by Jenn Vakey
Rilynne shrugged. She was glad the conversation was distracting Lori, even if only temporarily. Joe seemed to be thinking the same, because he just sat back on the other couch and watched them with a pleased sort of smile. “I have no idea. I can't really be angry with him for holding back, though. That's not really something that would come up easily in a conversation. 'So you like to run? That's great. I have a few million in my saving account.' Not really something that just rolls off the tongue.”
“Well not when you first start dating, but you would think he would have said something after you got engaged,” she said. “Although…”
Rilynne waited for her to continue, but she didn't. Instead, she seemed to be thinking something over for a moment before she looked back over to Rilynne.
“What?” Rilynne asked when she still didn't say anything.
Lori shook her head. “Nothing, I just lost my train of thought.”
She was lying; Rilynne could see it in her eyes. Lori may have been one of the smartest people she had ever met, but she was never good at lying. She opened her mouth to call her out on it, as she always did, but decided just to let her have it.
* * *
It took just under three hours for Ben and Wilcome to return. Ben was carrying a large duffle bag in his hand. Rilynne couldn't help herself, her eyes instantly shifted to the bag. With how quiet the room was, she imagined everyone was thinking about the same thing. It was unlikely that any of them ever thought they would see three million dollars, and it was now just a few feet away. Rilynne had to fight off the urge to ask him to open the bag, because she knew it would have been highly inappropriate in the moment.
“All right,” Wilcome said, taking the bag from Ben and setting it down on the table. “We have just under four hours until the ransom is to be delivered. I'm going to have some undercover officers set up in buildings around the area so they can get eyes on it without being seen. Were you able to trace the call?”
Rilynne nodded, her eyes back on Ben. Like before, he was hesitant to meet her gaze. “The call came in from a payphone on the edge of town. There aren't any cameras in the area and the abductor was already gone when a car was sent out. The phone had been wiped clean but we had all of the change inside collected and they're checking for prints now.”
“Clever,” Wilcome said with an impressed grin. “I want to know as soon as the results come back.”
She nodded again before crossing the room to Ben, who was still lingering just inside the door. “How was your flight?” she asked casually. She could see he was expecting their earlier conversation to continue, but she decided not to pursue it at the moment.
He was taken aback by her question, but quickly answered. “It was pretty good. Jared flew me out there himself. He said he's been looking for a reason to take her out and was thankful you gave him such a valiant one. He mentioned he had been planning on dumping a few hundred pounds of bread crumbs over downtown, so I think the people of Addison Valley will be pleased, as well.”
“So I take it he knows that you know he isn't crazy like everyone still believes?” she asked. She had been shocked when she learned Jared Lewis' antics were actually carefully planned and thought through rather than the eccentric episodes of an unstable man. After his wife was arrested and he was able to pursue the divorce he had been longing for, she had thought that the stunts might stop. She was wrong. As far as she knew, there were only a handful of people who were aware that Lewis was, in fact, quite sane.
“Of course he does,” he said. He walked with her into the kitchen and away from the crowd. “I guess he assumed that since I'm your fiancé, you would have told me. He didn't even try to pretend otherwise.”
“I almost don't feel as special now,” she said. He looked at her quizzically so she continued. “I liked the fact that he confided in me while still allowing everyone else to believe he was nuts.”
Ben grinned and slowly shook his head. “Well, don't take it too personally. I'm sure he felt the situation surrounding our time together warranted a more serious attitude. Would you really rather he had put on his little charade in the middle of all of this?”
“No,” she mumbled. “Did Wilcome make the trip with you, too?”
“Like he would pass up the chance to take a ride in Jared's private helicopter,” he chuckled. “He did seem a little nervous when he found out that Jared would be flying us, but he quickly relaxed.”
“Meaning he put all of the pieces together?”
Ben leaned against the bar and glanced over to Wilcome. He was sitting in the living room with Lori, presumably explaining how the night was going to proceed. “You know him,” he said. “He just sat there quietly and took in everything happening around him. It didn't take him long to figure it out. Of course after that, he seemed to be just as interested in the lack of surprise I had with the discovery.”
Rilynne walked around the island to stand next to him. His body was more ridged than normal. He was still uneasy about the revelation, though there was too much going on around them for her to try to guess why. Whether to ease his mind for the moment or show him everything was fine, she didn't know which herself, she reached out and slid her arm around his waist.
“I'm sure it will make for an interesting conversation when this is all said and done,” she said casually. “At least now that he's seen Lewis himself, he won't think I'm crazy like you did.”
“You're not crazy,” he said, looking down at her. The gold flecks in his chocolate eyes sparkled as the light hit them. “Maybe a little nuts at times, but I wouldn't go so far as to say you're crazy.”
“Watch it, mister. Do you really want to be pushing my buttons right now?”
Ben grinned and shrugged. “It's one of my favorite things to do.”
Rilynne shot him a baleful look before gently sliding her hand down his arm and lacing her fingers in with his. He looked down at her, a look of pure love in his eyes, and let out a soft sigh.
“You’re perfect,” he said.
She didn’t know how to respond. Her heart was racing in her chest as she felt her face start to burn. Ben’s eyes shifted from hers to her pinkening cheeks and grinned. He always took pleasure in making her blush.
Luckily, Wilcome called them over, so she didn’t have to try to come up with a response.
“I want the number of undercover police cars in the blocks surrounding the park increased,” he said when Rilynne and Ben walked over to join them. “Have them start two blocks from the drop site and span out. I want the plates run on every car going in and out. I don’t want anyone pulled over until after the ransom is picked up, though. We can’t risk our guy getting spooked. After we get eyes on him, he’s to be followed unless it’s confirmed that Kim is in the car with him.”
“I’ll call it in,” Rilynne said.
Rilynne walked back into the kitchen to make the call. When she finished, she turned around to see Ben walking cautiously toward her.
“Do you want to go for a walk?” he asked. “Or maybe a run? You haven’t gone on one since this all happened.”
“I could go for a walk,” she said. His offer was actually surprising. Though the tension had lessened, she wouldn’t have thought for a moment that he would go out of his way to have a little alone time with her. At least not yet.
He smiled without uttering another word and took her by the hand. After telling Wilcome they were going out, he led her through the front door.
The day was nicer than she thought. It had been cold when they walked over that morning, but the temperature had risen significantly. She might have even been hot in her sweater had it not been from the gently breeze sweeping over them.
Ben was expecting the conversation to turn to his big reveal as soon as they stepped out onto the walkway. It was obvious by the tenseness of his body. Rilynne really wanted to talk more about it, but she was taking more pleasure in watching him squirm every time they spoke. She wondered quietly to herself how long she could draw
it out before he grew comfortable enough that he no longer reacted.
“So...” Rilynne started as they turned onto the sidewalk. She fought to keep the smile off her face as Ben’s grip on her hand tightened just slightly. “Did I ever tell you I got to ride in a helicopter a couple times when I was in high school?”
“No, you didn’t. Let me guess, a search and rescue helicopter?” he chortled.
Rilynne shot him a spiteful look before rolling her eyes and nodding. Ben laughed. “It wasn’t like that,” she said. “I was just a passenger the first time. I rode to the hospital with them when one of my friends was injured. After that, I considered getting my license and learning how to fly them. The first time I went out, though, there were problems and we went down.”
He stopped walking and turned to face her. “You were in a helicopter crash?”
“It was my senior year,” she said as she thought back. “Someone had tampered with it in an attempt to kill the pilot. Sadly, they succeeded.”
“Tell me you at least found out who was behind it?” It wasn't clear if he was more amused or shocked.
Rilynne nodded and started moving back down the sidewalk. “Of course I did,” she said with a cocky grin. “My relentless desire to solve cases started long before I joined the department. I swear I thought my mom was going to die of stress before I reached my eighteenth birthday.”
“Knowing you, I’m surprised she didn’t. Most parents just have to worry about their children getting caught up in something dangerous,” he said. “You sought it out, didn’t you?”
She nodded, though she knew the question didn’t warrant an answer. They paused when they reached the end of the block, both silently considering which way to go. After a few brief seconds, they almost simultaneously turned left.
The streets were quiet, even for a Monday. With news of Kim’s kidnapping all over town, parents were keeping their children in and away from danger. Rilynne was glad. She had been surrounded by chaos the past few days, even longer if she considered the last minute wedding plans. It was nice to get away from it all and just enjoy the silence. Ben must have been thinking the same because neither of them spoke again until they turned down the next block.
“You know, we still haven’t decided on where we’re going to live after we get married,” she said. Though they spend practically every night together, Ben still technically lived in his own apartment. They had talked about him moving in with her but moving his fish tank alone was going to be an incredibly hassle. Ben had a saltwater tank that took up nearly an entire wall in his apartment. With Rilynne’s lease up on her house, they agreed that it would be easier just to wait until they had a more permanent place before moving it.
“We’ll figure something out,” he said. “With how big Marti is going to get, we definitely need a big backyard. And with the hours we both work, a doggy door would probably be a good idea.”
“Speaking of Marti, we should swing by the house on the way back and let her out,” Rilynne said.
Ben shook his head. “Wilcome and I stopped by after we left Jared’s,” he replied. “He mentioned that he was considering getting Sherri a puppy for Christmas, so I took him to see her. You should have seen him,” he said, wide-eyed with amusement. “He was playing and chasing her around the yard. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that before.”
“Nor have I,” Rilynne said. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t even picture it in her mind. While Wilcome could be light hearted when the time called for it, she couldn't imagine him actually running around laughing. She was sorry she missed it.
“You know, with as often as your mother likes to come visit, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a little guest house for her,” Ben suggested. “That way she can have her own little place.”
“What, you don’t want her to stay with us every few months?” Rilynne chortled.
He shot her a sideways glance and grinned. “That’s not what I’m saying,” he said. There was a note of defensiveness in his voice. “I actually consider myself very lucky. Most men dread spending a lot of time with their mother-in-laws. I happen to love your mom. I just think she might like to have her own space.”
“I’m giving you a hard time,” she said as they made another turn. “I think it’s a really sweet idea. She’s actually been talking about getting a hotel room for a while so we could enjoy our newlywed bliss. A guest house would keep her from having to spend the extra money.”
“She never has to stay in a hotel room,” he said. Rilynne had a strong feeling that he was saying it simply out of guilt. She didn’t mind, though. “After we get a place, we can have a guest house built for her. If she comes down before it’s ready, she can just stay with us.”
A flutter of admiration spread through her. Her first husband had gotten along with her mother well enough, but never really liked for her to stay with them. Given everything she had learned about him, though, that wasn’t entirely surprising.
“You know if she has her own place to stay, she’ll eventually just decide to make the move permanent,” Rilynne said. In fact, she was actually shocked she hadn’t already with as much time as she spent in Addison Valley.
“Well then I wouldn’t have to worry about you being alone when I go out of town for conferences,” he said. “I’m always afraid that I’m going to come back one of these days and you'll be missing because you injured yourself while out running in the woods and couldn’t get back. At least with your mom there, someone will be around to start searching for you if you don’t come home.”
Rilynne rolled her eyes. “Please, like that would ever really happen.” Ben shot her a humored look, so she continued. “I’m not saying I wouldn’t fall and injure myself, because we both know how much I enjoy doing that, but I wouldn’t be missing without anyone noticing. Matthews would have the entire department out looking within the hour if I didn’t show up to work.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” he laughed. They made the final turn and started back toward Lori’s house. “He worries about you almost as much as I do.”
“You know, I think I liked it better when I didn’t know how much the two of you talk,” she admitted.
Ben shrugged. “Consider it a good thing. If he ever starts to wonder how it is that you’re always a few steps ahead of most, including the criminals, at least you'll know it.”
She hadn’t thought about it like that. “Do you think he would really discuss it with you?”
“Oh, he would never outright ask me,” he said quickly. “He would, however, make a few pointed comments to see if he could get a reaction. While he’s actually pretty good at being subtle, I know him well enough to know when he’s fishing. He’s smart; he’ll eventually figure it out. Maybe not the entire truth, but he will realize you’re more than just a great detective.”
“I know,” she groaned. “I keep hoping that some super psychic will show up and be like a superhero or something, and they'll change the worlds opinion before that actually happens, though.”
“Well, you definitely dream big,” he said. “You know, if you ever wanted to step into that roll, put on a mask and tights and save the day with your superpowers, I would fully support that.”
She elbowed him in the side as they both laughed. “I thought it was every boy’s dream to grow up to be a superhero, not be married to one.”
“Every boy’s dream, maybe. Then we grow up and start to look at the female superheroes in a whole new way,” he said. He cocked his head to the side and looked her up and down as a puckish grin grew on his face.
“Enjoying the mental images?”
He nodded and turned back to face the street ahead of them. “Like I said, I would fully support the decision.”
“I’ll take that under advisement,” she said. “As long as I get a batcave to go along with it, and a few super cool gadgets.”
“Deal,” he laughed.
“Now, you realize that would make you the equivalent of my Alfred, don’t yo
u?” she asked.
He thought about it for a moment before nodding in acceptance. “I’d be okay with that. Someone would have to be watching closely in case you injure yourself.”
“You make it sound like it's a frequent occurrence,” she said sarcastically. “You know, my mom use to always joke that for someone who saw so much, I sure didn’t see much coming at me until it knocked me over. Some of them I can’t help, though. Do you remember last year when I told you I ran into a tree while out for a run?”
“If I recall, you ended up with a nasty scrape on your shoulder,” he said. “I’m still waiting for someone to show up with a video of that one.”
“Well, that’s what happens when I start to have flashes when I’m in the middle of a run,” she said. “Usually they don’t happen if I’m in the process of doing something that could hurt me.”
He seemed a little concerned by her statement. “Does that mean you could have one while driving? Because that could have devastating consequences.”
“That’s only ever happened once,” she said. “I was a teenage and hadn’t been driving long. I did end up getting in an accident, though. My mother was not happy.”
“I don’t imagine so,” he stated. “You really shouldn’t drive if there’s a chance you could have a flash and get in an accident.”
“The chances of it happening are very slim,” Rilynne stated. “My body seems to be able to avoid having them when it’s not safe. I think the only reason it happened the first time was I was a new driver and my body didn’t seem to realize the danger. It sounds silly, I know. After that accident, though, I haven’t had one while driving. I’ll either have it right before I turn on the ignition or right after I stop the car.”
He appeared slightly more at ease, but only just. “So I just have to worry about you when you’re out for a run.”
Rilynne stopped in her tracks and turned to face him. “You know,” she said, thinking back. “I'd completely forgotten because of everything that was going on at the time, but the last time I had one while running I actually had a warning that it was coming. That’s never happened to me before.”