by Terri Lane
“Got you.”
The sound of heels approached behind her and she stood up straight, fixed her uniform, and turned with her practiced smile. Her jaw slacked a bit in awe. The woman who approached was wearing a business suit with lengthy blond hair pulled back into a professional bun. Her look of determination nearly caused Jordan to slouch under the intimidating pressure.
A customer service grin set Jordan straight as she held out her hand.
“Officer Young,” she said proudly.
The woman grinned and held out a delicate hand. It was a deceptive move as it revealed itself to be rather firm despite its soft texture. Jordan could feel the experience in those polished fingers.
“Cora Henderson of the Henderson and Jarvis Law Firm. It's a pleasure, Officer Young, and a blessing that you could arrive promptly.”
Blue eyes gazed out from underneath thin brows, a small nose set perfectly over a full set of lips that were coated in red. Her face was perfect. There wasn't a thing out of place and all her features lined up symmetrically. Jordan withdrew from the handshake and nodded confidently.
“Absolutely, ma'am. We take these matters seriously,” she stated.
“That gives me hope that our stalker will be caught,” Cora declared.
“Stalker?”
Jordan blinked. Captain Roy hadn't mentioned a stalker when she was called to the scene. Though it wouldn't be terribly strange for a successful law firm owner liker Cora to have a stalker, it still struck Jordan as ultimately strange.
“Yes, he's been parading about my gardens for the past month trying to find a way to sneak in,” Cora continued. “His unruly behavior has caused my girlfriend, Sierra, to become uneasy after dark.”
“Girlfriend,” Jordan repeated. She blinked again and proceeded to procure a notepad from her belt, holding up a miniature pen to jot down a few notes. “And where is your girlfriend, Miss Henderson?”
“Oh, please, call me Cora.” Those red lips stretched into a friendly grin. “I believe she's upstairs. Should I call her down?”
With a practiced smile, Jordan nodded. When Cora turned to call for her girlfriend, her heels glimmered in the late morning light. Jordan found herself entranced by the shimmer from the sparkles decorating the heel as her eyes washed over the porcelain foot that occupied the expensive shoe. They looked to be stilettos, top brand, and likely from a foreign designer.
Clicking erupted from upstairs. This time, a short brunette made an appearance wearing a professional beige dress. Her brown hair hung in curls that framed her face and bounced as she descended, a small hand gently holding the gold banister as she approached.
“Yes?” she asked.
“Darling, this is Officer Young. She's assisting us to catch our infamous stalker.” Cora gestured to Jordan. “And she has a few questions.”
“I'd be happy to answer them.”
Jordan nervously fidgeted with her pen while holding Sierra's gaze. Those eyes were brown, but just as striking as Cora's. The two were quite a power couple. Prosperity and skill exuded from their stance, from their eyes, and from every word they spoke. Jordan tapped her pen against her pad.
“Did you hear anything at the time of the incident?” she implored.
“I heard the alarm around 4:00 AM. It woke me from my sleep,” Sierra responded.
“And what did you do after that?”
Sierra frowned, her thin brows knitting together.
“Well, I woke Cora up and called the police immediately,” she explained.
“And from there? Did you go downstairs?” Jordan inquired.
“No, ma'am. Cora went down to inspect the noise. I was too afraid to join her,” Sierra whispered fearfully.
Jordan offered her most sympathetic glance and jotted a few notes down in her notepad.
“Miss Henderson—I mean, Cora—did you see anyone near the window?” she continued.
Cora shook her head, a strand of blond hair loosening from her bun that she quickly tucked behind her ear.
“I didn't see him, but I knew he was behind the window because I could hear rustling. The officer on the phone said I scared him off,” she replied.
“That's possible. Most robbers tend to flee upon being discovered,” Jordan added.
“Stalker,” Cora corrected.
Smiling politely, Jordan looked down at her notepad to write a few more notes.
“So, you've never seen him before?” Jordan questioned.
“No, he's always been a shadow in the yard or in the window.”
“Surely somebody must have seen him. Do you have security cameras on your premises?” Jordan continued.
Cora raised a thin eyebrow and looked towards Sierra.
“We do,” she replied. “And I think I can pull up that footage.”
“That would be perfect, ma'am.”
When Jordan had finished scribbling in her notepad, she tucked it away into her utility belt and pocketed her pen.
“I will collect a few more pieces of information here and get back to you shortly. Since we don't have a description yet of who he is or where he might be located, it will be difficult to determine who he might be,” she explained.
Cora's softened gaze tugged at Jordan's emotions. It was rare for a crime scene of this minimal damage to make her feel sorrow, but she could tell these two incredible women were frightened.
“I promise I'll get to the bottom of it before you know it,” Jordan added.
“We appreciate that, Officer. There's nothing worse than being afraid in your own home,” Cora commented. “We have some meetings to tend to this afternoon, but please call us if you learn anything from the footage.”
“I'll be happy to call. The captain has advised that you replace the window immediately and perhaps change the codes on your alarm just as a precaution,” Jordan advised. “And, of course, give the footage to the attending officer here.”
Cora smiled as she nodded.
“We're going to take every precaution necessary. Thank you, Officer.”
After Cora and Sierra left to retreat upstairs, Jordan let herself out the front door and repositioned her aviators on her face. She glanced up towards the sky once more before walking to her vehicle, taking a moment to inhale the sheer size of the mansion. They definitely had wealth. With that came a slew of issues that included a potential stalker. Though it seemed odd for a lawyer to have a stalker unless there was a more sinister reason behind the scare.
As Jordan reflected on potential suspects, she climbed into her vehicle, fixed her seat belt over her lap, and fixed her rearview mirror. She watched the mansion retreat in the distance as she pulled down the long, winding road that led to the main street. Her fingers tapped the steering wheel. This was going to be a puzzling case. They had reported sightings of a stalker prior to this incident that were perfect for building a case against someone.
But who would that person be?
***
The clicking of the keys filled the silence of the office. A photograph sat on the corner of the desk facing Jordan who typed silently at her computer. Near the photograph sat a neatly stacked pile of files containing information about a multitude of cases: armed robbery, domestic disputes, a stolen vase, and the stalker of the Henderson and Jarvis case.
Jordan took a deep breath and continued typing away, deducing conclusions freely from logic. She held a collection of names on a sheet of paper between two fingers as she typed, glancing every so often at the crumpled piece of paper for more information. Her notepad sat untouched next to the keyboard of the computer. Mindlessly, she pushed it aside.
The name on the top of the first page caught her eye. It was written in bold and underlined twice: Cora Henderson.
She paused with her fingers delicately positioned over the glowing keys. A slight tingle ran down her arm as she remembered the way Cora had looked her over. Those blue eyes were icy, that was for sure, but they were also relatively kind; soft. With a slight chuckle, Jordan shook her
head. It wasn't like her to feel intimidated in the face of wealth. In fact, she took pride in knowing that other women gained as much success—or even more—as her in the NYPD.
And that look Cora had given Sierra. It was one of utter affection. The two were clearly in love, driven by more than their shared wealth together. Why weren't they married? It wasn't her business, but it was a persistent question. They appeared to be deeply involved, so marriage was naturally the next step. But they hadn't touched very often in front of Jordan. They were rather reserved and incredibly professional.
Many couples that Jordan interviewed would be huddled together out of fear if they were robbed. The male might have a firm arm around the female, or perhaps the female would be hugging her male partner to her bosom. It was strange to see them calm and collected, but perhaps that was the nature of their personalities. They were used to taking heat in the courtroom. Even if they were scared, they must have a practiced reaction to most circumstances.
Still puzzled, Jordan stared at the computer screen. Her eyelids were growing heavy and the screen was getting blurry. She rubbed at her tired eyes. With a sigh, she stood from her computer and walked over to the miniature coffee maker she kept in her office. A knock came from the door. She looked up as she took a mug from the top of the coffee maker and cradled it in her hands.
“Hello, captain,” she smiled.
“Good evening, Jordan. Did you find any leads on the Henderson case?” he inquired.
She shook her head.
“Unfortunately, all I can determine is that this is some whack-o who wants to scare those women into moving,” she admitted.
Captain Roy frowned and stroked his bushy mustache, a long sigh escaping his lips. He shrugged.
“Well, someone they know must have a motive. Could have been an unsatisfied client or perhaps someone who they opposed in court,” he pondered.
“Could be, sir, but I won't know until I dig further. Did that security footage come back?”
He nodded.
“I'll send it over to you immediately,” he replied.
“Thank you, sir.”
Jordan returned her eyes to the coffee sitting in the pot. The black hot plate hissed as she lifted the container to pour herself a cup.
“And Jordan?” called Captain Roy from the doorway.
“Yes?” she inquired, looking up with the mug fixed in her left hand.
“Don't work too late. Go out and have some fun. Maybe you'll meet somebody,” he advised.
With her practiced smile, she nodded. “I'll be fine, Captain.”
He offered one last nod before leaving the doorway. As her eyes followed him, a drop of hot coffee hit her thumb and she hissed. She set the pot back into the coffee maker and placed the mug on the counter, leaning against it while squinting.
She had had many cases that were puzzling, but this one was ridiculous. A beep chimed from her computer and she glanced over at the monitor. That was likely the video being emailed to her account. She resumed to her initial task, coffee, and mixed a few scoops of sugar into the liquid. She held it up to her nose and inhaled the sweet aroma, smiling as it soothed her aching temples.
After taking a small sip, she sat at her desk and opened her account. The first email held a video file. She pulled it up and studied the screen, noticing the time tracker at the bottom. It indicated that it was eight hours of footage.
So much for going out somewhere, she considered with amusement. I don't have plans anyway. It's not like I'm seeing anyone.
She perched in front of the computer monitor and clicked the button to fast-forward. Something should pop up soon. While studying the screen, her phone rang from across the desk, causing her to jump. She shook her head and picked up the receiver.
“Officer Young,” she stated professionally.
“Hello, Officer. This is Cora. We spoke earlier this morning.”
“Yes, Miss Henderson. I've just received the video footage to go over. Is there anything I can do for you?” Jordan asked.
“Actually, there is. I'm afraid another window was broken in the rear living room of my home. The alarm was set off immediately,” Cora explained.
“I'm terribly sorry to hear that, ma'am. Have you notified the captain?”
A pause came from the other end of the line followed by a husky sigh.
“Well, Officer, I'd much rather have this affair settled without too much attention given to us. We're already faced calls from reporters all day,” she admitted.
“I would advise you run it by my captain first,” Jordan asserted.
“I would be happy to give him a call shortly, but I was wondering if you could meet us for coffee this evening in order to go over this case,” Cora continued.
Jordan paused this time. She studied the curly white cord fed from the receiver to the telephone. Unsure about the situation, she curled the cord around her finger and sighed audibly.
“Let me run this by my superior first,” she finally replied. “But I would be happy to join you.”
“It will be on us, of course,” Cora added. “Sierra and I would be delighted to have the company of a powerful woman, someone who is much like us.”
A red hue filled Jordan's cheeks as she glanced over at the footage. It was still playing across the screen. In the bottom left-hand corner, a black figure emerged from the bushes and she jumped from her chair.
“Ma'am, allow me to call you back.” She slammed the receiver down and focused all of her attention on the computer. Frantically, she clicked the mouse and paused the video to reveal a partial face on the screen.
“Looks like you tried to hide,” she stated. “But you can't hide from me.”
With a triumphant grin, she took a screen shot of the video and saved it into a folder in order to print. She shuffled through the files on her desk until she reached the correct one. The printer came to life on the other side of the office. She hopped over to it, held up the picture, and placed a proud hand on her hip.
“Nobody can hide from me.”
***
Elated and wearing her best pearly smile, Jordan held out the photo and set it on the table.
“Collected this morning, ma'am,” she announced.
Cora's blue eyes lit up instantly while staring at the photo. Her tender fingers picked up the photograph as if it were a porcelain doll, carefully cradling it between her fingers.
“You don't say,” she gasped.
Sierra leaned over with wide eyes and studied the photo. The two looked over the polished photograph with some intensity before Cora set it back down on the table.
“Well, I can't say I'm surprised.”
“Ma'am?” Jordan asked.
“That's my ex-husband. He was my partner in the business before I discovered that my sexuality was...” Cora eyed Sierra with a grin. “...different than I had initially thought.”
“I suppose he grew upset and returned to terrorize us,” Sierra added.
“If he is, in fact, your ex-husband, these are strong charges to bring against him,” Jordan commented.
Cora waved her hand.
“I'm sure of it. And I'm not the least bit afraid of him. We've been divorced for six years. Why he's surfaced after all this time seems ridiculous, but I'll bite,” she explained calmly.
What a strong and elegant woman. Jordan couldn't help but admire the sheer grace with which she handled the situation. At the same time, Sierra seemed to exude the same confidence as her girlfriend, straightening out her back as the sun beat down on the three of them outside the cafe. Her fingers were curled together in front of her, but unfolded the moment Cora offered her hand. It made Jordan smile to watch them affectionately comfort each other.
“You two are handling this rather well,” she commented.
Sierra looked over with her honey-brown eyes and smiled.
“We're trained to handle these situations with integrity and grace,” she cooed. “It's only professional to do so.”
“It's amazing to see how you aren't afraid,” Jordan continued.
The couple smiled at her.
“And you as well, Officer. You've been very kind and receptive,” Cora reflected.
“It's just my job, ma'am,” Jordan insisted while lifting her paper cup.
The warmth of it made her hand sweat under the blazing hot sun. She wished she had worn a hat. It was her day off and she was spending it chatting with these two women, offering them the information they needed to feel better about their situation. It wasn't necessary, yet she felt compelled to do so.
“That sort of compassion is difficult to come by these days,” Sierra commented. “And you're beautiful, too. It's rare to find someone attractive who isn't a complete snob.”
“You mean like you?” Cora teased.
The two tittered and gazed lovingly at each other. Though it was a sweet gesture, it made Jordan slightly uneasy. The tingle that had appeared on her arms the previous night was now making its way down her torso and over her thighs. She adjusted her jeans nervously while offering a polite smile. At least her aviators could hide the look in her eyes.
It wasn't fear that sat there, but pure curiosity. The nature of these women was kind and curious, their cat-like eyes enticing her to dig further. Naturally, her personality was that of an inquisitive creature which is what led her to become a cop. Yet she couldn't get enough of this couple. Their motions, their polite nature, their kindness, and their hospitality had proven to be working on the confused and lonely officer.
“I am at a loss for words. You're too kind,” Jordan finally stated.
“Don't be humble. I'm sure you're gorgeous when you get dolled up,” Sierra said with a wink.
“Sierra, don't be rude. She's gorgeous without being all dolled up,” Cora scolded while playfully pushing Sierra.
“Oh, my apologies,” Sierra whispered while covering her mouth.
Jordan smiled politely.
“Really, you two are very polite, but I think I might have to get going,” Jordan said while standing.
