Uncovering Officer Smith (The Discovering Trilogy #2)

by Sheena Hutchinson

  This feels all too familiar, being thrown out of a hospital room after waiting there all night. But as I lean against the wall across from her room, I can’t seem to get the energy to leave. It might mean that this, too, is really over. Am I ready to do that?

  A chuckle escapes me. Becca is still in there with her family right now. Ford gave me a look when he saw me exiting the room as they entered. Maybe it was the uniform, or the look in my eyes, but he never said anything to me. The guilt inside eats away at the remaining friendship we have. I did this for him, for the brother I never had. We had one of those bonds only two young, crazy kids could have. Now… now I don’t know what we have.

  Nurses pass by me as I linger across from Becca’s room. I get a passing glance every once and a while, and I get the feeling that if I were in civilian clothes I’d no doubt be told to leave.

  I’m hoping to wait her family out, needing to speak to Becca. I just can’t seem to find the words to say to her. And I think secretly deep down I’m wishing she would call for me. But I don’t deserve that; don’t deserve anything. I left her. I stopped returning her calls. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would. She deserved an explanation. She deserved so much more than me.

  Another nurse with blue scrubs walks past me. “John?”

  I glance up to see April’s bright green eyes. “April?”

  “What are you doing here? Work?”

  I pause. “Kind of.”

  She looks at the door across from me. “She’s here, isn’t she?”

  I nod, shifting my gaze back down to my feet. She moves to the wall beside me. Our shoulders touch.

  “Go talk to her.” She nudges me with her shoulder.

  “I tried.”

  “I see. Is that why you’re out here?”

  I nod again.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her. Maybe you should go home and get some rest.”

  “There’s more I have to tell her.”

  “Maybe, now isn’t the time.” Silence falls between us. “Plus, you need a shower.” She sniffs the air.

  I finally crack a smile. “I was a little preoccupied.”

  “I’ll make sure she knows that.”

  “Thanks, April.” Reluctantly, I walk down the corridor with only a glance back at the door Becca is behind. Maybe April is right.

  I wake a little while later alone in the hospital room. Immediately, the door swings open, the handle smacking against the wall. A flash of red hair whizzes past my vision.

  “Becca?” Meggie is at my side in a matter of seconds. Her hand slips under mine.

  I turn to face my best friend. “I’m so sorry, Bee. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I feel like this is my fault. If only I had gone with you, I would have watched and made sure you were okay.”

  “Whoa, whoa, calm down.” I shake my head. “It’s okay.”

  “No, no, it’s not. I knew you were going through stuff and I wasn’t there for you.” Tears glisten behind her green eyes.

  “No, it was me,” I interject. “I was so mean. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

  “I know.”

  “Forgive me?” I mumble, sucking back tears of my own.

  She nods. “Me too?”

  I nod and before I know it, she pulls me into a sobbing hug. We sit like that for a while before she pulls away.

  That’s when the inquisition comes. She asks me about what happened and what I did. Honest to God, I can’t remember. It seems like everything is a little hazy. I remember Tom, Cole, and a kiss. But with who, I couldn’t say.

  When I woke up, the only thing I remember are Tom’s words. “You’re a lost cause.” They still bring tears to my eyes.

  That just makes Meggie’s next words feel like salt in an open wound. “Bee, I’m worried about you.”

  “About me?”

  “I’ve done a lot of things – well, a lot of people. But one thing I’ve never gotten involved with is drugs. I’m worried about you. I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

  “Megs.” I pull her face up to look at me. “I’m fine. I can stop whenever I want.”

  Her eyes linger on my face. “Can you?”

  Two simple words but they silence me.

  Meggie stays with me for a few hours, bringing me homework I’m backed up on and the usual gossip. She told me Tom feels terrible and he was the one that told her I was in the hospital. Ever since then, he’s been at our dorm every time he hears her unlock the door to check if I had returned.

  I hate to see what I have to face when I get back home.

  My parents and Beddy return later. Their clothes smell like food and they hush as they enter the room to see me eating rice pudding for dinner.

  “Dear, we’ve decided to leave tonight. Your father has to work in the morning. Bedford will be here to take care of you. If you need anything, call him.”

  “Got it, Mom.” I roll my eyes, pretending this pudding is anything else.

  “And I’m going to check in on you too,” Bedford adds.

  “I got it. I’m not going to do anything stupid.” Even as I say the words, I have a feeling they are a lie. My fingers are already twitching, my mouth drying at the thought of disappearing again. I want to blame it on John Smith, but maybe it wasn’t what he had done to me at all. Maybe I’m just a bad egg.

  Today is my discharge day. Bedford brought me new clothes and I’m fully changed into jeans and a sweatshirt when the nurse comes in. Her green eyes shine as she hands me a clipboard of all the discharge paperwork I need to complete.

  “Are you excited to leave, Becca?” Her cheerful disposition is different to me.

  “I’m just excited for real food,” I mutter, flipping through the pages.

  She laughs a real laugh. “I hear that. Well, just remember there are still some effects of the medications we had you on to reverse what you took. Expect some dizziness and dry mouth. Don’t operate heavy machinery like a car or a bulldozer or something.” She chuckles at her own joke. I sign the few pages and wait for her to continue inspecting me.

  I smile. This nurse is different, kind, even.

  “Those marks from the tape and needles will heal. Keep hydrated and I would avoid alcohol for a little while.”

  “Why?” I snap suddenly.

  “Just might make these symptoms worse.” She shrugs.

  “Oh.”

  “Are you okay, Becca?” She maneuvers her head to glance up at me while she checks my pulse with her finger.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I meant like, are you okay to head home? Would you like to talk to someone?”

  “No. I’m fine.”

  “Okay.” She nods, but her tone tells me she doesn’t believe me.

  “Why don’t you think I’m okay?” I blurt out when she turns her back to me.

  The nurse turns to face me again. Those green eyes are not so friendly this time. “I’ve heard this isn’t your first time using such… drugs.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “The officer that brought you in.” Her eyes watch me as her words sting me.

  “Well, he knows nothing.”

  “He seemed to know a lot about you. He might have even cared a little?”

  “That guy cares nothing for me.”

  She takes the clipboard from my hand. “I highly doubt that. He was wandering the hall outside your room for a few hours yesterday.”

  “He was?” The surprise must be apparent on my face because she smiles. She caught me.

  She nods. “I just think you should keep an open mind.”

  “I need to close my mind. It was opening it that got me into trouble in the first place.”

  “Well, Becca, I think you just need to decide what you want, what you need, and everything else will just fall into place.”

  “I hope so.”

  She smiles at me again, her hand on the door. “Good luck, Becca. Have a big hamburger for me.”

  The moment I arrive home, I dive
back into schoolwork. That’s just what I do. It’s all I know. Quickly, I try to catch back up to speed with all my work and avoid every party that comes my way. Bedford stops by unannounced twice a week – usually on a Friday night – to make sure I’m not getting into trouble. Meggie even stays home with me a few nights. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the two were in cahoots.

  At school, I keep my head down and my pen writing at all times. I only go to classes, the library, and the cafeteria, never socializing anymore. There is always that temptation, but there is also something else—Embarrassment. I don’t know how many people saw my lifeless body enter that ambulance, but the gossip made its way around the small campus. Sometimes, I even hear a snicker or two when people pass me.

  I’m sitting in Abnormal Psych when I feel Tom’s eyes from across the room. Up until now, I was happy he hadn’t attempted to talk to me. I have a feeling that is about to end.

  The class ends and I zip out of class with my books between my hands. Stuffing my pen into the ring of the notebook, I speed walk toward the cafeteria.

  “Becca! Hey, Becca!” Oh, no.

  I turn to face Tom chasing me across the campus. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

  “About what?” I mutter.

  “Why haven’t you tried to talk to me?”

  “I’ve had a lot to do.” I head for the cafeteria doors.

  He opens it for me. “Have you been avoiding me?”

  “I’ve kind of been avoiding everyone.”

  “I’ve noticed, but why?”

  “I just need to get a grip on things.”

  “This doesn’t have anything to do with what happened with us, does it?”

  Ugh, I increase my pace, heading for the buffet of food. I knew this was coming and knew what I had to do. Why can’t I seem to find the words? He follows me close, waiting for my response. After picking up a turkey sandwich, I turn around to him. “No, I’ve just been in a funk.” My eyes return to the pile of pre-wrapped sandwiches.

  “I’ve known you for two years now and never seen you like this before.” Tom’s hand is warm against my shoulder.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been like this.”

  “It’s because of him, isn’t it?”

  “Who?” I turn, playing stupid.

  “You know who. That Smith guy.” He turns me now to face him. His eyes bore into me from behind those dark glasses. “I told you he would do this. I warned you.”

  “I know. I should have listened.” My gaze drops.

  “Because of him you can’t be with me?” His voice is soft, small for a tall guy like him.

  “I don’t want to be with anyone right now.”

  His hands release me. “So, it’s true then. Nice guys do finish last.”

  A thick football player wearing the team’s jacket dissects the space between us as he reaches for a sandwich. He adds, “Only because he makes sure she finishes first.” The player winks at me before walking away.

  Tom watches him leave in disgust. Then his eyes are on me. I know what Meggie meant now about Tom behind Clark Kent. There’s intensity in those blue eyes of his that even glasses can’t hide. His look holds my attention, begging me to respond but all the words that come to mind don’t seem to make sense.

  “I… I don’t know what to say.”

  “You’re making that face again.” Tom’s gaze drops, releasing me. “So you choose him, then. Even after all of this.”

  “No, I choose myself – I’m a lost cause, remember?” I slip out of his grasp, swipe an apple off the table, and move past him and into line.

  I choose to eat lunch by myself on the hill. It’s still comfortable out, but not so warm as to be bustling with students—The perfect combination to think. I haven’t had a moment to myself since the hospital. With Bedford constantly checking in and Meggie’s eyes following me every time I leave for the library, I’m starting to feel suffocated. I’m not going to lie – I crave a high. Just to lose myself in a blinding blur, with not a care in the world: no hurt in my heart, no worry about being behind in school. But every time I even think about it, I see John’s face when I woke up in that hospital room; so disappointed. No wonder he left me. I’m weak. I gave into temptation.

  That nurse was right; I need to figure out what I need.

  Becca is a distraction. She’s keeping me from what I should be doing. There is a ticking time bomb over here at NCU and I mean to find him – them.

  Now, that we have a last name it should be easier to track at least one of them down. Matt and I walk into the North Commons Admissions Office with our subpoena. We don’t know the last name of the second guy, so it is only for the address of the one named Pat.

  It takes them a few taps of the computer to tell us he is in a fraternity. I should have known. But that only means he has more avenues of distribution than we originally thought. With the address on Fraternity Row, Matt and I head back to the station. The less time I spend on campus, the better. Even the thought of running into Becca is a beautiful distraction – one I don’t need.

  We got some back up together and a few drug sniffing dogs and headed off to raid the frat house. At the very least, we would definitely get some kind of drug conviction. This would not be a total loss. My fists are clenched the entire drive.

  Matt let me take the lead on this one. I was the first in the house. All I recall are college kids flying everywhere, some hiding things, while others frantically called their parents. The last group runs.

  We catch them all. They line up against the wall as the dogs search the house. The last on the line is a weasely kid. Big nose on a thin face, little arms, and two front-teeth that stick out just a little bit further than the rest. He’s one of the kids that had Becca’s unconscious body wrapped around his tiny little arms.

  I grab his shirt and shove the kid into the wall behind him. “Pat, is it?”

  “How… how… do you know my name?” he squeaks.

  “We had a lovely talk with your mother.”

  “My mom?” His eyes widen.

  “I hear you like to slip girls the date rape drug.”

  A few of his friends in line snicker behind us, but my eyes never leave Pat’s. He looks like he’s about to soil himself.

  “Let’s take them all in.”

  The precinct is buzzing. The dogs found a ton of goodies, including the rest of Pat’s GHB stash. We booked a few kids for possession, but Pat has been sitting in interrogation for about an hour now. I can’t seem to get the energy to go in there.

  “Smith?” Chief Carson’s voice echoes behind me.

  “Yes, Chief?”

  “Let Todd take this one.”

  “But—”

  “You’ve done enough. You’re too close to this case.”

  “I can do this.”

  “Save it.” Her hand flies up to stop me. Matt slips past us and into the interrogation room.

  Chief and I stand there staring through the two-way mirror as Matt begins. Weasely-Pat begins to cry. We have this kid right where we want him.

  “You did good, Smith.”

  “Huh?”

  Chief turns to me. “You just had the biggest drug bust in this town in years. You caught the attempted rape suspect red-handed.”

  “Not both of them.”

  “Brett, his name is Brett Johnson,” the shrieky voice cries.

  “Now you did.” She smiles at me. “I’m going to recommend you for that detective position, John – if that’s still what you want.”

  With a deep breath, I respond, “Of course.”

  We catch Brett a few days later. He is the one attending Oneonta College. Pat called him down for a weekend of ‘bitches and booze’ and he came crawling. We captured him on the parkway heading into town.

  Brett doesn’t cry in interrogation like Pat did. He’s the stronger of the two. The only thing he calls for is a lawyer when we reveal we have him on video.

  That’s when Chief Carson calls me i
nto her office. We have to organize a line up. She wants me to call the victim. Well, here goes nothing…

  My phone chimes, the screen coming to life under a few study guides I made. More than a few actually, it took me a while to get back on track. It appears I fell pretty far behind in only a matter of months.

  “Ugh, what now?” My hand slips under the sheets and pulls out my beat up old phone. I’m expecting another overbearing text from my mother. She’s been checking up on me an insane amount lately. Instead, what I find causes my heart to race.

  The name alone raises my blood pressure: John

  My finger glides across the screen, unlocking it. My hand twitches as it hovers over the green ‘Message’ icon. What can it say? Can I handle this? Hope springs in my chest, the possibilities gnawing at me.

  Finally, I tap the button. My heart hammers in my chest as I click on his name and begin reading:

  Your assailants have been arrested. We’re going to need you to come to the station for a line up.

  I stare at the screen. I think maybe I’m waiting for more or maybe I’m still in shock. I’ve been dreaming and hallucinating about receiving a text from this man. But now I want to take all that time back. It’s so formal, so calculated. This man does not love me. I’m just a job to him, just another case to solve.

  Meggie bursts though the door just as the tears begin to fall. Her laughter carries from the living room. Shopping bags are shuffling as she comes bounding in, only to stop short.

  “Oh, Becca?” Dropping the bags on the floor, she says, “Let me call you back.” She hangs up the phone and tiptoes over to me. “Becca? What happened?”

  I slide the phone over to her. She reads it. Then picks it up and reads it again.

  “What a douche!” she exclaims on the third read.

  A sob escapes my lips, and the tears come unbidden now. “I guess this is good news,” I try to rationalize.

  “Yeah, you can put something behind you.”

  I nod. We grow quiet again.

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  I meet her eyes. “Yes, but Meggie this is it.” Her face scrunches. “I’m going to put this to bed and then I need to leave.”