Carol's Image

by Jordan, Maryann

  Carol, eyes twinkling, ran up the stairs toward the bedroom with Tom right on her heels. Squealing as he caught her, she whirled around in his arms, pulling his face down for a kiss. Passionate. Hard. Wet. Long. Needy. Tongues dueling.

  Slowly, the kiss became less desperate. She felt his lips moving gently over hers as though to memorize their shape and feel. Slow. Gentle. Full of promise. Love. Acceptance.

  That night, they made love with all the feelings and emotions that the day had brought. Resting in the knowledge that they were truly as one, they worshiped each other’s bodies long into the night.

  Lying naked, curled tightly together, she drifted off to sleep with her head tucked safely against his broad chest. His arms encircled her, holding her as though she would slip away if he let her go.

  “I hear your heart beat,” she said as she slipped into sleep.

  “It beats for you, angel,” came the promise.

  Chapter 22

  Tom, on the phone with Shane, was listening to his friend’s long, continuous flow of cursing. Holding the phone away from his ear momentarily, he caught Jake’s look of irritation, knowing they were all pissed.

  “How’n the hell did that judge let that motherfucker out on bail? If ever there was a fuckin’ flight risk, it’s Cal Penski. Fuck!”

  Tom finally cut in. “Shane, not a damn thing we can do. Just wanted you to know he’ll probably be headin’ your way. Figure he’s not gonna hang out in Fairfield very long, so he’ll get back to his business in Richland.”

  “Can you tail him? Can you keep a man on him?” Shane barked out.

  “Legally, no. You know that. But we do know he headed to his mom’s house. Got someone watchin’ the house to see if anyone suspicious shows up. He’s not stupid though. He’s gotta know we are watchin’ so he’s not gonna try to run his business outta his mom’s kitchen.”

  With Shane’s cursing and thanks ringing in his ears, Tom hung up the phone. Resting his elbows on his desk, he rubbed one hand over his face while tossing his cell down.

  Jake didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. As friends and now partners for several years, they knew each other well enough to know when words weren’t necessary. Both were pissed. Both were tired.

  The chief walked over, seeing his two best detectives and reading their mood. “Men, you keep working the case with the Richland police. Make it airtight, and when he goes to trial, we’ll have him.”

  Jake looked over at Tom. “You think we can get Bert to keep an eye on him for us. He may be willin’ to be an informant, if he dislikes his brother so much.”

  Tom snorted. “You think that weasel’s gonna help us out. After I threatened him to stay away from Carol? No way.”

  Jake’s cell rang, and he recognized the PI he put on as a tail for Cal. “Campbell. Got something?”

  “Been quiet all morning. Just lettin’ you know that Cal and his mom just got in her car. I tailed them, and it looks like they are at the Lo-Foods grocery store over in the Stop and Shop center. You want me to keep an eye on their car and tail ’em when they get out?”

  “Yeah. Just let me know if they don’t go back home. Was Bert with them?”

  “Nah. Just Cal and his mom.”

  “Got it. Thanks.” Jake hung up then relayed the conversation to Tom.

  Tom nodded then leaned back in his chair, stretching his muscular frame, trying to ease some of the tension out of his body. Looking back down at the stack of files on his desk, he sighed as he and Jake continued working, secure in the knowledge that Cal was being watched.

  *

  Carol and Jon were just finishing their shift when Sofia came in. The three friends had not worked simultaneous shifts in several weeks, and Carol found that she missed their company. Sofia passed them in the hallway, saying, “Got here early. I’ll meet you in the break room when you’re finished.”

  Jon nodded and waved her on as Carol was coming out of one of the ER examining room. “You done?” he asked her.

  Smiling up at him, she said, “Yeah. Kid needed stitches. Fell off the monkey bars at the elementary school. I asked him who his teacher was. Thought it might be Laurie, but it wasn’t.”

  “That’s good though,” Jon added. “Laurie’s had enough excitement for the year.” Earlier the elementary school’s kitchen had caught on fire and Laurie had to assist in the rescue of her students.

  “Oh my god, yes! I’m so glad this little tyke wasn’t in her class. Wasn’t a bad cut, but boy, did it bleed! And what a talker. He couldn’t hold still long enough for me to numb him, and he talked the whole time. How she deals with twenty-six of those little guys everyday – I don’t know how she does it!”

  Jon laughed as they headed toward the nursing lounge saying, “Yeah, but I bet she says the same thing about our jobs.”

  Walking into the break room, they saw Sofia sitting with her feet on a chair and drinking flavored water instead of coffee.

  “Damn, girl,” Jon accused. “You look like you just got off a shift, but you haven’t even started. Carol and I are the tired ones around here.”

  “Yeah, well, you slugs don’t have two kids at home and another one on the way.”

  The words hung in the air for a moment before Carol shrieked and launched herself toward Sofia, grabbing her in a huge hug. “Oh my god, you’re pregnant!”

  Grinning, Jon walked over putting his arms around both women, joining in the hug.

  They all talked for just a few minutes before Sofia had to go on duty. “We’ll get together soon,” she promised. “I can do virgin-drinks at Smokey’s. I’ll even let you bring Mr. Sexy Ass Dick so I can have some eye candy to drool over!”

  Carol blushed once again, knowing she would have another name to warn Tom about as she wrapped Sofia in another embrace, using one hand to pat Sofia’s tummy.

  Jon walked Carol to her car, making sure it was all clear. Hugging her goodbye, he trotted off to his truck.

  Carol was on cloud nine. Another baby for Sofia. Perfect. She couldn’t help the direction that took her mind, to Tom. The man who stole her heart but gave her back her life. She couldn’t help but grin to herself as she settled into her car, remembering how he wouldn’t let her be clueless. Glancing in the rear view mirror she thought, He helped me see me. I like who looks back at me. I like the image I see.

  A tapping on her car window snapped Carol out of her musings. Jumping, she turned her head around sharply to see Bert standing next to her car. He appeared nervous and stepped back to give her some space.

  “Bert, what do you want?” she asked sharply, hating the tone of her voice. Ugh, Tom has me suspicious of everyone around.

  “Miss Carol, I’m so sorry to disturb you. I know your boyfriend don’t want me around, but I don’t know who else to ask for,” Bert said, anxiously glancing around.

  Lordy, he’s looking around to see if Tom is going to jump out and arrest him. Carol rolled down her window, feeling safe in the daylight. “Bert, what do you need?”

  “It’s momma. She’s doing poorly today and refuses to go to the doctor. She doesn’t have good insurance, doesn’t have a family doctor, and refuses to go into the hospital. You’re the only nurse I know, and I just hoped you would come, real quick like, and check her out. I promise if you think she needs help, I’ll force her to go in myself.”

  “Is she at home?” Carol asked, not wanting to drive to Bert’s house alone.

  “Oh, no. I got her over there in my car. She just don’t want to go in, but I saw you and thought that you could help. Can you come over, please?” he begged, twisting his hands together.

  Sighing, Carol rolled up her window and got out of the car. “Okay, Bert. I’ll take a look at her, but if she is really that sick, I will definitely be insisting that she go into the hospital. And they take patients without insurance, so she doesn’t have to worry about that.”

  “Oh, Miss Carol. Thank you so much,” Bert said, moving away to show her to his car. They walked from the em
ployee parking lot to the next lot over, for visitors. Bert led her to an old green car that had seen better days. Opening the back door, he leaned in saying, “Momma. I’ve got a real nice nurse here to take a look at you. She’s a friend, and her name is Carol. So momma, you let her check you out, okay?”

  Bert’s mother was wrapped in a blanket in the back seat, and as he moved out of the door frame, Carol leaned in. “Mrs. Penski, my name is Carol and I am a nurse here. I just want to see how you are feeling.” Carol moved forward and placed her hands on the blanket to pull it back when she quickly realized that there was nothing but a pillow under the blanket.

  “Bert, what are-.” Carol felt a sting in her hip as she was turning to see what game Bert was playing. Then…blackness.

  *

  Jake answered his cell when the PI called back. “Yeah?”

  “Man, you are not gonna like this. Bastard gave me the slip.”

  “How the fuck did he do that?” Jake growled.

  “Sat here watchin’ their car when momma came out by herself with some groceries and she drove off. Cal must have planned this, slipped out the back and had a ride waitin’.”

  “Follow her. Keep an eye on the house. Call if you see him.”

  Jake was explaining to Tom what the situation was with Cal when Tom’s phone rang.

  Tom looked down as he answered, seeing Laurie’s number on the screen. “Hey Laurie, what’s up?”

  “Tom, I am so sorry to call you at work, but I just wanted to know if you have heard from Carol? She got off work an hour ago, and we were supposed to meet up at Bernie’s, but she never showed. She’s also not answering her phone. I just…well, it’s silly, but I was just worried.”

  Tom, feeling the cold prickle of fear slide down his back, tried to keep his voice calm. “I haven’t heard from her. I’ll check it out. Let me know if you get ahold of her. Thanks, Laurie.” Hanging up, he relayed the information to Jake, and they rose at the same time, grabbing their jackets on their way out of the door.

  Arriving at the hospital parking lot, Tom immediately saw Carol’s car. Looking in, he saw her purse lying in the passenger seat. The cold prickle now became a cold rush as the fear washed over him.

  “Security cameras,” Jake growled, while Tom called Jon.

  They hurried into the hospital, finding Marcus. He admitted that he saw Carol make it to her car, but he did not see her drive away. Jake filled in Marcus on their concerns and he called the head of security. Marcus let them in the security office, where the security administrator was already pulling up the security tapes.

  Tom watched, dread filling his heart as he saw Bert approach Carol’s car. No, angel. No. Don’t get out of your car. The voices in his head warred with what his eyes were watching. He saw Carol walk away with Bert in the direction of another parking lot. Growling, “Next camera,” he ordered the security admin, as the man was already pulling the next camera up on their screen.

  They watched in silence as Carol and Bert approached his car and opened the door to the back. Tom saw Carol lean in, then what he saw next stopped his heart. “Noooo, goddamn it!” he roared as they saw Bert’s hand move forward, jabbing toward Carol’s hip. She immediately slumped forward into the car, and Bert pushed her the rest of the way in before getting in the driver’s seat and taking off.

  Jake was already on the phone to the station, filling in the chief who was immediately putting out an APB on Bert’s car. Flipping his phone shut, he looked over at Tom. Tom wasn’t moving. Not a muscle. He was simply staring at the screen of the monitor, which showed the empty space where Bert’s car had been. Jake knew Tom was staring at the place where Carol was last seen. He put his hand on Tom’s shoulder, forcing him to turn away from the monitor and focus on Jake’s face. “Get it together, man. We’ll get her.”

  As though hit with a cold bucket of water, Tom’s eyes cleared, and he suddenly snapped out of his stupor.

  Neither man believed in coincidence, and the thought hit them both at the same time. Where the fuck are Bert and Cal?

  *

  When Tom and Jake arrived at Mrs. Penski’s house, Jake kept warning Tom to stay cool and keep his mouth shut. “Do not fuck up this case. You can’t officially investigate now because of Carol. Let me do my job. You got me, man?” Jake asked. Glad to see the other patrolmen there, Jake needed Tom to keep his focus.

  Tom glared at Jake, not answering him as they knocked on the door announcing their presence. Mrs. Penski answered the door, looking surprisingly forlorn instead of her former defiance.

  “Know why you’re here. Don’t know what I can tell you though. Cal made me take him to the store and then leave without him. Don’t know where he is. Don’t care where he is. That’s boy’s been trouble since he was little.”

  “We need to know the whereabouts of Bert.” Jake stated.

  “My Bert?” she asked, eyes narrowing. “He ain’t got nothin’ to do with Cal leavin’.” Her eyes jerked nervously toward Tom as she heard him growling.

  “Mrs. Penski, we have video evidence of Bert kidnapping a woman from the hospital parking lot. We need to know where he is, and we need to know now. You helpin’ us will help him,” Jake calmly explained.

  “Hospital? That pretty nurse Bert and Cal were interested in?” she asked, her eyes moving between Jake and Tom. She licked her lips nervously and began twisting her hands together. Shaking her head, she moaned to herself, “Oh, I told Bert to stop it. Ain’t no way no pretty nurse was ever gonna wanna be with him. ’Bout had him convinced to finally leave her alone, when Cal came here the other day and stirred Bert all up again.”

  Tom could hear the roar of his heart screaming in his ears. His training knew that witnesses sometimes have to be handled slowly. With care. Cautiously. Letting them tell their story in their own time. But this is not fuckin’ one of those times, he wanted to scream at Jake.

  Jake, sensing that Tom was ready to explode, moved slightly in front of him, effectively blocking Mrs. Penski’s view of Tom. Probing gently, he continued, “We know Bert was interested in Ms. Fletcher, but what was Cal’s interest?”

  Wrapping her arms around her waist as though to protect herself from what was to come, she began to rock back and forth. “Cal found some pictures of her that Bert had taken. Not bad pictures, mind you. Just some pictures that he took following her around town. It was all innocent like – he never mean no harm. He just kept saying she was so purdy and so nice. Sometimes people aren’t so nice to Bert, him bein’ kindda slow and all.”

  She hesitated, gathering her thoughts so Jake prodded her again. Looking up, she snarled, “It woulda been fine if Cal hadn’t gotten involved. He recognized the pictures of the nurse from when he was in the hospital. I think he kinda fell for her too, but he didn’t let on to Bert. He convinced Bert that if he had that nurse all by hisself, then she would have to fall in love with him, but I think Cal just wanted Bert to get that girl so Cal could have her.”

  Tom’s pounding heart threatened to stop at that moment. It was one thing to think that Bert had gotten Carol. While Bert wasn’t harmless, he didn’t think that Bert would actually hurt Carol. But Cal? Oh god. If she gets in the hands of a notorious drug dealer and prostitution ring leader. Tom could feel his breath leave his body all in one great whoosh, and his legs threatened to give out.

  Encouraging her to keep talking, Jake said, “Mrs. Penski, you’re doin’ great. You’re helping Ms. Fletcher, and you’re helpin’ Bert.” Knowing that Bert was the key to getting Mrs. Penski to talk, he prodded, “Where did they talk about going? Where do you think Bert was heading?”

  “You’ll take care of my Bert? You’ll make sure he’s okay? Don’t care no more about Cal, but Bert’s different.”

  “I’ll do all I can for him,” Jake promised. “Where are they going?”

  “Not sure. I figure Cal is heading back to Richland. He told Bert that he’d meet up with him somewhere there, and he’d help him win the nurse over. Don’t know where Cal
’s place is though.”

  Thanking her for her help, he turned her over to the other officers and grabbed Tom’s arm steering him back to the truck. Tom was already on the phone to Shane while Jake was on his phone to the chief.

  The chief had already been in contact with the Chief of Police for Richland, and they were on the lookout for Cal to return. Now that there was a possible kidnapping involving Cal, the police could pick him up as soon as they found him.

  Tom got Shane on the phone who reassured him that they were looking for Cal.

  “Got more. You gotta find him. He and his brother kidnapped my girl.” Tom couldn’t keep the shaking from his voice, but couldn’t seem to find the ability to maintain control.

  “Jesus, fuck. Hold on, chief’s calling a briefing. It’s ’bout your situation. Call you back in ten.” Shane hung up, leaving Tom still holding the phone to his ear, not knowing what to do.

  Jake threw open the door to the truck, pushing Tom toward the seat. “Get in. We’re goin’ to Richland.”

  The two men headed out of town, determined to make the three hour drive in half that time. Tom coordinated the investigation from his phone while Jake drove, using his flashing lights to speed along where possible. The chief reported that Bert’s car had been found abandoned on the side of the road about an hour outside of Fairfield. State police investigators were at the scene, but the assumption was that was where Cal met up with Bert. The good news was that it was on the road to Richland so their hunch that he was heading there was probably correct. The bad news was that there was no sign of Carol.

  They still have her. Tom could feel the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach rise and threaten to choke him. His ability to think like a detective had left hours ago, leaving him adrift, helpless, and utterly lost.