Jayce & Emma

by Barbara Winkes

  How could any of this work in real life? Emma wondered. They wouldn’t give him all that money, let alone let him get away with it. But he wouldn’t know until he got into the car and checked…He had to know that there was no way out?

  “You told me the truth about prison? You robbed a store with your ex, killed someone, and everyone in there left you alone?”

  She shuddered at the memory. “I didn’t kill him. I tried to save him, but it was too late.”

  “That wasn’t the question,” he grumbled.

  “You can get through it if you keep your head down. Look, I know what they’ve been saying to you on the phone. The sooner you take responsibility, the better for you. You’ll get a lawyer, and you tell him or her about your brother’s situation. You were desperate. You didn’t know what to do.”

  “It can’t be that easy.” He shook his head.

  “I didn’t say it was easy. I said you can get through it.”

  “I don’t want to die!” Keisha started sobbing, startling both Emma and Tim Marsden.

  “Stop that,” he said gruffly. “No one’s going to die. You do as I say, and you’ll be fine.”

  She wasn’t consoled, crying even harder. Emma wanted to cry too, but she couldn’t let herself, not yet.

  “Would you shut up! I’m not taking you. You’ll stay right here, until the cops get you.”

  It wasn’t until she saw Keisha’s fearful expression that his words truly registered with Emma.

  “No,” she said, her voice shaky. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “The moment I walk past that door, they’re going to take me out. No one will take the risk if you’re with me. You were right—one person is all it takes. The girl can stay here.”

  “Emma, I’m so sorry!”

  “It’s not your fault, Keisha. We’ll be okay. Tim just needs a moment to think this through, right?”

  Why would he listen, if he hadn’t thought any of this through?

  He went around the counter, careful to keep an eye on Emma and Keisha, and picked up a roll of packing cord.

  “Sit in the chair,” he told Keisha, and to Emma, “Tie her hands behind her back. Not too tight, just so she won’t run away. I promise I’ll let you go if everything is okay with the money, and they’re not following me.”

  He’d said if.

  “Do it!”

  Her task wasn’t easy, as Keisha was shaking as hard as she was, but finally Emma managed a few haphazard knots, not tight enough to leave bruises.

  “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “They’ll get you out soon.”

  As of now, her own fate was still unsure.

  She caught Marsden’s look on her, and it made her shiver.

  “Hey, I’m sorry, Emma,” he said. “I need to be sure they’re not screwing me over. Open the door.”

  The keys fell from her hands the first time. After she picked them up, it took her a few attempts until she managed to fit the right key into the lock and turn it.

  What would happen once they were outside? If he felt cornered, would he pull the trigger?

  “Don’t freak out on me now,” he warned. “You’ve been doing okay so far. Don’t let me down.”

  Then he pushed the door open, his grip on her arm painful as he kept her in front of him. Had the police sent sharpshooters onto the roof? The image of the street, the area taped off, blurred in front of Emma’s eyes as her memory forced her back to that other time. The store owner had bled to death under her hands as she tried to stop the bleeding. She couldn’t go through that again, not ever.

  “It’s just a few steps. We’re almost there,” he said. “Open the door, check that suitcase. Now!” He pushed her slightly, and that moment, a shot rang out. Emma screamed until her breath ran out, and then she sank against the side of the vehicle, not sure if her feet were going to hold her up any longer. She didn’t dare look, her vision starting to grey out even though she hadn’t been the one who got shot. All of a sudden, she was surrounded by uniformed officers, and then she felt a warm hand enclosing hers.

  “Emma. It’s over.”

  She let herself fall into Jayce’s embrace, wishing she never had to emerge from it.

  * * * *

  For Emma’s sake, Jayce didn’t let her anger show—at Tim Marsden, for unnecessarily creating this scene. He’d been carried away to an ambulance, and she hoped he would make it. Things could have been so much easier if he hadn’t tried to get to the vehicle.

  Her emotions weren’t all that important now. She gave a nod to the young officer who had brought a wet towel, so Emma could clean herself up before she’d bring her to the hospital for a quick check up.

  “It’s okay. I’m okay,” Emma said tiredly, shuddering at the sight of the white towel turning pink. “Don’t I have to give my statement or something?”

  Jayce thought it was heartbreaking that the idea still made her uncomfortable. Emma had made friends within Jayce’s own circle, but it was hard to forget that speaking to the police had once ended in a false conviction for her.

  “I can meet you at the hospital,” the officer suggested. “A few minutes won’t make a difference.”

  “Just wait a second…Keisha!”

  The new employee was on her way to her mothers, who were waiting for her in a safe zone outside the perimeter. She made a detour to Emma, and the two of them hugged.

  “You were very brave,” Emma said. “I’m sorry you had such a horrible first day.”

  Keisha shook her head. “You saved all of us. Thank you.”

  Emma tried to laugh, though it didn’t sound very convincing. “All I did was talk his ear off. Eventually he would have given up.”

  Now that the danger was gone, Kitty, who was familiar with many of the cops still on the scene, had made it past the yellow tape.

  “Emma, Keisha, I’m so happy you two are okay. Keisha, I spoke to your moms. They’re waiting for you.”

  Keisha gave her a grateful smile before she left, and Kitty shook her head.

  “What a day. I’d understand it if you two preferred to be left alone, but frankly, I would love it if you could still come to dinner. We could order in, come down from all of this...”

  “I don’t think—” Jayce began.

  “That would be great,” Emma interrupted her. “Really, I’m fine. And we still need to eat.”

  “Okay then,” Jayce agreed. “Hospital, home, then we’ll come over.”

  “You do that.” Kitty sent a regretful look towards the store. “Not that it’s the most important thing right now, but I assume it’s messy in there. Emma, I hope you’ll want to come back.”

  Emma managed a smile. “After you promoted me? I sure will. Wait, that came out wrong. I’ll be happy to come back. We can clean up tomorrow and open on Monday? I mean this is not an ongoing crime scene. We move on.”

  Jayce laid an arm around her shoulders, feeling her trembling. “We will, but let’s see a doctor now.”

  * * * *

  The images lingered with Emma the way a nightmare lingered, intrusive and unwanted. She had sometimes woken in a cold sweat thinking she was still in her prison cell, or on the cold floor of that convenience store, trying to save the man’s live without success. The nightmares had been most prevalent in the halfway house, then less frequent when she moved into her small apartment. In the short time she’d been living with Jayce, they had almost stopped.

  The doctor who saw her didn’t find anything wrong with her except a slightly elevated blood pressure.

  “No kidding,” she couldn’t help but say.

  When they were in the hallway, about to leave, she asked Jayce about Marsden.

  “He’s going to make it,” Jayce answered curtly. “He’s lucky.”

  “Lucky?” Emma remembered having the man’s blood all over her about an hour ago.

  “Yes, because from the moment he held that gun to your head, things could have gone either way.”

  Jayce looked alarmed at her
own words. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s been a long day. Are you sure you want to go to Kitty and Daniel’s for dinner?”

  “Yes. I need to shower and change, but right now, I really need a bathroom.”

  “Are we okay?” Jayce asked softly.

  In the middle of the hallway, Emma leaned into her. “Yes, of course. I’m not going to pretend it never happened. I just want to spend the evening like we originally planned. Because we can.”

  “You’re right. We can. That’s a good thing.”

  Emma wondered if there was a hint of doubt to Jayce’s voice. She couldn’t worry about that now. She needed to take one step after the other.

  In the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face before joining Jayce again. There was blood on her blouse. Bad decisions always got somebody hurt, but she, they’d been lucky once again. Sometime soon, she’d feel like it.

  * * * *

  Jayce had to admit that spending some time with their friends wasn’t the worst idea. Daniel had made it back into town earlier after Kitty had called him to update him on the latest events.

  Now they were sharing a few beers and comfort takeout food, and Emma seemed to be holding up. After the initial shock of having a gun fired so close to her, she was improving. Jayce was grateful for that, because she couldn’t seem to relax for a moment, her mind still occupied with useless what if’s. If she had come to the store with Emma, stayed…but why would she have? It was Emma’s work. She was proud to train her first employee. Jayce couldn’t always be around and try to protect her. She hated that fact, no matter how many challenging and sometimes dangerous situations Emma had mastered without her. Listening to Emma relate the events to the officer, Jayce had been proud too. Emma had handled herself well, engaged Marsden, appealed to his conscience. Too bad he’d been stupid enough to risk his life and hers. For that, Jayce was unwilling to forgive him.

  “How are you doing?” Kitty asked when Jayce followed her into the kitchen to help bring coffee and dessert into the dining room. “I wasn’t even close,” she continued, “and I was feeling horrible the whole time. I can’t imagine what Emma must be going through. I keep wondering what if I had been there instead…”

  “Kitty, don’t. There’s no point. Everyone came out okay, that’s what matters.”

  Kitty’s look said she still had doubts.

  Jayce hadn’t been close either, and maybe that was her problem. Even though she knew the people in charge had made the right call, it made her feel like a coward.

  * * * *

  Emma sat on the couch, Elvis curled up in her lap. She’d drawn out the moment as long as possible, kept the TV on to avoid any questions. She was terrified of lying down and closing her eyes, knowing her subconscious hadn’t caught up to what she knew: The danger was past. She was safe.

  Jayce kept her company, but at some point, past one a.m., she turned off the TV. Emma flinched at the sudden silence.

  “I think it’s time to get some rest,” Jayce said softly. “It’s been a long day, and you promised Kitty that we’d help with the clean up tomorrow.”

  “I know. It’s not going to be that long.”

  Then Emma remembered the shot taking out the camera, and the glass on the floor. Kitty would have to replace her security system. The irrational thought sprang to mind that she might blame Emma for it. This was always lingering underneath her more understandable fears. Whenever dealing with the police, she was wary, anxious, wondering if something she’d say might make them distrust her.

  With Jayce being a cop, and most of her friends, it could be a precarious situation sometimes.

  “Let’s go to bed anyway?”

  Emma found she had no more excuse to stall.

  She could manage as long as they were lying together in the dark, Jayce’s arms around her. She was afraid of falling asleep. The first nights in prison had been the worst, when her mind was still struggling with the realization that everything was real, from the moment Maxine pulled the trigger, to Emma’s conviction.

  “I’m sorry it took so long,” Jayce whispered, tightening her hold. Emma could imagine what was going through her head.

  “They were trying to avoid anyone getting shot. I understand that.”

  “Yeah.”

  Jayce’s tone revealed that she wasn’t completely convinced. After all, someone did get shot. Emma turned to her, reaching for her hand.

  “I’ll be honest. I’m terrified of falling asleep right now, but I know that when I wake up, nothing will have changed. We’ll still be here together, and that’s the most important thing right. No one died. There was nothing you could have done.”

  “I know.” Jayce kissed her softly, and Emma could feel the tears warm on her face—or maybe those were her own. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I knew I was going to make it out, that we all were. Some days, in prison, or even in the halfway house, I wasn’t so sure. It makes one hell of a difference to know what’s waiting on the outside. Tomorrow we clean up. We live. That’s all we can do.”

  “You’re right,” Jayce said.

  Emma fell asleep holding her close, and to her surprise, there were no nightmares.

  * * * *

  “It doesn’t look all that bad in here. We could reopen on Tuesday, if you’re up to it?” Kitty suggested. “I’ll try to get someone from the security company on the phone to replace the camera…all else is just cleaning up.” She shuddered. “I’ll take care of the sidewalk if you can straighten up things inside.”

  “Are you sure?” Jayce asked.

  Kitty cast a quick glance at Emma who was standing in front of the display of wedding cards, lost in thought.

  “Yes, I’m sure. If you put things back where they were—Emma will tell you—it will be all good.”

  “We can do that.”

  Emma spun around. “Yes, sure. That display belongs over here. The chair goes in the back. If Kitty can get the camera installed, we could still open on Monday.”

  Jayce laid a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think it would be so bad to take a day. I could take Monday off, too, and we take it easy.”

  “Yeah, maybe. There are dishes in the kitchen.”

  The sight struck Jayce as odd—the plate with the chocolate chip cookies, the three cups of coffee, the pot still on the table. She was torn. She hated to let Kitty clean up the blood off the concrete by herself. She didn’t want to leave Emma alone either, even with the mundane task of doing dishes. She opened the cabinet under the sink and took out a bottle of dishwashing detergent.

  “We can do this quick, sweep up the glass and then we’re almost done.”

  For some reason, she was the most anxious to leave the store. It was irrational, Jayce knew. Emma would come back to work. Nothing else would happen in here.

  Emma picked up the plate and put the remaining cookies in the trash, gathered plate and cups to put them into the sink Jayce had filled with water.

  “Thanks. I still don’t know if Keisha actually likes coffee. Well, maybe she won’t anymore. I hope she’s not too freaked out.”

  “What about you? Are you okay being here?”

  Emma shrugged. “How many robbers can be stupid enough to come to a greeting card store? I hope Marsden was the exception.”

  “Yeah, me too. Come on, let’s wrap this up. I’ll buy us lunch once Kitty is done.”

  “You’re not already hungry? We had breakfast not long ago.”

  Maybe she needed to stop worrying. Emma had gotten through tough, sometimes dangerous situations without her. Jayce knew she had to give her credit for that.

  “You’re right. Take the time that you need.”

  * * * *

  Emma had spoken to Keisha and her moms on the phone, and everyone agreed that Keisha would come back to work the upcoming Saturday. That meant Emma and one of the regular employees would mind the store starting on Tuesday morning. She was fine with that—at least she tried hard to convince herself and Jayce that
she was.

  Jayce insisted on driving her, and she stayed until Emma had opened the store and settled behind the counter.

  “Come on, you need to go to work too. It’s all good. Marisa is going to be here in an hour. I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay.” Jayce sighed. She couldn’t deny Emma was right on all counts. The reprieve was over for all of them.

  Tim Marsden wasn’t in critical condition any longer. As soon as he was able to leave the hospital, a prison cell was waiting for him. She wondered what was going to happen with Joe and his pregnant girlfriend, but decided to draw the line. There was a limit to how much she was going to obsess about other people’s lives. Right here and now, she had enough to deal with.

  “I’m serious. Go.”

  They shared a quick kiss before Jayce left for work. Emma cast a glance at the new security camera. For all the good it had done the last time…

  Fortunately, she soon had customers coming in, and no time to think of what had happened in here two days ago. It was best to go back to a routine as soon as possible—another lesson she had learned from the times her plans had been harshly interrupted. Sometimes, any routine would do.

  When her stomach grumbled, and she checked her watch, it was close to noon. She’d brought a salad and a bread roll with her earlier. Marisa would be here in a few minutes, so she could take her lunch break.

  The phone rang, and Emma almost dropped the container holding her salad. Twice, three times…She heard Tim Marsden’s angry voice in her head as he told her not to touch the phone. Then, the seconds racing when she was able to hear Jayce’s voice, not wanting to let go.

  Emma had promised herself to make it out, and she had. That didn’t mean she had worked through all of it, and the breathless fear was attacking her all at once. The gunshot. Glass raining from the ceiling. Then another time, when it looked like Marsden was going to pull the trigger, and the cops at the scene weren’t going to take that chance. She sank into the chair, her vision blurry with tears. She had tried so hard to stay strong so the other women wouldn’t lose hope, despite the fact that she’d been terrified. Now that there was no one around to make her keep up the pretense, Emma couldn’t hold herself together any longer. She picked up her keys and purse, locked the store and left. She couldn’t be here, not now.