Protecting My Heart

by David Horne

  “Sure. I guess that’ll work.” He didn’t want to have to do this. Turn his father in for whatever the man had been doing with that guy.

  “I can get Zeke in there if you want me to,” Jennie said.

  “Why?”

  “Because you look nervous.”

  Tristan’s hands were trembling. He didn’t want to admit to himself that he was terrified. He’d been attacked. It may have just been a building. But that building was his life. He didn’t want to deal with this. This wasn’t supposed to be his life.

  “I guess I am a little nervous.”

  “I know you’re close to Zeke.”

  “Not really anymore.” Tristan shook his head.

  “But you’re more comfortable with him.”

  “I guess so.”

  Jennie sighed. “I’ll give him a call. Get him to come down and talk to you. That way it’s a little easier for you.”

  “Are you sure? I thought he was busy or something.”

  “If it’ll make you more comfortable, I can get him to come back to the office.”

  Tristan bit his lip. A part of him wanted to ask for Zeke to be there, but another part wanted to do it without leaning on Zeke for support. Without feeling the pain of the separation again. Zeke had drifted away from him, that much he knew, but he had never known why. And now it seemed like they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other whenever they were alone together. After a few seconds of deliberation, he nodded.

  “I don’t want anyone to get in trouble.”

  “I’m sure we can work that out. As long as we know what’s going on.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Do you think someone you know is going to get into trouble?”

  “That’s a possibility.”

  Jennie got up and led the way to the small dark room with a single bright light in the center.

  “This place is creepy,” Tristan said, looking around in horror.

  “Sorry about that. It’s meant to be intimidating.”

  “Can you really see through that mirror from the other side?”

  Jennie nodded. “It lets people watch what we’re doing. We also videotape stuff.”

  “No one videotapes stuff anymore.”

  “Fine, record it,” Jennie said, laughing.

  “Am I going to be taped?” Tristan switched back to the other word and he noticed her smirk. She had obviously caught what he had done.

  “Only from the security camera. We won’t have all the questioning cameras up. But we need a record.”

  Tristan chewed on his lip while he nodded.

  “I’m going to call Zeke to come in. He may not be very far.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “You’re a witness and having him close would make you more comfortable. It’s for the best.”

  “I don’t want to be a bother.”

  Jessie laughed. “You’re not a bother. Trust me. You might just be the key to blowing this wide open. We’re willing to work with you. Now, I’ll go give him a call and see if I can get him into the room as soon as possible. That means I’m going to have to leave you alone for a bit.”

  “That’s fine.” Tristan bit his lip.

  Jennie turned around and walked out of the room.

  Tristan wondered what he was going to say as he was left alone. The room seemed to make his thoughts ricochet around him, popping in and out of his head. He couldn’t control his own ideas, and he hated the feeling. He couldn’t get rid of the thought of his father in cuffs and getting tossed in jail. Tristan hated the idea.

  Tristan wasn’t sure how long it took Zeke to walk into the room. But he was stuck in his thoughts the entire time.

  “Hey.” Zeke slid into the chair across the table.”

  “Hey.” Tristan wrung his hands.

  “My partner said that you saw something.” Zeke’s voice was calm and controlled.

  “I don’t know if I saw anything important or not and I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble could people get into?”

  “I don’t really know. I’m kind of guessing.” Tristan sighed. “But I saw something and I don’t know what it was, or whether it meant anything. And I think my Dad might be involved.”

  Zeke frowned heavily. “Now I get why you didn’t want to talk about it.”

  “I don’t know if it’s even anything. I don’t think my dad would do anything illegal.”

  “He isn’t the type.”

  “But it was so weird.”

  “What happened?” Zeke reached across the small metal table and wrapped his hands around Tristan’s.

  It brought Tristan some comfort. Strengthened his resolve to tell the truth about what was happening. He felt the awkwardness just wash away.

  “One day my dad showed up at the bakery. He looked like he was there for a reason but he said he’d just come to visit to see how things were going. We talked for a bit.”

  Tristan paused. Zeke didn’t say anything, just waited until Tristan could continue.

  “Then this weird guy came in. He didn’t talk to me. My dad practically met him at the door. He handed the guy an envelope and then the guy left.”

  “What did your dad do?”

  “He left right afterward,” Tristan

  “Do you have any idea what was in the envelope?”

  “No, I don’t. You would have to ask my dad.”

  “Did your dad say anything about it?” Zeke asked.

  “He didn’t talk about it and I didn’t think it was a good idea to ask.”

  Zeke nodded. He looked thoughtful. It was a good look for a police detective, Tristan couldn’t deny that.

  “I don’t think your father is going to be in any trouble.”

  “Really?”

  “If it’s what we’re thinking, your father probably wasn’t at fault. Just a victim.” Zeke had a comforting look on his face. It made Tristan feel a lot better, especially when Zeke’s hand wrapped around his.

  “Wait. Blackmail or something?”

  “We don’t know for sure; we’ll have to follow up. I’ll have to talk to your dad.”

  “Are you sure that you have to do that?” Tristan asked.

  Zeke nodded. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

  “Why?” Tristan asked.

  “Because from what we know, these guys have been extorting protection money from businesses all around the area.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you supposed to be telling me any of this?”

  “Uh, probably not, but it’s okay. I want you to know how important this is. I’m not going to share names or anything. It’s been hard to find witnesses because people are scared.”

  “After what they did to me, I can’t really blame them.”

  “I can’t either. I wasn’t expecting retaliation like that for my partner coming by the bakery.”

  “I never even knew. My dad never told me.”

  “I wonder why?”

  “Probably because he was trying to protect me. That would be why he came up to pay them. So that he didn’t have to tell me yet,” Tristan said.

  “I wonder how often they come to collect?” Zeke pondered.

  “I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you.” Tristan shook his head. “It was just weird. It’s not like I would ever want my dad to get into any trouble. I knew there had to be a reason for it. I didn’t know he was being extorted. I just thought he was paying for something.”

  “I know. It’s kind of strange to even think about, you know,” Zeke said.

  “Is it?”

  “Yeah. Your dad never said anything about it?”

  “No. Never.” Tristan shook his head.

  “Not a single clue?” Zeke asked.

  “No, not really.”

  “It’s hard to believe that they’re covering their tracks that well.”

  “I probably wouldn’t have found out if it wasn’t for the fact that he ret
ired. Which meant that he had to come back to pay them.” Tristan sighed. “I wish he would have told me.”

  “He’s your father. Do you think you would tell your son that you were being extorted for money in order to keep your business open?”

  “I guess not.” Tristan sighed heavily.

  “Can you describe the guy?”

  Tristan nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I can.”

  He launched into the description of the rather normal-looking man that had come into the bakery before the place had been trashed.

  Zeke listened carefully then helped Tristan transfer the data from the cameras in the store over to the department for them to look over and see if they recognized anyone.

  It was a start. Tristan was happy that the police seemed pleased with his work. But all of this meant that his father was going to have to answer some uncomfortable questions.

  Chapter Nine

  Zeke spent a long time listening to the problems that Tristan was experiencing. He tried not to pity the man too much, but it was a hard thing to do. He hadn’t ever imagined something making him feel so badly, and when the call came it was even worse. An officer walked into the interrogation room and interrupted them. “Zeke. Can I have a moment?”

  Zeke sighed and walked out of the room. “What is it?”

  “We just got a call from the fire department.”

  “All right? What about it?”

  “That bakery that you’re investigating was set on fire.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Zeke groaned. “I’ve got the owner right in there.”

  “You should probably tell him. And get him someplace safe. It seems like things are escalating.”

  “Yeah, you’re right, I need to get him someplace safe. They may come after him next.”

  “That’s a real possibility. If he doesn’t have a safe place that he can go to, we’ll find him a safe house.”

  Zeke nodded. “I’ll take care of it, I promise.”

  “What’s with the sudden promise. I know you’re going to do your job.” The sergeant smiled and laughed.

  “Sorry. Still in witness questioning mode,” Zeke said.

  “You’re pretty good when you get in that mode.”

  “I also run into trouble with it sometimes,” Zeke added.

  “Like that baker I saw you making eyes at?”

  “I don’t make eyes at anyone,” Zeke said.

  “You sure about that?”

  “We dated a long time ago. Nothing came of it.”

  “From the way you’re looking at him, I wonder if something should have.”

  “What are you talking about?” Zeke asked.

  Zeke’s fellow officer shook his head with a laugh. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Is that really what you’re going to go with?”

  “Yep. Get in there and convince him to go someplace safe,” he said.

  “Fine. Will do.” Zeke rolled his eyes and turned back to the room.

  Zeke paused for a moment. There was no good way to have this conversation. It was going to break Tristan’s heart, and Zeke would have to find a way to pick up the pieces and get Tristan to calm down.

  There was also no way to avoid it. He was going to have to tell him. He had to tell Tristan and then convince him to come to safety.

  Tristan was waiting patiently when Zeke came back into the room. The man’s hands were shaking slightly. “What was it?”

  Zeke slid into the seat across the table. “We need to have a talk.”

  “A talk about what?”

  “About the bakery.”

  “You look like there’s something wrong. Is something wrong?”

  “Yeah, there’s something wrong.”

  Tristan looked like he was about to panic.

  “I don’t know how to say this,” Zeke said.

  “Say what?”

  Zeke sighed. “Someone set fire to the bakery.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Tristan said.

  “I’m serious.”

  “What? Why?” Tristan was bewildered. “Why would someone do that?”

  “It may be related to you coming in to talk to us. Did anyone see you come in? Did you tell anyone?”

  Tristan shook his head. “Not that I noticed and I never mentioned it to anyone.”

  Zeke sighed. He could feel the strain in his chest. “I need to get you someplace safe. If they think you’re talking to us and are this brazen about threatening you, who knows what else they might do.”

  “Are you sure?” Tristan asked.

  “I’m sure.”

  “Where am I going to go?”

  “Do you have a friend that you can stay with?”

  Tristan thought about it. “I usually stay with my parents when I feel like not sleeping at home. Or something happens.”

  “That’s probably not the best idea.” Zeke shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t want you to freak out or anything, but there’s a chance that they might come after your parents too.”

  Tristan’s face fell. It very nearly broke Zeke’s heart. “What? Why?”

  “Because your father must be the one that they have the deal with.”

  “You really think they would hurt him?” Tristan asked, the worry in voice heightened.

  “We’ll have some guys go and pick them up.”

  “I don’t have any place to go. I don’t want to put my friends at risk.”

  Zeke frowned. He hadn’t expected this. “Why don’t you stay at my place for a while. At least until we determine if we should put you in a safe house.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Tristan asked.

  “Yeah. It’s a safe place. A cop’s house, they shouldn’t think to look for you there.”

  Tristan nodded slowly. “That’ll work.”

  “Do you want to stay someplace else? Maybe we can get you a hotel room.”

  “No, it’s fine.” Tristan shook his head. “Do I need to wait here?”

  “I can take you now.” Zeke got up and walked to the door, opening it for him. “I know you don’t want to sit around here for long.”

  “Can we go and see the bakery?”

  “We’ll have to be careful. I don’t want to be followed from there.”

  Tristan nodded slowly. “Okay. Whatever you think is safest then.”

  “I didn’t say we couldn’t do it, but it’s probably best if you don’t get out of the car. We can just drive past and hope you won’t be seen.”

  “That’ll be something at least,” Tristan said.

  “If it matters at all, I’m sorry this is happening to you.”

  “Thanks. It matters.” Tristan had a thin-lipped smile on his face. “I’m sorry if I’m a burden or anything like that.”

  The man was fidgeting slightly. It tugged at Zeke’s heart, making him uncomfortable. “I don’t mean to be.”

  “You’re not. I just want to make sure that you’re safe. If it turns out that you’re not in any danger, you’ll be back at home before you can blink. It’s going to be fine.”

  “Are you really sure about that?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. We almost always catch the bad guys.”

  “Almost always?”

  “Like ninety percent of the time.”

  “That isn’t exactly a great number.”

  “It’s actually a surprisingly good number.”

  “It is?”

  “Yeah, as far as case closure rates go, it’s an amazing number. Don’t worry. You’ve got two of the best detectives on the case. Everything is going to be fine.”

  “Why do you sound so confident?”

  “Because it’s my job to be confident. I can’t expect people to trust me if I don’t trust myself to get the job done.”

  “That makes sense.” Tristan got up. “I think I want to go lie down. It’s been a rough couple of days.”

  “Do you still want to drive by the bakery?”

  “If we can, yeah. I need to see what’s
become of my life.”

  “That’s not your entire life, you know?”

  ***

  Tristan followed him out to the car and climbed into the passenger seat. “I feel like all of my time is spent at the bakery. Even more so since I’m running the place.”

  “You don’t have to worry. It can all be fixed once this is over.”

  “But my staff aren’t getting paid either.” Tristan rubbed his face.

  “That’s bad, yeah.”

  Zeke winced as he navigated through the streets to drive past the bakery. The building was still standing at least, but the smoke damage was evident. Zeke could hear Tristan draw in a quick gasp as he drove past. One hand reached out and rested on Tristan’s shoulder. It was a small comfort, but it was impossible to offer anything more while focusing on the road.

  He was going to have to wait until they got to his place. Zeke noted the strained silence that seemed to emanate from Tristan. He didn’t like it but couldn’t concentrate on fully deciphering it until he stopped the car.

  The silence continued until Zeke pulled up in front of his place. The car doors opened and they both climbed out of the vehicle. It was a beautiful evening if Zeke could pull himself together long enough to notice it, but he was too worried about Tristan.

  They went inside, and still, the silence continued. It was nearing painful levels, but it was difficult to find something to say.

  But something had to be said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “I don’t know.” Tristan shook his head and flopped down on the couch. “Maybe it’ll all feel better in the morning.”

  “I hope it’s that simple.”

  “It probably won’t be.”

  “I hope it is, though.”

  “That means a lot, thanks.” Tristan nodded. “Sorry, I’m such a downer tonight.”

  Zeke felt a soft smile form on his lips. “Even at your worst, you’re not really a downer.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. My entire livelihood just went up in flames.”

  “That can all be fixed. You’ll get the insurance money.”

  “And we have some money put aside.”

  “Mm-hhm. I’m going to let you take the bed, all right?”

  Tristan nodded. “I can stay on the couch. I don’t want to put you out.”

  “You aren’t putting me out. You’ve been through enough. I’m not going to add to it by subjecting you to my uncomfortable couch.”