by Linda Verji
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Jasmine hid a wince as she peeled her hand out of the man’s fierce grip. “I’ve heard about you too. York used to talk about you a lot.”
Even as she spoke, a memory niggled at her. On the day that York had died, he’d said that he was on his way to meet Teddy. Jasmine’s interest was suddenly piqued, and she studied the man. Had he and York met? When had they parted? Did he know anything about York’s alleged suicide? So many questions danced around in her head, but she couldn’t ask them. This wasn’t the right time or location.
“Do you have your cards on you?” Evasively, she offered, “Maybe I can come see you some time.”
“Sure, sure.” Teddy reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and he pulled out a card. His eyes lit up in interest as he handed it to her. “Are you interested in getting bigger? I can do that for you. I can make you a star outside YouTube, get you a regular gig with an online paper like BuzzFeed or maybe even get you your own syndicated show on radio.”
Jasmine’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe that this guy was pitching her in front of a bereaved mother. Cindy looked as uncomfortable as she was with the conversation.
“Umm… maybe we can talk about it when I come to see you,” Jasmine hedged to end the conversation.
“Of course. Of course. I’ll be waiting.” After saying his goodbyes, Teddy hurried out of the room.
Jasmine stayed to help with the cleaning. By the time she said her goodbyes, it was eight p.m.. After promising to come by early in the morning to help prepare for the funeral, she headed to the door. However, when she opened the front door a startling surprise met her at the doorstep.
“Luc?” She stared at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing here?”
LUCAS WAS JUST as surprised to see her as she was to see him. However, after a quick glance past her to the people milling inside the house, he realized the reason she was here. The Emersons’ were hosting York’s wake.
“What are you doing here?” Jasmine repeated even as her gaze swept past him. When she saw Shane who was standing being him, she figured out for herself. “Please don’t tell me you came to interrogate the family.”
Lucas’s sheepish look was answer enough.
“Not today!” Jasmine took a step forward forcing both he and Shane to take steps back. Once the three of them were out in the hallway, she said, “You can come after the funeral.”
“Yeah, she’s right. We should come after the funeral,” Shane agreed. A grin lit up his face as he greeted, “Hi, Jasmine.”
“Hi, Shane.” The smile she offered him was bright enough to make Lucas’s hackles rise. Ever since they’d met again, she hadn’t smiled at him even once, and now she was smiling at Shane? Ridiculous.
“If we’re not doing this, then we should leave.” Lucas cut into their smile-fest. Annoyance clear in his tone, he added, “We’re blocking the door.”
Neither Jasmine nor Shane noticed his annoyance. They went ahead of him, chatting as they walked.
“You seem really interested in York’s case,” Shane said as they walked down the long hallway. “Were you close?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Jasmine said.
She went on to explain that York had been working for her company for the last year or so while he attempted to revive his acting career. Though Lucas was listening to their conversation, he was more engrossed by how close they were. She and Shane were practically rubbing shoulders as they walked side by side.
Yes, Lucas had no intention of getting back together with Jasmine, but he didn’t want his partner smiling around with her either. Something hot burned within him and a bitter taste filled him as he watched them chatting like long-lost friends. When the three of them got on the elevator, he made sure to stand between them. Through the side of his eye, he saw Shane give him an amused look, but he didn’t care. The further apart these two were the better.
“Where’s your car?” Shane asked her when the three of them got to the parking lot.
“She doesn’t have one,” Lucas answered for her.
Jasmine sent him a sharp annoyed look before turning back to Shane and repeating, “I don’t have one.”
“Good.” Shane grinned. “Then you can ride with us.”
Jasmine looked tempted but one look at Lucas and she shook her head. “No thank you. I’d rather take the bus.”
Shane looked like he wanted to insist, but after a moment’s hesitation he smiled and nodded. “Okay, cool. Can I have your number though? Just in case-”
“No.” Lucas cut him off.
Shane ignored the interruption and continued, “-just in case I have more questions about York.”
“Sure!” Jasmine smiled.
It took Herculean effort for Lucas not to snatch the business card she held out to Shane. He satisfied his rage by giving his partner a look that said, ‘I’ll get you for this’.
“Thanks.” Shane tucked her card into his jacket and gave Lucas a cocky grin. To Jasmine, he said, “I’ll call you.”
Frankly, Lucas was surprised that he didn’t punch the guy. With a cheerful goodbye for Shane and a curt nod for Lucas, Jasmine walked away.
Lucas turned to the traitorous bastard that was masquerading as his partner. He tossed the car keys to him and bit out, “Go on ahead.”
“Oh, are you following Jazzy?” Though Shane’s tone was innocent, the amused glint in his eyes left no doubt that he knew how much he was annoying Lucas.
“Shut the fuck up!” Lucas cussed before striding after Jasmine.
Obviously, she wouldn’t be happy to find out that he was following her, but he had to. It was close to ten p.m., and he didn’t feel comfortable with her walking around so late at night alone especially when someone was after her. He kept a decent distance between them so she wouldn’t notice he was trailing her.
As soon as she got to the bus-stop, her bus arrived, and she got on. Lucas raced to catch the bus too and got there just in time. By the time he got on, Jasmine had already taken a seat. Her eyes widened in surprise and question when she saw him. Lucas ignored her gaze and looked around for a seat. Unfortunately, the bus was full and the only seat available was the one next to Jasmine. She realized that little fact as soon as he did, and her eyes narrowed. They shot sparks at him telling him not to dare sit next to her.
“Hey, aren’t you sitting down?” the bus driver called out.
What choice did Lucas have? He shuffled closer to Jasmine.
If the look in her eyes was a bullet, Lucas would’ve been six feet under. She stared at him like he was a bug that disgusted her. When he sat down next to her, she scooted away as if afraid to even have any part of their body touching. Well, too bad for her. It wasn’t like the seat would expand just because she didn’t like him. The sides of their bodies pressed against each other.
That contact sent heat sliding insidiously through Lucas. Awareness of how close they were snaked through him. He could feel her soft arm pressing into his, her thigh rubbing against his, her feminine scent teasing his senses. And it left his heart racing. The muscles in his stomach tensed with every breath he took until it felt like he was poised over a live wire.
The awkward silence that had settled between them only worsened the tension throbbing within him, so he asked, “Why don’t you have a car? You look like you can afford it.”
Jasmine didn’t answer. She didn’t even look at him.
He studied her. “Are you still afraid to drive?”
Jasmine turned from the window to give him a startled look as if she was surprised that he still remembered that fact. Of course he remembered. How could he forget the accident that had sent her to the hospital for over a month? Or that it’d been his fault? If he hadn’t insisted that she take the wheel so she could get better at driving, she wouldn’t have almost lost her life.
Despite her surprise, she still didn’t answer his question.
“How’s your mom?” he asked. Though her father
had died, he knew that her mother was still out in New Orleans. He had a few cop buddies out there who kept him updated.
When Jasmine continued to ignore him, he finally gave up. Obviously, she wasn’t interested in any kind of conversation with him. The only words she said were ‘excuse me’ when they got to her stop. Lucas let her go on ahead. When she got off the bus, he followed her.
By the stiffness in her shoulders, he could tell that she knew he was behind her. Still, she didn’t turn. She kept walking until she got to the gates that led into her apartment complex.
Lucas watched her go in then stared upwards at her apartment to make sure she got in. It was only once he saw the lights come on that he took an easy breath. He would’ve preferred to be up there to make sure that she was safe, but for now watching from afar would have to do.
CHAPTER 10
It had been two days since Jasmine had seen Lucas.
Where was he? She wondered as she worked on one of her client’s accounts. Had he taken her warning to leave her alone seriously? That wasn’t like him at all. Or had something happened to him? She immediately stopped typing. No, right? Nothing had happened to him.
He’s a cop. They were constantly in the line of danger because of their job. What if something had happened to him? Someone would tell her, right?
Stop it, Jasmine. She gave herself a mental slap before going back to work. Why was she worrying about someone she didn’t care about?
Some would say that all the worrying was because she missed him, but that would be ridiculous. Why would she miss him? The man had broken her heart in the cruelest way possible then showed up thirteen years later acting like he actually cared about her. Ha! It was all a show. Protecting her? Psh! She didn’t need his protecting. And so what if he was the starring actor in most of her dreams these days? It didn’t mean that she wanted him back in her life or in her bed.
Seriously! She was ecstatic that he was gone. Absolutely ecstatic! Okay?
The sudden ring of her phone yanked her from her mental rant. When she glanced at the screen and saw that it was Cindy calling, she immediately picked up. “Hi, Cindy.”
“Jasmine,” the older woman greeted, “how have you been?”
“I’m good. What about you?” Though Jasmine had checked on Cindy and April after the funeral, she hadn’t spoken to them since.
“I’m okay too,” Cindy said. “Actually, I was calling you to ask about that second autopsy you were talking about.”
“Yes?”
“I was wondering.” Cindy hesitated for a moment. “Is it still possible?”
Jasmine’s eyes immediately widened. “You’re interested in it?”
“I didn’t think I was, but I spoke to two detectives yesterday and…” Cindy dragged in a deep breath. “… I think it might be a good idea to try it again.”
Fresh surprise shot through Jasmine. “Are you talking about Detective Gallo and Detective West?”
“Yeah, those two,” Cindy said. “From the questions they were asking it seemed like they believed that there’s something suspicious about Yorky’s death too. If even the cops doubt that it’s a suicide… I think I should make sure too. Just one last time.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jasmine agreed as excitement threaded through her.
“What’s the procedure?” Cindy asked. “Do you know? And is it possible if he’s already been buried?”
“I’m not sure,” Jasmine said. “But I can drop by the police station and ask.”
Cindy breathed out in obvious relief. “I’d appreciate that.”
Thank you, Lucas. As much as Jasmine couldn’t stand the man, she was grateful that he’d helped to push Cindy towards a second autopsy.
As soon as her conversation with Cindy ended, Jasmine shut down her computer and grabbed her purse. She made her excuses to her employees then set off towards the police precinct. At the front desk, she met an officer who was well-versed in the procedures for requesting a second autopsy.
“A second autopsy is possible,” Officer Oliver Champ said. “But it will have to be a private one since the state has already done their part. The family will have to foot the bill.”
“That’s okay,” Jasmine said. “We can foot the cost. How much is it approximately?”
Of course, Jasmine wouldn’t make Cindy pay for the second autopsy. Now when she was the one who’d pushed for it. Furthermore, the Emersons had just lost one of their breadwinners. It wouldn’t be right to add to their financial burden.
After giving Jasmine the costs for a second autopsy, the officer added, “Of course that doesn’t include the cost of exhumation.”
“Will exhuming the body change the results of the autopsy?” Jasmine asked.
“It depends on the cause of death,” Oliver said. “I assume the deceased was embalmed so there won’t be any blood available to run toxicology from. But if the cause of death is trauma, then the evidence should still be there. The pathologist can tell you more once they’ve taken a look. Are you the next of kin or do you have the power of attorney for health?”
“Neither,” Jasmine said. “I’m asking on behalf of his mother.”
“Okay,” the officer nodded. He went on to explain that Cindy would need to fill in a consent form then left to get one of those forms for Jasmine.
While waiting by the counter, Jasmine took in her surroundings. Was Lucas around? Where was his office? No, she wasn’t interested in seeing him. She was only wondering because she wanted to make sure that they didn’t run into each other, okay?
When the elevator beeped, she shuffled a little to the side to see who was coming out. Maybe it was Lucas!
Only it wasn’t. It was that detective. The one who’d closed York’s case. Jasmine’s top lifted in an automatic sneer. What his name again? Oh yeah, Barnaby… something. The other detectives had called him Buddy. Yeah, Buddy. What was he doing here? He was the last person she wanted to meet.
As soon as Buddy saw her, he recognized her too. The annoyance that filled his expression mirrored her irritation.
“What are you doing here?” he asked when he was within talking-distance.
Jasmine considered lying but realized that this was his turf. All he needed to do was ask the officers behind the counter and he’d know. Reluctantly, she admitted, “Finding out the procedures for requesting a second autopsy.”
“Really?” Buddy’s face contorted into an ugly mask of distaste. “You haven’t given up yet?”
Jasmine didn’t answer him.
“How many times do I have to tell you that this is a suicide?”
“Obviously, you guys don’t believe that or you wouldn’t be investigating it either,” she retorted.
“What are you talking about?” Buddy frowned. “We’re not investigating. The case was closed.”
“Yeah, but Lucas and Shane-”
“Lucas and Shane?” Buddy cut her off sharply. His voice got louder as he demanded, “How do you know those two? Did they come to bother you about the case? Are they still on it? I told them to keep their noses out of their business.”
Oops! Jasmine’s hand flew to her mouth when she realized that she’d just tattled. Lucas and Shane must have been investigating on their own without the approval of the detective on the case.
“I don’t really know them,” Jasmine tried to correct herself. “I only met them here in the precinct and asked them what they thought.”
“Really?” Buddy didn’t look convinced.
“Really!” Jasmine insisted. To change the subject, she added, “And it doesn’t matter whether you think it’s a suicide or not, it’s my right to request a second autopsy.”
“Well, feel free to waste your money and time.” Buddy guffawed. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
God! He’s annoying. Jasmine wrinkled her nose as she watched him walk away. However, her annoyance was tempered by curiosity. Why had Lucas decided to investigate even if the detective in charge of the case had closed
it? Was it because of her? A smile lifted her lips, but she quickly wiped it away. It didn’t matter why he was investigating. If it was because of her then… then… Whatever!
Officer Oliver soon came back with the request forms. After getting more information on the process, Jasmine left. She went straight to Cindy then stayed for a couple of hours to brief the older woman on everything she’d been told and to help her with the forms.
It was close to six when Jasmine left Cindy’s house. Unfortunately, Jasmine couldn’t go home yet. She’d been out of the office for practically the whole day and thus needed to catch up with work. She headed back to the office. All her employees had already left, but that was okay with Jasmine. She preferred to work in silence anyway.
By the time she was done with everything she needed to do, it was closing in on ten. This was one of those days when having her own car would have been convenient. However, after her accident just when she was starting out as a driver, Jasmine had never been able to get behind a wheel. Every time she attempted to drive, she broke into a cold sweat and couldn’t even start the car. Of course she could’ve taken a cab, but why waste money when the buses were still running?
It took the bus twenty minutes to drop her off at her stop.
The streets were relatively deserted with just a few stores open and even fewer people walking around. Frankly, the silence that shrouded the night was unsettling.
Tucking one hand deep into the pocket of her jacket while the other gripped the strap of her purse tightly, Jasmine paced towards her building.
If Jasmine had used the main road, it would’ve taken her over ten minutes to get to her place. Fortunately, there was shortcut behind the twenty-four-hour deli that cut that distance by half. She turned into that alley.
She was passing the dumpster when something suddenly fell on the dumpster’s metallic top with a loud thump.
“Aah!” Jasmine screamed until she realized that it was just a cat. The feline gave her a ‘are you serious’ look before prancing off. Jasmine gave a small laugh. Talk about being a scaredy-cat. She kept walking.
