Brock arrived in his office to find it empty. Holly always arrived before he did. When an hour passed and she still hadn’t arrived, he began to worry. “Holly—where the hell are you?” He walked out of his office and headed toward Captain Lewiston’s office knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
“Captain, have you seen Cavanaugh today?”
“Yes, she was here.”
“Okay, can you tell me where she is right now?”
“She got a phone call from home—some sort of emergency, so she requested some time off to deal with it.”
“How much time off?” Brock asked.
“Two weeks.”
“What kind of emergency?”
“She didn’t say, only that she needed the time to deal with a family emergency and she would call you later.”
Brock headed back to his office wondering what the family emergency was. Holly didn’t talk about her family at all—he had never pressed the issue, and he was beginning to regret that. “Two weeks? What could possibly require that she be gone for two weeks?” He said aloud.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Holly and Julie got settled into their temporary apartment and were going to be meeting with Jen Schaefer later in the afternoon. “I need to call Detective McClellan—give me ten minutes and then we can head over to Jen’s apartment.” Holly stated.
“No problem, take your time.”
Holly went into the bedroom for privacy before dialing Brock who picked up on the first ring. “Holly, how are you? What happened?”
“I am fine, I got a call that my parents were involved in an automobile accident, so I hopped on the first plane and headed home.”
“Are they okay?”
“They are a bit banged up, but they will be fine. I will be back as soon as I can, I just want to spend some time with them and make sure that everything is fine.”
“I’m sorry Holly, but where exactly is home? I just realized that I don’t know much about your family at all.”
“Tampa, Florida.”
“Are you okay? I can’t imagine getting a phone call about my parents like that.”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Listen, I got to go, I will try to call you tomorrow.”
“All right, take care and hurry back.”
“I will be back as soon as I can.”
Officer O’Brien knocked on Brock’s door, “I have the DNA results from the last vic.”
“Tell me some good news O’Brien, I could really use it.”
“Sorry, we weren’t able to match it to anyone in the system.”
“Why the hell can’t I get a break?”
“The bright side is once we get a suspect, we have DNA to cross reference against.”
“We might as well be looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack because I’m not any closer to catching this guy, and now it’s up to me to do it because Detective Cavanaugh had to leave for a family emergency.”
“When did she leave? I saw her about an hour ago with Officer Harris?”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yeah, I’m positive.”
“Thanks O’Brien.”
Brock sat down in his chair, puzzled at what O’Brien had said about seeing Holly an hour ago. He had to be mistaken—didn’t he? She just called him from Tampa, Florida and it’s over a two hour flight. Why was she with Officer Harris? “I think I need to check this out.” He said out loud.
Brock pulled up the white page directory for Tampa, Florida on his computer to see how many Cavanaugh’s were listed and found three. He dialed the first one, and when he asked to speak with Holly Cavanaugh, he was told he had a wrong number. It was a re-peat performance for telephone number two. When he called the third number and asked for Holly, he was told that she no longer lived at home that she lived in Houston, TX. “I was under the impression that she was home visiting her parents.” Brock responded.
“I’m her mother—why would you think that?”
“I’m sorry, I must have been mistaken. One more question—were you or your husband in an accident recently?”
“No. Are you sure you have the right number?”
“Is your daughter a detective with the Houston Police Department?” He pressed on.
“Why yes, she is. Who is calling?”
“I am really sorry that I bothered you ma’am, I am Detective McClellan and I work with Holly—I must have been mistaken. My apologies.”
Brock hung up and so many emotions started flooding his mind. He was angry and hurt that Holly lied to him, and confused as to why she would lie to him about where she was? What was she up to and what was the real reason she had lunch with Officer Harris? He was going to have to use his detective skills to find out the answers to these questions.
Brock got in his car and headed over to Holly’s house and found that it was dark and she wasn’t at home. Next he drove to Officer Harris’s house and found it dark as well. “Where are you two? What the hell are you up to?”
He decided to continue to work on the case and headed over to The Doo Dive. The bar seemed to be pretty busy for a Tuesday night. He grabbed a table in the back and started scanning the crowd for anyone who looked out of place. After an hour had passed, he was getting ready to leave when he spotted Officer Harris walk through the door with a group of people. He decided to stay put and see what played out with Harris. He didn’t recognize any of the people she arrived with, so he knew that they weren’t co-workers. Shortly after ten, Harris and her group left the bar. Brock decided to follow—he knew he needed to keep a healthy distance as she was trained to spot anyone following her. He watched her pull up in front of an apartment building and parked a block and a half away while watching her get out of her car and enter the apartment on the far end. After five minutes, he pulled back out onto the street and drove past noticing Holly’s car parked out front as well. His first instinct was to go to the door and confront her, but he decided that he wanted to see what played out. She was definitely up to something and Officer Harris was a part of it.
As Brock was driving in to work, it hit him—Holly had to be going undercover to catch this serial rapist. He spun his car around and headed toward the apartment where he saw her car. When he arrived, he rang the doorbell in addition to pounding on the door. “Just a minute—I am coming.” He heard through the door.
When Holly opened the door, Brock pushed past her into the apartment. “What the hell is going on? I don’t appreciate being lied to. I thought we had something special, or was that a lie too?”
“How did you find me?” Holly asked shocked at the sight of Brock standing in the apartment.
“What? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I can explain—have a seat.” She said as she motioned towards the couch.
“I won’t be staying long enough to sit down.”
“I am working undercover on the rape case.” She admitted.
“I am your partner for Christ’s sake. Why the hell don’t I know about this?”
“I told the Captain that I didn’t want you to know because you wouldn’t approve of it.”
“Cap knows about this and he approved it?”
“Yes. I went to Captain Lewiston last Friday and told him I wanted to go undercover and be the bait for the rapist so we can nail this guy’s ass to the wall.”
“Are you fucking crazy? This asinine plan needs to end right now.”
“That is exactly why I didn’t tell you. I knew that you would flip out.”
“Partners bounce ideas and strategies against each other—they communicate. They don’t go behind the others’ back and take an idea and run with it.”
“I had to! I knew you wouldn’t approve.”
“You didn’t even give me the opportunity. You out and out blatantly lied to me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to—I just didn’t see any other way around it.”
“Is what we shared together a lie too? Was that a way to get close to
me to get what you wanted?”
“No! I care for you and I have enjoyed our time together.”
“So I was a good time. Wow—you just turned something special into dirty dish water—something you just toss out.”
Holly’ tears started to flow, “No! It’s not like that at all.”
“I need to get the hell out of here—definitely away from you.”
When Brock headed for the door, Holly ran after him grabbing his arm. “Please don’t walk out and leave things like this.”
“I know when to cut my losses.” He said as he yanked his arm back and walked out the door.
Holly collapsed on the floor crying into her hands. Julie walked out of the bathroom and found her sobbing with the door open. “Was that Detective McClellan that I heard here?”
Holly nodded her head. “What happened Holly?”
“I screwed everything up so bad.”
“Take your time.”
“I don’t know how he found us, but he did and he knows I lied to him. He will never forgive me.” She tried to explain.
“But Captain Lewiston also kept it from him and told him you were out of town on a family emergency. If he is mad at someone, he also needs to be mad at him!”
“But Captain Lewiston wasn’t sleeping with him.”
“Oh! Well, I would hope not! So how long have you been sleeping with Detective McClellan?”
“It doesn’t really matter—does it? It’s not like it will happen again after today.”
“Do you love him?”
“I don’t know. I think so. I have messed this up so bad. He was so mad when he left and so hurt—I have never hurt someone as badly as I just hurt Brock. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He didn’t have to say the words. I know he doesn’t want anything to do with me ever again.”
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know. I told him in the beginning that I am not good at relationships. At least I didn’t lie about that.”
“Do you want me to talk to him?”
“No. I screwed it up, so I need to fix it. I just don’t know if there is any fixing to it.”
Brock pulled away from the apartment complex squealing his tires. He couldn’t get away fast enough. Not wanting to go to the precinct, he just drove around for hours. Finally he decided to go to Luke’s house. Along the way, he stopped at the liquor store and purchased a bottle of whiskey.
Brooke saw Brock pulling into the driveway and went outside to meet him on the porch. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
“I didn’t have anywhere else to go.” Brock said as he took a drink out of the whiskey bottle.
Noticing that the bottle was partially empty, Brooke asked, “Why don’t you come inside and tell me what is wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. Can’t a guy stop by and visit anymore?”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that? Come on in Brock—let’s talk.”
“Why the hell does everybody want to talk? Can’t I just hang out?” He said as he slumped down into a recliner.
“I take it this (as she made a sweeping motion with her hands at Brock) has to do with Holly.”
“Holly who?”
“Just what I thought. What did you do?” Brooke asked.
“Why the hell does everyone always jump to the conclusion that if something goes south, it’s automatically my fault?” He said as he took another drink from the bottle. “Maybe, just maybe this time it wasn’t something I did!”
“Why don’t you give me that bottle? I think you have had enough.”
“If I want to get shit faced, I think I am a big boy and I have the right.”
“You need to tell me what happened. I can’t help or be objective if I don’t know what happened to get you in this frame of mind.”
“She lied to me—we’re through. Plain and simple.”
“Things are never plain and simple. Now start at the beginning.”
Brock proceeded to tell Brooke everything that happened in the last two days. When he was through, she just sat there and didn’t say a word. “Well, aren’t you going to find some way to make me into the villain here?”
“Nope.”
“That’s it? Nope? That’s all you have to say after everything I just told you?”
“I answered your question—you asked me if I wasn’t going to find some way to make you the villain in all that has happened and I answered your question with “Nope.” I can certainly understand your feelings of betrayal with what happened, but I have seen you and Holly together and you have something special. You two have what Luke and I have—I have seen it, and I recognize it. Whether you recognize it or not is yet another thing. Now, do you want to throw that all away without giving her the chance to explain herself?”
“I already talked to her and I think she pretty much explained everything to me. There is nothing left to say.”
Brooke got up and walked over to Brock taking the bottle from him. “I think you need to go sleep this off.” She said as she held the bottle in the air.
“Give that back to me! I’m not done with it.” Brock demanded.
Brooke proceeded to walk into the kitchen and dump it down the sink. “Sorry, I just finished it for you.”
“Fine, I’ll go and get some more then.” He said as he stood and started walking towards the door.
Brooke ran out the back door and out to Brock’s car and removed the keys from the ignition as he was walking out the front door. “Hey! Give those back.” He shouted.
“Not a chance! I know you wouldn’t wrestle with a pregnant woman to get them either, so just go back inside and I’ll help you up to the guest room where you can sleep this off.”
“Give me my damn keys!” He ordered.
“Do I need to call your brothers?” Brooke responded.
“Shit! You wouldn’t do that—would you?”
Brooke held up her cell phone, “I am dialing Luke as we speak.”
“Fine—hang up the damn phone. I’ll go lay down if that will keep you quiet.”
Brooke helped him upstairs and got him to lay on the bed before shutting the door and heading back down the stairs. “I had better call Holly.” She said as she dialed her number.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Holly drove to the precinct to talk with Brock, only to find that he never came into work. She stopped in to let Captain Lewiston know that Brock figured out what was going on and that he wasn’t very happy about it. Next, she headed over to his house finding that he wasn’t there either. She called his cell phone several times, but it went straight to voicemail. With nowhere else to look, she headed back to the apartment as her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, Brooke’s name showed up. “Hello—Brooke?”
“Holly?”
“Yes.”
“Can you come over?”
“Is Brock there?”
“Yes, but it’s okay—he’s sleeping.”
“Sleeping? It’s only two in the afternoon!”
“Yeah. He showed up on my doorstep—he’d been drinking. I put him in the spare room upstairs and he is sleeping it off.”
“Is he okay?”
“No, he isn’t. I want to get your side of the story, so if you can get away, I would like to talk to you. Can you come over?”
“I’m actually in my car—I have been looking for him. I will be there in ten minutes.”
“Great. Come to the backyard—I’ll have some tea for us.”
When Holly walked into the backyard, she looked just as bad as Brock did. After she had given Brooke her version of what happened, she waited for her to say something and was met with silence. “You have already taken Brock’s side haven’t you?”
“Nope.”
“Nope? Is that all you have to say?”
Brooke started to laugh, and when she noticed the shocked look on Holly’s face, she laughed even harder.
“I don’t see what the hell is so damn funn
y Brooke. Is your pregnancy getting to you?”
Brooke pulled it together long enough to answer, “No, my pregnancy is coming along just fine.”
“Then what the hell is so damn funny for the second time?”
“You and Brock are made for one another—you are so alike it isn’t even funny!”
“You say that—yet you are laughing.”
“In all seriousness, you two need to talk. I understand why you did what you did—I am not condoning it, but I understand it. I also understand why Brock is hurt and angry. I don’t have the perfect solution for you two, but you definitely need to talk. I’ve also heard that make-up sex is fantastic.”
“I don’t know if talking about all of this will even fix it. He was so angry when he left.”
“He is also a very fair man and he loves you.”
“He what? What did you say?”
“I said he loves you.” Brooke repeated.
“He said that?”
“No, not exactly, but I know he does. How do you feel about him?”
“The only thing I can say is my heart is aching right now and I want a do over. I saw him this morning and yet I miss him.”
“Holly—have you ever been in love?”
“I thought so once, but I have never felt like this.”
Brooke got up and hugged Holly, “That wasn’t love. This thing with Brock is.”
“What am I going to do?”
“He’s upstairs—go.”
Holly softly knocked on the door and when she didn’t hear anything, she opened it and went in closing it behind her. Brock was asleep on the bed so Holly crawled onto the bed and lay behind him wrapping her arms and legs around him. She could smell the whisky on him and her heart broke knowing she caused this. Instinctively she kissed the back of his neck as she rubbed his arm. He stirred and grabbed hold of her arm pulling it tight to his body.
A short time later, Brock opened his eyes and looked around the room trying to remember where he was. He quickly realized that he wasn’t alone in bed and remembered that he was at Luke’s house. Panicked, he jumped out of bed thinking that he was in bed with Brooke and he certainly didn’t remember how that had happened. When he turned around to look, he found Holly sitting up looking at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Seal It With A Kiss (McClellan Trilogy) Page 13
