Rick sneered. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Jake stood for a moment by the door. Snow had begun to fall outside and a few flakes dotted his hair and jacket. He gave Rick a quick nod and a fleeting smile. “Rick. Good to see you too.”
He made it sound like they were two old friends who had nothing but good memories between them instead of a past filled with lies and betrayal. Rick smirked, leaned back in his chair and stared at Jake. “What do you want?”
“Thought we could talk. Mind if I sit down?”
Rick straightened in his chair and looked at the unfinished paperwork before him. “I don’t have a goddamn thing to say to you. Get out. I’m busy.”
Jake walked to a chair in front of Rick’s desk, took off his coat, tossed it over the back of another chair and sat down. “You always were one to hold a grudge.”
Rick’s head snapped up. He glared at Jake and threw down his pen. “Fuck you. I didn’t get Mr. C killed.”
“Look, Rick I--“
“How are Gail and the kids?”
Jake straightened in his chair. “Kids are fine. We had a boy the third time around. Named him Rick.”
Rick suppressed the warm feeling he got when Jake told him he named his son after him. “Really. Is that supposed to make everything okay?”
Jake exhaled a deep breath, stood up from his chair and walked leisurely around the office.
Rick watched his jaw clench as he worked to hold back his anger. He wished he would just let it out. He was more than ready for a fight.
“This is quite a difference from Chicago.” He placed his hands on his hips, turned and looked at Rick. “How do you like it here? Can’t be much crime in a town like Avery. Or women either for that matter.” He smiled slightly. “You always did have women fawning at your feet.”
Rick focused his eyes on the papers on his desk but the words on them blurred in a mask of rage. “Like I said, I’m busy.”
Jake raked a hand through his hair. “You know I never meant for anything to happen to Mr. C. I loved that old man. If I could have stopped what happened I would have. The truth is I came to ask you to forgive me.”
Rick shot from his chair and folded his arms over his chest. “You wouldn’t know the truth if it sunk teeth into your balls. God, I wanted to rat you out, see you rot in prison. The inmates would have passed you around like a dish of candy until some sweaty lowlife called Snake claimed you as his private bitch.”
He paused as he felt the anger coil higher, tighter inside him. “If it hadn’t been for Gail being pregnant and those two little girls, I would have. Instead I kept my mouth shut because I thought your family needed you...even if you are a miserable piece of shit.” Wiping a hand over his mouth, he exhaled a deep breath. “Internal Affairs shined a bright light of suspicion on me, picked apart every detail of my life. They interrogated me until I thought I’d go mad, asking their questions hoping I’d break. Instead I protected your sorry good for nothing ass. Now you’ve come crawling back asking for forgiveness. You want me to say its okay you dealt drugs and cost Mr. C his life. Well I won’t do that for you. I won’t ease your conscience.”
Jake marched over to him until they stood nose to nose. “You sanctimonious bastard!”
His taunt only made Rick madder. He jabbed a finger into the middle of Rick’s chest. “You’ve made plenty of mistakes and in the line of duty too. But I was there to watch your six.”
Rick knocked Jake’s hand away. “Yeah, but I never got a friend killed!”
Jake grimaced and made a sound kind of like a growl deep in his throat. He shoved Rick with both hands.
Rick stumbled slightly, then lowered his head and charged at Jake’s mid section. They fell to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Jake caught Rick on the jaw with a right hook. Rick followed up with a punch of his own to Jake’s kidneys.
Rick was vaguely aware of the office door opening.
“What’s going on?” he heard Delaney say. “Stop it. Stop, right this minute!”
Blinded by fury, Rick ignored Delaney’s pleas. Suddenly, cold water splashed over their faces. They pulled apart briefly. Rick stumbled to his feet, swiped at the water on his face and prepared to go after Jake again but Delaney stepped between them.
She put one hand in the middle of Rick’s chest and the other on Jake’s. She gave Rick a slight shove. “You! Go sit behind your desk. And you,” she said giving Jake a hard shove, “go stand on the other side of the room.”
They both hesitated but did as she requested. The cold water had seeped into Rick’s shirt chilling his skin. Angrily, he unbuttoned his shirt then reached in a drawer of his desk for a clean one.
Delaney stood with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot and looking like an angry but very sexy angel. “Well, which one of you wants to tell me what happened? Why were you fighting like a couple of school kids?” She turned and stared at Jake. “Jake DeSalvo?”
The anger that still clung to Jake’s face receded and was replaced with a friendly expression. “Delaney Moore. What are you doing here?”
Rick glanced from one to the other. “You know each other?”
Delaney smiled. “Yeah, I dated a friend of Jake’s a couple of years ago. He came into Seattle for a long weekend with his girlfriend and we all went out together.”
Rick frowned and looked at Jake. “Girlfriend? What about Gail?”
Jake and wiped his hands over his face and hair. “Gail and I split up right after our son was born. She said I changed, nothing was ever the same between us after Mr. C died and you left town.”
Jake walked over to Rick’s desk. “I was never disloyal to you or to Mr. C. I didn’t pull the trigger. Granted, I shouldn’t have been dealing drugs. It was wrong. But with two kids and another on the way I was desperate for more cash. When Gail got pregnant, we were both surprised. We never planned on it. Then she was all over me to make more money. Please understand, when I saw the guy pull out his gun and point it toward Mr. C I tried to stop him but I was too late. It all happened so fast. Mr. C was the last person I ever expected to step into that alley--“
“You and that creep ran and left him to bleed to death! You--“
Jake slapped his palms on top of the desk and leaned in. “I didn’t run.” He ground the words out between clenched teeth. “The other guy did but I stayed. I tried to help Mr. C.”
Desperation shone in Jake’s eyes. Rick could see how much he wanted him to believe his story but how could he?
“I called for an ambulance but they were too late.” Jake straightened. Tears glistened in his hazel eyes. “He died in my arms, Rick. He died staring up into my face.”
His voice broke on a hoarse whisper laced with grief. Rick steeled his heart against Jake’s raw emotions.
“How do you think I felt? Don’t you think I would have done anything to save him?”
“I don’t know what to believe.” Rick turned and stared out of one of the office windows at the snow growing thicker, steadier. He watched Betty and Lester Verner walk by on the other side of the street hand in hand. He couldn’t help but smile. God, he loved small towns.
“Rick, you have to believe I loved Mr. C,” Jake said drawing his attention back inside the office. He was the only real father I ever had. You remember when my old man walked out on me and mom. She had to work extra hard just to keep a roof over our heads. But I had to act like a little punk and get into trouble. If it hadn’t been for Mr. C and you I don’t know what would have happened to me.”
Rick felt Delaney’s hands grip his shoulders and her head rest in the middle of his upper back. “Rick, remember when we talked the other day about loyalty,” she said softly. “Well, being loyal isn’t just about showing it in the good times but the bad times, especially the bad times. I’d say what happened between you and Jake qualifies as a bad time.”
She lifted her head and pulled on his shoulders turning him around to face her. “You’ve been friends since you were kids.
Don’t throw away a lifetime of friendship because of something someone else did. Jake didn’t pull the trigger. You said yourself you didn’t have any idea why Mr. C walked into that alley that night. He could have--”
“I know why.”
Rick and Delaney looked at Jake.
Jake slumped into a chair. “He told me right before he died. He walked through the alley to take a shortcut home. He’d finally gotten up the courage to ask Ms. Shively--you know the lady who worked in the bakery down the street--for a date. He was running late. Last minute prescription needed to be filled before he closed. He wanted to shower and put on some new aftershave before he went over to pick her up. Otherwise he would never have been there.” He pinned his gaze on Rick. I’m sorry, I’m so goddamn sorry.” His voice was low and filled with torment. “I should have been the one to take that bullet. . .not Mr. C.”
There had been so much hurt, so much anger over the years and an ocean of grief under the bridge. Rick felt the hurt and anger he’d held for so long ease in his chest and sooth the bitterness in his heart. He looked across the room at the man he’d grown up with; the kid who’d slept over at his house countless times, eaten God knows how many meals at his family’s table.
His mother had taken care of him when he was sick because his own mother had to work nights. For the first time in years, he saw past his own anger and hurt to the misery in Jake’s eyes, a burden of sadness Rick had never bothered to see before.
All he ever thought about was his own. The loss of Mr. C and the shadow of suspicion cast over him, the distrust that cost him his career with Chicago P.D. But then he never would have moved to Avery, made the life he’d made, a better life with people who cared about him and people he cared about in return.
Rick caressed Delaney’s cheek with his finger. She smiled. He never would have met Delaney, the other half of his soul.
He walked over to his friend and held out his hand.
Jake exhaled a deep breath, blinked back tears and ignoring his outstretched hand, drew him roughly against his chest.
Rick slapped Jake’s back hard a couple of times as Jake hugged him. They drew apart and Rick smiled at him. “You’ve still got a hell of a punch.”
Jake chuckled. “You too, buddy.” He rubbed his chin. “My jaw will never be the same.”
* * * * *
The next day Rick saw Oliver Harden’s new Mercedes parked outside the convenience store. Rick had overheard Oliver’s wife talking about an expensive remodel of their house that would start in the spring. Again he wondered where he got the money. He made a U-turn and headed for the bank. It wouldn’t hurt to stop in and ask a few questions.
A few minutes later, he strolled into the bank. He felt relaxed and loose more than he had in years. He supposed it was because of Delaney. This feeling was more than the awesome sex he’d shared with her, it was the woman he had come to know and respect. After she helped him and Jake heal their past and make things right again between them, he could definitely say he trusted her. No amount of forgiveness could ever bring back Mr. C, but at least he and Jake could begin to recover the foundation of friendship that began in their childhood and continued through all of their shared memories and experiences.
Rick opened the bank’s glass door and stepped inside. The lobby was quite large with marble floors, brass railings. There was an area crowded with desks, where customers could apply for loans and open new accounts. He waved to a couple of people he knew then made his way over to Amy Larimer’s desk. She had helped him secure the loan for his house. She hung up the phone as he approached. Amy was in her late forties to early fifties with a June Cleaver hairstyle and conservative suit. Her husband was the only electrician in town.
“Hi, Rick, how are you today?” She motioned to a chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat. Would you like some coffee?”
Rick smiled. “Hi, Amy. No, I just finished a cup before I left the office.” He sat down and they exchanged after a few minutes of idle chit chat.
Amy sipped from a mug sitting on her desk. “How can I help you today?”
Rick leaned forward and rested his arms on his thighs. “I need to some information about Oliver Harden.”
Amy sat back in her chair. “Rick, you know I can’t discuss details about a customer’s bank account. Not without their permission or a court order anyway.”
Rick held up a hand. “I understand. I’m not asking for specifics, just generalities. And I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important. I’m just trying to get my mind around how a man who runs a convenience store can afford to drive a Mercedes and buy his wife expensive jewelry at the same time.”
Amy smiled and nodded, tiny lines fanned out around her green eyes. “Everybody in town is wondering the same thing. Roberta flashes that ring every chance she gets. I must admit anyone who sees it needs a pair of sunglasses to shield their eyes from the glare.” Her smile faded and she frowned. “Do you suspect Oliver of criminal activity?”
Rick shook his head. “No, I’m not suggesting anything like that.”
“Okay, what would you like to know?”
“Has he made any large deposits over the past couple of months?”
“Let me bring up his account.” She keyed in some data on her computer then looked at Rick. “He came in back in September to ask if he could expand his credit line. At the same time he asked about the notification limit on cash deposits to the IRS. I explained that any amount over ten thousand had to be reported.” She looked back at the screen. “Over the past couple of months his deposits haven’t been over ten thousand. They range from five to nine thousand.”
Interesting. “Have they all been in cash?”
“Yes, all cash, no checks.”
Rick sat back and thought for a minute. “Does he have a credit card through the bank?” He knew the Mercedes and the jewelry couldn’t have been paid with just a few thousand. The Mercedes cost a bundle and the ring cost God knows how much. “Amy can you check his account and see if he wrote checks to a dealership or jeweler and the amount of the checks?”
Amy tapped a finger on her computer mouse. “I’m sorry, Rick I can’t do that without a court order.”
“Okay, can you tell me if he has a personal credit card through the bank?”
“No, he doesn’t use our services.”
“What about any electronic deposits from another bank?”
She shook her head. “No, nothing like that. He has a personal and a business account but no unusual activity, just normal transactions and deposits. Nothing exorbitant or unusual.”
Rick knew most retail businesses processed checks and credit card purchases. The money had to come from somewhere. He noticed when he drove by the store that Oliver’s new SUV had been purchased from Trent Mercedes up in Great Falls.
He thanked Amy and left.
Rick went back to the office and made a call. When he hung up he had an answer to his question but still no idea where the money had come from. Oliver had paid sixty thousand in cash for his truck. Sixty grand was quite a chunk of change for a man whose store did a good business but not enough to afford a luxury vehicle like a Mercedes.
He received a call from an elderly woman who lived on 10th street asking him to come by and rescue her cat. After, Rick pulled her overweight cat from one of the gutters on her house he headed back to the office. On the way he saw a news van from KTVQ in Billings. The words Montana’s News Station-Always On” was painted in large letters on the side of the van.
Earlier, the sun had been shining but the temperature had dropped as snow clouds filled the sky. Rick parked the cruiser and climbed out. Icy wind swept around him. He zipped up his coat and shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform. He saw the mayor and Delaney being interviewed on the sidewalk with the other board members standing in the background. A camera man was busy taking pictures of the newly installed awnings and lamp posts.
Delaney wore a skirt and boots with a sweater and jacket. Rick reme
mbered it was the same skirt she’d been wearing the night they met. And also the same one that flew up when she fell and her hand ended up on his package. His penis twitched inside his pants at the thought. He caught her eye and her gaze warmed when she saw him.
He waited and watched. She sure had come a long way from being stranded on the side of the road in a snow storm to helping the town and now she was on television.
Her hair hung in silky waves past her shoulders. He knew first hand the texture and taste of her lips and tongue, the feel of her breasts looked like not to mention the sweet pussy between her thighs. His blood warmed, his skin grew tight just thinking about it.
As soon as the interview was finished Delaney excused herself and walked to Rick’s side. “Hi, what do you think of the awnings?”
“They’re beautiful.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“But I have other things on my mind besides awnings at the moment.”
Delaney arched a brow. “Like what?”
He grasped her hand and leaned close to her ear. “I need to fuck you. Now.”
A few minutes later, they stepped inside the sheriff’s office. Rick locked the door, swung Delaney up into his arms, walked quickly through the doorway leading into the back and kicked the panel shut.
Delaney giggled. “What brought this on?”
He put her down with her back against the wall, clasped her head between his hands and kissed her until he was breathless. Rick trailed his lips over her jaw and down her neck letting the taste of her seep into him.
She turned her head giving him better access. “I had no idea this sweater and skirt was so sexy.”
He jerked up the hem of the sweater and unsnapped her bra. “It’s you that’s sexy.” Quickly, he pushed her bra aside and clamped his mouth to her breast sucking hard. “You were wearing this the night we met remember.”
“Yes.” Her voice was breathless and raspy.
Her skin smelled and tasted like honeyed nectar the same flavor of her pussy. He yanked up the skirt, tugged down her panties and found her wet, aroused and ready. While his mouth worked greedily at her breasts, he massaged her clit firmly. He heard her cry out as the orgasm consumed her. She convulsed against his fingers and her essence coated his skin. Next, he ripped off her panties. Absently, he noticed they were bikinis not a thong this time. “Just for general information,” he said on a ragged breath. “I prefer thongs. I like the thought of your ass and most of your pussy being naked under your clothes.”
Sheriff in Her Stocking Page 11
