The Stranger Next Door

by Lorhainne Eckhart

  “Chief, you want us to do nothing?” Dwayne called out.

  Something about these two council picks only added to his growing unease.

  “You heard me, nothing. Answer the phone and take a message, and if it’s important, call me or Carmen. Pretty straightforward. Let’s see if you can follow directions,” he said before pulling the door closed behind him.

  Billy Jo was already at his Jeep and had climbed in, and he pulled open the door and got behind the wheel, seeing how perfectly she fit with him. “You know, Mark, you’re going to have to put them to work.”

  Another reason why he loved her. She was a voice of reason.

  “Maybe so, but right now, I have a more pressing problem.”

  She was looking right at him and said nothing, so he backed up and put his Jeep in gear. Then she said in a soft, determined voice, “And what if Ash is there when we get there?”

  He changed gears, slipped his sunglasses on, and pulled onto the road heading out of downtown. “I’ll figure that out when I get there, but I’m not about to be told how to police my island.”

  She said nothing else. She didn’t nod, didn’t agree. Instead, she slipped on her sunglasses, looked straight out the window, and appeared rather calm and settled. But he knew one thing well about this woman. She didn’t just go along with anything. Her being pensive and quiet meant she was thinking and planning.

  Chapter Ten

  Sitting in the passenger seat of Mark’s Jeep, riding in silence, was anything but uncomfortable. Being with him was easy in so many ways. Billy Jo took in the winding long driveway after the electronic gates that had opened automatically, ending in a huge two-story house with lots of glass and brick.

  “No one’s sneaking up on anyone here,” Mark said as he pulled up and parked in front of the house by a three-car garage. The driveway was stone pavers, and the front door was all glass. Mark turned off the Jeep and stepped out, and she followed him, slipping her purse over her shoulder and sliding her sunglasses off as she took in the carving at the front door, a bear and an eagle. Everything about this place screamed money, wealth.

  “Nice place,” she said as Mark pressed the doorbell. She heard the chime inside, then footsteps, and she had to fight the urge to reach over to him. “Before we go in, please, for me, tread carefully,” she said.

  She’d never pleaded with him, and she didn’t know what to make of the way he was looking at her as he lifted his sunglasses and settled them in his red hair. When the door opened, there was Sunday Byrd, wearing cut-offs and a lowcut tank, with a baby on her hip.

  “What are you doing here?” she said.

  Billy Jo couldn’t pull her gaze from the baby, seeing the dark hair, the soother it was sucking on, wearing just a white T-shirt and a disposable diaper.

  “I need to have a word with you,” Mark said. “Is Ash here?”

  Billy Jo wasn’t sure if she would answer, as she just stood there for a moment. She could see Sunday was doing her best to pull it together, considering she couldn’t hide how thrown she was.

  She shook her head. “No, he’s out, but he could be back anytime. You shouldn’t be here.”

  Mark did something she didn’t expect. He put his hand on the door and pushed it, making Sunday step back, and he stepped inside. “We have enough time to talk. You know who was waiting in my office this morning? Your husband, and he seemed to know all about your dropping by last night. Did you tell him?”

  Billy Jo was now inside, as well, her hand on the door. Sunday was holding her baby, standing in the wide open entry, with its high ceiling, an open-concept living room behind her. When Billy Jo closed the door, she spotted a kitchen off to the left, huge and impressive, with so much light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. She figured a house of this magnitude had to run at least in the range of five to six million, easy.

  “He asked me where I was, and I knew when he asked that he already knew, so yes, I told him I was at your house and drove out to see you,” she said, then poked her tongue into her cheek, not pulling her gaze from Mark. When she glanced over to Billy Jo, she had to remind herself she didn’t need to like this girl to help her. But as she looked around, nothing about this place screamed that the girl was in trouble.

  “And you told him what, exactly, to explain your visit?” Billy Jo said, not looking Mark’s way. “Because somehow, I don’t think you told your husband that you drove all the way out to the chief’s because you wanted his help to get away from him, from all this.”

  This wasn’t a scared girl, she thought, but the way Sunday tightened her mouth reminded Billy Jo of herself before her dad found her and saved her. She wouldn’t admit any of that to Mark, though.

  “You don’t know anything about my life,” Sunday said. “You don’t know anything about me, but here you are, standing in my living room, looking down your nose at me, judging me. You know, I could tell my husband you’re harassing me, flexing your position as a social worker, saying you’ll take our babies, and he’d see you off this island. Your job would be gone. So don’t fuck with me.”

  Billy Jo wasn’t sure if she hissed in response or whether that was the sound of the car she heard driving up. She didn’t need to look to see that Ash was evidently home. Sunday stared back at her with smugness, and she wondered what she’d say. Lie or not, this was a sixteen-year-old who could destroy anyone.

  “What is it that you want, Sunday?” Mark said. “Is this really about your parents, the ones you say Ash killed, or is this a game? And don’t ever talk to Billy Jo like that again.”

  The door opened.

  “Chief Friessen, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

  Billy Jo took in the man, his neat short dark hair, average height and build, dark dress pants and white golf shirt. He was tanned and had dark eyes.

  Ash walked over to Sunday and the baby she was holding and lifted it from her arms, squealing, to kiss on the cheek. He handed the baby back. “Willa asleep?”

  Sunday nodded. “Yeah, but she’s fussy again.”

  Billy Jo was waiting for the demand, the hysteria, the story from Sunday. Ash pressed a hand to her cheek, and she leaned into it as if loving his touch. She found herself looking over to Mark, who she could see was as confused as she was.

  “Go check on her and put Sammy down,” Ash said. “We’ll have a late dinner tonight.”

  She walked out of the living room, barefoot, slender, up the stone steps to an open mezzanine and down a hall. Ash watched her, then slowly turned back, his gaze going right to Billy Jo. He said nothing for a second.

  “So what brings you here, Chief? Either of you want an espresso?” He strode past them into the kitchen. The island was light stone, the cabinets modern oak, and he walked to an espresso machine and glanced back to them.

  “Sure, why not?” she found herself saying.

  “None for me,” Mark said, an edge in his voice. “Impressive house you have here. You divide your time between the island and whereabouts in California?”

  Billy Jo was now standing at the island, listening to the whir of the espresso machine. She glanced back to Mark and took in the high ceilings.

  “You mean Tolly didn’t tell you?” Ash said.

  Billy Jo had to fight the urge to look back at Mark as Ash slid a small espresso cup in front of her. She’d expected him to make one for himself, but apparently, she was drinking alone.

  “Thank you,” she said, but he didn’t even look her way, giving everything to Mark.

  “Hollywood Hills,” he said. “Sunday will be heading back earlier than usual with the kids. But I don’t think you’re here to talk about where I live.”

  Right to the point.

  “You’re right, I’m not. You showed up in my office and gave me a warning about your wife, your sixteen-your-old wife, knowing she came to see me last night. Now it seems something of mine has disappeared, and, lo and behold, I watched you walk into the council office today. So I have to wonder, what are you u
p to?”

  Billy Jo reached for the espresso and fought the urge to look back at Mark. She hadn’t expected this slip from him.

  Ash smiled as he let his gaze slide over to Billy Jo. “You two are quite the cute couple. Tolly and Gail were right about that. You know, one thing about the chief, before he was forced out because of his stupidity, was that he knew how to get his job done without the council telling him how to police. No matter what anyone thinks, he did a lot of good things here for a lot of people, and he knew when to ask for help. Any gift for the chief was for the chief. It didn’t get willed to you because you took over.”

  Something about the way Ash spoke made her want to pull Mark aside and tell him he had to drop this and walk away.

  “Is this where you warn me again that the council doesn’t like being backed into a corner and that I need to watch my back?”

  Ash smiled again and laughed softly. “Sunday’s parents, Desiree and Steve Jackson, were planning on visiting, which is one of the reasons Sunday is heading back early, so her parents can spend some time with their grandkids. But I’ll be sticking around for a bit. It seems some unexpected work has come up. It’s interesting, though, how Hal Green’s niece is taking over as the lead detective. I know Tolly wouldn’t have that, no matter how many ways Hal came at it. She headed up an antiterrorism unit in New York, worked her first three years undercover in narcotics, and she’s racked up more of a resume than you. Highly overqualified to be a lowly detective on an island. Would have expected someone like her to be chief. Figure Dwayne will take over as deputy soon, and I heard the council was even talking about offering to keep Carmen on if she considers taking over the dispatcher job and running the office. She’ll have to take another pay cut, of course, but you know, that’s what happens when you let people fuck you over and you’re suddenly at their mercy.”

  Billy Jo looked back at Mark, who had his arms pulled over his chest, not breaking Ash’s gaze. “And how would you know all this?” she said.

  Ash didn’t glance her way, and she wondered if he didn’t even consider her a problem. “You know, I was just a street kid,” he said. “I joined the army because it was the only option I had other than stealing and dealing and then landing in jail. The army knows a lot about electronics, and I learned they do more audio surveillance than the Feds will ever know. When the Feds do a wiretap, there are laws in place. A judge signs off, and they can record only a certain amount before they have to shut it off. With a wiretap, you’re recording both sides of the conversation, but there are also bugs that can pick up all the talk in a room.

  “I’ve found that people only love you when they need you, and it’s amazing the things people will say over a phone, in a room, when they think no one is listening. Tolly Shephard has a soft spot for you, Mark Friessen. The council is getting ready to make some changes here, and it’s entirely up to you how you want to handle it. Either way, my wife is leaving.” He pulled open a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a thick orange manila envelope and rested it on the island. He pressed his finger to it and slid it slowly over to Mark. “I don’t often give gifts, but when I do, it’s for the right reason.”

  Billy Jo turned her head, hearing footsteps as Sunday walked back out and behind the island to stand beside her husband. Her makeup made her look older, and she looked right at Billy Jo.

  “You get packed already?” Ash said.

  “Not yet.”

  “Your husband said you’re going back to California to visit your parents,” Billy Jo said, and she expected a reaction rather than the calm way Sunday was staring back at her.

  “That’s right,” she said.

  Billy Jo reached for the envelope on the island and held it out to Mark. “We should get going.”

  Mark didn’t take the envelope at first, letting his gaze linger on her. Then he did. “I guess we’re done here,” he said, and she wasn’t sure if the anger she was seeing was directed at her or this situation. She started to the door, hearing Mark behind her.

  “Take care, Chief,” Ash said. “You need anything, give me a call.”

  As they walked out of the house, Billy Jo took in Sunday Byrd standing in the open door behind them, just watching her. Then she closed the door.

  Mark tossed the envelope on her lap as he climbed into the Jeep. “You have any idea what the fuck that was?”

  Billy Jo stared at the house as Mark started the Jeep and put it in gear. She lifted the sealed thick envelope and looked over to him. “I’d say Sunday is playing a dangerous game, and this here, I could be wrong, but I have a feeling this may be your way of taking back control of the island. Do you want me to open it?”

  He shoved his sunglasses back on and drove down the winding paved driveway, saying nothing for a second as he pulled in a breath and then let it out. “Nope,” he finally said. “If I can’t do this job the right way, then I have no business doing it at all.”

  She realized he was serious, and he’d said exactly what she’d hoped he wouldn’t.

  Damn him for being too perfect.

  Chapter Eleven

  Mark knew Billy Jo wanted to open that manila envelope, and he was well aware that any other girl would have already opened it.

  “Give me your keys, Mark,” was all she said as he made coffee back at the stationhouse, taking a second to glance back to the two bodies doing nothing, Roberta and Dwayne. He found himself staring at them, just taking up space. Roberta was sitting on the edge of Gail’s old desk, arms crossed, and Dwayne had made himself too comfortable in his old chair, leaning back and just staring his way.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled his keys out, then handed them to Billy Jo, and he realized Roberta was walking his way.

  “Chief, you have a minute?” she said. “I would like to have a word with you about what I’m supposed to be doing, as I’m currently sitting here with my thumb up my ass, looking after your dog, answering phones, and ignoring all the problems on this island when I should be responding to calls and arresting people, ticketing them, doing everything a good cop is supposed to be doing. This isn’t a good use of my time.” She was not as tall as Carmen, her eyes a shade of brown, and it appeared she wasn’t scared in the least of challenging his authority.

  “And what do you feel would be a good use of your time?” he said as he flicked on the coffeepot. He turned to Roberta and realized the deputy shirt she was wearing had a logo for the Roche Harbor Police on it, one he’d never seen before. Evidently, the council had left him out of more plans they had for his office.

  “Well, you have me here answering phones when there’s been a disturbance reported out on Fisher Road, a call of indecent exposure. Then we got a call from a woman who said she’s been trying to rent a property, and the male who owns it told her to send naked photos and videos of herself so he could see if she was suitable. We’ve had two calls of possible animal abuse, one a young dog who spends all day, every day chained up outside alone. Then there was a possible break and enter, a theft of camping equipment. Also, two young guys at the south beach are drinking and smashing bottles, and an alarm is going off at a home on Gillespie—and I see the alarm has gone off a few times at that residence.” She shrugged. “I pulled the file on the address. That’s not to mention a fight on the roof of the school involving two youths and someone shot with fireworks. With all due respect, Chief, shuffling all these calls to one woman who is in over her head is both reckless and—”

  “Are you finished?” He cut her off quite sharply, seeing a woman who was ready to go toe to toe with him.

  “Well, that depends, sir.” The sarcasm dripped, and he couldn’t pull his gaze, knowing when he was being openly challenged. “Are you going to keep me parked at a desk, collecting dust, or let me actually do the job I was hired to do, curbing the civil unrest that seems to be rampant on this island because of sloppy policing and criminals who know the new chief doesn’t have the manpower to do anything? Yet here I am, ready to go.” She pulled her a
rms over her chest.

  He realized Billy Jo was watching him from the doorway in his office. “You think I’m going to let you loose in my community, on the residents here, because you were walked into my precinct by Hal Green, a councillor who turns out to be your uncle? Tell me, Roberta, when you signed a contract with your uncle, did you expect to walk in here and do whatever you wanted? What exactly were you promised by the council before you came into my station?” He knew lanky Dwayne was still leaning back in the chair, watching and listening to this showdown.

  “Well, your lead detective is now reporting to me, so I guess we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Roberta said. “My uncle has been dangling the carrot to me, offering up the position here. Chief, if I were you, I would be over the moon with the qualifications I have. I have more experience and have seen more things than you’ve ever had to deal with on this island, and—”

  “You mean you have so much experience that you expect to take over as chief,” he said, cutting her off.

  Her mouth was still open as if she wanted to speak, and her expression said everything. Mark flicked his gaze over to Dwayne, who hadn’t looked away. Roberta closed her mouth and firmed her lips, and he could see she didn’t want to answer.

  “Let me be clear,” he said. “At this point in the game, you are not the detective in charge. Your what I tell you you are. Your uncle is a politician, not a cop, so he doesn’t get to oversee how the law works here. And, so you clearly understand, your uncle is not above the law. As far as Detective Zarco is concerned, you watch your step. You are not her boss, and she is not reporting to you. She has more island experience than a big-city cop whose major accomplishment has been running undercover in narcotics and looking for terrorists, whose first instinct is to see the worst in people.