A Biloxi Christmas: A Novella (The Biloxi Series)

by Jerri Lynn Ledford

  Why?

  If one criminal killed another then it was a good day, right? Especially if the one that died was responsible for kidnapping and selling three young girls into an unimaginably horrible life style.

  That was what they should be focusing on. They should be trying to find out who was willing to pay for those girls and what exactly they planned to do once they had them.

  You already know that. Those girls’ lives were over. He did know, and he wondered how many others Abernathy had gotten away with kidnapping. How many had he already smuggled out? And for whom?

  Jack was furious that the chief had tied them to this homicide. The other investigation was so much more important. Did you have to take it out on Kate?

  Guilt nibbled at his insides. He should go back and apologize. Why couldn’t she understand his frustration? Jack knew how her old partner must have felt, working in Miami. Sometimes it seemed there was no good he could do in his job. Chances were good that even if they found out who killed Abernathy, he would escape conviction with the help of a good lawyer.

  He'd just walked up to his desk when McKenzie approached him. “Hey Roe, you lose the dead weight?” McKenzie made no bones about the fact that he didn't like Kate when she wasn't around. When she was, he was all sugar warmth. It irritated Jack even more.

  “What do you want, McKenzie?” Jack didn't try to hide his irritation.

  “Bad mood, buddy?” McKenzie didn't want for an answer. “I heard you were involved in the Abernathy case.”

  Jack clenched his teeth so tight his temples started to throb. Brian McKenzie was a good guy, a friend even. Right now, Jack just wanted everyone to leave him alone.

  “McKenzie, get to the point.”

  “Bad luck walking into that mess last night.” If McKenzie recognized that Jack didn’t want to talk, he ignored that fact. “Personally, I think whoever killed the guy did the world a favor. I just wanted to let you know that a buddy of mine in the gang unit had a tip that the Mamoncetes are expanding their territory. They could be involved in this since it was their drugs Abernathy had.”

  “That's not news, McKenzie.” Jack saw - more sensed, really - Kate come into the pit. He caught sight of her in his peripheral vision and tracked her as she altered course subtly and headed to the coffee machine. Guilt and frustration warred inside him. He wanted to talk to her, but he knew they both needed some time. Then there was McKenzie, who was still talking even though Jack had tuned out.

  “It is if you happen to know that the way they’re expanding their territory is to expand their services,” McKenzie sounded smug.

  Jack really wasn’t interested, but he reminded himself to play nice. McKenzie was only trying to help.

  “Just spit it out, McKenzie. What do you know?”

  “Okay,” McKenzie cocked his hip up on the corner of Jack's desk and Jack had to bite his tongue to keep from telling the other man to get off his desk.

  “My friend, Wayne Meachum, says they've been picking up bits and pieces from rats that Mamoncetes are branching out into prostitution and human trafficking. He thinks Abernathy could just be a delivery guy. Maybe he got greedy and the Mamoncetes decided they were done with him.” McKenzie leaned in closer and handed Jack a piece of paper with Meachum’s name and phone number on it. “He said to stop by and see him and he can give you more details.”

  Kate walked up and McKenzie stood. “Kate,” he said with a curt nod. Then to Jack, “Call him. He's expecting to hear from you.” McKenzie walked off without another word.

  Kate reached for the paper, but Jack grabbed it first.

  “What was that about?” she asked.

  “Just some information that McKenzie had about the Mamoncetes. Nothing that we don't already know.” Jack shoved the paper in his pocket and turned toward the door. He paused for a second and then turned back. “I'm going to follow up on this. Are you coming over tonight?”

  Stop. Apologize to her. You know you’re wrong.

  Kate looked as if he slapped her. “No. I think I'm going to stay at my place tonight and try to get some rest.” She busied herself with papers on her desk. “I’ll get someone to drop me off at your place later so I can pick up my car.”

  Jack stared at her for a minute, but when she didn’t look up he turned and left, fighting the urge to go back, take her into his arms, and apologize.

  Why am I so bull-headed? He pushed out into the cool air wishing there was something he could hit.

  FIFTEEN

  Jack dropped his keys on the table by the door when he walked into the house. The sight of Kate’s Charger parked in the drive only served to make the weight on his shoulders heavier. He was out of line earlier, but that didn’t change how he felt about the situation. Now that Kate saw he wasn’t as perfect as she thought, she probably wouldn’t be interested in him anymore.

  “Uncle Jack,” Lisa sounded surprised when he trudged into the kitchen. She had books and papers spread across the kitchen table. “I thought you’d be late tonight with the investigation and all. Where’s Kate?”

  “I’m going back out in a bit,” Jack dropped heavily into a chair at the table. He had called Wayne Meachum on his way home and set up an appointment for early evening. Meachum was busy and Jack really did need to take some time to get his head together. He should be taking Kate with him, but under the circumstances, he thought it best to leave things alone between them for a few hours.

  “So,” Lisa started, reminding him she was sitting across the table staring at him.

  “Not a great day, kiddo.” Jack pulled the ring from his pocket and slid it across the table to Lisa. He hadn’t told her yet about his plans.

  “I knew it,” she picked up the ring to examine it. Her face brightened. “Uncle Jack I’m so happy you finally came to your senses. Everyone can see how much you and Kate love each other.”

  “Loved. She probably hates me after today.” He hung his head and massaged his temples. The throbbing that had started earlier was now a full blown headache.

  “What?” Lisa slid the ring back across the table. Jack had chosen the ring because it represented how he felt about Kate. She was his best friend and the woman he loved. He turned the ring on his finger looking at the detail of the two half carat diamonds set off by a diamond band as he gave Lisa the high-level overview of what happened with Kate.

  Lisa sat quietly for a long time after he finished the story. Then she rose from her chair and poured him a cup of coffee. As she returned to the table, she dug a bottle of aspirin out of the drawer, then sat in a seat next to Jack and pushed the coffee and the headache medicine toward him.

  He muttered a thank you and shook out a handful of the small white pills.

  “Uncle Jack,” Lisa placed a hand over his when he’d finished swallowing the tablets. “You’ve got to trust Kate to love you, warts and all. She does, you know.”

  When Jack didn’t respond, Lisa continued. “I get why you feel the way you do, but you know that you’re wrong.”

  Leave it to Lisa to drive that spike straight into his heart. He knew he was. And he knew Lisa would call him on it. Maybe that was why he needed to come home before he met Meachum. He needed Lisa to set him straight.

  “Lisa, that man was going to sell those girls into slavery. Who knows what they would have been made to do.” Jack looked at her and felt his frustration level rising again. “He deserved what he got. How can I put anyone into prison for killing a person like that?”

  “I can’t justify that, Uncle Jack.” Lisa rubbed his hand with one of hers, with the other, she reached across the table and fanned the corners of the pages in one of her text books. “What I do know is how much you value your job, and maybe it doesn’t seem like it right now, but if you don’t find this guy, you’ll always regret it.”

  “It could have been you, Lisa. You could have been one of those girls, and if you had, I would have paid the man that killed Abernathy to get you back.” Jack’s voice was shaky. That was what
really bothered him and why he was happy Abernathy was dead. It could have been Lisa, and the thought terrified him.

  “Uncle Jack, it’s not me. It won’t be me.” Lisa hugged him tightly. “You’ve taught me how to be cautious. What if the guy who killed this Abernathy is even worse than he was?”

  Another spike punctured his heart. He knew she was right, but he wasn’t sure that was enough to change his point of view. He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m afraid I really screwed up this time.”

  “Kate will understand. Give her some time, then go talk to her. Trust her, Uncle Jack. She loves you as much as you love her.”

  “I haven’t even told her,” his voice was heavy with regret.

  “Then you need to fix that.” Lisa moved back around the table and settled in front of her books again.

  Jack knew what he needed to do. After he talked to Meachum, he would go to Kate’s and he would tell her he was sorry. He wasn’t sure he could say he was wrong, because he wasn’t convinced he was, but he could apologize for being a jerk. And he would tell her how much he loved her.

  He looked at the ring one more time before he slid it back into his pocket. He might even get past his own fear and ask her to marry him.

  SIXTEEN

  Kate hung her keys on the rack by the front door, kicked her shoes off, and stripped off her holstered gun and placed it on top of the bookshelf. She stood for a minute, taking in the scent of her own home and trying to ignore her aching heart. It was hard to ignore the ache in her chest.

  She was still shocked about the side of Jack she’d seen today. The conversation kept replaying in her mind, but she felt like she was missing something. The person she had seen today was not the same person that she’d spent so much time with over these past few months.

  Insecurity bloomed in the pit of her stomach. Is he going to call me tonight? Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to say I wasn't going to see him tonight. Couples that are serious... She cut that train of thought off with a quick shake of her head. She was serious about Jack, but she didn't know if he shared those feelings, and now she had to sort out how his views affected their relationship.

  Coffee. And the new Allison Brennan book. She needed something to distract her from the dangerous direction of her thoughts. She selected a caramel macadamia nut coffee and reached for her favorite mug, a large police-blue cup with Detectives do it better on the street printed in gold on one side and a gold detective's shield on the other. Her old captain had given her the mug when she earned her detective shield.

  Only, the mug wasn't there. In its place was a white mug that read I <3 My Man. Where did that come from? Kate couldn't remember ever even seeing a mug like that, and she certainly wouldn't have bought one. Maybe Jack had gotten it to surprise her. But he knew how much she loved her detective mug. She pulled open the cabinet doors one by one, but she couldn't find the mug.

  Anger welled in her chest. How dare he? Even if he was trying to be sweet, I've told him how much that mug meant to me. It better be at his house.

  Coffee no longer sounded appealing, Kate slammed the cabinet door and stalked into the living room. She picked up the hard cover book she'd bought a few days ago and dropped onto the overstuffed couch, stretching out. She'd been looking forward to reading this book since she first saw the pre-release sale. After a few minutes of trying to get comfortable, she knew the book wasn't going to do it, no matter how good it might be.

  Maybe it would help if she went for a run. She glanced out the front window. It was already dark out, but she had to do something to work off this anxiety. If she didn't...Doesn't matter. Go to the gym. Work this off. Then you and Jack can talk later. Maybe he’ll be more reasonable after a few hours away from work.

  Kate flipped on the light in her bedroom, intent on changing into workout clothes, but she stopped cold. Neatly arranged on her bed was a matching bra and panty set, and the slinkiest lingerie she had ever seen. A note, folded in half, lay on the comforter beside it. Jack.

  Kate picked up the note. I can't wait to see you in these. That was all. Jack hadn't signed it. Does he really think he can leave sexy lingerie laying on my bed and I'll come crawling to him like some kind of sex deprived young girl? Kate was fuming but it occurred to her that he couldn’t have come by since their fight earlier. He had a key, but he wouldn’t have had time, would he?

  She looked at the note again and froze. That wasn't Jack's looping scrawl.

  Not Jack. Panic seized her. If it wasn't Jack, then who had been in her apartment? She froze. Held her breath. Listened for any movement, any sound that might indicate someone else was in the apartment. Her gun was in the front room.

  She backed slowly out of the room and raced down the hall to the living room. Her gun was right where she'd left it. She removed it from the holster, pulled the slide back, and tip-toed over to the door. It was still locked. Turning, she started down the hall again. She checked every room, every closet, and even looked under the bed. Nothing. There was no one in the apartment but her.

  Who had been in her apartment? She picked up the phone and dialed Jack. The call rolled to his voicemail. I don't want to leave a voicemail. I need to talk to you, Jack. Now. Feeling more alone than she had since before she and Jack started dating, she left a message. No explanation, just “Please call me.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded shaky.

  She didn’t know why she hadn’t said more. As she stared at her phone, she considered texting him, but decided against that, too. She wasn’t even sure he would call her and she didn’t want him to think she was being dramatic just to get his attention.

  SEVENTEEN

  Frankie watched as Kate's blue Charger pulled into the parking lot and she stepped out of the car. Her shoulders were hunched and she didn't look around as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. Bad form, Kate. You're a cop. You should know better.

  Frankie's phone rang. “Wayne Meachum. It's about time you called me back.”

  “Sorry man,” Meachum said. “Things have been hopping lately.”

  “Mamoncetes?” Frankie asked.

  “You know it. They're starting turf wars all over Biloxi.”

  “Good,” Frankie watched Kate's windows. He saw her shadow in the living room and wondered if she'd found the coffee mug. “Jack Roe is going to be by to see you. You know what to tell him, right?”

  Frankie glanced at the mug sitting in the passenger seat. If she missed it, too bad. She needs to know there's a real man in her future. A man who expects her to be a woman, not a police detective.

  “Yeah, of course, man. Not that it's much of a stretch. Mamoncetes seem to have their hands in everything.”

  “They specifically need to have their hands in this, Meachum.” Frankie's voice grew sterner. “Make sure Roe knows that Juarez has been branching out into human trafficking. I specifically want Roe looking for him.”

  Inside Kate's apartment, the bedroom light flipped on, and Frankie felt a familiar buzz in his groin. I chose those for you, Kate. He imagined her fingering the expensive silk lingerie. Now she had something proper to wear when they met.

  “I got it, Frankie. I'll take care of it. I want this guy off the streets just as much as you do.”

  I doubt that. Lights blinked on in quick succession in Kate's apartment until it looked like every light in the place was on. He watched her shadow move slowly past every window. Good. She'd found it, and she was looking for him. In time, sweetheart. We'll be together in time.

  “Hey Frankie,” Meachum’s tone lightened. “Little bit of trivia for you. What’s worth bonus points when we get this scum, Juarez, off the street?”

  Frankie’s attention was focused on Kate’s apartment. He could imagine the taste of her fear. It was a flavor he longed to become familiar with.

  “What Meachum?”

  “Juarez is not just some gang thug. He’s a cop killer.” Meachum sounded pretty proud of himself but Frankie was so caught up in his thoughts of Kate that it t
ook a few seconds for what Meachum said to sink in.

  “What?” Frankie knew he’d missed something important. That’s what you get for letting a woman distract you.

  Meachum repeated what he’d said. “Juarez boasts about killing a cop. Our inside man says that the cop he killed was an undercover agent in Miami. Juarez found out, but the cop got out before they could get to him.”

  “Juarez tracked him down in Memphis and killed him” Meachum said. “That’s how he ended up here. This territory was a gift for a job well done. He was a nobody with no future when it all went down.”

  Frankie listened, his mind connecting the pieces of the story like a puzzle.

  “Who was the cop?” he asked.

  “You mean, like a name?” Meachum made a strange sound on the other end of the line. After a couple of seconds, Frankie realized he was clicking his tongue.

  “I don’t know, Frankie. I don’t recall a name being mentioned. But if this guy is really a cop killer, getting him off the street for the murder of a degenerate like Abernathy is like getting an extra dessert.”

  Meachum was a good guy, but he didn’t have a clue about the larger picture, and Frankie didn’t think he needed to know. He wasn’t the least bit concerned about the bonus of getting Juarez off the street.

  Frankie’s gut said the cop from Meachum’s story was Kate’s old partner. They had never found the guy that killed the partner, Frankie knew, but verifying the details of this story shouldn’t be that difficult with his connections. His people would know who the cop in Memphis was, and they would be able to tell Frankie exactly how - and why - he died.

  After a few more minutes of small talk, Frankie ended the call and sat focusing on Kate's windows. Every light in the apartment stayed on, but she stayed inside. Exactly as he thought she would. She wasn't the type to rush off to some man to help her. He was counting on that. And he was looking forward to breaking her spirit so that she would not only need him, but also do anything to please him. This new bit of information could be very useful in helping to make that happen.