You Can’t Run
Hope E. Davis
Copyright © 2021 Hope E. Davis
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 9798729341399
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Denver, and La Junta, Colorado are real cities. However, all portrayals of either city are completely fictionalized.
For my grandmother Marla,
Thanks for always being my biggest fan.
And for Taylor Largusa
Thanks for talking me down off a ledge.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Cover by Victoria Cooper
Edited by K. Joyce
PROLOGUE
MARK
He pulled up in front of a dark multiple story condominium, glancing down at the phone in his hand to make sure he had the right address before putting his car into park.
It didn’t look like anyone was awake at this hour, but as a precaution he straightened the collar around his neck and glanced in the mirror to make sure his hair was slicked back. Even though the darkness was on his side right now, the sun would be rising soon. He reached into the backseat and slid his black duffel bag over his shoulder. The clothing and computer in the bag were all he owned now. He had sold everything else to begin his new life.
Quietly, he walked up to the front door of the building, checking the rental app to find the check-in instructions. He had specifically chosen this rental because of the self check-in. He didn’t want the hassle of dealing with people.
He typed in the number on the security pad to unlock the door, and stepped in while quietly closing it. The hallway was quiet, all the wooden doors were closed and the old light bulb buzzing above his head was the only sound. Directly in front of him was a rickety old silver elevator that didn’t look like it could possibly work, to his left was a staircase. He chose to take the stairs.
Mark made his way to the third floor where he double checked the check in instructions once more. He turned to his right to find door 310 to be directly next to the staircase. He would have rather had a room at the end of the hall, but this would do.
He opened the lockbox next to the door with the code the landlord had provided. Two silver keys fell into his hand. He slid the first in the lock and swung the door open.
The apartment wasn’t much, just a studio in the center of the city. It was modest, containing only a bedroom and cramped kitchen, but that was all he needed.
He set his duffel bag on the queen bed and crossed the room over to the window which overlooked the street. He didn’t turn on any lights.
Mark looked at the empty street, lit only by an occasional street lamp. He grinned as a young copper haired woman emerged from around the corner and jogged nimbly past his window. He looked at his watch. She is up early, which probably meant she has a family she has to get up and ready to go at home. It’s crazy how predictable people are.
Mark slides his window open, grinning as it opens without a squeak or shutter. This would indeed suit him well. He sticks his head out briefly into the dawn air and looks up and down the street.
The location of the apartment was perfect, now he could start his work.
Mark reluctantly turned away from the window and back to his duffel bag on the bed. He unzipped the side pocket and pulled out the new passport and driver’s license he had purchased. He grinned as he regarded his face next to the new name he had chosen,, he pulled a box of hair dye from his bag and headed into the bathroom to begin his transformation.
No one here will know him. No one will recognize him. He will be a new man.
And he will be free to put his plan into action.
Mark will officially be gone.
CHAPTER 1
NAYA
She took a deep breath as she slowly opened her car door and placed one foot on the cement outside. The fresh autumn air came rushing into the car, breaking the cocoon of warmth she had created for herself. She pinched her eyes shut quickly, taking in one more deep breath before she stood.
This was it, her first day at her new job.
Naya leaned her head back against the headrest of her drivers seat and looked up at the large brown office building in front of her, then turned to the backseat of her car to grab the cardboard box which contained all her things. It didn’t hold much, just a photo for her desk, some favorite pens and a few manila file folders of cold cases she had been unable to solve but couldn’t let go.
She had been the Sheriff of La Junta, a small town in the south east corner of Colorado. Assuming the title of Sheriff after her father, the previous Sheriff, retired. She had honestly planned to stay there forever, but her brother who lived in Denver had found out he had cancer, and Naya had immediately requested a transfer.
Being a detective in Denver was going to be much different than her job as sheriff in her humble home town. She had already gotten lost three times this morning on her way to the office, which had done quite a number on her already disheveled nerves. She was a small-town girl at heart and so far had been unable to see the “city charm” her brother had always gushed about when he returned home every Christmas.
Naya squared her shoulders and headed for the glass doors. She wasn’t exceptionally tall standing at about five foot five, but she was both physically and mentally strong from years of being a cop and the backbone of her family. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass, her long dark hair was tied into a tight bun at the base of her neck and her dark chocolate eyes looked more tired than normal. Her skin seemed to be slightly dull compared to its usual lightly tanned bronze tone. She made a mental note to make sure she took her vitamins when she got home, she couldn’t risk getting sick this soon at a new job.
She reached the door and pushed it open, surprising herself when it swung inward swiftly, then she let go of the handle so that it could silently swing shut behind her. A thin blonde woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun is sitting behind the desk directly inside the small foyer area. Naya surveyed the room taking in all the details, the woman’s name tag said her name was Jean. Naya opened her mouth to greet the woman but Jean beat her to it.
“Hello, how can I help you today?”
“Yes,” Naya cleared her throat when the word came out slightly garbled. “Can you please direct me to homicide? I’m detective Naya Largusa, I’m supposed to be starting today. “
Jean nodded. “Certainly, fourth floor, I’ll buzz up and let them know you’re coming. Welcome by the way.”
“Thank you.” Naya responded as she steered herself and her cardboard box towards the large shiny elevator. It amazed her how a building this imposing could be only one of many precincts in the department for downtown Denver. In La Junta they had only one precinct that consisted of three desks and a holding cell.
When the doors slid open she found herself in what appeared to be a busy office with an open floorplan. There were people chatting in groups at various points in the room, while others rushed from desk to desk delivering messages and possibly evidence. There had to be about fifteen desks, and the back wall was lined with doors which she assumed led to private offices, interview rooms and possibly even a holding cell. She was unsure how long she stood there drinking in the business of the room, but she suddenly became aware of all the eyes turned on her and blushed pink under their gaze.
“Hello, I’m detective Largusa, a transfer from La Junta?” Naya mentally slapped herself for sounding so dumb. Now no one would take her seriously here.
A kind looking gentleman stepped forward and held out his hand. He was
tall, probably mid-forties, and in great shape. Naya could clearly see he took care of himself from the way he was trim and muscular while many men his age have let themselves go. “Stephen Atlas, I’m your partner, I’ll take you to your desk.”
Naya took his outstretched hand and gave it a quick firm shake then followed as he turned and led her towards the edge of the room. She took a quick catalog of Stephen Atlas’ appearance, after hearing his voice she was now even more sure he had to be above forty as he spoke with a certain maturity. His hair was naturally a dark brown but was already peppered with a spattering of grey hairs. His complexion was light and his skin was healthy, indicating to Naya that he probably never smoked or did drugs—both characteristics of a typical cop.
“Here’s your desk.” He motioned to an empty desk with an opened laptop to his right. “And this one’s mine,” he gestured to the one next to it, there was no divider between them. “Everyone here just calls me Atlas, both on and off the radio.”
Naya nodded. It was a bit awkward between them but she figured they would warm up to each other in time.
“I read your file.” Atlas looked away as he admitted it. Cops generally didn’t read one another’s file out of respect, but she assumed he had been too curious to resist.
“And?” She asked, raising her eyebrow as she set her box on her desk.
He broke out in a grin. “It was pretty clean, even for a cop. I was actually a little disappointed.”
Naya laughed. “You were hoping to get a transfer for political reasons or something?”
He shook his head. “Nah, those guys don’t last long here, I just thought it was a weird career move from sheriff to detective.”
“I didn’t move for career reasons.” She said somberly, Naya didn’t elaborate and began to unpack her few belongings.
Atlas seemed to be waiting for her to continue but realized she never would. “Well, shall I give you the tour?”
Naya stopped unpacking and brushed off her hands, “Sure, just make sure you take me to your leader so I can get my new badge.”
Atlas saluted her jokingly. “No problem your highness, and off we go!” He spun around and began to proclaim names as they passed desks in rapid-fire. Naya couldn’t keep up and vowed she would go back to look at name plates later, but from what she could retain she was one of six detectives in the office, there were also various secretaries, assistant detectives, and a few tech guys who helped both on cases and around the office. There were more tech guys on another floor, but they used them so much these days a few had permanently moved to reside in homicide. There was a break room, the captain’s office, a few rooms for interviews and family and friends’, and then there was a sleep room, for when the shifts spilled past twenty-four-hours.
After his whirlwind of a tour he turned to Naya and pointed to the captain’s office they had just passed. “Captain Brody is in there. Careful, he’s a stickler for knocking.”
Naya nodded in acknowledgment, thinking that his last statement seemed like a joke but she wasn’t actually sure if it was or not. Before she could ask, Atlas sauntered back in the direction from which they had come. Naya stifled a yawn as she lifted her hand and knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Came a baritone voice from the other side.
Naya swung the door open and took note of the Captain as he stood from behind his desk. He was significantly younger than she anticipated, with jet black hair and tanned skin. She presumed he was probably of Hispanic descent and in his mid-thirties. Like Atlas, he was in good shape, a far cry from the two plump, overweight officers Naya had been in charge of in La Junta.
She stuck out her hand as she approached him. “Detective Naya Largusa joining you from La Junta, Sir.”
He shook her hand. “I’ve been expecting you.” He reached into his drawer and placed her weapon, a badge, and the form for them on his desk for her. “I assume you’ve already met your partner and found your desk?”
“Yes sir.” She replied as she deftly inspected her weapon, picked up her badge and signed the document. She slid the weapon into her side holster and the badge into her back pocket. She pulled out her weapons certification from her wallet and passed it to the captain for him to copy.
“No need to call me sir. We’re pretty laid back around here, just call me Captain, Cap, or Brody.” He smiled as he slid her ID through the scanner on his desk. Naya had never seen that technology before and she marveled at how easy it was as a copy of her ID and her personal information appeared on the screen. He handed her documents back to her. “Spend the rest of today getting acquainted with your desk and the office and be ready to answer calls tomorrow.” He gave her a swift once over, taking in her jeans and buttoned up blouse. “I know you had no idea what to expect, but here in Denver I expect my Detectives to dress professionally. No jeans.”
Naya nodded thinking about how this clearly contradicted how he had just said they were laid back in the office. But she wasn’t going to argue on her first day. “Of course, Si-Brody.”
The captain noticed and smiled. “You’ll fit in here in no time. And don’t let the others on the floor scare you, my door is always open. If you have questions, theories or concerns, bring ‘em my way. Just make sure you knock first.”
“I will.” Naya smiled, her question from earlier having been answered, and turned to leave, hesitating outside the door just long enough to toss a quick “Thanks” over her shoulder.
“No problem.” Brody replied and motioned for her to shut the door, which she did.
She made her way back to her desk and began to settle in. She pulled out her phone and opened the email she had received the day before with instructions on setting up her login. the directions were user friendly and straight forward and she was soon effortlessly trapezing through one of the most technologically advanced systems she had ever seen. She definitely wasn’t in La Junta anymore.
Atlas came and went, having conversations with various other coworkers as they passed as well as making frequent trips to the coffee machine for refills. When he was at his desk they would converse a few minutes here and there as she explored the computer system. Before she knew it, it was five o’clock, Atlas rose and put on his jacket.
“You’re free to leave.” He said as he closed his laptop. “We are only required to work nine to five unless we’ve got an active case.”
She nodded. “I know, but I think I’m going to spend a few more minutes exploring this system before I call it a night.”
“Sure thing, see you tomorrow partner.” He tipped his imaginary hat with a grin as he turned and headed for the precinct doors. As soon as he was out of sight, Naya reached for the folders she had slid into the bottom drawer.
Before she left La Junta she had taken copies of the three case files that she couldn’t let go, the only ones she didn’t solve. They were deaths that still haunted her to this day. She quickly flipped through each case file and began to enter their information into the computer system. It didn’t take long, as they were cold cases for a reason and there was little to no evidence. At least now if a similar crime showed up it could flag one of them she reasoned. She logged out of her computer and slid her purse over her shoulder.
She was determined to solve those three cold cases. Even if it was the last thing she did.
CHAPTER 2
NAYA
The drive home was short, thankfully, as she didn’t think she could handle too long in rush hour traffic yet. Coming from a small town it was still a shock to see so many cars on the road every day. Naya knew she had grown up sheltered, and even when she went to college she hadn’t ventured further than Pueblo. Unlike her brother she hadn’t been blessed with a sense of adventure, instead she felt powerful ties to her provincial home.
She parked in the driveway of the modestly sized, rundown, two-story house she now co-habited. Real estate in Denver was expensive, and she was glad her brother’s place had been large enough for her to move in, so she didn’t have t
o stress about finding something nearby. She slid her key into the worn-down lock and twisted open the door. She immediately heard voices coming from down the hall.
“Vance?” She called out.
“In here!” He replied from the den.
She set her purse down on the small table in the hall and walked over to the doorway to see her brother Vance, thin and frail, sitting on the couch in the den with an Xbox controller in his hands. Although she had barely recognized him when she first returned home, anyone could see they were clearly siblings. Their hair was a perfect match in color, and they both had the same dark eyes. They had once had the same skin tone, but Vance now had an unnaturally pale parlor which occasionally supported bruises from his various treatments. Another man was sitting cross legged on the floor with the other controller and they were both talking to the TV as they played what looked to be a tactical war game.
“Hey sis.” Vance called over his shoulder after another minute of chatter. The man on the floor turned to look at Naya for a moment before turning back to the TV. She didn’t get a good look but she thought she glimpsed blue eyes to match his curly, dirty blonde hair. “This is my buddy Kevin.”
“Hello.” Naya waived to the back of their heads before she turned and headed to the kitchen. The house was small, technically only a one bedroom, but the second floor contained a loft. Vance occupied the bedroom on the main floor and they shared the bathroom off the front hallway. Besides the cramped kitchen which was straight ahead from the front door and the den which could be entered via a door to the left when you walked in, there wasn’t much to the home. Naya had taken over the loft when she had moved in a day earlier, not that she had many possessions.
She opened the fridge to the lunch she had prepped for Vance sitting on the shelf uneaten. She sighed and gave the fridge a once over, it didn’t appear he had eaten anything.
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