by Jackie D
Chapter Four
Erica hung up the phone and walked back over to the large table they’d been working from for the last three days. She lifted her coffee cup and realized it was empty again. She’d lost track of how many times she’d filled it up in the last seventy-two hours. One more isn’t going to hurt. Diego seemed to have read her mind, and a moment later he was pouring the dark, burnt liquid into her mug.
“Thanks.”
“Okay, so we have the timeline pretty much nailed down at this point. She met up with some friends for lunch at Vicki’s Sandwich Shop, at around twelve thirty. After that, she stopped by Clearbrook High to see one of her old teachers, Mrs. Redding, and talked to her for approximately forty-five minutes. Then, she goes home for the afternoon. She hangs out with her little brother, watches television, and gets on social media. She told her parents she had plans to go out with some friends to see a movie that night. She leaves to go on a run at four o’clock, stops by Starbucks to get a green tea, and is never heard from again.”
“The cell company says she made two phone calls before going for her run. The first was to one of her girlfriends she had plans to go have drinks with at Junior’s, and the other was to her roommate down in San Diego. We were able to track her run through the GPS on her phone, but it goes completely dead right outside of Starbucks.”
“Her parents said they weren’t aware of any boyfriend. We need to follow up on that.”
“I spoke with her roommate, and she says Claudia wasn’t seeing anyone.”
“It doesn’t make any sense. It’s like she just disappeared. How could no one see someone take her?”
“I know.”
Diego looked at her, and the fatigue setting in around his eyes made him look older than his thirty-five years. Neither of them had ever worked a case of this magnitude, and knowing the victim was making his burden even greater. She knew it would be like this until they solved the case and probably for some time after. “Why don’t you go home and have dinner with your wife and kids?”
“Is that who called you?”
“She said you weren’t answering your cell.” Erica shrugged.
“I can’t just go home and have dinner. Not while he’s still out there.”
She leaned across the table and flipped the file shut. “It will be good to walk away, take a break. Come back tomorrow with fresh eyes. We haven’t left the station in three days. Your family needs you too.”
She could tell he was about to protest and then changed his mind. “Okay, Chance. Maybe you’re right. I’d love to sleep in my bed and not on one of these lumpy couches.”
He grabbed his suit jacket off the back of the chair and threw it over his arm. “You’re going home too, right?”
“Yeah, just have to stop and see Sheila first, then pick up Bella.”
“Uh-oh.”
“What, uh-oh?”
“I know that look. You’re breaking up with Sheila, aren’t you?”
“How did you get that out of what I said? And besides, you can’t break up with someone you aren’t really dating. We hang out, sure, but there’s nothing official.”
“It’s not what you said, but how you said it. I’ve known you damn near your whole life, and I know when you’re done with someone. Besides, you’re at your four-month mark, and those are the rules.”
She crossed her arms, frustrated with him for knowing her so well, and with herself for being so predictable. “It’s not a rule.”
For the first time in three days, he laughed. “It might as well be. I’ve never seen someone last longer than four months.”
They both knew that wasn’t true, but they had an unspoken agreement not to talk about her relationship with Lucy. “If you don’t know if they’re the one in—”
“In four months, then they’re not the one,” he finished for her. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it before.”
“It’s a good rule,” she murmured. She could attempt to explain the rule to Diego again, but what was the point? A rule like this was born from pure heartbreak, and Diego had never experienced anything like that. He never had to question whether or not his soul was still intact simply because someone was no longer in his life. He had never experienced the need to push your car over the hundred miles per hour barrier just to feel something other than anguish. He had never awoken at night to find the pillow you’re clutching wet with tears because even your subconscious mind knows a part of you is missing. No, Diego would never understand. She would allow his questions to remain unanswered because there were no words to do those feelings justice.
* * *
Holly dragged the fourth toy to the middle of the room and made a whimpering sound.
“She wants you to play with her.”
“I know, Grayson, but I’m trying to finish this last bit of research.”
He sat on the couch and Holly jumped on his lap, toys forgotten. “Maybe you wouldn’t have to do so much digging if you just, say, went home. And don’t tell me you’re already there. You know what I mean.” He took a sip from his wine glass.
“Snarkiness noted.” She glanced over, pulled the glass from his hand, and took a giant gulp.
“Heathen.” He took the glass back.
“I can’t just go back and do the story.”
“Didn’t you say your brother is assigned to the case?” He ran his finger around the lip of the glass.
“Yes, that’s what my mom said.”
“Don’t you get along with him?”
“Yeah, I get along great with both my brothers.” She crossed her arms.
“Okay, you’re seriously going to have to fill me in because I’m apparently missing something.”
She pulled the wine glass out of his hand again and took another gulp. He smacked her hand as she gave it back. “I poured you your own, and it’s right next to you.” He pointed to the table.
“Oh, thanks.” She picked the glass up and took another gulp. “His partner won’t want to see me, and I do my best not to upset her…anymore.” She spun the stem of the wineglass between her two fingers, trying to picture Erica’s reaction to seeing her again. She wasn’t sure what it would be, and not knowing was painful.
Grayson looked at her blankly for a moment and then squeezed her arm with the excitement of a small child. “Oh my God, please tell me his partner is Erica, the Erica.”
She finished off what was in her glass and set it back on the table. “The one and only.” She pulled his tightly gripped fingers from her arm.
“Oh, that’s perfect. Honey, this is your chance.”
“She’s not my chance. Not anymore.”
He blinked at her, annoyance flickering in his eyes. “Even you saying that tells me you want her to be. But it’s your chance to win her back. Jesus, how many hours have I spent listening to you blather on and on about this woman? Now you have a real reason to be there with her, to talk to her, and I’m not going to let you miss it.”
She scratched Holly behind the ears. “Believe me when I tell you, Erica Chance wants nothing to do with me.”
“Sweet baby Jesus, her last name is Chance?” He clapped. “Oh, I love it.”
“I thought you just said you listened to me blather on and on about her, but you didn’t even know her last name.”
“I assumed you were being ironic. Plus, I kind of tune you out when you get like that.”
“I don’t even know why we’re friends.”
He got off the couch, grabbed her wine glass, and walked into the kitchen. “Because I cut your hair perfectly, watch the precious angel, and because I’m going to go with you to Clearbrook.”
She swung around on the couch. “I thought you didn’t want to tip the proverbial gay scale, or whatever you called it.”
He shook his finger back and forth. “I’m not going to let you mess this up, scale be damned.”
“If I go, I’m going there to work.”
He was practically skipping back toward the couch. “It’s like a
mission. Can I give it a code name?”
“No.”
“I’m going to give it a code name.”
“You aren’t coming.”
“Mission Lezbos.”
“No.”
“Mission Pink Taco.”
“I hate you.”
“Mission Lez-unite.”
“I’m never talking to you again.”
“Oh, that’s the one.” He hurried toward the door. “I’m going to go pack!”
She turned and looked at Holly. “He took my wine glass.” Holly’s tail wagged back and forth. “Traitor.”
She should go to Clearbrook to write this story, because in any other situation she would be packing her bags. Seeing a place, feeling the scene and surroundings, and actually talking to the people involved always made for a better story than Google Maps and phone calls. Plus, maybe things would be different now. It had been years since she had been face-to-face with Erica, so maybe she would want to see her. They had been everything to each other at one point, best friends, lovers, partners. Surely, Erica knew that what they had was real. If there was even a part of Erica that missed her, just a sliver of feelings that remained of what they once shared, shouldn’t she take the chance?
Chapter Five
He watched her labored movements with anticipation. She could barely hold herself up, and the exhaustion, dehydration, and hunger were setting in. He could see it in her eyes. He ran his hand along the side of her face, and for the first time, she didn’t flinch. “I’m going to pull the tape off now. But if you make a sound, any sound, that will be it.”
She nodded her understanding, and he pulled the tape off. He unscrewed the cap from the water bottle, and her eyes were fixated on his movements. She was exactly where he wanted her to be now, dependent on him. He held the bottle up to her mouth and tipped it up, letting the water flow past her lips. She drank it down greedily, gulping and pulling with her mouth, causing the sides of the plastic to cave in. When it was gone, he tossed it to the side, keeping his gaze focused on her, waiting to see the hope return.
“Please, I’m still thirsty.” Her voice was cracked.
“You get one bottle a day.”
“Why?”
He could feel the anger rising from his belly, but he tried to push it back down. “Because those are the rules.”
“The rules of what?” She coughed.
“The rules of our arrangement.”
His response apparently angered her. She squinted at him, and her face flushed red. “People will be looking for me. You can’t possibly think you’ll get away with this.”
Why did she have to say that? Why couldn’t she just be grateful for what he was doing? Why did she need to test him? “I saved you.”
She shifted her weight from kneeling to legs out in front. This actually made him more comfortable. The position left her more vulnerable, less agile. She didn’t realize her unconscious change in weight distribution was a sign of resignation. Another step closer to conformity.
“You saved me? What the hell did you save me from?”
He went to his makeshift workbench and moved items around. “I saved you from yourself. You should have more respect.”
“Respect? Respect for what?”
He let his fingers slide over the top of the hammer, feeling them twitch at the draw to pick it up. “For me! The only reason you’re still breathing is because I’ve decided to let you.”
Her face paled at his words. “I want to go home. I won’t tell anyone. Please just let me go.”
He had heard it before, with the same cadence and tone. They were all the same, so very disappointing. “You aren’t going anywhere.” Next would come the pleading, the tears, and then the bargaining would complete the speech he knew so well.
“Please, I’ll give you whatever you want, just please let me go. My parents have money. Do you want money?”
“Money? No, I don’t want any money. I want you to understand your actions have consequences. I want you to realize what you’ve done.”
Her expression was more desperate now, bordering on pathetic. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’re a tease.”
He watched her eyes as fear transitioned to realization, her behavior finally coming into focus. “Oh my God, I remember you now.”
He ripped off a piece of duct tape, and before she could go on, he covered her mouth again. He didn’t want to hear any of her excuses. It was too late for that.
Chapter Six
“Did you even go home last night?” Diego said as he took his seat opposite Erica on their adjoined desks.
“Yes, I went home. I have a dog, you know.”
“Bella is more of a loveable lump than a dog.”
“Careful, she’ll know what you said.”
“No doubt, with those ridiculous ears of hers.”
Diego was in a better mood today, laughing and joking around. It was a nice reprieve from staring down the biggest case either of them had ever seen. “How’s the family?”
He sipped his coffee. “Good. We expect to see you tomorrow night for dinner.”
“I’ll be there.”
“You can bring Sheila.”
Erica pushed the pencil on her desk back and forth. “Okay, I’ll see if she’s busy.”
“See if she’s busy? It’s your birthday. What else would she be doing?”
She started spinning the pencil now. “I don’t know, I’m sure she’s got stuff to do. I don’t expect her life to revolve around me.”
“Chance, it’s your birthday for Christ’s sake. Is she still your girlfriend, or what?”
“You know I hate labels.”
“Uh-huh. Hate labels like girlfriend. I thought you saw her last night? So, it wasn’t a date?”
“I’m bringing Bella for sure. You can put me down for a plus one on that count. And Sheila and I hang out. Don’t make it out to be more than what it is. Last night all I did was stop by to pick up Bella. I asked her to take her for a bit because we had to work late.”
“Bella is more of a plus two, the way she eats.” He winked at her and started typing, undoubtedly going through the same emails she just had. She also noticed his sidestep of any further discussion of Sheila, which she appreciated.
“Funny.”
Her phone rang, and she picked it up while sliding the local paper across the desk toward him. A picture of Claudia Ramos donned the cover, along with pictures of both her and Diego at the scene. The local paper hadn’t had much to go on regarding the case, but it was a beautiful tribute to the young woman the town had lost. “Hey, Sheila. What’s up?” She purposely didn’t turn away from Diego when she saw the name on the caller ID, wanting to prove she had meant what she had said just moments before.
The familiar voice was panicked, random pieces of information spilling from the receiver. “Erica, I’m sorry, you might not even be the person I’m supposed to call. But who do you call for situations like this, the police right? She’s missing, and she hasn’t been home for two days, which is totally unlike her. My aunt and uncle are freaking out, and with good reason, and no one knows what to do, or who to call.”
Erica put the phone on her desk and pushed the speaker button as she motioned for Diego to pay attention. “Sheila, I need you to slow down and tell me exactly what you’re talking about.”
Diego came around and sat on the corner of her desk, notepad in hand.
“Right, sorry. My cousin, Jessica Vargas, is missing. My aunt and uncle said she was supposed to be home a few days ago. They figured she got hung up at school, and they’ve been trying to call her cell phone, but it just goes straight to voice mail. We called her boyfriend, and he said she left Sacramento two days ago to come home for the weekend. But no one has seen her, and I’m not sure what to do.”
Erica made every effort to keep her voice calm, not wanting to incite any more panic. There were dozens of reasons a college-aged woman might not be
home. Reasons which had nothing to do with being legitimately missing, or worse, taken by a man they had yet to identify. She wanted Sheila to hear that reassurance in her voice, but maybe she needed it as well. “Okay, I need you to bring your aunt and uncle down to the station to talk to Diego and me. Can you do that?”
Sheila took a deep breath. “Yes, I can do that. I’ll bring them down right away.” She paused. “I knew I could count on you. Thanks, babe.”
“Sure. See you soon.” Erica ended the call and looked at Diego, who was pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Could be nothing,” Diego said. The look on his face didn’t mirror his words.
She stared at the board, a picture of Claudia Ramos staring back. “Or it could be the beginning.”
* * *
“The Five is a mess this time of day, we should go around.” Lucy put on her blinker and changed lanes. She hit the button on the door, rolling the window up. As it closed, she felt a small tug on her hair. Realizing she had caught a chunk in the window, she quickly cracked the window to set herself free. She glanced over at Grayson to see if he noticed. He smiled and shook his head, no doubt used to her small mishaps by now. Luckily, he didn’t dwell on it, continuing the conversation as if nothing happened.
“Honey, we live in California. Every highway is a mess no matter the time of day.”
Grayson wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t try to shave off a couple of minutes from their drive. She had somehow temporarily convinced herself this whole thing was a good idea. In a moment of longing to see Erica, she’d made the phone call to her editor saying she’d be willing to head north to check out the story. He happily agreed, leaving her no way to back out if she changed her mind. Now, as she drove down the long open stretch of highway that separated Northern California from Southern California, she felt excitement and apprehension in equal measures. She wasn’t sure how Erica would react to her presence, but she needed to know either way. And she couldn’t wait to see her family.