by Terry Keys
The EMT was finished with my arm. I stood up to get the blood flowing in my legs again. “So where’s De Luca now?”
“The medical crew down here is cleaning her up. She scraped up her knees pretty good.”
“Okay. Take care of her. I’ve got another call coming in. Gotta run.”
I switched over to the new call. It was Captain Wilcrest.
“Well, that didn’t take long,” I said, skipping the standard niceties.
“Bad news never does. What the hell went wrong?”
“You want the short version or the long version?”
“Five minute version. I can get the rest of the details later. First things first: I heard about Franklin. He just got married, you know? His wife is going to be devastated.”
“I know. I feel like shit about that. They definitely knew Franklin was a cop before the meeting.”
“He was undercover. How the hell would they know that?”
“The bad guys have hackers, too, Cap. When Stacy and Brittany drove up, only Stacy got out. We were thinking Brittany may have gone to grab something from the store. Or maybe they were going to let Stacy do this one alone, for whatever reason. We were listening in. Everything seemed normal. Franklin was playing right along.”
“What made you guys realize something was off?”
“We had a boot doing a walk-by every five minutes. He’d switch shirts and toss on a hat so it wouldn’t be obvious on a quick glance. The conversation slowed to a snail’s pace, and we assumed they were . . . you know, making out or whatever. But it just didn’t feel right. The conversation was too sparse. I actually sent our window peeper on a walk-by two minutes early. He confirmed Franklin couldn’t be seen, and we all rushed in. It was too little too late. Franklin was already gone. The girls were long gone, too.”
“Mary mother of Jesus! The three of you okay?”
“Just some bumps and bruises. Nothing that we can’t handle.”
“I’m sorry about Stacy, David. I know how bad you wanted her.”
“We’re still going to catch her. I won’t rest until we do. I suppose you got a call from Alstead?”
“Yes. He said you guys ran a circus through his town. You’ll have to go down and tell this story again.”
“Yeah, I know. The whole operation was understaffed. The city is small with an even smaller force. So, I understood when they couldn’t lend us the support we asked for on such short notice. But that’s one of the reasons the girls got out of that house.”
“Any leads on where she might be headed next?”
“No clue. We’re going to sift through everything tonight. We may end up coming home with our tails tucked between our asses.”
“The entire mission wasn’t a failure. You did manage to catch Brittany.”
“I’d rather her still be out there than to have an officer dead. I’ll let you know which way we’re heading tomorrow.”
Chapter 55
I hitched a ride to the hospital with a local cop. The doctor who looked at my shoulder noted the bullet had passed straight through. He stitched me up and told me to take two Advil, keep the area clean and dry, and that was it.
As I was walking out of the exam room, I saw Alstead heading my way.
He got really close to me, right up in my personal space, like he had something to say that he didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“Porter, first off, sorry about your guy. Secondly, you guys caused a lot of damage here. You left a mess in the streets—a couple wrecked cars, shot-up stores. We ain’t used to all that big city shit here. You picking up what I’m laying down here, buddy?”
Alstead was about five foot seven and one seventy, if that. He definitely had little man syndrome. And if that wasn’t clear before, it sure as hell was now.
“I got it, Alstead. Just trying to do my job here. We’re all on the same team. You think I wanted to get my guy killed? I been chasing those girls clear across the southern United States. You think I wanted one of them to get away? Especially the one that did.”
“I don’t know what the hell to believe. Heard she used to live with you, and you might even have gotten her pregnant. Same girl we talking about, no?”
I stood tall and crossed my arms. My eyes locked on his. “That a question?”
Alstead got my drift and took a step back. “No, it’s an observation is all.”
“I’ll be down to give an official statement soon.” I turned my back to him and walked away.
“Hey, Porter. Thought you might wanna know Brittany Foy didn’t make it. They pronounced her dead about ten minutes ago.”
I just kept walking.
Chapter 56
I went down to give my statement to Alstead and his boys. I’d been thinking about what our next step should be. The conclusion was the same every time: we needed to head back to Houston to regroup. It made no sense to wait anywhere else but home.
Maybe Stacy would go into hiding or lay low for a few months . . . or years. Hell, for all I knew, she might take up piano, never engage in crime again, and die an old woman. The latter seemed unlikely, of course, but we really had no direction.
Lafitte and De Luca shared a hug and said a long good-bye. Even ended it with a forehead kiss from Paul. He was headed back to New Orleans to decide whether or not he was joining me and my new team back in Houston. What I’d just witnessed told me his mind was pretty well made up.
De Luca and I were taking a flight back to Houston. I’d hired a company to get my truck back home. I never even considered driving back. I wanted to get home to my wife and kids as quickly as I could. Man, did that sound good!
I walked over to Paul and gave him a big hug. “Until we meet again, old friend.”
“Indeed. I’m going to be thinking about making that move to Houston as well. I’ll let you know something soon,” Paul said, smiling at De Luca.
We boarded the plane and got settled in our seats. Paul was taking a separate flight back to New Orleans. I couldn’t wait to lay my head back and shut my eyes for a few hours. De Luca gazed out the window at Paul, who watched from the tarmac as we got underway.
“He really likes you,” I said.
“Don’t try and lay it on thick for your friend. And I know he likes me; who wouldn’t?”
I laughed. “I can think of a few people.”
“Ha fucking ha.”
“I’m going to try and get some sleep. See you on the other side.”
Chapter 57
I felt the airspeed begin to slow and my eyes instinctively popped open. I couldn’t wait to get off this bird and see my girls. Miranda told me they would all be waiting for me in baggage claim. I hurried off the plane, darting in and out of people as I went. Finally I arrived at the baggage claim area, Karen spotted me first.
“Daddy!”
“Hey, Karen! Daddy is so happy to see you. Did you miss me?”
“You know I missed you. You can’t ever leave me again, okay?”
I smiled. “I’ll do my best.”
I finally made it to Miranda and Hilary. We stood there and hugged for a long time.
De Luca came over and exchanged pleasantries with my family as well.
“David, I’m going home. I’m exhausted. Will you be in the office tomorrow?”
“First thing in the morning.”
We loaded up in Miranda’s SUV and headed home.
Miranda looked over at me, her eyes clouded with worry. “You look worn out, honey.”
I reached over to hold her hand. “It’s been a trying few days, and it’s not over yet. I do believe I can finally get some decent sleep in my own bed. I have one stop I need to make on our way home.”
I gave Miranda the address to Franklin’s house. I needed to stop in and speak to his wife. I felt sick to my stomach about what happened. I was the officer in charge; it was my mission. I wanted—no, I needed to look her in the eye and apologize from the bottom of my heart. I knew it wouldn’t bring Franklin back, but it was the least I could do. I
owed her that much.
We pulled up to the house. Everything in me wanted to back out of that driveway. This was by far the hardest part of my job. It was my job to protect the innocent and keep them safe.
Miranda placed her hand on my shoulder. “You okay? You don’t look so good.”
“No, not really. This part of the job is no fun. I’ll need a few minutes here.”
I climbed out of the SUV and made the long walk to the front door. Before I could ring the doorbell, the door swung open.
“Detective Porter?”
A young woman no older than twenty-four or twenty-five stood before me. She was tall and thin with long, blonde hair. Her deep blue eyes looked heavy and swollen. “Mrs. Shuppe, I presume?”
“Yes. I recognize you from TV. Can I help you with something?”
“I won’t take up much of your time. I wanted to come by and offer my condolences for your loss. I was the officer in charge the day—”
“It’s okay, detective. Don’t get me wrong, we’re going to miss Franklin, but he loved his job. His goal was to be a detective like you someday. He often talked about the cases you were working on. He couldn’t wait to chase bad guys and solve cases while wearing that detective badge.”
“I’m so sorry I failed him and you. And before you say it’s not my fault, it is. It’s my job to see every possible outcome and scenario. Quite simply, I didn’t do my job well enough this time. For that I am sorry.”
“Thank you for your humbleness, detective. Franklin and I both knew how dangerous his job was, especially being undercover. I’m so proud to have been his wife and to have shared some of it with him. No need for you to apologize. If you know who did this, and I assume you do, the best thing you can do for Franklin is to catch them.”
I gave Mrs. Shuppe a hug and my business card. The department had counseling services available that I also made sure she was aware of. What she said to me about catching them hit me like a gut punch.
I turned and started walkingaway then I stopped. One more thing I needed to do. I headed back for the front door. Mrs. Shuppe was still standing there.
“Is there something else I can help you with, Detective?”
I unclipped my badge from my side and handed it to her. “Please take this. It’s for Franklin.”
She offered me another hug. The tears were flowing now. I even shed a few myself.
“Take care of yourself and that kid,” I said, pointing to her stomach.
We rode the rest of the way home in silence. I wasn’t really in the talking mood after seeing Mrs. Shuppe. She was right; the best way for me to honor Franklin’s memory was to catch the maniacs who murdered him. One down and one to go.
Chapter 58
Once the girls were in their rooms for the night, Miranda and I lay cuddled in our bed.
I pulled my arm out from under her. “Give me a minute. I’ve got to look at something.”
Miranda had a confused look on her face. “Okay, but you better hurry back, mister.”
The cop in me had to check out the house and look around outside one last time. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I unset the alarm and walked outside. The company I’d hired to get my truck to Houston had delivered. Only my truck and Miranda’s SUV sat in our driveway.
The night was quite still. The neighbors appeared to be tucked in tight for the night, their houses dark. The moon was full and sat high in the sky, providing almost enough light to read a book by. I headed back inside and set the alarm, laughing at myself for my paranoia.
I walked around the kitchen and checked the guest bathroom. Nothing. It was starting to feel like the only ghost I was chasing was an imaginary one in my head. I laughed at myself again.
I headed upstairs and, just for grins, I opened the girls’ bedroom doors for one last peek. Karen was tucked in tight and dead to the world. Hilary had headphones on and didn’t even realize I’d opened her door.
I went back to my room, took off my house shoes, and climbed into bed.
“David, is everything okay?”
“Everything is more than okay. Our family is whole again.”
A single tear rolled down my face. I couldn’t explain how rewarding it was to capture a fugitive. It gave me a high I couldn’t find anywhere else. Weeks and sometimes months of investigation all leading to one glorious moment.
But not even that came close to comparing how I felt right now. Nothing meant more to me than having my family together again.
“Dav—”
I placed a finger over Miranda’s lips. I pulled her close to me and guided her lips to mine. We kissed for what seemed like hours. And then I made love to my wife. It was the first time in over a year, so I was extra careful. In some ways, it reminded me of our first time together so many years ago. After a few minutes of hesitation on both our parts, the passion intensified. Before long, we reached a level that had only been matched a few times in our relationship. It was amazing.
After our lovemaking session ended, Miranda lay in my arms. I still couldn’t close my eyes, so I just laid there and listened until her breathing steadied and her body stilled. Finally, my eyes began to get heavy and I was out.
Chapter 59
The clock had yet to strike seven a.m. when our bedroom door flew open. Karen zoomed across the room and leapt into our bed, just like old times.
“Well, look who’s already up and at it,” Miranda said with a smile.
“Good morning, Mommy!”
If I were honest with myself, deep down I didn’t know if my family would ever be whole again. I’d told myself this time would be different. I knew what it was like to have my family torn apart. The last year reminded me that each day was a gift that needed to be cherished as such.
“Come and give your old man a kiss.”
I grabbed Karen and tickled her for a second and got her even more wound up than she already was. I gave them both a final kiss, and then I headed down to make us all some breakfast.
We all loved bacon—who didn’t? Soon the entire downstairs smelled like bacon and fresh coffee. I popped some bread in the toaster and poured Karen a glass of orange juice.
Miranda came down first, and Karen trailed her a few seconds later. I don’t think any of us expected to see Hilary this side of noon and she didn’t disappoint.
As the three of us ate, I sent De Luca a text letting her know I’d be heading to the station within the hour.
We small talked a little, I simply couldn’t get over how happy even a simple breakfast with my girls made me. After I finished I kissed them both on the forehead.
I headed up the stairs to get ready for work. I stopped midway and winked at Miranda. She blushed and shooed me away. God, I’d missed that woman.
We said our good-byes, and I headed for the station. It was great being able to spend a little time with my family, but I knew what was waiting for me. I still had a fugitive on the run; I still had work to do.
As I walked through the station toward my office, several officers stopped to congratulate me on my new role as captain of the MCDH. Before I had my laptop powered on, Wilcrest was at my door.
“Glad to have you back, son. Chief Hill wants to meet with us in thirty. They tell you this isn’t your office anymore? You and your new team have an office space cleared out for you in the north wing.”
“Morning, Cap. Hell, I haven’t even assembled a team yet. I did make an offer to a couple candidates.”
“I won’t tell you how to run your team, but I’ll offer you this piece of advice: build your team with people you like and trust. Find people who are outstanding in their jobs, even if you don’t know them well enough to trust them completely. And lastly, make sure you have someone who is amazing but who you probably wouldn’t be friends with outside of work.”
I had an idea where he was going, but I guess my face didn’t convey that.
“What I’m saying is, the more diverse your team is, the more they’ll keep you on your toes in r
egard to managing them. It will teach you to trust people who are different than yourself and give you the opportunity to grow as both a leader and a man. I’ll see you in thirty, Chief’s office.”
As I sat down to check my email, I thought about what Wilcrest told me. That old-timer was a lot wiser than everyone gave him credit for. I was just grateful I hadn’t fallen into the trap that so many others had over the years. When I was a young boy, my grandmother taught me that you could learn something from everyone if you just shut your piehole long enough to listen. God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason, son. He wants you to listen twice as much as you speak. I tried to remember her lesson, especially being a detective; listening to what people had to say was ninety percent of my job.
“Hey, I see you made it,” De Luca said, standing in my doorway.
“Yes, ma’am. Early bird gets the worm. I got a date with the chief here in about five minutes.”
“Everything okay?”
“I’m sure he just wants a debrief and maybe to talk a little more about his plans for MCDH.”
“That what we’re calling it?”
“Got a nice ring to it, no?”
“Yeah, I think so. Just busting your chops. Someone’s gotta keep you from getting the big head around here.”
I got up and headed for Chief Hill’s office. Let’s get this over with, I thought.
I knocked on his office door and waited.
When I opened the door, I found Captain Wilcrest had already arrived.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” I said.
Chief Hill gestured to a chair. “Have a seat, Porter.”
He wasted no time getting started.
“I was disappointed to hear about Franklin. I think I’ve heard most of the details. I know you’ll learn from this. I know how badly you want to catch Stacy—we all do. I can’t say I blame you, but remember this: you have a duty to yourself, to this department, and to the families of the officers here to make sure no one gets put carelessly in harm’s way.”