FIRST ONE DOWN: A Paul Sutton Novel

by R. J. Belle

  "Meg!"

  "K!"

  The two hugged as if it had been a year since they last saw each other instead of the two days it had actually been. Instantly Kali felt a peace inside and in that same instant, Nate disappeared from her troubled mind.

  "Come, follow me." Kali took Meg's hand and lead her out to the deck. "Isn't it breathtaking?" Kali asked as she waved her hand towards the view of the blue ocean. She picked up Meg's glass of wine and handed it to her.

  "Oh K, it is breathtaking. I am so proud of you and so happy to see you in your own new space." Meg put her glass in the air and they toasted, "To the new you," Meg clinked her glass against Kali's and they began laughing like giddy school girls.

  The two women sat on the patio looking out at the beauty before them. Kali glanced at Meg and was in awe of how stunning she looked and the glow that seemed to radiate from within her. Kali had been so caught up in her own life over the past year and a half trying to unravel the tangled mess left in the wake of the abrupt ending of her relationship with Nate. She had buried herself in her career in an effort to distract herself from the unbearable pain inside, so much so that she had completely lost track of what was going on in Meg's life. Feeling a twinge of guilt at the thought of being neglectful of her best friend, she reached her over and scooped Meg's hand up in hers.

  "I'm sorry I haven't been a great friend lately," she said as she flashed a million dollar smile at Meg.

  "Come on K, I know you have had a lot to deal with. You don't need to apologize to me. I should be apologizing to you for not being here more often; I have just been so busy with the horses and dad's business...," her voice broke up a bit and trailed off as she turned away from Kali's gaze.

  "Is everything okay, Meg?" Kali asked as she gave Meg's hand a quick squeeze.

  "Pish posh, don't you dare go worrying about me K, everything is fine. I'm great," Meg said in a way that left no room for discussion. Meg smiled brightly at Kali and got up from the chair to walk over to the balcony's edge, resting her arms on it and breathing the ocean air in deeply.

  Meg had a t-shirt with short, capped sleeves on, and Kali noticed a large bruise on the back of her left arm. She got up and walked over and leaned against the balcony close enough to Meg that their arms were touching. She wanted to ask Meg about the bruise, but she could tell that Meg was not in the mood to talk about anything serious.

  "Let's liven things up around here," Kali said walking towards the bottle of wine to fill both of their glasses up again.

  Meg gave Kali a warm smile and hurried over next to her. "Yes, let's!" she exclaimed.

  CHAPTER 7

  Monday morning arrived too early after the long week of moving in and unpacking. Kali woke up and headed down to the beach for a run to clear her mind and get ready for the day ahead. The morning air was crisp, the sky clear, and working up a sweat on the sand felt great. Shutting down her running app on her iPhone, Kali made her way up the stairs that connected the stretch of beach to the community above. When she arrived back at her condo, she found the blankets Meg had used folded neatly on the end of the couch that her friend had called a bed the night before, but no Meg. She must have left to get ready for her day, Kali thought. Meg had told Kali that she had an appointment that morning to meet an investment group about a new horse they had been training.

  Meg's family was in the equestrian industry. They bred, trained and sold thoroughbred horses. They were a well-known family and well respected in the industry. Meg never made too much of it. She never acted like she came from money, and she hated the amount of schmoozing she had to do within her business. Meg called herself a horse trainer and referred to her business as the horse business and she detested anyone who made it sound like more than that. She loathed the way the horses were treated, as assets rather than animals. She fought with her father frequently about the treatment of the horses on their ranch. She spent more time at their ranch property in Rancho Santa Fe than she did in her own place on Coronado Island because she wanted to keep a closer eye on how the horses were cared for. Kali was certain that Meg left without saying goodbye only because she wanted a say in who this particular horse was sold to. She made a mental note to call Meg and check in with her later that day.

  Kali was almost done getting ready. As she was tying her long, dark hair back out of her face, she heard a text come through on her cell phone. She rushed into her bedroom and unplugged her cell from the charger, intending to throw it in her purse and read the text after she had made it to the office. She glanced at the display on her iPhone as she was throwing it into her purse and immediately felt her back straighten and her chest tighten. She hadn't expected to hear from Nate again, not ever. She squeezed her eyes closed and willed herself to delete the text. She knew she couldn't go there, not with him, not again. The relationship she had had with Nate had nearly destroyed her; she was still fighting to get over him and to get past what she became when she was with him. But as she held the iPhone in her hand, she knew she wouldn't delete the message. Even with her strong desire to stay within the light, she felt the even stronger pull towards his darkness. It was a pull that she neither understood nor denied.

  Nate was the most attractive man Kali had ever known in her entire life. He was tall, strong and charming. Nate had a way with words that had caught Kali off guard and sucked her in, mesmerizing her with each sentence from the very first time she looked into his light green eyes and heard his hypnotic voice. From the moment they had met, Kali was hooked. That moment would stay forever etched into her memory. It had grown dark outside, and they bumped into each other in a parking lot adjacent to a stretch of beach that they both ran at. They were parked near each other and Kali had lost her key during her run. She was standing by her car awaiting a locksmith and was taken off guard when she heard a voice come from behind her.

  "Are you okay, can I help you with anything?" he asked.

  She looked up at him and the second their eyes met, she could feel tears form in her eyes. It was as if she saw her entire future in his intense gaze. What she felt in that moment she hadn’t known existed in real life.

  "Umm..." she stammered, unable to form words, "I lost my key on the beach and someone is coming," she said.

  "A woman like you shouldn't be in a place like this alone after dark, I will stay until your someone arrives" he said.

  "You are my someone." As the words were leaving her mouth, she felt her face grow bright red and watched a huge smile come over his handsome face.

  "Okay then, get in my truck and I will take you home," he said and let out a chuckle.

  Kali stared down, fearful that if she looked into those gorgeous eyes she would be ensnared in his spell again and say something even more idiotic, if that was even possible. Nate ended up staying until the locksmith arrived. After Kali's SUV was unlocked and she had a new key, she and Nate had exchanged phone numbers and became an instant item. She shook the memory away - the pain it brought was almost unbearable. It doesn't matter, she told herself, its over. He had made his decision; he had forced her to leave by choosing to be with Olivia.

  Staring down at the text on her screen, Kali felt a deep-seated anger overtake her at the thought of Nate and Olivia and the deception and lies that swirled around that entire time. She smashed the phone down deep into her purse, grabbed her keys and headed off to work.

  CHAPTER 8

  Kali sat at her desk with a large cup of coffee trying to shake the sick feeling inside and got busy trying to replace thoughts of Nate with work. Today was a big day for her, and she wanted to go over the presentation once more to make sure there were no last minute changes needed.

  They had several military leaders from both the Navy and Marine Corps coming in to tour the facility and meet with the doctors and rehab staff. Apparently the military had so many soldiers in need of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation that they had to sub out some of the ortho work to civilian facilities. If the facility Kali worked at was among tho
se chosen, it would mean huge growth for the facility and Kali was ecstatic to have been chosen to run the presentation on the rehab process.

  Kali cleared off her desk, grabbed her presentation materials, and headed to the conference room. Once inside she began to set up. Anxiety began growing in her chest with each passing moment. Just when she was entering panic mode, Dr. Tessa Drake entered the expansive conference room, her presence calming Kali's nerves immediately.

  Tessa was the head surgeon at San Diego Orthopaedic Specialists and the best doctor Kali had ever known. Tessa had begun the facility from scratch with a staff of two and it had grown to a team of six surgeons, a rehab staff of 15 and numerous office personnel. Not only was Tessa a brilliant and skilled surgeon, she also possessed a truly caring bedside manner that made her one of the most sought after orthopaedic surgeons in the region. She had a large following within the professional athletic community and it wasn't uncommon to have athletes flown in from all over the US to have Tessa work her magic on their broken and injured bodies. Tessa was like a second mom to Kali. Their relationship went far beyond that of co-workers and Kali valued her opinion greatly.

  "How is it coming along?" Tessa asked, giving that generous, heart-warming smile.

  "It's coming along. Everything is ready to go. If I could just get rid of these pesky nerves, life would be grand."

  "It's not like you to be nervous. You are going to dazzle them, Kali. Believe in yourself. You are the best of the best." Tessa turned and started to walk out. Before reaching the door she looked back over her shoulder and said, "Did I mention how easy on the eyes the Colonel is? You picked the wrong week to be off moving. If you had been here, you would have had the pleasure of being in his company."

  Kali laughed nervously, a handsome stranger was the last thing she would have on her mind today. It actually felt great to be lost in work instead of lost in thoughts of Nate that had played over and over like a broken record all weekend. She and Meg had had one glass of wine too many, and she could feel a headache coming on. One more cup of coffee before the presentation began. She queued up the PowerPoint and hurried out to grab a cup from the reception area.

  Kali rounded the corner towards reception and was almost knocked over by this mass of a man rounding the corner from the opposite direction. He caught her by her shoulders and brought her upright so suddenly she felt a little dizzy. As she looked up at him she thought maybe the dizziness wasn't just from being lifted back up so quickly. This man looked like a modern day action hero and had eyes so blue Kali felt like she might drown in them. She quickly pulled away from him, "I'm sorry," she blurted out and practically ran in the other direction back down the hallway towards the conference room.

  Kali forced herself to take a few deep breaths and shake it off. What just happened? Kali had no idea why she was so shaken up. She replayed the scene in her head paying close attention to the way her body had reacted at his touch. His strong hands placed firmly on her shoulders and the look on his face when their eyes met. She hadn’t been touched by a man in any way since the last time Nate's hands were on her body.

  Kali looked around the conference room, which was starting to fill up with people. She caught Tessa's gaze and read the puzzled look on her face. Kali immediately shifted into work mode and queued up the PowerPoint main slide. She sat down in her appointed seat and listened as Tessa gave the opening pitch.

  Kali began her presentation, slowly becoming acutely aware of a specific set of eyes fixed on her. It was him - the man from the hallway. Her eyes caught his head on, and she began to stutter. Tessa shifted in her seat nervously as Kali fought hard to regain composure. As she came to the end of her presentation, she opened up the floor for questions. The man from the hallway stood confidently and introduced himself.

  "Good morning, I am Colonel Carmichael with the US Marine Corps Surgical Research team. Running one of the largest active duty and veteran’s military rehabilitation and outpatient surgical units, I have the unique opportunity to tour many facilities around the US. I am not only impressed with your facility but also with the manner in which the doctors and staff here communicate, educate and work on rehabilitation services with your patients. I don't have any questions. I don't need to know anything more. Spending the past week shadowing many of you during your day-to-day operations on both the surgical and rehabilitation side has shown me everything I needed to know. I am recommending this facility for immediate military medical case overflow."

  With that statement hanging in the air for all of the facility staff to soak in, Colonel Carmichael sat down. As he lowered his massive frame into the small, black conference room chair, Kali's eyes met his again. His blank expression was impossible to read. Years of military service had taught him to speak and observe while giving nothing away. That look left Kali confused and utterly perplexed by the feelings she had churning within her.

  CHAPTER 9

  San Diego, CA

  September 5, 2011

  Detective Paul Sutton pulled into the familiar parking structure in the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue, right smack dab in the middle of downtown San Diego. Although he had missed the work since his retirement in early 2010, he had not missed the traffic one bit.

  It had taken exactly eleven days for Sutton to realize that he wasn't the type of man who could handle retirement. A day into it, he had booked a trip to Canada and spent a week hiking and touring the vast Canadian countryside. Once he’d returned home, he’d found some minor items in need of repair around his house and then sat for a day twiddling his thumbs and chain-smoking Marlboro Reds. His mind never left the Laura Carmichael case and being away from the job didn't change the deep sense of duty within him to fight evil. He was that guy, he didn't know how to let go - especially when he knew there was a man out there, walking free, who had committed such a heinous murder.

  He parked his old white Chevy truck in a secured parking area adjacent the station and took a small cardboard box from the bench seat, the box that contained what few items he found comfort in, little trinkets he'd collected over the years that were special to him. He started toward the tall, concrete building that housed Police Headquarters, the Homicide Unit and the Cold Case Homicide Team. He went in through the front, not quite feeling a part of it all enough yet to use his key card at the side entrance. He went through the TSA-like security checkpoint showing his badge and building identification to avoid having to unholster his SIG P226 then headed up to the third floor.

  When Sutton stepped out of the elevator he was immediately cognizant of the heavy weight that the air seems to burden a man in his position with. Sutton had been a detective long enough to know that evil truly does exist, and that even the good guys can't rid the world of it entirely. There is a thickness, a putrid smell and an energy that lives within that air, and it sucks in all who dwell within it for too long. It's a force that has the ability to draw a man in and hold him there, simply by baiting him with the false sense of hope that he can restore good. It hooks him permanently by making him believe that he can actually destroy evil. Few souls will ever get caught in the trap of that air, and that's a good thing.

  "Hey old man, how the hell have you been?"

  Detective Paul Sutton, or Sutton as most people referred to him, looked in the direction of the voice and saw his old partner, Ryan. Detective Ryan Bradley was one of the best homicide detectives the department had on staff and one of the few people in the squad who could get away with not addressing him as Detective. Ryan had moved over to the Cold Case squad three months before Sutton had come out of retirement and Sutton was happy to have a familiar face to work cases with.

  "Ryan, you dog, I heard you couldn't handle things down here anymore so I decided to come back and show you how it's done." Sutton smiled showing off the wide gap in the front of his top row of teeth. What remained of his smile was yellowed from years of long hours on cases spent staying up all night smoking Marlboro Reds and pacing crime scenes. All those long hours had c
ost him the white color of his teeth, wrinkled lines to his forehead, permanent dark circles under his pale blue eyes and the majority of his belief in good. He was the first to admit that his nature leaned towards the cynical side.

  "Sutton, you will never change. I knew you couldn't stay away forever. Glad to have you back, partner."

  Sutton looked around and made his way to an empty, metal desk next to Ryan's. He placed the cardboard box from his truck down on top of the desk and sat in the worn blue office chair in front of it.

  "Did you hear what case they are going to put you on?" Ryan asked.

  "I figured they would give me some old whodunit that nobody else wanted just to see if I still had it in me to solve something."

  "No partner, they are giving you a second chance, they put you back on the Carmichael case," Ryan said pointing across the room in the direction of the main case board.

  Sutton looked across the large room but couldn't read the board from his desk. He slowly eased out of his chair and walked over to the white board hanging on the dingy wall at the far side of the unit room. Standing in front of the case board he found his name and followed across to the victims name column. CARMICHAEL.

  "Holy shit," he said to himself and walked back to his desk and began unpacking the box, displaying the trinkets randomly about the top of his desk.

  Sutton put the last of the boxed items away. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Running his hand through his thick gray hair he thought back, going over the Carmichael case notes from memory. It was the only case he hadn't solved in his entire career as a homicide detective, and it still kept him up at night. He wanted to nail the bastard that had caused that poor young woman to suffer and, for the past 21 months, he had thought of little else. He’d copied the case file before his last official day as a homicide detective and had hung a case board up in his home office. The past year and a half plus he had gone over, some would say obsessively, every single piece of information he had on that case. It was only a matter of time before he made the one connection that would set him in the right direction. It would only be a matter of time before he played equalizer and tipped the scales of justice one more click by putting the bastard away.