Infatuations

by Barbara Winkes

  “Wait, not so fast,” Derek interjected. “I’d like to hear more about that misunderstanding. The one with Lemont. We’ll get to Rena Kelly and your hunting knife in a moment. Tell us more about that offhanded comment.”

  “Okay, I said they’re like vermin, and this one is especially bad. Lemont said something about rat poison taking care of that, and we laughed it off.”

  “Laughed it off?” Derek repeated skeptically. “By then, you had to know that he got people killed.”

  “Yeah, but…anyway. Harry told me it was a bad idea to tell him no, and things were going well. I had no idea. Apparently the waitress had seen them in the park, and Ryan sent Harry to talk to her. I went with him, but waited outside. When I went to find him, he was standing over her. I know what you want to say, but I couldn’t talk to the police. Look what happened to Harry.”

  Ellie noticed that he didn’t seem to be scared for his life now. He might still be bending the truth to his advantage. However, she had no trouble believing that Ryan Lemont had been orchestrating the murders. “Harry shot Marco Raynor as well? Then who killed him?”

  “One of Ryan’s goons, I’m sure. He doesn’t like loose ends.”

  “We’re going to need names. What about Jarrod or any of the members of your watch? Did you share any of those details with them?”

  He shook his head.

  “No, I was always the one to negotiate with him. Jarrod knew about the plan to kick out the minor dealers, but that was it. I can give you some names.”

  For the first time, Ellie actually believed he was telling the whole truth.

  “There’s just one more thing,” she said. “Those items in the box.”

  “Haven’t you figured it out by now? That’s Lemont trying to set me up. Harry can’t talk, and there’ll be my fingertips on the knife. When I saw him with the dead body, I didn’t even know he had used it.”

  “You’re not afraid of him now?”

  “If you’re doing your job correctly, he’ll go down, right?”

  Ellie thought back to the beginning of the case, the women she’d met, alleging the police didn’t care much. She wanted to make a difference, for all of them, and she would. Even if Bob Stanton hadn’t committed any of the murders, his prints were all over them, pardon the pun.

  But he was right, Ryan Lemont was going down as well. That’s what you get for underestimating Nancy Drew.

  * * * *

  Before going to work the next day, Jordan and Ellie had picked up Pauline and Ariel to join them at the bakery that had fortunately agreed to re-schedule—again.

  Vanilla, chocolate, white chocolate, coffee crème, strawberry. The choices seemed endless, the situation surreal given what happened yesterday.

  “I like strawberry,” Ellie said, making Jordan laugh.

  “No way. A pink wedding cake, that’s a bit too much in your face.”

  “White, then, to go with the dresses?”

  “Sure. White is fine.” It was a beautiful day, Jordan thought. With Stanton’s arrest and subsequent statement, more dirt on Lemont, the city had gotten a bit safer. More arrests of Lemont’s associates had followed.

  She felt serene and rested. Ellie was proving herself on the job like Jordan had known she would. By proxy, her own case, the murder of Harry Travis, had been solved as well. Time to indulge for a bit. She was glad they had been able to take Ariel to the appointment as well.

  “Yeah, and this minor was supposed to help us out here. What’s your favorite?”

  “I think it should go with the color of your dresses,” Ariel said. “White chocolate butter cream.”

  “If I may, that’s generally a good idea. We can have accents in color, like flowers,” the owner of the bakery told them. How many tiers were you thinking about?”

  “At least four?” Ariel said, while Ellie came up with “Three?” at the same time. Jordan’s “tiers?” had been only in her head. She wasn’t going to have another moment, like with the wedding dress that still needed to be fitted once more, but this was still…unreal. In a good way.

  “Three max,” she finally said. “Who’s going to eat all of it?” She was well aware of the source of Ariel’s excitement. She had seen many weddings in her time at the cult, but all of them had to do with coercion and fear, serving only the men at the top.

  This was her first opportunity to see two people take the step for the right reasons, with all the planning and details that involved.

  White chocolate, three tiers, all the right reasons. Jordan caught Ellie’s gaze on her, the surge of emotion making her eyes well up.

  Every day, she was becoming more aware of the big deal this was, not just another point on the checklist of adulthood.

  Ellie was right. Everything they’d been through on the way to this—they deserved every moment of it.

  * * * *

  As she typed her report later that morning, Ellie felt confident, if not entirely happy. She wished they could have uncovered the connections between Lemont and Stanton before this many people died, and more felt threatened by these men. They had finally stopped them, though.

  On a private, completely happy note, the wedding preparations were finally done. All she needed to do on this end was to wait for the wedding day to arrive. She thought she should probably call Madeline again, and drive by the cemetery after work, see if there were flowers again.

  When she picked up a file, a small object fell to the floor. Ellie bent to pick it up, realizing she’d have to do another errand. With a little luck, they could have an earlier dinner tonight. Jordan wasn’t at her desk, but she sent her a quick text before she printed out her report.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jordan and Derek had spent part of the day in court with an older case coming up, the judge fortunately moving things along at a bearable pace.

  They drove back to the station together, and Derek laughed when she hid a yawn behind her hand. “Short night?”

  “You would know all about it. We were lucky to even get pizza in that place at the time. At least this morning, there was coffee with the tasting.”

  “So that’s it?” he asked. “The last step? You’re all ready now?”

  “All ready,” she confirmed.

  “Good. There’s not going to be a plan B on the day, like your partner bailing you out.”

  “I won’t need one. Again, I’m really sorry about the drama.”

  “It’s a good decision, you know.”

  Between the two of them, it was clear he wasn’t trying to mansplain Jordan’s life to her, but simply stating the truth. It was a good decision. One of the best she’d ever made.

  “Yes, I know. I can’t wait.”

  “So did you make a decision about your birthmother?”

  Jordan made a noncommittal sound. “Okay, your score was almost perfect, but now you blew it. Anyway, I think it’s decided. She thinks she’s not invited, and I’m not going to tell her otherwise. Distance is a good thing. It works for us.”

  “Okay.”

  “Are you and Kate coming to dinner with us, or do you have other plans?”

  “I’ll ask her, but I think she’ll be happy to.”

  When they arrived at the department, Ellie wasn’t at her desk, though she hadn’t left for home yet.

  “She was going out for an errand,” Maria Doss said. “She said she’d come back here to meet you to go to dinner.”

  “Did she say what errand?”

  “To return a key.” Maria cast a look at her watch. “She wanted to be here by five, finish up some things before you guys came back.” She frowned. “You better check on her.”

  Jordan did, and naturally, her call went to voicemail. She remembered nearly overreacting at the bar, when Ellie had been following a lead of her own, determined not to let that happen again. She called the number again and this time, left a message. “Hey, Derek and I are back at the station. Where are you? Call me when you get this.”

  To Derek, she said, �
��You don’t have to wait for me.”

  “It’s fine,” he assured her. “Maria!”

  Already at the door, she turned around.

  “What key was she talking about?” he asked as Jordan sat behind Ellie’s desk, absent-mindedly leafing through some of the papers. There was the picture of a cabin, the place where Bob Stanton had been arrested. “The key to Tanner’s hunting cabin?”

  “She didn’t say,” Maria said, coming back to join them. Jordan didn’t like the concern in her tone. “Why? He didn’t actually know anything, right? Both Lemont and Stanton said he wasn’t involved in anything but that one meeting, where allegedly no murders were discussed?”

  “Where’s Waters?” Jordan asked, uneasy with the turn of events.

  “He went home, but Ellie let him know first. He gets really cranky whenever someone else takes initiative.”

  “Well, he should have gone with her. This is Tanner’s number. I’ll ask him if she came by.” Derek was on the phone a moment later. Jordan heard the signal: This number was out of service.

  “Something’s not right,” she said. “I know a lot of people were arrested, but what if some of Lemont’s minions are still out there, taking care of loose ends? That could include Tanner. They won’t care that he didn’t know anything.”

  She could read in Derek and Maria’s faces that they understood what she wasn’t saying. Even if Lemont didn’t target her specifically, Ellie could be in the wrong place at the wrong time—and Lemont did have a nickname for her.

  “Let’s find him,” Derek said. “And Ellie, too, so we can finally go for dinner.”

  His attempt at levity fell flat.

  * * * *

  Jarrod Tanner hadn’t been in his dorm room, the roommate informing Ellie that he was still at training. When she arrived at the gym though, she saw a group of young men in jerseys leave. Tanner wasn’t with them.

  “Excuse me. Do you know where I can find Jarrod Tanner? He was supposed to be at training?”

  The teen wasn’t in a hurry, giving her the once over, his demeanor irritating her. “Do you know—or not? It’s important.” Madeline. The cemetery. Some work to catch on. She didn’t have time for this.

  “Yeah, sure. He said he wanted to practice a little while longer. Is he waiting for you?”

  Again, with that look. “I don’t think so. Thanks.”

  She passed him by and went inside, walking along the empty hallway, and entered the gym through the girl’s locker room.

  Walking inside, Ellie stopped cold at the sight: Jarrod Tanner shaking hands with a man who looked familiar. He left through another door in the back, and then it was just her and Jarrod, who came walking towards her quickly.

  “Detective. What are you doing here?”

  The real question was, what was Lemont’s lawyer doing here, talking to the man who had led them to Stanton and the box with the bloody knife? Who was he siding with? The questions multiplied in Ellie’s mind, but just as quickly, a possible theory came together.

  “You’re shopping for a lawyer? I can tell you this one is quite expensive.”

  “I asked you first.” He gave her a crooked smile.

  “You were so kind to give us the key to the hunting cabin. Our colleagues will let you know when you can go back, but meanwhile, I thought I’d bring you the key. How are you doing, Jarrod?”

  “Me? I’m fine. I’m not the one who hid a bloody knife from the police.”

  There you have it. Ellie didn’t think the knife, or the blood on it, had been mentioned anywhere outside of police reports. “That must be pretty bad for you. We’ve been told you looked up to Bob.”

  “Who told you? I mean, of course he was dedicated,” he corrected himself quickly. “You gotta appreciate that in a man, right?”

  “Right.” It was probably wise to leave it at that. “Unfortunately, he’s not just that, right? Did you know about that box?”

  “No, why would I?”

  “Because we both know who put it there, don’t we?”

  When Tanner reached into his duffel bag, she pulled her gun.

  “Don’t even try. Turn around. Slowly.”

  He half-obeyed, but looked over his shoulder. “You’re making a mistake, Detective Harding. I know my rights, and yes, I have indeed a lawyer, and I can afford him if that’s what you—”

  “Hands above your head.”

  Ellie reached for her cell phone with her left hand, cursing herself for not bringing her cuffs while she was still on the job.

  That’s when he spun around and slammed into her, bringing them both to the floor.

  * * * *

  The back door leading to the gym was locked, no sound to be heard from the inside, no one reacting to demands they should come outside with their hands visible. Jordan waited for the sign, then stepped forward and kicked the door open, she and Derek hastening inside the gym.

  The court was empty, but in the bleachers, Jordan saw Ellie standing above Jarrod Tanner. He was groaning, holding his bloody nose.

  “Bitch punched me,” he said as if he couldn’t believe it. “I’m going to sue her! In fact, I want to file a report right now.”

  “I don’t think you will,” Ellie said behind him. “I recorded everything you told me earlier.” She had obviously emerged a winner, but her reddened knuckles looked painful, and she was pressing a hand against her ribs. “Whoa. You guys are the backup I called for? I’m really glad you’re here. I think I need to sit down.”

  * * * *

  After a trip to the hospital to make sure nothing was broken—nothing was—Ellie wanted dinner after all, insisting that she’d be too wired to get some rest right away. Jordan took it upon herself to make all the remaining decisions for the day.

  “Come on, it was only Tylenol. I can have a beer! Hey, do you know how many bad guys I arrested in the past two days?”

  “Yeah, that’s really great. You can have a sip of mine.”

  Jordan wasn’t going to argue after listening to the recording. Ellie had been on the right track all along, uncovering the cooperation between Stanton and Lemont—what they had all underestimated was Tanner’s involvement. He might have started out admiring Stanton, but he had soon found a new hero in the even more ruthless drug dealer. Not that it got him anywhere, at least not at first.

  “They treated me like a child,” he whined. “No one ever took me seriously.”

  “Well, I am taking you seriously,” Ellie had told him on the tape.

  “I realized that Bob was only using me, because I had my grandparents’ cabin. I even had to come up with the plan to deal in school, or Ryan wouldn’t have noticed me. He noticed me all right after I offed the bitch.”

  “Wait. You’re talking about…”

  “Rena, the slut. She said she wanted to be with me, while she slept with every guy who came through that backdoor—I found out that she and Ryan were laughing about me.”

  Jordan remembered those words with a chill. In his quest to be taken seriously, Tanner had become a killer himself. Yes, Waters should have gone with Ellie, if only to follow protocol. She hoped there’d be consequences.

  Ellie had been lucky. They all had been, only because she’d been able to overpower him. There had been a gun in that duffel bag. Lemont’s lawyer turned out to be the last witness to help them put the pieces together.

  She handed her beer over to Ellie who drank a bit more from it than she should have.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m going to eat, all right?”

  She ordered a burger with fries, and she wasn’t as generous with her fries as Jordan had been with her beer. Just as well, she thought, her mind a mix of exhaustion and gratitude. I’ll have to fit into that dress.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jordan and Ellie had both refused Kate’s suggestion that they’d spent the night before the wedding in different quarters, but in the morning, Jordan had stolen away to Jack and Pauline’s to get ready for the day. Pauline’s eyes
started welling up the moment she opened the door to Jordan, and she kept a pack of tissues with her.

  “Smile. It’s a happy occasion,” Jordan reminded her, even though she couldn’t recall the last time she’d been this nervous. This was uncharted territory, and everyone’s eyes would be on her in less than two hours. Well, not everyone’s, but those that mattered.

  “Oh yes. It’s right up there when we knew we could bring you home…Oh honey. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Jordan assured her. “Just don’t say things like that after the make-up is on.”

  Make-up, too, and a photographer, because this was a once-in-a-lifetime event. She remembered Derek’s comment about Jim and Kathryn as well as Jack and Pauline being successful in their marriages in their own way. Nurture, nature, apparently she had it all on her side.

  Most importantly, she had Ellie. Together, they would navigate whatever the road ahead held for them.

  * * * *

  Ellie wondered for a moment if they had really invited all these people, then she took a deep breath and willed herself to relax. Her best friend was by her side, Derek, and Jordan’s parents were with her somewhere close by.

  As she caught Kate’s gaze on her, Ellie couldn’t help thinking back to the hardship her friend had to face not long ago, the grief she had to overcome. There was an understanding between them. Ellie grieved, too, for two people who couldn’t be here on this most important day of all.

  “This is your day,” Kate said. “It’s okay to think of only you for now.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank you. I’m happy to be here for you. Ready?”

  “I was born ready.” Ellie laughed, though her vision momentary blurred. She couldn’t have that. She still had to make it all the way to the officiant’s desk, and through the vows. She didn’t want to rush through any of it either, but enjoy every second of it.

  “All right then. You have your flowers. Old, new, borrowed, blue?”

  “You double and triple checked with me earlier. Yes, I have everything.”