by Peyton Banks
Peering up at him, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“There was a B and E,” he said. “And somehow a fire started, there’s not a lot of information just yet. But the fire is fucking huge.”
“I’m coming with you,” I replied. “It might be fun to watch firefighter Lukas in action.” I winked at him, “then we can go back to the date afterward.”
He grinned. “I hoped that you’d say that.” He gave me a peck. “Let’s go detective. We need to haul ass.” He slapped my butt before releasing me.
I growled playfully before saying, “Slap my ass again and I’ll show you how I subdue perps twice my size before handcuffing them.”
“Now that’s a thought,” he growled huskily while clutching my hand guiding me out of his bedroom to collect my clothes dropped in the living room. “Both of us nude while you’re trying to handcuff me. Who knows, I might enjoy that.”
I laughed loudly. “Kinky Lukas...behave.”
9
Lukas
The team had the fire about halfway under control by the time I got there and it only took me a minute to gear up and help take care of the rest of it.
The house would be a total loss. I didn’t have to be an insurance adjuster to know that. Even just looking at the place in the dark, drenched with spotlights to help the crew, it was obvious. If the foundation hadn’t cracked, it would be a miracle. It took us about thirty minutes to get the fire completely put out and the family that lived in the place would have to hope their insurance would cover a hotel room for the night—though I knew that if they didn’t have that kind of coverage, the Chief would figure something out for them. But they would be homeless, effectively. The family was off to the side, their dog—a Rhodesian ridgeback—standing next to them and they were talking to the cops.
I shucked my gear and went looking for Kendra as soon as the cops started documenting the crime scene. Kendra was standing with the Sheriff, talking, both of them looking at a bunch of paperwork on the hood of the Sheriff’s cruiser. I smiled to myself, thinking that even if Kendra didn’t think she was ready to be a cop again, she’d fallen into it naturally. I hadn’t even suggested she do anything, other than stay out of the way and she’d given me another of those looks—one that told me I would pay for it later.
Engrossed in her conversation with the Sheriff, Kendra didn’t spare me a glance when I approached.
“And you see that?” Kendra asked the Sheriff pointing to the stuff on the hood of his cruiser. “All the pictures of the crime scenes have that same distinctive mark.”
“The real question is, what the hell is that from?” Sheriff Baker asked.
I hung back, letting Kendra have her conference with the Sheriff, but listening in, and watching her. I’d always had the greatest respect for her but watching her in a work setting, being all business, was a whole other thing. If I hadn’t seen her reaction to the fireworks, I would have never thought she was the same person. The woman I now watched talking to the Sheriff was sharp, insightful, and professional. Nobody that saw how she scrutinized the evidence, or heard the questions she was asking, would think she was suffering from PTSD.
The Sheriff looked up, spotting me and waved me over. “Lukas. Kendra and I are just going over the evidence.”
“Looking at all this, I’d say your suspicion is right,” Kendra informed the Sheriff. “We can link the B and Es to the same perp and it follows a pattern…technically an escalation.”
“So, what’s your estimation about happened here?” I asked.
The Sheriff scratched his chin. “According to the family, they were in the den at the back of the house, when they heard a loud noise. The dog charged through the house, attacking the intruder in the kitchen.”
“The family told us they had some extra kerosene for their heater in the kitchen,” Kendra said. “So, the Sheriff and me think the intruder used kerosene to set the fire that spread throughout the house.”
I shook my head. “When will people realize that, it’s not smart to store extra kerosene in the house?”
Kendra replied, “It’s the simple things that people forget to do.”
The Sheriff pulled off his hat, rubbing his fingers through his hair with agitation written all over his face. “This is the tenth house this guy has hit, assuming it’s the same person. He’s taking small valuables, nothing so far that would net him enough to stop.”
“And he’s not leaving behind enough evidence that you can conclusively say who it is,” Kendra surmised.
“That’s about the shape of it,” the Sheriff confirmed. “If we had more people—more experienced people—to look into it…” he glanced over at Kendra.
She sighed heavily. “Look Sheriff, I’m happy to consult but…”
“Sheriff,” I interjected, “I don’t think Kendra’s even heard from the NYPD yet on when they expect her to come in for evaluation.”
Kendra gave me a grateful look for stepping in at her hesitation.
The Sheriff patted her shoulder. “It’s already been a big help, having you look over what we’ve got. Believe me, I appreciate your insights.”
“I’m happy to give them,” Kendra responded with a smile.
The Sheriff turned to me. “Since this is an arson, it will involve the fire department in this one, I assume?”
I nodded. The Chief was already getting to work, alongside the cops. “Yeah, we’ll be in on at least this case. We’ll share what evidence we’ve collected with the PD.”
The Sheriff gathered up his files. “I’d better get with the Chief and see what we will do for these poor folks,” the Sheriff said, glancing over at the family then back to us. “If you think of anything—or want more access to the file, I’m happy to talk anytime. Lukas has my cell number.”
Kendra nodded her agreement to the invitation, and we watched the Sheriff walk off to talk to the victims.
“Back to my place?” I asked Kendra, as she took another look around the scene.
“Yes,” Kendra agreed, turning her attention back onto me. “I’m actually hungry for seconds.”
“Seconds of what?” I grinned, taking her hand, walking back towards my bike.
Kendra gave me a sassy grin. “That delicious meal you made for me.”
“That’s all?” I asked letting go her hand, pushing her helmet and jacket toward her.
“Yes, that’s all,” she retorted putting on her jacket then strapping on her helmet.
“I’m just saying…” I answered, throwing my leg over the bike and turning it on. “I’m good to go for,” I held up two fingers, “Round two.”
“I bet you are,” she said before hopping onto the bike behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist tight enough to stay close.
I pushed backwards, my ass coming into contact with her upper thighs and took off down the street. Kendra leaned into me, her breasts pressing into my back. The roar of the engine, and the feeling of Kendra behind me, was exhilarating. Throughout the ride, all I could think about was her curvy body, her curly hair that she’d pulled back into a ponytail for riding. Her lips were full and very kissable. And I’d fantasized about all the hot dirty things I’d do to her once I got her into my bed again. By the time I pulled up into the driveway at my house, I was starving but not for food.
I kept my hands to myself until we got into the house and then dragged Kendra into my arms, kissing her. “It’s still early,” I said, pulling back. “I think there’s enough time for seconds on dinner and dessert.”
Kendra snickered. “Greedy, greedy. Are you counting on me staying the night?”
I nodded. “Oh, I have been counting on it since before we got into bed.” I arched a brow. “Or would you rather preserve whatever illusions your grandma has about your romantic life?”
Kendra laughed, kissing the side of my neck. “I don’t think she has any. As long as I’m not having sex under her roof, I’m sure it’s a don’t ask, don’t tell a situation.”
I tur
ned her face to mine and kissed her again. “Then let’s heat some of those leftovers and see where the night takes us.”
“Now that’s an idea I can get behind,” Kendra commented, following me into the kitchen.
I started scooping up pasta and sauce and some leftover meat to feed us and thought about Kendra’s hesitation with the Sheriff. “You know, if you wanted to give yourself a chance to heal and do the work without risking much in the way of flashbacks, Wampanoag isn’t exactly Mayberry, but it also isn’t Brooklyn or the Bronx.”
“I know,” Kendra said, shrugging as she took a plate from me and put it in the microwave to heat. “I’m thinking about it.”
I looked at her for a second or two and then wrapped my arms around her, kissing the back of her neck. I would just have to give her a little time.
10
Kendra
“Okay,” I said, stepping back to where the camera stood on its tripod. “Hold exactly like that.” I grinned still a little amazed at the way everything had fallen into place.
It had been just over a week since grandma’s birthday. I’d decided that I would rather do the photo shoot for the firefighters’ calendar as soon as possible, so a flurry of signing paperwork, checking out the equipment and looking at previous editions—along with the current roster of both firefighters and animals to adopt—had all breezed past. It had been ages since I’d done a shoot, but I fell right into the usual rhythm of setting up the shot, adjusting, and then shooting, letting my models change their positions a bit and kept going.
“I’m getting a cramp,” one firefighter jokingly told me.
“Consider it a training exercise,” I called back, stepping behind the camera and looking through the viewfinder. I took a quick breath, waited for exactly the right moment and clicked the shutter. “Good! See if you can give me a little more smolder, though,” I said to the two firefighters holding kittens.
“This isn’t enough smolder?” One of them—Conrad—asked.
“Come on,” I retorted. “You got to get the ladies sweating.” The two men laughed, shifting their positions so their muscles showed to the best advantage. They were almost as good as professional models—they’d done it a few times before. Only a few of the guys at the fire department were newbies, and I’d already taken care of their shots. I’d chosen a spot away from the station for about half of the photos, where I’d have a little more space to work with. Lukas was up the next day, since the guys had to take turns being available to respond to emergencies while I was doing the shoots. I had to admit, I was looking forward to my photo shoot with Lukas.
I took a few more shots, getting Conrad and Finn to switch things up a bit each time, barely paying attention to the time. I didn’t have unlimited access to the firefighters during their shoots—the normal business of the day had to go on, after all—but I had time enough to move the groups, pairs, and solo shooting subjects around. I got Conrad and Finn on their own, with different cats in their arms, cuddling them for the camera.
I finished up and sent the two firefighters on their way, to set up for my next pair of men to take pictures of. “Tell everyone to take a shower before they come to see me,” I told Conrad jokingly as he went off to enjoy the rest of his day.
“I’ll tell them you will hose them down if they don’t,” Conrad joked back.
I’d done a shoot earlier in the day—while Conrad and Finn waited their turn—featuring two other guys at the firehouse and two oversized puppies that would grow up into monsters. The only appropriate way to handle the muddiness of the firefighters and the energy of the dogs had been to hose everyone down and capture the results.
I put away the props for one photo shoot and chatted with the handlers from the shelter, looking at the different animals they’d brought to include in the calendar. “I think it would amaze to get that big, buff Germaine with two tiny Chihuahuas,” I said, looking into the kennel at Chatzi and Trinket—two little one-year-old Chihuahuas taken from an elderly woman who’d been hoarding pets—cuddled up to each other.
“Oh god—yeah, that would be perfect,” Sherry, who was friends with my grandma, agreed. “And maybe Boscoe with that bean pole, Andrew?”
“Perfect,” I said. Boscoe was an overweight Maine coon, dark tabby colored and he would look amazing in the arms of Lukas’s fellow firefighter, Andrew—who was even taller than Lukas and never grew out of his lanky phase.
I started getting my stuff together for the next set and my cell rang. I took it out of my pocket, thinking it might be Lukas or grandma—but the number that came up was the Sheriffs’ number. I considered letting it roll over to voicemail, but my guilt nagged at me. If the Sheriff was calling me, it was probably important. I tapped ‘accept’.
“Hey, Kendra,” Sheriff Baker said as soon as the line connected. “I know I don’t have you in any official capacity and you still haven’t decided what you want to do, career-wise, but I was wondering if I could ask you the favor of coming in and helping me out.”
“What’s going on, Sheriff?” I asked, stepping away from the ladies and the prospective pets, closer to my car. I could feel the twinge in my leg from standing and moving around so much, but I told myself I wouldn’t have to stay on it for too much longer.
“Our B and E suspect has gone for it again,” the Sheriff informed me. “Last night. This time he killed the victim which is why we’re only just now hearing about it. Could I have you come down to the station, look over the evidence we’ve collected?” I thought about it hard. I didn’t think I was ready for full-time police work again, but this was just one case. I wasn’t sure that I could deal with seeing a body—but if the prowler had graduated to murder after committing an arson, we need to catch him sooner rather than later and the Sheriff didn’t have enough help on his force to get the job done.
“What kind of evidence do you have?” I questioned. That at least would give me an idea of whether I could handle it.
“We’ve got the body here,” Sheriff Baker said. “I’m not expecting you to look at it—County M.E. is coming to pick it up and take it to the morgue. We’re going over it for initial evidence. Medical examiner will give us anything that we can’t see with our own eyes. I’ve also got photos and, some other details to look at.”
I took a deep breath. This is going to be tough. But I hoped that I could handle it.
I requested, “What’s the clear cause of death?” If the M.E. was coming to take the body away, they only had the suspected cause to go by.
“Strangulation,” Sheriff Baker replied. “Doc Soames determined this at the scene, so we could clear it. The victim, a male, had a female roommate—she didn’t need to see all that, coming back from family shit.”
I smiled to myself. This was the one big difference between small-town policing and New York City, his consideration for the female roommate would never be on the list back in the city. There just wasn’t time for it.
“I’m kind of in the middle of something,” I told the Sheriff. “Let me check on the progress of this project that I’m on and I’ll get back to you in five-ten minutes.”
“Sure thing,” the Sheriff answered. “I’m here all afternoon—the escalation of this criminal means I will need to field some calls, reassuring some folks we’re taking it seriously.”
“Maybe you can get some extra resources from the state out of it,” I suggested, smiling a bit despite how nervous the prospect of police work made me. “At least a bigger budget.”
“Our very own special task force,” the Sheriff said, chuckling at the idea. “Turn Wampanoag into the biggest crime town in Vermont outside of Burlington.”
“Get that pretty face of yours on the news,” I suggested.
Sheriff Baker laughed at that. “If there will be TV work, I’ll get them to pay whatever it would take to lure you away from the NYPD to do it for me,” he said. “You’d make a much better face of law enforcement in this town than I do.” I laughed off the idea and got off the phone,
walking the rest of the way to my car to sit down.
I was undecided about what I wanted. On the one hand, I’d sworn an oath and even though I’d done that in New York City, doesn’t it apply just as much anywhere else?
I had the skills and the experience that Sheriff Baker needed to close this case and if the only reason that I didn’t help him was concern about my mental state, what kind of cop am I?
My sergeant back at the precinct had called the day before, asking when I was going to take my evals to see if I could get back on duty.
If I wasn’t ready, how much help would I be even on a single case, even just as a consultant? I looked at my cell, pulling up Lukas’s contact information and started my text.
Hi Lukas. There’s been another B&E and this time someone died…strangulation.
The Sheriff wants me to come by and look at the full evidence for all the incidents, help him out.
I tapped send and looked around.
“Everything okay?” Sherry asked.
I nodded. “But I may have to reschedule,” I told the women from the animal shelter. “Sheriff Baker wants my help on something.”
“No worries,” Sherry’s partner, Jessica said. “The critters enjoy being out and about, getting away from the shelter. We can bring them back another day.”
My cell pinged. It was a message from Lukas.
Are you sure you want to do it? Want me to come with?
I sent a text back.
I can handle it, I think.
You’re on call, right? I’ll see what the Sheriff has for me, what I can do for him.
I started gathering up my gear to make sure any random weather wouldn’t get at it, and loaded it into my SUV. By the time they packed me to go, I had another text from Lukas.
Call me if you need me.
If it’s too much, you know?
Otherwise, call me when you finish up.
I smiled, promising him I would in a reply.