by Liz Bradford
The conversation lulled. Ella heated up the leftover spaghetti in the microwave, scooped it into bowls, and dumped some salad from the bag into another pair of bowls. She turned and handed Adam his bowls. “Would you like a glass of water or milk? I’m not sure they have anything else.”
Adam knew Caleb kept beer in the fridge in the basement, but even though he really wanted one he was determined to fight the desire tonight. Because he knew he wanted way more than one. “Water’s great.”
He watched her as she reached in the cabinet for a glass. Her curvy figure accentuated by the way her loose sweater clung to her body. It didn’t matter how modestly she dressed, he found her attractive.
She turned and handed him his glass of water. Her expression had darkened. “So, can you tell me anything about the guy that you found today?”
Not really what he wanted to talk about after dealing with the creep all day.
Amelia showed back up with Caleb before Adam could answer Ella’s question.
Amelia said, “Thanks, Ella, I’m going to eat in the family room, so I can put my feet up like I was told to.”
They all followed her. Ella carried Adam’s glass for him and sat down near him on the couch while Amelia and Caleb took the love seat.
Adam took his first bite and just soaked up being near Ella.
She reached over and poked his knee. “You really took him down, didn’t you?”
He looked at the grass stains on his gray slacks. “I did. Chased him all the way through the woods and into someone’s backyard before I was able to tackle him.”
Her smile gripped his heart. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
He shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal, but he loved her praise. “I haven’t forgotten your question.”
“Yes, what can you tell me?”
“Well, turns out the guy was a pedophile. A search of his house revealed some very… unpleasant things. He’s been officially arrested, and let’s just say, probably won’t see the light of day anytime in the next fifty years. But he’s definitely not the guy we were hoping for.”
“Yikes. I don’t understand people like that…”
“Me neither.”
“Okay,” Amelia said, “on to happier subjects. How much trouble did Molly get in at school today? I have to say I love having an in with her teacher this year.”
Ella leaned her head back and let out a giggle.
Adam clutched his fork to keep his hand from reaching out to her. How he long to feel her touch.
Adam pulled a piece of paper off the notepad sitting on his desk the next morning.
“Is everything set?” Amelia asked as she came back to their desks after yet another trip to the bathroom.
“Yes.” Adam had just gotten off the phone with Kyle Young’s father. “Spoke to the boy’s father. He didn’t ask any questions and is expecting us in an hour.”
“Really? No questions?”
“None. Kyle’s at school. So, we’ll just speak to the parents.”
“That’s good. He might ask more questions than they will.”
Adam stood and flipped his fedora on his head. Despite not getting enough sleep he was feeling great. Ella had seemed so open to him last night at Amelia’s house and had even agreed to hang out with him this evening. But first he and Amelia had to drive to Charlotte to talk with the parents of the boy Ella gave birth to.
“Where you guys headed so early? It’s not even nine yet,” Becca asked as they passed her desk.
“Uh.” They really should have decided on the cover story.
Amelia’s quick thinking saved them, “We have to follow up on a lead. Even though Jamison was the arresting officer yesterday, Ramirez is taking care of most of it. You guys have any leads you’re following up on today?”
“I wish. Gavin and I are planning on staring at pictures from all the crime scenes today.”
Gavin added, “Should be a blast! It would have been really helpful if this guy would have left some fingerprints or DNA.”
“No kidding,” Adam said. But hopefully they would have some DNA by the end of the day.
Adam and Amelia left and began the hour drive to Charlotte in silence.
Adam checked his side mirror as he merged with traffic on the interstate, and Amelia finally broke the silence. “I’m dying to know how you are feeling about this whole thing. We’re going to talk to the parents who adopted the kid who Ella gave birth to in high school. Is it totally weird for you, or am I just reading too much into things again?”
Adam chuckled and rolled his eyes. His partner really had a way of prying, but he knew it was useless to avoid her questions, especially since they were stuck in a car together. If he didn’t answer, she’d just keep rewording the question. He had never met someone so persistent at getting things out of him. He told her it was weird and that he kept trying to reimage his memories of pregnant Ella with the facts he now had. But that didn’t satisfy Amelia, she continued to ask a barrage of questions.
He finally asked, “Is this ‘twenty questions’?”
She giggled. “Yes. But I understand if you don’t want to talk about it; I’m just curious.”
“As always.” He laughed but let the serious nature of her line of questions take over. Did he really want to delve into this with her? Maybe it would help to talk about it with someone other than Ella. Should it come up with her, he’d like to have sorted through the emotions beforehand. He checked his mirrors again as he switched lanes and proceeded unloaded his thoughts about Ella and the situation.
However, it was clear that Amelia already knew all that he was telling her.
“She really told you everything, didn’t she?”
“She did. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course. Guess that makes you our little shrink, hearing both sides and sorting it all out for us.”
“Something like that.”
The conversation lulled, and after another twenty minutes of driving, they pulled up in front of a modest two-story suburban home. Adam turned off the engine and rubbed the back of his neck. Why was he so nervous about this?
“You ready?” Amelia asked.
“As I’m going to be. This could totally be the break we need in the case, but if we screw up somehow this kid’s life could be in danger.”
“So, we don’t screw it up. That’s the whole reason we’re taking the sample to a private agency here in Charlotte, and they pride themselves in discretion. My friend with the Charlotte PD has worked with them before and says they’re the best. No one back home will even know we were here today. Well, other than Ella and the Captain.”
“Jared doesn’t even know?”
“Nope. He knows what we are doing today has to do with Ella’s case, but he knows no details.”
“Okay. Let’s do this; but remember, they don’t know how Ella conceived.”
“I know, Adam.”
Adam’s stomach twisted in on itself as they got out of the car and walked up to the door. He knocked on the door with three firm raps and waited. A moment later a middle-aged man opened the door. “Mr. Young?”
“Yes. You must be the detective from Hazel Hill I spoke with earlier.”
“Yes, sir. I’m Detective Adam Jamison, and this is my partner Detective Amelia Johnson.”
Mr. Young shook both of their hands. “Please, come in.” He turned and called up the stairs, “Linda, those detectives are here.”
A nicely dressed woman in her late forties came down the stairs. “Welcome, detectives, would y’all like some coffee or sweet tea?” She looked at Amelia. “The tea is decaf.”
“Some tea would be wonderful,” Amelia said.
“Sounds good to me, too,” Adam added.
“It’ll be right up; please have a seat.”
They followed Mr. Young into the semi-formal living room. The mantel held several family pictures, Mr. and Mrs. Young and two children. A teenage boy, obviously Kyle, his big brown eyes looked just like Ella’s, besi
de him was a younger girl, whose different features made it clear she was also adopted. The bookshelves opposite of the fireplace held a number of trophies and awards. Adam smiled and sat on the sofa.
Mrs. Young came back into the room with a tray of glasses and a pitcher of sweet tea. She poured them each a glass and sat on the opposite sofa next to her husband. “Now, why are a couple of detectives from Hazel Hill coming to talk to us?” She wrung her hands that she had set in her lap. “Is Ella okay?” She turned to Mr. Young, “That’s where Ella is from right? Doesn’t she still live there?”
Mr. Young glanced at his wife before looking back at Adam. “Yes, she does. Please tell us what this is about.”
Adam pressed his lips together. He would let Amelia do the talking. She was the talker.
“Thank you for meeting with us today, Mr. and Mrs. Young. Ella is part of why we’re here. It’s a very delicate situation, so I’m going to seem guarded with my words, but feel free to ask questions.”
The couple nodded.
“First off, Ella is safe, so you can let that worry rest. We are here because we need a sample of Kyle’s DNA.”
Adam expected them to be surprised by the request, but they weren’t.
“Okay,” Mrs. Young said. “May we ask the circumstances behind the sudden request? Why after sixteen years would that matter now?”
“That’s my question, as well? Did Ella not know her attacker? We’ve never asked her those details. But why look for evidence now?”
Adam replied, “So you knew that Ella was raped?”
“Yes,” Mrs. Young said, “she never told us as much, but as we got to know Ella it was clear that she was not the type to have… you know. It was also evident that she had been through a great deal of trauma.”
“She still doesn’t think you know that. But we’re here now after so long because the man who assaulted her was never captured and has begun attacking women in Hazel Hill again.”
“Oh, my goodness, that’s terrible.”
“Whatever we can do to help. Is Kyle safe?” Mr. Young asked.
“We will see to it. No one knows about him. That is part of why we are here just now. Ella never told anyone in the police department that she was pregnant. The only ones who know about Kyle are the two of us, Ella, and our Captain. We are going to have a private lab analyze the DNA as well, just to keep the need to know out of the department and out of Hazel Hill.”
“So, do you need to swab his cheek like they do in the TV shows?”
“That is one option, but we can even keep him out of the loop by taking a toothbrush.”
“He could probably use a new one of those anyway. I’ll go get it.”
The kids had left for the day, and Ella wandered around her classroom cleaning up. She still wasn’t safe, and the insecurity of that was fraying her nerves. For the entire day, she had struggled to stay in the here and now. The kids had been acting up all day. She had never been so glad to see her students walk out the door as she had been ten minutes ago when they did. Guilt washed over her. She didn’t want to feel that way about them. They were just a bunch of eight-year-olds, but she was spent. Thank goodness tomorrow was Friday.
At least Adam was coming to get her today. She stopped midway through picking up some scraps on the floor. Was she actually happy about hanging out with Adam? Oh, Jesus, what’s my heart doing?
She didn’t have time to process those thoughts any further. A knock sounded on the open classroom door. She stood and turned and smiled at the tall, handsome figure leaning against the door frame. “Hey, Adam.”
He tipped his hat to her. “Good afternoon. How was your day?”
Her soul lifted a bit in reaction to his smile. “Awful.”
His smile faded and worry lines replaced his raised brows.
“My class was a piece of work today. Wild and crazy, and I’m still recovering from yesterday’s anxiety.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He came further into the room.
She threw the bits of trash away and erased the board. “It’s okay. I’m just glad the day is over, and tomorrow is Friday.”
“Well, tonight we shall relax. Thanks for being understanding about not going to your kick-boxing class.”
“Not a problem. I could see how it’s not the best place to keep me safe. What were you thinking for babysitting me tonight?”
“I wouldn’t call it babysitting; it’s a privilege to hang out with you. Thanks for putting up with me.”
“It’s nice to get out of Amelia and Caleb’s hair some, but I’m also glad to be able to spend time getting to know you again.” His boyish grin gave away that she had just made his day. “How was your day? Were you guys able to talk to Kyle’s parents?”
“We were. It went well. Really nice family. We got what we needed, and it’s being processed.”
“Great. How long will it take?”
“This isn’t the movies, so it could be about six weeks or so.”
“Really? That long?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Ella finished her end of day routine, and the two of them headed back to Adam’s house to make dinner.
After walking in the door, she played with Rusty, and the butterflies in Ella’s stomach that had fluttered the entire drive dissipated. The dog’s enthusiastic affection was just what Ella needed to push any discomfort aside. Adam had gone into the kitchen to make dinner so once she finished petting the dog, she went in to join him.
“Can I help?”
“Sure, can you hand me the rice out of the cabinet next to the fridge.”
“Can do.” She turned and opened the cabinet and pulled out the rice, but before she could close the door, she noticed a box of brownies. Chocolate. She could use some of that. “Ooo, could we make these brownies, or are you saving them for something special?”
“No. I’m up for having them tonight.”
“Awesome.” She handed Adam the rice and pulled out a bowl to mix the brownies in. They quietly prepared the food.
Ella slid the brownies in the oven, and Rusty started scratching at the side door that was just off the dining room. “Apparently someone needs to go out.”
Adam walked over to the door and opened it for the dog. “Oh, looks like I left the gate open, I’ll be back in a second.”
“Okay.” Ella watched him walk out the door. She was enjoying the time with him, but her anxiety was growing again. And it wasn’t about him either. She needed to distract herself, so she went to the sink and started washing the dishes she used for the brownies. But it didn’t work. The tunnel was coming. No. She needed to keep focused on the dishes. Feel the water, Ella. God, help. She took a deep breath. She had to fight it from coming. She didn’t want to deal with a flashback in front of Adam. It was bad enough one almost came yesterday in front of him. But she had been able to shake that one. She gripped the counter. She could barely maintain her balance as her vision started to narrow.
“Hey.” Adam came back into the house.
She managed to get a “Hey” out in return.
Adam tossed his keys on the counter, but they slid off and clanged on the floor. The tunnel she had been fighting to enter raced toward her. The flashback was coming hard and fast and she couldn’t fight it any longer. The sound of the keys clanging against the asphalt, the cold steel pressing against her throat. The sound of her name, “Elly?” Wait, he hadn’t called her that nickname.
“Are you having a flashback? Elly, look at me. It’s Adam. I’m here. You are safe. Can you smell the brownies you put in the oven?”
She forced her eyes to look at Adam. He was sitting on the floor next to where she had slumped against the cabinets.
“Look in my eyes. Steady your breathing. Slow deep breaths. You are at my house. You are safe.”
She looked into his deep gray eyes and tried to listen, tried to calm her breathing. The terror dissipated as the compassion in Adam’s eyes reached her soul.
“That’s goo
d, Ella. Deep breath. Let it out slowly.”
She obeyed. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. What triggered it?”
She looked across the kitchen where his keys still lay on the floor.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!”
“No, it’s fine, Adam. I was fighting it before that, but the keys hitting the floor sounded the same as when I dropped my keys in the alley when I felt the knife against my neck.” Her eyes glazed over as her mind when back there…
“Stay here, Elle. Focus on here and now.”
She blinked and shook her head a bit before refocusing on Adam. She gave him a weak smile.
He smiled back at her. “Is there anything that helps you get past these flashbacks? A cup of tea? A—”
“Yes!” She pushed herself up off the floor using Adam’s knee. Leaving him on the floor of the kitchen, she went straight to Adam’s upright piano in the living room. She sat down on the bench and fingered the ivory keys.
Adam appeared at her side. “Of course.”
Her fingers glided across the keys, and she played the old hymn “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” from memory. As she played and began to sing Adam picked up his acoustic guitar and gradually started playing and singing with her.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him, How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust him more.
Yes, ‘tis sweet to trust in Jesus, Just from sin and self to cease,
Just from Jesus simply taking life and rest and joy and peace
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him, How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust him more.
She was a little surprised that Adam remembered the old hymn but was even happier to have him play with her.
When she finished playing the entire song, she turned to where Adam sat on a little stool. “It’s been fifteen years since I’ve had so many flashbacks.”