by Jennie Jones
Jack took his focus to the guy; he was in his late twenties, dressed casually in board shorts and a rumpled T-shirt. ‘Are you carrying anything on your person or in your vehicle that you shouldn’t be?’
‘No. I don’t know where that came from. Someone must have snuck it in my car. It’s not mine.’
‘How could they sneak it into your car?’
‘I slept in it last night. I didn’t lock myself in.’
And my other leg’s got bells on. ‘We need to search you and your vehicle.’
The guy sighed hard and looked away.
Jack stepped forwards. ‘I need to advise you it’s an offence not to consent to a search, and if you don’t consent, we’ll do it anyway. Understood?’
‘So I’ve got no choice.’
‘Your choice is how you’re going to cooperate.’
The guy threw his head back with a despondent, slightly aggressive sigh.
Donna checked the interior of the vehicle while Louie opened the boot and rummaged through the guy’s backpack.
‘Nothing here,’ Donna said, closing the passenger door.
‘Same,’ Louie said.
‘Have you run a check?’ Jack asked.
‘Just about to.’ Louie headed to the troop wagon, which was parked behind the guy’s vehicle. He threw what Jack thought an insolent grin Donna’s way, looking her up and down as though he had a right to. As though he didn’t care what she might think about him giving her the eye.
‘Anything in your pockets?’ Jack asked the guy in possession of the cannabis pipe he said he didn’t own.
‘Ten bucks and a lighter.’
Jack proceeded to check everything he pulled out of his pockets.
‘Sarge,’ Donna said. ‘Got an overdue unpaid fine.’
Jack looked back at the guy. ‘This means you’re suspended from driving—as of now until you pay the fine. If you refuse to pay, you’ll get a summons. Is that understood?’
‘You mean I can’t drive?’ He looked incredulous. ‘I’ve got to get back to the mine. It’s eighty kilometres. What am I going to do? Walk?’
‘If that’s your preference, although I wouldn’t advise it.’
‘I can’t not drive!’ the guy insisted. ‘I have to get back. I rent a room in a house out that way. I haven’t got the money for the damned fine—and I’m not going to get it if I can’t get back to work!’
‘Donna?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Fancy giving this guy a lift home?’ There were no drugs on him or in his vehicle and Jack had no wish to mess about wondering how he’d get home. He’d likely get into more trouble by trying to nick his own car.
‘Will do. Louie and I are about to cruise out that way anyway. Need to check on a call from Mr Roper.’
Roper. Jack knew the name but hadn’t met the guy. Old man. Goat farmer? One of the ornery souls in town that Luke had spoken about. He’d met a number of people when he’d been here three months ago, but not everyone. He’d only been in town for a few days, and hadn’t been able to stay longer due to work, and due to the fact that Jax had refused point blank to talk to him.
‘What about my car?’ the mine guy said, obviously forgetting to say thank you to the cops for offering him a ride home.
‘Stays where it is.’
‘But—’
‘I suggest you take the lift, thank the officers for going out of their way, then pay the fine. Now gather what you need from the vehicle and lock it.’
The guy shunted off, opening the boot of his car and pulling out the backpack and a pair of work boots.
Donna gave a short laugh.
Jack turned his head her way and gave her a raised brow enquiry.
‘Well done—Sarge.’
He grinned at the emphasis she’d put on his title. ‘Still got the street smarts, have I?’
‘Not bad.’
‘Thought you were going for sergeant?’ he said, in reference to Louie’s promotion and nodding his way. It wasn’t unusual for a first constable to get sergeant rank but Donna, as senior constable, had been higher ranking than gel-haired Louie Lee, until now. She was a good cop—he’d liked the way she’d handled herself when he was here before.
She flung a look over her shoulder to where Louie was showing the mine guy where to store his backpack. ‘Yeah, well.’
‘Like that, is it?’
‘It’s not like anything. He’s a bit of a know-all, that’s all.’
‘He’s giving you the eye.’ She would have noticed, but he felt he ought to say something anyway.
Donna gave him a sinful smile and put her hand on her Taser handle.
Jack bit back a laugh. ‘Paperwork,’ he reminded her. ‘Pull that and you’ll be filling out forms for a week. Pull it without due cause and it’ll be a lot worse.’
‘Might be worth it,’ she responded, then lost the smile. ‘So why are you here, doing this?’ She indicated his blue shirt.
Jack shrugged. ‘Same as Luke. Got fed up sitting in the back of a van for ten hours at a time. Don’t get to meet people doing that.’ Luke had originally gone from detective to cop in uniform so he could go for promotion to Detective Inspector.
‘Yeah, right—Sarge.’
She might as well have said ‘pull the one with bells on’.
‘Louie and I will take a spin through Pepper Grovers after we’ve dropped this one off,’ she advised, getting back into work mode.
The Aboriginal community. He’d read something last night about there being a footy match out that way today. ‘Copy that, Murray.’
‘It’s Donna. Also, there’s no need for the copy-that shit. Not out here.’
‘Maybe I’ll start a craze and have you all follow city procedure.’
She laughed as she turned away, then looked back. ‘It’s kind of easygoing out here, Jack. We don’t need to identify ourselves on the radio either, because we all recognise the voice of whoever’s talking. Although,’ she added, with a decidedly sardonic pull of her mouth, ‘we don’t know you. Yet.’
‘I guarantee you soon will,’ he said, and thought he heard a hint of OIC-in-charge-bold-and-in-uniform in his tone—which ended up making him smile, although he turned from his senior constable before she made another wisecrack.
When Donna moved off to the arrest wagon he looked down the street, and stilled.
Jax was getting out of her vehicle, which was parked in front of the café.
This was it then—first meeting and he hadn’t even had a start-the-day caffeine kick.
Jax looked over her shoulder as she headed from the kerb to the café. The back door of her four-wheel drive was open because she’d asked Frances to help bring in a pile of stainless steel platters the café used for takeaway lunches for meetings and so forth. Frances had said she’d prefer to wait in the car. She’d amazed Jax by already being up and dressed by the time Jax had finished with the dogs. She’d even helped herself to a bowl of cereal—not worried about any gluten that might be in it, the way she hadn’t bothered about the gluten in the bowl of spaghetti Bolognese she’d wolfed her way through last night.
She’d hardly said a word this morning. Jax had said plenty but she hadn’t got more than a huffy breath for an answer. Much the same as last night.
Frances didn’t want to see inside the café; she said she was only coming along for the ride because she presumed she wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the house on her own.
Damn right.
Jax got to the café door and put down the box of platters so she could get the door keys and deal with the alarm before taking the catering plates inside. There were orders for Sunday catering for a mine managers’ meeting, and Rachel and Rosita would need the extra platters she’d had stored at the house. Perhaps she’d be able to persuade Frances to stay and even help out. More likely they’d both go home and Jax would talk and Frances would huff any number of derogatory responses.
As she rose from putting the box on the pavement, everything ins
ide her turned to jelly—except for her heartbeat, which thumped like a hammer drill. It wasn’t even 7 am. But there was Jack, walking towards her.
It felt like an age before he reached her, as though everything was happening in slow motion.
‘So you’re really back,’ she said without preamble as he stopped in front of her.
He smiled. ‘Missed you.’
Like a guy missed sugar sprinkled on his pancakes. But there were always other pancakes, like there were always other women willing to cook them.
‘What are you doing here?’ she asked, turning from him and pulling the café keys from the back pocket of her jeans.
She felt him move closer without having to look behind her. His strong male energy invaded her space like the waft of hot air from an oven. She’d have to ensure she didn’t get burned by that heat.
He cleared his throat. ‘It’s great to see you. You’re looking lovely.’
She wasn’t going to tell him he was looking pretty good too. When he walked, he sauntered, a little sloop-shouldered on one side but that only gave him more appeal—like some experienced, seen-it-all, done-it-all superintendent ready to inspect his troops and tell them what they might expect in hell that day. Although this was Mt Maria so it was unlikely to be hellish. And he was in uniform! Why hadn’t she reckoned on that?
She resisted looking at him, but she’d already been zapped by the image of him in blue. She’d never expected to see the successful detective she’d had one lousy date with looking like some big, muscle-bound, uniformed hero ready to … What? Help her open the door? Her damned key was stuck in the lock!
She looked over her shoulder at her four-wheel drive. Frances was in the rear, earphones in and head down, studying her iPhone.
‘You’re certainly looking the business,’ she observed after throwing Jack a half-glance. She struggled to pull the key out before she broke the tip off.
‘Want a hand?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘You’re going to break the tip if you keep yanking like that.’
‘It’s fine! Thanks,’ she added quickly. Best not to start an argument with him. She had no idea why he was in town or how long he was staying, but why hadn’t Luke told her his mate was going to be working here?
At last, the key slid out and she took a breath and tried again.
‘You need more than a lock,’ Jack observed as she opened the door.
‘I’ve got an alarm.’
‘Is it monitored?’
‘Of course it is.’
‘How many break-ins have you had in the last few years?’
She stepped inside the dining area and walked across the tiled floor to the alarm system behind the counter. ‘Can’t remember,’ she said as she punched in the code to deactivate the alarm.
Jack bent, picked up the box of platters then stepped inside. ‘I checked. Eight times in as many months.’
He’d checked? She shot him a narrow-eyed glare. ‘That was two years ago.’ What right did he have to check, and why do it? ‘Is this official police business?’
He put the box onto the counter. ‘Kind of.’ His smile appeared—the sheepish don’t you like me just a little smile.
Suddenly she was shy and wary again—because of Jack. Because of his presence. She hadn’t felt these emotions for years, but she knew them well enough to recognise the symptoms. Her face was hot, her heart pounded and she had to tighten her kneecaps—an old habit she had learned in her childhood to keep herself under control whenever her mother confronted her about some perceived defect her daughters possessed.
‘Why are you here?’ she asked. No point in delaying the inevitable conversation.
He walked along the side of the counter, a hopeful look on his face. ‘Checking on you. Letting you know I’m around. Making sure your business is safe.’ He paused. ‘Getting the first meeting over. Wondering how the land lies between us.’
When he’d been in town three months ago she’d been brusque with him. She hadn’t wanted to hear his excuses about what he’d done in Kalgirri, let alone accept an apology. Anybody with a brain would have said she was right to be offhand with him, if they’d seen what she’d seen him do that night in the hotel.
But who was he now? Was he in uniform for however long it took him to go for a promotion from DSS Maxwell to Detective Inspector Maxwell? It’s what Luke had originally planned to do.
‘There’s too much land between us,’ she told him.
‘I’m a good traveller. I can cover the distance,’ he responded, a light of humour still in his eye.
They met each other’s gaze and held it for so long it felt like she might run out of breath. His eyes were something to behold—molten-brown, constantly narrowed as though the sun always shone on his face. One moment they were inviting you to take your clothes off, the next they made you think of a big playful dog who’d done something he ought not to have done—and caused your heart to melt because of that surely you can forgive me anything look.
Why couldn’t he be ordinary? Why did every woman who looked at him imagine much more? And why had he obviously let so many of them into his life?
‘Oh, sorry. Is this something?’
Jax managed to drag her eyes off Jack’s at the sound of Franca’s voice.
‘Franca—Frances. Come in.’ She hurried to the door and smiled at her daughter.
She wanted to take hold of Frances’s hand—more for her own comfort than anything else. She was suddenly embarrassed about having a daughter and not having told Jack. Which made no sense, because she wasn’t ashamed of Frances. It was more likely her awkwardness was because of how that daughter came to be—which she certainly didn’t want Jack to know.
Jack had scared her when she’d first met him. For the first time in her life she’d been aware of wanting something she didn’t have. She could work hard and make her house a comfortable home. The home of a dedicated animal rescue volunteer and café owner. But Jack made her think of being married, and part of a unit. Then he’d ruined any rosy scenarios that had been in her head.
‘This is my daughter, Frances,’ she said to him, finding courage and thankful for its return. Had he been told about this? Had Luke or Rachel informed him that Jax had a nasty little secret which was now out in the open, apart from the truth behind it, for all to see?
Jack’s mouth opened but he didn’t speak. His eyes were on Frances.
‘Frances,’ she said. She managed to stop herself from putting an arm around the child’s shoulders. ‘This is …’ She looked at Jack and then glanced at the epaulette on his shoulder. ‘Senior Sergeant?’ Had he lost the detective title altogether?
He nodded, and gave a smile. ‘Senior Sergeant Jack Maxwell,’ he told Frances. ‘How’s it going?’
‘Senior Sergeant Maxwell is …’ Another look at Jack. ‘In charge?’ They hadn’t exactly had a full conversation in the last few minutes so she still had no idea what he was doing here, let alone why he was in uniform.
He relieved her of having to question him further when he stepped forwards and held his hand out to Frances. ‘Sarge will do,’ he told her. ‘I’m the new top cop in the cop shop.’ He said it with a friendly playfulness. ‘You can call me Jack, if you’d like to.’
Frances stared at him, but eventually took his hand. She had a perplexed look on her face, as though she hadn’t had to shake the hand of the law before now.
‘You look just like your mother,’ Jack told her, now looking as perplexed as Frances was.
‘Biological parent,’ Frances stated flatly. ‘Giver of life, nothing more.’
Jax’s chest ached at that, but she removed the pained expression that fleetingly crossed her face—although not quick enough for Jack not to have noticed. She met his gaze above Frances’s head and appealed to him with her eyes not to say anything. And maybe not to judge.
He smiled, tenderly. Or perhaps it was just politely.
‘Well, it’s good to meet you,’ he said, dropp
ing Frances’s hand. ‘Welcome to town. We’ve got a youth centre. Not sure yet how much happens there, but I can find out for you.’
‘No thanks. Not interested.’
He gave Jax another look, one that said, What’s going on here? Then he aimed a friendly smile at Frances. ‘When do you start school?’
‘We haven’t discussed school yet,’ Jax told him quickly, moving to stand behind Frances, although she remembered not to put her hands on the girl’s shoulders. Frances didn’t want to be touched. She mouthed, silently, over Frances’s head: ‘There’s no high school here.’ She gave Jack a pleading look, one that hopefully he’d comprehend. It had been decided that Frances wasn’t to know this yet, that it was better if Jax told her, as she would be overseeing all the SIDE—School of Isolated and Distance Education—classes and learning. Would Jack get it?
He cleared his throat and stepped back, looking a bit uncertain but obviously knowing he’d somehow put his boot in his mouth. ‘I’ll leave you ladies to your day,’ he said, then gave Jax another enquiring look. ‘Maybe later,’ he said.
She understood. He still wanted to talk about where the land lay between them.
He walked outside and she discovered she was holding her breath.
Maybe there was a valid reason for his behaviour that night in the hotel, but she couldn’t imagine what. Luke had introduced them when he’d run her into Kalgirri to pick up her new second-hand four-wheel drive. Jack had made her feel special, and attractive for all the right reasons: you’re a lovely person and I think you have a good heart kind of reasons. Plus there was the obvious mutual and instant attraction between them. That bolt of lightning that fazed your brain for a second. That almost blinded you, as though the lightning bolt had been sent to hit both of you at the same time, excluding anyone and everything around you.
He’d taken her out to dinner. They’d got on well. Sparks when their eyes met. A tingle when their fingers had touched as he passed her a napkin, or when his knee had touched her leg beneath the table. While they were waiting on dessert, he’d taken an odd sort of call where it was obvious he hadn’t wanted to speak in front of her, and then he’d excused himself. She’d known something was up by his expression when he apologised. ‘Will you give me a few minutes?’ he’d asked. ‘Don’t go away,’ he added, with what she’d thought was a teasing smile.