As much as friends tried to drag her out to the latest club or trendy bar, Jenny just had a hard time letting herself go. She made a good first impression, with a knack for making quick conversation with strangers when she had to, but that was where her involvement stopped. She didn't have the same desire to build something romance-wise with anyone. No one had tickled her fancy.
Until now. Since her first meeting with Roy, he held a spot in the back of her mind, even when he was getting under her skin.
She had wondered if she would run into him again, half wanting to and half dreading it. Seeing him at the funeral had sent her heart, and body, into a frenzy, and she was pleased that they were now on speaking terms and becoming more. She hoped it was more.
Jenny wished he weren’t so angry with her. Surely he realized she had to go back eventually. It was her livelihood. How else was she going to make good money? A girl had to eat, live, and shop. Just because he lived off the land and made do with the simple way of life didn't mean it was for everyone.
She leaned forward and let her head drop into her hands as a headache creeped up on her.
Chapter 14
Roy told Isabelle she could help cook breakfast, and he watched as she happily skipped on ahead of him toward the cabin. Her mood had brightened considerably after he explained to her how wrong the police officer at the wake had been to say those things about her parents.
He knew immediately that it would have been Chief Cartright who had said those horrible things to a little girl. No man of any character would have done it.
Cartright often ran his mouth around town. He was especially obnoxious when he had a few drinks in him, and yet he was still widely respected and trusted by most people in Ombrea. Chief Cartright had even been named Town Official of the Year a couple years prior. The brass plaque was displayed proudly on his office wall, or at least it was the last time Roy reported to duty, two years ago this November.
Roy had been quite friendly with Chief Cartright when he first joined the service. He would even go so far as to say they had been close. It was Chief Cartright who took as chance on him when he showed up one cold, rainy morning with no formal police training or education. He had only his army training and experience to back him up. That, along with determination and willpower. He had those in spades.
In a small town like Ombrea, anybody willing to report on time to duty and put his life on the line was taken on almost immediately.
Things progressed quickly from there. Roy did well in the position and proved himself to be an asset to the team. He was told he would be working with Joey Dale on his fifth day. It was a Friday, and the two of them, the service's two newest recruits, bonded quickly as they carried out their duties together.
They spent the first afternoon working traffic up on the main road, the task being to ensure construction on the new stop light didn't slow traffic to a dead stop. Roy found Joey fun to work with. He was quick with the jokes and chatty. None of the police officers Roy had worked with up to that point had been as friendly as Joey. He knew they had been trying to intimidate him and keep him on his toes while they trained him, but he learned more from Joey than any one of them, and he started to enjoy the job.
After Natalie died, everything changed. He no longer cared about the police force or those he worked with. He constantly showed up late or in such a bad mood. He was quickly reprimanded.
After a number of reprimands, he was eventually called into Chief Cartright's office and relieved of his duties. He turned in his badge and gun without a peep. He just didn't care. All he wanted was his beautiful wife back, and if he couldn’t have that, he didn't want anything.
Chief Cartright didn’t speak to him again until the trouble began with Joey.
Roy had gone home the afternoon of his termination with a plan. He had his father's old shotgun in the house. It wasn't the cleanest of ways to go, but it would do the trick.
Roy slammed the front door shut behind him and walked straight through the cabin to the gun locker in the study. He found the old key tucked away in his desk drawer. It had been a long time since he had taken the gun out of its storage unit.
He unlocked the cabinet easily. The lock snapped back and he flung open the door. He bent to collect a couple of shells from the metal tub at the bottom of the old unit and stood, reaching for the gun. He unlatched it from the wooden holding frame.
Roy pulled the desk chair across the room and propped his foot up on it so he could load the weapon more easily. When he clicked the barrel back into place, he felt his first feelings of doubt. Maybe this wasn't such a good decision to be making. Maybe he was being a little overly-dramatic in thinking he should end it all so suddenly.
He locked back up the gun and dropped the key once again into the cluttered desk drawer. He closed it firmly and left the study the way he found it.
Roy never considered doing away with himself again. In fact, he made sure to hide the key a few days later just to be sure he wouldn't repeat his actions. The downside was that he had done the hiding while drinking whiskey and still had to find where the new hiding place was.
Now, as he followed Isabelle into the cozy cabin, he was especially grateful that he hadn't chosen to end his life that day. His place was here, fighting for a good cause. That good cause was Joey Dale.
No one else would be stepping up to fight for Joey’s freedom. Not even his own sister would have been there for Joey if it weren’t for him. Roy was the one who convinced her that her brother had been set up. Joey would have been screwed.
But their fight still was just beginning. They still had to prove their case to the authorities and have Joey freed from jail. Right now, he had to figure out how to go about doing that. They would start with the fire. If they could find the person or persons who wanted Jenny Dale dead, it would lead to new information about Chloe’s death.
* * *
Roy didn't see Jenny when he came inside, but he could hear the shower running and figured she would be avoiding him at all costs. He was fine with that. He was still upset that she intended to return to New York, even after what happened between them last night. Some distance would do them both good. He didn't want to look like a fool for thinking last night meant more.
He told Isabelle which ingredients to fetch and she went to the fridge to find them. He figured a large breakfast would do them all some good. They needed rest and nourishment for hunting down leads.
Soon, the kitchen was alive with the smells of cooked bacon and sausages. He pulled over a stool from beneath the open sink and showed Isabelle how to fry the eggs until they were over easy and perfect. He was impressed by how quickly she caught on.
He let Isabelle set the table. Isabelle demanded a tablecloth like the one her mother had always used. He dug around a few cabinets while she monitored the cooking. He was relieved to find an old, blue one he hadn't seen in years. Natalie had laid this one out on the table when they first moved in. She said blue was her favorite color.
He gave the cloth to Isabelle and took over the duties at the stove.
Roy was sliding the food onto warm plates when he heard soft footsteps coming down the hall. Jenny arrived in the kitchen doorway a moment later, her hair in a towel.
He was expecting her to be in the same, red dress she had worn last night, until he remembered he had brought her duffel bag from the end of her bed. She was constantly surprising him. Instead of being dressed to the nines like she usually was, she looked pretty in jeans and a red sweater. She had on a little bit of makeup, but she really didn’t need any. She was a natural beauty. Around her neck she wore a simple, black beaded necklace.
“Hey.”
He noticed she avoided eye contact when she spoke to him. She crossed the room to the table and took a seat beside Isabelle.
Roy distributed the plates. Isabelle must have listened to what he said about Jenny, because she began telling her at length of her involvement in the preparation of breakfast.
As
he tucked into his own food, Roy couldn't help but notice Jenny's happiness and relief as the little girl chatted away to her for the first time. She joined in wholeheartedly, and before long, any awkwardness there had been was distinguished.
Roy was relieved too. He was concerned when he heard through the grapevine that an estranged aunt was to take over Isabelle’s care. He had never met Joey's sister, but judging by how little Joey spoke of her, he didn't think she would be a good fit.
Now watching the two of them together, he could see that Isabelle was in good hands. He only hoped that Jenny would see it too.
Chapter 15
Jenny was still feeling bad about how she and Roy had left things, so she offered to do the dishes. She left Isabelle and Roy to chat without her at the table while she cleared away the plates.
Filling the wide, ceramic sink with hot water, she had time to think. When she was in the shower, an idea had come to mind, and she hadn't been able to get it out of her mind. She just wasn't sure it would work.
She added some dishwashing liquid to the hot water and set the dishes in, one by one, using the time to debate in her head the pros and cons of her her idea.
She had never been especially close with Joey. He had only been just over a year younger than her, but when they were children, it had seemed like a huge difference. They had nothing in common, so far as she could remember. That became obvious the first few time he was whisked home in a police car, a cocky smirk on his face. The life he led had held no interest for her. It was childish and immature. She never wanted any part of it. His behavior and her disagreement with his choices had led to their tension.
She could remember very clearly one night in high school. He was sent home with a warning. The officer told their grandparents he had been caught with a couple of spray cans out at the train tracks. When asked what the hell he thought he was doing, Joey told them all he only wanted spray paint his name on the cars so it could feel like he was getting out of this place every time the train left the station. He wanted strangers to see his name out there in the world beyond Ombrea and wonder about who he was and what he believed in. He claimed it was poetic, but no one was convinced.
After being sent to his room, Jenny confronted him in the hall. It was the week she had been nominated for homecoming queen, and she was feeling very proud of herself at the time. With her chin jutted out, she pointed a finger into his chest and told him to get his life together. You're making it too easy for me to be the favorite, she said. Now she regretted having said it. She couldn't imagine how he must have felt when he heard those words from her mouth. If she were him, she would have hated her.
He must still hate her for saying it.
That settled it. Now was her chance to make it up to her brother. She abandoned him when he needed her most. He was an orphan like her, but he didn’t just lose his parents, he lost everyone. He was crying out for attention and she was too wrapped up in her own life to see to it that he was okay.
She wouldn’t make that mistake again. She would stay in Ombrea to care for Isabelle and fight for her brother’s innocence. Her life could wait.
Jenny was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice when Isabelle left the kitchen to play outside with her dolls. She finished up, drying her hands. When she turned around to hang the towel back over the stove handle, Roy was standing behind her, his mind occupied with serious thoughts of his own.
“I owe you an apology,” he said sheepishly. “I shouldn't be upset that you want to get back to New York. This wasn’t part of your plan. You have a life there and a job. I can’t expect you to give it all up and move back to Ombrea. I wasn’t only thinking of Isabelle either. I was being selfish. I really enjoyed last night,” he said, his face turning pink. “I guess I had hoped there would be more nights like it. I’m not one for casual hookups. But I’m not from the city, either.”
Jenny was surprised to hear what Roy had to say. Did she think she slept with men all the time? Did he think it was just random sex for her?
“You have no need to apologize to me,” she started.
“But I do,” he cut in. “I didn't mean to be a prick. Or make you feel guilty. I'm sure Isabelle will love New York when she has had a chance to settle in. There must be a ton of things to keep a child stimulated there, so many more opportunities than this small town has to offer.”
“I guess so, but,”
“Schools, for one. She would have plenty of friends. I bet you have a really nice place out there.”
Yeah, Jenny thought herself, a gorgeous, one-bedroom that barely fit a bed and her shoe collection. It would be a tight squeeze to add a child and all the toys and clothes she would bring with her. She would have to sell her place and find somewhere bigger to live. It would cost a lot more for a suitable place in the city. She didn’t even know if her job would be there for her when she got back. She hadn’t heard a peep from Joy Magazine.
“Roy, hear me out.” Jenny said, “About last night…”
“Hey, Roy!”
Jenny was cut off when Isabelle arrived in the doorway. Perfect timing, kid, she thought sarcastically. It looked like her conversation with Roy would have to have to wait until a later time.
“What's up, kid?” he said, looking over at Jenny and smiling apologetically.
“Will you teach me how to fish?” Isabelle asked eagerly.
She had his battered, green, bait box in her hand. She must have found it on the deck while she was outside playing.
“Of course I can.”
He rose to his feet and ruffled her hair with his hand.
“I’ll just have to dig out the fishing poles.”
“Oh, great!” Isabelle exclaimed.
Jenny smiled warmly. She had never seen the girl so happy.
“Do you think I will catch anything out there?”
“There are fish in that lake, so why the heck not?”
Jenny regarded the interaction between Roy and her niece. This would be the perfect home to raise Isabelle. It was secluded and there was plenty of land around to explore. A child could grow up here capable of conquering anything and with confidence in herself and her abilities. Jenny wondered how she and Joey would have turned out if they’d had a chance to grow up in such idyllic surroundings.
“Are you going to come too, Jenny?” Isabelle asked eagerly.
“I think I’m going to skip this one,” Jenny told her gently. “But you guys have fun. I just have to head out for a bit, but then I'll be back to see what you caught. Promise.”
“Okay.”
Isabelle looked a little unsure. Jenny couldn't blame her. She would be insecure about people leaving if she had been through the hell that little girl had endured over the past week.
“Come home soon then.”
Jenny was touched that the little girl had referred to the cabin as home, even if it wasn’t.
“You go on ahead,” Roy told Isabelle, “and keep that dog from eating anything in the bait box, will you?”
With Isabelle out of sight, he turned to Jenny.
“ Hey, where are you headed? You sure you should be going out alone?”
“It's something I should have done a long time ago,” Jenny told him softly. “I’m going to see Joey.”
Chapter 16
Jenny drove her silver Neon back into town and towards the Ombrea police station, an anxious feeling in her tummy. She was nervous, but she had to push through it.
The townspeople had obviously heard about the fire and turned to stare as she passed them in the streets. Neither she nor Roy had been back into town since the incident.
Roy had mentioned to her that the fire chief was an old friend. He agreed to give Roy a call when the results of his investigation came in. Roy had told him flat out that it was arson and his friend did not disagree, but there was procedure to follow. When the investigation was complete, they could start to come up with a plan for how to proceed.
When the Ombrea police station came in
to view, Jenny look a long, deep breath. It felt as if she were heading into enemy territory. She didn't know what she would do if she saw Chief Cartright there. She wasn’t up for another unpleasant confrontation.
She found a spot in the lot and locked her vehicle. She tried to appear confident as she strode up the front steps and through the two sets of double doors. It was a large, modern building, quite impressive for a town with such a low crime rate.
The same desk clerk was on duty as when she first arrived in town. If the woman recognized Jenny, she didn't show it.
“Can I help you, ma'am?”
“I'm here to see Joey Dale.”
The woman studied Jenny carefully.
“May I ask why?”
“Do I need to have a reason to see him?” Jenny asked her. “He is still here, right? He hasn't been transported elsewhere?”
“There won't be a prisoner transfer until closer to the court date,” the woman said officiously. “If you want to speak to him before then, I am going to have to clear it with the Chief”
Damn it, Jenny thought. How would she get around this. The desk clerk wasn't going to let her through . Jenny would have to play by the rules if she were going to get anywhere.
“Okay, call him then.” Jenny nodded toward the phone on the woman’s left. “I'm assuming he is in his office.”
“He could be out on a call. I'd have to check,” she said, pointing in the direction of the blue plastic chairs lining the opposite wall. “Take a seat while I find out. It may have to page him.”
“I have all the time in the world.”
Jenny forced a polite smile. She took a seat, placing her handbag on the chair beside her.
This wasn't going to be easy. Chief Cartright was going to give her the run-around. He may even send her away entirely, she considered as she waited. With any luck at all he would just have the clerk pass on his message. It would be better if she didn't have to face him.
Twenty minutes later, she was still waiting. The clerk had placed the phone back down ten minutes earlier, but had yet to raise her head from her paperwork to tell Jenny what was going on. Jenny placed a hand on the handle of her handbag, but willed herself to hold on for just a few more minutes. If he were playing a game with her, she couldn’t crack too early. She could wait.
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