New Town, New Thief (The Lindsey Smith Detective Series Book 2)

by Melinda Craig

  Ryan looked at the paper quizzically. “So this first name, Lindsey Smith. You got an address by chance? That’s not necessarily an unusual name,” he chuckled.

  The chief gave a slight smile, “Even better. You get to meet her tomorrow at ten. She’s the one that will be working with you on the case. Feel free to cross her name off from the paper if you want.”

  Ryan looked at the chief, and shook his head in confusion. “Why’s she on the list if she’s not a suspect? Any other names I need to cross off…and what’s her expertise that I need to talk to her for. You can’t be serious that saying she has some special ability that helps solve crime?” He hated working with consultants, most didn’t have any idea on what they were doing…or just a big scam, and this one sounded like the latter.

  The chief raised one eyebrow at Ryan before speaking, “You’re on a need to know basis remember? Trust me, it’s better this way. No-she’s not your suspect but she’s on the list because she’s part of a skilled group of people…much like the one you saw on the video feed. Fortunately for us, she works towards locating things and not stealing them.”

  “Now wait a minute, Chief. You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re setting me up to meet some kind of crack pot who will claim to solve our case by what…walking through walls? Come on. I don’t have time to work with people who are going to waste my time. You and I both know I can solve this case on my own.”

  The chief fixed Ryan with an icy glare and pushed his seat back roughly as he stood. He walked past his desk in booming footsteps and Ryan gulped. He towered over Ryan as he leaned forward to speak.

  “You’ll work with whoever I say you need to work with Officer. You don’t have to understand, I’m pretty sure we’ve covered that. I’ve worked with Miss Smith a couple times before, and I guarantee she’s the real deal. As for how she’s the real deal, a need to know basis. Right now, you don’t need to know. Got it? You do your job and meet with her at ten tomorrow or you’ll be sitting at a desk for the rest of the month. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes Sir.” Ryan said, and Lindsey saw his shoulders straighten and eyes harden with resolve.

  “But what about the second name on the list, Sir?” Lindsey leaned forward, she wanted to hear what the chief had to say. She needed to take in everything Ryan knew, maybe even get a lead on a few of the names…the same list he held in his hand. But--that familiar, awful pull began. She felt the room grow smaller and then wider. Groaning in frustration, she had no control of the swirl of motion around her. The room faded and danced in and out into nothing until she was placed back into her own mind hands still on either side of Ryan’s face. His green eyes came into focus.

  Pizza and Secrets

  She pulled her hands away from his face and turned her head to look out the car window. Ryan’s green eyes were wide and full of turmoil over what he experienced. They sat, both not saying a word, hovering in the shadows and glued to their seats. She wondered if he would start shouting or if he would call her a freak…she wondered if he’d take her to her new home or if she would have to take a very long walk back.

  Ryan broke the ice first.

  “Whoa.”

  “I told you to take me at face value.” She kept her head turned, looking out the window. Anything to avoid those green eyes. She tried to concentrate on the blinking gas sign and she mapped out the amount of time it would take her to walk back to her apartment from here. Ryan cleared his throat, pulling her attention back to him.

  “To be fair, I didn’t actually know what you could do…other than something strange.”

  She turned towards him and saw a slight smile at the corner of his mouth. He was taking this better than she expected. A small bubble of hope rose in her chest. At least she wouldn’t be walking home.

  “Well, now you know.”

  “Yeah…I do. Can I just say, you could have told me first? I mean, you kind of just wham-laid it on me.”

  Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Would you have believed me?”

  She turned her head to face him again. He gave a sheepish shrug.

  “I will say, you’re taking it better than the last guy.” She smiled and gave Ryan a small shrug in return.

  “Whoa-wait…is this something you do on a date? Because I gotta tell you…it’s not really romance inspiring.”

  Ryan was back into full swing. Lindsey let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and then with one look at his face twisted in mock horror, she laughed.

  “Well, you don’t let things hold you down for long do you Officer Vance?”

  “Now hold on-I thought I told you to call me Ryan…and you’d think after that personal encounter you’d feel comfortable enough to be on a first name basis. Not to mention, I’m taking you out on a date.”

  Ryan sat relaxed in his seat, grinning like a fool. Lindsey couldn’t help but grin back.

  “Working date remember? And if we are on a date, and since you don’t look too terribly traumatized, this girl needs to eat. So where are you taking me?”

  “Now you’re speaking my language lady.”

  He backed the car out from its shadowed parking space and left the gas station towards their surprise date. Lindsey felt the odd sensation of excitement as they pulled into an Italian restaurant called, “Giovanni’s Pizza.”

  “I thought you said you didn’t want to take your date out for pizza?” She said.

  “Well…they have way more than pizza, but give a guy a break, this is the best pizza around. Trust me…plus you owe me.”

  “Owe you? You’ve got to be kidding.” She rolled her eyes, “You wanted to know what I could do. Well, come on then, let’s go get some pizza and talk about this case.”

  Ryan gave a mock salute, “Yes, Ma’am. The chief ain’t got nothing on you little lady.”

  “When I’m hungry, that’s probably true.” She retorted.

  He chuckled and got out of the car, walked to Lindsey’s side and opened the door. “My lady, after you.” He gave a little bow and swept his arm out, hand outstretched.

  Her heart skipped a beat…she firmly told herself it was the excitement over a long awaited supper and not the handsome officer’s hand that was reaching out in front of her.

  Giovanni’s Pizza was a small space, but that didn’t take away from the restaurant’s charm. It looked to hold around six tables with several booths. The low light contributed to the appeal and Lindsey took her time admiring the view. The walls, in their exposed brick, and the décor of the family photos, gave the atmosphere an inviting presence. Tiled floors stretched throughout the dining area, showcasing the tables with their red and white checkered cloths. The booths were small and intimate, away from the center tables and they sported a lit candle on each one.

  The steward gave a warm welcome and beckoned for Ryan and Lindsey to follow her. “Right this way please.” She spoke.

  She ushered both Lindsey and Ryan to a booth, with a promise that their server would be there shortly.

  Lindsey sat, quiet at first, not sure what to say to the officer sitting across from her. She had her case notes, but her mind was on Ryan and wondering if he was processing her memory talents as well as he acted. This was certainly a first.

  “So…you wanna talk about it?” Ryan spoke. He put the menu down and stared expectantly at her.

  “Well, to be honest, I thought you would want to. You’re pretty unusual Officer, er, Ryan.”

  “Ha! Well, I’ll take that as a compliment. And like I said, the chief told me you could do stuff to solve this case that I wouldn’t understand…although,” He ran his fingers through his hair and gave a mild shrug, “I certainly didn’t expect that. But, it also makes sense. You make sense now.”

  Lindsey caught her breath as she saw the look in Ryan’s eyes. What’s a girl to do, especially when she expects the guy to run for the hills but he stays?

  “I’m glad you’re not a fraud Lindsey.”

  “Gee, thanks, I guess.” Sarcasm c
ame naturally, what could she say?

  “Hey-I’m just saying, I come across a lot of those and I really wanted you to be different.”

  “Ok…well, good. We have to work this case together so getting along makes my life easier.” Lindsey grabbed the menu and plopped it in front of her face. A welcome distraction from looking at those green eyes, and she was fairly certain her face resembled the color of a cherry from his compliment.

  “So listen, this is still a working date…and I’ve got my case notes we can review, however, I’m afraid I didn’t come up with a lot of information…yet. I’m sure I will soon.”

  “You mean to tell me, that Lindsey Smith, the memory extraction extraordinaire hasn’t solved the case in a measly few days. Get out of here! Ow-what was that for!”

  Lindsey smirked. “Keep it up officer and you’ll get a kick to the knee cap next time.”

  “Alright, Alright-I give,” He laughed “I’m not surprised, I haven’t been able to get a solid lead on it either.”

  “Speaking of leads…the list the chief gave you-“

  “Now hold on,” Ryan threw his hands up, “I know what you saw since I had to relive it, and you can’t help what you saw, but I can’t verbally give you information on that ok? You can tell the chief yourself and let him explain…if he will, but hey-at least you’re not a suspect.”

  “And the other names?”

  “Argh,” Ryan sighed. Lindsey noticed when he got frustrated he tended to run his fingers through his black hair.

  “I can’t tell you, ok? Look-I’m sorry. It’s awkward…I know. Man, I wish you could have seen something else in my head, I do.”

  “It’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. I’ll talk to the chief. I’ve got the same list and I may know more than you on those names anyways.” That got his attention. Lindsey didn’t even try to suppress her smirk.

  “Now wait a minute. How’d you get the list?”

  The server turned up before Lindsey could answer and to her surprise, Ryan ordered for her.

  “Trust me, you’ll love it. It’s the house special. So you gonna tell me how you got the list, other than my head?”

  “You gonna tell me what the chief said about the names?”

  “Now look who’s exasperating.” Ryan slumped his shoulders in defeat.

  Lindsey laughed, “Now come on, it’s not that bad. Let’s table the list talk for now. There is something I’ve been meaning to ask you about.”

  “Ok, we can save the list talk for our next date,” he smirked, “and ask away pretty lady.”

  Lindsey rolled her eyes, “Well, at the grocery store earlier today-“

  “When you walked into me, got it-go ahead.”

  “Oh for Pete’s Sake. After that actually. There was a boy running the register. Looked to be around fifteen or sixteen? Anyways, he spilled his soda on my glove, and me being stupid…I took it off,” Lindsey gave Ryan a significant look, “and well, the kid threw a wipe at my hand and grazed my palm with his fingers…”

  “Wait, you had one of those voodoo memory moments at the grocery store?”

  “Thank you for putting it so graciously. Yes, Ryan, I had a voodoo memory moment with the kid. Let me tell you, what I saw wasn’t pretty and he needs help.”

  “Ok, what kind of help? Like child services…”

  Faith squirmed in her seat and began to twirl a strand of hair around her finger, “I don’t know. Maybe, the life he has is pretty rough. It’s more like, he needs help getting away from a bad parent. His dad, he’s pretty bad. Let’s just say he’s not a good father. He beats him…during the memory, the kid was worried about his mom. I kept feeling his fear and anguish. He wondered where she was. Maybe if they are divorced, you can have child services place him with his mother?”

  “Man. Ok, yeah. It’s my job to do something but I can’t really report what you saw. People will think we’re both crazy.”

  “I know. But there’s got to be something we can do.” Lindsey pleaded.

  “What’s his name? Do you know? I can say I got an anonymous call on a fight and check it out.”

  He sat, drumming his fingers, thinking. Lindsey remembered the conversation with the elderly woman from the grocery store.

  “This older woman told me his name was Avery Peckley.”

  Ryan’s head shot up and he shook his head. “I know his mother. We went to high school together. She doesn’t seem like the type to run out on her kid. Man, you just don’t know people.”

  He reached across the table and grabbed Lindsey’s gloved hand.

  “Stop twirling that hair, your making me nervous,” he laughed, “I promise I’ll check it out. We’ll get the boy help.”

  At just that moment, the server brought their food. A deep dish, cheesy, supreme, delux pizza and mouthwatering breadsticks were sat in the middle of the table. Ryan let go of Lindsey’s hand to dig in. She pushed away the disappointment.

  “Dig in, pretty lady.”

  A Sweet Good Night

  The drive home was quiet but not awkward. Lindsey found herself enjoying Ryan’s company and when he pulled into her drive, he insisted on walking her to the door. To Lindsey’s surprise, he grabbed her gloved hand and stayed silent on the short walk to her front door.

  The date had ended far too soon for her taste and that wasn’t a good thing. She shouldn’t let any distractions get in the way, a relationship wasn’t possible. Friendship, maybe…more, how on earth could it ever work with the way she was?

  Ryan let go of her hand and she could still feel the warmth of his skin through her gloves. She fumbled in her bag for her keys and spoke.

  “Well, um, goodnight Ryan. Thanks for the pizza and helping with the kid. It will let me sleep easier knowing you can check on the situation.”

  He reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and rested the palm of his hand against her cheek. Lindsey caught her breath, waiting for the next memory…but it never came.

  “You are an interesting woman, Lindsey.” He said.

  “Why would you do that? You know what could happen.”

  “Has anyone ever tried to touch you after the memory encounter happens?” He looked at her, eyes furrowed in thought.

  “Why would they want to? Let’s be realistic here Ryan.”

  He smiled that quirky smile that Lindsey was beginning to get used to. She couldn’t decide if she was embarrassed, exasperated, or just simply infuriated with him. Was it possible to be all three?

  “I’m just saying, I don’t care if you see another memory. I don’t have much to hide and I find you interesting enough to risk it.”

  Lindsey caught her breath, unable to move from Ryan’s form leaning much too close for comfort. She squeezed her eyes shut, not sure if it was from panic or a crazy moment of anticipation…when, suddenly, she felt it. A soft barely there kiss. She opened her eyes, still not able to speak.

  “Yep. I think that was worth it.”

  A small smile rested on the handsome officer’s lips.

  “Good night pretty lady.” And then he turned and walked back to his car, whistling an unfamiliar tune to Lindsey’s ears.

  Still in shock and heart fluttering, Lindsey watched Ryan get in his car and drive away. Somehow she stumbled into her little house and fell onto the couch.

  She reached up and touched her lips where she could still feel the gentle kiss. What a night.

  The Offer

  Morning came far too soon for Lindsey and she moaned as she reached to turn off the alarm on her cell phone. Back stiff and neck sore, Lindsey pulled herself up from the couch that she fell asleep on late last night. She knew she should have walked to her bed, but the events of the recent evening had been far too overwhelming for her to do much but think and process…and of course, binge watch TV.

  Stumbling to the Keurig machine, she popped in a delicious Cinnabon k-cup. The smell of fresh cinnamon roll flavor hit her senses in a rush, and after adding her favorite creamer, she too
k a long drink of the blissful liquid. She paced as she drank her coffee and pulled open her calendar app on her phone. Today’s list included a meeting with the chief. Sighing, Lindsey looked at her pitiful notes file on the case and wished she had more information. She should have spent last night reviewing the security footage of the theft and studying possible suspects or patterns. Instead, she had stayed up impossibly late thinking about Officer Ryan.

  She shook her head and shrugged. It was far too late to worry about her pitiful notes now and she had a meeting in an hour, along with a much needed shower to take. Now, the funny thing was, Lindsey had spoken to the chief over the phone…but she had yet to meet the man face to face. Oh, they had consulted before, but always on the phone. After seeing Ryan’s memory of the chief, she was far more nervous than ever before. Chief Blake Keaton was a beast of a man and to say he was intimidating was an understatement. Lindsey shivered. The chief certainly had a presence. However, that wasn’t going to deter her from meeting him and showing the chief that he could rely on her for more than small consultant jobs. This case almost felt like her big break…and she wondered if it could lead to more work with the chief in the future.

  She marched into her room and pulled out a slew of professional looking attire in her wardrobe. She needed something that commanded attention and helped her look put together with an air of authority. Disregarding nearly everything she owned, and beginning to feel her confidence deflate…Lindsey finally decided on a black tea-length dress. The cut was fitted, but not too much. The material was soft and a solid black hue that shimmered ever so slightly. It was modest, yet trendy and the body of the skirt was tailored perfectly. Throw in a pair of black boots and a custom-made blue leather jacket, and Lindsey felt quite fierce. At least that’s what she told herself.

  Shower done and dressed, there was nothing left to do but head to her meeting with the chief. She pulled on her everyday dark gloves, thankful again for the chill in the air that helped her blend in. With the jacket slipped on and her purse over her shoulder, she opened the front door and began the walk to the station.