Instead of giving chase, the cop scanned the area as she unlocked the blue truck. She took out a cell phone and immediately began dialing. “This is Officer Haley Jordan. Badge number 1264, reporting a 34S in progress and an attempted 67A. The two suspects, both male, one black and one white, on foot heading south on MLK. Should I pursue?” She paused, listening to someone on the other end. “I’m with the vic at the DP on the corner of South Claiborne and MLK.” Haley paused again, then said, “Will do.” The officer shoved her phone in the pocket of her cargo pants. She then put the gun back in her ankle holster and stood.
Tonya watched in silence, concentrating on the woman’s bright yellow T-shirt. She needed something to anchor her. The sudden sound of sirens was musical.
“Miss? You can get up. There was a cruiser in the area. They’re in pursuit and more backup is comin’.” Haley walked toward her and reached out a hand.
Tonya took it, but let go a second later and stood on her own.
“Are you okay?”
Tonya tried to smile, but it wasn’t convincing.
“You wanna go try to get cleaned up?” Haley asked. Her voice was soft now, almost soothing.
Tonya peered down at herself. Her tan slacks and white shirt were covered in grime. Only then did she start trembling.
Haley reached out. “I’m gonna put my hand on your elbow, okay?”
Tonya nodded, but she still flinched. She let Haley lead her inside. Glass crunched under her feet. The bullets had shattered the door.
“I know this was a horrible experience, but you got through it.”
Tonya focused on the only point of warmth seeping into her body: Officer Haley Jordan’s touch.
“Is there anybody you need to call?”
Tonya sobbed as the weight of what had just occurred fell on her shoulders. It crushed her, leaving her closer to the ground than she’d been in a long time. She felt weak, drained. The logical part of her brain—the Dr. Preston part—whispered that this was all a normal response. For the moment, though, she felt disconnected from herself.
“Really, it’s okay…” Haley’s voice trailed off. “I refuse to call you ma’am, and you’re gonna get tired of me sayin’ miss.”
Tonya looked at Haley then, and that warmth she was feeling began to spread as Haley’s smile extended all the way to her blue eyes. “Tonya.”
“Okay, Tonya. It’s normal to feel emotional and outta sorts after a situation like this.”
“I know,” Tonya whispered.
They came to a stop.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me.” Haley opened the bathroom door and waited for Tonya to enter.
Tonya locked the door behind her. She turned and stared at herself in the mirror. In colloquial terms, she was a hot mess. Her eyes looked haunted, for lack of a better word, and her face was flushed, colored by the adrenaline still making its way through her body. No amount of lukewarm water and cheap soap was going to fix all of that. To compensate, she washed greasy residue off her hands.
She had been a step away from death, or at least serious harm. Tonya exhaled shakily. But she was alive, standing, and there wasn’t a mark on her. She wasn’t going to cry anymore, and she wasn’t going to fall apart. Not here. Not now. There was no reason to feel sorry for herself. Part of her was elated beyond words. She closed her eyes and let herself revel in that for a moment. When she looked in the mirror again, the haunted look had vanished, replaced by an expression she didn’t recognize. Just like that, the somber, shaky feeling was gone.
It would return, of course, but right now, she felt like a giant. A vulnerable giant with an exposed heart, but a giant nonetheless. Tonya took several deep breaths. Dr. Finn was going to earn her fee this afternoon, and then some.
Deciding she had loitered in the bathroom long enough, Tonya dried her hands and shook out her shirt, ridding it of loose debris. When she opened the door, there were two other people present. The seriousness of their demeanor and the fact that they were talking with Officer Jordan led Tonya to believe that they were police too, even though they weren’t in uniform.
At that moment, Haley turned and smiled. She met Tonya halfway. Her shirt glinted like a neon sign, but Tonya supposed that was the point. It was distracting, as was the black handprint in the middle. The shirt was tight over Haley’s chest and upper arms, drawing attention to her toned biceps. For the first time, Tonya saw the words clearly: “We Know.”
“‘We know.’ What does that mean?”
Haley’s grin fell, and her face scrunched up. She looked utterly confused. “Huh?”
Tonya had to swallow down the urge to laugh and reminded herself that giddiness was par for the course with trauma victims. “Your shirt.”
“Oh! That. It’s from the video game Skyrim. It’s the Black Hand. They control the Dark Brotherhood, a secret society of assassins.”
Interesting. Haley looked like she was barely in her twenties. Gaming made complete sense. Tonya stared. “So you’re one of those people.”
Haley nodded. “I am.”
Someone cleared their throat. Tonya had forgotten they were not alone. The two men looked at her expectantly.
Haley rubbed a hand over the back of her neck, making the sleeve of her shirt inch upward and revealing a black tribal tattoo higher on her right arm. Haley smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I was about to tell you that you could use my phone if you need to call somebody. You never answered me.”
That was extremely thoughtful for a cop, especially the NOPD. “Thank you, but I can wait.”
“You’re welcome to it if you change your mind.” Haley offered her a crooked smile. “And just to let you know, those guys were caught. These two detectives here are goin’ to finish things up.”
“Oh.” The news caught Tonya a little off guard. She looked between Haley and the stern-looking men standing beside her.
Then, without waiting for a word of consent or welcome, they stepped in front of Haley as if she were nothing. Haley’s blue eyes darkened and her lightly tanned face paled.
“What were you doing in this area so early, ma’am?” The man in the rumpled suit and five-o’clock shadow asked. He looked like a TV cliché gone wrong.
“Getting gas?” Tonya’s hackles rose and sarcasm leaked into her tone. She generally wasn’t quick to anger, so the sudden aggravation was out of character and a good indicator that she was all over the place emotionally no matter how hard she was trying to compartmentalize.
“Did you know the suspects?”
Instead of answering, Tonya glanced toward Haley, who offered her a small smile and a nod but couldn’t mask the anger in her eyes. “I don’t think it matters who takes my statement, does it?”
“Uh, no, but it would be bet—”
“Then I’d like to continue this with Officer Jordan.”
Haley’s smile widened.
The detectives turned to look at her.
Haley turned away abruptly and stared at the rack of pralines beside her.
“If that’s what you want.”
“It is. Thank you, Officer.”
He had a higher rank than that, but she had a sudden urge to belittle him just as he had done her and Officer Jordan. This kind of pettiness wasn’t her.
“It’s detective.”
Tonya didn’t acknowledge his correction.
A cell phone rang, and one of the detectives stepped away. The call was over quickly. He walked over to Haley, invading her personal space and trying—unsuccessfully—to tower over her. He was only a couple inches taller. “We’re arranging a lineup to see if she can make a positive ID, just in case the cameras didn’t catch everything. Get her to the station. You can complete your report there. I expect your notes to be thorough.”
Haley nodded. She stood her ground and didn’t look the least bit intimidated. “No problem.”
Then they were gone.
“Well shit. I’m glad that pissin’ contest is over. I was ’bout up to my eyeballs
.” The store clerk leaned forward and smirked in their direction.
Haley bit her lip, but it was hard to miss the smile she was trying to keep at bay.
Tonya had no such compunction.
“You can follow me to the station.”
“Where are we going in case I lose you?” Tonya asked.
“Second district station on Magazine Street.”
When Tonya got in her car, she finally looked at the time. It was just past eight, and technically she was late. She had three missed calls and a couple of texts from Stephanie.
She stared at her cell for what seemed like an eternity. She needed to return Stephanie’s call, and she definitely needed to call her dad. But she wasn’t ready to share. She wasn’t ready to be vulnerable with either one of them. “I can’t do this.”
Instead, she sent Stephanie a text.
Running late. Don’t know when I’ll be in. Call Dr. Gouri in case of emergency.
The reply came almost instantly.
What’s going on? R u okay?
Yes.
I guess you’ll tell me what’s going on when you’re ready.
I guess.
With one short sentence, she knew she’d confirmed Stephanie’s view on their friendship. Still, she turned her phone off.
The knock at her window nearly sent her into the backseat. Tonya took a calming breath and rolled down the window.
Haley looked at her with sympathy and concern. “You okay?” she asked for the second time.
Their gazes met. For a few seconds, Tonya said nothing. Then the words just fell out of her. Or maybe Haley compelled them. “No, I’m not, but I’m ready to go anyway.”
Chapter 6
Haley used the fifteen minutes it took to get to the station as time to process. She and Tonya had something in common: they had never been shot at. Haley was making assumptions, sure, but she seriously doubted that a woman who looked that well put together and drove that kind of car had been in gunfights. Haley was proud of herself. It was her first shooting. Haley could’ve freaked the fuck out. Still, she’d held it together, and that made being appropriate to Tonya a hell of a lot easier. The woman had almost been the victim of a violent crime, and she required a little sensitivity—maybe a lot—which obviously Detectives Fric and Frac couldn’t give her.
She stopped at a light. Her thoughts jumped back to the shooting itself. They all could have gone up in flames. Haley shivered at the prospect, but the fact that she wasn’t a nervous wreck was an awesome sign. She couldn’t do her job if she fell apart after situations like these, and she’d handled that five minutes of shittiness pretty well.
Haley glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure the white BMW wasn’t far behind. Tonya was kind of a badass. There weren’t many people who could have done what she had. It was a thing of beauty, and the looks on those guys’ faces? Priceless. They were as shocked as Haley was. She smiled and shook her head as she drove onto the NOPD parking lot. All of this was going to make one hell of a story.
By the time Haley got out of her truck, Tonya was coming toward her. Haley held up her hand to shield her eyes as they walked toward the station together. The metallic sign hanging in front of the entrance was shaped like a badge and glinted in the sun. She could barely see the big black letters that advertised the second district station. Tonya retrieved the shades that she’d tucked in the V of her shirt and put them on. The lady looked like she had been dragged through the dirt, but she held her head high. It was impressive. She was impressive.
“I don’t know how long this’ll take, but hopefully things will go like clockwork. I’m sure you have other places to be.”
“So do you by the looks of it.”
“I was on my way home, actually. I’m workin’ nights right now. That gas station is the only one I’ve found around here that sells chili lime Doritos.” Why did she let that come out of her mouth? Smooth. Real smooth. And she’d forgotten her chips at the store.
Tonya smiled slightly as she entered the building. “Interesting tidbit.”
It was a good thing that Haley wasn’t prone to blushing. As they walked into the lobby, she pointed to the chairs in the waiting area. “Have a seat. If they’re not ready for the lineup, we’ll go ahead and start on your statement.”
Sergeant Hartley smirked at Haley when she made it up to the desk. “Look at you. Enjoy your five minutes, Rook. Tang’s gonna shit a brick when he hears about all the fun you had.”
“Yeah, probably.” Haley grinned. “Do you know if my lineup is ready?”
“Nope. We’re not McDonald’s, you know. Nothing moves that quickly.”
Haley nodded. She’d figured as much.
A few minutes later, Haley sat in front of her computer, with Tonya on the other side of the desk. She typed in the information from her driver’s license. “The Northshore, huh?” Haley figured more small talk would ease Tonya into the interview.
“Yes, I’m not a huge fan of living in the city.”
“That’s understandable. I’d move over there too, but the commute would kill me.” Haley paused. “Occupation?”
“Psychiatrist at Universal Hospital.”
Haley stopped typing and stared.
Dr. Tonya Preston stared right back. “You’re looking at me like I said I was a hooker in the French Quarter.”
Haley blinked. “No, sorry. I’m just surprised.”
“Why is that a surprise?” Tonya crossed her arms and leaned forward in her chair. Her forehead scrunched and her eyebrows dipped downward. Her gaze was piercing. She didn’t look happy.
Jesus Christ. What was wrong with her? Haley said softly, “I wasn’t tryin’ to insult you.”
Tonya sighed. “You didn’t. I think a lot of people go on alert because they think I’m going to pick their brain and find something wrong with everything they do and say. Look, I’m sorry for being prickly. You’ve been nothing but nice to me.”
“You’re allowed to be prickly, and I saw what you did to those guys. Only somebody used to a boatload of stress coulda had it in ’em to pull that off.” Haley gave her a discreet once-over. Tonya was tall, curvy, and obviously worked out. She also had an elegance about her. “And you’re definitely not like any hooker I’ve seen around here.”
Tonya flashed a smile. It was deep enough to show her dimples. “Thanks for the compliment. I think.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Not to be stereotypical, but after all the stories I’ve heard and seen on the news about the NOPD, you seem way too nice. So I’m assuming that you’re new.”
“Well, I’m glad to disappoint you. And yeah, I’ve been here just the other side of a month.”
“I’m going to look at that as a good thing. You were in the right place at the right time. I’m sure I’d be in my own trunk by now, especially after what I did.” Tonya’s hands clamped around her handbag; she held on so tight her knuckles were flashing white. She was at ease one minute and ready to jump out of her skin the next.
“True, and it was actually the first time I’ve been shot at.”
“Congrats? It’s New Orleans. I’m sure that won’t be the last, though it doesn’t sound like something to put on a cake.”
“Greetin’ card either.”
Their eyes met. There was amusement in Tonya’s gaze as they shared a moment of dark humor. Someone in the room laughed loudly, catching Haley by surprise. She had shut everything and everyone around them out, and she hadn’t even realized it. Haley glanced away and cleared her throat. “We should probably get started.”
“Yes, yes, we probably should.” Tonya’s hands tightened on her purse again, and the glint in her eyes disappeared. She looked as disappointed as Haley felt.
“Do you need anythin’? A coffee or water?”
Tonya shook her head. “No, not right now.”
“Okay, let’s start from the beginnin’.”
* * *
Tonya was exhausted both mentally and physically b
y the time she arrived at the hospital. At least she hadn’t needed to do the lineup. The cameras outside the gas station had caught everything. That was a relief since she definitely wasn’t looking forward to seeing—Tonya didn’t know what to call them. Those men? Those criminals? Those sons of bitches?—even if they couldn’t see her.
She pulled into her parking spot and glanced down at her clothes. She desperately needed a shower and a new outfit, but going home was out of the question. After such an experience, most people would have sought the comfort of home, the comfort of family. Tonya wasn’t most people. She got out of her car and walked toward the elevator. Thankfully, she was alone.
Once inside the hospital, Tonya headed straight for the attending lounge on the second floor. Grateful that it was empty, she found some scrubs and headed toward the shower. Less than two minutes later, she raised her face to the hot spray and scrubbed the day away with a brand new bar of soap she’d found in the cabinet. Tonya wanted to wash her hair because he’d touched it. Instead, she had tamed her curls and pulled them into a ponytail before getting in the shower.
Rape—or even the threat of rape—was something she had helped hundreds of female patients deal with, but never thought she’d face herself. This was probably going to haunt her for a while, but she would work through it eventually. It could be added to the pile she and Dr. Finn had been diligently sifting through for the past two years. She didn’t want to wallow, and she didn’t want to hide from herself, which was going to be hard since that was her usual way of dealing with things. Progress. She had to remember and acknowledge that she’d made progress by admitting her issues and seeing them for what they were. It turned out that her mother’s death had been a catalyst for many things.
Then there was the fact that she could have died. It made her question: Was she satisfied with what she had? Who she was?
Tonya lathered up for the third time, and her thoughts strayed yet again. What would her experience have been like if some other cop had been the one to help her? If the detectives’ treatment of her was any indication, things would have gone poorly. They didn’t see her. They just saw the crime. Officer Jordan was different. She saw Tonya as a person, rather than a victim to be pitied.
Between the Lines Page 4