BLINDED (Elkridge Series Book 1)

by Lyz Kelley

  Joey reread the case memo on his desk for the sixth time without comprehending a single sentence.

  The past nine days had seemed like an eternity.

  The moment he dropped the pen on his desk, his hand moved automatically to the phone handset, then withdrew.

  What are you doing? Call her.

  He lifted the receiver and dialed before he lost the nerve again.

  “Hello?”

  He closed his eyes and let her voice soothe the deeply embedded loneliness that had hit him as soon as his feet touched the airport ramp.

  “Mara, it’s Joey.” The silence on the other end of the line did nothing for his confidence. “Are you there?”

  “I’m here.”

  He allowed her voice to remove his doubts. She was still there, a lifeline on the other end of the phone. He’d never realized how bleak his world had become until Mara wasn’t in his life providing a ray of sunshine.

  “How’s Seattle?” she asked finally.

  “It’s okay. It’s been raining every day since I got here, and I’ve been crazy busy.”

  Busy because he needed to catch up, but more importantly, because he didn’t want to return to his empty apartment. The once masculine, yet modern, chic steel metal, grays and creams seemed sterile and gloomy.

  “I miss you,” she admitted softly. Suddenly, his lungs opened and he could breathe again. “I think the deputies miss the extra set of hands as well. At least that’s the scuttlebutt at the Café. You made a good impression while you were here.”

  I hope you miss me more. “That’s why I called. Mom told me there was another break-in.”

  “Yep. The Bainbridge sisters were robbed at gunpoint. People are scared. Elkridge doesn’t know how to deal with this. It used to be big news when people got lost on the ridge, the road flooded out or a bear ate some trash. Not anymore.”

  Jesus Christ. “Are the sisters okay?”

  “They have minor cuts and some bruising from being tied up and left for ten hours. A nosy neighbor found them after he got suspicious when they didn’t pick up their mail. They’re okay. Just shaken up.”

  The violence was escalating. And instinct told him the crimes were going to get worse. “Any arrests?”

  “Nope. Not yet.” There was a pause. “Your mom stopped by yesterday.”

  He felt a smile creep across his face in concert with the lift of an eyebrow in wonderment. “What did she want?”

  “She asked if I would be willing to supply flowers for the tables at the restaurant. She said something about needing to start supporting the people of Elkridge. She mentioned canceling contracts with vendors and using local suppliers.”

  “Did she?” His smile expanded. “That’s good. I hope more stores in Elkridge decide to do the same.”

  “Anna also came by to apologize and offered to help Tony and me with a business plan. She sent me a draft outline yesterday. Tony converted the document to my reader. She’s got some great ideas, many of them I think we can implement. She’s very talented.”

  He sat back in his chair, not knowing what to say.

  “Joey, if you’re calling to check on me about, well, you know…”

  “Are you having regrets?”

  “None. I told you before I wouldn’t.” The truth was reassuring. “Do you have regrets?”

  Only one. “No,” he finally managed. “Well, maybe. The only regret I have is not coming home sooner.” And staying.

  “Next time, don’t wait so long between trips.” She sighed. “Joey, it’s nice to hear your voice, but I’m late for an appointment.”

  Frustration carved a chunk out of each syllable. “Take care of yourself. Call anytime. ’Bye.”

  The click of the phone interrupted him just as he was about to tell her he didn’t want to be gone at all.

  As he hung up, movement across the room caught his attention. Two official-looking men in blue suits entered his boss’s office. All sorts of people visited, from the DA to other public officials, but this time, he recognized one of them as his buddy from the Joint Task Force Office. Chuck gave him a look that said, we need to talk.

  A few minutes later, a “Gaccione!” shout rang out from across the cubicles. “My office,” his boss demanded.

  Everyone in the squad room turned around and looked at him. He could hear the snide remarks now. What had Boy Wonder done to get his butt in a sling? His feet dragged a bit while he tried to get his head around what the visit meant.

  “Take a seat,” his boss suggested as he closed the door behind him.

  Joey assessed the one man he didn’t know—the emotionless stare, the red power tie, the erect posture. The man had an invisible FBI pin attached to his suit’s breast pocket.

  “These gentlemen would like to ask you a few questions.” The way his boss sat back in his chair and crossed his arms gave him the impression his mentor wasn’t happy.

  He didn’t bother telling his friend he’d met Chuck years ago and had spoken to him last week. Turning slightly, he grabbed the back of the chair to keep from crossing his arms, a sure indicator of defensiveness. A slow, deep breath helped maintain his usual heart rate. “What can I help you with, gentlemen?”

  “I’m Special Agent Bantner.”

  “Joey…Joe, it’s Joe Gaccione.”

  “You called me about a week ago. At the time you called, I was not at liberty to inform you I’m in charge of a special joint FBI and DEA taskforce. We’ve checked your security clearance and received permission to inform you we know who killed your brother, and it wasn’t Mark Walters.”

  Joey sucked in a gallon full of air. “Have you arrested the man?” he asked, even though the man’s body language had provided the answer. Yet he needed to hear the words.

  “Unfortunately, no. I’m going to ask for your patience and cooperation in the matter. Your brother’s killer is a pawn in a much larger case, and we’ve only recently managed to place someone on the inside. We can’t risk bringing the man to justice yet, for reasons I’m sure you can guess, but I promise, he will be charged and convicted.”

  Sacrificing one for the greater good. He hated the thought, but accepted it.

  “How long?”

  “A year, maybe two,” Bantner offered, not pretending to mistake the question. A quiet respect for the man began to form.

  “It’s big, isn’t it? Whatever’s happening in Elkridge is big, and my brother just happened to push a little too hard, or be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Chuck stepped closer. “When you called, you said you’d been asked to run for Sheriff.”

  “Is there a reason you didn’t accept the offer?” Bantner asked.

  Yes, and it’s none of your damn business. “I get the impression you’re about to ask me to reconsider.”

  Bantner looked around the room. “As a matter of fact, yes. We need someone in place we can trust and call on if needed—be part of the team. Your assignment would be a promotion of sorts.”

  “You mean you need someone in place to keep a lid on the drug issues while you work the sex trafficking angle.” His eyes connected and held Bantner’s direct stare. “Am I wrong?”

  “At this moment, I can’t answer your question. It’s classified.”

  “Well then, since we’re not going to have this conversation, you didn’t hear me suggest you check into the pharmacy records and find out who’s purchasing prenatal vitamins, or get a surveillance camera into the local grocery store to ID the guy purchasing feminine products. He’s about six-foot-two, brown hair, drinks, smokes and possibly rolls his own cigarettes with a strain of marijuana with licorice accents.” And I have shell casings, a marijuana joint and a pile of other evidence I’m keeping in a safety deposit box, for now, until I know whom to trust.

  Bantner turned to Joey’s boss. “How fast can we get this man to Denver?”

  The belligerent straightening of his boss’s shoulders made him take a step forward to avoid the brewing confrontation. “I ne
ed to go, sir. Based on this visit, I can only assume my family and everyone I love is in real danger. I’m not a hothead—you know that. Someone needs to protect the residents of that small town. If not me, who? Small-town deputies don’t know how to handle big crime. Someone else is going to get killed if they don’t get the proper training. Someone in that town is dirty, I just don’t know who, and maybe these guys can flush that person out.”

  His boss pointed at Bantner. “If anything happens to Gaccione, I’m going to hold you two personally responsible.”

  “Before I accept your offer,” Joey took a deep breath, “I have two conditions.” He turned to face the suits. “I need funds to update the electronics in the cars, and I want body cams and armor for each deputy. I’ll find the funds for training, but I want the deputies protected.”

  “And the second?” The question was asked without hesitation.

  “I need a contact, someone who will warn me if I’m getting too close. I don’t plan on taking a bullet.”

  Bantner extended his hand. “Your requests are fair. After you become sheriff, you’ll receive paperwork to apply for special grant monies for developing rural counties. My suggestion is not to ignore that paperwork. In the packet, you’ll find a contact number.”

  Joey extended his hand to Chuck with gratitude. “Thank you.” He also shook hands with Bantner.

  “Watch your back,” Chuck suggested. “Colorado has some great skiing. Never know, I might come out for a visit.”

  “You’re welcome anytime. A visit from an old college friend, perhaps?”

  A slow, shrewd acknowledgement crossed Chuck’s face before the two men funneled out of the office and shut the door behind them. Joey sank slowly into the visitor chair. His boss and mentor rolled his shoulders back.

  “You sure about this?”

  Joey tapped his fingers on his knee. A combination of excitement and caution crashed into his chest. “You’ve put together a talented team, and I’ve had the privilege of serving among some of the best. The Elkridge department needs training, discipline, and leadership. If they can’t handle petty theft, how are they going to handle something big? Recently, I’ve discovered that Elkridge will always be my home. Those people are my family. I couldn’t live with the fact I knew what was coming and did nothing to help them prepare.”

  His boss steepled his fingers in front of his face. “Then I suggest your mother has become critically ill, and you need to leave immediately under the guise of the Family Medical Leave Act. After your twelve weeks are up, you can submit your resignation. How’s that sound?”

  “It sounds like I need to finish writing my reports. Thank you, sir.”

  “Gaccione, it’s been my pleasure. If you ever change your mind, you have a place in my organization.”

  Joey nodded and walked toward the door, knowing nothing would change his mind.

  The choice felt right.

  Unfortunately, he’d need to learn to keep secrets. Keeping information from his family would be easy. Mara? Not so much.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Nothing had changed. Mara still missed Joey every minute of every day.

  His absence left a hollow space that echoed throughout the day, always there, never absent, and intruding into everything she did. She’d tried shutting off the feelings. Not calling him had been the toughest of all.

  He’d left her a cryptic voice message a few days earlier when she was training Gina and couldn’t get to the phone fast enough. Late at night, lying in bed, she could play the recorded message over and over and over, just to hear his voice. He sounded busy and tired.

  She traced the leaves of a violet with her fingers, checking for dead leaves and feeling the soil to determine if the potted plant needed watering. As she leaned over to lift the watering can, the store’s bell sounded.

  “Good morning. Please let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.”

  The customer didn’t respond. She took a deep inhale, checking for the smell of cigarettes or alcohol. Then she heard it. That faint little squeak. The one she desperately longed to hear, but hadn’t believed she’d hear, at least in the near future.

  She slowly stood and held her breath, making sure the noise wasn’t just a hopeful inventiveness.

  “Are you here for a bouquet for your mom? Or are you considering a plant this time?”

  “You’re truly amazing. I’m not here to make a purchase.” The light humor in the tenor voice seemed promising. “In fact, I’m here to see if the shop owner would take a walk with me.”

  Her heart’s pitter-patter was so loud in her ears she almost didn’t hear him ask her to take a walk. A confetti-tossing excitement burst out of her heart and filled her.

  “We’ll have to wait. Gina took my nephew to the pediatrician, and Tony’s out delivering flowers,” she managed in a calm and collected voice. “He should be back any minute.”

  The squeak moved closer and closer, until she could savor the familiar scents that eased her soul.

  “I just called him. He said he’ll be here in ten. And he said not to wait.” His gentle fingers wrapped around hers.

  “Joey what are you doing here?”

  “I figured another ten years was a bit too long. Plus, I had some unfinished business in town.”

  Sam’s killer. He just couldn’t let his brother’s death go. Instinct had told her he’d be back, just not so soon.

  “Where’s Buddy?” he asked.

  At the mention of his name, Buddy came through the doorway. Joey squatted and waited for the dog. “Hey, Buddy. Missed you, big guy. Ready to take a walk?”

  You missed my dog, but not me? She choked out a laugh at Buddy’s thrilled response, his claws tap-tapping on the floor. “Now you’ve done it. You said the W-A-L-K word. I’ll get his halter.”

  Mara took the necessary steps to retrieve Buddy’s harness and her coat and prepared for a journey. “You never said where we’re going.”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Her heart pounded with trepidation. She didn’t like surprises. People didn’t understand that when you’re blind, newness was a bit scary. Joey, however, she would follow to the end of the trail and back.

  He led her to the front door.

  “Can you flip the ‘open’ sign?” she asked.

  “Got it. Here we are on Main Street. Right?”

  “Yes. Thank you.” The sarcasm in her voice expanded. “I think I know where our business is located.” If the muscles in her eyes would allow her to roll them, she would. “What are you up to?”

  “You’ll understand in a few minutes. Just trust me.”

  Trust him? That she did. Joey led her around the corner and up the hill, past the grocery store and post office, then right.

  “Do you know where we are?” he asked.

  “Cherry Street. Up ahead are the municipal buildings and the city park. To the left are houses.”

  “You’re amazing. Come with me. I want to show you something.”

  A gate opened and Joey tugged at her arm. She drew a deep breath and took a leap of faith to follow him. She could feel the excitement in his twitching muscles. He practically sizzled with anticipation while he helped her climb three stairs and then escorted her through an open doorway. Her clogs clunked on what sounded like wood flooring.

  “Joey?”

  He took her by the hand. “I wanted to show you this house. Here’s the living room,” he tugged again on her hand, “and through here is the kitchen. It’s small, just the way you like it. You said you like to be able to touch everything. The kitchen doesn’t have much cabinet space, but I can add more storage, eventually.”

  “Cabinets. For what? I don’t understand.”

  “Neither did I until I went back to Seattle. I want to come home, Mara. To stay.”

  “But what about your career?”

  “I called the mayor. He said the sheriff position might still be open. The people of Elkridge will hold a special election soon, but
I could fill an interim position until then.”

  “So you’ve come home to find Sam’s killer.”

  “No. Well, yes. I’ve come home to protect this town and the people I care for, but we’re not here because of Sam.”

  She turned around. The echo of her footsteps filled the space. “This house is empty. Is this Martha Bishop’s home? Someone from out of town made the purchase,” she whispered, putting clues together like flowers in a bouquet. “It’s you. You bought this house.”

  “Yes.” His admission was delivered almost as a whisper.

  “Four bedrooms is a mighty big house.” She couldn’t breathe. Should she dare hope he might not be thinking of living alone?

  “Mara?” He took her hand and pressed her palm to his chest. “Do you feel that?”

  “The beat of your heart?” The strong lub-dub, lub-dub pulsed under her fingers, easing her breath, helping her fall into the same steady pattern.

  “Not just the beat, but the ache. Knowing I wanted to be with you, but I couldn’t because you were here and I was in Seattle. You said no strings, but that doesn’t work for me. I’m more of a long-term type of guy.”

  Tears spilled over onto her cheeks, her chest tightened, and she suddenly was completely certain she couldn’t love Joey any more than she did at that moment.

  “So you want me?” she asked, wanting him so much to say yes. Yes, he wanted her, even as broken as she was, he wanted her.

  “No, Mara.”

  Her world stopped and tilted. Despair swamped her until his chin came to rest on the top of her head.

  “I don’t just want you. I need you. You’re my oxygen. You fill me. I bought this house for us, because your apartment is too small for us, and the kids I want to have with you. Marry me, Mara. Make me the happiest man in Elkridge.”

  “Did you just ask me to marry you?”

  “I know the proposal is unexpected and not very romantic, but I feel like I’ve waited for you all my life. I don’t want to be apart anymore. I promise I’ll be the most romantic guy on this planet going forward. And before you ask, I’ll add being romantic to my list of things to practice. Please say yes.”