“Why didn’t your sniper shoot the guy?” she asked, confused. It would have saved her quite a lot of grief if they had just taken him out before they’d started an amateur MMA session on the floor.
“Oh, the sniper? It wasn’t so much a sniper as it was my son’s laser pointer. I found it in my pocket and thought I might as well make an attempt at defusing the situation, you know?”
Yolanda stared at him, eyes wide, and before she knew it, she was laughing her heart out. Solomon laughed, too, and there they sat like a couple of lunatics, rolling around, holding their sides in pain. She knew it was probably the tension and lack of sleep that had been building up since they found the notebooks, but she didn’t care. It was good to laugh, and it was even better to laugh with Solomon. She knew she had hired him for a reason—he had this little spark in him, a spark that had just saved the girl’s life as well as her own.
“Oh dear, you should check out the cellar he kept her in. Nobody would have ever found that room,” Montello said, looking grim. “It’s hidden behind a shelf, and the prick just put wheels on it and some hinges so he could move it back and forth as he pleased.”
“But wouldn’t she have been able to open the door from her side if she’d pushed hard enough?” Yolanda asked, standing up to follow her deputy, wiping a stray tear of laughter from her cheek.
“No, he had a lock on the door as well as the shelf. He then just propped up a hanger where he hung his work clothes, covering the lock entirely. Seems it can be useful to have an engineering degree if you’re a child molester.” He shook his head, not okay with what he had just seen.
The girl’s quarters were very small. About the size of a hotel bathroom. She had a bed and one table, a standing lamp and one for her table as well as a pile of books on the floor. On top of one of the piles lay Alice in Wonderland, open in the middle as if she had been reading it. Yolanda picked it up and flipped through it. It was worn, looking like it had been read over a hundred times, the spine almost falling apart. It warmed Yoly’s heart that Alice had helped Lily through this, and she placed the book back where she’d found it, knowing exactly what to do next.
Yolanda made one stop on her way to the hospital. The others had told her that Agent Johnson was awake after his surgery and recovering nicely but would require some physiotherapy to get his hand back to its former state. Fortunately, most of the pellets had missed the agent and Yolanda and had gone into the wall behind them.
Before getting to the hospital, she had spoken to the psychiatrist appointed to Lily’s case, who advised her to wait before calling the girl’s dad, just until the examinations were finished. They needed to do a rape kit, which was invasive and difficult for the victim, but to build the strongest case against this guy, it was essential. The psychiatrist also thought that seeing her dad after all this time might be too much for Lily to deal with right now.
Yolanda found Agent Johnson in a spacious corner room of the hospital, almost a suite—she wasn’t surprised, and a part of her found it fitting, seeing as he had been hurt in the line of duty. He looked well, despite his left hand being in a cast. There were balloons tied to the foot of his bed and a box of confectionery by his side. A stuffed bear was sitting near his pillow, a heart on its chest with ‘Get well soon’ splashed across it, clearly something that had been picked up at the hospital gift shop and somehow had Tyne written all over it.
“So how the heck are you?” she said as she barged right in and sat herself down in a chair by the bed.
“Not too bad, not too bad. I heard that you solved the case while I was taking a nice drug-induced nap,” he said, a hint of sadness in his tone. She imagined that he must have felt left out, not to have been there with them when they caught the bastard.
“Yes, but not without your help. You were a valuable member of the dream team,” she replied, attempting to cheer him up.
“I guess.” He looked past her out the window.
“Oh, I got you something.” She handed him a gift in blue wrapping paper.
“What is it?” He sat up. She had asked the woman at the bookstore not to put any ribbons on it since he wouldn’t be able to use both hands. He flipped the gift over with his usable hand and slid his thumb under the tape holding the wrapping paper in place. Removing the gift wrap, he revealed a book, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks. “How did you know?” His face lit up as if it were exactly what he wanted.
“You mentioned something in the car about loving these kinds of neurological mystery books, and after snooping around on Goodreads, I saw it on your want-to-read list.” She winked at him. “You FBI guys aren’t the only ones capable of some spying.”
“That’s amazing; thank you so much!”
She stayed with him a while until she got a call from the psychiatrist that Lily was done with all the examinations and that it would be all right to look in on her, though he was very firm that Lily was not to be asked any questions about the case nor pushed for information. She’d need a couple of days before that would be possible.
Lily was looking out the window when Yolanda found her, watching the birds in the trees and the people walking below the building. She looked so happy, so serene, that Yoly wondered whether she should just come back later and not disturb her for now. Quietly placing a gift on the bed, the sheriff was about to leave when Lily noticed her and turned to address her.
“You’re the one who saved me, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice surprisingly calm.
“I guess I am,” Yolanda replied with a smile.
“You’re smart,” Lily continued, looking Yolanda over. “It was very smart to tell him you wanted to marry us. That gave you more time,” she added.
“You’re also very smart, realizing that I wasn’t being serious. I’m truly amazed how intelligent and strong you are,” Yolanda told her, sitting down by her side, keeping her movements relaxed so not to make the girl nervous.
“I wasn’t the smartest kid in class, you know,” Lily said, reminiscing. “Sometimes, when I was playing around with my friends and not listening to the teacher, he said I was such a disappointment.” She smiled, obviously finding it funny now.
“Well, we all change, and often it’s not the most diligent children who turn out to be the best people.”
“Do you know when I can meet my daddy? The doctor said he was here in town.” Her eyes were so big and so very sincere. The psychiatrist had told Yolanda that Lily had repeatedly asked for her dad, but he didn’t want to do anything before confirming with the police. Yolanda had therefore offered to take care of informing the father. She’d asked him to come to the hospital an hour later, when the doctor was available to supervise the visit.
“Soon,” she replied. “You can see him soon.” She picked the present up off the bed. “In the meanwhile, I’ve brought you something.”
“Is that for me?” Lily seemed utterly surprised, which Yolanda took in stride, since the girl hadn’t gotten a proper present from anyone for a long time.
“It is. It may not be much, but I was hoping it would make you a little happy.”
The gift had pink wrapping paper with a purple bow and a card. Lily opened the card, which had a picture of a big flower on the front. “It’s a lily, just like me,” she said, smiling.
To the strongest lady I know.
At your service always,
Yolanda
Lily removed the packaging so very gently, straightening out the ribbon before placing it next to her and taking care not to rip the paper off when removing the tape. When she saw what was inside, her whole face lit up and she stared at Yolanda in amazement, her mouth gaping open. Lying on top of the folded paper was the third book of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King.
Yolanda didn’t leave until Lily’s dad had come along, making her a bit late to the restaurant. It was quite a sight to see their reunion, to see him embrace her and watching Lily as she tried to participate, but having some probl
ems with it. It was as if she had somehow lost the knowledge of how to hug somebody who truly loved her during all those years of captivity. Yolanda knew it would take time, but somehow she was confident that Lily would eventually return to her former self. A thought which, for the very first time in a long time, made her feel optimistic.
When she entered La Primavera, Joshua was sitting at their favorite table, nursing a glass of whiskey. He always drank whiskey when he was stressed about something, and that, in turn, made her even more nervous than she had been before. This was the first time her mind had turned toward the dinner, as she had been far too occupied with everything else up until now.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I had to sit with a young victim and didn’t want to leave her,” she said as she set her bag down on the floor and took a seat opposite Joshua. He looked nice, in a dark blue shirt with a cyan tie that brought out the color of his eyes. She had always found him handsome, and tonight was no different. He was probably one of the handsomest men she had ever met, and it still pained her that it hadn’t worked out between them.
“Don’t worry,” he said and smiled, already putting her at ease. “They had Glenfiddich, so I’m perfectly fine. Just enjoying every sip of this beauty.”
“Have you ordered? I’m starving.” She had just realized that she hadn’t had any food since morning and desperately craved some of the delicious lasagna the place offered. There weren’t many Italian restaurants near Crowswood, so this one had always been a favorite of hers, seeing as she loved all ethnic food.
“No, not yet. Do you know what you want?” He handed her the menu, but she lifted her hand and waved it away.
“I’ll just have the lasagna as always.”
“In that case, I’ll just have the same.” He took her in, noticing the bruise on her face. “Honey, what happened to you? Are you all right?”
“Oh, it’s fine. I had a bit of a tumble with a child molester earlier. No biggie.” He looked shocked, reminding her how much she enjoyed teasing him. “Don’t worry. I’m fine. I’ve been checked out by the docs and sent right back out on the streets to serve our great county.”
“If you say so.” He didn’t seem convinced. “It’s good to see you, though I don’t enjoy seeing you injured.” He reached for her hand out of habit, but when she didn’t take it in hers, he pulled back. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m not used to the separation yet.”
“No, it’s one of those things that takes time getting used to. You said you had something you needed to tell me?” Yolanda was too tired to drag this out. She just wanted to get it over with so she could go home and take a long nap. It was actually a good day for bad news, because this time, it wouldn’t keep her up. She was beyond fitful insomnia. A nuclear attack wouldn’t disturb her.
“Yes, that. Well... I’ve been offered a job.”
“That’s wonderful.” She took a bite out of one of the rolls from the basket the waiter had put in front of them. If that was the extent of his news, then this hadn’t been anything worth dreading. A new job—did he need to take her out to dinner for that? Why didn’t he just tell her over the phone? There had to be more to it. “What kind of job is it?”
“I’ve been offered a position at a firm where I have the possibility to become partner.” He took a deep breath as if preparing to say something she wouldn’t like. “The job isn’t in Alabama. It’s in DC.”
“Crap.” The word just slipped out. She hadn’t meant for such a strong reaction and had been determined to show no emotion whatsoever, but this was not what she had expected to hear. A new girlfriend, yes, but a job and moving far away? No, that she wasn’t a fan of.
He smiled at her, noticing that she was embarrassed by her own reaction. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve truly missed you,” he said and made another attempt at taking her hand in his. This time she let him. “I don’t want this to be over.” His face turned sad.
She didn’t want that, either, but it just hadn’t worked after the accident. After having to come to terms with their baby dying in the fall, and after months of Joshua blaming her for going to work that day. Saying she should have known better than to run up the icy stairs without holding the railing. Yolanda just hadn’t been able to take it anymore. He had been so mad at her. Sometimes he hadn’t even been able to look at her, and having the love of her life despise her was more than she had been able to bear.
“I miss you, too, but we can’t go back to what we had. The accident changed everything.”
“I’ve been seeing a specialist,” he said, looking her straight in the eyes.
“What does that mean?” She didn’t know what kind of a person he’d call a specialist. When it came to Joshua, it could mean practically anything.
“A psychologist. A guy who deals with loss and anger. I’ve been seeing him ever since we separated.” He looked a bit humbled. “I didn’t want to be the man I had become. I was so angry at everybody, not only you. It was like I was carrying this whole big bag of grief on my shoulders that over time turned into immense anger.”
“And do you feel better now?”
“I do. Much better. Dave has taught me how to tackle my emotions, something that was neglected in my upbringing. You know how my family is. How closed off they are.”
Joshua came from a very nice, tight-knit Christian family, where they had dinner every Sunday after church. The problem was that any issues were always swept under the rug. Yoly had noticed this tendency in Joshua early on but had always hoped that he would learn how to actually address things. Her upbringing had been the opposite of his; as a teenager, she had fought with her mother, and because of that, their relationship became much deeper. They in turn had become able to discuss and share everything. It was something she felt Joshua envied.
“I’m confused. Why are you telling me all of this?”
He reached for her other hand and looked her deep in the eyes. “Yolanda, I want us to move back in together and to be completely honest...” His face became determined as if he were absolutely sure of what he was going to say next. “I want you to come with me to Washington.”
Coming to work the next day was very strange. Yolanda had allowed herself to sleep in and didn’t show up at the office until about ten, when she had found Tyne already tidying up with the help of Solomon. Yoly had grabbed a box of doughnuts and some coffee along the way to reward her team for a job well done, but she had hardly passed the threshold when she was received with a grand round of applause.
Detective Matthews was ecstatic to close the case that had been haunting him for so long. He said he’d be heading back to Washington later that day alongside Lily and her father, where they’d start putting together the report. There was still quite a lot of work to do in regards to the case, but the FBI had taken over to speed up the process for a quick and effective prosecution. They had already talked to the prosecutor, who was hoping to push for a plea bargain by asking the judge for a sky-high bail. Philips knew the appointed judge and said he was a hard-ass, one who loathed child molesters. That, as well as the violence of the alleged crime and the fact that he had crossed state lines to commit it, made them optimistic that Lily’s captor, Donald Townsend, could be dropping the soap in the shower halls of the county jail while waiting for his trial.
There was one final piece of information that Matthews’ team in Washington had shone light on. The kid who had behaved suspiciously, the brother of Julie, one of Lily’s friends, turned out to be a nephew of Mister Whiskers—his father was Donald Townsends’s brother. Although the parents didn’t seem to know anything about it, and nor did Lily’s old friend, the son had gotten a very big Christmas present from his uncle that year, which was uncharacteristic. Matthews was hoping that Carmen would be able to squeeze more out of him before the trial and perhaps prove that it was all premeditated, that Townsend had chosen Lily especially and had paid the kid to help him, to keep quiet, or both.
Although Yolanda was pleased that the case was coming to an
end, she would miss the people she had made friends with while working on it. Tyne was a sweetheart who worked hard and had her moral compass set due north. Detective Matthews had become a friend of hers, and her relationship with Solomon had become even stronger after all of it. The FBI guys had also been great, and it never did any harm to know somebody on the inside of the J. Edgar Hoover building. All in all, it was a satisfactory ending to a horrible case, something she couldn’t even have dreamed of in the beginning.
What Joshua had said the night before was still swirling around in her mind. They had spent the evening and the night together, but she wasn’t sure yet whether it was a good idea to reconcile. He was moving to Washington in two months, and they’d have that time to rekindle their relationship and see where it would take them. Her mother was retired, and the only thing keeping her in Alabama was Yolanda. Her tele-novellas could be watched anywhere, so she’d easily move to DC with them. There was a bigger Greek community in Washington, and perhaps her mother would be happier there, not having to drive over half an hour to attend her Orthodox masses. And seeing as the old sheriff would come back to reclaim his job when he got better, there wasn’t very much holding Yolanda here, except the fact that she’d be unemployed if she left. Then again, Joshua’s salary would easily sustain them while she got her affairs in order.
She had always wanted to go back to school and finish her criminal justice degree but hadn’t seen any reason to, as she was fairly well settled at the sheriff’s office. With that degree in her back pocket, it would be easier to get a job as a detective. Perhaps now was the moment to return to the classroom—that is, if she was willing to trust Joshua, and so far she had no reason not to. He always stood by his word, and there didn’t seem to be anything he wouldn’t do to help her. It would also be easier to be a mixed-race couple in Washington than here, where they attracted uncomfortable scrutiny. Whatever people might say about DC, at least it was the twenty-first century there. Her mind was racing, but so far, it seemed all her thoughts were leaning in one direction.
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