Starks' Reality

by Sarah Storme

  “Good morning, Red. Come in.”

  The man walked in with a bounce to his step and dropped into the visitor’s chair. “You make out okay this weekend?”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  “Well, good. Look, Chief, about Friday—”

  Jake raised one hand. “Don’t worry about Friday. I assume because you’re here, you’re willing to work with the change in rules.”

  The man nodded. “I am.”

  Now for the real test. Jake handed Red a copy of the new work schedule.

  The man scanned the page, but registered little more than mild surprise. He was scheduled for the first and fourth Saturdays, and second Sunday. Maybe he’d expected worse.

  “All right?” Jake asked.

  “You bet.”

  Jake leaned back in his chair. “I guess you heard about what happened this weekend.”

  “About Coop’s Place? Yeah. I understand the Department of Health closed him down.”

  “They closed the kitchen for now. I was about to call the hospital to see how Ed Taylor’s doing.”

  Red shook his head slowly. “The old man’s pretty tough.”

  “His wife said he was an important government official.”

  Red chuckled. “Yeah, he ran the mailroom in the capitol for thirty or forty years.”

  “So, I guess it isn’t likely there’s a conspiracy under way.”

  “Not very.”

  The phone rang and Jake picked it up.

  “Police.” He hadn’t yet figured out quite how to answer.

  The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment. “Is this Chief Starks?”

  “Yes. May I help you?”

  “This is Madeline White. I’m an RN at Callaway County Medical. I have a note to contact you. Ed Taylor died at seven forty-two this morning.”

  “He died?”

  “Yes.”

  “From food poisoning?”

  “The coroner hasn’t done an autopsy yet. Mr. Taylor had been in a coma since he was admitted on Saturday, and went into cardiac arrest this morning. We weren’t able to revive him.”

  Jake took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Thanks for calling.” He returned the receiver to the cradle and looked up at Red. “Ed Taylor’s dead.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You know the old lady’s going to sue the pants off of Coop.”

  “And Tran, I’m sure,” Jake said. “I’ll see if Parks and Wildlife has any info yet.”

  “Anything I need to do?”

  “I’ll take care of this.”

  “Okay. I guess I’ll make the rounds and see what’s happening.” Red stood, turned toward the door, and then stopped and looked back. “If that’s all right with you.”

  “Sure.”

  The man’s eyes still held a spark of fight. One way or another, he’d show his true colors within the next week or two. Jake didn’t need a patrolman he couldn’t count on.

  “Helen?”

  The woman poked her head through the doorway. “Yes, Chief?”

  “Get Parks and Wildlife on the phone for me. See if Hernandez is around.”

  “Sure thing.”

  ~~**~~**~~

  Heather wasn’t sorry to see Starks pull up in front of her house. She didn’t hurry to the door—no need to appear too anxious—but she straightened her T-shirt and pushed the hair back from her face. As soon as he knocked, she opened the door.

  “Good morning,” she said.

  When he took off his sunglasses, the intensity of his gaze made her gulp.

  “Good morning.” He took a deep breath and looked away for a moment. “I have some bad news.”

  “What?”

  “Ed Taylor died.”

  “What? Oh, my God.” A wave of dizziness washed over her and she clutched the doorframe.

  “Whoa.” Jake grabbed her arm. “Let’s go inside.”

  He led her to a chair and waited until she sat before releasing her. She couldn’t catch her breath; her vision tunneled to a pinpoint.

  “Heather, lean forward and put your head between your knees.” His voice came from right beside her, but she couldn’t see him.

  She did as instructed.

  After a moment, her senses cleared and she straightened.

  Starks knelt beside her, his hand resting between her shoulder blades. When she met his gaze, he rose and took the seat across from her.

  Heather cooled her cheeks with her palms as she took deep breaths. Ed Taylor had eaten in her restaurant. She was responsible for ending the man’s life. “I…can’t believe it.”

  “You can’t blame yourself,” he said. “You didn’t do this.”

  “But I did. I put the plate in front of him, and now he’s dead.” Pressure built in her chest. “God, it’s horrible.”

  “Heather.”

  She looked up.

  “You did nothing wrong.”

  Oddly enough, his words felt almost like an absolution. The tightness in her chest loosened.

  “Are you listening?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “I called Parks and Wildlife. They didn’t find anything unexpected in the bay. They’re watching the dock now, monitoring incoming oysters. I also called Yarro at the Department of Health. He said some of the tests on the shells are coming back positive. He’ll get back to us with more information tomorrow or so.”

  She nodded again.

  “I think you need to be prepared.”

  “For what?” she asked.

  “Mrs. Taylor could decide to sue everyone involved.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” The blood drained from her head again. “Coop will lose everything. And Tran. Poor man. He has five children. What will they do?”

  Starks raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think you should jump to conclusions. I mean, we have no idea what the outcome of all this will be. I just thought you might want to discuss it with Coop.”

  Heather nodded.

  “Think I can get some coffee?”

  “Sure.” When she jumped up, the room spun.

  Starks reached for her, but withdrew his hand when she regained her balance. He watched her with concern, his gorgeous eyes tracking her every move. Why did she have such a strong desire to throw herself into his arms?

  Working to ignore the urge, she filled two cups from the coffee pot and carried them to the table. She returned to her seat and stole a glance as he sipped.

  He was attractive, but it wasn’t movie-star-type male beauty. He was strong, steady, solid. Her father had always been someone who turned to her for strength. And every one of her boyfriends had been some version of her father: someone who needed her help. Even Matt.

  Starks didn’t. He didn’t need her at all.

  She wanted him.

  The very thought was ridiculous, especially under the circumstances.

  “What is it?”

  She looked up. “What?”

  “You shook your head.”

  “Oh. It’s nothing.”

  They sat without speaking as the kitchen clock ticked.

  Starks broke the silence. “You have a college guy waiting for you back in Austin?”

  Heather straightened. “That’s none of your business.”

  “True.” He grinned.

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  Starks narrowed his eyes. “Let me guess, his name is…Lyle.”

  “No.”

  “Biff?”

  “No, it’s Matt.”

  “Matt.”

  Somehow, when he said it, it sounded dorky.

  Her face warmed. “Yes, Matt Vanderhoff. He’s very nice, and he’s pre-law.”

  Starks’ grin grew slightly fiendish as he watched her. “Good.”

  What was that supposed to mean? Was he teasing her?

  “Good?”

  “I wouldn’t want to think of you spending all your time studying. Life’s too short.”


  She drank her coffee instead of telling him she’d broken up with Matt before leaving school in May. She wasn’t about to admit that Matt was the one she’d thought she’d marry. She hadn’t even told her father how serious the relationship had become, and certainly hadn’t told him that his name had come up more than once during that last blowout. When she’d tried to explain why she had to go home, Matt had accused her of babying her father. He couldn’t begin to understand their relationship, seasoned by years of caring for Coop is if he were the child and she was the parent.

  No, she couldn’t tell anyone about that last week at school. The wounds were still too fresh.

  “You going to the party tonight?” Starks asked.

  Heather shook her head. “I’m tending bar. If we don’t keep Coop’s open, customers will get used to going elsewhere. Besides, I wouldn’t feel right about going to a party now.”

  He nodded again, but didn’t say anything.

  “How do you know Dave Tucker?” she asked.

  “He was my partner for a few years in Dallas.”

  “I’d heard he was from Dallas,” she said, “but I didn’t know he was a cop. Why is he in a wheelchair?”

  “He was shot.”

  “On the job?”

  Starks nodded.

  For the second time, Heather felt an icy hardness from him that frightened her a little. He was probably capable of staring down a killer without flinching. For that matter, he was probably capable of pulling the trigger if he needed to. Had he done that? Had he ever shot anyone? That was what cops did sometimes, wasn’t it?

  “I better go.” He stood and carried his cup to the counter. “Thanks for the coffee.”

  “You’re welcome.” She followed him to the door.

  He didn’t look back until he was in the car, backing out of the driveway. He wasn’t smiling.

  With Starks gone, her thoughts returned to Ed Taylor and her father. She needed to find Coop. He would definitely be upset when he heard the news.

  ~~**~~**~~

  “Ace, I want you to meet someone.”

  Jake followed Tucker’s chair through the growing crowd. At least thirty people stood around the main room in small clusters.

  When they approached one of the circles of four, it opened to include them.

  “Let me introduce Jake Starks, our new chief of police. Jake, this is Eileen Murphy.”

  The woman, about thirty, thin and pale, had auburn hair to her waist. She was the model type—one who looked better through the lens of a camera. Jake shook her hand, careful not to squeeze too hard.

  “You know Mayor Stevens.”

  Jake nodded as he shook hands with the mayor, who had been out of town since shortly after hiring Jake over the phone. The man fit the image Jake had of him perfectly: fiftyish, graying, out of shape, but with the handshake and smile of a politician. No doubt he had his eye on higher office.

  “This is Betty Stevens.”

  Puffy, dyed blond hair, expensive dress, not much in the way of natural beauty, but a good handshake for a woman.

  “And Tanner Radisson.”

  So, this was Port Boyer’s playboy. He was about thirty, tall, and lean—a little underweight. He had a look that said, I’m better than you and I can do what I want. It was a look Jake had seen hundreds of times. He loved busting those guys with their weed or blow and hearing yes, sir and no, sir suddenly become part of their vocabularies. Radisson, however, was nursing a beer at the moment and definitely not high.

  “I hope you’re finding our town to your liking,” Radisson said. Our sounded like it meant my.

  Jake smiled.

  “Damn shame about the problems down at Coop’s,” the mayor said. “I assume you have that covered.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jake answered.

  “Then, I know we’re in good hands.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice to meet all of you.”

  As the group started to converse with each other, Jake stepped away.

  “Cooler on the back porch is full of beer and cold drinks,” Tucker said.

  “You want something?”

  Tucker lifted a beer bottle from a cup holder mounted on the side of his chair. “Got one.”

  Jake nodded.

  “I’m going to check on Lydia,” Tucker said. “She’s been in the kitchen for hours. I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes. Oh, and make sure you try the tamales.”

  “Will do.”

  Jake worked his way slowly across the room, introducing himself to people and shaking hands, relieved to finally step out into the darkness of the porch.

  At the bottom of the cooler, he found an orange soda. He popped the top and took a long drink. Then he leaned on the handrail and looked out at the bay. Light from a half moon shattered on the choppy surface.

  Inside, more guests arrived. Tucker had plenty of friends in Port Boyer. That would make leaving easier.

  A familiar voice turned Jake toward the party. Coop stood at the doorway, shaking hands with people around him. When he stepped to one side to greet someone, Heather appeared from behind him.

  Jake leaned on the doorframe and watched Heather Cooper make her way across the room.

  She wasn’t jovial like her father, but polite. She wore a sleeveless white cotton dress that showed off her tan and hugged her body. Her hair was braided, but not too tightly, and the braid reached the middle of her back. She didn’t wear makeup; she didn’t need it.

  When her gaze met his, she did a double take. Jake raised his drink and she nodded slightly. Then she returned her attention to the person in front of her.

  “Chief, it’s good to see you,” Coop said.

  Jake shook the man’s hand. “Good to see you, too.”

  “I was told there’s beer out here.”

  “Yep.” Jake pointed to the cooler.

  Coop pulled out a can, popped the top, and chugged half the brew. It wasn’t his first of the night.

  “So,” Coop said, “where’s the host?”

  “I think he’s helping in the kitchen.”

  “Yeah? I guess I’ll go say hello.”

  Jake returned his gaze to Heather. She approached, watching him, her brown eyes reflecting the lights in the room. Damn, she looked good. Everyone else faded into the background.

  “Hi.” She stopped in front of him.

  “Hi.” Jake swallowed hard. “You look great.”

  She blushed.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked. “A beer?”

  She glanced at the can in his hand. “One of those would be nice.”

  He stepped outside and located another orange drink. When he turned, he found Heather closer than he’d expected.

  “Thanks,” she said. She skirted him and strolled across the porch to the handrail. “This is quite a view.”

  He stood beside her and admired her profile against the moonlit sky. “It is.”

  She glanced at him, and then looked out at the bay again. The corner of her luscious mouth turned up into a smile.

  He ached to touch her, and she knew it. He felt like a kid on a date.

  But he wasn’t a kid, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to act like one.

  Jake balanced his drink on the handrail, turned and took Heather by the shoulders, noting the softness of her bare skin. He pulled her around to face him, lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her.

  As their lips met, she inhaled a sharp breath. Her precious mouth, sweet and warm, was hardened by surprise. Jake covered it with his own, parting her lips with his, tasting her, thrilling to the novelty, pushing farther as she softened.

  She drew him in, hesitantly at first, until their tongues touched. Christ, she was good.

  He savored her whole mouth, caressing it, pulling her body closer.

  She rose to meet him, standing on her toes, one hand on his chest. He felt the pulse in her neck throb under his fingers.

  Enough.

  Any closer and she’d know just how much he wa
nted her.

  After one last taste, he held his mouth near hers for a moment, inhaling her scent, and then withdrew. As he stepped back, her eyes opened slowly and searched his for explanation. He released her. Turning toward the handrail, he picked up his drink, took a sip, and leaned forward with his arms on the rail.

  She stood as he’d left her, staring at him. “What…why did you do that?”

  “Because I wanted to.”

  “Do you always do what you want?” She leaned back on the rail near him.

  “No, not always.”

  “What makes you think—?”

  “Here you are.” Coop walked out, tamale in hand. “These are great,” he said. “Have you tried them?”

  “No—” Heather’s voice broke. She cleared her throat. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Want a taste?” He extended the treat in her direction.

  “No, thanks, I’ll get one in a minute.”

  “Don’t wait too long.” Coop opened the cooler and withdrew another beer. He smiled at both of them before returning to the room, his step a little unsteady.

  “Who’s watching the bar?” Jake asked.

  “Huey Tran and Dolores Davies,” Heather said. “Dolores waits tables, and Huey tends bar for us sometimes when we get busy.”

  “I wasn’t sure he was old enough to drive, much less tend bar.”

  “Huey? He’s twenty-two, and very responsible.”

  Coop passed in front of the doorway, his beer upended, and tripped a half step.

  Jake lowered his voice. “Is he out to get drunk?”

  “He’s really upset about Ed Taylor. I tried to talk him out of coming here, but he can be stubborn.”

  “Does that run in the family?”

  Heather shrugged with one shoulder. “Maybe.”

  “So you tagged along to keep him out of trouble?”

  She nodded.

  Jake did his best to hide his disappointment. He’d hoped she’d shown up to see him.

  But it didn’t matter why she’d come. She’d reacted to his kiss with excitement that had sweetened her taste. Now they both knew where they stood. The next move was hers.

  “I should see if I can help Tucker,” he said. Leaving her before he thought too much about kissing her again, he headed for the kitchen.

  ~~**~~**~~

  Her head still spun from Jake’s kiss.

  It hadn’t been a hesitant first kiss. No. It had been a stimulating encounter with a man confident he wouldn’t be refused—a man who knew exactly how to curl her toes.