He let her drive in peace. He was okay with the silence. Caleb knew that Kate only invited him to this event to strike out at Jack. He was good with that, too. He wanted to be close to her. Soon, Jack wouldn’t be an issue. Frankie hoped it would happen naturally, but one way or another, Jack was going away. Until then, there was no harm in enjoying Kate’s company.
When she pulled the car into a parking spot at the coliseum, Kate cut the engine and sat for a beat, just holding the steering wheel. “That was awesome.” Her voice was light and she flashed him a smile that lit her whole face. It was the first time Frankie had seen her happy since they’d come face to face for the first time in Jack’s office, a few days ago.
She has no idea how stunning she is.
“I knew you were into fast cars,” Caleb said as he stepped out of the car. He opened her door and offered his hand to help her out,. “But I had no idea you could appreciate true American muscle.”
She stood facing him as he closed the door. Her hair was wild and he couldn’t resist tucking a flyaway behind her ear.
For a moment, Kate just stared up at him with something unreadable in her eyes. Then she stepped back. Her hands worked at her hair until what remained piled on the top of her head tumbled across her shoulders and her back. She shook her head, ran her fingers through her hair, and Frankie’s heart stuttered.
“I grew up around cars,” Kate looked up at him but now her eyes were cool. She maintained her distance a few feet away. “My dad and his friends were always working on something. They did a lot of street racing. I was a Daddy's girl, so I worked on them too.” She grinned at him. “I can do a lot more than just drive them.”
They walked across the lot, talking about cars. Frankie wanted to offer her his arm, she was walking in high heels. The vibe Kate was projecting had changed, though, so he refrained. Until they reached the door. Then he couldn’t resist resting his hand on the small of her back as he held the door open for her.
Inside the coliseum, the main floor had been turned into an underwater wonderland. Shades of blue and sand-white were accented by glinting silver. People milled about, talking in small clusters, laughing and drinking as servers in crisp black and white uniforms moved through the crowd and offered hors d’oeuvres and wine. Frankie waved a server over and as he took two glasses of champagne from the offered tray, he heard someone call out to Kate.
As he handed her one of the glasses, Mayor James Tradewell approached them. Frankie schooled his reaction and reminded himself that he was here as Caleb Castille. He had spoken to the mayor as Caleb, but they had never met in person. The mayor would know about his position as an IA detective and Frankie didn’t want to raise any suspicions.
“Kate,” the Mayor brushed a quick kiss over the back of her hand. “You look lovely. Where’s Jack? I’d like to talk to him.” He glanced at Frankie, but said nothing.
“Oh,” Kate said. “I'm sorry, Mayor. Jack's not going to be here tonight.” Kate's voice was tight, but she offered no excuse for Jack's absence.
Caleb felt satisfaction well in his chest. Jack was a fool. He should have been here, but his absence made things easier. Frankie would take every opportunity he could to get close to Kate.
“That's too bad. I had some people I wanted him to meet.” The mayor glanced around the room. Frankie knew he was already looking for his next opportunity to schmooze.
“Mayor Tradewell, I have someone I would like for you to meet.” Kate stepped to the side and took Caleb’s arm, pulling him forward. “This is my new partner, Caleb Castille.”
Frankie shook the mayor's hand.
After their greeting Tradewell asked, “How's your first investigation with the Biloxi PD going?”
“We're working the leads,” Frankie said. “But we’re getting close. It won’t be long before we can wrap the whole thing up.” That wasn’t true of the specific case Frankie knew the Mayor was asking about, but he hoped the other man took his words to have a double meaning. It wouldn't be much longer before Frankie didn’t have to worry about the façade of the undercover investigation. The time wouldn’t pass fast enough to suit him, but he’d have to be patient. He could see all the pieces starting to fall together.
“Very good,” Mayor Tradewell said. “I’m always happy to hear we’re making progress on important cases.”
Message received.
Caleb nearly laughed out loud. The mayor really believed that he would have the vigilante issue folded into a tidy little box soon. Just another bureaucrat who saw only what he wanted to see.
The mayor lifted a hand to someone across the room and excused himself. When he’d gone, Kate smiled at Frankie. “You're a little optimistic, aren't you?”
“Nah. I know where we really are with this case,” he smiled back at her. “But I wasn’t about to tell him we had less to go on than a Voodoo Priestess in a Baptist church. That’s not what he wanted to hear.”
Kate laughed. Her demeanor wasn’t back to pre-Jack-question state, but she did relax a little after the mayor walked away.
“Kate.” A gray-haired woman called to her. Frankie guessed there was enough hairspray holding the woman’s perfectly teased bouffant in place to create a small hole in the Ozone layer. The older woman fit the description of an aging Southern Belle perfectly, right down to her manicured nails and gaudy jewelry. He would have been willing to bet an entire paycheck there was a monogrammed hankie in her small clutch and a freezer full of pound cakes in her home that were destined for wakes and church socials.
“That's one of the other organizers,” Kate looked at him apologetically. “I should go speak to her.” She placed her hand on his arm.
“It's okay.” He covered her hand with his own and tried to ignore the warmth of her skin. “It's why you're here. Go. I'll be fine.”
Frankie watched Kate until she joined the older woman. He turned to go back to the bar when McKenzie stepped in front of him. “She looks good when she's not dressed up like a man.” He thrust his hand in Frankie's direction. “Now I can understand what you see in her.”
“Kate?” Frankie's brows knitted together. He steeled himself for another one of Bubba’s idiotic comments.
“Don't get me wrong,” McKenzie leaned toward Caleb and lowered his voice. “I still don't think she should be a cop, but she fills out that dress real nice.”
“Yeah,” Frankie's brain whirred as he scanned the room. “Any word on new investigations?” He kept the question vague enough so that anyone overhearing it wouldn’t think anything of it.
“Nah.” McKenzie took a long pull from a beer bottle. “You know you shouldn’t trust her, right? She's unreliable. And don't nobody want to depend on an unreliable cop.” McKenzie leaned in again and lowered his voice. “If you ask me, she should have paid for her partner's death back in Memphis. If she hadn't frozen up, he might still be alive.”
Frankie grunted in response. He was struggling to remain calm and decided the best way to handle that would be to remain quiet. If he tried to shut Bubba up now, there would be an argument. The man had enough booze in him to completely blur his sense of self-preservation. Frankie couldn’t wait until he was done with the witless redneck. Soon, he reminded himself.
McKenzie remained silent for a long time. Frankie hoped he would stay that way, or would wander off to talk with someone else. Like a puppy always trying to get its owner’s attention, though, McKenzie stood his ground and drained his beer. He set the bottle on a tray held just above shoulder height by a passing server. “I need another drink,” he said. “And maybe some fresh air.”
Frankie nodded, just as Kate walked back up to them. “Kate, McKenzie and I were just getting fresh drinks. Would you like one?”
Kate nodded. “I probably shouldn’t, but a glass of champagne would be great.”
After they’d gotten fresh drinks, McKenzie looked at Kate and said, “These social things are a waste of time.” He loosened his tie and took a long drink from the beer he’d gotten
inside.
“Why’d you come?” Frankie tipped his bottle, too, but he took a small sip. He wanted to stay clear headed for this conversation.
And for Kate. You never know what might happen later.
He did know. In this moment, Kate was just his partner. He wanted her, but he needed to remember the long plan. When this was all over, he was leaving Biloxi and Kate was going with him. Even if she didn’t know it yet.
“A couple of reasons.” McKenzie interrupted his thoughts. “Family obligation. One of my aunts is on the organization committee for this thing and she pressured me to come. Said it would look good for the police department.”
Frankie snorted. Women and their ideas about what looked good in a social context. They had no idea how easy it was with men. “What’s the other reason?”
“Information,” McKenzie said. “These social shindigs always attract high-powered, political types. It’s amazing what you can learn if you just shut up and listen.”
Frankie glanced at Kate as he remembered there was more to Bubba than the dumb country boy he projected. Sometimes. Other times, he was exactly what he appeared to be, and Frankie wondered which time they were about to experience. He hoped that Bubba didn’t say anything that would make Kate suspicious.
“So, what did you hope to learn?”
“I’m trying to figure out how Jack Roe ended up with the promotion to chief.” McKenzie drained his beer and smacked the empty down on a nearby table.
“I don’t understand.” It was Frankie’s turn to pretend to be dumb. He should probably get Kate out now, before the conversation got volatile, but he chose to wait. A quick glance at Kate showed her face red, and her lips pursed shut.
“When my uncle died, Charles Chatley was next in line for that job. But as far as I know, he was never even considered. No one was considered except Jack Roe. Why?”
“How do you think he got the promotion?” Kate hissed between clenched teeth.
“I don’t know,” McKenzie sounded frustrated. “I haven’t heard anything. Whatever happened, people are keeping it quiet. Too quiet.”
Bubba was the type to talk first and think later. And his answer just proved that his redneck blood ran deep. Frankie placed his hand on Kate’s back. He should end this now, but he was enjoying watching Kate to see how long she would hold her temper.
“He’s got to be blackmailing someone with enough power to pull some strings.”
“Like who?” Frankie goaded. Kate’s gaze snapped to Frankie’s face.
Go on, girl. Get your dander up now. Won’t be long before you know who’s boss.
“The mayor? The District Attorney? I don’t know, but there aren’t many people who could pull those kinds of strings.”
“You think he’s dirty, then?” Frankie pushed. Since he had Bubba started, he might as well run with it.
“Yep. Got to be.”
“You have lost your mind,” Kate’s voice was low and menacing “I thought you were Jack’s friend.” She spun away from the two men, and stalked into the crowd, head high, back straight, and anger in her steps.
TWENTY-FIVE
“Uncle Jack!”
Jack looked up to find Lisa glaring at him from across the table. “What?” He tried to look innocent.
Lisa glared at the pencil he held in his right hand. The same one he’d been steadily tapping against his coffee cup, as he tried to reign in his unruly thoughts. He wanted to focus on the work sitting before him. Instead, all he could think about was Kate. Out with Caleb.
“If you’re so worried about Kate being at the fundraiser with her new partner, why didn’t you go with her?”
As usual, Lisa zeroed straight in on what was bugging him.
“It’s not that simple, Lisa.” Jack’s shoulders drooped. Nothing was simple these days.
“You mean your stubborn pride won’t let you follow your heart?” Lisa’s voice carried an accusatory edge that underscored the fact that he and Kate were not the only two people in this relationship.
“I told you. There’s more going on here than you can fully appreciate.” Jack’s inside crawled. He wanted so much for this to all be over. He wanted everything normal and happy again. Like it had been just a couple of months ago. He thought of the stupid comment he’d made to Kate about not pursuing Dale Abernathy’s killer. He was frustrated. Maybe he shouldn’t have said it, but did Kate really take him seriously? Was he serious?
“More secrets.” Lisa pushed back from the table and slammed her calculus book shut. “I thought you were done with secrets. I thought you had figured out that secrets always come with a price?” She quoted his words from a conversation they had during the weeks following her mother’s murder.
Jack’s stomach wrapped itself into a tight knot. How long had it been since he’d been able to relax and breathe deeply? He couldn’t even remember anymore.
Jack groaned inwardly. “Yes. Secrets. But Lisa, these secrets are different. Please trust me on this. You and Kate–.” His phone blared from where it sat on the table.
He reached for it as Lisa grabbed her books from the table and stomped up the stairs.
“Chief Roe.” The display said the call was from the precinct.
Lisa, I’m just protecting you and Kate.
He watched her back as she disappeared at the top of the stairs. A second later her door slammed with enough force it rattled the dishes in the cabinets.
“Chief?” Jack recognized the voice as belonging to Sinclair, the nighttime desk sergeant. “I know you’re at home, but I thought you would want to know that we’ve got another body at Ingram Logistics. Security guard, this time. Giveans and Castille are already there.”
Another body? In the same location. Was someone targeting Ingram Logistics? Why?
Jack finished the call and sat stone-like at the table for several minutes. Should he go to the scene? He wanted to. He trusted Kate to work it. She was the best detective in the Homicide unit. But he also wanted to see her, and this was a good excuse.
To make her think you don’t trust her.
Not true. It was his job to ensure his investigators did their jobs. And now that there were two bodies, this case was going to heat up fast. He needed to be in the loop. Kate did have a new partner and that was reason enough for Jack to check up on them. Just to see how Caleb was doing his job.
As if you don’t already know.
He did. But it was as good a reason as any to show up at Kate’s scene. They’d barely spoken since she went back to her apartment. He wanted to see her. Maybe talk to her.
Then why don’t you just call her. Man up. And say what?
He didn’t know. He wasn’t sure what he could say, but he could figure that out when he saw her. He needed to reassure her. Maybe the damage was done, but he had to try.
He hurried up the stairs to let Lisa know he would be out for a while. At her door, he could hear her moving around her room.
He knocked, then immediately tried the knob. Locked.
“What?” The single word was gruff. Sharp.
“Please open the door. I’m leaving.” Jack stuffed his hands deep into his pockets and hunched his shoulders.
“Give me a minute.” She sniffled and Jack began to think there might be more than anger in her voice. Lisa loved Kate, too. They were all suffering because of his actions. His heart ached. He had to find a way to make this better.
By the time Lisa pulled the door open he had begun pacing back and forth in the short hallway. The sight of her brought him to a stop mid-stride.
She had been crying. Her face was puffy, her eyes rimmed red and blood-shot. Was he destined to always hurt the people he loved, even when he was trying to protect them?
Lisa stared at him expectantly, but instead of explaining where he was going, he stepped to her and wrapped his arms around her. She stood stiffly, not returning the hug.
“I’m sorry,” he said into her hair. “I promise to explain everything soon. To you and to
Kate.”
He felt her shoulders shake, then her arms snaked around his waist. He held her close, each sob ripping through him like hurricane-force winds.
When she finally pulled away, she was calmer.
“I’ll hold you to that.” The sadness in her eyes pierced his soul.
I’m doing the right thing.
He repeated the phrase over and over to keep from spilling the whole story, right here in the hallway. Telling her would only put her in danger.
He nodded. “I expect you to. Are you okay now?”
“For now. Did you say you’re leaving?” Lisa squared her shoulders and held her head high. He’d learned enough about her in this near adult stage to know that she was finished being vulnerable. She would handle whatever he threw at her now better than most adults. He supposed that all she’d been through had created a strength in her that most people could only imagine.
Oh. That.
He’d nearly forgotten what brought him up the stairs in the first place.
“Yes.” He nodded. “There’s been another murder. I need to go check it out.”
“Will Kate be there?” A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. This kid was far too intuitive for her age. She’d make a good cop, though. Except that he wanted anything else in the world for her besides that.
Despite all she’d been through, Lisa was quick to see the good in people. He didn’t ever want to have that be destroyed by the heart-rending, soul-stealing facets of police work that she would face every day if she chose to go that route. He could only pray that she wouldn’t. Last time they talked she still hadn’t decided what she wanted to do, but police work was still on the table.
“Kate will be there.” Lisa’s attitude was infectious. It gave him hope, and a grin threatened to rearrange his own features. He missed Kate. Seeing her would at least let him know she was okay. If he could talk to her, he would tell her. Maybe not everything. He wasn’t sure he could do that. But he would apologize. Explain the reason he behaved strangely during the Abernathy case.
Biloxi Blue (The Biloxi Series Book 2) Page 16