by Jackie D
There was no time for further reflection, not now anyway. They were on their way to go talk to Lance Wilds. She watched as Erica kissed Bella on the head, getting a tail thump of recognition.
There had been a wide range of emotions over the last several minutes. Lucy’s head was swimming with the meaning of it all. She felt suddenly tired, and her head felt heavy. Following a potential lead was a welcome relief. At least this was something she could follow, something she understood.
Chapter Seventeen
“Jessica?”
He wiped the hair from her eyes. She had fallen asleep, despite the filth and sweat. It had been a fitful slumber at best, and she shuddered and fought in her dreamland. He liked to think she was dreaming of him, just as he had dreamt of her.
“Jessica?” He touched her face more forcefully and she jostled herself awake. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and the panic in her eyes was evident. “Yes. You’re still here.”
He pulled the tape from her mouth in one swift, quick motion. Then he pulled out his pocketknife, turning it over in his hand, the motion forcing her to gulp audibly. He pushed her forward, forcing her body to bend in half. He pulled up her hands and used the knife to cut the zip ties free. The look on her face was part terror and part gratitude. He wasn’t sure which he enjoyed seeing more.
“If you behave, there will be no need for the tape or ties.”
She nodded her understanding. She put her hand up to her throat and rubbed the skin. “Water?” Her voice was dry and crackling, like it had been stepped on.
He handed her a bottle of water and she gulped it down, not taking a moment to catch her breath. He reached behind his back and grabbed a white bag with grease stains seeping through. He handed her two hamburgers and an order of French fries. She tore the wrapper open and shoveled the food into her mouth, barely chewing.
He tried then to touch her, more gently this time. He was, after all, the one who saved her from the hunger pains. When she still recoiled at his touch, he grabbed her face and squeezed. Her face started to grow red where his fingers touched her skin, and he squeezed harder, wondering if he could actually witness the transformation to bruising. He shoved her face away before he could see his theory at work. He didn’t want to fall down the rabbit hole of watching the body react to intentional infliction. He wanted this time to be different; he wanted it to last forever.
“Can I have more water?”
Initially, he was caught off guard by her request. The others hadn’t been brazen enough to ask him for anything, but then, she wasn’t like the rest of them. “Yes.” He handed her the bottle.
“Thank you.”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Her eyes flashed with confusion and anger, but she managed to temper them after only a moment. Someone else might not have noticed, but he did. He knew where to look to see the truth in someone’s soul peeking through. But this was hopeful. Jessica wanted to comply, even if her emotions temporarily betrayed her at the moment.
“Thank you for having me.”
It wasn’t sincere and he was angry at her lie, but he appreciated her trying all the same. It would just take time for her to feel more secure in their relationship. She’d come around, and he didn’t care how long it took. He sat down next to her, letting his shoulder brush against hers. She froze for a moment, and he fought the urge to smack her across the face.
When she finished the second hamburger, she stared at him. When she asked the question she had probably been turning over in her head for quite some time, it was barely above a whisper. “Can I shower?”
“Would that make you feel better?”
She nodded but didn’t make eye contact. His chest swelled with pride. She’s learning so quickly. He just needed her to understand that he was in charge, the master, and she needed him. “Then, yes. I’ll take you up into the house, but I need to know I can trust you. Are you planning on staying here with me?”
“Okay.”
He stood quickly, grabbing the duct tape from the workbench, tearing off a strip with his teeth, and placing it back over her mouth. “I have to do this until I know I can trust you.”
She nodded her understanding, keeping her eyes on the ground. Submissive, the way she should be. He walked her toward the hatch, gripping the back of her elbow. Before he lifted the steel door he pointed to the gun in his waistband.
“If you try to run, I’ll kill you. If you look like you’re going to run, I’ll kill you. I don’t want to, but you’ll have left me no choice. Do you understand?”
He expected her eyes to be filled with tears, but instead, he was met with a determined gaze. She seemed resolute in her understanding, clear on the repercussions if she deviated from their understanding. Killing Teresa in front of her had the lasting impact he’d intended. She knew what he was capable of, and she knew he wouldn’t be deterred. The risk of killing outside his usual plan was paying off, and his reward would be Jessica.
Chapter Eighteen
“I’m just saying, maybe we should watch him for a bit before we go knocking on his door.” Lucy had crossed her arms in the backseat and was staring out the window.
Erica gritted her teeth when she answered. “And I’m just saying, we need to see how he reacts to police officers showing up on his doorstep.”
Diego turned the wheel, placing them on an old dirt road that led to the Wilds property. Although Jessica had broken up with Wilds a while ago, it was the only lead they had to follow up on. “Lucy, we know you’ve seen more cases than us, but we’re actual cops. Please, just let us do our job.”
Erica didn’t bother to try to hide her smile. There wasn’t an official game being played, but it was a tick in her win column all the same. When they pulled up to the old house, Erica and Diego spoke at the same time. “Stay in the car.”
Erica didn’t bother to look in the backseat; it wasn’t necessary. She knew Lucy was rolling her eyes and probably mimicking their words.
The farmhouse had seen better days. One of the upstairs shutters was falling off the hinges, the old yellow paint was flaking off in strips, and the screen door had such a large tear that it wouldn’t have kept any bugs from trespassing indoors. The old floorboards that made up the porch area creaked and whined when they stepped on them. A house that was probably a sight to see in its heyday was now nothing more than a shell of lost memories.
Erica hadn’t been in school with any of the Wildses, who lived too far on the outskirts of town to go to the local school, but she had heard of them. They were known to be rowdy, loud-mouthed, and had no problems starting or jumping into fights. She had picked up Lance Wilds for public intoxication, twice. Mostly, though, they’d always kept to themselves and headed toward Melbourne for their real partying. At one time, there were about six of them in or around Clearbrook, but that number had dwindled over the years. She wasn’t sure how many, if any, still remained.
Erica turned her back to the house and rolled up her sleeves, looking at Diego. The temperature had increased when the day shifted toward the afternoon. She could feel the sweat starting to slip down her back. “Do the Wildses still live here? I don’t think I’ve seen any of them in years.”
“I don’t know, but someone is inside.” He nodded toward the house. “Someone just peeked out the upstairs window.”
“Man or woman?” she asked without turning around.
“Man.”
Diego rapped on the door first. After a few moments of waiting, he knocked again, a little bit louder this time. “Clearbrook Police.”
Erica walked to the side of the wide porch, trying to peer through the window. The curtains were drawn, all but a small opening. She saw someone moving around, but their back was turned. She instinctively put her hand on top of her weapon, unhooking the holster clasp with her thumb.
Diego pounded on the door, which opened before the fourth rap. The man who answered was wearing a stained white undershirt. His hair was greasy, disheveled,
and graying. There was stubble on his chin, reaching up to his ears. But the most interesting thing about the disheveled man in front of her was the fact that she recognized him immediately. He was a bartender at Junior’s. More accurately, he had been there the night before. He had been keeping a very close eye on the drunk woman Erica had followed to the bathroom. “Can I help you?”
Erica kept her hand on her weapon, but closed the clasp as Diego spoke. “We’re looking for Lance Wilds. Is he around?”
The man scratched his face. “No, I’m his cousin, Frank.”
“Does he live here?” Erica asked. The slight breeze, which had been the only relief from the warm air, seemed to disappear. It made the air heavy with midday heat, prickling her skin. The breeze also provided a brief and potent whiff of stale sweat from Frank’s skin.
“He stays here sometimes, but he’s away on a job right now. Rest of the family has moved on.” Frank stepped outside, letting the old wooden door shut behind him. Erica was surprised the hinges didn’t pop off when the door hit the frame. “Is he in trouble?”
“We just have some questions for him.” Diego pushed his sunglasses up on his nose.
“About Jessica Vargas?”
“What do you know about Jessica?”
“I know she’s missing, thanks to the stuff in the newspapers, and I know they used to date.”
“Have you seen her?” Erica asked. She wasn’t sure she’d believe his answer, regardless of what he said.
“Sure, from time to time. I work at Junior’s, and she’s there with her friends sometimes,” he said. He was looking in their general direction but didn’t make eye contact. He was looking past them, toward the car.
“Have you seen her lately?”
“Nah, not for a while.” He pulled a cigarette pack from his back pocket, knocked one out of the top, stuck it in his mouth, then lit it.
“You said Lance was at a job. Where does he work?”
“He drives a truck. He does mostly long-haul jobs.”
“What company does he work for?” Diego asked.
Frank wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, taking a long breath. “No one in particular. He’s an independent contractor. Companies don’t like to pay out pensions anymore, so he gets more work that way.”
“Where are Lance’s parents? Can we speak with them?” Diego pushed.
“They live up in Oregon now. Couldn’t take the summer heat anymore.”
“What about Lance and Jessica, when was the last time you saw them together?” Erica asked.
He seemed to be thinking, but Erica got the impression he knew the answer. The smile that quickly appeared and then vanished immediately, spoke volumes. “It’s been years. I couldn’t say for sure.”
Erica analyzed his body language. He was calm, almost bored with their conversation. Something’s off. Most people would be asking questions, as many as they could think of, as quickly as possible. It wasn’t often something like this happened in their small sleepy town, but it was as if this man couldn’t be bothered.
Erica pulled her phone out and flipped to a picture of Claudia Ramos, and she turned it around to him. “Recognize her?”
He took a long drag of his cigarette, staring at Claudia. She watched his hands, and the left one seemed to twitch, but she couldn’t be sure. “That’s the dead girl. Claudia?”
Diego stood closer to him. “Did you know her?”
“No,” he said without hesitation.
“You sure?” Erica put the phone back in her pocket.
He put the cigarette out in the ashtray, pushing the butt down over and over again. “Yeah, I’m sure. Look, I can tell Lance you stopped by, but if there’s nothing else, I need to get ready for work.”
Erica took a step backward and nodded toward the barn off to the side. “Mind if we take a look around?”
He smiled at her, and she expected to see yellowing teeth, but to her surprise, they were clean, gleaming white. She wondered if this was a side he kept hidden. A kept and cared about appearance, making it easier to approach women.
“Do you have a warrant?”
“No. Should we get one?” Diego challenged him.
“You can do whatever you want, but you aren’t getting in without one.” He stepped back inside. “Have a nice day, Officers.”
They got back in the car and sat for a moment. Then Diego started the car and headed back down the dirt road. “What do you think?”
He was speaking to Erica, but Lucy answered. “I think you could’ve at least cracked a window in here. It’s hot.”
Erica ignored her and responded to Diego. “I’m not sure. He seemed a little too aloof and calm.”
“Maybe you should’ve thrown him in the back of the hot car.” Lucy pushed against Erica’s seat to make her point.
“Yeah, I agree. Maybe we should get a warrant,” Diego suggested.
“With what cause? We don’t have anything to point to him. We could make a stretch with Lance being the ex and living here, but I’m not sure it’s enough. We should follow him, though. Something about him just isn’t right.”
“I’m pretty sure I suggested that before we got here.” Lucy’s tone indicated she was growing irritated with being ignored.
“Tonight?”
“Yeah, I can do that,” Erica said.
“I’m coming.” Lucy leaned forward from the backseat.
“No, you aren’t,” they said in unison.
“Oh, suddenly you can hear me? And yes, I am. Look, I can help. I’m trained to notice things, pick up on cues, same as you. Plus, you both can’t work twenty-four hours a day. I can go tonight with Erica. Diego can follow up tomorrow.”
Neither Diego nor Erica said anything, knowing it wasn’t a battle they were going to win. Lucy had already convinced the chief she was a valuable asset, and a stakeout wasn’t altogether very dangerous. Lucy being in danger wasn’t what concerned Erica at this moment. It was the thought of sitting in a car with her for hours on end, with nowhere to hide. Having to face those feelings and thoughts head on, with no viable escape plan, was intimidating.
* * *
Lucy was practically tackled by Grayson and Holly when she got back to her parents’ house. Scratches behind the ears appeased Holly, but Grayson wanted detailed information about every second they hadn’t been together.
Twenty minutes later, the three of them were out by her parents’ pool, drinking a beer and letting the late afternoon sun soak into their skin. Holly was stretched out on her own lounge chair, and Lucy smiled when she pictured her with a pair of sunglasses and a drink with a miniature umbrella resting inside.
“What’s Sheila like?”
Lucy leaned back in her chair, her chin up toward the sun. “I wish I could say she was horrible, but she wasn’t.” She hadn’t been sure what to expect, but it wasn’t Sheila’s kindness. It made Lucy feel guilty, having judged her before meeting her.
“Ugh, she was polite to you, even in the midst of her family tragedy? Awful.”
“I know, right? I was hoping she’d be a total troll.”
“So disappointing.”
“Seriously.”
“But you’re going on this stakeout thing, tonight?”
“Yeah, but not just to spend time with Erica. It’s good for the story too. It’s not very often you get to tell a story directly from the cop’s point of view. It’s going to be a great scoop.” It really would be a great aspect to the story, but she was trying to downplay her excitement about spending time with Erica. The idea of being with her, uninterrupted and alone, was exciting. Her chest squeezed with anticipation and nervousness. It was cliché, but she felt a bit like a teenager.
Her mom walked into the backyard, and once she was in their line of sight, she gently tapped the bottom of her hair.
Lucy smiled and took a swig out of her beer. “Hair looks nice, Mom.”
“Oh, thank you. Grayson did it for me earlier.”
He sat
up, crossed his legs, and raised his beer bottle to her. “You look fantastic, Maria.”
“Thanks to you, sweetie.” She pointed at Lucy. “We’re eating at your brother’s for Erica’s birthday. Lucy, change before we go. You aren’t wearing that.” She walked back inside.
Lucy looked down at her clothes. “How come she didn’t tell you to change?”
“Because I exude gorgeous. It doesn’t matter what I wear.”
“At least it hasn’t gone to your head.”
“Oh, thank goodness. Could you imagine? God, that would be obnoxious.”
Her mother’s reference to changing her clothes was a bit annoying, but she wasn’t wrong. She had been caught up in the thought of being able to spend time with Erica, and she hadn’t actually wondered what that would mean. Nor had she considered what she wanted it to suggest. The thought of being with her without interruption was exciting, but to what end? Lucy suddenly felt overwhelmed. She had told herself over and over again that she needed to know one way or another if there was a prospect for them at all, even if it was only friendship. But that’s not what her feelings were reflecting. Now she considered that what she wore could imply her intentions. Jesus, this is more complicated than I remember. But then again, she couldn’t recall ever putting this much thought into any woman since Erica. That realization sat on her chest, constricting her breathing. So much for looking forward to tonight.
Chapter Nineteen
Erica put the harness over Bella’s body, which was always an exercise in patience. The short, lumpy hound fought her at every movement. Erica could never tell if it was out of excitement to go somewhere or stubbornness because she didn’t want to leave her couch. It was probably a bit of both. Once it was finally on, Bella danced back and forth by the door, ready to leave.
Erica looked at her reflection one last time before leaving. She was going to be working immediately after dinner, so she needed to be dressed for both. She wore dark blue jeans and her favorite Iron Man T-shirt. “Do I look too much like a high school boy?”