Intuition

by Jennis Slaughter

  “Wait what? What’s going on? Why do I hear sirens?” Del asked, her body going stiff. She turned and popped a finger into her ear, trying to hear over the sounds of chaos in the background. “And when did you plan on calling me about this?”

  “Don’t start Chief… I just got here. Someone threw an incendiary device at the Nook, and caused some damage. I haven’t had time to get close enough to see how bad it is.”

  Raelin’s phone rang and when she answered it, she found that it was the alarm company informing her of the fire alarm going off at the Nook. Her hand went up to her mouth as she gasped.

  “Sorry Kasey I wasn’t trying to be sharp with you. It’s just been a tense few days,” she looked over at Raelin, worried as she caught half of the conversation. “Okay Kase, we’ll be heading in as quickly as we can. Can you hold down the fort until we get there?”

  “Sure thing...I’ll send Michaels out to your house until you or Rae gets there.”

  “Thank you Kasey. Where’s Jenny?” she asked, wanting to have all bases covered.

  “She’s right here next to me. We were out to dinner when I got the call. I didn’t get a chance to take her home.”

  “Have Michaels take her to the house with him just to be safe. We’ll be there in a half hour, tops. Call me if you find out anything else before we get there okay?” Del said, finishing her pacing of the room near the large picture window, resting her forehead on the cool glass.

  “Okay, see you when you get here.”

  Raelin had closed her phone and sat heavily on the bed with her hands in her lap and a blank look on her face.

  “I don’t believe this.”

  Del closed her phone and moved to kneel in front of her wife, taking both of Raelin’s hands in her own. She was at a loss on what exactly to say, but knew she had to try. “Whatever it is, we’ll get through it together,” she said quietly.

  “What is all of this Delaney? Did the FBI miss someone of the slave traders and they’re trying to hurt us? What?” The witch leaned forward and laid her cheek against her wife’s head.

  “I don’t know babe. There were no prints on the knife or the note. I’ll figure it out Darlin’, and I’ll make sure they never hurt you again,” the blonde answered with determination, pressing Raelin’s hands to her chest.

  “They won’t hurt either one of us. I swear it.” Raelin’s eyes were slowly going black. “I will do what I have to do to protect us and our family.”

  “Shhh, none of that Darlin’. I know you will. Take a deep breath, and then we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready,” Del said quietly.

  Raelin was reaching forward to caress Delaney’s face when there was a knock at the door.

  Del paused, not really wanting to leave Raelin’s side even for a minute, but Raelin nodded towards the door so she reluctantly got up and opened the door enough to peak out. “Uh hi there. Tia was it? Is there something I can do for you?” she asked the nervous looking girl in front of her.

  “Yes ma’am, Mrs. Delacroix left her credit card up at the counter and I wanted to bring it up to her personally. May I come in and see her please?” The girl shifted her weight from foot to foot.

  Del looked back into the room and got a small nod from her wife. She stepped back, holding the door open and followed Tia into the room, standing off to the side to allow them so speak, but close enough that if she needed to step in she could.

  Tia walked in and held out the credit card. “I’m sorry I kept it, but when I saw you at the desk, I knew that this might be the only way that I could talk with you without raising suspicions. My name is Tia Colliar, and my cousin is one of the women that you rescued and I swore that if ever there was a time that I could help you, I would.”

  Raelin stood up to hug the trembling girl. “It’s okay. Tell us what’s bothering you,” she looked over the girl’s head to her wife with a puzzled look.

  “I have a friend at the New Orleans Times-Picayune and they are running a story about your wife tomorrow. Something about her being a drug runner when she was a teenager,” the young girl looked from woman to woman.

  Raelin’s eyes went wide as her head snapped up to Delaney’s.

  Del felt her entire body go rigid to the point of cramping at the young girls words. This was not how her wife was supposed to find out about that. She felt her heart pounding in her chest, the thumping of her pulse loud in her head. She tried to form words, but her throat had gone dry the words getting stuck in her throat.

  “Umm, do you have any idea on who fabricated this story?” Raelin whispered.

  The young woman shook her head. “No ma’am. My friends said that it was some freelance writer but I thought that you should know about it. That’s why I was so shocked to see you. I had literally just gotten off the phone with my friend when you walked up.”

  The brunette couldn’t look at her wife. “Thank you so very much for the heads up. If you ever hear anything else, whether it’s about work or anything at all, I would like you to call me...anytime. Just be careful please. And would you mind having my car brought around.”

  “Yes ma’am. I had better get back to the desk. Thank you again for rescuing my cousin,” the young woman left the room and Raelin stared at her wife. “We had better get on the road. I need to see the damage to the Nook and call my insurance.”

  Del simply nodded. “Yeah I guess we should,” she managed, turning for the door, unable to look at Raelin. She held the door open so Raelin could walk through it, heading for the elevator.

  Pressing the button for the elevator, Raelin waited for a moment before she reached out to hold Delaney’s hand. “It’s okay, it’s in the past, and we can’t change it.”

  “Those files were sealed years ago. Those records were expunged just before I went to college,” Del said quietly as they stepped into the elevator and Raelin pressed the button for the lobby.

  Rubbing her thumb over Delaney’s knuckles, Raelin whispered, “We shall handle it. I think that we should give the Mayor and town council a heads up, and maybe let Director Jacobs know, since she recommended you for the job.”

  Del nodded her agreement. “That would probably be a good idea,” she paused a few minutes, still looking anywhere but at her wife. “I was going to tell you. I just didn’t know how. After I was old enough to start cooking and cleaning for myself, my father started drinking heavier. He couldn’t hold a job and I had to do something to keep us fed and under a roof.”

  “Let’s not worry about that now...we need to get home and start making calls. Do you want to drive or would it be better if I did?” Raelin quietly asked as they exited the elevator and headed towards the door.

  “Can you drive? I’ll get a head start on calling Jacobs and the Mayor,” Del said as they got the keys from the valet. “Do you mind?”

  “No, not at all.” Taking the keys, Raelin handed the room card key to the valet and asked him to return it to the desk before she got in and buckled up. Soon they were on the road towards Leroy.

  Del took several deep breaths before opening her phone and dialing Jacobs’s number, her thumb hovering hesitantly over the send button. Finally, she got up the courage and pressed it, waiting nervously for the older woman to answer.

  “Director Jacobs...” the older woman’s voice sounded firm, but tired.

  “Um hi, it’s Delacroix, you got a minute?” she asked, her fingers playing with the fabric of her dress nervously.

  “Ah, Mrs. Delacroix, I can only assume that you have heard about the story that will be in tomorrow’s paper, and you wanted to give me a heads up, since I am the one who recommended you.”

  “Yes Ma’am. I assume you already know about it then.” Del sighed.

  A slight chuckle came through the phone. “The FBI does have our sources and yes, I only found out this afternoon about the story, but I knew of your past when I suggested you for the job. I take it that the Picayune did not send out someone to get your wife’s reaction or to speak with anyone in Le
roy?”

  “Not yet, but I guess we should be ready for that. We’re in Canal City right now. We heard it from a front desk worker at Raelin’s hotel. Tomorrow morning is going to be a pain,” she sighed. “Those records were expunged years ago. Someone would have had to leak the information.”

  “It’s already being looked into. I have already talked with the Mayor and most of the city council, and even though you will be on suspension, you will still have the backing of the town. The investigation will be handled as quickly as possible and in a very public way. Whoever leaked this, I am assuming thought that you might get fired and this could blow up in their faces.”

  Del heard the words suspension and felt like her stomach had dropped right out of her. “Okay, well I’m sure I can deal. I think you should know that the other night I came home to a note pegged to my door with a pocketknife. I already had it run for prints and there was nothing. In addition, Raelin’s bookstore was hit with an incendiary device tonight, that’s where we’re heading now. We’ve got things mostly under control, but I thought you should know.”

  “Keep me appraised of the situation, and do not hesitate to call on me should you need anything. Is Spaulding still your Deputy?”

  “Yes, but she’ll be Chief now that I’m sidelined.” Del managed to get out around the lump in her throat. She loved her job, and even being suspended was a heavy blow.

  “She is Acting Chief Delacroix. You are still Chief, like I said, I have already discussed this with the Mayor, and this is only for show. If there is an emergency that should arise, you will be reinstated immediately. Keep in touch.”

  “Yes Ma’am and thank you,” Del said sincerely.

  Reaching over with her free hand, Raelin caressed the blonde’s cheek. “What did she say?” She had caught most of the conversation, but needed clarification on the rest.

  “She found out about it this afternoon and is already investigating where the leak was. Until then, I’m on suspension. Kasey will be the acting Chief until all of this is over,” she said her voice flat as she stared out the window. “You’ll need to drop me off at the house. I can’t have anything to do with this investigation.”

  “No, but you can be my wife and be there for me. I need you Delaney. Would you mind calling my insurance agent? His card is in my wallet.” The brunette spared a glance at the blonde, knowing that this was going to get worse before it got better.

  “Yeah, I can do that,” Del answered, pulling the card out of Raelin’s wallet, and dialing quickly.

  Del talked with the insurance agent for a few moments, thanking him when he said he would meet them at the Nook, even at this late hour. Hanging up the phone, she leaned her head against the car window as they pulled onto Leroy’s main drag. “Mr. Roberts says he can meet us at the Nook.”

  Gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were turning white, Raelin parked, as close to her store as she could, considering that it seemed that the entire town was out to watch the goings on.

  Del got out of the car, blinking against the flashing lights of the fire department and police cruiser that Douglas and Michaels usually drove. Emergency workers ran back and forth between the Nook and their vehicles, while Michaels kept the gathered crowd at bay. She spotted Kasey speaking with one of the firefighters and motioned Raelin to head in that direction.

  Once they’d gotten past a few of the vehicles they saw the damage to the store. The large front window had been smashed and black streaks rose up from the open pane. Glancing in, Del could see the fire and smoke damage, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it would be. Clearly it hadn’t really caught and the firemen had managed to get to it early.

  Raelin still gasped at the damage and took a couple of steps forward. The fire damage didn’t look too bad but she was more worried about the water damage.

  Del stayed close to her wife as she surveyed the damage, ready to offer any support she needed. Spotting Kasey heading their way, she gave Raelin’s elbow a squeeze. “Hey Kasey, thanks for getting here so quick. How bad are we talking?” Del asked quietly, keeping a close eye on Raelin.

  “The smoke and fire damage is minimal. The water damage is more of a problem. Thankfully, the fire guys knew it was a bookstore and tried to be careful about where they pointed the water. Because the fire didn’t really take, they didn’t have to use too much. Will still take a bit to fix up though. I’m sorry Raelin,” Kasey explained.

  “I’m just glad that no one was hurt...Please tell me what nothing happened to the back room or to the office...” Raelin winced as she waited for the taller woman’s answer.

  “No, whoever it was didn’t do a very good job. All of the damage seems to be isolated to the front of the store near the window.” Kasey assured her friend. “Del, the guys have recovered most of the parts of the device. If you want, you can take a look and bag whatever you want. The guys have cleared us to go in and take a look. Raelin, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until we’ve gone through, and processed the scene.”

  “Actually, this is all yours Chief,” Del said sadly. “I’ve been suspended so from now until whenever they finish the investigation, you’re in charge around here and I have to stay away from all of the police work.”

  “What are you talking about Delaney...? You’re the Chief.” Kasey stared at the shorter woman with her hands on her hips.

  “It somehow got leaked that I ran drugs as a teenager for the local dealers. A freelance writer sold the story to the New Orleans paper and it’s going to be run tomorrow. I’ve been suspended until they can finish a complete investigation. I’ve already talked to Jacobs and they are trying to find the leak because those records were expunged ages ago,” Del explained, watching as Raelin peeked through the windows.

  “You ran drugs...Right. We’ll need to talk about this later okay.” Kasey sighed and ran her hand over her eyes, mentally going through things she needed to do then.

  “I’m sorry this got dumped on you Kasey,” Del said quietly, watching carefully as Raelin was approached by Mr. Roberts. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be too long, Del really needed to get away from the crowd of people.

  “Hi, Mr. Roberts, sorry to drag you down here.” Raelin sighed, running her hands through her hair.

  “It’s no problem at all Mrs. Delacroix. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. I hope no one was harmed?” he said, looking into the broken window.

  “Please call me Raelin, and no, the store was closed. They tell me that there is some water damage, but luckily, the back room wasn’t damaged at all. That’s where I have the rare books located in the safe,” she really wanted to get into her office and get her journal. She had forgotten it earlier and wanted it in her possession.

  “Well luckily, your insurance package covers both fire and water. Have they cleared us to enter or are your wife and her deputies still poking around?” He smiled, knowing how thorough Delaney tended to be in her work.

  “I’m not sure...Would you excuse me for a moment while I go and find out?” She smiled at the man before heading towards Delaney and her Deputy. “Hey, can we go in yet?”

  “No idea. Ask the boss.” Del smiled sadly.

  Taking a look around, Kasey spotted Carmen, who nodded that she’d finished her work. “Yeah, go ahead Raelin, Carmen’s all done.”

  Taking a step closer to her wife and Kasey, Raelin quietly asked, “Is it okay that Delaney goes in with me? With respect Kasey, I would prefer keeping the fact that she is suspended as quiet as possible for a long as possible.”

  “Yeah, it’s fine. She’s your wife, it’s expected that she would be here to support you,” Kasey said, nodding to a couple of firefighters that walked by. “All of the police work is done so they won’t be able to claim that Del’s working.”

  “Let’s go have a look, Raelin.” Del sighed, and then gave Mr. Roberts a tired smile. “Hello sir.”

  “Hello there Mrs. Delacroix. This shouldn’t take too long. I can stop by tomorrow to do the
paper work, if it’s easier,” he offered as they stepped through the charred door.

  Without thinking, Raelin reached for Delaney’s hand as they walked through the store. The front was waterlogged, and had minimal smoke damage, but she was thankful that it wasn’t worse. She directed a question towards her wife, but knew that Kasey would have to answer it. “Is it alright if I take something out of the office? I have some personal items I would prefer not to leave here now.”

  “It’s fine. Like I said, Carmen has already processed and taken everything she needs anyways. You are free to grab whatever you need to,” Kasey answered.

  Del bit her tongue, the need to look around and gather whatever information she could to solve the case gnawing at her. She knew she couldn't though, and she hated it. She was thankful that she had Kasey to leave things to, because she knew her deputy would do a damn fine job of things.

  Tugging on her wife’s hand, she drew her back into the office, while shooting a glance at Kasey, hoping that she would understand to keep herself and Mr. Roberts there. Closing the door, she pulled the blonde in her embrace and stared down at her. “I love you Delaney. Nothing has or will ever change that changed that.”

  “I know,” Del said simply, letting the warmth of Raelin and her closeness soothe her somewhat. “I feel helpless. All of this stuff is happening and now I can’t do anything about it.”

  “Yes you can...you can help me fix up the store. I’m afraid that I know anything at all about contractors or what is needed to the renovation. I’m going to need to be here for inventory and other things. If you were not on vacation so to speak, I would have to hire someone to do it.” Reaching up, she let her fingers glide over Delaney’s cheek.

  Grateful to have at least something to do, Del nodded. “Yeah, I can do that,” she murmured, leaning into the gentle touch.

  “If you want to go home and check on Ariel I can have Kasey bring me home when she comes to pick up Jenny and Kai,” the witch knew that Delaney was a bit antsy. She could feel it.