“I’ll cut him off down the street.”
Ollie took off for the front as Blaine vaulted the fence, picking up his pace when he noticed the intruder scrambling into another yard.
Pumping his arms, he kept up the chase, hoping to gain some ground and tackle the intruder before they could get too far away.
The kid was thin and gangly, his legs kind of flailing as he ran. The backpack he was carrying thumped as if there was a weight in it. Probably whatever he’d stolen from the house.
“Stop running, kid!” he shouted. “It’s not worth it!”
The perp stumbled in the snow, but quickly righted himself and kept going.
Blaine internally groaned. Why’d they have to run?
Veering right, the perp changed course and slammed through a back gate, which led into an alleyway between streets. His desperate run was gaining momentum, and Blaine had to pick it up another notch in order not to lose sight of the guy.
“Perp’s now heading northeast. He’ll probably pop out on Berry Lane,” Blaine puffed into the radio.
“Got it. Changing course,” Ollie replied.
Veering left, the perp shot into a narrow walkway between two houses, then took a sharp right into another backyard.
Shit! The kid just wouldn’t let up.
Trash cans tumbled to the side, creating an obstacle that Blaine had to leap over. He landed with a thud in the snow but maintained pursuit.
Although he was fit, his lungs ached from the icy air, and his eyes and nose were stinging from the brutal assault of the wind.
But it meant the perp was probably running out of steam too.
Turning onto the property, he ran across the yard and jumped the fence just in time to see his runner bolting down the length of the house.
He charged after him and nearly laughed with relief when he found the kid struggling to scramble over the high fence.
Grabbing his shoulder, he pulled the thief down. His backpack slipped off his shoulder as he thumped into the snow.
“Police, you’re under arrest.”
The perp struggled against him, thrashing his arms as Blaine pushed him onto his stomach.
“No, please, you don’t understand!”
He frowned as he reached for his cuffs, surprised it was a girl. He thought he’d been chasing a guy. He shouldn’t have assumed, but her hair was tucked up beneath a beanie.
He’d pull it off once she was cuffed. “You have the right to remain silent.”
“No!” she screamed and bucked before he could get the cuffs around her wrist. “You have to let me go!”
Her intense thrashing was another surprise and he nearly lost his balance. Grabbing her shoulder, he was about to push her back down to the snow when he caught a proper look at her face.
It froze him and she took advantage, scrambling out from his grasp and up to her feet.
Rosie?
It couldn’t be her.
Her expression bunched with guilt as she stumbled against the house.
“No.” Blaine shook his head. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t explain right now.” She reached down for her bag, curling her arms around it like it was somehow going to save her.
Blaine pointed at it, still in shock. “Whatever’s in there doesn’t belong to you.”
“I need it. I swear I wouldn’t take it if I didn’t need it. Please. Please. You have to let me go.”
He blinked, trying to wrap his brain around what the hell he was seeing.
It was Rosie.
Rosie Sweet.
The girl he’d always loved.
And now he was supposed to arrest her for breaking and entering.
For robbery!
He gaped at her, dumbfounded, as he tried to figure out what to do.
Rosie’s expression buckled, her eyes filling with tears. “Please let me go. You have to let me go.”
She was terrified. He could tell by the erratic white puffs coming from her mouth. Her entire body was shaking as she silently begged him.
Shit!
It was Rosie. She wasn’t a criminal. How the hell was he supposed to arrest her?
But he had to.
He didn’t want to do it, but what choice did he have? She’d broken the law—in a really big way—and he couldn’t just let her go.
“It’s going to be alright, but you have to come with me.” He stepped toward her, but she reacted like a wildcat, lashing out with a desperate yell and punching his face. He stumbled to the side, surprise catching him off guard before he could find his footing. Rearing back around, he made a grab for her, but she kicked his leg and he slipped in the snow, landing with a hard crash against the house.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered before bolting away from him.
Pain radiated through his shin as he got to his feet and limped to the corner of the house. There was no way he could catch her now.
He couldn’t decide whether to be enraged or relieved. Part of him was pissed that she’d frickin’ punched and kicked him, but another part was glad he hadn’t had to arrest her.
Blaine’s radio squawked. “Got an update for me, man? Where you at?”
He stilled, wondering if Ollie would cross her escape path.
“Blaine? You there?”
Reaching for his radio, he clicked it on and croaked, “The perp got away. Too fast for me.”
He felt sick, knowing he’d have to report that the perp was female and she’d attacked him before slipping from his grasp. Reports had to be written, and he knew he wouldn’t fudge the details. He didn’t have it in him.
He’d leave out the fact that he knew the perp, but that would be pushing it.
Shit, he’d always been the best cop he could be and now he was thinking about lying on his paperwork. But he wouldn’t out Rosie until he’d had a chance to talk to her privately. There had to be a reason she was doing this. He couldn’t make himself believe she was a full-blown criminal.
Slumping back against the fence, he ignored the cold seeping into his jacket and gazed at the spot in the snow where the bag had fallen.
What was in it?
What the hell had she needed so badly?
“Meet you back at the house,” Ollie’s voice squawked through the radio. “We might be able to find some clues. See if the team can’t lift some prints.”
“Got it.” Blaine’s voice sounded dead.
He felt dead. Deflated.
Rosie was obviously in more trouble than he realized.
Closing his eyes, he pushed off the fence and walked back to the house. He stopped next to the trash cans she’d kicked over and found his feet dragging the closer he got to the house.
Somehow he had to make it through his shift without giving away who their perp was.
He didn’t know how he was going to last.
All he did know was that Rosie had some major explaining to do, and he wasn’t going to bed that night until he found out the truth.
29
Saturday, February 24th
8:55pm
Rosie’s eyes were puffy and sore. Would she ever be able to see straight again? She’d been crying on and off all afternoon.
She sniffled her way out of suburbia and was too scared to hitch a ride or call an Uber, so instead she walked back to Lulu’s. She was hesitant to do it, but she needed somewhere safe to unlock the box, and she had some things in her kitchen she could use to pry it open.
But what if someone saw her going in?
What if Blaine had gone straight there from Mr. Griffin’s house?
That’s why she took her sweet time going back. If she took long enough, maybe he would assume she’d skipped town.
It was the longest, coldest walk of her life. She had to stop multiple times, popping into a service station and several stores just to defrost before heading back out into the cold.
All she wanted was a hot shower and a bowl of Louanne’s corn chowder.
But she wouldn’t g
et either.
What she needed to do was open the box and count the money.
There had to be enough in there. If there wasn’t, she didn’t know what the hell she was going to do.
Lulu’s was locked up for the night, but still she waited in the shadows, watching the house from across the street and looking for any signs of movement around the coffee shop or upstairs.
Eventually it was the cold that got the better of her. With chattering teeth, she dashed across the street and quietly snuck past the coffee shop.
Rosie was grateful no one was around. She didn’t think she could handle talking to anybody. As soon as she opened her mouth, she’d break into a million pieces.
She’d become a thief.
She thought Damien trying to sell her had been rock bottom.
How wrong she’d been.
Pressing her trembling lips together, she shakily unbolted her door and crept inside. As soon as she shut it behind her, something felt off. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, a cold shiver racing down her spine.
Someone was there.
Shit! When had they snuck in?
Fear choked her. She froze still, tempted to bolt back out the door, but where the hell would she go?
Gripping the bag in her hands, she held her breath and inched into the apartment, scanning the darkness to find her intruder.
She didn’t have to look far. As soon as she rounded the corner, she spotted him in the chair by the window.
With a gasp, she lifted the bag, ready to use it as some kind of weapon.
“It’s okay, it’s me.” Blaine stood and raised his hands. The streetlights shining through the window turned him into a silhouette, but she recognized his voice.
She tensed, her body coiling for action.
Was he there to arrest her?
Shit!
Spinning on her heel, she bolted back toward the door.
“Rosie, no!”
He darted across the room and snagged the edge of her jacket.
She writhed to wrestle free, thrashing her arms. “Let me go!”
“No,” he gritted out between clenched teeth, capturing her wrists and wrapping them around her waist. She bucked to get away, but he pulled her back against his torso, his strong body a solid, unshakable wall. She heaved and tried one last struggle, but he held her tight.
“I’m not letting you go,” he puffed into her ear. “I’m not here to hurt you or arrest you. I just want to help.”
It took a moment for his words to register, but when they did, the spring inside her snapped. With a soft whimper, she sagged. She would’ve dropped to her knees if he hadn’t been holding her steady.
The bag slipped from her hands, thumping to the floor with a loud smack.
“You can let me go now. I won’t run,” she croaked.
He released her and stepped back. When she glanced over her shoulder, she could see his shadowy expression and her eyes filled with tears.
He was pissed and confused. He’d only spoken gently to calm her down, but he wasn’t about to let her get away with stealing and then assaulting him. Not without a decent explanation.
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, his expression hard and unrelenting.
Finally she released her breath and slid to the floor, her back leaning against the front door as she brokenly admitted, “You should just arrest me. I broke into that house. I stole this.” She unzipped the bag and pulled out the black metal box. “God, I hope it’s money.”
“Rosie.” Blaine’s voice was a broken whisper as he crouched in front of her. “What the hell is going on?”
He lifted her chin with his finger, trying to catch her eye.
She couldn’t do it.
She was too ashamed to look at him.
With a soft sigh, he stood, flicking on the main light before reaching out his hand.
After a long hesitation, she took it and let him pull her to her feet. She stood in front of him, resisting the urge to lean forward and rest her cheek against his broad chest.
It looked so solid and strong.
A fortress wall she could rest against.
Would his arms encircle her?
Would she feel more protected than she ever had?
“You assaulted a police officer.” Blaine’s deep voice reverberated through the tiny space. “I was so shocked you did it that I couldn’t even chase you after that. Then I had to lie to my partner…and on my report, omitting the fact that I knew the suspect. We had to check out the house like I didn’t know who’d been in there. It’s been the hardest fucking shift of my life!”
His voice grew sharp with annoyance.
Rosie cringed and stepped away from him.
“You have to tell me what is going on. And I mean everything.”
The look in his eyes told her she had no choice. So Rosie nodded, her chin trembling as she slowly unbuttoned her coat. She shrugged out of it, letting it drop to the floor before shuffling to the armchair by the window.
Blaine collected her coat off the floor and hung it on the hook. Rosie tried to smile at him, but it probably looked more like a grimace. She wrapped her arms around herself and suddenly felt too cold.
Her body trembled from hunger and exhaustion, yet there was no way she could eat or sleep. The constant threat of Damien and Chester tugged at her. What if they went back on their word and showed up early? What if they busted through the door and killed Blaine and then stole the black box and burned down Lulu’s?
Her heart hiccupped out of rhythm, and she quickly ran to turn off the lights.
“What are you doing?” Blaine frowned as she walked back past him to take her seat.
“Just feels safer,” she murmured. “The streetlights through the window are enough.”
His slow footsteps felt ominous on the cold wooden floor. She shivered and curled into a ball, resting her chin on her knee.
“I don’t have much time,” she whispered.
He stopped walking and stared down at her, his eyes narrowing. “What’s got you so spooked?”
“I’ll tell you. I just…” Her teeth began to chatter and she shuddered.
“Let me make you a hot drink first.” Blaine sighed, moving into her kitchenette and opening the refrigerator door. He used the light to hunt through the cupboards until he found the packets of instant coffee and sugar. “How do you take it?”
“A teaspoon of sugar. And some milk.”
The kettle boiled while they tried and failed not to look at each other. It was awkward and tense.
Rosie kept glancing at the box on the floor, desperate to open it and count the money.
Would it be enough?
It had to be enough.
“Mr. Griffin returned home while we were finishing up at the house.” The teaspoon clinked in the glass while Blaine stirred the coffee. “Turns out the man doesn’t trust the bank, so he kept his life savings in different parts of the house. According to him, the black lockbox had the most in it.”
Rosie’s breath hitched as Blaine walked the coffee over to her. She took it with a mumbled thanks, then held her breath as she waited for a number.
Blaine didn’t say.
He sat down opposite her, his brown gaze unreadable.
“Did he…did he say how much he kept in there?”
“Yes.” Blaine’s nod was short and uninformative.
Her forehead wrinkled, a silent plea to put her out of her misery.
“Why do you need it?”
She took a sip of the coffee to buy her some time. The hot liquid scalded her mouth but started to warm her insides, so she swallowed another mouthful before wrapping her fingers around the mug.
“I’m in trouble.”
Blaine scoffed. “I figured that much.”
“You know how I told you that my ex-boyfriend was trying to sell me to pay off a debt?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he found me.” Her eyes burned with tears. She s
niffed at them, not wanting any more to fall.
“When?”
“The night we had cocoa downstairs. He came in after you and Louanne left. I thought it was you coming back or something, but it was…him.” Her voice hitched.
Blaine lurched forward in his seat. “Did he hurt you?”
Rosie closed her eyes, not overly keen to show off the fingermark bruises on her arms. “I’m okay.”
“So, he did.” Blaine’s voice was dark with venom. “What did he say?”
“He needs that money. The guys he works for are going to kill him…and me…and you if I don’t get that money to him by Monday night.”
Blaine’s face bunched with confusion. “Why me?”
“Because he was watching us in the coffee shop. He must’ve been parked outside. He said that if I don’t get that money, then they’ll hurt me and burn down Lulu’s and kill you before you even see it coming.”
It took Blaine a moment to process everything she’d said. After a few blinks, he licked his bottom lip and whispered, “Why didn’t you come to me?”
“Because these guys are bigger than the Aspen Falls Police Department. I believe one hundred percent that they will kill everyone I care about if I don’t do as they say.”
Blaine slowly leaned back in his chair, his brown gaze unrelenting as he studied her. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She pressed her knuckles against her mouth and struggled to speak. After a beat that was way too long, she finally sucked in a breath and began. “About a week ago, I woke up in my apartment…Damien’s apartment. He wasn’t home and I had a killer headache, so I was looking for some meds. Advil or something.” Her sigh was heavy. “I was hungover.”
Blaine shifted in his seat, resting his elbows against his knees and focusing all his attention on her.
She set her coffee aside and brought her knees to her chest, curling into a protective ball.
“I was hunting through the bathroom and found these pills. But they weren’t normal. I mean, I thought they were at first, but they were in a bag, you know, like one of those clear sealable baggy things? I just… It felt weird.”
“Illegal drugs?” Blaine’s eyebrows pinched together.
“Yeah. Damien called them his candy.”
“Ecstasy.”
Dead of Winter_Aspen Falls Novel Page 16
