Hale Series Boxed Set

by Marie James

  “Business is good enough to do that?” It’s an honest question from one businessman to another.

  “Business is fucking excellent,” he says with a smile. “Line around the block every time the doors are open. But my staff needs a break. I run a tight ship and I haven’t found anyone else good enough to start training to help Johnny out. It would mean I’d have to be up there more until they were adequately trained and I want to be at home with my girl.”

  I nod in understanding.

  “It was never an issue before Alexa. Now? I want to be home when she’s at home,” he explains.

  “I get it man. I’ve had to make tons of adjustments at work so I can have the extra time with Lor.” I pat him on the back as I stand from the recliner to grab another beer.

  The conversation shifts back to sports and we settle in and watch ESPN for a while so I’m able to catch the highlights from last night’s cluster fuck of a Rockies game.

  Garrett yawns beside me before saying, “want to go up and see if the girls want to watch a movie or something?”

  I smile at him. “You need your girl huh?”

  He smiles back at me. “Me too,” I tell him.

  They must have had the same idea because just as we are walking towards the stairs to get them, Alexa and Lorali are making their way down.

  “Where’s Josie?” I ask.

  “She was tired so she decided to lie down while Kaleb’s gone,” Alexa answers.

  “You ladies want to watch a movie or something?” Garrett asks.

  They both shrug and turn towards the living room.

  We argue for at least fifteen minutes on what to watch before settling for A League of Their Own on AMC. We were going to lose the battle so we might as well watch one with hot chicks and baseball.

  Almost two hours later I stretch under Lorali who’s sleeping with her head on my lap. The end credits have started to run. I glance over at Garrett who also has a sleeping Alexa on his lap and watch him softly stroke her red hair as if she’s the most precious thing in the world to him. If I were a betting man I’d say she was.

  “You guys going to stay over?” I whisper ask him.

  He gives a huff. “Might as well.” He wiggles his hips and scoots to the side so he can get out from under her.

  I do the same thing with Lorali and look down on my beautiful, honey-haired, sleeping beauty. Fuck I can’t wait to marry this woman. I can’t wait to see her stomach expanding with my baby. I can’t wait to start the rest of our lives together.

  The sound of the doorbell cause both of them to stir on the couches. They both sit up, hair wild and eyes sleep filled.

  I make my way to the door, knowing it’s Kaleb coming back to either get Josie or crawl into bed with her. I feel Garrett behind me as I make my way to the foyer.

  Chapter 21

  Kaleb

  The address texted to me on my cell phone was familiar but I didn’t know why until I pulled up outside of the very familiar business.

  “Fuck,” I mutter under my breath as I get out of my car and walk towards the group of officers and a man recognize as one of the city’s arson investigators.

  “Mike,” I say and reach out and shake his hand. “Must be pretty evident if you’re out here already.”

  “I’ve got to draw it up still but there’s no guess as to what started the fire and where.” We begin walking towards the front of the burned out building. “The fire burned hot and fast. The front’s a complete loss and the back’s completely destroyed with smoke damage.”

  We clear the front of the building, my sneakers crunching over charred debris.

  I know my night just went further in the toilet when I see Stan Rhodes walking toward me from the back of the building.

  “Tell me you were just in the neighborhood and you were bored so you stopped by?” I ask the homicide detective. I’m practically begging him.

  “I wish, Perez.” We shake hands and I follow him to the very back.

  He pushes a door open into a space that is clearly marked as an employee break area.

  “Son of a bitch,” I groan as he steps out of the way and the body of a young man, I’d guess in his early twenties, comes into view.

  He’s on the floor face down, dressed in jeans, no shirt or shoes, and a blanket tangled around his feet. There’s an empty bottle of vodka beside him. From the looks of it he passed out drunk on the couch and wasn’t cognizant enough to get out of the building before he succumbed to smoke inhalation.

  “Poor fucker,” I say.

  “Yeah,” Stan says beside me. “Looks like smoke inhalation, but we won’t know for sure until the autopsy report.”

  “So at minimum we’re looking at negligent homicide and that’s only if the fucker who started the fire didn’t know this poor fella was back here.” Mike adds.

  “Well, Stan this trumps me so that means you’re in charge,” I look at him.

  “Yeah. Joy,” he says sarcastically.

  “Show me why I was called in,” I turn and head back out into the heavily damaged area.

  “You were called in before we found the DB. They never would've bothered you otherwise,” I nod in agreement.

  I don’t know if me being here and involved in this situation is going to be for better or worse. So much shit is going on right now I haven’t had time to filter it all and compartmentalize.

  “We hit the office first after we saw how extensive the place was wired for security. Figured we could access the video feed and get our answers before the smoke even cleared.” Mike says as we make our way to the very back corner of the building.

  We clear the door to the office and I look around. The place is untouched by the flames that incinerated so much of the front. Smoke damage was evident on the walls and in the layer of soot that covered every surface.

  “We called one of our IT guys in and he was able to access the cameras.” Mike points toward the computer on the desk. It’s the only place I’ve seen so far that the soot has been disturbed.

  “He looked in the desk,” Mike angles his head to the open drawer. I walk around the desk and see two bricks of cocaine just sitting there. “He was hoping to find the passwords for the system; he found that instead.”

  “Mother fucker,” I mutter and they both look at me oddly. “The security feed?” I ask in an attempt to get them back on track.

  “He didn’t find the password but he was able to work his magic and gain access.” Mike frowns.

  “And?” How do I know shit is about to get worse?

  “The entire day’s feed has been erased.” Mike says. Just as I think that’s the worst of it he keeps fucking talking. “We called the security company. Only one person with access and that is who logged in tonight from this computer.”

  I don’t even want to ask but I do anyways. “Let me guess? The business owner?”

  Mike nods. “He accessed the computer and not only deleted the day’s feed but he also powered down the system so it wouldn’t record anything at all. No video since six this morning.”

  “He accessed the video at four this afternoon, but just erased back even further. First call came in to dispatch at a quarter after four. Citizen reported smoke coming from the roof. Looks like he cleared the security feed, lit the match, and left.” I look at my watch and run the timeline through my head.

  This doesn’t look good at all.

  “Who in their right mind would burn down their business and leave bricks of coke in the desk?” Mike asks no one in particular.

  An idiot.

  “An idiot,” Stan says from the doorway.

  I nod in agreement and scrub my face with my hands.

  “If he wanted it to all go up in flames why no accelerant back here?” That part doesn’t make any sense. If he wanted to burn it all down he would’ve gassed the entire building. Especially the area where the drugs were. These are all questions that will come out in the wash in the full investigation.

  Right now our job i
s to look for probable cause, enough to make an arrest. A businessman with means and money makes him a flight risk and that is something we always try to avoid.

  “Prints?” I ask anyone who may be listening.

  “The crime scene techs just showed up, but the DB has precedence. They’ll make it in here eventually.” Stan says.

  We all know we can’t touch shit until CSI clears the scene, so I can’t even start my part of the job until they’re done. Mike walks past me and out the door of the office. Stan and I turn to follow him.

  “He poured what I’m sure is gasoline all over the counter over there. I’m sure he thought the other liquids would aid in the destruction of the rest of the building.” We look to the left where the most damage was sustained.

  “Hard to go unnoticed with anything more than a small can of gas.” Stan explains. “Especially on a Monday afternoon around the time people would start getting off of work and heading home.”

  I look at my watch. “I’ve been here almost two hours. Has the business owner been contacted?”

  Stan shakes his head no. “With what was found in the office we were holding off. Mike just found out the info from the security company before you got here. With that info, notification is going to be in the form of his arrest.”

  “That means you, Perez,” Mike says and slaps me on the back as he walks away to talk with a couple of his guys that are taking measurements and pictures of the fire damage.

  I give Stan a fuck you look. “Sorry, Perez. My scene and I can’t leave. Grab a couple of the unis with you since you’re out of the bag.” He nods towards my plain clothes. “We need to keep this as official as we can.”

  “Got it man,” I say and turn toward what used to be the door. “See you back at the barn.”

  I wave over two of the uniformed officers that have congregated in front. These are the types of officers that are never going to promote. They aren’t even trying to look like they’re working. There’s a dead body inside and these fuckers are joking outside in clear view of any reporters that may be present, along with every other citizen who’s carrying a news camera in their pocket in form of a damn smart phone.

  My mood is total shit and it’s only about to get worse. Two of the officers stop before me, waiting for direction. “You guys follow me.”

  “Arresting the perp?” One asks.

  I nod.

  I get back into my unmarked police car and drive across town to the one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Denver. Twenty minutes. That’s all I have to wrap my head around what my job is about to force me to do.

  I pull up in front of the massive home and exit my vehicle. My heart is pounding along with my footsteps as I climb the handful of steps to the front door.

  I press the doorbell and think of my beautiful, pregnant wife. I cringe knowing our world’s about to blow up.

  The door is pulled open. “Hey, man. Josie’s up…” Ian stops talking when he sees the look of resolution on my face as I step aside and the two uniformed officers behind me come into view. “What’s going on?” His face full of innocent confusion.

  “Fuck, Ian. I’m sorry to have to do this man.” I turn my attention to Garrett. “Garrett Hale.” The uniformed officers take a couple of steps closer to Garrett. “You are under arrest for the unlawful possession, distribution, and sale of a controlled substance, arson, and homicide.”

  Garrett raises an eyebrow at me like he’s waiting for the punchline to a horrible joke. Movement behind him catches my attention briefly and I see Alexa and Lorali come around the corner and enter the foyer.

  I force my attention back to Garrett and pray that my wife is asleep or at least occupied and I’ll be gone before she realizes what’s going on. This may destroy us.

  I continue to Mirandize Garrett as one of the other officers pulls his handcuffs loose and clasps them to one of his wrists. Garrett is cooperative and I’m sure he’s in shock. I know the initial evidence points to him, but a lot of it doesn’t make any sense. Once he’s hooked up in the cuffs he’s turned back towards me.

  “Do you understand your rights as I have read them to you?” I finish.

  He glares at me. It’s understandable. Just two weeks ago this man stood before my friends and family as a groomsman in my wedding. His cousin, who I consider my best friend is drilling holes in me with his eyes.

  “Arson? Homicide? Drugs? What the fuck is going on, Kaleb?” I can tell he is trying to stay calm but his worry is betrayed by the tremor in his voice.

  “I’m not lead on the case. I can’t discuss it with you,” I say. I want to distance myself but I know that’s not even possible.

  “Tell me what the fuck is going on , Kaleb. Don’t treat me like some fucking criminal.” He’s beginning to get frantic.

  The officer begins to walk out of the house with him. “Don’t say a fucking word, Garrett. I’ll have an attorney there as fast as I can.” He nods at his cousin.

  “Garrett!” Alexa has come out of her shock seeing Garrett being walked out the door in handcuffs. Ian grabs her around the waist. “What the fuck are you doing, Kaleb?”

  I look at her and I’m suddenly pained at the anger, hate and rage that she’s staring at me with. “I’m just doing my job, Alexa.” I turn my attention to Ian and I hope he can see how much I don’t take pride in what I’ve just done. “Get the attorney there as soon as possible, man. It’s pretty fucking bad.”

  He nods at me and I can tell that he’s torn. Not between me and Garrett, because that is a given. Family first every time; he’s torn between accepting that I have to do this as a police officer and accepting that his best friend just arrested his cousin. Either choice could mean the end to the bond we’ve formed over the past few years.

  “Please keep Josie safe. Tell her that I love her,” I beg of him.

  Alexa is a sobbing mess by this point and Ian is barely able to keep her on her feet.

  “Please, Kaleb? Don’t do this,” she pleads. Her alabaster skin is splotchy and her eyes are already red and puffy from crying.

  I have to clear my throat to keep my emotions in check. This has to be one of the worst days of my life, only coming in second to the day I woke of from being shot. That day I was informed my father was dead. That day ties for first place with Josie’s abduction.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say, and it’s aimed at the trio of people still standing in the foyer.

  I nod to the other officer and follow him out the front door, closing it softly behind me. I squeeze my eyes shut when I hear Alexa begin to wail on the other side.

  Chapter 22

  Garrett

  I can’t think of another more humiliating time in my life than climbing out of a police car while under arrest for drugs, arson, and murder. Even the entire fucking situation with Jamie didn’t come close to this level of degradation.

  I guess I should be thankful I’m handcuffed in front and not behind my back. They did give me that allowance at least. I’ve been transported back to Kaleb’s precinct and even though I have no level of guilt in any part of this situation I hang my head as I exit the car. The patrol car -Kaleb didn’t even transport me himself- pulled into a garage like area and they didn’t open my door until we were sealed inside.

  I tried speaking with the two uniformed officers while in the car but they were adamant that they could not give me any details about the case and I would have to ask the detectives once we got back to the station. Although this pissed me off to no end, they remained professional for the most part; only speaking to each other about normal guys shit like my world had not just been thrown off its axis.

  The booking process takes much longer than I thought it would; the entire system is more of a hurry up and wait for the next person to do their part. First, I had to sit while the patrolman filled out paperwork. The wait for my mug shot wasn’t very long, but the wait for prints was the problem. I waited I know half an hour before the line was cleared and they were able to get to me.
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br />   I’ve been placed in a holding cell with less than desirable people. I can’t help but look at them and wonder what they’ve done. I also have to keep a keen eye and make sure I don’t end up in some trouble. A few of them are apparently here for either drug charges or offenses stemming from their drug issues. I inwardly chastise myself for my judgments by outwards appearances of the other men in the holding cell. Seems they could be in here and completely innocent just as I am.

  I’m sure they’re watching me the same way, trying to figure out what I did. The patrol men took all my property so I have nothing other than my clothes to speak for the type of man I am. With the way the scraggly man in the corner is watching me, I’m thankful I’m not wearing my Rolex, certain I’d have to fight to keep it.

  My stay in the holding cell ends faster than I thought it would with how long the book-in process was but still not fast enough. A uniformed officer, who I’ve never seen before, calls my name as he opens the cell for me. As he cuffs me I hear the other guys in the cell mention ‘judge’ and ‘detective,’ speculating where I’m heading. The officer is close-lipped so I have no clue where I’m heading until I’m taken through several very thick doors and down a long silent hallway.

  I’m escorted into a room labeled ‘Interrogation 1’ where the uniformed officer roughly shoves me into a chair at the table and proceeds to handcuff me to the ring connected to it.

  “What the fuck is your problem, man?” I’m not one to disrespect authority but this guy has no reason to shove me like he just did.