The Rookie's Assignment

by Valerie Hansen

  “What if it doesn’t? I mean, Olivia worked for him. Suppose she got his or the kids’ DNA under her nails some other way? It didn’t have to have happened right when she was killed.”

  “No, but she did have that day off.”

  “You don’t know much about toddlers, do you? They don’t understand things like days off. Maybe Olivia did something for one or both of the twins that day, even if she wasn’t supposed to be working.”

  “I guess that is possible.”

  Keira was glad to see his expression show that he was seriously considering what she’d said. “Lots of things are possible when you open your mind and stop focusing on one suspect.”

  “Only after that person is proved innocent beyond the shadow of a doubt,” Nick countered.

  If Keira could have thought of a snappy comeback she’d have used it. Unfortunately, she knew he was right. Only God could be trusted to be totally fair, totally impartial.

  That conclusion left her wondering why the Lord hadn’t cleared her brother’s name already.

  FIVE

  Nick didn’t pay undue attention to the people standing near the cash register as he waited in line to pay for lunch. His glance strayed through the front window to the parking lot. Their black-and-white was visible. So were dozens of other vehicles.

  He suddenly felt a jolt of excitement. There was an older, light-colored truck passing by!

  A young waitress balancing a cumbersome tray of dirty dishes momentarily blocked his view. He dodged to peer around her and nearly upset her load.

  In the few seconds it took him to help the woman regain her stability, the truck was out of sight.

  Whirling, Nick was about to alert Keira when she raced past him and straight-armed the exit.

  He slapped some bills on the counter, hollered, “Keep the change,” and went after her. It didn’t matter who the truck’s driver was. Keira was far too quick to act without knowing all the facts. That kind of leaping to judgment was liable to get her hurt.

  He’d left his FBPD cap in the SUV when they’d reached the restaurant so he shaded his eyes from the glare of the overcast sky. Where had she disappeared to? Even if she was hot on the guy’s trail, she should have the sense to wait for backup.

  One hand rested on his holster, the other reaching for the radio clipped to his belt as dozens of noisy gulls wheeled and squawked overhead, complaining about being disturbed.

  Nick had been assured that working in Fitzgerald Bay would be a cushy assignment, a respite from the constant tension he’d been under in Boston. When was the so-called vacation going to begin? It certainly hadn’t yet.

  He keyed the mike. “Fitzgerald. Where are you?”

  Two male voices answered almost immediately. Terrific. The whole force was about to find out he was separated from his partner.

  He spotted a flash of dark blue moving across the deep piles of snow that had been pushed up when the lot had been cleared. Keira? Nick’s pulse sped. It had to be her. Nobody else would be crazy enough to clamber across slick, uneven terrain like that.

  Had she spotted the same truck he thought he’d seen or was she up to something else this time? With her, there was no telling.

  In view of the trouble it might cause if he tried to radio again, he gave up and trotted after her.

  Thanks to the slippery mounds of plowed snow, she wasn’t making good progress. Considering all the unknowns involved, Nick was glad. Her reckless pursuit of a possible suspect, with no official backup and no idea what kind of criminal she might be after, was more than foolish.

  Would he say as much once he overtook her? Probably not, although it was high time somebody put her in her place and that kind of sensible rebuke wasn’t likely to come from any of her family members. If anything, they were overprotecting her to the point that she was worse off than she’d have been if they had yelled at her.

  And speaking of yelling… “Hey!” Nick shouted with his hand cupping one side of his mouth. “Wait.”

  Although Keira did glance back at him, she continued climbing the piled gray drifts. They were packed harder than normal snowfall and far more slippery, as evidenced by the way she was having to use both hands and feet to crab crawl to the top.

  She straightened and stretched once she reached the crest, apparently straining to see something on the other side. Suddenly, her arms began to cartwheel.

  Nick watched her topple backward and start to slide toward him, headfirst, screeching all the way.

  “Gotcha!” He caught her neatly by both shoulders and righted her. “Did you hurt yourself?”

  “Only my pride.” She grimaced and glanced toward the restaurant. “I’m glad my aunt didn’t see me skiing on my back pockets or I’d never live it down.”

  “I won’t breathe a word about it as long as you behave yourself in the future.”

  “I haven’t been misbehaving. I just thought I could get a better vantage point from higher ground.”

  “You left your partner without letting him know and went off on a tangent all by yourself. Don’t do that again, with me or with anybody else.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nick wasn’t positive she took that promise seriously enough but considering the necessity of winning her confidence in order to accomplish his objectives regarding the Internal Affairs investigation, he figured he’d better lighten up.

  “I’m only trying to protect you and still do my own job,” he said, starting to smile slightly. “I’d better, or your brothers will have my hide.”

  “Probably. Speaking of brothers, when do you want to visit Charles and take that new DNA sample?”

  Nick glanced at his watch. “Would he be available right now or do we need to make an appointment?”

  “He’s been doing most of his work from his house since he lost Olivia and has no one to look after the twins regularly. We can stop by his place and see if he’s busy. It’s close by.”

  “Everything in this town is close by,” Nick quipped. “If it weren’t so cold out right now, we could probably walk back to the lighthouse almost as fast as we can drive.”

  “Uh-huh. I love summer. Did I tell you I ride a motorbike when the weather’s nicer?”

  “No.” He smiled and shook his head. “But it doesn’t surprise me. Nothing you do does.”

  “You sound as if that’s a bad thing.”

  “Not bad, exactly. I do wish you were a little more predictable, though.”

  That comment made her laugh and he shared her amusement when she said, “At least you can always predict that I’ll be unpredictable.”

  “You are one scary partner, rookie. You know that?”

  “Yes.” Keira chuckled. “And don’t you forget it.”

  The trip from the seafood restaurant to Charles’s home in the lighthouse keeper’s quarters was over almost before it began. Keira paused behind the wheel before getting out. “Can I be serious for a second?”

  “Sure.”

  She was glad to see her partner paying attention, unlike some of the members of her family who still viewed her as the baby of the clan.

  “Charles has been through terrible trials. So have his children. Please be easy with him. He’s really a gentle soul. And a patriot. He served his country as a marine.”

  “And combat left him with a permanent disability. That’s why he walks with a slight limp. I know. I read his military records.”

  “You did? Why?”

  “Because I need to know as much about everyone in Fitzgerald Bay as you do. Maybe more. Don’t worry. I don’t plan to grill him.”

  Keira jumped out and joined Nick as they proceeded up the walkway to the front door of the white-painted cottage. Like the lighthouse and the other small buildings adjoining it, the house had a distinctive red roof. The grounds were parklike, featuring neat lawns that invited summer picnicking and a boulder-edged parking area to accommodate the tourists who visited later in the year.

  Before Keira could knock, her brother o
pened the door. Charles’s smile was tight, yet he welcomed them. “Come in. Please. I assume this is the new guy I’ve been hearing all about.”

  “Yes. Nick Delfino, meet Charles Fitzgerald,” she said, then gave her brother a customary hug.

  Nick offered his hand. “Glad to finally meet you.”

  “When did you hit town? First I heard of it was a couple days ago.”

  “That’s about right.” Nick eyed the sitting room. “May I?”

  “Of course. Have a seat. Can I get you coffee or tea?”

  “Thanks, no. We ate at Aunt Vanessa’s.” Perching on the edge of a simple tan-colored chair that matched a sofa, Keira smiled at the toys scattered on the hardwood flooring at the base of an entertainment center. “Where are the twins? I expected to find them watching cartoons.”

  Charles smiled and began tidying up the toys. “I put them down for a nap.”

  “That’s probably just as well.” Keira folded her hands in her lap. “Nick wants to ask you some questions.” She hesitated, unsure whether or not to continue.

  “And get another DNA sample,” Nick said simply.

  Charles glanced from Keira to Nick, his expression tight. “Was there a problem with the first sample I gave?”

  “Just double-checking.”

  “Good story. I’d stick to it if I were you,” Charles replied, sounding resolved and a touch annoyed. “Okay. Swab away. Like I keep saying, I have nothing to hide. I didn’t hurt Olivia. The children adored her.”

  “How about you?” Nick asked pointedly as he prepared to wipe a test swab inside the doctor’s cheeks before sealing it for transport to the lab.

  Charles submitted to the test, then leaned back, crossed his arms and answered. “I liked her, too. She was good with kids. The twins are only two years old. They really needed someone like Olivia after their mother left. I did all I could to make it up to them but that’s not the same as having a woman’s care.”

  “You and Olivia never argued?”

  “There wasn’t anything to argue about,” Charles insisted. “When Olivia showed up needing a job, she was the answer to my prayers. I still don’t know how I’m going to cope without her.”

  “Do you have anyone in mind to take her place?”

  He shook his head soberly, sadly. “No. Dad’s housekeeper, Mrs. Mulrooney, helps out when she can, and some of the teenagers in town do babysitting, but that’s not the same as having a regular nanny.” He smiled at Keira. “I’ve even pressed my sisters into service in emergencies. Fiona takes to it pretty well since she already has a little boy, but I get the impression Keira would rather chew nails than act as a nanny.”

  “Hey, I like kids,” she countered. “I just understand them better when they get old enough to tell me what they need or want. Fiona’s Sean is easy to handle.”

  “How old is he?” Nick asked.

  “Six, going on twenty. He’s had to grow up a lot since his daddy was killed in a fire. Jimmy Cobb was one of the firemen who worked for our uncle.”

  Nick stood, apparently preparing to leave, so Keira joined him. “Are we finished here?”

  “For the time being,” Nick said. He once again shook hands with the doctor. “I’ll be in touch if I need to ask you any more questions.”

  “Anything that will solve this case and stop the rumor mill,” Charles said. “As you can see from the empty parking lot, my practice has suffered. Whatever I can do to help, just ask.”

  “Now that you mention it, I would like to look over Olivia Henry’s quarters. Did she live here with you?”

  “Not exactly. There’s a small, detached apartment in the rear.” He opened a drawer in an end table, took out a key and passed it to Nick. “This will open the doors. Do you want me to go with you?”

  Keira shook her head. “I know where it is. I’ll show him.”

  She said a quiet, private farewell to her brother, then led the way outside. “Go to the left, around this house. The apartment isn’t any bigger than her room at the inn was but it was handy.”

  “I take it she spent her nights separately?” Nick asked.

  “Of course she did.” That question raised Keira’s eyebrows. “I don’t believe you, Delfino. You just can’t give my brother a break, can you?”

  “Proving him innocent will do more for him than looking the other way, if that’s what you mean.”

  Suitably chastised, Keira had to agree. She unlocked the door to the tiny apartment and stood back so Nick could enter. “We were going to pack up Olivia’s things and give them to her cousin but nobody’s gotten around to it as far as I know.”

  His search was brief and unproductive. The room contained a bed, bureau, small closet and little else. “I thought women collected a lot more stuff than I see here. I assume it’s been searched and dusted for prints.”

  Keira nodded.

  He scanned the room one more before saying, “Okay. Let’s go. I’m done.”

  Locking up and quickly returning the key to her brother, Keira rejoined Nick at the car. “Well? Are you satisfied about Charles now?”

  “He didn’t appear to be lying, if that’s what you mean.” Nick tapped his inside jacket pocket where he had stashed the sealed tube containing the swab. “We’ll know more after this is processed.”

  She asked, “How long do you think it will take?” She was not pleased to hear her partner chuckle derisively.

  “It won’t be nearly as fast as you see it done on TV,” Nick said flatly. “Figure weeks if not months. There’s always a big backlog and this case doesn’t merit setting others aside.”

  “It would if I had my way,” Keira said. She started the SUV and backed out. “Where to now?”

  “Back to the station. I imagine your father will want to see the damage to this vehicle for himself.”

  “You would have to remind me. I’m really not looking forward to trying to explain how I wrecked a practically new patrol car when I was parked.” She made a face at him. “Do you want to pick up your stuff from the inn and take it to the condo, while I’m facing the music?”

  “I can wait. I’ll need a ride, anyway.”

  “You don’t have a car here?”

  “No. I arrived by bus,” Nick said.

  “Okay. I’ll have time to drive you back and forth.” Keira glanced at her watch. “We still have hours left on our shift.”

  “It feels like we’ve been on uninterrupted duty for weeks instead of a few days. Hanging around with you in your supposedly peaceful little town has worn me out. If this is quiet, I’d sure hate to see it when it’s not.”

  “Well, at least nobody has taken any potshots at us. I suppose stuff like that happens to cops all the time in a big city.”

  “Probably less often than you’d think. And if there are shots reported, we’re usually far too late arriving on the scene to nab anyone.”

  “Have you ever been shot?”

  Nick raised a brow and regarded her as if she had asked him an inappropriately personal question. Finally he said, “I was shot at. They missed.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Yeah.” He snorted a wry chuckle. “I was, too.”

  “Feel like telling me about it?”

  “There isn’t much to tell. It was dark and…”

  “A dark and stormy night?” Keira interjected, grinning at the pun and hoping he’d appreciate her humor enough to laugh.

  “Yeah. Something like that. Do you want to hear this story or not?”

  “Sorry. I do. Go ahead.”

  “I was sitting in my cruiser in an alley, waiting for my partner to get back from a pit stop, when somebody with a high-powered rifle took a shot at me through the windshield.”

  Keira’s hands clamped tighter around the steering wheel. “That must have been terrifying.”

  “It did get my attention.”

  “What did you do then?”

  “I rolled out of the car, hit the deck and got ready to return fire but I never got the chanc
e. The shooter had taken off.”

  “Your partner didn’t get a look at him, either?” Although she had to keep her eyes on the road, she did chance a quick glance at Nick and noticed that his expression was anything but cordial. Apparently he hadn’t gotten along with whoever had been assigned to accompany him that night.

  “No,” Nick said flatly. “Nobody saw it happen and there were no clues in the nearby apartment buildings or on the rooftops we searched afterward.”

  “Wow. You must have really made enemies.”

  “I wear a badge. Most of the time that’s all it takes. That’s what I’ve been trying to teach you, Keira. Until you know for sure exactly what you’re up against, you’d better treat every call, every response, as if your life depended upon it. Because it may.”

  Keira knew he was right. Her mind was willing to fully accept his warning. It was her heart that struggled. She truly loved this town and the people in it. Thinking of any of them as evil went against the grain.

  If she adopted Nick’s attitude and began to look for—to expect—wickedness all the time, would it spoil everything? That was certainly a possibility. Her own father had been going through emotional upheavals ever since Olivia Henry had been found dead so no one was immune, not even a seasoned officer of the law.

  That was one of the saddest conclusions she’d ever come to. She pressed her lips together into a thin line and stared at the road ahead.

  “I see you’re finally taking me seriously,” Nick said.

  Keira nodded solemnly, thoughtfully, before she responded, “Yes. And I wish I wasn’t.”

  SIX

  The first thing Nick did after Keira dropped him off at the inn was phone his former precinct on his cell.

  “Delfino?” the desk officer remarked. “I thought you were long gone. What’s the matter? Did you get homesick for the Rat Squad?”

  Nick gritted his teeth and took a moment to compose himself before ignoring the slangy epithet for IA and replying, “Yeah. I miss all my old pals so much I can hardly stand it. Cry myself to sleep every night. Listen, is the chief in? I need to talk to him.”