Fatally Linked

by Juliann Vatalaro

  Katie looked at the floor for a moment before she lifted her head with a smile on her face. “Thank you. Thank you for killing him.”

  “You’re not upset that we took a life? That we had to kill someone?”

  “Nope. I’m actually glad you did.” She looked at Jake and then Dani. “Is that wrong? Oh, God. I shouldn’t feel that way, should I?”

  Dani sat up, clasped her hands together on the desk. “You get to feel any way you want. I always knew that being a cop I might have to take a life someday. I’ve actually wondered how I would feel if I did. Now I’m pretty sure that every situation is different, but as far as these two situations are concerned, I’m very glad I did, too.”

  She looked at Jake. “To be honest, this is the third life I’ve taken. The first guy raped and murdered three teenage girls. I didn’t have a problem with taking his life. Dr. Oberman killed three innocent teenagers, so no problem there. I damn sure don’t have a problem with taking the life of the man that killed my brother.”

  They were quiet for a minute before Katie spoke. “Since he’s dead, I guess I don’t have to see him.”

  Dani laughed. “It’s probably better you don’t.”

  Katie stood up. “So if it’s over, can I go see Willy now?”

  Jake and Dani looked at each other and shrugged. “Ah, sure. I’ll take you.” Jake got up slowly. “That is, as long as you’re not going to do anything stupid,” he said to Dani.

  “Nope, nothing stupid on my list of things to do today. Go ahead and take her.”

  “Ah, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but I can go alone.”

  Jake and Dani starred at her.

  “I’m a sixteen-year-old genius that is in her second year of college. I’ve basically have lived on my own on the streets for the last month. You just told me that you got the guy that may have been a danger to me. Daren, the guy that we know was a danger to me is in jail. I see no reason why I can’t go see him on my own.”

  Again Dani and Jake looked at each other and shrugged. “You’re right,” Jake said as he took out his wallet. He pulled a fifty out and handed it to her. “Take a cab. I want a call when you get there.”

  “Ah, thanks, but I don’t need your money. I have plenty of it.”

  She headed for the door. She smiled to herself, guessing that they didn’t know that her grandparents were loaded and left everything to her.

  “Do we have a right to ask what time you’ll be home?” Dani asked.

  She stopped with her hand on the door, slowly turning back. “Am I still staying with you?”

  “I would like you to, but I guess it’s up to you. You are an emancipated minor. You can do anything and stay anywhere you want.”

  “Are you going back to California?” she asked Jake.

  “Not tonight. I’ll be around for a few more days, at least. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

  “Not sure if it matters what I think, but I think you should stay. Dani needs a new partner. You two work well together. I’ll be home by seven. Dinner’s on me tonight.”

  She smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

  Dani took out the folder she made on Katie. Nancy had sent her all the information she dug up when Jake asked for her help with the guardianship. She skimmed the file and looked up. “It seems her grandparents had money. A lot of it. She’s set for life.”

  She handed him the folder.

  He read the file and laughed. “I’ve been trying to bribe her with a twenty here and a ten there.”

  Dani laughed. “You’re not the only one. She’s probably buying dinner tonight with all the money we’ve been giving her.”

  “Yeah, probably.” After a moment of staring at each other, Jake headed for the door. “I better go write up my reports.”

  “It can wait until tomorrow if you need to go get some rest.”

  “Are yours going to wait till tomorrow?”

  “Of course not, but I’m the boss. I have to set a good example. You’re just here on loan. You get to skirt the rules a little.”

  “Technically I’m a transfer. I’m a permanent member of your team.”

  Dani dropped her pen on the desk and sat back. “Are you planning on staying a permanent member of my team?”

  “Would you have a problem with that?”

  She put her head in her hands and rested her elbows on the desk. “All I know is that looking at you hurts.” She sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out before she looked up at him. “You’re a good cop. I’ll give you a letter of recommendation to whatever precinct you want.”

  “So you want me to leave?”

  Did she? So what if he looked like Zach? He was a good cop. They needed a good cop in her squad. He was going to want to live by Katie so he could keep an eye on her. She didn’t have a right to ask him to leave her alone. Sure, she’d always be around for her, but Jake was family. She needed family.

  “Dani, do you want me to leave?” Jake asked again.

  “I have no idea.” She waved her hand to the door. “Now get out of my office.”

  Dani walked into the captain’s office, quietly laying her reports on his desk.

  “It’s done?”

  “Yes, sir. It’s done.”

  He put the file on top of his pile and sat back. “Are you okay?”

  “With the shooting, yeah. With everything else, I will be.”

  “Just to keep you in the loop, I spoke with Detective Cranstone’s commanding officer. He will be suspended without pay for a month.”

  “No way we could get him relieved of his duties?” A nice way of saying she was hoping he would be fired.

  The captain smiled. “Sorry, no. He’s got a clear record. He’ll be written up and suspended. Hopefully he’ll think twice before he blows off another missing kid.”

  “Thanks for taking care of it.” She headed for the door.

  “Are you ready to take a few days off now?”

  “Maybe tomorrow. I could use some sleep. I’ll let you know.” She grabbed the doorknob.

  “And Jake?”

  “And Jake what?”

  “He’s good. I’d hate to kick him out. Can you work with him?”

  She sighed. “I’ll tell you what I told him. I have no idea.”

  She walked out.

  She rubbed her hand over Zach’s picture as she left for the night. Katie had texted her saying she would be home with dinner by seven. Since it was only a little after five she took a detour home. She headed to the cemetery.

  She sat in front of Zach’s grave for over an hour without saying a word. When she left she still could not figure out why he would not tell her about Jake and Katie. Walking the twenty something blocks home from the cemetery helped her realize that it was something that she would never know. He had his reasons. Of course she would never know what those reasons were, but he had his reasons. As much as it hurt her and as much as she hated not knowing why, she loved him with all her heart, so she would have to respect them.

  Katie was home setting the coffee table for their dinner when she walked in. She threw her keys on the counter and her jacket on the chair before heading to the refrigerator for a beer.

  “Where’s Jake?” she asked as she dropped on the couch.

  “I figured he was with you.”

  “I left early to go to the cemetery.” When Katie looked at her she added, “I wanted to say goodbye.”

  Katie sat in the chair across from her. “You can’t forgive him, can you?”

  Dani took a sip of her beer. “Not today, no. But maybe tomorrow. We’ll have to wait and see.”

  “Does that mean I can’t ask you questions about him?”

  “No. You can ask me anything you want. I promise I will tell you everything I know. Just keep in mind that Zach was a great man, but he wasn’t perfect. You may not always like the answer.”

  “That’s okay. Nobody’s perfect.”

  “I’m perfect,” Jake said as he walked in the door.
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  “Ha, ha,” Dani and Katie laughed.

  Jake threw his keys on the counter next to Dani’s and his jacket over hers on the chair. “So what’s for dinner?”

  “Chinese.”

  Katie handed him a beer she grabbed from the refrigerator.

  A few minutes later their plates were full and they sat around the table. They ate in silence for the next five minutes before Jake spoke.

  “So, Dani, you know pretty much everything about me and Katie, maybe you should fill us in on what we should know about you.”

  “You already know about me. I’m a cop and I was in love with Zach. That covers it.”

  “What about family?”

  “What about it?”

  Jake chuckled. “Parent, brothers, sisters. Do you have any?”

  Dani looked at each of them. She knew this would come up eventually. She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about it, but if they were going to be in her life, they should know. She went to the refrigerator. When she came back she dropped three chocolate bars on the table.

  “I’m an only child. My parents started and own the company that makes those.” She pointed to the chocolate bars.

  Jake and Katie both picked one up.

  “I love these. They’re my first choice when I need a chocolate fix,” Katie said as she opened the bar and took a bite.

  “They’re one of my favorites, too,” Jake told her as he opened his and took a bite.

  “Yeah, they’re great,” Dani said with more sarcasm than she meant to show.

  Jake shook his head. “I’m guessing you don’t get along with your parents?”

  “Nope, they would rather I have gone into the business then be a cop. I couldn’t see myself selling chocolate for the rest of my life.”

  “The company is worth millions,” Katie said. “I did a paper on them my first year of high school.” She looked at Dani. “So you’re a millionaire cop.”

  Dani sat up. “No, my parents are millionaires. I’m just a cop. I live off my salary as a cop, as you can tell from this apartment.”

  “So you don’t see them?” Jake asked.

  “Sure I do. Holidays, birthdays, and once a month on Sunday for brunch if I’m not involved in a case. A case of those is my gift for showing up.”

  “Wow, free chocolate for life. Every girl’s dream.”

  Katie’s laughter had Dani and Jake laughing.

  When the laughter died down, Katie asked, “So now what?”

  “Now what, what?”

  “Are you going back to California?”

  Jake looked at Dani. “I thought I’d stay around a little longer. I want to make sure you’re settled and back in your classes. We have to deal with the house. See the lawyer about your mom’s estate and when you’re ready we’ll take that trip up to the mountains.”

  Katie lowered her head and wiped her eyes.

  Jake added, “That is, if you want me to help you out with all that.”

  “Yes, please. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it through all that without help.”

  “Dani, is that okay with you? I can get a transfer to another precinct if you want.”

  Dani took another sip of beer—this time a long sip—before answering. “No. You’re a good cop. As you said, we could use you. Just understand that it’s not going to be easy for me. So when you piss me off, and you will, don’t get all bent out of shape when I ream you out for it.”

  Katie laughed. Jake smiled. “Good. That’s settled.”

  “What about living arrangements? Eventually Dani’s going to want her bed back.”

  Jake looked at Dani. “Did you know the apartment across the hall was available?”

  “Was?”

  Jake reached in his back pocket and threw the lease on the table. “Was. I can move in tonight. Katie can have Zach’s apartment. You can have your bed back.”

  Dani finished her beer. “So not only will I have to work with you all day, I’ll have to live across the hall from you.”

  “Yup.”

  “Great. Just great.” She got up to get another beer.

  Katie laughed. “This is going to be fun.”

  Jake winked at her and smiled. “So how’s Willy doing?”

  Dani smiled as Katie told them all about Willy’s plan to break out of the hospital. She may not have Zach, but she had his family. Maybe not her first choice, but she was starting to think it was a pretty damn good second.

  Reviews mean everything to an author. If you enjoyed this book and this series please leave and honest review.

  If you have enjoyed this book, you’ll want to get to know Nikki & Kenny. Their nine book series starts with the Pact. They offer you romance and action in each book of the series.

  About the author:

  I grew up on Long Island, NY, and now reside in Richmond, VA. I work as an engineer by day and a writer by night. If I’m not working or writing I enjoy reading, playing free online poker tournaments and watching the New York Yankees.

  Please visit my website at: http://www.juliannvatalaro.com/