They grinned at each other, then she caught her lip with her top teeth, worrying it for a moment as her eyes grew serious. “Are you scared?”
“Scared?”
She shrugged. “I'm a little scared of what I'm feeling, but at the same time, it's the best thing that ever happened to me. You're the best thing that ever happened to me.”
A rush of emotion flooded him and he caught her mouth in another kiss. She must have brushed her teeth because she tasted of mint, but her skin smelled of sleep and faintly of the scent of the sheets. Finally, he raised his head, lowering his hands to her shoulders as he looked her square in the eyes. “I hope I'm not rushing this, but I love you, Blanche.”
Surprise lit her eyes and he worried for a moment, but she smiled and nodded. “Me too. I love you too, CJ.”
If he'd been happy before, he was ecstatic now. He couldn't wipe the grin off his face and his cheeks ached. “Now we're both grinning like idiots.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “We are.”
He joined in her laughter and filled his mind with the sight of her in this moment. A white, fluffy, robe, red hair mussed and draped on her shoulders, her lips puffy from all their kissing. Finally, he shook his head. “I hate to leave now, but I have to get home. Can I see you tonight? You said you were off…”
She nodded. “I'd love to see you tonight.”
“Great. But it'll be a real date this time.”
* * *
CJ unlocked the front door, trying to enter as quietly as possible. It was a little after six a.m. Even though he'd only slept a little over four hours, he felt energized. Already, he missed Blanche and couldn't wait to see her again this evening. He grinned and thought about where they could go. He really wanted to take her somewhere special, but his thin wallet meant he would have to settle for something like dinner and a movie. But it would be a great dinner and a fantastic movie. Whatever movie she wanted to see. Even another chick flick. He practically bounced into the kitchen, stopping short when his dad glanced up from the newspaper, then looked at his watch.
“Good morning, Dad.” CJ ignored the pointed look. He was an adult and didn't have to explain anything. He even paid rent to his dad. He didn't want to live here for free and he'd lived on his own through college. Besides, paying rent helped him feel more like a roommate than a grown son still living with his father.
He looked in the fridge, thinking about a bowl of cereal. The milk was almost gone. Was there enough for a bowl? He grabbed it anyway. “You should have texted me to pick up another gallon on my way home.”
The rattle of the newspaper was his father's only reply.
“What's wrong? You got my text, right? That I was going to hang out with Blanche?”
“Hang out?” His dad snorted. “And yes. I got it. This morning when I woke up and saw you had never been home.”
“Oh. Sorry. It was late. You knew I was picking her up from work, and she was late getting off.”
His dad folded the paper and set it down beside his cup of coffee. He sighed. “I know. I'm not angry, and sorry if I sounded like it. Just seeing that your car wasn't back in the garage had me worried, but then I saw your message. It's not your fault I'm feeling overprotective.” He stood and emptied his cup in the sink. “That's why I want you to let me handle Hamilton.”
“Dad, you know I have to do this myself. I'm going to devote every spare minute to figuring out what he's up to.” CJ decided to risk a bowl of cereal despite the scant amount of milk. He looked for the Coco Puffs, but the box was almost empty. It wasn't his lucky day. He pulled out a box of corn flakes instead. These were closer to what he normally ate anyway. He dumped some in a bowl and added milk, frowning as a thin stream trickled out. These flakes were in no danger of going soggy any time soon. Grabbing a spoon, he dug in.
“What about work?”
He swallowed. “I'm not going to shirk my responsibilities. I know helping Mark at the studio is also important. Without help, he can't do what he does, or would have a harder time of it.”
“Exactly. And what about what you do?”
He meant the camera, and CJ couldn't meet his dad's eyes, pretending to be fascinated with the contents of his bowl as he pushed the cereal around before taking another bite. He hadn't decided what to do with the camera while he figured Hamilton's secret. Would his dad think he was a coward if he put the camera aside? Could he face himself if he knew people were dying because he ignored the camera? He leaned, his back against the counter. Since it had been days since he'd used it last, he was starting to feel twitchy. Mark had warned him of the feeling, but he wasn't sure he believed him, but what he felt was what he imagined a smoker felt when they needed to light up, or a drug user felt when they needed a fix. It was a creepy-crawly feeling in his skin. But what if he used it and the camera drew him into another situation that set him up to be framed for murder?
As he chewed, he wondered about the motives of the camera, putting aside for the moment the reality that the camera was just an inanimate object, not some kind of mystical being directing his actions. It felt like he was being directed. But where? And why? What was the reason it sent him to witness Cruz's capture, and possibly, his death? For that matter, why had it sent him to witness the death of the man outside the grocery store? If it had given him different images, he could have prevented both, but instead, he felt like he was set up. There had to be a reason.
“I'm going to keep using the camera, Dad. I think what's been happening to me is part of something bigger. It's leading me somewhere. I have to keep following it to the end.”
His father's expression grew thoughtful. “You could be right. Mark had feelings like that too, at times. Who knows? I still have trouble wrapping my brain around it all.”
Surprised at his dad’s response, CJ just nodded. “Yeah. Kind of boggles the mind. Anyway, I think I will use the camera again. I can't let Hamilton scare me away from it. I can't let him win.”
Chapter Eighteen
CJ took the camera to a park and quickly ran through a roll of film. He glanced at his watch. It was almost nine and he put the camera in a camera bag and tossed it in his car. He could develop the film at work today. He hadn't talked to Mark about working today, but he felt great and couldn't wait to get back to work and back to his routine.
He entered the studio and Mark looked up from his computer, scanning him as though assessing his fitness for work, but he didn't say anything other than good morning. CJ was glad for that.
“Coffee smells good.” CJ set the camera bag on his desk.
“I just made it.” Mark was engrossed in editing some photos. The clicking of the mouse loud in the office.
“I definitely need some this morning.” He moved over to the pot sitting on a small table to the left of Mark's desk.
The mouse was silent and CJ looked over his shoulder to find Mark looking at him, his expression pensive. “What?” CJ filled his cup and set the pot back on the warmer.
“Are you okay?”
CJ opened the small fridge beside the table and rummaged through a bowl containing single serving flavored creamers. Finding a caramel one, he turned back to Mark. “Yeah. Why?”
“I just thought…well, when I was let out from prison, I had some troubles sleeping. Just wondered if you wanted to talk about anything.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine.” He pushed the memory of bolting awake this morning from his mind. It was a one-time thing. “I just had a late night. Really late.” Once again, he found himself grinning like an idiot, but he couldn't seem to stop.
Mark leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, a wide grin spreading across his face, too. “Oh yeah?”
He didn't plan it, but a yawn stole over him and he covered his mouth. “Yeah.”
“You could have stayed home. I wasn't expecting you today. I thought you'd take a little more time off, but then again, it appears you're recovering quickly.” He chuckled. “Blanche?”
CJ sat down at his desk and turned his computer on. “Of course it's Blanche. Who else would it be?”
“I got to know her a little bit better over the last week. She's a good one. You're a lucky man.” The joking tone was gone and the mouse started clicking again.
“I know. I am very lucky.” He opened the creamer and poured it into his cup. Sipping, he sighed in pure bliss. “Mark?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for being a good friend.” CJ didn't look at the other man. “I really appreciate what everyone did trying to find me. It means a lot.”
“You'd have done the same for me.”
CJ nodded. He took another sip and got busy checking over supplies, returned several client phone calls, set up photo shoots, and arranged for any props Mark might need. The morning flew by.
On his lunch break, he developed his film. He brought the images to his desk when he was done with them. Mark had gone on a shoot, and said he had something to take care of later. CJ had asked if he needed help, but he declined.
The images were mostly shots of the park, but there were two that weren't. His heart hammered in his chest as he examined the pictures. A man appeared to be the victim of a piece of debris falling from a church. Scaffolds on the side of the church showed it was probably being renovated. He breathed a sigh of relief. Looked pretty benign. Nothing sinister about this one. He set the images aside and called Blanche to make plans.
* * *
CJ opted not to spend the night at Blanche's apartment that night. They had a wonderful dinner, and went to a movie, but she had to get up early for a dentist appointment so they parted on her brightly lit stoop with only a kiss. He sighed as she shut the door, but resolutely turned and trudged back to his car. He consoled himself with the knowledge that he’d see her again soon. Besides, he wanted to be home in case the dream showed something unexpected.
CJ had a lot he wanted to do tomorrow, in addition to the save, he was antsy to begin investigating Hamilton. He felt like he'd done nothing in the last few days and he didn't want the man to get away with he'd done. Tomorrow was his normal day off and while he'd offered to work it since he'd missed so much work this week, Mark refused his offer. With that in mind, he intended to get an early start in the morning.
“Hi Dad.” CJ said as he passed the doorway to the living room. His father was relaxing in his recliner, the remote about to fall from his hand. He started at CJ's comment.
“Oh, hey. I wasn't expecting you home tonight. Is everything okay?”
“Of course. We both just have early days tomorrow, and then she works her shift tomorrow evening.” He tossed the comment over his shoulder as he dropped his car keys on the counter. He wasn't really hungry, but grabbed an apple from a bowl of fruit in the center of the table anyway. It looked inviting. His dad must have shopped today. He bit into it and chewed, wondering exactly how to start the investigation. Taking the apple back into the living room, he plopped on the sofa and glanced at the television. Some late night comic was giving his routine and CJ chuckled at a timely observation.
“So where are you going so bright and early that you're home before eleven?” His dad pulled the handle on the side of the chair and levered forward. He stretched, yawning.
“I'm going to find that Mendez guy and ask him about what happened. I want to piece together Hamilton's operation.” He expected pushback from his father and braced for it, but his dad just nodded.
“He's probably a good place to start. You realize it could be nothing more than a bad cop on a power trip. That's what I think it is. I looked into Hamilton's history and there's nothing in his record that stands out as dirty. He has a few complaints of being rough, but that's over a twenty year span. Lots of officers get one or two reports. It's pretty hard to do their job without losing their cool once or twice. They're under a lot of pressure.”
“So, you're saying the two days he held me were just him blowing off steam? Sorry, Dad. I don't buy it.”
“I don't either, but I'm saying that there's no smoking gun here, CJ. Nothing blatant that's going to be easy to find. Without someone willing to give him up or turning one of his men into an informant, it's going to be damn hard to get anything that'll stand up to scrutiny.”
CJ turned the apple, studying the skin as his mind worked on the problem. He took another bite. After a moment, he nodded. “Then I'll have to find out who's working for him. I know just where to start.”
“CJ…” His dad's eyes narrowed. “I don't like the sound of that.”
Shrugging, CJ said, “I'm sorry you don't approve, but I wasn't asking for approval. Just letting you know what's going on.” He took a final bite and stood, crossing into the kitchen to dispose of the core and wash the sticky juice from his hands. Drying them on a towel, he tossed the towel on the counter and turned back to his dad. “Good night. I have one future photo to take care of tomorrow. I'm not sure what time it takes place, but I'll leave you a note if you're not here in the morning when I get up. It doesn't seem to be any big deal. Good night, Dad.”
* * *
CJ jotted down the details from his dream, thankful that the event wouldn't take place until early afternoon. He'd been able to peg the time because the church had a bell that rang the hour just before the chunk of masonry fell from it. He didn't know if the work being done on the church had any bearing on how the masonry came loose, but he thought he could just go and see if he could talk to them about closing the sidewalk in front of the church until repairs were complete. Or maybe they could put a net or something up. He wasn't sure why they would listen to him, but he could spot the guy who would be killed, stop him from crossing beneath the church, and the masonry was big enough that the workers should notice it, giving credence to CJ's recommendation.
He showered quickly and went out to the kitchen, glad to see his dad was still home. He had a question to ask and hoped his dad wasn't still upset that he was pursuing Hamilton. His father looked about ready to leave as he packed up his laptop to go to work so CJ didn't have time to feel him out first.
“Dad, I know you aren't happy with what I'm doing, but is there any way you could give me more than a last name for the guy who went through what I did? I tried doing an Internet search, but the name is so common, more than a hundred came up. Even when I weed out those who are too old, I'm still left with several dozen men.”
At first he thought his dad was going to ignore him because he was quiet for a long time, but he didn't look angry, so CJ waited patiently. His dad finally shook his head. “I'm sorry, I don't remember, but Dan Harris would.”
CJ frowned. He didn't know the guy. He'd heard he was Jessie's former partner, but he wasn't sure about going to him for the info. Why should he tell CJ?
As his dad walked to the door, he suddenly turned and snapped his fingers. “See if you can find that young cop, Cooper. He arrested the guy just the other day.”
He liked that idea a lot better and smiled. “Thanks, Dad. That helps a lot.”
His dad nodded. “Have a good day. Be careful.”
“Yeah. You too.”
CJ drove to the same district where Wayan had brought him a few weeks before. He just hoped he didn't run into Hamilton, but knew it was a possibility since they worked out of the same district. It was a chance he had to take. He went in and inquired at the desk. The older cop manning it, nodded. “Yeah. Cooper is on today. He's out on patrol though. You want to leave a message?”
Drumming his fingers on the desk as he thought about it, he finally decided to leave his name and cell phone number. He turned to leave when he heard his name called. It was Cooper. He was just entering the room behind the desk sergeant. CJ waited until Cooper navigated the desks and came around the desk.
“Hey, man. What's up? How are you doing?”
CJ looked pointed at the desk sergeant, who seemed to be waiting for CJ to answer. Was he in on the whole thing, too?
Wayan followed his gaze and then motioned for CJ to follow hi
m. “Come on. I'm off now.”
CJ hesitated. He didn't exactly trust the guy, but he looked at his watch. “You just finished your shift?” Did the guy work every shift?
“Yeah. I pulled a double when one guy called out sick. Luckily, it was a relatively slow night. I'm beat, but before I crash, I need some food. I was just going to grab breakfast. Wanna come with?” Then he looked around. “Oh, wait. You're probably here for another reason.” His brow furrowed. “Are you making a report of what happened?” He didn't sound upset, but his eyes were dark and serious.
CJ shook his head. “No. In fact, I came here looking for you. I wanted to ask you some questions.”
Arms crossed, Wayan gave CJ a steady look, then nodded. “Sure. No problem.”
Relieved he'd at least listen to him, CJ gave him a tight smile. “Let's go. We can walk.” He didn't want to ride in a car with the guy. He was inclined to think Cooper had been innocent and just caught up in what happened, but he wasn't taking any chances. CJ suggested a place he'd passed when he was looking for a place to park. It was a small restaurant only a block away.”
The neighborhood looked even seedier by foot than it did while driving through it. Several businesses were boarded up and weeds pushed between the cracks of the sidewalks in places. The restaurant was crammed between a pawnshop and a check-cashing business. The window had a black iron security gate covering it, and CJ had second thoughts. They'd probably both get food poisoning for the place, but he opened the door. As soon as he did, his mouth flooded from the scents of bacon, eggs, toast and something spicy. Chorizo?
Chapter Nineteen
Tom sat slumped in his car, a cold coffee in the cup holder and a bag with half a stale donut sitting on his passenger seat. He hated running surveillance, but Phillip was right. Sheridan was trouble. He was nosing around where he had no business being and fifteen minutes ago, he'd strolled right into Hamilton's district. Tom had to hand it to the kid. He had balls. After what he'd been through just a few days ago, Tom would have thought he'd be too spooked to go anywhere near Hamilton again. Grabbing the coffee, he sipped and made a face.
Capture: A Crime Thriller (CJ Sheridan Thrillers Book 2) Page 19
