didn’t let fear overwhelm or incapacitate her, she acknowledged it, and was going to keep on doing so in order to stay sharp…in order to keep sight of her own humanity.

  Then there was Tim. She’d been so sure she had him pegged. Yeah, what he did was his job as a cop and her partner, but the concern in his eyes had her thinking he wasn’t the fuckwit he presented himself to be. There was more to him, and maybe no one else bothered to look deep enough to know what it was. Maybe she needed to be the first.

  Haley’s stomach growled. She could go home, eat a bowl of cereal, and sit half-naked on her couch, but she didn’t want to be alone. Nate and Jen were probably dealing with the morning rush, but they would never turn her away. She needed to laugh. She needed to feel warm. Hell, maybe she just needed to celebrate life.

  Twenty minutes later, Haley found Savoie’s parking lot bursting at the seams; she was lucky to find a space on a side street. Haley pulled the door open and let exiting customers out first. She saw Nate almost right away when she walked in. He was laughing and talking with the hostess.

  It didn’t take him long to spot her. Nate waved, smiled, and started to move toward her. As he got closer, he tilted his head slightly to the side and his eyes narrowed.

  “You’re a couple hours late…no big, but what’s wrong?” Nate nudged her slightly and started walking toward the tables in the back.

  Haley followed.

  “Well? Spill.” Nate sat down. The easy smile he usually flashed was gone. He looked worried.

  “Just a shitty good time at work. We kept busy all night, but the crap that went down right before the end of my shift took the cake.”

  Nate’s eyes darkened, and he pressed his lips together, making them look thin. “Somethin’ Tim did? I swear to God. I don’t see how you—”

  “No, Tang’s…” She paused. “He’s actually the hero in this piece.”

  “Say what?” His mouth dropped open.

  “I’m serious.”

  “Okay, well… I gotta hear this.”

  Haley told him everything, from the weird situation with the donuts to the foot chase in Hollygrove. By the time she was finished, Nate had gone from red-faced to ashen.

  “Jesus, Haley.” In those two words, Nate expressed both his concern and his relief.

  “I know.”

  “This is gonna sound corny, but you don’t have to hide behind those video games to play the hero anymore. You get to be one every day, and that kinda blows me away.”

  There were a trillion other things he could have said, but he gave her praise. All of a sudden, it was hard to swallow. It felt good as hell not to be torn down for who she was or who she aspired to be. But then again, he had always been her cheerleader. After five years of friendship, his pom-poms had gotten huge. Haley star
ed at him.

  “You’re the shit. You know that?”

  Nate smiled. He raised his hand and slowly tilted it from side to side. “Kinda, but I don’t wanna seem arrogant.”

  Haley chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.” She was thankful to have somebody like him around. “Where’s Jen?”

  “On the phone.” Nate paused. His expression turned thoughtful. “Now that I think about it, and since the whole video game thing was brought up, Tim would probably fit right in as a character in Gears of War.”

  Haley looked at him as her mind wandered. “I’ll be damned. You’re actually right.”

  Nate laughed. “We need help. This isn’t normal.”

  “You got that right too.”

  “You gonna tell your mom?” Nate asked.

  Haley thought about that for a minute. “No. I told you about it. That’s enough.”

  A little bit before noon, Haley was finally on her way home. She was pleasantly stuffed and emotionally renewed. As she drove, Tonya came to mind. She replayed their interaction at GrrlSpot, and it still brought a smile to her face. Sure, the recent excitement at work had her girding her loins, but her meeting with Tonya twisted them a little bit…in a good way. Haley had Tonya’s phone number, address, and other identifying information, but using it without permission was a little too stalkerish in her opinion. Besides, Tonya was out of her league. Haley squashed the little voice in her head that reminded her she liked a challenge.

  Too bad.

  Not to mention that thinking about her was kind of pointless. It wasn’t like they were going to see each other again. New Orleans was small, but it wasn’t that small.

  * * *

  Tonya looked away from the computer monitor and rubbed the bridge of her nose. It did nothing to soothe her headache, but Goody’s hadn’t worked either. This week had been challenging, to say the least. It was difficult both dispensing and receiving the silent treatment in her own home, but at least it was honest. In the past, she had been able to close her bedroom door and find some peace, but now, tension permeated the very walls of the house. It didn’t help matters that she’d refused to say good-bye or even acknowledge Tracy’s departure Sunday night, despite Tracy’s attempts to reach out to her.