by Liz Bradford
“You all right?” Jared asked as he gave her a hand out of the truck.
“Yeah. Just ready for this to be over.”
“Me too. Let’s just hope it can be tonight.” She looked up and met Jared’s gaze. His eyes were warm but worried.
There was something ominous about the evening though, leaving Becca’s skin crawling. Maybe it was just the way the evening sun was casting shadows across the park, or maybe something sinister was lurking in the air. “Jared, I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“Me neither. But I think you are right—that he isn’t going to come.”
“Let’s hope that’s the worst-case scenario.”
“Agreed. Let’s do this.”
She nodded and went to her normal spot in the park while Jared went to the playground and climbed to the top as if Callie was there too. As Becca approached the bench where she always sat, she looked around. There was a woman pushing a stroller to the east, but she knew there was no baby in that stroller because the woman was an officer. On the west end a man was stretching as if he had been running for miles, but he hadn’t because he too was a Hazel Hill police officer. A slight smile formed on Becca’s lips in gratitude for the safety she felt having these capable officers nearby, but that smile quickly faded as she noticed something on the ground under the bench. A bunch of small asters mixed with forget-me-nots lay under the bench, as if they had been forgotten.
“He came, but we missed him,” Becca spoke into the mic that was hiding beneath her shirt. Pulling a latex glove out of the pocket of her brown leather jacket, she bent over and picked up the small bouquet and the envelope that was attached, careful not to touch it with anything but the glove. As Becca stood upright everyone converged on her location. The officer that had been pushing the stroller pulled out an evidence bag and Becca deftly dropped the flowers into the bag while holding onto the envelope. The officer helped her slide a glove on her other hand so that she could open the envelope without compromising the evidence. Carefully she opened it and read the note inside.
Dearest Rebecca, I am sorry I missed you this evening, but we will see each other soon. And then I will teach you how sinful your impatience was. It has been commanded that you shall pay for these sins.
A shiver ran down the length of Becca’s spine, and her stomach tightened. A direct threat. She jumped when Jared settled his hand on her shoulder.
“Becca?” She held the note where Jared could read it. Captain Baker and Jamison walked up as Jared looked up from the note.
“What’s it say?” Baker asked.
Jared read it out loud to them.
Baker said, “Not if we have anything to say about it. But I don’t understand. We had officers here over an hour ago, when did he come?”
“Apparently before that,” Jamison answered.
“And what are those flowers?” Baker asked.
“They are asters and forget-me-nots,” Becca said.
Baker rubbed his chin. “Same flower as was at your house? And what was their meaning?”
“Yes, sir, the asters, anyway. The aster represents patience…” As if Becca hadn’t been beating herself up enough for not being a little more patient with Jared five and a half years ago, now some scumbag wanted to kill her because of it. Becca felt her face and ears grow warm as rage started flaring up from within Becca.
Jared said, “It would appear that he thinks Becca should have been more patient waiting for me, but that’s stupid. It was my fault, so why is he blaming you?”
“Because I said it. I gave him the reason to blame me. I’m the one that said to him a couple of weeks ago that I should have been more patient.” She could feel herself on the verge of losing control. She just wanted to scream and kick something. She closed her eyes and took several deep but rapid breaths trying to calm herself down.
“Palmer.” Jamison came over and took Becca by the shoulders. He looked her straight in the face. “Get a grip. We are going to get him. Something about this note tells us where he has been. It will lead us to him. And this is not about what happened between you and Jared over five years ago. This is about a sick, deranged man that can’t keep his problems to himself. Do you understand me?”
She nodded.
“Good.”
She felt herself relax as Adam let go of her arms. She looked at Jared, who, despite his rough and tough exterior, looked like he was about to break. She reached over and took his hand. He gave her a slight smile and gently squeezed her hand. That simple act gave her the strength to say, “Okay, so now what? No one is going to like what I have to say now, but do we give him the opportunity to snag me so that we can take him down?”
As she expected her suggestion was met with a unanimous “NO!” from everyone including the Captain. “There has to be another way. That is a last-ditch possibility, so we are not going there yet. Right now, we need to keep you safe. We know who he is, we just have to find him. Rebecca, you up for a news conference tonight?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not really.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Okay. We will have his face all over the eleven o’clock news along with the morning news. Every person in the city of Hazel Hill will know exactly who this man is by tomorrow and someone is bound to know where he is calling home right now. Let’s regroup at the station in one hour.”
Jared needed to get Becca home and in bed. She looked like she was about to drop. It was already eleven o’clock. She had done the press conference and had shown her tough side, but now that it was over she looked as if she would crumble.
“You did well, Rebecca,” the Captain came over to where they sat at their desks. “But go home and get some sleep. In the morning, we’ll tackle the leads we get as a result of the news conference.”
“All right, but call us immediately if there is a major break in the middle of the night,” she replied.
“Of course. Jared, take her home. We’ve put extra patrols in her neighborhood, but don’t let her out of your sight for even a second.”
“Yes, sir.” Jared turned to Becca and said, “Let’s go, Becks.”
She wearily stood and grabbed her jacket and purse.
“Goodnight, Captain.”
“Hey, Johnson, Palmer!” Jamison and Miller approached. “We’re coming back to your house with you. We’ll check the house and yard for you before you go in.”
Jared was thrilled. “That would be great. Thanks, guys.”
“Not a problem,” Miller responded.
Once they were at the house Jared and a very quiet Becca sat in the truck while Jamison and Miller checked everything out. All was clear, and once Jared and Becca were safely inside, they left.
“I miss Callie.” Becca went into the kitchen.
“I do, too. Wish it wasn’t too late to at least call her.”
“I’m glad we got to see her at dinner, though. Think we could get out of here early enough in the morning to go to Amy’s for breakfast?”
“Sounds like a plan, Babe. You need to get to bed, though.”
“I know, but I want my cup of tea.”
He smiled at her. She always had to have her cup of tea to unwind, especially at the end of a grueling day. Once she made her tea she grabbed Jared’s hand and pulled him towards the couch. They sat, and she sipped her tea while he wrapped his arms around her fragile frame. It amazed him how this woman could go from the tough “no one is going to mess with me” lady that appeared on the news tonight to this fragile woman he held in his arms now. However, he knew he was the only one ever allowed to see this side of her.
He wanted to say something to put her at ease, but he could think of nothing, so he just held her and traced her fingers that were wrapped around her mug with his finger. Once her tea was gone, he unwrapped her fingers from the mug and set it on the end table. They settled a little deeper on the couch, and she lay her head on his chest and within minutes had fallen asleep. Unable to bear the ide
a of removing her from his arms he allowed himself to fall asleep, too.
Neither of them awoke until dawn. They had shifted positions but had both stayed asleep. Jared knew instantly that he was going to regret having slept on the couch with his legs propped on the coffee table all night but waking up with Becca in his arms made it worth it. She woke as he shifted trying to wake his leg up.
“Hey,” she said sleepily. “What time is it?”
“I’m not sure, but I suspect it is morning.” He reached behind the couch and moved the blinds, so he could see the sky. It was turning pink. “Yep, definitely morning. Can’t believe we slept down here all night.”
“Me neither. Ouch, seriously not as young as I used to be,” she said as she stretched.
“I hear ya! My foot does not want to wake up.”
“Oh, Jared, this is ridiculous. We aren’t that old, and we are both in good shape.” They both laughed.
They had to hurry to get to Amy’s in time for breakfast, but they made it bearing donuts for all. Callie was thrilled to see them before she headed to school.
Becca and Jared dropped Callie and Grayson off at school on their way to the station. “Sweetie, you are going to go home with Aunt Amy again today, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Okay?”
“Okay, Mommy,” Callie’s shoulders drop.
Jared knelt in front of her. “Hey, Callie?”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“I promise that soon, you, Mommy, and I will spend an entire day doing whatever you want, no work. But Mommy and I have to finish what we are working on right now before that can happen. But soon it will be over, and we’ll be all yours.” He watched her face light up at his promise. She flung her arms around his neck. The exact reaction he had hoped for. And he wasn’t just saying it; that was exactly his plan when this guy was behind bars. He wanted both of them to take a few days off and just enjoy spending time together. And somehow, he would work in a proposal for them to be a family once and for all.
Callie pulled back and looked him in the eye. “Really?”
“Absolutely, Princess!”
She gave him one more hug and kissed Becca before she ran off to her classroom.
“Seriously, I can’t wait for that day myself,” Becca said taking his hand as they walked back to Jared’s truck. He squeezed her hand and sent a flirtatious smile her way.
First, they needed to find the killer that was threatening the woman he loved. Then he would make her his wife, and they could live happily ever after.
By Friday afternoon Becca was feeling a little smothered. Every time she even left the room one of the guys would follow her. They were trying to be inconspicuous, but it wasn’t working. They were in the police station, but she couldn’t even go to the bathroom without one of the guys following her down the hallway. It was getting ridiculous.
They had spent all day working every last lead that had come in on the tip line since the news conference last night. So far it was dead end after dead end. How could no one have seen this guy coming and going?
“I’m guessing we’re looking for a place on the outskirts of the city, if no one has seen him,” Miller suggested.
“Seems reasonable to me, but that doesn’t exactly limit our search,” Becca commented.
“How far out seems reasonable to look? The victims are from all over the city, so I’m thinking he wouldn’t go too far out, right?”
“Beats me. I feel stumped by this guy. I would think we should stay within a ten-mile radius of the center of the city, but with this guy anything could be possible. But as far as we know he’s only focused on Hazel Hill, so look in the outlying areas that don’t go through the surrounding towns.”
“I still can’t figure out, why Hazel Hill?” Jared said. “There has to be something that brought him here. What’s the connection? I just get the feeling that there is one. I had never heard of Hazel Hill until I reconnected with my brother a couple of years ago, had no idea this city even existed. A city of 50,000 people doesn’t exactly show up on a large map. You have to be looking for it to find it.”
“Who cares why? He’s here, and we need to capture him,” Jamison responded.
Jared leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know why, but I think it matters. Maybe if we knew the why, we could figure out the where.”
“Jared’s right. It could make all the difference,” Becca added. “Jared, keep working that and see if you can come up with anything. Dig into family records and see if there is a connection to the area that we missed before. The rest of us can keep working these wild goose chases.”
The calls started to dwindle as the afternoon waned, and they were all getting tired and hungry. It was about 4:30 when the Captain walked in. “Hey, everyone,” he greeted them. “Anything?”
“Nope, nothing,” Becca replied. “And we are running out of tips to follow up on. I’m thinking we should call it a day soon.”
“Yes, but what are you going to do when you call it a day, Palmer?” the Captain asked. “Life can’t go on as usual until we have him behind bars.”
“I don’t know, sir, but we are all getting antsy sitting around here. Why don’t we all go back to my place for dinner? We can keep talking through the case and researching remotely from there. But then at least we could have a change of scenery and a more relaxing atmosphere. Would you like to join us Captain?”
“Thanks for the invite, but I promised Julie I’d be home for dinner tonight, but maybe I’ll stop by later to get a full briefing.”
“Okay, sir.”
“All right, see y’all later.” And Captain Baker left the room.
“Dinner at your place, Palmer? Whatcha making?” Jamison asked.
“I have no idea. Why don’t you guys stop and get something to grill. I have potatoes and veggies we can cook, so get some meat, and we’ll be set,” Becca said with a smile. The more she thought about food the hungrier she became. “Miller, your wife won’t mind us consuming your Friday night, will she?”
“No, she wants this guy caught as much as anyone. In fact, yesterday she told me, teasingly of course, not to come home until he was behind bars. Seriously, I’m taking a week’s vacation when this is over though, just so y’all know. I miss my wife and kids.”
“I hear ya, Rick. I miss Callie something fierce.”
“Ah, the advantages of being a bachelor! Although I’m sure the single ladies all miss seeing my face around,” Jamison said with a grin.
Becca balled up a piece of scrap paper and chucked it at him.
“Adam, I’m going to find you a sweet little lady who will tame your wild self, just you wait!” Becca teased him. “Well, guys, let’s get out of here. I’m done with my pile. Jared, any luck?”
“Nope, but I have only just begun,” he answered. “We can all work on this later, though. I need food.”
They all left, and Jared and Becca swung by Amy’s to see Callie for a few minutes while Jamison and Miller went to the grocery store. Once they met back at the house, Jamison and Miller gave the house and yard a once over before Jared and Becca went inside. Stuart wasn’t waiting there for her so that was a good thing.
Miller, the master griller among them, got to work on grilling the hamburgers they had picked up while Becca started the potatoes and veggies. She had hoped all the guys would go out and stand around the grill so she could have a few minutes to herself, but no luck. Jared and Adam hung around and talked and talked. What she wouldn’t give for a peaceful evening by herself to curl up on the couch and read a book, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
The guy talk was becoming more that she could handle. By the end of dinner, she thought she was going to pull her hair out if she had to listen to one more heated discussion of how the Bears or the Panthers were doing this football season. Normally football talk didn’t bother her one bit. She enjoyed football, but right now she would much rather join Callie in a dramatic rendition of “Let it go” from Frozen than listen to how the Bears were
failing yet another season.
As they started cleaning up the dinner dishes, Becca started singing “Do you want to build a snowman?” under her breath.
“What did you say, Rebecca?” Jamison asked.
Miller just laughed, “You really do miss Callie, don’t you?”
“Yep!”
“What am I missing?” Jamison asked.
“She was singing a song from the Disney movie Frozen. Seriously, Adam, we need to find you a woman, so you can have a family.” Rick and Becca laughed. And as she turned to take her plate to the sink she and Jared collided, sending her plate into his chest.
“Sorry, hun!” she exclaimed pulling the plate of his shirt revealing a large ketchup stain.
“It’s okay, but I think I’ll go change.”
“Good idea, and rinse that out immediately with cold water so it doesn’t set.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he gave her a wink as he turned to go up the stairs.
“Smooth, Rebecca,” Adam teased.
“You do know you can call me Becca, right?”
“I guess. It’s weird though.”
“I have to agree with Adam, it doesn’t seem right to call you Becca after calling you Rebecca for years,” Miller added.
“Yeah, but I was Becca for thirty years before I ever introduced myself as Rebecca.”
“Well, we can try to switch,” Miller said.
“Speaking of switches, did you turn the gas off on the tank or just the grill?”
“I think I only turned it off on the grill itself. It’ll be fine.”
“Well, it makes me nervous since I don’t use it very often. I’ll go turn it off.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Jamison stepped into her path.
“Seriously, guys! It will take me one minute. And I desperately need one minute to myself. There has been way too much testosterone in here tonight, I need one minute. To the grill and back, that’s all.”