Secrets of a Small Town

by Adele M Cooper

“But, as I said, his reaction when I even mentioned the body, despite the fact that he thought I wasn’t even from around here was pretty suspicious, right?” Paige prompted.

  “Yeah,” Jack heard himself answering distantly. He glanced at her, her face flushed with adrenaline. “I’m going to drop you home. Where do you want me to take you?”

  Pulled abruptly out of her excitement over the day’s findings, no matter how small, Paige turned to him, a little confused. Her eyes searched his face.

  “Everything all right?” she asked slowly.

  “Fine, just tired.”

  “All right…” She frowned. “Look, you can just drop me at my parents’ house; I’m meant to be having dinner with them later, but I’ll just pop in earlier. Do you remember where it is?”

  Did he remember the beautiful beach house where they had spent so much time together, laughing on the porch or running across the sand? Of course he did. Some of his fondest memories of Paige also included that porch.

  Those memories, however, suddenly felt cold, much like they had after she had left Otter Rock for good. Jack’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He couldn’t get it out of his head, the image her words had provoked. He didn’t know why he cared so much.

  No, he knew exactly why he cared. Paige had snared him from the moment she had walked into his office and back into his life.

  Cool it. You have no right to feel this way, he tried to tell himself.

  But he couldn’t stop. Thinking about her flirting with Orman and the senator made something burn in his chest, strong and ugly.

  In the blink of an eye, he pulled up outside the beach house. It looked exactly as he remembered it, but he couldn’t even smile at the sight of it.

  “All right, what is wrong with you?” Paige asked, frustrated. “You didn’t say a single word the entire way back from Newport!”

  “It’s nothing,” Jack insisted, pursing his lips.

  “Fine,” Paige huffed, grabbing her bag and opening the door.

  “Though, just a word of caution,” Jack said before she could go. The words spilled out of him without permission. “It’s not really wise to use yourself to get information from the suspects.”

  “Use myself? Is this about me flirting with Orman?”

  “Just don’t make advances on the suspects in the future,” Jack said, staring ahead. “It puts my department at risk, after all, especially when the suspects have more power.”

  He saw the moment she understood his implications. Her face went white and then two spots of red appeared on her cheeks. Her eyes blazed. He recognized that face; she was furious.

  “Are you accusing me of behaving inappropriately toward the senator?” she snarled.

  “The senator folded awfully quickly,” Jack snorted. He couldn’t stop himself. “His reputation for having certain relations is famous around here, as well.”

  She bared her teeth and her hands clenched at her sides like she wanted to strangle him with them. He’d never seen her so angry. It fascinated him a little, the wave of indignation and hurt swept most of that away.

  “How dare you,” she hissed. “Just… no. You know what? I’m not even going to bother answering you. Get lost, Jack.”

  She slammed the car door so hard that the entire vehicle rattled and stomped toward the porch. Not even bothering to wait for her to get inside, Jack reversed the car and sped off. What did he care how she reacted? Maybe she needed to be more careful in the future.

  When the little voice in his head whispered that it wasn’t her safety he was most concerned with right now, he ignored it.

  Paige flung the front door open, half surprised that it didn’t come off its hinges. A crash came from somewhere inside, quickly followed by running feet. Seconds later, her father appeared around the corner, a fierce look on his face and a baseball bat clutched in his hands.

  Normally, she would have found the sight amusing. Normally, though, she hadn’t just had one of her oldest friends accuse her of using sex to get suspects to talk.

  “Paige!” Patrick said, startled. “You’re home early.”

  “We finished early,” Paige snapped. “I’m going to head out back for a bit, if that’s okay?”

  “Go for it.” Her father looked closely at her. “Is everything all right?”

  “Just peachy,” she scoffed.

  She brushed past him, not surprised when he didn’t call her back; he recognized the anger overflowing and knew to give her some space.

  She couldn’t believe what Jack had just said to her! What right did he have, anyway, to comment on her choices? She hadn’t done what he had accused her of… but even if she had, it was none of his business!

  She scowled. So much for impressing him with her quick thinking and showing him that he hadn’t been wrong in asking for her help. Paige kicked moodily at the ground. Where had that accusation even come from, anyway? Surely he knew her better than that!

  Except… he didn’t, did he? They had reunited barely a week ago; she hadn’t even asked if he had known she was in town before she barged into his office. Maybe he had known and had been avoiding her; their parting hadn’t been pleasant, after all. Being dragged along in her wake again probably evoked bad memories.

  Yet, the way he had smiled at her yesterday across the table… that hadn’t been the smile of someone regretting having their past shoved on them. It had carried fond memories of the time they had spent together, and a hope for more memories in the future.

  So where had today come from? He had been fine before she went into the office! In fact, he had granted her permission to go in there.

  Paige breathed in, tasting the salty sea breeze, and exhaled deeply. Her anger began to fade now, but she didn’t want it to go. As it ebbed, a deep hurt took its place.

  Was that how Jack saw her now? A promiscuous, big-city lawyer happy to mess around to get her way? Even in the city, though, she had never been like that; she hadn’t changed from the studious, hardworking student she had been when he’d known her.

  But maybe Jack saw too many changes in her. Perhaps he looked at her and didn’t even recognize her as she recognized him. That thought hurt even more.

  Well, if that was the case, maybe they should dissolve their partnership. She looked out over the sea. Fine. She would just work on her own from now on.

  That would be far better that seeing a stranger reflected in Jack’s eyes whenever he looked at her.

  11

  Cracks in the Case

  The moment Jack woke up the next morning, the thought that had plagued him all night returned: he had been out of line yesterday.

  “Damn it,” he muttered to himself, running a rough hand over his face.

  He had no idea what had come over him yesterday. One moment he had been fine, and then a raging jealousy had roared through him. He spat those awful words like poison, and he couldn’t get Paige’s face out of his head. She had sat there, furious, but also confused and hurt.

  In his office later that morning, Jack pulled his phone toward him for the third time; still no call. He had hoped that Paige might call him back after he had tried to call her before bed last night, but no such luck.

  He couldn’t say he blamed her for ignoring him.

  Today, however, he had to get ahold of her. Not only did he want to apologize for his words yesterday, Jack had also gotten the results from Cynthia’s autopsy this morning. The results had surprised him, and his first instinct had been to talk to Paige about them.

  He found it ridiculous how deeply she had already ingrained herself in his thoughts. He hadn’t seen her in so long that he honestly hadn’t thought he would even know her anymore. But Jack had quickly come to realize that Paige hadn’t really changed much at all; she was still clever and quick-tempered, but she had become more comfortable in her own skin. She no longer chafed at the bit constantly, far too large for such a small town. She had settled down, narrowing her focus to more important things.

  Meet
ing her again had been like being sent back in time, at first. Slowly, though, Jack had realized that, at some point in the last few days, they had begun to form new levels to their relationship. The friendship they had shared as teenagers had matured.

  It showed him that his feelings for her had never quite gone away. Working with her again, listening to her laugh, and seeing her smile had brought everything back tenfold. This time, he couldn’t call it a mere crush.

  With a groan, Jack pushed himself away from his desk. There was no sense thinking about any of this; not only was it too early into their current relationship to give a name to what he was feeling, but she wasn’t even talking to him right now. If he had any hope of even remaining friends with Paige, he needed to speak to her as soon as possible.

  It was with this thought in mind that Jack bid farewell to Jackson, ignoring the younger officer’s sigh of frustration at the piles of paperwork left behind, and strolled down the road. He hadn’t actually been to Paige’s new law office yet, but he knew that she would be working today; she had told him that she and her parents had decided that she would only work four days out of the week. He had wanted to ask why, but he still remembered her hesitation in answering his questions the other night, so he thought it better not to press the issue, no matter how frustrating.

  The law agency sat wedged between a little post office and an empty shop. Ignoring both, he eyed the sign in her window and then turned to look at the door. Closed.

  It didn’t bode well that she wasn’t here. He didn’t really have time to be chasing her everywhere today… but it suddenly occurred to him that there was nothing else he would rather do. The most important thing, right now, was finding her before this situation escalated.

  He couldn’t progress on the case without her anyway, he tried to tell himself. He needed her help, after all, and it was poor form to leave a partner behind.

  If the tiny voice in his head told him as he got in his car with the intent to go to her apartment that he was only lying to himself… well, no one else had to know.

  “So… are you going to tell me why you volunteered to help me weed my garden today?”

  At her mother’s words, Paige straightened and ran a gloved hand over her forehead, leaving behind a streak of dirt. Jennifer patted down some soil around a new plant, not looking at her daughter.

  “It’s nothing,” Paige said dismissively. “I just thought I’d come help today.”

  “Not that I’m not appreciative, but you took the day off,” Jennifer said, glancing at her.

  Paige understood why her mother was confused and worried. She hadn’t voluntarily taken a day off in some time (investigation days didn’t count since she was still, technically, working). She wasn’t even sure this one counted since she was still doing some sort of work.

  “It helps me clear my head,” Paige stated.

  Her mother made a skeptical sound in the back of her throat and had just opened her mouth to push further when the sound of a car driving up the road made both of them turn around.

  Paige pursed her lips, instantly recognizing the now familiar patrol car. She neither knew nor cared why Jack was here; she just wanted him gone.

  “Is that Jack?” Jennifer asked, shielding her eyes against the sun.

  “Looks like it,” Paige grumbled.

  Jennifer glanced at her daughter, surprised at her ire, as the car came to a stop and Jack slid from behind the wheel. Her gaze turned contemplative as she looked between them.

  “Sorry for dropping in unannounced,” Jack apologized to Jennifer. “I was looking for Paige.”

  “Not to worry! She’s here, as you can see,” Paige’s mother said with a smile. “Did you need to talk alone?”

  “If that’s all right,” Jack said respectfully. “I need to talk with her about the case.”

  “I’ll be inside, then,” Jennifer said with a nod. She looked as though she knew something was going on, but she left quickly, no doubt to wait for Paige to come inside and tell her what happened.

  That left Jack and Paige standing awkwardly together. Jack’s words from yesterday afternoon hung between them, and Paige pointedly refused to look at him.

  “I, uh, went to your office and your apartment, first,” Jack offered uncomfortably.

  “I took the day off,” Paige said shortly.

  “Yes, I can see,” Jack responded. He cleared his throat. “I thought you might want to hear what the autopsy said.”

  Paige had decided yesterday that she wasn’t going to work with Jack anymore. But free information would only help in the long run and Jack had offered. Reluctantly, she relaxed her shoulders and gestured to the porch, where two old chairs with comfortable pillows stood. She pursed her lips upon noticing that Jack hesitated before following her.

  “So, what did they find?” she asked as they settled in. She wondered if she ought to offer him something to drink, but she refused to waste niceties on him.

  “We’ve determined the probable cause of death,” Jack announced. He looked down at his hat, which he turned over in his hands. “The toxicology report was the most interesting; it said that there were traces of antidepressants and narcotics in Cynthia’s blood, though her regular doctor hadn’t prescribed either. There were only trace amounts, which means she didn’t take a lot of them, but we pulled her medical records. According to them, she had a known allergy to some of the ingredients in the medication, which makes it unlikely that she would have taken them herself.”

  “Right,” Paige said slowly. While not conclusive, allergic reaction now seemed the most probable cause of death they had so far. “Unless she didn’t know what was in the pills.”

  “We’re trying to track down where they came from, but it’s difficult,” Jack said. “Right now, we’re looking into how Cynthia might have gotten her hands on them, but if we can’t find any trace of her having bought them, then we’ll look into the possibility of someone else getting them for her.”

  This cause of death was oddly benign, especially since Paige had been so certain of foul play. Everything they had found so far had pointed to something funny going on.

  But maybe they could chalk it up to the oddities of a dysfunctional family. If Cynthia had bought that medication, then, in all likelihood, it was an accidental death, and would require no further investigation.

  Perhaps it was just as well that she pulled out of the official investigation.

  “Is that all you wanted?” she sighed. “You came all the way here to tell me about her autopsy report? Well, thanks. That will help.” She stood. “It’s all right, though, you don’t have to give me any more information. It’s probably better that you and I don’t…”

  “That wasn’t all I wanted!” Jack almost shouted, interrupting her. Paige turned to look at him, shocked. “If that was all, I could have just left you a message. But…”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I was out of line yesterday, Paige. What I said… it was stupid and cruel. When you told me about Orman… I worried that you might have put yourself in his line of sight.” He smiled weakly. “But that isn’t an excuse. I’m sorry, Paige, I really am. I don’t think that about you at all.”

  Paige stared at him, barely daring to breathe. A strange lightness flowed through her limbs as she listened to him, as though a great burden had somehow lifted.

  “Also, I would really like to continue working with you,” Jack continued, a pleading note in his voice. “You have helped this investigation greatly.” He shifted, seeming suddenly unsure. “I understand if you don’t want to, but…”

  “I want to.” The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. She smiled when Jack’s head shot up. “I do want to help you.”

  Jack closed his eyes as though in silent prayer.

  “Thank you,” he said, a full-blown grin on his face. “I’m really sorry, Paige.”

  “It’s… not entirely okay, but the apology helps,” Paige admitted. “Just talk to me next time instead
of lashing out at me.”

  “I can do that,” Jack promised with an eager nod. He stood and stretched. “I have an interview with Cecilia later this afternoon. Would you like to come with me?”

  “I would,” Paige said, unable to stop a grin from forming. Already, she felt the anger at him flowing out of her. “What time will she arrive?”

  “Around one o’clock. There was one other thing I had to tell you, though, about Cynthia’s autopsy.”

  “Yeah?” Paige asked, suddenly far more interested.

  Jack nodded and put his hat on. “It’s the reason we’re bringing Cecilia in for official questioning; forensics found her DNA on her sister, which means that Cecilia definitely saw Cynthia the day she died. They also found unknown DNA under Cynthia’s fingernails, which indicates some sort of struggle.” He grinned. “It looks like we still have a lot to solve.”

  “Looks like it,” Paige agreed. “All right, I’ll see you later.”

  Watching him walk away, the black cloud that had hung over her mood earlier seemed to dissipate. His words still hurt, and she didn’t completely forgive him for them yet, but his apology had helped. To think that one person could have such an effect on her mood.

  Shaking her head at herself, and knowing her mother was waiting for her, Paige turned to go inside. Certainly, there were still many things to figure out.

  12

  Broken Bonds

  Paige burst into the station, startling Jackson at the front desk. He blinked and then scowled, obviously recognizing her.

  “Are Jack and Cecilia here?” she asked.

  “In one of the interrogation rooms,” Jackson offered reluctantly, gesturing in the direction she had to go.

  A thrill of excitement ran through her. An actual interrogation room! She crossed to the door Jackson had indicated and found herself in a small room with what she knew was a two-way mirror covering most of one wall. Looking through it, she glimpsed Jack taking a seat across a table from two people: Cecilia and an older man in a suit, perhaps her lawyer. Paige stepped closer to the glass, fascinated.