by Andrew Grey
“Thank you for telling me, though I’m not surprised.” Evan put the plates in the sink. “You should get ready for work and take Greyson to day care. Please let me know when you drop him off, and be sure to reiterate that no one but you is to pick him up. Go in and rescind all allowances for other people, even your parents and your brother. That way they will have to call you if anyone shows up, even if they are on the list. Also, message me on my cell when you get to the office and when you leave.”
“Do you think I’m in danger?” Wes asked, as concerned about what Evan said as by the expression on his face and the hint of fear in his eyes. “Just tell me what you’re thinking. Don’t try to protect me. I deserve the truth.”
“I don’t know. But I want you to call me if you think someone is watching you or following you. Just watch and be careful.” Evan sat back down across from him. “Try to act normal, but just be careful. And if you can help it, don’t go anywhere alone.” He blew out his breath hard.
Wes nodded seriously. “I have a friend, Chris. She’s a librarian, and she picks up her son at the same time I do. I can probably see if she’ll give me a ride to pick up Greyson and take me home.” She had offered before, so Wes messaged her, and she responded that it was no problem. “Good to go.”
“Okay.” Evan sighed and seemed relieved. “Then I’ll drop off Greyson with you and then take you to your office. That way you won’t be alone.” That would be a lot better and make him less worried and keep Wes and Greyson safer.
“Okay. We need to get ready so I’m not late.” Wes scooped Greyson into his arms and hurried up the stairs, where he got him dressed and ready for day care. Then he found Evan in the bedroom. “Man, you look different,” Wes said at the door, with Greyson in his arms and the bag in hand. Evan’s clothes were rough—not dirty, but worn and out of style.
“It’s part of my persona for this assignment.” Evan smiled at Greyson, tickling him. “Ready to go?”
They went downstairs, and Evan grabbed the recording devices, stuffing them into a shopping bag. Then they left, and Evan checked out the car before taking them to day care. While there, Wes did as Evan suggested and canceled all the pickup authorizations he had in the file. Then he went back out, and Evan drove him to work. He went inside and right to his desk to get busy.
WES KNEW Evan’s meeting was at nine and kept his phone on his desk in case he got a message. Every time his phone vibrated, he jumped. But noon came and went, and he didn’t hear anything. Wes wished he had Pierre’s phone number so he could message him. He just needed to know that Evan was all right, and not hearing anything at all was wearing. Thankfully there were no emergencies, and Wes was able to do his work and try to keep his mind off Evan and what he was doing.
He messaged Chris, and she agreed to be outside his office at four. He thanked her and continued working, but received nothing from Evan. Finally, his workday was over, and he met Chris, installed the extra car seat that he’d taken in to the office with him, and she took him back to the day care. They got Greyson and her son, Carmello, into their seats, then got in and started for home.
“Are you okay? You seem jumpy,” Chris asked as she drove her Cherokee through town.
“I’m fine.” Wes wasn’t looking forward to going back to Evan’s alone. Wes had messaged Evan that he was on his way back to the house, and the program said that the message had been delivered, but there was no further response. “Just tired and a little worn out.”
“I’ve never lost my home the way you did. Are things moving forward at least?”
“Yes. The fire marshal issued his report and declared it an accident brought on by the gunfight in front of the house. Mom said the insurance company has accepted the report, and now we are making lists of what we lost, and they are processing the claim. Mom and Dad had good insurance because Dad was in the service right after high school, so the house was well insured. They should get enough to buy a place they can live in comfortably.” He didn’t go into any additional details.
“Jeff is working tonight. Do you want to get dinner in a little while?”
Wes breathed a sigh of relief. “That would be awesome.”
“Then let’s go back to the house. Carmello and Greyson can play together, and we can relax for a while.” It was like she understood exactly what he needed.
His phone vibrated, and he pulled it out. It was a message from a strange number. Wes opened the message. This is Pierre. Evan is okay as far as we know. He gave me this number, and I wanted to send a message. I’ll let you know more when I can.
He sent a thank-you message and put his phone back in his pocket. Wes was pleased to have gotten the message, but the way it was worded gave him no additional information and he still worried. There was nothing he could do about it, and he did his best to put it out of his mind.
“Come on inside,” Chris said once she pulled into the driveway, and Wes got Greyson out of his seat, grabbed his bag, and followed her inside.
The house was from the twenties, solid and nice, with wood floors and great woodwork. Toys littered the living room floor, and Carmello got right down to play, with Greyson standing at the coffee table, watching and using it as a prop. Eventually Greyson lowered himself to the floor and reached for one of the trucks.
“Sometimes Carmello needs to learn to share,” Chris said as she came in the room with two mugs of coffee. She offered Wes one and a seat.
“He’s just taken his first steps on his own,” Wes said of Greyson, who scooted along the floor with the truck he’d chosen. Carmello seemed happy sharing his set of trucks, and they were quiet, at least for a few minutes. Greyson had had limited interaction with kids outside of day care, and it was good to see the two boys playing well together.
“How have you been since the fire? Are you staying with your parents?” She sipped from her mug.
“I’m at a friend’s house.” Danged if his cheeks didn’t start to heat for a second, and then he remembered where Evan was and that he hadn’t heard anything concrete from him all day. A chill went up his back. “He was good enough to take the two of us in.”
“I see,” she said, as though a clear picture of the kind of friend were written all over his face. “You’re blushing a little.” She took another sip, watching him over the top of the mug. “It’s nice to see that there’s someone special in your life. You deserve that.”
“Chris… I….”
She set down the mug, her gaze back on the boys. “Don’t get all flustered. I’m happy for you.” She leaned forward. “What’s with the worry lines?”
“He’s a police officer.” Wes figured that was safe to say.
“And you’re worried he’s going to find out about your brother and the company he keeps?” She widened her gaze, and Wes sat back. “It’s no secret what your brother does to get his money. I’ve seen him around campus a few times talking to some of the students.” Her expression darkened. “You didn’t know?”
Wes shook his head. “I had no idea. Do you think he’s selling?” God, that was just what his mom and dad needed.
“I don’t know. If he is, it’s recent. Maybe the last couple of weeks or so, and he doesn’t seem to be having a great deal of luck. Most of the kids just pass him by.” She shrugged. “So, does your friend know about him?”
“Yes, he does. I haven’t hidden anything from Evan.” Wes turned his gaze to Greyson. “And I’m worried about him.”
She nodded and tipped her attention to the mug that Wes had been using as a hand warmer. “Jeff is my second husband. My first was a police officer.”
“I didn’t know,” Wes said and sipped from the mug. “Was that the reason you separated, unable to take the waiting and the worry?”
She shook her head. “No. There were fundamental differences. Cal and I found out that we wanted different things. I wanted children, and he was hooked on the adrenaline and action. He loved his work and was loyal and mostly thoughtful, as long as I understood that his wor
k came first.”
“I see.”
“No, you don’t. He and I are still friends. We parted on good terms and are much better as friends than husband and wife. He took a job in Philadelphia and is happy as a clam, and I met Jeff and had Carmello. Yes, there were nights I worried, but Cal is a good man, and if things had been different, I would have stayed with him. Even Cal and Jeff are friends, so that says something about both of them.”
Wes was confused. “What are you trying to tell me?”
“That there may be some worry involved, but the cops I know are intensely loyal. And Cal and I had a good life for a while. I could rely on him, and even at the end, I didn’t doubt that he was a decent man, just not the one for me. He couldn’t give me what I really wanted and needed. If Cal had been a professor, the situation would have ended the same.” She leaned closer. “Don’t let your worry over what your friend does for a living determine your decision on whether to pursue a relationship or not. I know it’s hard. It was for me too, but if I had things to do over, I’d ask more questions and make sure our needs and wants were better aligned. Maybe if I’d done that, I’d still be with Cal.” She sat back, and Wes nodded, glancing at his phone.
“Evan’s a good man, I know that. But this waiting is killer.” He tried not to think about it constantly, but he couldn’t help it.
“You’ll get used to the waiting. I suggest you get to know some of Evan’s colleagues’ partners. They understand and are in the same situation that you are. They’ll be there for you, just like you can be there for them. It’s sort of an unofficial support group.” She smiled, and Wes figured that wasn’t a bad idea at all. “It’s all part of loving a police officer.”
“Chris….” Wes turned away.
She chuckled. “I have eyes. Not that I’ve seen the two of you together, but as wound up as you are… it was a pretty logical guess.” She finished her coffee. “Does he know?”
“I haven’t told him. It’s too early, and I don’t know if it will last. Nothing else has before.” She sat back in her chair and Wes finished his coffee.
“You know not saying the words doesn’t change how you feel,” Chris told him.
Wes nodded. He knew that, but not saying the words at least kept something to himself and didn’t let him look like a fool. Wes was well aware that it was way too soon to voice those kinds of feelings. The whole love-at-first-sight thing had never worked for him in the past, and he really needed to know if his feelings were real or just based on a mountain of gratitude.
“We could get these two ready to go and have a little dinner. Do you have things with you?”
Wes always had something for Greyson to eat in the bag, but he checked it to make sure. He also made up a bottle for him and put it in the bag’s cooler pouch. Then he got Greyson ready and followed Chris out the door.
“Do you know what Evan’s assignment is?” Chris asked, and Wes shrugged.
“Only in the barest terms. I know it’s dangerous and that he said he would message me. The fact that he hasn’t means that he can’t for some reason, and the longer it goes, the harder it gets. What if something has happened to him?”
“If it had, you would have heard by now. Any incident that goes bad that involves a police officer, especially in this area, hits the news in seconds. I checked, and there is nothing on the news. So at least that’s good.” They got the kids buckled into their seats and then drove into town for Asian food.
Chin’s was a Pan-Asian restaurant that had good sushi, and Wes got Greyson in a high chair and started feeding him his dinner. Greyson was fussy and didn’t want to eat more than a few bites, but he did take his bottle, and Wes gave him a few crunchies. Chris seemed to be having better luck with Carmello, who had one heck of an appetite.
They ordered their food and continued talking, thankfully mostly about the state of things at the college and what they thought of certain programs that the leaders wanted to initiate. They seemed outside the college’s core mission to him, and he was pleased that Chris felt the same.
Their food arrived, and Wes ate while trying to keep Greyson occupied. He wanted to get down and run around the restaurant. Now that he could walk, Wes figured Greyson would be into everything and an absolute terror on two legs. Not that he was really complaining. Greyson was growing up, just like he was supposed to do, and change was inevitable.
AFTER DINNER, Chris gave him a ride back to the house, and Wes looked at the dark building, wondering if he should go in and if someone might be waiting for them. He messaged Evan that he was home and then got Greyson out of the car. When he checked, the phone indicated that he was about to receive a message.
I’m okay. Call Pierre, it read, and then there was no more.
Wes went into the house, waving to Chris as she pulled away. Then he got out his phone and called the number attached to the message he’d received from Pierre earlier.
“Evan messaged to call you,” Wes said.
“Yeah. Evan is in and he’s working. They are watching him pretty closely, so he isn’t making any calls or spending a bunch of time on the phone. He expects to be home in a few hours. We have people watching his house, and no one has been in or out all day. It’s safe, and we’ll have eyes on the house going forward. You won’t see them, so don’t worry.”
“Okay,” Wes said. “Is there anything else?”
“Not right now. Just try to relax. He’s okay and should be home soon.” There was understanding in Pierre’s voice. “This is hard, and I’ll do my best to keep you informed. But I only have so much information. Know that we are tracking him. I have some friends within special law enforcement circles.”
“Is he wearing a wire?” Wes asked, thinking stuff like that was pretty dangerous.
“No. There’s nothing that anyone will find with a strip search.” Pierre half snickered, and Wes understood. “We only know where he is and not what he’s doing. Know this—Evan is getting us plenty of information, and once we have enough, we’ll take these people down and that will be that.” Pierre sighed. “He told me he wants to change duty assignments, and I think that’s a good idea. Both Evan and I deserve something less stressful, and I know Jordan is going to be happy about the change.” He paused and spoke to someone in the background. “Do you want some company? I know the waiting can be hard.”
“Oh God, yes,” Wes breathed.
“I’ll see if Jordan is free. As long as you don’t mind, he and Jeremiah can probably come over and keep you company until Evan gets home. Let me make a call.”
They ended the conversation, and Wes put his phone on the table, made sure the door was locked, and then got Greyson settled with some toys.
Pierre called back a few minutes later. “Jordan will be walking over and coming around the back. We don’t see any signs that the house is being watched, but just let him in. He’ll explain the rest.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Wes ended the call and took Greyson’s hand to go out the back. He unlocked the gate, and a young man with a boy about six years old in hand, both dressed as tigers, walked inside.
Greyson began bouncing, hurried up to Jordan, and hugged his legs.
“I think he knows you.”
“We’re Daniel Tiger,” Jeremiah explained.
“I’m Jordan, and this is Jeremiah. We were having a costume day when Pierre called, and he figured it would be a great way to evade anyone who might be watching. They can’t see who we are, and they certainly aren’t going to think much of the two of us dressed as tigers.”
“Come on inside. I need to lock the gate.” Wes let go of Greyson, who clutched Jordan as though he were the living end. Wes locked the gate, wondering if he was going to have to settle a tantrum once Greyson realized it was a man in a suit and not a real tiger.
Once inside the house, Jordan lifted Greyson and then set him down. “I’m not a real tiger. This is a costume. Do you want to see?” Jordan asked, and when Greyson smiled, Jordan began taking off the suit. Greyson was
definitely disappointed, and he kept looking at Wes as if to question if this was right. Wes nodded, and Jordan stepped out of the costume and laid it over a chair.
Greyson pointed to the costume and then looked at him, lower lip sticking out.
“I bet he thinks the tiger is dead.”
Jordan patted Greyson’s arm. “He’s sleeping.”
That seemed to appease him, and Greyson slipped to the floor and pulled his toys out of the bag. Jeremiah had brought some of his own toys, and they played on the floor together.
“Remember to be gentle. Greyson is a lot younger than you are,” Jordan told Jeremiah.
“I will,” he agreed, then showed Greyson how the fire truck worked. He was still in his tiger costume, and Greyson seemed to like that.
“How do you get used to this?” Wes asked Jordan.
Jordan shrugged. “You just do. If you love them, then this is part of it. Pierre stood by me and Jeremiah when we first met, and he was there through a pretty sticky situation with a judge. It could have been bad, and he fought for me.” He sat back. “There are always bad cops out there… and there are some jerks, like with any population, but by and large, these guys became cops because they want to do what’s right and make a difference. That’s a pretty sexy thing.” He cocked his eyebrows and flashed a smile.
