Fade to Black

by Molly Kate Gray

  While getting arrested was part of her plan, she hadn’t expected the night to be quite so unsettling. Something about the combination of being home again combined with simply being sore and overtired had pushed her to her emotional limits. She spent most of the night lying awake, remembering the times that her decisions forced Quinn to endure nights such as this one. She wanted to make her twin grow up and face the consequences of her actions. If she wanted to party, then Quinn had to learn to pay the price. When she’d called, Rory told her sister that she’d be there to bail her out the next morning. If she’d even suspected the nights were as bad as this one, she would have broken traffic laws to reach her twin’s side.

  “Rise and shine, sleepyhead.” A scornful voice rattled the bars of the jail cell. “So, darling, how’d you get to be so lucky?”

  Rory sat up slowly. When Hart knocked her to the ground, he’d aggravated an old injury she’d received on her first undercover assignment. “Are you asking why I’m still here?” Her voice was rough from lack of sleep. She hated the constant noise in the dorm, but it was peaceful compared to the jail. As the third metal door slammed shut around 4 A.M., she’d decided the interruptions were deliberate.

  “Exactly.” The man narrowed his eyes as he ran a hand over the salt and pepper stubble along his jaw. “Not many parents would leave a sweet young thing like you in a place like this overnight.”

  Rory cleared her throat and tried to speak again. “That would imply I had someone around to bail me out.”

  “They can’t be that bad, sugar.”

  Rory didn’t have to feign a look of hurt. “My parents are dead.”

  That wiped the haughty look off the officer’s face. Taunting her wasn’t so much fun any longer. “Sorry to hear that.” Oddly enough, he appeared to be telling the truth. “I just came down to introduce myself.”

  Rory stood with difficulty as the muscles of her lower back threatened to seize. She walked to the bars of the cell. “And you are?”

  “Bill Milyo.” He nodded to her. “I’m one of the parole officers here. I wanted to stop by and give you a bit of advice.”

  “Advice?”

  “Don’t come back.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the outside of the cell doors. “My brother’s the DA. I’ve already seen your file. You weren’t drunk. You weren’t driving. Your prints came back, and we see that you really are over 21, so you’re not going to be charged with anything today.” He gave a small laugh. “Except perhaps for having a case of bad judgment when choosing your friends. If you come back here, you don’t have the money to fix whatever problems you’ve gotten yourself into. I don’t want to have you on my client list.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Understood?”

  “I understand.” Rory sat back on the metal bench and rested her head against the wall. Time to play the waiting game. Just because Officer Milyo said she’d be released, she knew not to expect that to happen any time soon. She closed her eyes and tried to catch at least a few minutes’ sleep.

  “Alright Miss Johnston.” Rory startled awake when a female officer walked into the room filled with holding cells. “Looks like they’re letting you go.” She keyed in a code on the lock off to the side of the cell door, and it popped open. “You can change in the bathroom down the hall. You’ll have to figure out a way home.” She passed Rory a bin containing her clothes and personal items.

  “Gladly.” Rory took the offered bin and stepped out from the cell.

  “Don’t come back.” The officer gave her a hint of a smile.

  “I don’t plan to.” She ducked into the small bathroom and closed the door behind her.

  • • •

  “You look like hell.” Christian brought two steaming cups of coffee to the booth in the back corner of the coffee shop. Zach turned and stared at his partner’s familiar tone as he addressed Rory. Christian handed the coffee to Rory and tossed two packets of sugar across the table.

  Rory stifled a yawn and pushed the packets to the side. “I like the blue stuff better.” She reached across Zach and withdrew her preferred sweetener from the black bin next to the ketchup.

  “I’ll try to remember that.” Christian haphazardly dumped a container of creamer into his mug and stirred with his spoon as he stared at Rory. Once again, Zach felt more than a little out of the loop as his partners appeared to have some sort of unspoken communication. Rory tipped her head ever so slightly to the side and nodded in agreement about something as Christian raised an eyebrow and frowned.

  “Hopefully, you won’t have to.” Rory leaned against her fingertips and massaged her temples. “Under normal circumstances, I can get my own coffee.” A corner of Rory’s mouth turned up in an attempt at a smile. “Accommodations at the Peytonville city jail aren’t exactly five star.”

  “Not exactly what you expected?” Zach watched as Rory fought to keep her eyes open. The shadows under her eyes were more pronounced than they were last week when they’d met at the sandwich shop. If he hadn’t seen her frown of concentration as she stared at the banana peppers arrayed across her meatball sandwich, he wouldn’t have thought anything of her appearance today. The case was weighing on her – far more than he would have anticipated, given the fact that she was simply on loan from the state narcotic’s task force.

  She took a hesitant sip. “I’ll survive. Enough coffee fixes everything. Thanks, Christian.” Gulping down the coffee as if it contained the cure to a life-threatening disease, she leaned back in her booth and looked at the two men.

  Zach took her silence as his cue to talk. “We didn’t find any drugs on anyone at the party.” He paged through the stack of paperwork on the table.

  Rory shrugged and her green eyes glinted with a faint hint of amusement. “Makes sense. I didn’t see anyone dealing or doing drugs.”

  “Then why did you call us to bust the party?” This time, Christian looked at Rory with more than a hint of annoyance. “Do you know how much manpower that took?”

  “Yes I do.” She stared back at him without flinching. “I also had two very good reasons.” She sipped her coffee and slammed it harder than she’d planned against the table. Her fingertips brushed against Zach’s as she reached for a napkin, and she didn’t immediately pull away. Biting down on her lip, she blotted the creamy brown liquid pooling on the tabletop. “Did you really want all those drunk drivers on the road? Those kids were wasted.” She glared each of them in turn – her eyes giving them a silent lecture. Of course they didn’t want twenty-five intoxicated college kids driving down the LaVega Boulevard on a Saturday night. The wall-to-wall restaurants made traffic bad enough most weekends, adding a bunch of under-the-influence young adults would be an added nightmare.

  Rory cleared her throat, waiting to for Zach’s attention. “Second, I needed to get arrested. I learned a long time ago that kids assume narcs don’t stay in jail overnight. Some mysterious relative always shows up to bail them out.” She yawned and pulled her hair onto one shoulder. “I was the last one in the jail … .the only one who spent the night. You’ve officially given me credibility.” She reached for her purse and smiled. “Thanks, guys.” Without a backwards glance, she walked out the door.

  Chapter Five

  September

  Dr. Maxwell shut down his laptop and then observed his class with apparent interest. Unlike the typical end-of-class dash for the door, the students in the Elements of Stage Performance III class waited expectantly — they all seemed to be holding their collective breath. Dr. Maxwell latched his leather attaché case and glanced back out at the students. Rory fought the almost overwhelming desire to roll her eyes. He was playing with them. “Are you all waiting for something?” He feigned confusion.

  “Um … Dr. Maxwell?” From her standard seat in the middle of the front row, Janet took the bait. “The cast list?” Of course Janet would be the one to ask. She’d ended e
very single Elements of Stage Performance class by waving her hand in the air to attract Dr. Maxwell’s attention for the two weeks that had passed since the auditions two weeks ago. Finally, Dr. Maxwell promised he’d be posting the list today, and the whole class breathed a sigh of relief to be saved from Janet’s nerves. Janet acted as if her life depended on the casting news, and it seemed to amuse Dr. Maxwell – that was never more apparent than now as his shoulders shook from silent laughter. If someone looked up gullible in the dictionary, Rory was fairly certain Janet’s picture would be clearly visible next to the definition.

  “Oh, that’s right.” He ran his hand over his moustache to hide his growing smile. “I did say that would be posted today, didn’t I?” The members of the class nodded expectantly as more than one shifted in their seats. “I keep my word. What are y’all waiting for? It’s on the door.”

  Buffalo stampeded with more restraint than the students that barreled out of the room. Rory barely pulled her messenger bag out of the way before Paul lurched into the side of her chair after Justin knocked him down a stair from his seat just behind her in the lecture hall. She decided it might not entirely fit her cover, but since she’d like to still be in one piece to finish the case, she’d wait for the majority of the group to crush out the door before she joined them.

  “Miss Johnston?” Dr. Maxwell seemed surprised to find her still in her seat. “Aren’t you curious?”

  Rory tapped the top of her head with a pencil and gave a self-deprecating smile. “I’m used to waiting till the crowd thins out. Height-impaired, you know.”

  “Of course.” He nodded, taking hold of his briefcase. “I’ll see you after lunch.” He walked from the room, wisely using the exit on the opposite side of the room from where he’d posted the cast list.

  Cries of excitement mixed with howls of indignation and carried through the door. Rory wished she could escape through the secondary exit too, but that would definitely seem suspicious. She slid the shoulder strap to the tote bag onto her shoulder and inhaled one last breath before taking her place at the back of the throng where she was surprised to be the recipient of more than one evil glare.

  “Way to go.” Claire addressed her with the barely veiled hint that she wished she’d drop dead.

  “Thanks.” Rory responded with equal coolness and backed away to let Claire pass. She rocked onto her tiptoes but was only rewarded by a view of guys’ shoulders instead of the center of their backs. Janet turned away from the cast list with tears pooling in her eyes. Sad. After the auditions, Rory was certain Janet was the obvious choice for Lena.

  Someone’s hand snaked through the crowd and ran down Rory’s back. Justin squeezed between the two classmates in front of Rory and wrapped her in an excited hug. “Congrats!” He leaned down and caught her by surprise by capturing her in an enthusiastic kiss.

  Rory pulled away sputtering. “What was that for?”

  “Figured I should sneak in some practice before the read-through.” He winked and teasingly raised his eyebrows.

  Intrigued by the show that started behind them, the members of the class turned away from the sheet of paper thumbtacked to the bulletin board to the right of the entrance to the classroom. Seizing her opportunity, Rory tentatively approached the list on the wall.

  Damn it! Her heart threatened to explode outside her chest as she read the top line of the cast list.

  • • •

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  “Come in.” A perturbed voice called out from inside the drama professors’ suite of offices. Rory cracked the door open hesitantly. She peered through the frosted glass window in the center of the door. Phyllis’ typical seat behind the secretary’s desk was empty. Instead, Dr. Maxwell stood rummaging though a metal filing cabinet with his back to the door. “All casting decisions are final.” He spoke in a bored monotone. “Don’t even try to pleading your case. Everyone thinks they deserve a better part.”

  “That’s not exactly why I’m here.” Rory flinched. “Sorry. I think there’s been a mistake.”

  Dr. Maxwell spun to face her. “You have a problem with the casting?”

  Rory ran a hand over the back of her neck and tried to decide the best way to address her concerns. “I … wanted to be Elsa.”

  “I read your casting sheet.” He slid the drawer closed and approached her. Taking a seat on the corner of his desk, Dr. Maxwell gave her a no-nonsense look. “I’m the director. I make the casting decisions.”

  “But Lena? Surely Janet … ”

  “The lead role goes to the most deserving actress.” He folded his hands atop his right leg. “That would be you. Read through is tomorrow at four. I expect to see you there.” He stood and stared at her. “Don’t you have another class?” he added with a note of finality.

  “Yes, sir.” Rory recognized when she was being dismissed. One thing she’d quickly learned when working in the theater — arguing with the director would get you nowhere. The read through was Thursday at four? She sighed in annoyance. She had a phone call to make.

  • • •

  “Thanks for agreeing to the change.” Rory glanced up from a spiral notebook as Zachary and Christian approached the picnic table. From the pile of textbooks stacked in front of her, she looked nothing more than a college student trying to escape the library for a few hours as the first round of exams drew close.

  “We’re at your beck and call.” Zachary was rewarded for his sarcastic comment by an elbow to his ribs from Christian. “I mean, happy to help.” He turned to his partner and waited for a signal of approval. Christian gave a hint of a nod that Rory missed since she was still writing notes in her journal. Someday he’d understand his partner’s unflagging support of their charge, but not today.

  They were supposed to be meeting with the district attorney to prepare their testimony for a trial scheduled to begin on Friday morning. But, of course, when Rory sent a text that she needed to meet, they were forced to reschedule without being able to explain why.

  “So, why’d you need to see us?” Christian brushed crushed acorns off the wooden bench and took a seat diagonally across from Rory. “Just checking in or … ”

  “Definitely or.” Rory addressed Christian’s question specifically, failing to take Zach’s bait. Her eyes looked tired. Bloodshot with a hint of shadow beneath them, he thought back to the detailed reports they received every night and then glanced at the pile of textbooks sitting in front of her. She must be drowning trying to keep up appearances in her cover as a straight A student combined with the actual work she was doing as an officer. One of the reasons he’d never wanted to be undercover was the difficulty of leading a double life. For a moment, Zach wondered if Rory had to work this hard to get every team of police officers who backed her up to respect her. That couldn’t be a great experience.

  But that pity only lasted a few seconds. Instead, he thought about the drug runner who might go free if he and Christian didn’t give convincing testimony. “And are you going to tell us or are we supposed to read your mind?”

  Rory closed her eyes and huffed in annoyance. “I’m getting there.” She rested her pen on the wood plank closest to her chest. The pen spun and pointed back at Rory. Zach fought to ignore the unintended signal to study the cleavage peeking out from the neckline of her purple blouse. She hesitated and shook her head slightly. “I’m not even totally sure what to make of it.”

  “Something wrong?” Christian prompted — much to Zach’s annoyance. The last time he’d had dental work had been less painful than trying to drag information out of her, and the anesthetic had worn off mid-root-canal. Could working with Rory be any more aggravating?

  “I’m not sure.” She picked up the pen and rolled it between her fingers. The thoughts about what he could be rolling between his fingers right now distracted him. Zach shook his head and forced himself to ignore
the hint of lace peeking out from beneath her blouse. “ … and I was cast in the lead.”

  “That’s good, right?” Christian’s forehead furrowed at the implied problem in Rory’s report.

  Rory frowned and her eyebrows knit together in a mirror of Christian’s expression. Her green eyes held the same wariness as his partner’s. “It’s just not done.” She elaborated while continuing to tap the pen against her notepad. “The drama department took first place in the musical division at the Texas Drama Festival. They have a standard to uphold. They need to show the school’s program is that good — it wasn’t a fluke.” She chewed her lip. “Dr. Maxwell shouldn’t have given me the part. A director doesn’t give someone the lead role unless they’ve worked with them in the past, or they’ve seen them in another show.”

  “Maybe you were so good he couldn’t resist.” Zach teased.

  Rory turned and answered him without hesitation. “I am that good.” Her eyes flashed with a fire he hadn’t expected from her. “But that still doesn’t mean he should have given me the part.” She dropped the pen and rested her hands on the picnic table. “I’d like you to dig deeper into Dr. Maxwell.”

  “Only two of the victims have ties to the theater department.” Christian stated the obvious problem with Rory’s request.

  “I know.” Rory agreed. “But right now, that’s the best lead I have.” She glanced at her watch and frowned. “I have a date on Friday. Who wants to back me up?”

  “A date?” Zach was surprised at the amount of concern in Christian’s voice.

  “Keith Houk knew three of the victims. He shared a frat house with two of them. After spending some extra time with him after our psychology study group on Monday, I finally flirted my way into a date with him.”

  “I’ll be there.” Christian answered stiffly. Zach watched as Christian shifted in his seat.

  “You’ll what?” Zach couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After three months of hard pursuit, his partner had finally gotten the aerobics teacher at the community recreation center to agree to go out with him — this Friday night. Christian had been so excited about his date with Shannon that he bought coffee and doughnuts for all seven men in the narcotics unit yesterday.