by Anne Patrick
"You go ask him, Nick. This was all your idea. I remember specifically telling you all weeks ago I didn't want any fuss done for my birthday."
"Now who's the chicken?" Nick laughed.
"I'll go." Kris stood. "I swear you two are worse than my kids."
Much to Gwen's surprise, the lieutenant accepted the offer. Dressed in faded jeans and a blue t-shirt, he seemed more at ease than he had earlier in the day.
"My apologies for missing your party earlier. Happy birthday, Jamison."
"Thanks. How'd you find our hang out so quickly?"
Kris kicked her underneath the table. Gwen looked at her innocently. Had he not come off so overbearing this morning, she would have no problem with him.
"My landlord suggested the place." He pulled out a chair next to Nick and sat down with his cup of coffee. "He was right, they have great burgers."
On the other hand, he did go easy on her after she let Adkins go. Gwen smiled as a peace offering. "Their pizzas are pretty good, too. Wanna slice?" She slid the oval pan toward him.
"Maybe a small one. Had dessert, too."
"Jake's mom makes the best coconut cream pie around," Ron commented before taking another slice of pizza for himself.
The lieutenant glanced over at Jake. "Frank your dad?"
"No, sir, an uncle. He and my folks took over the place after my grandpa passed on a few years ago. I help out, too, mostly in the kitchen. Occasionally, I tend bar."
"Jake is one of our K-9 officers." Nick poured the last of the beer into his glass. "Don't worry, sir. Jake is also our designated driver."
"I wasn't worried, Detective."
"Where are you from?" Kris asked.
"Phoenix, where I was on the force for sixteen years. Three as a patrolman, thirteen as a detective, four of which I was the commanding officer."
"Impressive." Gwen had to admire his ambition.
He smiled. "Thank you."
"Your family settling in okay?" Ron queried.
"Actually, it's just me."
"Come on, guys, lighten up." Kris shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't invite you over for an interrogation."
"That's okay. I don't mind. I want us all to get along and work well together."
Gwen glanced up at his words and found he was looking in her direction. "Okay, what'd the captain say about me?"
Everyone at the table laughed, including the lieutenant. Her cheeks grew warm and she quickly shielded her embarrassment by taking a drink of her tea.
"He didn’t say anything too awful, I promise. Just that I'd earn my pay."
Still smiling, Kris leaned over and placed a hand on Gwen's arm. "I’m gonna have to go."
"No, you've gotta stay a little longer."
"I can't. I'm sorry. I promised Eric I would be home by eleven and it's now a quarter to twelve."
"Let me go to the john then I'll give you a lift home," Jake offered.
"That's okay. I called a cab when I went up to the bar. It just honked."
Gwen stood and hugged Kris. "Thanks for throwing this together." Although Kris had said it was mainly Jake and Nick's idea, Gwen figured Kris had her hand in it too.
"Hey, do you mind sharing your cab with me?" Ron stood and placed some bills on the table. "I promised Pam I wouldn't stay out too late. We're supposed to go antiquing in the morning."
"I don't mind." Kris turned back to Gwen. "Can you give me a lift to work Monday? Eric's changing the oil in my minivan and putting on new tires."
"Sure. Have a good weekend."
"Looks like it's just the four of us." Nick finished off his glass of beer, and then looked at Gwen. "Since you're so talented climbing a bar, would you care to do a pole dance for us?"
"In your dreams."
Jake and the lieutenant laughed.
"Well, if you aren't going to pole dance for us, I'm getting more beer."
"You've had enough, Nick." Gwen got up and grabbed the pitcher. "I'll buy you some coffee, then Jake's driving you home."
"Yes, Mom."
"And if you call me your mother again, you'll be nursing a black eye in the morning."
Gwen stepped to the bar and laid a five on the counter. "Three coffee's, Frank, and another soda for Jake."
"You got it."
"Hey, I meant what I said about working together."
Gwen turned at the lieutenant's voice. He stood beside her now with an extended hand.
"What'd you say we start over? I'm sorry for being a jerk this morning."
She smiled as she shook his hand. "Apology accepted."
He motioned to the barstools. "There's something I've been trying to figure out about you all day."
"Oh yeah." She slid into the cushioned seat.
He grinned. "I'm curious as to what you slipped Mr. Adkins today during his interview."
"You saw that, huh?"
"I had to play the tape back but, yeah." He sat in the stool beside her.
"A friend of mine takes in the occasional throwaway and tries to help them get back on their feet. I gave Adkins his number."
"So you did identify yourself."
"Yeah. Sorry I lied to you."
"That's okay. I have a hunch you had a good reason."
"I did. I figured the guy needed the break. According to his parole officer, he hasn't had that many of them."
"Do you mind filling me in on your progress on the case? I didn't get a chance to look over the file."
Before she could answer, Frank returned with the drinks. He left two coffees and delivered the other two to Jake and Nick.
"Thanks, Frank." She took a sip of hers before answering. "We're certain it's the same guy in all three robberies. Same MO; hit's within an hour of closing, uses a .45, wears a black cap and bandana. Wears gloves…so no prints. In and out in less than three minutes. No vehicle description. He chooses stores closest to the freeway, so I think he plans his route out ahead of time and cases the place days in advance. He then parks nearby, but out of sight of any home or traffic cameras."
"And you're certain Adkins isn't your man?"
"I checked with his parole officer and employer and the guy hasn't been in any trouble, hasn't missed work, and doesn't own a gun."
"That you know of. Why was he a suspect in the first place?"
"He wasn't a suspect, only a person of interest. We have him on video as the last customer seen leaving the third liquor store prior to it being robbed. Our guy is smarter than that."
He added a teaspoon of sugar to his coffee and stirred it thoroughly. "What's your take on the girlfriend?"
"She did seem bitter. I wouldn't put it past her to lie." Gwen met his gaze. She hadn't noticed his green eyes earlier. "I'll have a talk with the neighbors Monday to corroborate his story."
"It's not much of a stretch to go from burglary to armed robbery, but I'm inclined to agree with you. You're looking for a well-organized person that leaves nothing to chance."
"We've checked with other local towns and cities for similar MO's but nothing has popped up yet."
"So he's either evolved or he's been planning this spree for a long time. The longer he's on the loose, the more brazen he'll become."
That's what she was afraid of. And after today, they were back to square one. That meant re-interviewing witnesses and going over security footage again in the hopes that she or Kris had missed something that could potentially lead them to a new suspect. Gwen had other open cases but this one was starting to get under her skin.
She and the other detectives had often sought out each other's help on tough cases, but Gwen had never gone to their previous lieutenant for help. Maybe it was time she worked on improving her reputation. "If you have any suggestions, we could use the help."
"Really?"
She laughed at his surprise. "I just want the guy stopped before someone gets hurt."
"All right. I'll stop by the station on my way home and have a look at the file."
"Oh, I didn't mean—"
"I've got all weekend to unpack. It'll be a welcomed diversion."
Gwen glanced over at Jake and Nick. From what she could hear of their conversation, they were now talking sports.
Ian nudged her. "Do you want to rejoin them?"
"Not unless you like baseball."
"Nah. I'm more into football."
"Me too. Though I don't mind playing the occasional game of softball."
He grinned. "What position?"
"Right field, sometimes shortstop."
"My daughter pitches for the University of Arizona."
"You're kidding. You've got a kid in college?"
"Two, actually. JoAnn is a freshman and Isaac is a junior at Cal-State."
"Wow." Gwen sipped her coffee, somewhat surprised at how well they were getting along. He was like a totally different man than the one she met earlier that morning. "Either you're a lot older than you look or you married awfully young."
He pressed his lips together and slowly nodded. Gwen sensed she had hit a nerve.
"We were seventeen…high school sweethearts. Unfortunately, I lost her two years ago."
Stunned, Gwen lowered her gaze to the cup in her hand. She had assumed he was either separated or divorced. "I'm so sorry, sir."
"Thank you. And please stop calling me, sir. We're off duty." He turned, resting his arm on the back of the stool. "You've been on the force eight years, right?"
Gwen nodded. "The first three in uniform."
"For someone that ambitious, I'm surprised you haven't made sergeant yet."
"Ron has seniority. He needs the bump in pay more than I do. Besides, I like being a detective."
"You two aren't over here talking shop are you?" Nick flopped down beside Gwen.
"Better than talking baseball," she retorted.
Jake joined them, placing a tray full of empty cups and glasses on the counter. "I'm gonna run Nick home. You ready or shall I come back and get you?"
"I'm ready." Gwen finished her coffee then glanced over at the lieutenant. "See you Monday."
"Have a good weekend."
In the van, Nick reached up and slapped her shoulder playfully. "Looked like you and the boss were getting along good. Wonder how long that'll last."
"I give um a couple of weeks before they're at each other's throats," Jake teased.
Gwen hoped that wouldn't be the case. He seemed like a pretty decent guy.
CHAPTER THREE
Monday morning a five-thirty phone call woke Gwen with the news she had been dreading. Another robbery had taken place, this time with a fatality. After a quick call to Kris, she showered, dressed, fed her cat, and was out the door within an hour.
Mrs. Bernstein from 2B met Gwen on the second floor landing. "Good morning, Gwen."
At seventy-five, barely five feet tall, slender, with short cropped hair the color of snow, she had more energy than the majority of people in Gwen's building.
"Morning Mrs. B. Headed out for your morning jog?"
"I am. Where are you off too so early?" She grabbed Gwen's shoulders and pulled her down for a hug.
"Work. Sorry I can't stay and chat. You be careful on your jog."
"I will, dear. You be safe, too."
"Will do."
On her way to Kris's, she swung by Starbucks. With only four hours sleep she needed the caffeine boost. Gwen had spent most of the weekend going over the case, hoping to find something she had missed. Nothing had stuck out. Still, she had a sinking feeling that they were missing something.
Gwen pulled up in front of Kris's tan, ranch-style house and honked the horn, tapping her other hand against the steering wheel in rhythm to the U2 song playing in her CD player. Several minutes passed. She sighed and leaned back against the headrest. "Geez! Come on, Kris."
Just as she was about to honk again, the door jerked open.
Kris flopped down in the passenger seat and closed the door. "Sorry it took me so long, I had to get Eric up so he could get the kids ready for school. What do we know?"
"Sergeant Bailey didn't give me all the details, just that a clerk was shot and killed. Said he'd fill me in when we get to the station." Gwen took one of the cups from the console and handed it to her partner. "Your favorite, a caramel macchiato."
"Thanks." Kris shoved her bag to the floorboard and buckled up with one hand. "I was kind of hoping to see you in church yesterday."
Gwen looked in her side and rear mirrors then pulled out. "Why?" In the eight years she had known Kris, she had succumbed to her friend's persistence and gone to church with Kris maybe a half dozen times, and most of those occasions were holidays.
"I thought after what you did Friday maybe I was finally rubbing off on you. Wishful thinking I guess."
Gwen sipped her double espresso before placing it in her cup holder. "Don't make too much out of that. I felt sorry for the guy. That's it."
Kris sat quiet for the ten-minute drive to the station. It wasn't the first time she had shared her faith in God and Gwen knew it wouldn't be the last. She didn't mind because Kris often reminded Gwen of her dad. Before he was killed, when Gwen was eight, he used to hold her in his lap and tell her stories from the Bible. Being with her father was the only good memories she had of her childhood. And when he was killed, she lost what little faith she had in a loving and forgiving God.
Gwen pulled into the parking garage and parked in her usual spot. "I'll stop off at dispatch if you wanna head upstairs and sign us in." Drink in hand, she grabbed her purse from the back floorboard and got out.
"Okay." Kris started to walk off but then turned. "You know I'm not giving up on you. Neither is God."
Gwen hit the lock button on her key fob and the blue SUV beeped. "Oh he gave up on me a long time ago."
"Deep down, I think you know that's not true."
*****
Sergeant Tommy Bailey stepped to the counter. "Morning, Jamison."
"Morning, Sarge. Do we have an ID on the clerk yet?"
"The owner's wife. Vera Gyman. Forty-three years old." He handed her a file.
"Oh man. Any witnesses?"
"Nope, and the 9-1-1 caller didn't leave a name. Number is unlisted, probably a disposable. Patrol grabbed the surveillance video." He laid a disc on the counter. "Just like in the previous robberies, he wore a black cap and bandana."
"Who was first on scene?"
"Rodchism and Burks."
"They still out?"
"No, they left as soon as CSU arrived. You want me to have them meet you at the scene?"
"No, I'll give them a call if I have any questions."
A few minutes later, Gwen exited the elevator on the third floor and pushed through the doors of the Criminal Investigations Division. The lights were on but the room was empty. Gwen removed her badge and credentials then locked her purse in the bottom drawer of her desk. She debated whether to watch the surveillance footage now or later.
The door opened and Kris stuck her head in. "You ready?"
"Yeah." Gwen grabbed her laptop from the desk.
On the elevator ride down to the garage, Gwen filled Kris in on what the sergeant had said.
"The lieutenant was in his office when I signed us in. He wants an update as soon as we get back. Guess he'd been reviewing the file. I noticed it on his desk."
"I asked him to look at it Friday night."
Kris nearly choked on a sip of coffee. "You're kidding."
"You said I needed to improve my people skills. Thought he might see something we missed."
"You didn't start drinking after I left, did you?"
Gwen laughed. "Who knows, maybe you are starting to rub off on me."
*****
Gwen let Kris drive their unmarked cruiser while Gwen watched the surveillance video from this morning's robbery on the laptop. She figured with as slow as Kris drove, she could finish it by the time they reached the crime scene. Ever since they met, Kris had driven like a little old lady out for a Sunday cruise.
"Did yo
u do anything special over the weekend?"
Gwen met Kris's curious smile. "Mrs. Bernstein had me over to her apartment for cake and ice cream Saturday." She looked back at the video as the woman behind the register waited on a young man who was questionably of legal age to purchase alcohol.
"That was sweet of her. Anything else?"
"Are you asking me if I had a date?"
"You know I am." Kris stopped at a red light.
Gwen fast-forwarded the video. "I haven't been on a date since Coop."
"You should give him a call. I bet he'd drop that blond in a heartbeat if you did. You two were great together."
"We were until he wanted to get married."
"You never told me that." The light changed and Kris began to drive.
"Because I didn't want a lecture on how I need to settle down and do the whole white-picket-fence thing." Gwen returned her attention back to the laptop. A man wearing a black cap and bandana entered the picture. "Okay, pull over here." Gwen paused the video.
Horns blared behind them and Gwen winced, waiting for the sound of crunching metal.
"Oh stop clenching," Kris reached over and slapped Gwen's arm. "Had they not been following so close, they would've been prepared."
"Maybe if you drove the speed limit they wouldn't have been on your bumper." Gwen positioned the laptop so Kris could see it from the driver's seat. "He's definitely the same guy."
"Yeah." Kris turned off the engine and looked over.
Gwen pushed 'play'.
The man approached the counter and drew out a .45 pistol, pointed it at the lady then the register. He glanced toward the door. The woman stopped placing money in the bag and reached beneath the counter.
Kris leaned closer. "What is she doing?"
The man turned and fired two shots.
Kris drew back. "He didn't even hesitate."
"No he didn't." Gwen continued to watch as the man went around the counter, stepped over the body and withdrew the rest of the cash. He then stopped, peered down at the woman, and fired again. "That's overkill."
Kris started the engine. "What was she reaching for?"
"I don't know. I couldn't tell from the angle." Gwen copied the video to the laptop, ejected the disc, and then slid both underneath her seat. "We need to hurry up and nail this guy."