He left, and Luke turned a concerned gaze on her. “Are you going to be okay?”
“In time.” She rubbed her arms, the goose bumps there having nothing to do with the weather. “I’ll grieve like we all will and I know eventually, his loss will hurt less, but for now...”
“Yeah.”
“The healing process will go faster if we could catch Jordan’s killer.”
“We don’t know that there is a killer,” he reminded her gently.
Meeting his gaze, she offered him a sad smile. “Yes, we do.”
He looked away with a short nod. “The medical examiner said she couldn’t see any outward reason for Jordan’s death. No bullet holes, no trauma, nothing. So, let’s wait for the official word before we call it murder, okay?”
“Okay.”
“But,” he said with a sidelong glance at her, “we’re going to start investigating like it’s a murder. Just in case. We don’t want to lose any time or momentum. If it turns out not to be, then so be it.”
“Good.”
“And we need to find Snapper. We’ll get some flyers printed and posted. Maybe offer a reward for his return.”
“Good idea,” she said softly.
“Hey, Luke?” Finn called. “Can you come over here a second?”
“Sure.” Luke squeezed her shoulder and left to join Finn.
Sophie stayed put, thinking. What was she missing? Did she know something that would help find Jordan’s killer and she just didn’t know she knew? When racking her brain produced nothing, she spun to head back to the vehicle. There was nothing more she could do here.
A loud crack echoed through the air and a puff of wooded undergrowth littered her ankles. Sophie jerked to a stop.
“Sophie! Get down!”
She dropped just as another bullet slammed into the tree trunk beside her. And then Luke was there, his body covering hers, his weapon in hand, looking for a target.
Officers swarmed past, each one taking care to use the trees as cover while searching for the shooter.
Luke’s hand closed over hers and pulled. “Stay behind a tree!”
Sophie ducked, heart pounding. She grasped the trunk and knelt, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. Shouts from the other officers reached her as they quickly formulated a plan to catch the shooter.
And then Luke was beside her, his hand on her shoulder. “Head to the vehicle, Sophie. Bruno, heel!”
A motorcycle roared, then the engine faded as the three of them raced down the path toward the SUV. With a click of the remote, the back door opened. Bruno shot into his area and Luke reached around Sophie to shove her into the passenger side. When he landed in the driver’s seat with a grunt, Sophie turned, heart thudding, hands shaking.
“Are you okay?” he demanded.
“Yes. I...I think so. Someone was shooting at me...or us?”
“He was definitely shooting at someone, but you’re safe now. There’s no way he’s still around here with so many officers on his tail. They’ll catch him.”
“And if they don’t?” She couldn’t help the small squeak that slipped from her throat.
Reaching across the console, he pulled her into a hug and she buried her face into his shoulder for the second time that day.
“They will. I’m so sorry this is happening to you. You don’t deserve this, Sophie.”
She sniffed and squeezed her eyes against the flood of tears that wanted to fall. Crying could come later. Right now, she had to think. “Why does he keep coming back?”
“Because you saw him.”
“But I didn’t get a good look! Even when we were in the car racing through the streets, he had the baseball hat and sunglasses on. I don’t think I could even pick him out of a lineup.”
“Yeah, same here. But either he doesn’t realize that, or it doesn’t matter to him.” He held her tighter. “I’ll protect you, Sophie, I promise.”
“But who’s going to protect you?”
A knock on the window pulled them apart. Finn stood there. Luke lowered the window.
“We spotted him, but he got away,” Finn said, his gaze bouncing between the two of them.
“The motorcycle?”
“Yeah. We couldn’t pinpoint exactly where he was shooting from, but after he took his shots and realized we were coming, he hopped on and hightailed it out of here. I’ve already released a description, but it’s not much so I’m not holding out too much hope.”
Luke nodded. “All right, I’m going to take Sophie home. Keep me updated.”
“Of course.”
Once Finn was gone, Sophie shook her head. “You can’t take me home yet.”
“Why not?”
“I need to at least be there when Katie gets the news.”
Luke took her hand. “Of course. I’ll take you to see her.”
Her phone rang. “Hello?”
“It’s Noah, Sophie. We’re headed to Katie’s and were wondering if you could be there.”
“I was just heading that way.”
“I think the media is heading for the house. See if you can beat them there and keep her from hearing it from anyone but one of us.”
“Me? But—” How would she manage to do that?
“She’ll need you,” Noah said, his voice hoarse.”
“I... Okay. I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you.”
Frankly, she wondered if she’d be able to even look Katie in the eye when she saw her, but she’d have to try. For Katie.
SEVEN
Luke’s heart still pounded with shock and grief and he had to wonder if the feelings would ease anytime soon. He doubted it but did his best to focus on Sophie. “Tell me how you and Katie came to be such good friends?” he asked as he headed toward the Jamesons’ house in Rego Park.
“When I started working for Jordan, he introduced me to Katie right away, said he had a feeling we’d be good friends.” She gave him a half smile. “He took us both to lunch one day and we hit it off immediately.”
“He had good intuition about a lot of things.”
“True. Anyway, sometimes when Katie would come in to the office to see Jordan, she’d have to wait if he was on the phone or in a meeting that went long. We’d wind up chatting, and eventually, we started going to lunch together a few times a week—especially if Jordan couldn’t go.”
“Sounds nice.”
“It was.” She blinked at the sudden rush of tears once again. “I can’t believe the timing of this. It’s unbelievable.”
He frowned at her and she pressed her fingers against her lips. What did the timing of Jordan’s death have to do with anything? It’s not like there would be a better time for him to die, would there? Luke had the feeling that wasn’t the way she meant her words to sound. Instead, he figured she knew something she wasn’t telling and he didn’t like it. Instead of pressing her, he drove through the streets of Rego Park, turning onto Furmanville Avenue and past the St. John Cemetery, then onto Woodhaven Boulevard, all the while looking for a parking spot. He could use the BFK parking garage, but that was about a mile and a half from the Jamesons’ home and he didn’t want Sophie exposed for the length of time it would take to walk from the garage. Then again, he could just drop her at the door of the house and go find a spot, but that would entail leaving her.
Finally, he wedged the SUV at the end of the block on Fitchett Street and cut the engine. When he turned to look at her, the devastation on her face grabbed his heart in a vice grip. He took her hand in his. “I’ll be there, too, okay? We’ll all be there and be her support. Whatever she needs.”
Sophie nodded, opened her door and stepped out of the vehicle. Luke did the same and released Bruno from his area. The dog trotted beside them as they worked their way up the sidewalk. Luke kept his eyes open, watching the surrounding are
a. He hadn’t mentioned it to Sophie, but he’d been looking for more than a parking spot while he’d been driving up and down the streets.
And while he saw nothing that set off his alarm bells, he couldn’t help the feeling that someone was out there. Watching and waiting for the chance to get to Sophie. The thought propelled him closer to her and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
She glanced up but didn’t pull away. Seconds later, they approached the front door. Officers stood outside the home. A protective measure for Katie just in case whatever caused Jordan to disappear—and die—was a threat to Katie. Luke knew they were there, as well, out of concern and support for the wife of their chief.
He nodded to each of them.
“Any word on the chief?” one asked.
“I can’t say anything right now,” Luke said, “but you’ll be hearing something soon.” No way was anyone else finding out about Jordan’s death before the man’s wife.
“Luke. Sophie!”
He turned to see Noah, Carter and Zach hurrying toward them. Luke stepped back and allowed the brothers to take the lead. Noah opened the door and they made their way to Katie and Jordan’s apartment.
Zach knocked.
When Katie opened the door, her red-rimmed eyes met Zach’s, then bounced from person to person until they finally landed on Sophie, who stood slightly in front of the brothers. Luke frowned at Katie’s almost translucent appearance.
“What is it?” she asked. “Did you find him?”
Zach drew in a deep breath and nodded.
“Well, what?”
No one spoke. Finally, Sophie took her friend’s hand in hers and led her back through the foyer and into the den. “Let’s sit down.”
Katie obediently followed Sophie to the couch and sank onto it. “It’s obviously not good. So, what? Which hospital is he in? How bad is it?”
Noah stepped forward and cleared his throat. “He’s gone, Katie,” Noah said.
“He’s...” Sophie glanced at Luke and the others. She swallowed. For a moment, Katie simply stared at her brother-in-law. “Gone? Gone where?”
Sophie shook her head and Noah gripped her fingers. “He’s dead, Katie. He’s...dead.” He choked on the last word and turned away.
Again, Katie stayed rock still for a good ten seconds, then tears filled her eyes to spill over her lashes and streak her cheeks. “No,” she whispered. Her face crumpled, and Sophie leaped forward to pull her friend into an embrace while Luke looked away and pressed fingers to his burning eyes.
This wasn’t the first time he’d had to be present or tell someone a family member had died, but it sure was the hardest. “I’m sorry, Katie,” he whispered.
Katie sobbed into Sophie’s shoulder for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she pulled back and Sophie pressed tissues into the woman’s hand. Luke didn’t know where she’d gotten them, but he was beginning to understand that that was Sophie. Always prepared. Even for this.
“It’s on the news,” Zach said, his voice rough. He glanced up from his phone. “Someone leaked it.” He looked ready to find the person responsible and let them have it.
“We were worried about that and got here as fast as we could,” Luke said. “How far away are your parents?” he asked.
“They should be here anytime now,” Carter said.
“Do they know?”
“Yes.” Noah raked a hand over his head. “Once we realized it was on the news, we had no choice but to break it to them over the phone.”
“I’m sorry.”
A sharp cry escaped Katie and she broke away from Sophie to dart down the hallway.
“Katie?” Zach called. His sister-in-law ignored him.
Sophie’s tear-filled eyes met Luke’s for a brief second, then she hurried after her friend.
* * *
Sophie stopped at the bathroom door. The sounds of Katie being sick reached her and she closed her eyes to offer up a silent prayer for her grieving friend. When it sounded as if the episode was over, Sophie knocked.
“Come in.”
Katie sat on the floor, her back against the wall, eyes closed. “What am I going to do without him?” she whispered as another tear slid down to drop off her jaw.
Sophie sighed and lowered herself beside her friend. “You’ll go on and you’ll raise his baby to know that his or her daddy was a hero.”
Katie gave a slight nod, but her tears never stopped flowing.
“And,” Sophie said, “it might be a good idea to tell everyone about the baby. Not only will it give everyone hope that Jordy will live on in his child, but you need the support, someone to go to your doctor’s appointments with you and hold your hand through all of this.”
“You haven’t mentioned it?”
“Of course not. That’s not my news to share.”
“No. It was ours.” Her eyes opened, and anger flashed. “Mine and Jordy’s. And now that’s been ripped away from us. Why?”
Sophie gripped her friend’s cold fingers and squeezed. “I don’t know, Katie. It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not.” She sighed, and her shoulders drooped, surprising Sophie that the sudden surge of anger vanished in a flash to be replaced with raw grief once more. “I’ll tell them after the funeral,” Katie said. “But...if it becomes necessary for someone to know, then you have my blessing.”
“Thanks. It might very well be necessary.” She really thought Luke should know if only to fully convince him that Jordan would never take his own life. “But why not tell everyone now? It would be such joyous news in the midst of all of this tragedy.” Wouldn’t it?
Katie swiped a tear. “I don’t know. Do you really think so? That it will bring them joy or just heighten the loss and the grief because they all know how much Jordan would have loved this baby and now he’ll never get to—” She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes.
Sophie bit her lip. “I truly don’t know.”
“Jordy and I wanted to keep this just between us for a while,” Katie said, dropping her hands into her lap. “So we could savor the idea—and make sure the pregnancy was going like it should—not that we had any reason to think otherwise.” She gave a small shrug. “But it was fun. It was our secret.” Another tear dripped off her chin and she nodded. “All right. I’ll tell them in a few minutes.”
Silence fell between them and for several minutes they sat there while Katie worked on getting her tears under control and Sophie wondered what the future would hold for her friend.
“How did he die?” Katie finally asked. “Who killed him? Because I know it wasn’t self-inflicted.”
“I don’t know. I saw him,” Sophie said softly. “And...”
“Tell me. Please.”
“He looked peaceful. Like he’d taken a walk in the woods and found a comfortable spot to sit while he contemplated the future.” No need to mention his open, staring eyes. “There wasn’t a bullet hole or any blood except for a trace amount found in his vehicle. And it’s very possible it wasn’t his. The medical examiner will know more once she’s finished with the...everything.”
“The autopsy.”
“Yes.” Sophie didn’t want to say the word in relation to Jordan. The fact that Katie had done so was a testament to her strength. Strength that Sophie was going to have to find and emulate.
“Where’s Snapper?” Katie asked. “Did you find him?”
“No.”
Katie groaned and lowered her forehead to her knees. “He should have been right there with Jordy. He wouldn’t have left him willingly.”
“I agree. We’ve already talked about that. Everyone’s searching for him now. And now that it’s all over the news, I think they’re going to print up some flyers and put them out along the biking trail and around the park.”
A knock on the door pulled them to their
feet.
“Everything okay in there?” Zach asked. “Sorry, that’s a dumb question. I know everything’s not okay. Is there anything you need? Anything we can do?”
“They must be feeling pretty helpless out there,” Katie said.
“Probably, but you deal with this however you need to. They’ll wait,” Sophie said.
“No, it’s okay.” Katie swiped her face, then rose to wash her hands. Taking a deep breath, she faced the door. “We’re coming,” she called. She opened the door and Sophie followed her and Zach down the hall to the kitchen, where an older couple sat at the table, expressions drawn, cheeks wet with their tears. They rose.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jameson,” Sophie said while Katie slipped into her mother-in-law’s arms.
“Hello, Sophie.” Mr. Jameson hugged her. Hard. His desperate grief reached inside her and ripped at the fragile hold she had on her emotions.
One by one, Jordan’s brothers hugged Katie, then led their parents and Katie into the living area.
* * *
Luke stayed behind. “Can I help do something?”
“You can make all of this go away or wake me up from the nightmare,” Sophie said softly, pulling plastic cups and plates from under the cabinet near the refrigerator.
“I wish I could.”
“I know.”
She rummaged through the refrigerator, pulling leftover containers and lifting the lids, sniffing...and mostly tossing into the trash.
“What are you doing?” he asked, mystified.
“As soon as people hear, they’re going to be arriving in droves. Jordy and Katie are...were...a part of a large couples Bible study. They’ll come to offer their sympathy and they’ll bring food. We’ll need room for it. There’s another refrigerator and freezer outside on the porch, as well.”
Luke stood, held silent by her resilience and her thoughtfulness. “You’re amazing,” he finally said softly. She was hurting, grieving, just like the rest of them—and yet she was putting everyone else first.
She paused and offered him a small smile. “I’m not that amazing. It helps to stay busy, to focus on something besides my shattered heart.”
Justice Mission Page 8
