by Makenzi Fisk
Prizing up the lettuce, he checked underneath and dipped the tip of his finger into the chicken salad. It tasted amazing. He immediately took an oversize bite, sighing in relief as he chewed. This was the best sandwich ever.
On his third bite, he found it. The pain in his tooth shot right to his jaw and he spat out the half-chewed mouthful. A rusted nail and a shred of tissue paper jutted from the layer of mayonnaise. At least he hoped it was tissue paper. His gut told him it was probably toilet paper. Nausea stung the back of his throat.
He left the rest of his lunch on the tray and slid it back by the door. Ethan had connections in the kitchen. If he couldn’t jab a shiv between his ribs, he planned to starve him to death. Derek needed to get out.
CHAPTER 6
“Have you seen the cat carrier?” Allie held the squirming feline like a football under one arm and closed the closet slider with the other.
“In the basement, on the shelf by the washing machine,” Erin called through the open front door. “I already packed her vet records.” She stowed the last suitcase in the bed of her truck and shut the tailgate.
Allie trundled downstairs, retrieved the carrier and loaded the indignant cat. Wrong-Way Rachel let out a perturbed yowl and curled into the back corner, swishing her tail over her nose. “It’s okay buttercup,” Allie crooned. “You’ll like Winnipeg, and you’ll like Ciara. She’s nice to kitties.” She set the cat carrier by the front door.
“Are you coming?” Erin called.
Allie took one last walk through the house to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything important. Erin had been grabbing bags and loading them into the truck faster than she could bring them. Now she wasn’t certain what she’d packed and what she hadn’t.
In the kitchen, she stopped and stared at Fiona’s water dish on the floor. It had remained undisturbed in that corner since she’d lost the dog last year. Even Erin mopped a circle around it. She bent for the dish and held it to her chest until flashes of memory seeped into her mind.
Fiona’s timid nose on the back of her knee when she walked. Soft brown eyes, blind to the world but so insightful to Allie’s emotions. Her unconditional love of all creatures but fear of so many human things. Fearfulness turned to fierce loyalty when wolves had threatened Allie. Wolves that had ultimately torn away Fiona’s very life.
Horrific images from that night in the woods revolved in Allie’s mind until the dish trembled in her hands. She dropped it like a hot coal into the trash bin and backed out of the room.
“Coming!” She hurried out to the driveway with the carrier and slid it onto the front seat.
Erin was already sitting in the truck, safety belt on, tapping her knuckles on the wheel.
“I did a last check of the house.” She turned her tears to the window.
“I miss her too, Baby.” Erin reached for her hand.
“I’m ready.” Allie opened the wire door and smoothed Wrong-Way Rachel’s ruffled fur. She noticed the deep furrow between Erin’s brows. “I guess you can’t get away from here fast enough either.”
Erin shrugged and backed out the driveway. “You know why I didn’t get the transfer to Forensics? Some of the guys in admin were buddies with Derek and they didn’t take too kindly to the way he went down. It’s a case of the Old Boys Club at the station.”
“You’re not angry with Bert, I mean Striker, are you?” Darn that silly Muppet nickname. She wished Erin had never mentioned it. Even though it suited the dark-haired, fuzzy-browed man, she’d be mortified if it slipped out in front of him.
“I know Bert’s a good guy. I don’t really begrudge him the Forensics transfer, but I was sure I was more qualified.”
“You promised not to call him that.”
“I did promise, but he took my job, so I figure that nullifies my verbal contract with you and…”
Allie raised an eyebrow.
Erin’s facetious words stalled in her throat.
“You have to acknowledge that you’re being penalized for the way you investigated Derek Peterson. You kind of made up your own rules and you’re lucky you didn’t get sacked altogether.”
“Nobody else was going to stop him. We thought he was abducting Lily, remember?”
“Officer Chris Zimmerman was on your side. So was Officer Striker.”
“You’re right. I dragged Z-man and Bert into it with me.” Erin shot a sideways glance at Allie. “Sorry, I meant Officer Striker.” She sighed. “I didn’t follow protocol, and that leaves everyone wondering if I’m a liability to the department. The constant negative media attention this case generated was the kicker. When I asked for a leave, I got the impression that they hoped I’d walk out the door and never come back.”
“It was all over the news for weeks,” Allie said. The newspapers sure liked their dramatic names. “I could barely go out without someone begging to know how you caught Derek Peterson, the Morley Falls Monster.”
“I hated when they called me The Raging Ranger,” Erin spat. “That’s not even remotely accurate. Can’t the hack reporters tell a ranger from a police officer? Every time I heard them bring up the whole deal about excessive force, I wanted to scream. Internal Investigation cleared me. It was justified.”
“No one who knows you believes what they said on the talk shows. I think six months leave will be good for you. You’ve rarely been outside Minnesota.”
“Cities are stressful. The sheer number of traffic lights makes me dizzy.”
“You seemed fine with it when we first met in Toronto.” Allie gave her a wink.
“I was utterly distracted by you.”
Her touch sent quivers of excitement up Allie’s spine. “I think this trip will be good for me too. I need to meet potential clients who headquarter out of Winnipeg. It’s better to set these things up in person.”
The skin at the corner of Erin’s eyes pinched.
“Don’t worry, Honey. I’m the boss of my own consulting business now, with all the perks. I can work anywhere I want and we’ll have more time together.”
Erin looked unconvinced.
“Remember that everything is done online? My office is wherever I happen to be. I’m so glad I quit that terrible job. I felt like it was sucking my soul. Now I have my first big deal and I really don’t want to blow it by looking like an amateur.”
“I worry that this means—”
“I’m not going anywhere, but I need to travel for client meetings once in a while. You can come whenever you want. We’re together now, aren’t we? We’ll make a vacation of it.”
“When? In between your meetings and my chasing the psychotic monster-child?”
“That’s harsh.” Allie frowned. Erin’s anger prickled between them. Mixed with the anger was something else. Fear? Insecurity? She could only guess.
“You can’t deny that Lily is a killer.”
“Yes, but there’s a child in there somewhere.”
“Beats me where you get your unwavering faith in humanity.”
Two hours later, Erin’s shoulders straightened when they reached the sign for the town of Stillwater. “I can’t believe Derek said he wanted to talk. I’m a bit nervous. Last time he lost it and they boarded him. Prison life must be excruciating if he wants to risk a repeat of that fiasco.” She pulled into the parking lot of Oak Park Heights Prison and found a spot of shade under the canopy of a large tree.
“I told you he wanted to talk,” Allie said. “He only needed more time. Be mindful of how protective he is toward his daughter and he will talk to you today. I’m sure of it.”
Erin gave her a lopsided grin and hopped out of the truck.
Allie watched her walk across the parking lot and enter the big door before she pulled her tablet from her bag and released the cat from her carrier.
Rachel disappeared under the seat and Allie kicked off her shoes. She stretched socked feet onto the dashboard and opened the e-book she’d downloaded. Today’s story was a ridiculous tale of mutiny on the high seas an
d a lady pirate who falls for her buxom cabin girl. The more outlandish and unexpected the story line, the better she could avoid uninvited thoughts. Sappho's Boundless Seas was perfect for today.
By the second paragraph, the ominous cloud of emotion emanating from the prison retreated to a corner of her mind and she relaxed. The cat finished her exploration and snuggled onto Allie’s lap.
* * *
Erin passed through the security gate and was led to a visiting booth. She took a seat and nodded at the glass lens of the camera on the wall. Eyes everywhere. It was enough to make one paranoid.
She looked at her watch and thumped her heel on the concrete floor. She was eager to get back to Allie and get on the road, but her curiosity over Derek’s sudden turnabout was irresistible.
Ten minutes passed before the opposite door opened and Derek entered the inmate side. He averted his gaze and perched uncomfortably on the stool. The guard secured his cuffs and clunked the door shut when he exited.
Erin was chagrined to see the former police officer, eyes on the floor, flinch at the sudden noise. The only other time she’d seen him like this was when he was in grade ten, and she in eight. In playoffs he’d missed a critical pass and was blindsided by an opposing football player. Winded, he’d gasped for air. His teammates had ignored him. Game over, scoreboard mocking them, they’d left the field and silently filed past. One teammate had the gall to slap him in the back of the helmet as if the loss was a direct result of his incapacitation. Today, she saw the return of that cowed boy.
Slowly, he raised his eyes and she knew the shock of his appearance registered on her face. She tried not to let her shock turn to pity, but there it was. His red-rimmed eyes sank into his eye sockets, dark against the pallid color of his face. There was a certain looseness to his skin that alarmed her, like a terminal patient who has lost all hope of recovery. The two regarded each other for a long moment. Words failed her.
“Hey,” she said finally, arranging her hands on her lap.
He sighed and his shoulders slumped like a deflated ball.
Erin fidgeted in her seat. This was not going as she’d expected. She’d been prepared for a repeat of their last meeting, where Derek had come at her with the fury of a threatened bear. This was not the man she knew.
“Derek, you look like hell.”
He twitched as if he’d been slapped.
“What’s happening to you in here?” She leaned forward in her seat.
Elbows on knees, he laid his stubbly chin on his hands. “I can’t do this.” Raspy words faded to a whisper.
“You can’t do the time?”
“Yeah, that.” He straightened and smoothed the front of his denim shirt. “And…”
Erin held her breath. Once again Allie was right.
“You’re right about my kid,” he stated in a clear voice. “She’s the one who burned the Stop ’N Go.” He skipped the part about the attempted murder of Gina Braun.
Erin sat back and kept her face neutral. She didn’t want to interrupt him.
“I should have told you this when—” He clipped off his words and eyed her cautiously. “When I was arrested.”
The corner of Erin’s eyelid tightened. Couldn’t he face the reality that she’d been the one who’d taken him down? He’d fought. He’d lost. She stared at the broken man. If that’s how he chose to remember the epic battle they’d had, so be it.
“After Gina caught Lily shoplifting, I heard the call on my radio. I drove over as fast as I could to talk her out of charging my kid.”
Erin pursed her lips. She wasn’t about to lecture him now.
“I dropped Lily off at home that night but she threatened to hurt Gina.”
“Threatened? How?”
“She told me she would make Gina pay. She would get even. I didn’t imagine she was serious. I laughed about it and told her Gina had been a pain in my ass since high school. She said she would get even for the both of us.”
“Do you remember her exact words?” Erin reached for her notebook. This was new information. She subtly scratched his comments onto the lined paper without taking her eyes from his.
“Something like, ‘She’s going down, sucker. She’s gonna fry’.” He raised cuffed wrists and covered his mouth in a belated attempt to stop the words. Moist droplets seeded the corners of his eyes.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“She’s done things. Awful things.” He swiped at an eye before the tear breached. “I know you. You’ll find her and you’ll send her up for a long time. She might even get hurt.”
Erin narrowed her eyes and nodded. “Only if she—”
“But she’s just a kid. My kid.” The tear welled again and dashed down his cheek before he could stop it. “She had a rough start, but she still has a chance. She just needs a little help. She can get better. I don’t want her hurt. Do you promise?”
“I would never willingly hurt a kid.” Erin met his eye. “I’m going to stop her but I promise to do my best to make sure no one hurts her.”
He nodded.
“What else do you know?”
“After I dropped her off, I know she didn’t stay home. I saw her in town later. Pretty close to the Stop ’N Go.” He took a deep breath and his chest sank when he exhaled. “She ducked behind a fence when she saw my car, but it was her.”
“So, she had motive, she had opportunity. But what about means? What makes you think she’s capable of arson?”
“Fire is her thing. It’s always been her thing. Yeah, she does lots of shit she shouldn’t do, but starting fires is her favorite. I can’t even count how many lighters she’s stolen from me.” He met Erin’s eyes. “Old Gunther has been putting out fires since he took her in. Remember the outhouse behind the shed?”
“That was a classic. A three-holer in three different sizes. Nice enough for the Shah of Iran. It must have been a hundred years old.”
“Gone,” he said in a monotone. “She burnt it down right after she moved in. Remember the canopy he built over the dock for his boats?”
“Burnt too?”
“Yup.” He nodded. “Gunther told me she nearly burned the house down a million times. Kept him hopping with the bucket of water he kept by the old wood stove. He said he tried to teach her properly so she’d stop burning his house and do it right.”
“How do you do arson right?”
Muscles rippled at the point of his jaw.
You idiot. He’s trying to cooperate. She closed her mouth and waited.
Finally the skin around his eyes relaxed. “Why do you need to make everything so hard?”
Erin shrugged.
“I meant that he taught her to use fire properly, like for getting rid of trash in the burning barrel, not destroying shit for fun. After that, she kept the fires off the property, but I don’t think she stopped altogether.”
Erin raised her eyebrows in a question.
“She never liked her sixth grade teacher, Ms. Barker. Remember that her garage mysteriously burned down a couple of years ago? I’m pretty sure that was Lily. I saw her wandering around that night and gave her a ride home. I thought it was weird that she smelled like gasoline but she said it was turpentine from cleaning paintbrushes. Said she volunteered for an after-school project.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Contrary to what she thinks, I’m not stupid. I can smell the difference between turpentine and gasoline. Besides, that kid never did a school project she wasn’t forced to do. It’s time to pull my head out of the sand. She really likes fire. This is her M.O.”
Erin leaned close to the Plexiglas window between them. She believed him, but a lot of others wouldn’t. “They’re going to say you’re making this up to get out of jail.”
“Damn sure, I want out of here, but you know I’m telling the truth.”
“Bizarre as it sounds, I believe you. And I’m sorry,” Erin blurted, “about your throat.” She held two fingers to her own. “I crossed a line. I shouldn’t have gon
e all ape-shit on you. You were down, that was enough. I knew better.” The tremendous weight she carried began to ease.
“I thought everyone was out to get my kid and I needed to protect her. I see more clearly now.” His face flushed. “I ain’t proud of how it went down either.”
“We both lost our minds,” Erin said magnanimously. She took up her notepad. “Tell me everything you can about Lily. What motivates her?”
* * *
Allie uncrossed her ankles and pulled her feet off the dash of Erin’s truck. The cat squeaked at the abrupt posture change. She’d reached the end of her chapter and the prison’s oppressive emotions crowded in on her again. This time, it was not only the overwhelming despair she felt. There was hope. A tiny ribbon of optimism shone through the dark clouds.
Erin had connected with Derek and he was cooperating. Erin was good. When she wasn’t being a hothead.
CHAPTER 7
I wait outside school Monday morning. Rain drips off my hoodie and I try to keep my cigarette dry with my cupped hand. Nina is late. I haven’t seen her since I threw the rock at her mom’s window Friday night. What if she never comes back? That would suck. I take one last drag and blow a perfect smoke ring in the air, the way Minion showed me the first time he let me smoke with him.
Homeroom with Ms. Henderson is almost over. I shake my head. That teacher has a face like a goat. She’s also one of those do-gooders who spends way too much time poking her nose in other people’s business. I steer clear of homeroom if I can help it.
With an expert flick, I ditch the glowing cigarette butt in the planter and walk to the entrance. A car door thumps behind me and a red van zooms past in my peripheral vision. Nina!
Head down, feet heavy, Nina joins me. On her first day in school, she’d looked like she’d be comfortable in a teen fashion magazine. Today, she looks rumpled, tired, and her backpack hangs from her shoulder as if it’s filled with rocks.