by J. E. Taylor
He sighed and turned, heading out to kill the next three hours. Steve flipped open the phone and dialed the now familiar number.
“Hey, Charlie, it’s Steve.”
“Just dropping Jen off?”
“Yeah, and I’ve got some bad news for you. We won’t be there for Thanksgiving.”
“Why’s that?”
He could tell Charlie was not pleased. “Because Jen wants me to meet her parents before she starts to show.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Yeah, that’s going to be a fun experience. Hello Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, I’m the guy who knocked up your daughter.”
Charlie burst out laughing. “Let’s just hope they aren’t as volatile as she is.”
“No shit. And her father doesn’t own a gun. Man, this is going to suck.”
“Well, I’ll give you that. You could still bail and come solo.”
“Not if I want to live,” Steve said as he slipped into a bar to grab a beer and watch the game. “I’ll catch you Monday.”
“Have a good one,” Charlie replied.
The line went dead.
Steve folded his phone and slid into a seat at the bar, ordering a Corona and settling back to watch the Knicks game on the television. He was not happy about the prospects of spending any time with Jennifer’s family. To say her father disliked him was an understatement. He was still pissed about her involvement in the case in Brooksfield. If he had an inkling of what had happened last month or how dangerous it was for her to be in New York with Steve, he would blow a gasket.
Chapter 37
The rest of the week crawled by and Steve found himself puttering at the office on Wednesday afternoon, dreading the night alone and having to hop in the car at eleven for the two hour trip to her parents’ house in Connecticut.
“You still here?” Charlie asked from the doorway.
He nodded. “I’ll be wrapping up in a little while.”
“Got your cast off, I see.”
“Yep. They gave me a squeeze ball and some hand exercises to do, to build the strength back, but I’m damn glad to have that thing off.” He curled his hand into a fist then flexed it. “It feels kind of weird.”
“Do you want some blow for the road?”
Steve looked up at Charlie and sighed. “That might not be such a bad idea.” He had toyed with the idea on and off all day and hadn’t been motivated to ask. It had been over a week since he ran out of the last vial Charlie had given him and he still craved the high.
Charlie tossed a vial to him. “Happy Thanksgiving,” he said and headed out of the office.
“You, too!” He studied the vial, rolling it between his fingers as the powder slid slowly around. Steve closed his fist over the small canister and closed his eyes. Jennifer was not going to be pleased, but the alternative of dealing with her parents without some sort of chemical high was worse than the shit he’d get from his wife. He stood, pocketing the vial and turning off his computer. It was after eight and he needed to get a bite to eat before he picked Jennifer up at the theater.
* * * *
“Are you okay?” Jennifer asked as they crossed into Connecticut.
Steve glanced in her direction then back at the road. “We can’t discuss anything related to my job.”
“I know.”
“No matter how hard you father presses,” he said.
“I understand. I’ll talk about the play and the baby and that’s it.”
“Just so we’re on the same page. I don’t feel like catching shit from your father.” He focused on the road and turned the radio up a fraction.
She turned the radio down and stared at his profile. The strong set of his jaw told her he was tenser than he had been in a while. She reached out, touching the hand that rested on the stick shift, lacing her fingers between them.
Steve offered her a slight smile before looking out at the dark highway. “I’m really not in the mood to deal with it if he starts up.”
“I know. I’ll try to run interference for you as much as I can. But you know Daddy.”
“Pft!” he snorted. He gave Jennifer a sideways look and shook his head.
* * * *
Steve woke to an empty bed and the scent of roasted turkey on the cool air. His eyebrows creased in momentary confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings. Jennifer’s parents’ house. The fleeting thought entered his mind before he turned his face into the pillow and drifted back to sleep.
“Steve?”
Her soft voice filled his ears, rocking him gently from sleep.
“Mhm,” he grumbled and turned his head toward the sweet sound.
“It’s almost noon.”
Blinking, he glanced at her and then around the room. Bright sunlight streamed in the windows. “Holy shit!” He sat up, rubbing his face. “When’s dinner?”
“Mom has everything set to go for one.”
“I’ll be down in a little while.” He rummaged through the suitcase for clothes and his shaving kit and headed to clean up, still groggy from the sound sleep.
Thirty minutes later, after a hot shower and a hit of cocaine, he bounded down the stairs. He stopped short when he hit the landing. Sitting in the living room with Jennifer and her folks were his parents. “Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?” Any hint of dread regarding the day vanished and a broad smile formed on his face as he hugged each of them in turn.
“Allison thought since neither of us had seen you in almost a year; we’d share Thanksgiving with you.” His mother smiled at him as he stepped away from the bear hug he gave her.
He turned to his in-laws. “Thank you.” His eyes glossed over with tears. He didn’t realize how much he missed his parents until this moment.
Jennifer’s father nodded acknowledgement and accepted his hand in a quick shake.
Jennifer cleared her throat and took Steve by the arm, leading him to the couch.
“Did you know about this?” he whispered in her ear.
She slightly shook her head and turned her focus on the two sets of parents surrounding them. “We have some news.”
The room went dead silent and four pairs of eyes stared expectantly.
“Well?” his father asked when they exchanged a glance.
“We’re pregnant,” Jennifer announced.
The only grandparent-to-be in the room who didn’t jump to his feet with a joker like grin on his face was Joe Curtis. His eyes narrowed a fraction before he put a smile on for appearance’s sake and rose to his feet, joining the others.
“I guess this means you’re going to stop this undercover nonsense,” Joe said, layering the blanket of silence on the room once more. This time all eyes swiveled in his direction.
Steve shot a glare at his father-in-law. “We’ll see.” He buffered any further commentary by turning his attention to his mother-in-law and his parents. They returned to the edges of their seats and began to shoot questions all at once.
“When did you find out?”
“When are you due?”
“What names do you have picked out?”
He put his hands up. “Stop firing questions at us at the same time! This isn’t an interrogation!” The smile on his face was information enough as to how he felt about the baby. Jennifer began fielding questions as he sat back, allowing her to take the limelight. He shot a sideways glance in Joe’s direction and got a scowl in return. Instead of letting it get under his skin, he ignored it, offering a slight nod in his direction before returning his attention to the over excited grandparents in the room.
* * * *
They pulled out of the driveway with both sets of parents waving from the front stoop. “That was definitely fun.” Steve commented as he glanced at Jennifer. “And you really had no idea they were inviting my folks over?”
“None whatsoever, but I am so glad, because my father had to behave.”
“He got a couple of subtle digs in, but you’re right, he was pretty damn amicable.”
Jennifer sta
rted to giggle. “Amicable?”
He nodded. “It was a new experience for me.” He sent a flash of teeth in her direction. The grin produced those dimples she loved.
“See? My dad can be fun; you just have to have the right crowd there.”
“We should always have our parents over together. Avoid the nasty arguments your father and I get into.”
“There’s an idea!”
As they crossed the border into New York, Steve’s smile faded. “Charlie’s going to ask how it went,” he said and glanced at Jennifer. “And our stories have to be the same.
“Okay, how did it go?”
“It went pretty well.” He offered a shrug. “I got to meet the whole family.”
Jennifer’s dimples showed. “And my parents loved you, especially my father.”
The laughter snorted out of Steve’s nose. “Yeah, that’s definitely in the land of make-believe.”
“Well, since we’re blowing smoke up his ass…”
“You know, I really love you. I’m not sure if I’ve said that lately.” He picked up her hand, kissing her palm.
“You haven’t said it quite like that, but yes, I know.”
Steve watched the road while he drove and held her hand. Their situation seemed to weigh on him the closer he got to the city. “I don’t like that you’re in as much danger as I am. If Charlie ever gets wind that I’m the mole in his organization, you will be his first target.” He glanced at her. “And when I’m not with you, Desiree is. She’d be the one he calls.”
“I can take Desiree.”
He shook his head. “No you can’t. She might even be able to take me.”
“I’ve bested you before.”
His dimples appeared briefly. “Yeah, but I wasn’t armed.” He gave her a sideways glance. “And I wasn’t trying to kill you.”
“Desiree likes me. Why would she hurt me?”
“If Charlie gives the order…” He paused and shook his head. “When we execute the sting, I want you in protective custody.”
Chapter 38
“We had a lot of fun. Steve was absolutely charming as always,” Jennifer said. “My family seemed to like him, although they were really disappointed when we told them the wedding date we settled on.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re going on a cruise they’ve been planning for years with some close friends of the family. My mom said they’d throw us a reception in the spring after the baby is born if we wanted, that way they can have the party for all their friends to celebrate both the marriage and the baby.”
Desiree lifted her eyebrows. “Wow.”
“Yeah, they like to have their parties,” she said as she crossed to the kitchen.
“Are you going to see them for Christmas?”
“No, they’ll be on the cruise.”
“Well, then you and Steve will have to come to Charlie’s for dinner on Christmas Eve. I’m cooking a roast and I know he was planning on having a few of his associates over.”
“I’ll have to talk to Steve, but I can’t see why he can’t join you. I’ve got a performance that night, so I won’t be able to make it.” She could see a thousand reasons why not, none of which she could voice to Desiree. It was an intrusion on her life, but her saving grace was her job.
“How much longer are you going to perform?” Her eyes drifted to the small bump that was Jennifer’s belly.
Jennifer looked down at her stomach, running her hand along the slight arc. “I don’t know. I didn’t think you were supposed to pop until after the third month, but,” she shrugged. “I keep asking for the costumes to be let out a little in the waist and they keep putting me off.” She raised her eyes. “I’m sure once it’s clear I’m pregnant from the audience’s view, I’m done until after the baby is born.” She pulled the toast out of the toaster and ran butter over the bread.
The room disappeared.
The bare arm appeared in her field of view, the tattoo vivid on tanned skin. She stared at the scorpion holding a bloody rose, burning it to memory as the scene opened up. The setting looked familiar and she gasped.
Blinking, she was back in the apartment, her eyes darting around the room as Desiree shook her shoulder. Jennifer shot to her feet, overturning the chair she’d been sitting in. A wheeze came with every breath as her lungs contracted. “Shit!” She took a shaky step toward the couch and the world swam in front of her.
When she opened her eyes, the view of the ceiling filled her vision and a damp warm cloth lay across her forehead. Desiree’s concerned eyes stared down at her with the phone plastered to her ear.
“She’s coming to now,” Desiree said and handed the phone to Jennifer.
“Are you okay?” Steve asked.
“Yeah, um, I just, um…” She didn’t know how to tell him what she saw. It obviously wasn’t something destined to happen in the next couple of months so she didn’t want to burden him with it. The fragment was unnerving enough, the tattoo and the view out the front window of their cottage in New Hampshire.
“You had another vision?”
“I think so, I’m not sure,” she said and lifted her eyes to Desiree. “I haven’t had anything to eat this morning, so it could just be that.”
“Do you need me to come take you to the doctor’s office?”
“Uh, no, I’m okay.” Jennifer got her bearings and sat up. “I need to eat something.”
Silence filtered through the line.
“I’m okay, Steve. I just need to get some food,” she said. “Just let me go eat the toast I was making. I’m sure I’ll feel better.” She looked over her shoulder at the table. The plate was still there. “I’ll talk to you later.” She ended the call and stood on shaky legs, making her way to the kitchen table and taking a seat. She began eating without meeting Desiree’s gaze.
“You’re still pale.”
“Remind me to eat first thing in the morning,” she said with her mouth full of toast.
Desiree took the seat opposite Jennifer. “Are you sure you’re all right? Because your eyes got really weird. It was like looking at a corpse.”
Her eyebrows rose at the remark. “I’m sorry, it’s just when I don’t eat I get dizzy. The pregnancy, you know.” She shrugged and took a sip of her orange juice.
“Bullshit!” Desiree’s hand slammed on the table in unison with the expletive. “It wasn’t normal!”
Jennifer’s eyes narrowed and she picked up the butter knife, slathering another slice of toast and then pointing it in Desiree’s direction. “Don’t take that tone with me!”
Desiree sat back in the chair, her jaw slack and eyes wide.
“It’s the pregnancy, that’s all,” she said.
They both turned toward the sound of the lock clicking and Desiree was on her feet instantly, with her gun drawn and pointing at the door. She pulled the hammer back as the door swung open.
“Whoa, girl, it’s only me.” Steve put his hands up and stepped into view.
Desiree stood down, flipping the safety on and shaking her head. “You almost got yourself shot.”
He shrugged. “I wanted to see how you were,” he said to Jennifer and crossed the apartment.
“I’m fine.”
Steve turned to Desiree. “I’ve got her for the rest of the day.”
Desiree hesitated until Jennifer nodded.
Once the door closed behind her, Jennifer turned to her husband. “What are you doing?”
He took a seat opposite her. “You had another vision?”
Jennifer tilted her head and took a bite of the toast before she met his gaze. “Yes.”
“Well?”
“I saw the tattoo.”
Steve grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil off the desk. He handed both to her and sat down. “Draw it for me.”
She took the paper and pencil and began to sketch a likeness of the tattoo from her vision. “Do we have any markers or colored pencils?” she asked without looking up.
Steve stood and rummaged through the desk. The only thing he found was a box of crayons and he stared at it with curiosity. He brought it to the table. “Will these do?”
Jennifer glanced at the crayons and up at him with the same curiosity. “Crayons?”
“Don’t look at me. They were in the desk.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “For all I know they could have been in there for years.”
“Ah.” She went back to the drawing, doing a fairly accurate job in detailing the scorpion with the rose in the claw and the drops falling from the petals. When she had the outline, she pulled out the yellow, red, blue, green, and brown, and finished the drawing by adding colors, even blending where the blue, green, and brown combined on the scorpion. The rose was yellow, tainted by droplets of blood instead of dew. She put down the red crayon, staring at an identical likeness, and raised her eyes to Steve. “That is on the inside of his right forearm.” She handed him the drawing.
He stared at the first concrete lead they had in the Slasher case after so many deaths. He raised his gaze to her. “What else did you see?”
“It was me.”
The color in his face drained and Steve’s eyes fell to the picture in his hand. “Not on your life, babe.” When his eyes found hers again, they were hard and unwavering. “He won’t get the chance.” He stopped himself as the urge to crumple the paper overwhelmed him. Instead, he brought the drawing over to his computer and laid it on the scanner, waiting while the machine booted up.
The scan took just a few minutes and he sent the image off to Jack along with the following message:
This is on the inside of the unsub’s right forearm, Jack.
Find the bastard before I do.
Chapter 39
The week before Christmas, Steve sat at the desk, staring at the computer screen. The message in his inbox sent a cold chill through his bones. Charlie wanted him out at the warehouse, now.
He inhaled, his mind going over the last few weeks, shuffling through everything from Thanksgiving recounts to the side conversation about word of a snitch in the organization. Nothing he said or did could have led Charlie to the truth. Could it? He looked out the window and typed ‘On my way’, and locked his computer before grabbing his coat.