Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology

by Anthony, Jane

  Carter ran another shaky hand through his hair as he watched Jade walk away before he could say anything, the anger clear in each step. Damage control commenced, and without divulging his secrets. He wasn’t ready to share with her what was going on in his mind.

  He slid into the car and quietly shut his door. “I’m sorry, Jade.”

  “Don’t give me more of that sorry crap. I could’ve done this alone with the way you just stood there on the porch like a statue. Did you even hear anything we talked about?”

  Without looking at her, he shook his head. “I would apologize again, but you told me not to. What did he see?”

  A heavy sigh floated between them. “I’m your partner. You should be able to talk to me.”

  Carter wouldn’t deny that. He trusted Jade with his life, but he couldn’t say a word. He couldn’t express how his fear was consuming him at the thought of Rose near the lake. His heart hadn’t stopped pounding since she told him. Even when he walked her out of the precinct, kissed her sweetly on the mouth, his grip on her had been difficult to let go.

  Rose had looked at him funny, a bit of unease shifted in her gaze. Unwilling to screw up the relationship so soon with a show of possession, even though it wasn’t close to that, he let her go. He let her walk away, knowing she was going to the lake.

  “Carter?”

  He met her gaze, shameful for his behavior, as the concern in her eyes gutted him. He wouldn’t lie to his partner, but he also couldn’t tell her the truth.

  “I’m just worried about Rose.”

  “Are we back on the theory she has something to do with this latest murder? Because—”

  “No. It’s not that. I …” He blew out a breath. “She went to the lake where her friend was found. That can’t be easy on her.”

  Understanding sparkled in Jade’s eyes. “Why would she go there?”

  “She said they used to go there and walk around.” He shrugged, unable to tell her anything else. Because the terror was building inside him once again.

  “Okay. Well, let’s head back to the precinct and you can join her. Maybe it’ll ease your tension or whatever you want to call what just happened.”

  “She’s important to me, Jade. I can’t explain it.”

  “And you don’t have to. It’s okay.”

  Turning on the car, he nodded, then backed out of the driveway. “So, what did Mr. Gordon say?”

  Jade chuckled. “Honestly, not much. He saw a guy walking down the street with a baseball cap on, but he didn’t get a good look at his face. He was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt. Nothing stuck out to him, except the guy didn’t look right.”

  “Right?”

  “That’s how he described it. Like the guy didn’t fit in the neighborhood. He didn’t get a good look at the guy and he didn’t hear anything odd, like a gunshot, so he didn’t provide much of a lead for us.”

  “We need a time of death from Crock. When did he see this guy? If we can match it up around the time of death, maybe we have our perp.”

  “But he didn’t get a good look at him. He couldn’t describe anything.”

  “Maybe someone else in the neighborhood saw him walking as well. Maybe one of the neighbors has a security camera outside their house. Maybe—”

  “That’s a lot of maybes you’re throwing around.”

  Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he laughed, surprised he could even produce an ounce of laughter. “Better than no maybe at all.”

  “I’ll check in with Crock.” Jade punched him lightly on the shoulder as she laughed. “You can check on your girlfriend.”

  That was no laughing matter. He would be checking on Rose as soon as they reached the precinct.

  He had no idea why he even let her go to the lake by herself.

  He needed to see her.

  He needed to make sure she was safe.

  And he had to find out if she could swim. Otherwise, she was never going near another body of water until she knew how.

  Or maybe never in general.

  His brother knew how to swim, and yet, he still died.

  Rose was bound to hate him before their relationship had a chance to grow into something special.

  8

  It was quiet here.

  Peaceful.

  This had been one of her and Evie’s favorite places to come and hang out when they just needed to take a life time-out. Rose thought it was an appropriate place to come and say her goodbyes to her best friend.

  Not her final goodbyes. There was the funeral to come where she would do that, and really, there would never be one final goodbye. You never said goodbye to someone you loved because they were never really gone. A part of them would live inside you forever.

  But she needed this time to give herself permission to let Evelyn go. She would always remember her friend, and the impact that her friend had made on her life would last forever, but she had to find a way to be okay if Evie’s case was never closed.

  She had to accept that that was a real possibility. She just didn't want that to define how she remembered Evelyn. When she thought of her, she wanted to remember all the good times and what an influence Evie had been on her.

  That was the friend she wanted to remember.

  Sitting here with the trees towering over her and the late afternoon sunlight sparkling on the water, she felt a little of the peace she needed settle on her.

  The tranquility was just what she needed.

  Her future was looking so bright, brighter than she had ever hoped for.

  Life for her and Evie in foster care hadn't been good. And what had happened to her had somewhat limited her expectations for a happy future, but that had all changed when she met Carter. She was excited to see where things went with him, and even if things didn't work out—although she hoped they would—she thought he had already bolstered her self-confidence enough that she wanted to find someone to share her life with. She didn't want to just hide in the background anymore, making sure no one paid attention to her. Now, she wanted to get out there and live life.

  Rose couldn’t help but smile.

  She would never have expected someone to make such a big difference in her life in such a short amount of time.

  It really spoke of what a special guy Carter was.

  She wanted to bring him here to this spot that had been hers and Evie’s and share it with him. She and Evie had spent so much time here, talking and laughing; sometimes they’d swim in the lake. She had even thought about buying a house here on the lake so she could spend more time here.

  She stood and stretched. Time had flown by as she enjoyed the serenity of the lake, and now, she had to go and get ready for dinner with Carter. She wondered where they were going. Wherever it was, she knew that it would be amazing, not because of the location, but because whenever she spent time with Carter, it was amazing.

  The sun was starting to set and the twilight made the lake even more beautiful. This was her favorite time of day here. She loved the colors in the sky and the way they reflected in the clear water. It was one of the reasons she wanted to buy a place here, so she could sit on the porch and watch the sunset every single night.

  It was a fifteen-minute walk back to where she’d parked her car, and she couldn’t deny that she was dawdling—not quite ready to go back to real life yet.

  She was only about five minutes into the walk when she got a funny feeling in her stomach. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She felt like someone was watching her.

  Rose froze and spun in a slow circle, scanning the woods.

  She couldn’t see anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't there.

  The woods were thick down here, and there were dozens of trees someone could be hiding behind if they were following her.

  “You're being ridiculous,” she murmured aloud. Why would anyone be following her? If there even was anyone there, they were probably just out for a jog or walking their dog or something like that.

  S
he turned around and kept walking, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone else was here and that they were watching her every move.

  Deliberately, she kept going. She wasn't going to stop. If she picked up her pace, she could probably be back at her car in maybe seven or eight minutes.

  A branch cracked just behind her.

  Closer than the last sound she’d heard.

  Someone else was definitely out here.

  And they weren't moving away from her; they were moving closer.

  “Hello?” she called out. If it was just another walker, they'd reply, and her racing heart could calm down.

  No one answered her call.

  A cold chill rocketed through her. She was working herself up and she still didn't even know if she was just imagining things. She had been under a lot of pressure lately. It was no wonder that her mind was playing tricks on her. The sounds were probably just an animal—a squirrel maybe, or possibly a bird.

  This time she wasn't going to get sucked in. She was just going to keep walking and get to her car, then she’d call Carter. She rubbed her arms as she walked. It was cold now; the temperature was dropping as the sun went down. She probably shouldn’t have stayed as long, but she just loved it here so much.

  At least, she had, before right now.

  She had barely been walking another minute when she heard footsteps. She was positive that was what it was.

  She spun around, but no one was there.

  She was definitely on edge now.

  Someone else was out here. She was sure of it, and since they hadn't answered her when she called out, they were obviously up to something.

  Maybe they had earphones on?

  She often did when she went for a jog.

  They might not have even heard her when she called out earlier.

  “Hello, is someone there?” she called out, louder this time.

  No answer.

  Again.

  Then she heard what sounded like heavy breathing.

  That was it.

  She lost it.

  Assuming whoever was out there had figured out she was heading back to the parking lot, she darted in the opposite direction, down toward the lake.

  Footsteps followed her.

  Whoever was here was here for her.

  Rose had no idea where she was going, but she had to figure something out. She was a fast runner and she hoped that was going to work in her favor. As she broke out of the tree line back to the shore of the lake, she spotted a dock. Tied to the dock was a small rowboat.

  That was as good a place as any to get away from this guy. Sure, he would be able to swim out into the lake, but she should be able to make better time in the boat than he could.

  She ran straight for the boat and untied it. Then she jumped inside.

  Grabbing the oars, she got herself a hundred yards or so from the shore before she looked back. There, over by the tree line, just near where she had come out, she saw a shadowy figure. With the dimming light, it was too hard to make out any details, and whoever it was stayed within the safety of the tree line, but there was definitely someone there.

  Rose was shaking so badly she almost dropped her phone in the water as she pulled it from her purse to call the only number that came to mind.

  Carter’s.

  He sped the entire way. He had a lead foot like he’d never had before, even donning the lights and sirens on his vehicle.

  Now that he was here, his steps slowed, as if he were walking through the thickest mud imaginable.

  “Carter? Are you here? Where are you?”

  Rose’s voice penetrated through the barrier of fear that had erected as soon as he pulled into the parking lot.

  Moving faster through the pathway leading to the lake, his eyes and ears vigilant for the suspect spooking Rose, he said without any terror in his voice, “I’m here. Everything’s going to be fine.”

  But would it?

  He hated the lake—any body of water.

  Would Rose notice? What would she say? Would she ask why he didn’t like the water? Would he confess the truth?

  He never talked about his brother. Just thinking about Charlie tore him to shreds. He couldn’t imagine what talking about him would do to him.

  As he cleared the tree line from the pathway, he spotted Rose in a tiny rowboat sitting in the middle of the lake.

  Dusk had set, the sun gone for the day. It’s as if when he raced to get to Rose when she called, the night magically appeared. Taunting him. Begging him to come into the darkness.

  Shaking off the fear that threatened to choke him once again, he kept his eyes trained on Rose. One hand held his phone to his ear, while the other free hand rested lightly on his weapon, ready for anything.

  “Where did you see this guy? I’ll check the area out.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Then you can come back to shore.”

  Please come back to shore.

  “Can you swim?” he suddenly asked, before she could answer his first question. Oh, she had to know how to swim. His heart pounded as he waited for her answer.

  “Rose? Can you swim?”

  “Umm … yes. Of course.” Her voice hiccupped. “It’s so dark out, Carter. I can’t remember where I saw the person. I feel turned around. I … I …”

  “It’s okay.” He nodded to himself, as if he needed to reassure himself more than her, which, sadly, he feared he did.

  Rose sitting out in the middle of the lake wasn’t doing anything to calm him down. He needed her back on the shoreline. But first, he needed to do his job.

  “I need to hang up the phone, Rose. I’m just going to check the perimeter, and then I’ll call you back.”

  She hesitated at first, but then agreed before he reluctantly hung up the phone. He hated to do it, but he needed two hands while he had a look around.

  Putting his phone away, he grabbed the small flashlight he stuffed in one of his pockets and held it above his weapon as he walked around the shoreline. His heartbeat hadn’t relaxed one bit, especially with Rose in a boat so far away from him, but he did feel marginally better away from the water as he searched the area.

  With just the help of his small flashlight, he found no evidence that anyone was around. Whoever scared Rose enough to take a boat out in the middle of the lake was long gone. Maybe it was a kid looking for some fun, wanting to scare an unsuspecting woman alone.

  Whoever it was, if Carter ever found them, he’d show them some pain. He didn’t care what would happen to him. Nobody scared Rose like this. Nobody scared him like this. He couldn’t even remember the last time he felt this scared.

  Well, that was a lie.

  He did know.

  The day his brother went under the water, and he waited and waited for him to come back up.

  But he never did.

  Holstering his weapon, he pulled his phone back out and called Rose. She answered before the first ring could even finish.

  “Did you see anything?”

  “No. They left.” The darkness was getting thicker as his eyes trained to Rose in the boat—only an outline of her body staring back. “Why don’t you row back in?”

  “Umm … that’s what I wanted to tell you earlier.” Her voice cracked. “I … dropped the oar in the water. I … I can see it.” A tiny cry echoed in his ear. “I can’t go in the water, Carter. I just can’t.”

  Well, shit. Neither could he.

  Heart pounding, hands shaking, he scanned the shoreline again looking for another boat.

  Nothing.

  Squinting his eyes, as if that would make him see her better in the dark night, he let out a slow breath.

  He couldn’t leave her out there while he left to find another boat. How would he explain?

  He just had to do it.

  He had to swim out to her and grab the oar, then row them back into shore. He needed her back on the shore safe and sound.

  Another breath released.

  “I told you everything
would be okay, Rose.” One more breath. “I’ll swim out to you.”

  “Are you sure, Carter? Maybe—”

  “I’m coming to get you.”

  He failed in saving his brother, but he would not fail in saving Rose.

  After reassuring Rose a few more times, he hung up. Taking off his jacket first, he laid it on the ground, followed by his phone, gun, flashlight, and his socks and shoes. Debating with himself for a second, he then took off his shirt as well. With just his dress pants on, he walked into the water and started swimming toward Rose before he let the realization sink in he was swimming in a lake.

  It was like riding a bike. The movements came natural to him. Arms extended, one after another, stroke for stroke. His head in the water, his eyes open, something he could always do, but Charlie couldn’t. He focused all his energy into making it to Rose.

  Popping up for air occasionally, his head went back under just as fast. He sliced through the water as if he were a natural-born swimmer. As if he hadn’t stopped for the past twenty-three years.

  Ducking his head in the water again, eyes stared back at him, jerking him in his rhythm. His mouth opened to scream, inhaling water instead. He popped up, sputtering water—the fear and horror of that day when his brother died slamming into him as if he were thrown back in time.

  Panic took over. Memories flooded his mind. Watching his brother jump off the same cliff they jumped off every day during the summer. Waiting for him to resurface. And waiting. And waiting. Finally diving into the water to find out why Charlie wasn’t coming up. Seeing him struggling under water, yanking his leg as hard as he could where his foot had become wedged between two rocks. Pulling on Charlie’s hand, trying to help him get unstuck. Then watching in horror as he stared at him, but not really seeing him. The life slowly draining away.

  Those eyes.

  Dead, vacant eyes.

  “Carter!”

  He grabbed Rose’s hand, unaware he had been so close to the boat when his panic set in.

  With her help, he was able to climb into the boat. Her tiny arms went around him immediately. Despite the panic still pouring out of him in waves, he let her. He soaked in her comfort, her warm, soft body.