I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. In fact, I assumed it would be especially excruciating. I raised my voice to be heard over the other gunshots. “I heard about Brooke.”
He turned his back on me and picked up his handgun. Raising it, he fired another dozen or so rounds, these right through the silhouette man’s heart.
After turning back around, he said, “So? What’s it to you?”
This was going to take every ounce of my patience. I put my hand on his arm, but he jerked it away. “Brooke is my friend, and I also care how you feel about what happened to her.”
He holstered his gun and grabbed his keys, then walked back toward the shop without a word. I was nearly ready to slug him, but I knew his attitude had nothing to do with me. Well, maybe it did, but overshadowing everything was the fact that he was devastated. I could see it all over his face. I followed him out, returning my gear to the guy at the desk and giving him a quick wave goodbye. I caught up with Ryder in the parking lot. I had the feeling he was going to zoom out of here before I had a chance to talk to him, so I hurried around him and planted myself between him and the driver’s door of his car.
Ryder gave me one of his condescending glares. “Out of my way.”
“No. I want you to talk to me.”
“Funny, you didn’t want me to talk to you at all last night.”
“Ryder, what happened to Brooke transcends our petty argument. I’m here because I care about you and I know you need someone to help you shoulder some of this hurt.”
He stared at me, anger radiating off him. “You could never understand what I’m going through.”
“I—”
Before I could speak my piece, he swiftly lifted me up, swung me around to the other side of him, and hopped into his vehicle, seemingly all in one motion. When he was in this kind of mood, I knew better than to try to get in his way while he was driving off. However, I wasn’t done with him yet, so I got in my car and followed him.
I was sure he was aware I was following him, because he was a trained detective and I had absolutely no surveillance or tailing skills whatsoever. He tried to lose me at a couple of stoplights, but I found him again easily enough. I couldn’t decide if he wanted me to follow him for some reason or if he was just too exhausted to expend the effort to lose me once and for all. We ended up at his house, and by the time I parked, he was already inside.
I knocked at his door. When he didn’t answer, I used my key and barged in.
He was standing in the middle of his living room, arms crossed and still steaming mad. “You just broke and entered into a police officer’s home.”
Given the gravity of the situation, I didn’t think it would be quite appropriate to tell him he could cuff me if he wanted to, and even more troubling, I didn’t know why that kind of a thought happened to pop into my head at a time like this.
Instead, I said, “I had to do something. You wouldn’t let me in, and I’m not just talking about inviting me into your house. Let me help you through this.”
He threw his hands into the air. “What do you want me to say? Huh? Is it going to get you off to hear how much Brooke’s attack is driving me crazy? That I can’t stop thinking about my dead wife and wondering why, after ten years, the exact same thing would happen to another woman I know in the same damn place? In the same damn supply closet?” he yelled, picking up an empty glass from the end table next to him and chucking it across his living room. It hit the wall with a crash and splintered into a million pieces.
I flinched, but I didn’t shrink back as he continued his tirade.
“Do you want me to tell you all about how I feel like I’m right back where I was, at square one, after Amanda died? That everything I’ve done for the last ten years has been for nothing because I’m back at the same damn spot? If maybe I’d caught this son of a bitch like I should have, Brooke wouldn’t be fighting for her life right now?” He got in my face. “Is that what you want to hear?”
He was trembling, so I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. He tried to jerk back, but I held on with everything I had. After a moment, he quit struggling and sagged into me. He was way too strong to let himself cry in front of anyone, but I did feel one teardrop hit my neck as he nestled into me. It killed me to see him this way. With anyone else, I felt like it would be possible to talk this out, but Ryder wasn’t just anyone. Except for his anger, he bottled up his emotions tighter than any human I’d ever met in my life.
Before I realized what was happening, his lips were on mine, needy and urgent. I melted into him, matching his fire with my own. My anger at him was gone, and I simply wanted him. I felt like I hadn’t seen him in weeks, and I’d missed his touch. Pulling me down onto the couch with him, he wasted no time in making it clear that he wanted me, too.
—
By the time I got back from Ryder’s, the shift change at Java Jive had already occurred. Kira, Cole, and Shane had arrived, and Camille had gone home. Wayne and Brandon, as per usual, stayed on until after the dinner rush. I probably should have given Kira and Cole the day off, because both of them still looked like they needed some rest, but that would have left me with no baristas, which would effectively shut down the place.
As I filled drink orders while Cole manned the register and Kira covered the counter and pastry case, I couldn’t help thinking back to what had happened at Ryder’s house. At first, the sex started out normally enough, if you didn’t count the one-sided shouting match that preceded it. But during our little afternooner, it became apparent to me that he wasn’t really that into it. It was more of a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am type of thing than anything. And when he’d finished (before I’d barely even gotten started), he rose and muttered something about a shower and took off toward his bedroom, leaving me confused and still half-dressed. When I finished freshening up in his guest bathroom, he was standing by his front door, fidgeting, keys in hand. He gave me a kiss on the cheek, again muttering at me, this time about him being sorry and not having his head on straight, and flew out the door before I could say a word. It was just as well. I didn’t know how to respond anyway.
Even though I had more than enough to worry about, and although I tried my hardest not to, I couldn’t help myself from eyeing Kira while she worked. She moved slower than normal, shuffling around like she didn’t want to make any sudden movements. Her cheeks had lost their glow, and she seemed almost…frail. Today she was sporting athletic wristbands, I assumed to continue to hide whatever was wrong with her wrists while she wore her requisite short-sleeved Java Jive T-shirt. I needed to find a way to speak with her about how she was doing, but that was yet another difficult conversation I had no freaking clue how to start.
Kira ended up being the one to come to me. “Um, Juliet? Even though it’s spring break, my study group is still meeting tonight. Part of us stayed on campus, enough that it’s worth it to get together and get a jump on next week’s lessons. Is it okay if I leave early tonight?”
Not really, since I was used to having three baristas plus Pete and myself to take care of any rushes of customers in the evenings. However, looking out into the nearly empty room, I figured it wouldn’t hurt too badly to be shorthanded tonight. I certainly didn’t want to add to Kira’s already maxed-out stress level.
“Yes, that would be fine. Around eight?”
An expression of relief passed across her face. “Yes, thank you.”
I saw this as my chance. “Kira? Can I speak with you privately for a moment?”
I could sense her immediately close off from me. Her eyes became strained, her jaw clenched, and she crossed her arms. “Is that a request or an order?”
Cole, who had been serving a customer, glanced our way nervously. He’d definitely overheard us. That poor boy didn’t need any more drama in his life, so I lowered my voice, saying, “Please, Kira,” and ushered her toward the office.
Once we were inside, she flung herself into a chair across from my desk and promptly winced at the jar her body t
ook.
“What’s wrong with you?” I demanded. “You’re hurt.”
“I already told you I fell,” she said quietly, her eyes cast down.
“I don’t believe you. I think someone hurt you and you’re covering for them.”
She snapped her head up, eyes agog. “Why do you immediately assume I’m lying?”
I tried to lay my hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. I took a step back from her and said gently, “Kira, I’ve been around the block enough to know when a woman is being abused. You have all the signs. If you can just talk to me about it, I will do everything in my power to help you and get the monster who did this to you behind bars.”
Kira had started shaking her head vehemently before I even finished speaking. “No, you have it all wrong. It’s no big deal.”
Wow. Someone had really done a number on this girl. “It is a big deal. Detective Stafford wants to help, too, but he can’t do anything unless you file a complaint. Please don’t let whoever did this to you go unpunished. This is not acceptable, and you don’t have to live like this.”
Now trembling, Kira jumped out of her seat, a look of pain crossing her face as she did so. “How many times do I have to tell you I fell? At this point, you’re harassing me.” Tears started falling from her eyes. “Especially after I just got back from my best friend’s funeral.”
Son of a bitch. In everything that had gone on this weekend, I had forgotten about Chelsea’s funeral. I had already made the decision not to make the trip to Chelsea’s nearby hometown of Hawthorne Grove to pay my respects this morning, mostly because I didn’t think I could handle a small community funeral for one of its beloved daughters.
“I’m sorry, Kira. I’ll drop it. But please remember that all of us at Java Jive are your family away from home. If you ever need us, we’ll be here for you, no matter what.”
She nodded and hurried out, dashing the back of her hand across her eyes. My heart ached for her. She was much too young to be dealing with any kind of abuse, especially on top of losing her best friend and roommate. I tried to give her some space, finishing several office chores and helping in the kitchen instead of out front. I still couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t out of danger yet.
Chapter 19
“Jules?”
I startled awake, letting out a little yelp.
Pete’s smirking face appeared above me. “Were you dreaming about sexing me up again?”
“Shut up,” I said, shoving him away. “I was barely asleep. I only sat down here a few minutes ago….” I looked at the clock. It was after five, and I had remembered sitting down to rest my eyes at around three-thirty. I winced. “Ooh, make that about ninety minutes ago. Sorry, boss.”
He took my hand and pulled me up to a standing position. “Don’t apologize. If you of all people fell asleep on the job, then you needed it. But you do need to wake up, because Jack should be here anytime.” He paused a moment. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
“Absolutely. And hey, when you go out front, take a gander at Kira. She looks like she’s in pain.”
“Did you try to talk with her?”
I pulled a face. “Yes, and it went horribly. She said I was harassing her.”
Pete snickered. “Knowing you, you probably came on a little strong.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know I could tone it down a bit sometimes.”
He winked at me. “Right. Sometimes.”
—
Jack came in a while later. He waved to us and smiled, but the spring in his step and permanently mischievous grin I’d remembered were gone. He seemed to be a totally different guy than when I’d known him all those years ago. Pete and I met him at a table in the corner, and I set a fresh cup of coffee in front of him.
Jack gratefully accepted the cup and took a sip. “Thank you, Juliet. I needed a little pick-me-up.” He took another sip. “So, what did you want to speak to me about?”
My stomach twisted into a knot. Suddenly this felt like a really bad idea. “Um, we…wanted to let you know…in person…that Kira has been found.” I gestured behind me toward the counter. “In fact, she’s working tonight.”
Jack furrowed his brow. “I know that. Didn’t you see my response on your Facebook post?”
“Oh, uh…” I hadn’t. Once I’d posted about Kira being found and composed a blanket statement thanking everyone for their help, I didn’t figure there would be much need to bother with it anymore.
Pete jumped in, saving me. “Look, Jack, I’m going to be straight with you. You know this thing with the dead and missing girls is a mess, right?”
Jack frowned. “That’s one way of putting it, yes.”
“It’s known that Chelsea was seeing a pre-med professor.” When Pete paused to let that statement sink in, I noticed Jack shift in his chair and suddenly start concentrating on his coffee. Pete continued, “Since Juliet knows some of the people who were close to Chelsea, she was asked by an acquaintance on the MNPD to try to find out who this guy is.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from reacting when Pete referred to Ryder as “an acquaintance.” It was no secret where he stood on the status of our relationship.
Jack asked, “What does this have to do with me?”
I finally found the courage to join the conversation. “Jack, someone told me that…you and Chelsea were seen together. That you two were—”
Scowling, Jack hissed, “Are you insinuating it was me? Are you calling me a cheater? Or are you trying to pin a murder on me?”
Pete held out his hands. “Whoa. No one’s insinuating anything, okay? We don’t want to take false information to the police, especially some that could get you into serious trouble. Trust me, I’ve been there, and it’s not a good place to be.”
I added, “We can’t imagine you hurting anyone or cheating, which is why we wanted to come to you first, to let you explain.”
Jack’s face was turning red, and his eyes seemed strained. He said between gritted teeth, “I did not have an affair with that girl, and I did not kill anyone. Happy?”
“Yes, if you say so, then that’s it. End of discussion,” Pete replied.
“We’re sorry about having to bring it up, but you’ve got to admit it was better than getting a call from the police,” I said.
Jack got up and shoved his chair in roughly. “Oh, yes. Where are my manners? I should be thanking you for ambushing me.”
“Jack, please—”
He cut me off. “Don’t contact me again.” He stalked out of the coffeehouse, leaving us staring after him.
Pete turned to me, his forehead scrunched in confusion. “Okay, I know we sort of accused him of having an affair with Chelsea, but…don’t you think he took it a lot harder than you would have expected? I’ve never seen him angry like that.”
“I know. I’m not saying he should have laughed it off and taken us out for a drink, but no harm, no foul, right? Why have a meltdown instead of calmly explaining that we were mistaken?”
Pete’s eyes twinkled. “You would have had a meltdown if someone had accused you of cheating and murder.”
I laughed. “I take no responsibility for my anger issues.” I grabbed a handful of my red hair and shook it at him. “It’s all the hair.”
He gently took a lock of my hair and twisted it around one finger. “Excuses, excuses.”
“It’s science. Google it.”
Pete only smiled at me in response, a kind of far-off look in his eyes.
I began to get a little uncomfortable, so I said, “Hey, back to Jack. You remember when we found Amelia Zhou at Reservoir Park and he went ape shit?”
Letting my hair slip from around his finger, he replied, “Yeah, he really lost it. Sure, he knew the girl, so maybe it hit him hard. I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Maybe he’s tight with his students is all. Maybe he’s one of those professors who has a real vested interest in seeing young people succeed.”
“Rig
ht. Maybe.”
“Hey, you’ll be proud of me,” he said, changing the subject. “I broke down and texted Brooke this afternoon to ask her if she’d like to have coffee with me sometime.”
My heart nearly stopped. I took a ragged breath and hopped up from the table, pulling Pete with me into the office. The thought of telling Pete about what had happened to Brooke hadn’t even crossed my mind.
“What’s up with the manhandling, Jules?” he asked.
“You need to sit down.”
“I was already sitting down, but then you dragged me in here.”
I sighed. “Pete, Brooke was attacked earlier today.”
His mouth fell open, and he dropped down onto the couch, stunned.
I continued, “It was bad, and…they’re not sure she’s going to make it. I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head as if to clear it. “How…? What happened?”
I sat next to him and laid my head against the back of the couch. “She was strangled. It happened at the hospital. And the weird part is…it was the exact same way Ryder’s wife was murdered ten years ago. Brooke was found in the same place, even.”
Rubbing his forehead, he murmured, “That’s horrible.” After a moment, he asked, “He doesn’t have to work the case, does he? I would think it would be too hard for him.”
“No, but he’s out of his mind over it. I think he blames himself for not solving Amanda’s murder and assumes it’s the same killer back to wreak more havoc.”
“But surely it’s a coincidence. It’s been ten years.”
“Or maybe the killer knows about Ryder’s past and is using it to get to him,” I suggested darkly.
Pete stood up suddenly. “I need to get out of here for a while, Jules. I’ll be back later.”
He was out the door before I could respond. Pete spent nearly every spare moment he had at Java Jive. It was as much his home as his house was. It was where he came for comfort, never a place he had to get away from. I hoped the news about Brooke wouldn’t send him back into the pit of depression he’d just been able to climb out of.
—
A Whole Latte Murder Page 17