by Pj Fiala
Turning into a cul-de-sac, she saw five larger homes each one spread out on close to two acres.
"This is beautiful."
Swinging the car into the driveway at one of the homes at the bottom of the cul-de-sac, the closest garage door of the three doors to the front door of the house began to open. The home was large; dark brown siding and stacked stone detailing at various places on the front of the home were stunning. The two-story home was tall and long and impressively sat perched on a hill. A true showpiece among the other homes.
"How does a cop afford this?" she murmured.
He didn't respond and she wondered if he'd turned dirty. Pulling the Charger into the garage, she noted that everything was neat and orderly. The walls were drywalled and painted white, the space organized with cabinets painted black along the back wall and nothing on the countertop except a picture of Rory's Charger and a Mopar sign.
"I have to tell you I'm impressed," she softly offered.
Turning off the ignition, he pulled the key out and opened his door. The look he landed on her was one of curiosity more than anything else. His words belied his look. "Glad you approve."
She exited the vehicle and followed him to a door which he unlocked. Stepping just inside the door he pushed a few buttons on a keypad, likely to turn off the alarm, paused for a moment, then a beep sounded, and he stood back and looked at her.
"Welcome to my home."
She stepped inside and the air felt warm and cozy, the faint aroma of citrus or something fresh filled the air. She followed Rory down the short hallway and to the right where they entered an impressive kitchen. Granite counters, oak cabinetry and tile floors looked out onto a large backyard. A small basket, filled with dog toys, lay on the floor next to the sliding glass doors leading to the backyard.
"You have a dog, Ace?"
His eyes landed on hers and held for a few moments as if he were trying to decide how to respond.
"I used to, but he died last year of cancer. I'd like another one but trying to train a puppy with the hours I've been working would be next to impossible right now, so I'm waiting to see how things shake out."
"I'm sorry you lost your dog, that sucks."
She watched his chest as it expanded, filling his lungs with air. He was still a handsome man, though his build was more on the stocky side, the way he’d filled out over these past few years was sexy. His dark hair showed tiny threads of silver here and there, mostly at the temples and behind his ears. He'd be handsome gray, too. His light blue eyes still cast a spell on her, the blue so unusual and clear like no other color she'd ever seen before.
"Yeah, it sucks." He opened a cupboard above a short counter across from the island and hung his keys on a peg.
"Come on, I'll show you your room."
She followed him, wondering how she'd get her car here which held all of the clothes she'd brought along with her, which really wasn't that much because she'd only expected to stay a day or two. While she would never describe herself as the average woman, she was when it came to packing. You just never knew when you needed to dress for a dinner or a change of clothes, in her case in the event she got filthy giving chase.
Rory walked through the open concept living room and turned left to ascend a large staircase. She silently followed him, wondering once again how he could afford this home. Cops usually lived modestly.
At the top of the steps, she looked out the large bank of windows onto the backyard and was enamored with the view, the decor, the entire home.
"Okay, take your pick of bedrooms, you have two to choose from and the bathroom is in the middle here. The entire upstairs is yours while you're here. I'll go down and call the station to have someone bring your car around and then I'll make us some lunch. Feel free to wash up. If you need clean clothes until yours get here, I can pull a t-shirt and some sweats from my room if you like."
She cleared her throat. "No, that's okay, I'll just wash my face and hands until my clothes get here." She looked into each of the rooms and chose the larger of the two. "How do you know my clothes are in my car?"
He chuckled. "Angel from the motel cafe dates Jason Robard's brother. You met Jason this morning, he's one of the police officers. He texted me a while ago and said you'd checked out of the motel. Not many secrets in town except who the drug supplier is."
Nodding she looked at his face, noticing his posture was stiff, his demeanor while not unfriendly, was not totally open either. She had herself to blame for that, she'd started this morning off rather harshly.
"That's why I like living in a big city."
"Hmm, well, I like knowing who my neighbors are. When I walk into the Copper Cup, I like knowing more than half of the customers in there. I like having my friends close, because honestly, this town is small enough that it's impossible to be all that far, even across town."
He nodded then turned and walked down the steps, his pace a bit quicker than it had been bringing her up. As hurt as she'd been when he didn't call her, she admitted, at least to herself, that things do work out the way they are supposed to; and at that time in her life, she wanted to experience the military and learn all she could learn. She had had thoughts of joining the DEA. Which had meant college and eventually moving anywhere she wanted. That was a curious thing to think about now, after all those years of being pissed at him.
She heard Rory's phone ring downstairs and stepped to the edge of the top step.
"Captain, what do you have?"
9
Pulling items from his refrigerator, he berated himself for not going to the grocery store. Not that he'd had the chance lately, but still, even on the way home one night he could have made the effort. Remembering that Odie, a friend from high school, had started his own delivery business, he snagged his phone off the counter. Looking up the webpage on the internet, Odie Eats, he tapped the contact us icon and held his phone to his ear.
"Odie Eats, you've got Odie here."
Chuckling, he said, "Odie, it's Rory Richards, how on earth are you?"
"Rory, my man, I'm fantastic. Business is booming. Who knew there were so many people who didn't want to go out and get things?"
"Well, that's why I'm calling. I haven't had a spare minute in weeks, and I need groceries. How does this work?"
"Check out my website. Click on the store, then the items you want. Pay with your credit card or a payment app, then I'll get a notification. Currently you're looking at about forty-five minutes."
"Perfect. I'm on it. See you then and congratulations on the new business, looks like a winner."
Odie's chuckling could be heard as he ended the call and he couldn't help but smile. Tapping on Odie's website, he found the local grocery store and ordered a variety of items he could use to make a few meals. Next order of business was to get Red's car here. Sending out a text to Jerry, he asked him to swing by and grab her keys, then go back to the station to get her car. If he were out on patrol, that wouldn't be an issue. Someone could follow him and take him back after.
"What's going on?"
Red stood before him, still in her slacks and blouse, but she looked refreshed somehow. He remembered her from the military, she was Army, he was Marine, but they were on base together in Iraq and he noticed her right away. That red hair, her confidence, her ability to adapt to whatever situation they were in. They'd draw fire, have to hunker down and fire back, chase the enemy away and as soon as the mission was over, there'd be a grin on her lips and she'd get to work on cleaning up whatever had to be cleaned up. She never complained. She never shrank back. She never quit. When they got back to the states, they were stationed together for six months. It took him four months to ask her out on an actual date - they went bowling at the arcade on base. But they laughed and gave each other shit all night. It was exhilarating. She was exhilarating. So different from the other women he’d known but that's also what scared the shit out of him. When she got her orders to ship out to Arizona, she squared her shoulders and left w
ithout whining, at least that’s what it looked like.
He'd said they'd stay in touch. He told her he'd call, but he didn't. Was it a mistake? Probably the biggest of his life. And to see now that it affected her stymied him to no end. He thought she just left as quickly as she'd come without looking back. This thought alone could blow him over with a light breeze.
"Ace?"
Pulling himself from his musings, he cleared his throat, "The Captain said we're to stay here and he spoke to your SAC who’s agreed to the plan. He’ll send backup if the Captain thinks we need it. The Captain will have everything uploaded into the system soon. Then, we're to look at the video from the convenience mart and the apartment complex and see if you see anyone who looks familiar, suspicious or both. We'll also be able to go over the evidence, though there's very little of it from what he's told me. Tomorrow, we're to call in first thing and see what he wants us to do."
Crossing her arms in front of her, she quipped, "I don't like being locked up like I'm fragile."
"Red, no one thinks you're fragile. He just wants to see if the person who called you makes any kind of move."
His phone chimed that someone breached the security at the end of the street. He walked to the laundry room, which was located next to the garage entry door, and his phone buzzed. Looking out the window he saw Ford's truck pulling up the drive.
Stepping back out to the kitchen, he caught Red's attention. "Ford's here to shore up my security system."
Walking to the garage entry door he tapped on the opener on the wall and opened the garage door for Ford, who climbed from his truck looking a little worse for wear and walked toward him.
"Tough mission?"
"You could say that."
"Come on in and try not to talk our ears off while you're here," he grinned when he said it and got a grunt in response.
Walking into the kitchen, Ford behind him, he watched Red look up from her phone, a hint of a smile on her face, then her eyes rounded when she saw Ford. Ford was what his wife, Debra, had called dark and broody.
"Red, this is Ford Montgomery. Ford, Alice Tucker, DEA."
"Nice to meet you, Alice."
She nodded, smiled and replied, "Nice meeting you."
Rory's phone chimed again, "Ford, I think you remember where everything is. Holler if you need anything in the meantime. Jerry’s here to get Red's keys."
She nodded and walked to the staircase and he couldn't not watch her walk away. She had what you'd call a "yoga ass". Perfectly shaped and firm from exercise, likely yoga, but could be anything.
Ford chuckled then turned and walked to the office, which was just off the kitchen and facing the front yard. Scowling slightly, he turned and walked to the garage to wave Jerry in.
Waiting at the entry door for Jerry, he noted the officer exiting his cruiser, and walking toward him with a bit of a stoop. He was dragging, too.
"She's getting her keys, come on in," he called to Jerry, who merely nodded and followed him inside.
Red came down the stairs, keys jingling in her hand and bestowed a glorious smile on Jerry, who then stood taller and graced her with a large smile of his own. To say it didn't irk him would be a lie. It did. A lot.
"Thank you for handling this, Jerry, I appreciate it."
"You got it." Jerry nodded. He half-saluted, turned and walked out the door. Fucker.
Red's phone chimed and he watched her facial expressions as she read the message in her text. Her nose scrunched then relaxed before she tapped a few times, then held the phone to her ear. A moment later she said, "Who died?"
10
"It appears they're targeting not only my informant, but his family as well. His brother was found dead about an hour ago. No word on whether he was informing for anyone else, but they're checking." She calmly stated.
"Is that your District?"
She watched Rory's face; he would make a great poker player.
"Yes. He was found in the back-parking lot of a pizzeria in Indianapolis."
"Did you know the brother?"
She briefly bit her bottom lip, then shook her head, "No."
His chest expanded then released as his eyes locked on hers. Ford walked out of the office, looked at Rory and said, "You should call Jared."
He turned then and opened a door next to the office door and descended the basement steps without another word.
Turning her head to watch Rory's reaction as he turned to open the fridge.
"You want a beer?"
"Yes."
Pulling two beers from the fridge he set them on the countertop, twisted the tops off with his hands, which she still admired. His hands were strong, his fingers graceful in a manly way. She'd always enjoyed watching him on his computer or cleaning his gun in service. Sure, strong, flexible, he was coordinated in ways she felt clumsy.
Curiosity was killing her. "Whose Jared?"
He picked up a bottle of beer in each hand, handed her one of them, then tapped his bottle to hers.
"A friend."
She took a long drink and tried not to think about how she'd like to down the whole bottle. She'd never had a drinking problem, but once in a great while, she liked getting lost in absolutely nothing. Having a few drinks and not having to think about death, drugs, destruction, not always in that order.
"Why would you call this friend?"
"Red, how about we sit in the living room and chill? I've got groceries on the way. Jerry will have your car and suitcase here soon. Ford is making sure security is good and we can't go anywhere for a while, so can we just sit?"
She lifted a shoulder in a shrug, turned and walked the few steps into the open concept living room. Sitting on the sofa, which was across the room from the large wall of windows, she allowed her eyes to look out onto the landscape of the backyard. A tall wrought iron fence could be seen across the yard, though it was camouflaged with trees and shrubs in most places.
"How far does the fence go?"
Rory had followed her into the room, sat in the large brown leather recliner and lifted the footrest.
"Around the six houses on this street."
"I didn't see gates when we drove in."
"No gates. We each have security and when the plane is broken at the street entrance, we each get a notification. At first, I wasn't a fan because who wants their neighbors knowing when you come and go? But, over time I've come to like it, we all do, and we watch who's on our street. Plus, times are logged and cars coming and going are recorded so we know when there are deliveries, etc. In other words, we don't have porch pirates."
Taking another long pull from her beer bottle she let that all sink in. Rory did the same.
"Why would you call Jared?"
Rory rubbed his forehead with his fingers, then ran his fingers through his thick dark hair and to his nape. She envied those fingers right now. She loved his hair. How it felt between her fingers, how it smelled, how it looked.
"Jared has special skills on the computer and can find things out our systems can't. Let's just say he colors outside of the lines; we have to stay firmly within ours."
The sound of a metal box closing could be heard, and soon after Ford's footsteps on the stairs echoed. At the top of the steps, Ford looked into the living room at Rory, his eyes flicked to hers, then her beer bottle. A slight grin formed on his face and he didn't look so broody. Actually, he was rather handsome in a dark sort of way.
His voice was deep, and he spoke with a slow deliberate intention.
"You need an upgrade and I've saved the files from the front gates, then cleaned the cache. I can upgrade remotely, which I'll do as soon as I get home. It won't affect anything, and I'll call you after the upgrade is finished so you can reboot the system. Otherwise, all of your security points are operating,"
Rory stood and shook Ford's hand. "Thanks man. How's life these days?"
"Good, great actually. The job is good. Megan is fantastic and Shelby is growing and happy. What more could a ma
n want?"
Rory's smile was outstanding. It hit her hard as she remembered when he used to smile at her like that. She'd sought it out it was so fantastic and now, it was like a punch in the gut how much she'd missed it. Dammit, why did she have to be thrown together with him after all these years and all those tears getting over him? She'd been doing fine. She'd moved on. Excelled even.
His dark handsome head turned toward her, his smile still in place when he said, "Ford has a gorgeous wife and the most beautiful little girl you've ever seen."
And there was Ford's smile again. He reached for his back pocket and pulled out his phone. As if magnetized she stood and walked toward them just as he turned his phone, the picture of a beautiful auburn-haired woman with the prettiest green eyes she'd ever seen holding a dark-haired little girl about ten months old. Megan and Shelby.
"You have a beautiful family, Ford. You're luckier than most I'd say." She meant what she said, but somewhere deep inside it hurt. A child was something she'd always wanted but had never gotten around to having. Life just didn't seem to be lining things up for her to have the sought-after family unit.
"Thank you. I think I'm incredibly blessed. Which also means, I'm anxious to get back home." He looked again at Rory, "You good here?"
"Yeah." Rory's voice sounded a bit sad, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever wanted a family himself.
Rory's phone chimed and she now recognized that as a signal that someone had turned onto the street. Ford turned but said, "Nice to meet you, Alice."
"Nice meeting you too, Ford."
Rory's phone buzzed this time and she recognized that someone had now pulled into the driveway.
Rory and Ford walked to the garage entrance and she sat on the sofa, suddenly feeling depleted and sad. "Well fuck me, this day continues to deteriorate with every minute." She muttered to herself.
11
He watched as Jerry rolled to a stop in front of the far garage door and another car, likely Red's pulled in right behind him. Walking to the garage door panel next to his entry door, he tapped the button for the middle door and ushered the man driving the second car inside. He'd keep Red's car in the garage for protection. Dax climbed out of his cruiser and walked to him. The officer in Red's car exited and walked to him, keys in hand.