Chasing Justice

by Danielle Stewart

  There was a chance the hug went on too long- Piper wasn’t sure when she was supposed to let go. She knew she never wanted to. She took in a deep breath, and realized Betty smelled like she had imagined every mother should. It was a combination of a flowery perfume and some kind of sweet pastry.

  “Thank you, Betty. I’m sorry I haven’t been around. It’s been a bumpy couple of months, but I’m happy to be turning a corner. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you are welcoming me back like this.” Piper spoke into Betty’s shoulder and she could feel warm tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. She had expected to be excited to see Betty but her tender welcome had moved Piper deeply.

  “Sweetheart,” Betty said, pulling away and maternally stroking Piper’s hair, “we don’t just want you here, we need you here.”

  “Come on in and sit down, Piper,” Bobby called from the doorway of the sitting room. Piper had hoped she and Bobby would have had a chance to calibrate their talking points before sitting with Betty and Jules, but she decided to follow his lead.

  “You’re really starting to spook me with all this, Bobby. You’re being very odd about this big important meeting, even though I was already in my housecoat and curlers. You’re lucky you gave me a few minutes’ notice so I could get myself decent,” Betty said, as she and Piper took a seat on the couch.

  “I know. I’m sorry to have to spring this on you. I’ve gone back and forth with myself about whether or not sharing this is the right thing to do. My gut tells me the more you know the more of a liability it is for you, but at the end of the day you are two capable, strong women who deserve the most information possible. I’m not even really sure where to start.” Bobby looked over at Piper for some assistance. She didn’t know exactly what or how much he was planning on sharing, so a starting point would be up to him.

  Before Piper could even nod some encouragement in Bobby’s direction Jules chimed in, “Bobby, spit it out. If I thought what you were doing at the town hall was irritating I should have prepared myself for how annoying all this talking in code would be. You have our attention; just say what you need to say. Oh my word, did you get Piper pregnant? Well that happened faster than a knife fight in a phone booth.” Jules’s expression changed quickly from exasperation to glee. She covered her mouth with her hands and shrieked with joy.

  “No!” shouted Piper and Bobby in unison. Bobby felt his face redden at the thought of getting Piper pregnant. He certainly wasn’t in the market to be a dad, but the idea of sex with Piper was something he had a hard time not thinking about. From the moment he had walked in to Jules’s office and caught a glimpse of Piper without her shirt, he found it hard not to undress her with his eyes. He pictured them at her place, at his, and sprawled out on blankets in the bed of his pickup parked down by the lake. Even now, with more than enough distraction and stress, he was picturing himself peeling away layers of Piper’s clothes.

  “This is about work,” Bobby continued, refocusing himself. “I know that neither of you are very keen on the job I’ve chosen, but you both know it’s important to me. You also know at times it can be complicated. I’m currently working on something, and it’s come to my attention that I may be a target for some less than reputable people. In turn, that puts anyone I care about at risk as well. That’s why I was jumping down your throat today at work, Jules. I need you both to bear with me over the next couple weeks while I work on eliminating the threat. In the meantime you have to stay very alert and be aware of your surroundings constantly. We need to come up with a plan to ensure you’re safe. I’ve started thinking of some simple schedule changes that will help, but I thought we could all brainstorm together on what would work best.” Jules stood up before Bobby could finish speaking.

  “How dare you,” she said, glaring at him with fire in her eyes. “You know what we went through with Daddy. You saw what it did to us. This is exactly why I didn’t want you to become a cop. It wasn’t me throwing some temper tantrum about not getting what I wanted. It was about not ever wanting to go through all that pain again. I can’t believe you’re sitting here asking us to uproot parts of our lives for the choices you’ve made at work. That’s so selfish of you.” Jules’s voice was climbing and becoming shakier with every word.

  “Sit down young lady,” Betty thundered in a stern voice Piper hadn’t heard from her before. As quickly as Jules had stood up, the sound of her mother’s voice had her seated again. “That’s what people do, they ask their loved ones to make sacrifices to support what they believe. We don’t have to understand it, but we sure as hell have the responsibility to be there for him when he needs us. I don’t like the risk that comes with Bobby’s job either, but there isn’t a single day that goes by I am not filled to the brim with pride.” She turned her stare from Jules over to Bobby. “If you’re telling us to be on guard for a couple weeks then that’s what we’ll do. One of the hardest things I’ve ever been through with Stan was being in the dark. It would have been much easier for you to keep this to yourself and hope nothing happened. In my humble opinion, doing it by himself is what got my Stan killed. You tell us what to do, and we’ll do it. You have our support like you’ve always supported us.”

  “Thanks, Betty,” Bobby said, hanging his head. “I’m so sorry Jules. I never wanted to put you in any danger, but the only thing worse than that would be leaving you in the dark about it. I promise it will be over soon and we’ll all be better for it.” Bobby needed Jules’s forgiveness to make all this work. More than that, he needed her support, not because Betty was telling her to, but because she believed in him.

  Jules lowered her voice but it was still filled with anger. “Screw you. I’ll do whatever you want for the next couple weeks, but after that you either quit your job or you quit this friendship. As far as I’m concerned if you really cared about us, you’d never put us in this position. No case should ever be important enough to take these kinds of risks.” Jules’s cheeks were flush with anger and she could feel blood rushing around her body.

  Betty shook her head in disappointment at her daughter’s reaction. “Don’t waste your breath, Bobby. Trying to get her to understand is like trying to nail jelly to a tree. I swear she’s as thickheaded as her daddy and as stubborn as her mama. You don’t stand a chance.”

  “I get it,” Bobby murmured looking defeated. “Let’s discuss how to get through the next couple weeks. I get why you’re upset, Jules. I don’t blame you, and if it means we can’t keep going this way then I’ll understand that too.” Bobby tried to focus on the issue at hand and ignore how much this was killing him. It became clear to Piper he didn’t intend to share with them anything about the connection to Stan’s death. Maybe she was out of line, maybe she was about to ruin everything, but she couldn’t keep quiet any longer.

  “Bobby,” Piper cut in, “this is crazy. You need to tell them the truth.” Piper gestured at Betty and Jules and stared hard into Bobby’s eyes. She turned her attention back to the two now-bewildered women, each holding her breath. “You guys know Bobby is an intelligent, quick-thinking man with the best intentions and a fierce loyalty to you both. The question is, do you trust him?” Betty nodded her head with unwavering support.

  “Yes,” Jules said quietly, “I do think that he’s loyal to us and would lay down his life to keep us safe. I only wish he wouldn’t put himself in the position to have to do that. I wish he wouldn’t make work more important than his life, or ours.”

  Piper locked eyes with Jules as she spoke. “Then you can rest easy, Jules, because this has nothing to do with work. Not one word of this leaves this room. I need you to give me your word on that.” Piper pointed her finger directly at Betty and then at Jules as they both agreed. “I think the truth is the only thing that is going to get you to a place where you’ll understand how serious this.” She took a long breath, giving Bobby a chance to cut in. When he remained silent she took it as her sign to continue. “My interest in criminal justice led me down some unique
paths here in Edenville, and along one of them I came across information about Stan’s death.” Piper paused, half expecting Bobby to shout at her.

  “What?” Betty exclaimed, covering her heart with her hands. “What kind of information are you talking about?” Her voice was octaves higher than normal as she searched Bobby’s face for answers.

  “Bobby and I are looking into it. There isn’t much we can share with you right now. It seems we’ve brought a little unwanted attention to both of you. It isn’t some imminent threat, and it actually may already be behind us, but he thought you had the right to know there may be some risk to you. There will come a time when we can and will tell you everything. Right now Bobby needs your trust and support so he can continue chasing down this lead. We can’t do anything if we think it will put you at further risk. Helping to minimize that by being vigilant and careful will help move us forward.” Piper spoke in a steady, unemotional tone. She may have shed tears when she learned of Stan’s betrayal, but in this moment she would need to be the strong person in the room.

  Jules crumpled forward and covered her face with her hands as she sobbed. “I’m sorry,” she said through her tears, “I didn’t know it was about Daddy, I didn’t know.” Piper felt herself beginning to sweat. She could handle a lot of things but when people got emotional she immediately felt unprepared to help them. Luckily Bobby seemed more than equipped. He crossed the room and crouched in front of Jules, trying to convince her to stop crying.

  Betty sat silently for a few minutes, stoic in expression and posture. Finally, she said in her no-nonsense, straightforward manner, “Bobby, you cannot trust anyone. There is no one on that force, young or old, who I would reach out to. I know someone there betrayed Stan, and I’ve carried that with me all these years. Don’t go on this quest for me, or for Jules. I don’t think there is a soul in this town who you could talk to who wouldn’t double-cross you.” Betty’s bravado faltered as she practically whispered, “You’ll end up like Stan.” She stifled a small sob as she said her husband’s name. “I know that I’ve been hoping for answers for years, but I don’t want them at your expense. You believe there is good in everyone. You believe the system works the way it should, but it doesn’t. If you’re planning on turning over whatever you’ve found and betting on the fact that you can rely on one of the good guys, then please don’t do it. Please let it go.” Betty clasped her hands together as she begged Bobby.

  Piper was quick to reassure her. “We already have that covered Betty. We have no intention of using the customary channels. You said that you trust Bobby, so you should know he’s thought through every angle of this. We need to know you both will keep this to yourselves as it all unfolds. Know that as soon as we can share more with you, we will.”

  Piper leaned over on the couch and put her hand on Betty’s shoulder. She couldn’t imagine how overwhelming this would be for them to hear after such a long time.

  “We won’t say anything,” Jules trembled, trying to gather herself. “You figure out who the hell killed my father, and make sure they pay for it. I don’t care how, as long as you guys stay safe doing it.”

  Bobby turned back to Piper with grateful eyes. She had revealed enough to gain their buy-in but not so much that they might compromise their effort. It was exactly what he had hoped to do. He was glad Piper was there to pick up where he had faltered.

  Bobby brushed Jules’s wispy red hair away from her wet eyes and kissed her forehead before moving back to his chair. “I know you’ve been talking about staying here for a bit while Scott looks for a new place. I think you should start tonight. Having you both in one spot will be better. Betty, do you still have Stan’s old pistol and hunting rifle?”

  “You bet your ass I do. And I certainly haven’t forgotten how to use them either.” Betty folded her arms across her chest in defiance. “Part of me actually hopes someone comes around causing trouble, because I’d be as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine to shoot down the people who killed my husband.”

  Piper smirked as she tried to wrap her mind around that odd statement. Were dead pigs happiest when sitting in the sun, she wondered?

  “Betty, I can’t have you smacking a diner patron over the head with a frying pan because you think he’s involved in this,” Bobby said, raising an eyebrow at her. “I know it’s frustrating that I’m not sharing more of the details with you, but I promise the people involved in Stan’s death will pay for it.” Bobby stood up and headed for the door of the sitting room. “Betty, why don’t you take Jules upstairs and relax for a while? The best thing you can do is lay low, be alert, and try to keep your emotions in check.”

  Bobby nodded toward Piper, indicating she should follow him out. They headed for the porch, one of her favorite places to be with Bobby. Tonight, however, it felt different. “That didn’t go like I planned,” he said, rubbing at the stress that had gathered in his temples. He flopped down onto the swing, and Piper took her seat beside him. In spite of all of this, there was still something comforting about swinging with Bobby.

  “I know. I was probably out of line back there. Maybe I over shared, but it felt like the right thing to do. Without her buy-in, Jules never would have taken the conversation seriously. I thought that was most important.” Piper had hoped Bobby would agree. She knew she had taken a big risk.

  “You’re right, we were losing her, and she needs to understand how serious this is. I wanted to keep them clear of everything until the wheels were in motion, but I think you made the right choice. I’m glad you were here. We make a great team.” He sent Piper a half-hearted smile, he wanted to be happy but what lay before them seemed too daunting. “I do, however, think that we need some more help. We can’t possibly focus our efforts on your plan and protect Jules and Betty at the same time. We’d be stretched too thin, and both of those tasks are going to require an enormous amount of coordination and time. We need a third person.” Bobby crossed his legs and lounged back on the swing. Being back in this peaceful moment with Piper wasn’t enough to remove the stress of the things to come, but it certainly took the rough edges off it. He figured if he had to be knee-deep in a shitty situation at least he was there with a beautiful woman.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. We have no clue who we can trust on the force, and the more people we involve the more likely we are to expose ourselves. The whole key to this is complete anonymity. I’m just a girl working for the cable company with no ties to any of these players. When all this goes down and people start digging, they won’t even know I exist, let alone that I’d have a motive or means by which to play a part. That means I should be doing all the leg work, and you should be focused on Jules and Betty.” Piper knew she was overestimating her abilities and oversimplifying the risk, but if she didn’t believe she could do it, then who would?

  “What about Michael? Is he someone you think we can trust?” Bobby left the question hanging there between them. He didn’t try to argue why he thought Michael could be trusted; he wanted to hear Piper’s opinion.

  “I trust Michael. He’s a good friend and through his work I’ve come to believe he’s a principled and reliable man. The problem is he thinks this type of thing is a disservice to the greater good. He’s had ample opportunity to take on situations like this in his career, and I think he’s turned a blind eye because he believes doing his job is his best bet for holding people accountable. I don’t think he’d be interested even if we talked to him, but I don’t doubt he could be trusted,” Piper said, pulling her sweater closed as a small chill overtook her body. The nights had finally started to cool. That didn’t matter though, because even if it were snowing, which it rarely did in North Carolina, she’d still stay out as long as she could, swinging with Bobby.

  There was something sexy in the rhythm of his legs while rocking them both along. She rarely let her own feet hit the ground while they sat. She would kick off her shoes and curl her legs up close to her body. She liked that he did all the work, that he didn’
t mind keeping them both moving. It reminded her that Bobby was the kind of man who would gladly carry the heavier load when you needed him. You could fall—eyes closed, arms open—and know he’d be there every time to catch you. He’d keep the swing moving, he’d drive the truck, and he’d agree to help you carry out the most outrageous plan even though it went against his instincts. Piper recalled Jules’s wise words from months earlier. Bobby was the kind of man you make room for in your life.

  “Here,” Bobby said, standing up and shaking himself out of his uniform jacket. “My adrenaline is pumping so much I don’t need it.” Piper leaned forward and Bobby wrapped his coat around her shoulders. The way the jacket completely enveloped her made her feel instantly warm and comfortable and seemed like the perfect metaphor for how this house and everyone in it was making her feel. She had no idea how this would play out, but she knew for certain when it was all over she wanted to be sitting right here with all of them.

  Bobby smiled at the sight of Piper cuddled under his coat. He let his mind wander for a moment to the idea of her wearing only his coat, or maybe one of his shirts, waking up at his place. But he cleared his mind and throat as he continued on. “I think Michael would help if we asked him. I had a good read on him that night outside the bar, and I know you’re not going to like this, but I’ve had a few conversations with him since. He actually called me on Wednesday. I was pulling in here for dinner, and he caught me off guard. I thought something may have happened to you. He wanted to let me know you seemed to be cooling off a little bit and you hadn’t been on a date with a single Donavan since I had seen you last. He told me that if I really cared about you it was time to get over myself and call you. He warned me if I didn’t make my move he couldn’t continue to keep you from falling in love with him. He said it was a lot of work and he was getting tired of your constant advances.” Bobby couldn’t hold back his laugh as he recounted the conversation with Michael. “I think if we ask him, he’ll help. I think it’s the kind of guy he is. I also may have done a background check on him after I met him that first time.” Bobby saw Piper’s eyes narrow. “Don’t give me that look. If you had access, you’d be running checks on everyone.”