Daylight Robbery (An Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  “Hey, Chief.” The round guy at the desk had a cheerful voice that carried into the cell area. “Any word on Nate?”

  “Yeah, I just spoke to Blaine.” It was the man. Chief something…Marks? The one with the nice voice. “He’s getting it X-rayed and stitched up now. I’m sure Sally will take really good care of him.”

  The other officer laughed. “Oh yeah, she will.”

  “How’s the inmate doing?” a woman asked.

  Leah tensed.

  “I’ve only checked on her once. She was pacing.”

  Leah gripped the bars, annoyed that they were talking about her. An angry glare was set in place as the chief came around the corner and spotted her. The skinny woman with the black sweater was just behind him, but she hung back in the entryway, her arms crossed as the chief guy walked right up to the cell.

  His expression was calm and unreadable. Leah had been expecting at least a little wrath for hurting another one of his men, but he just gazed at her, then held up the pizza box.

  It was huge.

  Store-bought.

  She’d never had store-bought pizza before.

  The smell was divine and saliva pooled in her mouth, only intensifying when he flipped open the lid. “Thought you might be hungry.”

  She stepped back as he approached, knowing she should be wary of him.

  But that pizza.

  “You feeling calm enough to let me open the door and share this with you?” He tipped his head to study her.

  She forced herself to breathe. She should have tried for disinterest.

  But that pizza.

  It smelled so damn good. She glanced at the large circles of pepperoni, the golden gleam of the melted cheese.

  Her body yearned for a slice, was begging her to give in and just take it.

  You need energy to survive this.

  But it could be a ploy. Don’t trust him.

  YOU NEED ENERGY TO SURVIVE THIS!

  Leah let the loudest voice win and stood away from the door. Perching on the edge of the bench seat, she looked at the chief and nodded.

  “Okay.” He flipped the pizza box closed again and called, “Hey, Mick. Can you open cell two for me, please?”

  “Sure thing, boss.” A loud sound buzzed, and the cell door clicked free. The man glanced over his shoulder at the woman. She gave him an encouraging smile that Leah didn’t understand.

  “I’ll just be here.” She pointed over her shoulder and stepped out of sight, but probably not earshot.

  Who was that woman? And why was she hanging around?

  Was she something to do with Leah’s rights?

  The door clanged loudly as it slid back, and Leah was distracted as the chief stepped into the cell and closed it behind him.

  “Ready for you to lock up, Mick. I’ll call you when I want out.” The man’s voice was so smooth and easy to listen to.

  Leah liked him.

  She didn’t mean to, but there was something very easygoing and calm about the guy.

  Besides, she was smart enough not to try anything in this narrow space. For one, she really needed food, but even after she’d been fed, how far could she possibly get? It wasn’t like she could strangle the guy with a pizza box.

  Besides, she didn’t even want to.

  Although Mr. Coke had pissed her off, she couldn’t deny the sharp tang of guilt she felt at hurting him.

  Chief Marks set the box on the bench beside her and flipped open the lid.

  “There you go.” His lips didn’t smile, but his eyes did.

  Uncertainty made her hesitate, and he let out a soft sigh before reaching into the box and taking a large slice for himself. The melted cheese stretched and finally broke away, curling back into the box.

  The smell was driving her nearly insane. She was surprised she wasn’t drooling as she watched him take a large bite.

  He let out a soft murmur of appreciation before taking a seat on the end of the bench. The move shunted the pizza box that much closer to her, and she couldn’t resist.

  Leah quickly snatched a slice. It was so huge she had to fold it in half to eat it. She scarfed it down, nearly choking on her large mouthfuls, but it was the best thing she’d ever tasted.

  The man swallowed his food and snickered. “Slow down, kid. I’m not taking it away from you. There’s plenty here.”

  She paused, her mouth stuffed with food, and forced herself to chew properly.

  He waited until she’d finished her first slice and was reaching for another before quietly saying, “It’s good, right? Pepperoni and cheese. It’s always been my favorite.”

  She nodded and nibbled a gooey blob of cheese off the edge before taking a large bite.

  His eyes smiled again. “I’m Kellan, by the way. I run this place.”

  She eyed him, wondering why he was talking to her. Being so friendly.

  If it was some kind of trick, she liked the sound of his voice too much to care.

  She silently munched her food, glancing to the floor while he grabbed a napkin and wiped the edges of his mouth.

  “Look, um, I know you’re probably scared and you don’t want to tell us anything. I bet you’re worried you’ll get in trouble. I understand that. I used to have a daughter, and she hated getting in trouble…although, surprisingly, she couldn’t help but get into trouble. She was one determined kid.” His chuckle was soft and breathy. “She, uh…”

  Leah glanced up when his voice trailed off.

  A deep sadness had swamped his expression, pulling his lips down and making his forehead bunch.

  She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him as he struggled to get out the words.

  “She went missing, a long time ago.” His right shoulder hitched. “But she’d be your age now if she…” He cleared his throat. “If she’d survived.”

  Leah’s heart squeezed in her chest. She almost felt like crying. The look on his face was heartbreaking. She didn’t know it was possible for a parent to feel so tortured about losing a child. She bet her parents hadn’t. They’d left her. Jumped in their car and driven off without her.

  He cleared his throat and sat a little straighter, as if he was forcing himself not to disintegrate onto the floor. “Anyway, I guess what I’m trying to say is that even though you feel afraid, you don’t need to be scared of me, because I’m going to do everything in my power to help you. Someone will be coming soon to take you to a different place for the night. You’ll have a bed and somewhere safe to sleep.”

  She tensed, hating the idea of a new location.

  “But no matter what unfolds over the next few days, whether you choose to tell us where you’re from or not, I want you to know I’ve got your back. And I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you, okay?”

  Her face bunched with confusion. She’d stolen from him. Why was he saying that to her? Rich people were evil. They didn’t care about anyone but themselves. And the police were evil too. They were brutal and corrupt. That was what Robin always told her. Why was this man saying nice things to her? Was it a trick?

  She studied his face, hunting for the lie, but his eyes seemed genuine, his demeanor relaxed.

  He balled up the napkin and tucked it into the corner of the pizza box. Glancing up at her, he tipped his head and the edges of his lips curled into a soft smile.

  “You don’t believe me? That I want to help you?”

  She bit the edge of her lip and shrugged.

  “Okay.” He nodded. “I guess that’s fair. You don’t know me. Just like I don’t know you.” Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees then looked up at her. “But you know, if you’ll let me get to know you just a little bit, then I’ll have a better chance of helping you out. And I promise I will be honest with you every step of the way. I’m not your enemy. I’m your friend.”

  She swallowed, having a hard time not believing him.

  His gaze was steady, honest…kind.

  She’d never seen eyes like his before, except ma
ybe on Cricket. He looked at her that way sometimes, and she trusted him. He was her friend and he’d never let her down.

  “If you don’t want to go to a strange house tonight, you’ve just got to tell us a little about yourself and we can make sure you get home.” Chief Marks sat up straight and rested his hands on his knees. “I’d love to know your name. That’s all. Let’s just start with that.”

  “Leah,” she whispered before she could stop herself.

  Her eyes bugged out, fear gripping her. She shouldn’t have said that. Shit. She shouldn’t have said it.

  Why’d she say it?

  “Leah.” The man smiled. “That’s a nice name. Do you have a last one?”

  She’d already made one mistake; she wasn’t about to make another. Dropping her pizza crust, she shifted away from him until her back was pressed against the wall.

  “That’s okay.” His eyes smiled at her. “I’m glad I can call you something other than ‘the girl’ now.”

  His easy grin made her lips twitch but she still couldn’t form a smile.

  “Hey, listen, I’m grateful for your trust. I won’t abuse it, okay?” He stood tall and pulled something from his pocket. It was a small card.

  When he held it out to her, Leah hesitated.

  He grinned. “You left this in the interview room. It’s Melina’s card, and we figured you might want it on you tonight. She’s happy to talk to you anytime. Like me, she’s gonna have your back the whole way through this thing.”

  Leah glanced past him and noticed the woman’s head pop into view. Her smile was kind. Leah reached for the card, slipping it into her pocket without reading it. She didn’t know much about social workers, only that they took kids away from their families. She had no intention of calling this Melina person, but she didn’t want to raise more questions by not taking the card.

  The police chief seemed pleased that she had, his eyes warming with a smile. “You just sit tight and fill that stomach of yours. I’ll be back to check on you soon and let you know what’s happening next.”

  He walked up to the cell door and called for Mick.

  Three minutes later, she was alone with five more giant slices of pizza.

  She couldn’t believe it. She’d never had so much food to herself before.

  She stared at the box, confused by what had just gone down. Did she trust him? Was that a smart move?

  Shit, she’d given away her name like it was a freebie. So much for strength and determination.

  The smell of pizza had fried her brain, yet she still reached for a fresh slice. As she chewed through it, unable to finish the crust, she relived the conversation, what the chief had told her.

  His daughter.

  Missing.

  Her brows dipped together as a photo from the notice board crystalized in her mind.

  A photo of a missing kid.

  A missing kid she knew.

  15

  Wednesday, September 26th

  5:20pm

  Kellan was bolstered by his cell meeting. He strode past Mick with a little bounce in his step and only just stopped himself from grabbing Melina’s hand.

  He blinked at the realization and gave her a slightly awkward smile before holding the door open for her and guiding her back to his office.

  They had a name.

  Leah.

  It was barely anything to go on. For all he knew, she was making it up.

  But still, it felt like progress.

  By the look on her face, the name had obviously slipped out without her meaning to. Much like his story about Rae.

  He couldn’t believe he’d told the girl about his daughter. That hadn’t been his initial plan, but the words just fell out of him. He wanted Leah to know he understood pain and fear. He wanted to connect with her any way he could, and it seemed to have worked.

  She’d spoken.

  Just one word. Short and hesitant, but she’d done it. Next time he went to check on her, maybe she’d give him a little more before she was taken out of the station.

  A smile was toying with the edges of his lips as he pushed his office door open. Melina slipped inside and spun as soon as the door shut. She raised two perfectly manicured eyebrows at him. “So, that was something.”

  He nodded, unable to catch a smile from forming. “Leah.”

  Melina smiled with him, and he was once again struck by how gorgeous she was. Her milky white skin, those pink lips. Why hadn’t he asked her out before? What the hell had been holding him back?

  “I knew you’d get something out of her.” Melina’s eyes sparkled, reflecting what was no doubt shining in his eyes.

  It felt like a win.

  “The pizza was a good idea. She basically inhaled her first slice.” He took a seat in the chair opposite her and scratched between his eyebrows. “Not sure there’s much we can do with the name. She wouldn’t give me a surname, and for all I know, Leah could be a lie.”

  “It didn’t feel like it. The way she clammed up as soon as she said it. I was spying from around the corner, and I definitely think it was a slipup on her part. Which means it’s got to be her name.”

  “But it’s just a name.”

  “Hey.” She tipped her head with a smile. “Baby steps. When we check on her later, she might tell you something else. In the meantime, I’ll ask Glenda to search our database. There might be a Leah in foster care. I’ll also ask Megan. Who knows if this Leah girl hasn’t popped into her Clothing Closet for supplies? If she’s homeless, there’s a strong chance.”

  Megan worked with Melina and was passionate about caring for homeless kids in the county. She’d set up so many initiatives to cater to their needs, including a truck that also sufficed as a free secondhand clothing store that kids could use to swap and trade out their old things for something that was new to them.

  It was a place to make them feel human again.

  “You think Leah’s homeless?” Kellan was slightly appalled by the idea. He wasn’t naive—he knew there were runaways and abandoned kids in town—but it still hit him like a hammer to the chest.

  Melina shrugged. “It’s a possibility. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want to tell us anything, because she thinks we’ll shove her into foster care and she’ll just have to run away again.”

  Kellan frowned, hating that kids ever felt so hopeless they had to run away and figure things out on their own. Especially ones as young as Leah. He thought about her wolfing down that pizza and then made a mental note of her appearance. “She seemed too clean to be homeless, don’t you think? She’s skinny, yeah, but she looked pretty well kept. Clean clothes, and her hair looked washed.”

  “That’s true.” Melina brushed a finger over her lower lip, briefly distracting him.

  Out of the blue, he wondered what they felt like. Soft and pliable was his guess.

  Desire swirled through him, but he quickly shoved it into hiding as she looked up and caught his eye. “Maybe she’s couch-surfing.”

  “Yeah.” Kellan imagined that scenario and tipped his head back with a sigh. He gazed up at the ceiling, feeling like his late lunch break had happened days ago.

  “You did good, Kellan.”

  He gazed across at her, drinking in the smooth way she moved as she rose from her chair. Even in jeans and a cable-knit sweater, she was beautiful and elegant. He liked watching the fluid way her hips moved as she swung around his desk to collect her bag off the floor.

  For once, he didn’t bother hiding what he felt. He ran his eyes up and down her body, enjoying every curve. By the time he reached her face, there was a soft blush on her cheeks. As she walked back past his legs, he instinctively reached out and captured her wrist, gently rubbing his thumb over the smooth skin above her hand. It was soft and enticing…and made it hard to breathe.

  “Thank you,” he whispered. She glanced down at him as his fingers spread over the back of her hand. A lump formed in his throat and he struggled to get out the truth. “For before. I don’t tend t
o talk about my past.”

  Her lips formed a soft smile, her lullaby voice low and husky. “I know.”

  He was suddenly taken by the urge to pull her onto his lap and kiss her. She’d be a perfect fit against him. He knew it, yet he’d always denied himself the chance.

  He hadn’t been in a relationship since Carrie left him.

  Work. Routine. Order.

  That was what kept him sane.

  But did it keep him happy?

  As he gazed up at Melina, the temptation to ask her on a date grew strong, climbing from his heart to his throat…settling inside his mouth. He’d liked this woman for nearly two years, silently dreaming about her and doing nothing.

  “Melina, I—”

  The sound of muted gunfire made him jerk.

  Melina flinched, her eyes rounding as she looked over his head. “Was that a gunshot?”

  He surged to his feet and looked out the glass wall into his station. Officers were scrambling out of their seats and around their desks. Ollie ran toward the holding cells, pulling out his gun as he went.

  “Wait here.” He brushed past Melina and dove into the fray.

  16

  Wednesday, September 26th

  5:35pm

  Leah jumped from her seat, the pizza forgotten as she raced to the bars and wrapped her fingers around them.

  Straining to see around the corner and through into the booking station, she caught a flash of navy-blue uniform as an officer rushed around the desk and yanked Mick from his chair and onto the floor.

  The round-faced man groaned, and a red smear of blood trailed from his arm as the officer pulled him across the floor, then smashed the butt of his gun down with a war cry. Mick’s head jerked to the side, and then he went completely still.

  Leah flinched and backed away from the bars.

  This was what Robin had been talking about. Police brutality.

  She didn’t think they’d use it on each other, though.

  On shaking limbs, she backed herself into the corner and wished for Chief Marks to run in and save the day. He said he had her back. He said she could trust him.