Loved by Darkness

by Autumn Jordon

  Was this the way she worked? Both sides.

  “Do you want to join us? We’re going across the street to the pizza shop,” Jolene said.

  “Nah. I’m going to stay here and get ready to follow up on calls.”

  She pulled her hood over her head and seemed to disappear inside the material. Her dark pixie eyes stared up at him and Norris couldn’t help thinking she was damn cute. Despite his anger, he wanted to tell her not to leave with Carter. Better yet, he wanted her to decide that herself...

  “How’s Lia?” he asked once again hoping she’d choose to stay with him. After getting to know her, and kissing her, he wanted her for himself... “Have you checked on her?” he said, stalling.

  Her eyes narrowed to slits. She tilted her head to the side and studied him for a second before replying. “I spoke to Martina when we came back, remember? Everything is fine. Princess Lia and Princess Clara are probably having their milk, tea and cookies right now.”

  “Right.” Of course, he knew she’d checked on Lia and that Jolene felt responsible for the little girl.

  “Is there a back door we could use?” Carter asked, stepping up alongside Jolene.

  He stood too close and Norris wanted to act the caveman and push him away from Jolene.

  “It’s down the hall. Code to disable the alarm is 898,” he replied soft enough for their ears only, even though Pickett was the only other one in the den at the moment.

  “Shall we go?” Carter clasped Jolene’s elbow and nudged her toward the hallway.

  Norris’ molars ground.

  “You sure you won’t come?” Jolene walked backwards while Carter continued to lead her.

  Wearing a frustrated frown, she pulled away from Carter’s grasp and turned to Norris. Her hand rested on the wall beside her and her index finger tapped the drywall. “We only had a Donnie’s dog before we started checking daycares.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”

  She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ll bring you something anyway. A cheese steak?”

  The small smile she gave him was meant to reassure him that there was something between them that the Federal agent wouldn’t learn.

  His heart did a skip. “Thanks.”

  Jolene held his gaze for a second before she turned and followed Carter down the hall.

  His hands curled into fists as he stared at the empty spot where Jolene disappeared from sight.

  Why did Norris feel as if he’d lived this moment before?

  Because he had.

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling the familiar burn of heartache in his chest. He swore he’d never do this to himself again... He hadn’t been enough for Ella, his ex-fiancée, and apparently he wasn’t all that Jolene needed either.

  He had to forget about her. Once this case was solved she’d be gone from his life and his world would be righted. Everything back in place, including the loneliness.

  Sandy came up behind him and stood by his side. “You know what, Chief?”

  “I have no time for games today,” he said more gruffly then he’d intended. “Sorry. What?”

  She jutted her chin toward the hallway. “That woman likes you. A lot. I think you should go for it.”

  He felt his ears grow warm. Did everyone see what he felt when he looked at Jolene? He’d thought he had kept up a good front around others. If so, maybe he was kidding himself about a lot of things. Curiosity got the better of him.

  He leaned toward Sandy, keeping a watchful eye out for any of his staff. “I don’t think so.”

  Sandy smiled up at him. “Take it from another woman. She’s hot for you.”

  His chuckle reflected the angst churning in his gut. “If she was, why’d she leave with the Fed?”

  “Maybe she wanted you to stop her. Women like to know how they stand, just like you guys do. Have you told her?”

  “I thought I had.”

  Sandy’s hazel eyes twinkled with delight. “Maybe it was the way you said it. We all hear things differently you know.”

  Norris scratched the whiskers lining his jaw.

  Sandy walked away, leaving him standing there thinking. Maybe he and Jolene needed to talk about what happened between them last night. And about a lot more.

  Thirty minutes after Jolene and Carter exited the station, the lobby was completely clear. The storm had swiftly moved inland and the sky was cloudless and bright. He’d seen sunlight dancing off the puddles on the sidewalk outside when he helped Ted move the makeshift stage and podium to the side wall. Pickett finished rolling up the carpets and began to mop the floors.

  Behind him Sandy poured coffee for the emergency operator who was on loan for the next twenty-four hours. Norris kept his mind on putting his house back in order and didn’t allow it to wander across the street to the pizza shop. His emotions battled back and forth. He and Jolene were only acquaintances who had kissed. Once. He had no rational reason to feel betrayed by her having dinner with a fellow law enforcement officer, but he did.

  As she’d stood in the hall’s entry, she’d looked at him as if she waited for him to say something. Had she wanted him to ask her not to go with Carter? Or was he wishing that was what she wanted?

  It didn’t matter. She’d gone.

  Ten minutes after five o’clock the six phones lines rang non-stop for thirty minutes. He had no time to think about Jolene. He rolled up his sleeves and helped his team take down the information pouring in. The fifteen so-called witnesses who called within the first thirty minutes placed Lia all over Cape James and surrounding counties. They’d also seen her with families of various sizes. Some saw her with a woman and some saw her with a man. Some reported the lone male to be Caucasian while one reported him to be an African American male who could be Sammy Davis Jr’s twin. The woman was always described as white, tall with long straight, auburn hair.

  Pickett quickly punched all the information into a spreadsheet and within minutes connections became clear.

  ***

  “Here’s the cheese steak you ordered.” The waitress set the package down on the edge of the table and cleared Jolene’s empty plate from in front of her. “How was your chef’s salad?”

  Jolene wiped the corners of her mouth and then placed her folded napkin in her lap. “Very good. Thank you.”

  The paper bag in front of her contained the sandwich. It was warm under her fingers. The delicious beefy aroma filled her nostrils and her mouth watered despite the fact she was full.

  “Are you having dessert today?” the young girl asked as if they were regular customers.

  “I don’t think so.” Jolene patted her stomach.

  “None for me.” Carter handed the waitress his empty platter, flashing her a genuine smile.

  The girl thanked them and placed their bill on the table.

  When the waitress walked away Carter’s smile faded and he flattened his spine against the cushions of the booth. Jolene suspected the friendly conversation they’d shared over dinner was history and Carter was finally going to tell her the real reason he’d asked her to join him for a meal.

  “You like the guy, don’t you?”

  The federal agent had eaten pasta in clam sauce and now had two spots of oil marking his red tie. Jolene thought to tell him his perfect image was ruined but decided to let it go.

  “Who?” She knew who he referred to but kept her expression blank.

  He jutted his chin toward the brown bag.

  “Oh. Chief Stiles? He’s okay.” She pursed her lips for a second and casually shrugged. “He’s passionate about his job and I respect him for that.”

  “He might be passionate but­”—Carter glanced at the other customers sitting nearby and then leaned forward—“I think he’s in over his head with this case.”

  “I disagree. I think he’s handling everything well.” Under the table she refolded her napkin.

  “Give me a break, Martinez. It’s been over forty-eight hours since you
found the girl and he hasn’t dug up any solid leads.”

  “We’ve learned who she is not. The delay with the Burgesses’ case put the investigation behind only slightly. He and his team continued to eliminate possibilities while waiting for the DNA results.”

  “I don’t hold much stock in his team.” Carter balled up his napkin and tossed it on the table between them. “The incident was caused by Stiles’ own man.”

  “Norris inherited the guy,” Jolene responded quickly, feeling a need to stand up for Norris.

  Carter chuckled. “You’re defending him.”

  “I’m stating facts.” Carter was trying to get her to take sides and that pissed her off. They were all on the same team, damn it. She crossed her forearms in front of her on the table and leaned forward. “Look if you have something to say, say it.”

  “I don’t want to see your career take a hit because you hitched your wagon to this local yokel.”

  She chuckled and smiled sweetly. “I’m touched you’re concern about my career.” Then she cocked her head to the side. “When did we get so close, by the way?”

  “I’m simply offering professional advice.”

  “Again, thank you for your concern but I think my career is on track and not in danger.” She plucked the bill the from table. “Look. This was... Well, I’m not sure what this was. Informative. Unnecessary. I’m going to get back over there and help with calls. Dinner is on me. Including the tip.” She slid from the booth and grabbed her coat and purse.

  Carter smiled up at her. “I take it I don’t need to hang around any longer?”

  She held her tongue and didn’t tell him to piss off. Instead she pulled a crisp fifty from her wallet. “If we need anything from the FBI we’ll contact you. Stiles has your number.”

  Jolene handed the waitress the bill and cash on her way out the door. Cradling the twelve-inch sandwich and her rain jacket in the crook of her arm she stepped out into the sunlight. The rain seemed to wash away the grime and the world sparkled. She checked traffic before she crossed the street. The moment she entered the station she knew something was up. Excitement sizzled in the air.

  The phone rang and the temporary operator answered it and put it on hold and then answered the next call and the next.

  Jolene walked into the police den and saw Norris flanked by Sandy and Ted. The trio looked over Pickett’s head and stared at Pickett’s computer monitor.

  Norris’ expression was that of hunter who’d caught a scent. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  The phone on the next desk rang and Sandy left Norris’ side to answer it.

  Jolene entered the vacated space and immediately her body responded to Norris’ closeness. Carter was absolutely right. She liked Norris. A lot. She stiffened her spine and fought the urge to lean toward him.

  Norris’ gaze met hers. “One of the local television stations made their five o’clock deadline. We immediately had a boatload of calls. Pickett’s putting the information into a spreadsheet and something interesting is showing up.”

  “What?”

  “Most of the sightings placed Lia with a white female and are concentrated in this area.” He pointed to a large map of Cape James stapled to a nearby free-standing bulletin board. Blue push pins were all over it. With a red marker, Norris made a large circle in the northeast section of the town where most of the pins had been placed. “We’ve had how many calls?”

  “Twenty-two,” Pickett responded, taking the slip of paper Sandy handed him. “Twenty-three with this one.”

  “That one places her with a family near the lighthouse,” Sandy stated, hooking her right thumb into the loop of her belt. “In the same area.”

  Norris looked at Jolene while he stabbed the map with a push pin. “Twelve of those calls, put her here. Eight of them are with a white woman with long auburn hair.”

  The team’s excitement seemed to seep into her bones and Jolene’s pulse picked up. “And the other four?”

  “Two with families and two with a lone white male,” Norris replied.

  The phone on Pickett’s desk rang. This time Ted took the call.

  Jolene laid the sandwich she brought for Norris down on the corner of Pickett’s desk and flung her jacket and purse on the hardback chair in front of it. She crossed to the board. “That’s mainly a residential area. Correct?”

  “Correct. There are no hotels,” Sandy responded, stepping up to Jolene’s side and also studying the map.

  “So she probably belongs to someone local.” Jolene rubbed her wrist above her charm bracelet as she thought about that. “Why haven’t they reported her missing?” She traced a finger over the map, squinting at the street names and then she looked at Norris. “Wasn’t Seaweed Lane the address for Greg and Cheryl Hittler?”

  “It is, but we’ve ruled them out,” Norris said flatly, looking down at her.

  His icy stare told her if she’d stayed behind instead of leaving with Carter she would’ve known the reason earlier and there would be no need for him to explain to her now. However, she had gone. Had that been a mistake? She didn’t think so. Her little conversation with the federal agent had convinced Carter to keep his nose out of the case unless he was asked to help.

  “What did you find out about them?”

  “Larry called in while you were out to dinner.”

  She caught the sarcasm in his tone and thought it best if she ignored it. “And?”

  “He caught up with them outside their house. They’d just returned home and were getting out of their car. It seems Cheryl had won a two-night stay at an Atlantic City resort from some local radio station. They had proof of their excursion, a copy of their bar bill. Drinks hadn’t been included in the package. They had to take the nights offered or lose them, so they skipped out on work.”

  She arched a brow. “They weren’t afraid of losing the jobs?”

  “This time of year, employers are desperate for help,” Ted injected, handing Pickett another note. “They’ll have to plead a little but in the end they’ll keep their jobs.”

  Jolene shook her head and then looked at Pickett. “At least it wasn’t a drug run.”

  “True enough.” Norris looked at Ted. “What did you get?”

  Ted frowned. “A caller placed Lia with a family staying at the White Sands Hotel today.”

  “Well, we know that isn’t true.” Sandy stuck her pencil into her hair and scanned a notepad she held.

  Jolene walked over to Pickett. “Do we have any other similarities?”

  “I’m putting in everything I can, including a breakdown of physical descriptions of the people she’s been sighted with. It’s going to take awhile before I have it all in. We’re coming up on six o’clock in fifteen minutes. The second airing of the local news.”

  Norris glanced at the clock and then walked over and poured a cup of coffee.

  She grabbed the steak sandwich and followed him. “You better eat this while you have time. It’s still warm.”

  “What do I owe you?” He held up the pot, asking if she wanted coffee.

  She shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “Thanks.” He replaced the pot and then took the sandwich from her. Carrying his coffee and meal he headed into his office.

  He didn’t ask her to follow him but she did anyway. Was he upset she’d gone to dinner with Carter? She guessed that in his mind, her and Carter, both federal agents, having dinner together meant a plot to overthrow his authority. He’d be right of course. Carter had meant to gain her support in taking over the case. If they were going to work together Norris had to trust her to have his back.

  She dropped onto the cushioned chair in front of his desk and watched him unwrap the steak. He took a healthy bite and she silently scanned the room. There was not one personal item except for one of his shirts hanging on a hook near the door. No accolades or certificates hung on the wall behind his desk and no framed pictures of loved ones or pets anywhere. Not even a personal mug. The mug he drank f
rom had the Cape James logo on it. She’d seen a dozen others like it in the cabinet above the coffee system.

  If Norris decided to pick up and leave this job the next chief could move right in which made her wonder what his future plans were. He had no family here. Maybe this job was a stepping stone to a bigger opportunity and that was why he was guarding his ground on this case.

  After devouring more than half the sub Norris looked at her. “Where’s Carter?”

  She leaned back in the chair and crossed her ankles. “He’s probably checking out as we speak?”

  “What made him change his mind?” Norris took another bite and then grabbed a second napkin from inside the bag and wiped the sauce from the corners of his mouth.

  “I assured him we had everything under control.”

  His hand stopped in midair. His slanted eyes spoke volumes about what was speeding through his mind: satisfaction, relief and by the slight curl of his lips—smugness. “We, huh?”

  She steepled her fingers together and her bracelet slid down her arm. “I am part of your team, aren’t I?”

  Norris’ smile widened. “I was hoping I could count on you. Thanks again for the meal.”

  Despite the words, Jolene knew the real reason he felt better. “You’re welcome.”

  Norris looked up at the wall clock and dropped the rest of his sandwich on the tinfoil and rolled it up into a garbage ball. He grabbed the bag and dropped it in the trash bin at the side of his desk. “It’s six. They’re going to need help taking calls.”

  “I can man Pickett’s phone while he keeps building the data,” she offered, standing up.

  “Okay.”

  Jolene had made it to the doorway when he stopped her.

  “Hey.”

  She turned back to him.

  “After the next round of calls, Ted and I and are going out to talk to the callers who’ve agreed to speak to us further.”

  “Do you mind if I ride along with you?”

  “I was hoping you’d want to.”