by Lea Coll
I hadn’t told my friends that Luke had broken it off with me yet. I was embarrassed. The fact that I should have known better still bothered me. There was also the issue that we weren’t actually dating, so there was nothing to break off.
“He thought it would be best if we didn’t associate with each other,” I said, bracing myself for their reactions.
“What? Is that exactly what he said?” Ashley asked. She was always the one who was tasked with interrogating someone. She was great at getting to the bottom of things.
“He said Cam thought I was a distraction and he didn’t disagree. He also said we weren’t dating so there was nothing to break off,” I said, embarrassed. I really wished I didn’t have to have this conversation, especially with Luke’s brother, Sawyer, present. I didn’t know him that well.
I glanced over at him but he just looked thoughtful.
“I’m sorry, Emma. I thought Luke had more balls than that,” Jack said.
I smiled, grateful for his support but I knew he was just trying to be nice. He was Luke’s childhood friend, after all.
“Well, Luke is really ambitious and this is what he’s always wanted. He needs to focus on this right now but I’m sure he will change his mind once the election is over,” Samantha said, patting my arm.
I didn’t disagree with her or mention that I would be moving back to Baltimore after the election. There was no point in bringing that up.
“The thing is Emma, Luke has always wanted to be a police officer. He fights for the underdog and wants to help and protect people. He’s proud of this community and he sees the best way to help the community is to be sheriff. He doesn’t think Brad’s policies will be good for the county. It has nothing to do with you,” Sawyer said.
What Sawyer had to say was right. He had obviously analyzed the issue but he didn’t take into account my feelings.
This was another thing I was afraid of. Luke breaking things off with me would make my friendship with these people awkward. It would be best if I separated myself from them. In the end, they’d known Luke all of their lives and would be loyal to him. Plus I was temporary here. I would do my time and go back to my old apartment and job.
“Don’t worry about it, guys. It was for the best,” I said, hoping someone would change the subject. As soon as I could, I said I was tired so I could leave. Thankfully no one left with me so I could be alone.
As I opened the door to leave, I ran right into a hard chest and bounced back. “Whoa there,” the very masculine voice said. I would know that voice anywhere, Luke.
“Sorry,” I said, and tried to duck under his arm to leave. Minimal contact was best.
It was a small town so I was destined to run into him from time to time.
“Emma, wait,” Luke said.
“Sorry, I’ve got to be somewhere.” Then I pulled my arm from his grip and stepped out onto the sidewalk. I booked it back to my apartment which was only two buildings away. Thankfully, Luke didn’t follow me.
“WHY IS YOUR EMPLOYER HERE?” I asked my client.
He looked away nervously licking his lips. “Um, just for moral support.”
“He seems to be making you more nervous,” I said, glancing back at Ben Harris who was hovering a few feet away glaring at me. I didn’t blame my client; Ben’s hovering was starting to make me antsy too. I turned my attention back to Mitch O’Connell who was wearing torn and dirty jeans, a T-shirt with the logo for Archer Recycling Metals, and steel-toed work boats.
“Oh, he’s a really nice guy. He doesn’t want this to affect my job that’s all. I need a CDL to drive the truck at work,” he said.
“Okay. That makes sense. Well, let’s talk about your case while we have a minute. It’s your second DUI so you’re facing up to two years in jail and two thousand dollars in fines.”
“My other attorney said I wouldn’t get two years,” he said, upset now.
“It’s unlikely you would get the maximum for your second offense, but I’m required to tell you what the maximum sentence is. It’s ultimately up to the judge.”
“Where is my other attorney?” he asked.
“She’s out on maternity leave,” I explained.
“Did she talk to you about my case?” he asked.
“No, she didn’t, but I reviewed your file and I’m familiar with it.”
“She didn’t say anything about my case to you?”
“No,” I said. I was starting to wonder why he kept asking. I opened the file to take a look at her notes again to see if I was missing anything, but then I remembered that there weren’t any notes in this file.
“Hey, the judge is going to be out soon,” Ashley said, touching my shoulder as she walked in to the courtroom.
“Okay, thanks,” I said to her, shooting her a grateful smile. I turned back to Mitch, wanting to finish prepping his case.
“Are you going to AA meetings?” At his confused look, I added, “Did your prior attorney advise you to seek alcohol treatment?”
He pulled out a folded piece of paperwork from his pocket and handed it to me. I opened it, noting the dates he attended meetings.
I tucked his AA paperwork into his file. “Great. Have you gone to a treatment program?”
“No man. I can’t afford to take off of work for that.”
“Your employer seems concerned that you stay out of jail and keep your license so that you can continue to do your job. Maybe you could talk to him and get confirmation that he would allow you to enter a thirty-day program?”
“Maybe. How would it help my case?” Mitch said, still looking nervous as he glanced over at Ben.
“Anything you can do to show the judge you are working on your alcohol problem will help in mitigation of your sentence. If the judge believes you’re sincere then he will give you less time or maybe even weekends in jail so you can keep your job.”
“Okay, that sounds good. Let me go talk to Ben,” he said, walking over to him.
I stood there hugging his file to my chest. I was carrying a briefcase full of files on my shoulder for the morning.
“Ms. Lawyer,” Luke greeted me softly so only I could hear him.
Why did his voice have to be so attractive? It was low and growly, even in court. I was a little annoyed that his voice still got to me and he’d used his nickname for me.
“Luke,” I said while pretending to look at Mitch and Ben to check on their progress so I didn’t have to look him in the eye. I could never resist him when we made eye contact. “Was Mr. O’Connell cooperative when you arrested him?” I asked, keeping it professional.
“Yes. Can I talk to you?” Luke asked.
“Let’s keep our talks brief and only talk about work, okay? We don’t want people to speculate about our relationship again,” I said, as Mitch walked back up to me. “Excuse me.” I pulled Mitch over to the side so Luke wouldn’t overhear our conversation.
“Is Ben okay with it?” I asked, shooting a look over my shoulder at Ben.
“He’s okay with it. Work will help cover the cost,” he said.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Great. I’m going to talk to the state’s attorney about it. You can head into the courtroom.” I opened the door to the courtroom and gestured for Mitch and Ben to precede me. But before I could follow them, Luke grabbed my arm.
“Emma, I need to talk to you about this case.”
“The Mitch O’Connell case?” I asked, confused.
“Yes, this one. Come on, before the judge calls it,” he said, as he grabbed my elbow and steered me away from my client.
“Okay,” I said. “This better be necessary. I really need to speak to the state’s attorney.” It wasn’t that big of a deal since the state’s attorney wouldn’t call my case until I was ready but Luke didn’t know that.
“Did I overhear you say that Archer is paying for an employee to go to rehab?”
“Yes, but I don’t see how that’s your concern.”
He tilted his head to the side to
consider me. “You don’t think that’s strange?”
“It helps his case and that’s all that matters to me. Rehab is generally better than jail time for everyone involved.”
“Look, the guys who work at Archer come and go. They’re transient. A lot of them are addicts or recovering addicts. Archer doesn’t need any particular employee so badly it would be willing to give him time off for rehab to keep his job.”
“Okay, but how does that affect me?” I was really confused by this conversation.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure it does exactly. I’m wondering if it is connected to something that’s been going on.”
“Yeah, I thought it was odd he was here too. Ben wasn’t happy that I wouldn’t let him listen in on my conversation with Mitch and then he hovered over us the whole time a few feet away. It made Mitch uncomfortable.” It made me uncomfortable too but I didn’t mention that.
“That is interesting. Brad Campbell is starting to make a stink about unsolved cases. He’s specifically on my case about a few theft cases that haven’t been closed. I need to get them resolved before it affects the election.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“The incidents of stolen kegs from the pub, the bleachers taken from the high school, and the AC units that disappeared from the apartment complexes. We got the one guy who stole the AC units, but that’s not the only incident. I wouldn’t have thought it meant anything by itself, but when I put them together they could be related.”
“Okay, I remember now. How are they connected though?”
“Brad thinks it’s possible whoever is stealing these things is doing it for the metals inside. They can sell them to metal recycling companies, like Archer, for quick money. It’s easy money for drug addicts who need cash for drugs or rent. He thinks it’s part of a bigger scheme. I’m not so sure.”
“Well, I’m not sure how I can help.”
“Like I said, it’s probably nothing, but sometimes odd coincidences like this add up in my job. Brad thinks something is going on.” He took a deep breath and then said, “Thanks for talking to me, Emma. I wanted to say . . .”
“Look, I really need to get in there before my case is called. I’ll talk to you later,” I said, walking away before he could finish. I had a feeling he wanted to talk about our conversation from the other day and I wasn’t ready yet. I let him in once before and I wasn’t going to let him in again.
“GIRLS’ NIGHT!” ASHLEY SHOUTED FROM her office.
I sighed. I guessed I was not having a quiet evening at home. Then Ashley popped her head into my office. “Annie’s Wine Bar at 7:00. Be there or we will come get you.”
I gave her a disgusted look. “Fine.” There was really no point arguing with her.
“Have you and Luke made up yet?” Ashley asked.
“There’s nothing to make up remember?” I asked. “I’m going home now to change. Are you leaving?”
“No, I will probably walk over to the Annie’safter I’m done here.”
“You work way too hard. You need a break,” I said, concerned. I hassled her about this all the time. The main perk of a government job was working regular hours.
She smiled. “That’s why I’m going to Annie’s tonight.”
“You’re still working too late,” I said, as I gathered my suit jacket and briefcase. I checked to make sure I had the files I needed for the next day. I liked to prep them at home. It was too busy in the office to think sometimes.
She waved me off and walked back to her office. “See you in a little bit!” She called back to me.
I arrived at Annie’s a little after 7:00 p.m., and Ashley and Samantha were already seated at a table outside. I remembered the last time I came here and Luke stopped by to say hi. My heart twisted with the realization that he wouldn’t be doing that again. Whatever we had was over. I tried to put it out of my mind.
“Hey girls,” I said as I sat down. “Is Stella coming?”
“I’m sure she’ll be late,” Ashley said.
“Glad you made it,” Samantha said.
“Well, I didn’t have much of a choice. When Ashley says to go somewhere it’s non-negotiable.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” she asked, smiling.
“Hello, hello!” Stella called, practically running down the street. “I’m almost on time today.”
“Hey Stella, how’s it going?” Ashley asked.
“The sheriff’s race is driving me insane. The op-ed page is becoming our most popular page. I’m in charge of incoming letters, emails, and social media posts. I can’t keep up lately. The newest issue is that Luke has too many unsolved cases.”
“Who said that?” Ashley asked.
“It’s Brad’s latest accusation by way of letter to the paper. I think he spends more time cutting Luke down than outlining his agenda,” Stella said.
Ashley snorted and said, “You may be onto something there.”
“Luke mentioned something about that in court today. He said Brad’s breathing down his neck. Essentially waiting for him to make a mistake,” I said. “Did Brad mention specific cases?”
“He did. He mentioned some theft cases and questioned how hard on crime Luke really is. He insinuated that Luke is accepting campaign monies from Archer and possibly covering up crimes of the employees.
“That’s quite an accusation,” I said, surprised that Brad would stoop so low. “He doesn’t even have proof.”
Ashley looked down at her wine menu and said, “You don’t need proof in politics. Insinuation is enough for people to wonder if it’s true.”
I wondered how Brad’s accusations related to what Luke had told me in court. I wondered if both of them were onto something. I didn’t believe Luke was accepting money in exchange for covering up a crime. Luke was too straight laced for that. Luke thought the theft cases could be related to Archer too, just not in the way Brad was insinuating.
“How is the campaign going otherwise? Should Luke start writing his own letters to the paper?” Samantha asked.
“That’s a good idea. Has he?” Ashley asked.
“Not yet. He’s too stubborn. He wants to fight this the old fashioned way. He wants to focus on the issues and not trash talking the other side.” Stella said.
“That’s admirable,” Ashley said.
“We’ve asked him to respond to Brad’s letters, but he’s refused. Maybe you could convince him, Emma?” Stella asked.
“No one can convince that man of anything,” I said. I didn’t think he would take my advice on anything right now. He was only listening to Cam Hollis.
“Maybe try talking to Cam? I would think he would be up for trash talking the opposition,” Ashley suggested.
We all nodded in agreement. He did seem like a take-no-prisoners kind of guy. The waitress came and took our order.
Conversation turned to other topics and no one asked me about Luke. I think they sensed my reluctance to talk about it anymore. What’s done was done. I would do my time here and then move on. I begged off once it got dark. It was a warm beautiful night. I wondered what it would be like to live here permanently. I had friends here and I liked my job. I liked being able to walk to work and everywhere else. Living near the water was always a plus. I was just kidding myself though, because it would be awkward to be around Luke. It wasn’t like the city where I’d probably never run into an old boyfriend again. Chestertown was small. His friends were my friends. If it came down to it, his friends would always choose him and I couldn’t blame them. They’d known each other forever.
I was so preoccupied with my thoughts I wasn’t paying any attention to my surroundings. A gloved hand covered my mouth, an arm banded around my waist and my back was pulled tightly to the front of a hard, big body. I struggled but I couldn’t move an inch. I was frantic to get a look at whoever it was but I couldn’t see anything. Whoever held me began to drag me away from the sidewalk farther into an alley.
I turn
ed my attention to my surroundings. I tried to stay calm so I could remember any details that could get me out of this situation. The alley stunk like there were dumpsters nearby. There was some garbage strewn on the ground and puddles from the shower earlier in the day. I tried to remember exactly what I was near but I hadn’t been paying attention. I had to be at least a few blocks down from the bar. My nose scrunched up at the stench. I clawed frantically at the arm that held me, trying to pull it away from my mouth. I tried to kick my attacker, to no avail.
A rough male voice came from behind me. “Didn’t you get my messages?” I stilled immediately at his words. I assumed this question was rhetorical as I couldn’t speak with his hand covering my mouth. I nodded my head in agreement. I tried to bite his hand at the same time but his glove was too thick to do any damage.
“Did Mitch tell you?”
I was confused. Was he talking about my client? And if so, what was he referring to?
“I’m going to take my hand off my mouth and you’re not going to scream.” He pulled a knife from his pocket and held it to my neck. “Do you understand?”
I felt the tip of the knife on my throat and I tried to pull back from it but I couldn’t move with him tight on my back. I nodded in agreement. His hand left my mouth and pulled my hair back painfully. My head was pulled so far back, I could see that he was wearing a black ski mask.
“No, we just discussed his DUI case. Nothing else,” I spit out as I tried to speak through the pain.
“Don’t lie to me,” he said, pulling my hair even harder. I cried out a little from the pain.
“I’m not. That’s all we talked about.”
“You are not to talk to him if he contacts you,” he continued.
“Okay,” I agreed quickly. I had no intention of speaking to Mitch since his case was closed anyway. My mind was racing, wondering what this was about.
“Next time I see you, I won’t be this nice,” he said, as he slammed my head into the wall next to us and threw me down on the ground. I felt searing pain and reached up to grab my head. I could hear footsteps running away from me. By the time I looked up I was alone in the alley. I knew I needed to get up but the pain was intense. I felt around for my purse but I must have lost in the scuffle. I needed to get up and find my phone.