While Jade drove, Sasha stretched out in the back of the SUV with her nose on her paws, eyes shut. Bryce called Frank’s sister, Lisa, who answered on the second ring.
“It’s Bryce, Lisa. How are you holding up?”
“Well, to be honest, not all that great, but I’ve got Chad. He’s being my rock.”
Her husband, Chad, and Bryce had graduated high school together. “I’m glad,” he said.
“Frank was just here, you know. He spent last weekend with us, playing with the kids and just...being Frank.”
“I know. He told me.”
“And now he’s gone. I want the person who killed him caught and put in prison.” A sob rippled through the line, and Bryce closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Lisa, I wish I could do more.”
She sniffed and blew her nose. “Just make sure the police are staying on top of this.”
“They are, I promise. Especially Jade.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Hey, could I ask you a quick question?”
“Of course.”
“Have you talked to Heather?”
“No, I haven’t.” A sigh. “I’ve been so wrapped up in...everything, we haven’t connected other than through voice mails. I need to call her again.”
“Okay, well, if you think of anything, anyone Frank might have talked to recently, will you call me or the police?”
“Of course. You don’t even have to ask that.”
“I know, but it helps me think I’m being proactive.”
A squeal in the background reached his ears. “George, don’t hit your sister! I’ve got to go,” Lisa said. “I promise to call if I think of anything.”
“Thanks, Lisa.”
When Jade pulled to a stop in front of their friend’s house, Bryce couldn’t stop the shudder that ripped through him. It hit him hard that Frank was gone forever and wouldn’t enter his home again.
Heather’s car was parked out front. Their police escort stopped behind them.
Jade led the way to the door, and it opened before they had a chance to ring the bell or knock. Heather stood there in a baggy long-sleeved T-shirt and paint-stained jeans. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said. She looked awful. “Have you slept at all?” he asked.
She sniffed and let out a whispery laugh that held no humor. “Not really.”
Jade pulled Heather into a hug and simply held her for a moment before letting go. The three of them, followed by Sasha, walked into the house, and Heather gestured them to the couch while she took the wing-backed chair next to the fireplace. Sasha settled in front of Bryce’s feet.
“It’s hard to sleep,” Heather said. “Or eat. Or breathe.”
A tear tracked down Jade’s cheek and she swiped it away. “Where’s your mother?”
“I sent her home.”
“What? Why?”
One of Heather’s shoulders lifted then fell. “Because I just can’t stand being around her pity. And the looks she gives me.” She shivered. “I can’t even really describe it. A cross between how-could-you-let-this-happen and you’re-so-pitiful-because-you-lost-another-one. It was really getting to me.”
“It’s not pity, Heather, it’s compassion,” Jade said. “People just want to help you.”
“Help me? Help me?” Her voice rose with each word. “There is no help for me! Frank’s gone and there’s nothing I can do about it! Nothing anyone can do about it!” She dropped her face into her palms, and Bryce rose to his feet and went to kneel in front of her.
“Heather,” he said softly, “you’re right. Frank’s gone. And you’re right, there’s nothing any of us can do to make it hurt less—except maybe find his killer. Maybe. It might not take away the pain, but at least we can sleep knowing we did that. We can do that for him—and us. Get him the justice he deserves.”
She waved a hand. “I don’t even care. What difference does it make if we find who did it? It’s not going to bring him back.” A sob slipped from her. “I just want him to come back.”
Bryce pulled her to him while Jade stood and paced the length of the den. After several minutes had passed, Heather’s sobs ceased, and she drew back to palm her sunken eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“It’s okay,” Bryce said, “I think you needed to.”
“Why are you guys here? What do you think you can find that I haven’t?”
“Who knows?” Jade said. “We have to try.”
Heather waved a hand. “Have at it. His office is down the hall on the left. Feel free to start there. I’ve looked through a bunch of stuff and found nothing but some random notes about this story he was investigating.”
“Notes?”
“Yes, but they don’t make much sense to me.”
Bryce raised a brow. “Show us.”
In Frank’s office, Heather stepped to his desk. “This is exactly how he left it the day he disappeared. There’s nothing on it that means anything to me.”
Jade pulled on a pair of gloves, walked over to the desk, and began going through it. Bryce watched her work, impressed with her professional demeanor. It had to be hard to portray it, but she did so with a tight jaw. Finally, she stepped back, notes in hand. “I don’t think these will tell us much, but we’ll take them with us to study.” Hands on her hips, she looked around, eyes landing on the end table next to his bed. “That looks like a file cabinet.”
Heather frowned. “Maybe. I didn’t look there, but I think Finn and Trent did.” Finn Bennett and Trent Young. Two other detectives they worked with on a regular basis.
Jade pulled open the drawer. “Files—which one would expect to find in a file cabinet.” She thumbed through them while Bryce and Heather watched. Then she removed them one by one and set them on the bed. “Aha,” she breathed.
“What?” Bryce moved closer, and Heather leaned in.
Jade pulled a file from the back of the drawer and stood. “This.” She walked into the kitchen and set it on the table, then opened it. “Pictures.”
“Of what?” Heather asked.
“People. Cops. Places with cops.” She passed each picture to them. Bryce studied the first one with Heather looking over his shoulder. “I know this place,” he said. “It’s an old warehouse not too far from the mill where Frank was found. Looks like some kind of drug buy going down.”
“Yeah...and look who’s in the background behind those two.”
Heather nodded. “Dylan Fitzgerald.”
* * *
Jade narrowed her eyes. “Dylan? He wouldn’t.”
“Apparently he would,” Heather said. “Looks like he found out that Frank was on to him.”
“And he had to shut him up,” Jade whispered. She shook her head. “We need to bring him in ASAP, but...if he’s involved, who else might be?” She pulled her phone from her pocket and hesitated, trying to figure out the best move to make next.
“I can’t believe this,” Heather said. “This was worth risking his life for? Risking our future for? Why wouldn’t he tell me?” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you think he suspected me, too? Unbelievable.” She sniffed and swiped a stray tear.
“No,” Jade said, “I don’t think so. There aren’t any pictures of you in these. He just probably didn’t want to make you feel like you had to be suspicious of everyone you worked with.”
She shook her head. “Who knows what was going through his mind? Look, you two, I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to go.”
Jade blinked, her thumb hovering over the last button that would put her through to her captain. “Where are you going?”
Heather sighed. “I’m meeting with the funeral director.”
“I thought Lisa was taking care of that,” Bryce said.
“She is, but we finally talked and I told her I wanted to be there. �
�Til death do us part, right?” She grabbed her purse from the end of the sofa. “I’ll talk to you later. I want to know what you get out of Dylan. Lock the door when you leave, please?”
“Sure,” Jade said.
Heather left, and Jade let out a low breath. She cleared the phone screen and looked at Bryce. “What if the captain’s involved?”
“Then telling him about Dylan isn’t going to help much.”
“What about my captain’s boss? Commander Chris Nelson?”
“You trust him?”
She huffed a short laugh. “Before all of this, I would have trusted my captain and Dylan, but yes, I trust him. I think I’m going to have to. Not every cop in the department is dirty. We just have to make sure we find the ones that are.”
“Trial and error? Sounds dangerous.”
“Gut instinct, too. The commander is a good man.” She paused. “But then, so is the captain. Argh!”
“I think telling the commander is a good place to start.”
She nodded. “All right, then let’s do that.” Jade headed for the door, and Bryce fell in behind her. She opened the door and twisted the small knob to ensure the door was locked when Bryce pulled it shut behind him. The sun broke through the clouds, warming her face in spite of the chill of the day. She enjoyed the moment while Sasha bounded ahead toward the car.
A loud crack sounded. Wood splintered from the door frame, and Jade ducked. “Get down!” She hadn’t finished her yell when Bryce grabbed her hand and pulled her across the front lawn toward the SUV.
“Sasha, car!” At Bryce’s order, the dog bounced after them, making a beeline for the SUV.
Another pop, and a bullet plowed into the ground to Jade’s side. Bryce pushed behind the vehicle, lost his balance and toppled next to her. She grabbed his wrist and yanked. Between her pull and using his good leg for more momentum, he was finally with her, safe behind the cover of the vehicle.
The police officers scrambled to return fire. One drove in the direction of the shooter, his tires squealing on the concrete. Calls went out over the radio. Another bullet slammed into the side of her SUV. “I can’t believe this,” Jade gasped. “Where are the bullets coming from?”
“Hard to tell.”
A crack and the back window of the patrol car parked behind her ruptured. “There,” she said. “I’m going after the shooter. I’m really tired of getting shot at and people trying to blow me up or burn me alive.”
Hunkered against the wind and hopefully any more incoming bullets, Jade started to her feet.
Only to find herself on the ground again, pulled down by Bryce who hovered over her. “Stay down! Stay down!”
Jade froze for a split second at his harsh cries. “Bryce!”
“Incoming!” He lifted his hand as though he held a radio and not a cell phone.
“Sasha, in,” Jade said. The dog obeyed. “Down, girl.” She lay on the seat, taking up most of it. “Bryce, get in the car and keep your head down.” He moved, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Sasha nosed Bryce. Then licked his face. He shuddered, eyes still glazed, but aware. “Bryce, can I hug you?” Jade asked, knowing that sometimes a hug worked to help calm someone in the midst of a PTSD moment.
He glanced at her and nodded. She scooted closer and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him as tight as she could. When she felt him relax, she slowly released her hold and lifted her eyes to his. He blinked and for a split second, horror registered. Then embarrassment and finally, shame. “It’s okay,” she said. “You had a PTSD moment. A flashback.”
“No. No, I didn’t.” But he leaned his head into Sasha’s massive shoulder and shuddered.
The denial shattered her heart, the pain so intense, she gasped. “Right.”
The officer who’d gone after the shooter drove back into the driveway. Jade climbed out of the SUV, leaving Sasha to comfort Bryce. A very-much-in-denial Bryce.
After the all clear was given, Jade walked over to hear what the officer had to say about his chase. She wondered how she would ever be able to tell Bryce that Mia was his. Because once she did, he’d want to see her on a regular basis. He might not want children, but there was no doubt in her mind that he’d step up and “do the right thing.” And there was no way she’d ever feel comfortable leaving him alone with the child. Her child.
She shoved aside the thoughts. “What happened? How did the person get close enough to shoot the window?”
Officer Johnson turned. “It was most likely a long range rifle.”
“Had to be,” Bryce said from behind her. She glanced at him. He still looked a little pale, but his set jaw said questions wouldn’t be welcome.
“The shots came from the tree line,” Johnson said.
Jade rubbed her eyes. “I’ll start working on my statement.”
Bryce caught her eye, started to say something, then shook his head. “Yeah, I will too.”
Jade headed to her vehicle, a sick feeling twisting in her belly. Once they found Frank’s killer and whoever was trying kill her, she’d say a final goodbye to Bryce and pray her broken heart could heal yet again.
TWELVE
Bryce paced the lobby of the police station while Sasha sat against the wall and watched him, head swiveling, nose twitching, ears raised. She was on high alert in the new environment, so in tune to him that he couldn’t help dropping onto the bench next to her to place a hand on her head. “It’s all right, girl, you did great. Thank you.”
She licked his hand and seemed to relax a fraction. He’d had a flashback. His first one in over a year. Worse, he’d lied to Jade about it. Not intentionally. The denial had just been the first thing to pop out of his mouth. Probably because he was in absolute shock that he’d had one and didn’t want to admit it to himself, much less someone else. Especially not Jade. He dropped his head into his hands and forced himself to think it. I had a flashback. I had a flashback.
And Jade had witnessed it, and this time he couldn’t disregard the incident as a bad dream.
The fact churned his stomach. He’d thought he was past all that, but everything that had happened in the last few days must have brought it all back to the surface.
Jade was still in the commander’s office, filling him in. Bryce pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the man who’d helped keep him on the right side of sanity.
“What do you want?” Titus growled in that gravelly voice Bryce had missed.
Bryce smiled, most of his tension and anxiety draining away for the moment.
“Nothing you’ve got, old man.” Titus Renfrow. Former Army Ranger turned amputee, turned alcoholic, turned AA mentor, turned counselor. A man who understood exactly what Bryce was going through. He could picture him leaning back on two legs of the old leather straight back chair, daring gravity to do its worst.
“Bryce, my friend,” the voice softened to a low rasp, “really good to hear from you, son.”
“Thanks, good to hear your voice as well.”
“What’s going on?”
“I had a flashback.”
A pause. “Well, at least you admit it.”
“After I lied about it.”
“I see. So, what are you going to do?”
Bryce pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell her I lied.”
“Her?”
“Yes. Her.”
“I see. And?”
“And put it behind me so I can move forward, looking to the future and not living in the past.”
“Well, glad to see our sessions weren’t a complete waste.” Another pause. “What triggered it?”
“Someone shot at me.”
“What?” Bryce thought he might have heard the chair thump to the floor. “Why did someone shoot at you?” Bryce gave him the condensed version, and Titus let out a low whistle. “You sure do like to live in the adrenaline
zone, don’t you?”
“Seems like it always finds me.”
“Where was Sasha?”
“She was there, doing what she does.” Which was probably why the flashback didn’t last as long as some of the others had. Okay, that was a positive.
“How long was it?” Titus asked.
“Ten seconds? Maybe a little more. Could have been slightly less.”
“Then I’d say that’s not too bad, considering you were shot at.”
So they were thinking along the same lines. “Yeah.”
“You going to be okay?”
After a deep breath and some serious thought about the question, Bryce released the air in a low sigh. “Yeah. I think I am.”
“You’ve already done the hard part.”
“Admit there’s a problem.”
“Right.”
Jade opened the door to the commander’s office and stepped out. “Thanks, Titus,” Bryce said. “It helped just knowing you’d pick up the phone.”
“Anytime.”
“I’ve got to go. Talk to you later.”
“Give Sasha my love.”
Bryce smiled. Sasha had been to every session and had won the crusty man’s heart. He hung up and waited for Jade to approach. “I think we’ve got everything in the system,” she said. “I’ve turned over Frank’s notes and the pictures to the commander, and he’s going to be looking into Captain Colson and the others. In fact, he’s already sent someone to pick them up and have them escorted to an interrogation room.”
“Are you going to be doing the questioning?”
“No, the commander wants to do it.”
“So, now what?”
“We’re back to hurry-up-and-wait mode, but it’s not a mode I’m comfortable with.”
He lifted a brow.
“I want to hear what they have to say for themselves.”
“So...?”
“I’m going to request us to be allowed to watch the interrogation.”
With permission received, she and Bryce settled themselves behind the two-way mirror.
Holiday Homecoming Secrets Page 13
