“Oh man, I left my notepad in the classroom. I need to go back and get it.” He opened the passenger door, slung his backpack into the passenger seat, leaned down and winked at her. He backed up and closed the car door, then took off at a full run towards the school building. When he got close to the tree, he made a sudden detour, heading straight at it.
“Ah ha!” he yelled. Susan watched from the car as he walked all the way around the tree, then knelt. He stood up and headed away from her, staring at the ground.
She was nervous when he disappeared from view, but after a few moments, he returned to the car, chuckling.
“It appears you witnessed a romantic tryst.” He climbed in, his longs legs hitting the dashboard, a smile on his face. “There was no one there, but when I examined the ground, there were two sets of footprints, facing each other, and one set was slightly smaller than the other. I followed the prints to the student parking lot, but they ended at the pavement. I must have just missed them.”
Susan sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I guess I’m starting to see threats everywhere,” she told him. “I’m sorry for overreacting.”
Reed looked at her, then reached out and placed his hand on her arm. “Never apologize for alerting me to something off. I’d much rather have a false alarm than have you hesitate to tell me something.”
She looked into his eyes and knew he was telling her the truth. “I appreciate that. Thank you for protecting me and looking out for me.” She grinned at the man seated next to her and he grinned back.
“Why, shucks, ma’am, just doing my job,” he drawled.
She laughed. “Oh, Reed, you are a silly, silly man!” She started the car and drove towards home, while they argued about what to have for dinner.
9
They’d compromised on dinner and gone to the buffet. While Reed loaded his plate with steak, baked potato, veggies and salad, Susan opted for meatloaf, onion rings and mozzarella sticks.
“Really?” he asked for the third time.
“Yes, really. I’m hungry and I want comfort food. If this is too much for you, you’d better leave now,” she warned. “I plan on having cake, ice cream and pie as my next course.”
He watched as she took a bite of an onion ring, her eyes closing as she savored the greasy, breaded treat. He wished he could eat like that, but he knew that loading up on greasy food, no matter how yummy, could lead to a bellyache later. He’d stick to his vegetables, meat and potatoes, he decided. But it sure was fun to watch her enjoy her food!
He speared a chunk of iceberg lettuce, then a cherry tomato and topped it with a black olive. He dipped it into the cup of Italian dressing, then lifted it to his lips.
Susan nearly dropped her fork as his lips closed around the salad. She grabbed her ice water and took a long sip.
“You okay?” Reed thought maybe she’d bitten into a jalapeno because her face was bright red and she was sweating.
“I’m okay,” Susan squeaked. She took another drink of water, then ducked her head and took a deep breath.
“You know, milk is better for killing the heat.” He was trying to be helpful, but his advice made her face turn beet red and she retreated behind her glass of water once more.
“Oh, my goodness, I ate too much,” Susan whined on the ride home. She’d asked Reed to drive since she was feeling a little queasy.
He turned to look at her with one eyebrow lifted.
“What?” she asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Really? You’re surprised you have a tummy ache?” he chuckled and turned back to the road. “You ate three desserts after having two plates of greasy, cheesy, calorie-laden food. And you wonder why you don’t feel so hot.”
“I do feel hot,” she snapped, “I just don’t feel--good.” She turned and glared at him.
He grinned and turned the car into the subdivision. They were about a block away from her home when he heard her moan. “Um, Reed, you might want to step on it.”
He took one look at her pale face and realized she wasn’t kidding. As he parked in her driveway, she started to get out of the car. He placed a hand on her arm and reminded her, “I know you’re feeling sick, but I need to check it out first.”
Susan nodded and grimaced, the movement apparently increasing her nausea. “I don’t want to stay in the car, just in case. I’ll just stand here by the side of the car until you whistle,” she joked.
Reed walked to the porch, grinning. Anyone who could joke when they felt sick was a star in his book. The grin died on his face as he saw the bundle of herbs. This time, they were dried up, not fresh. And underneath was a photo of him, with the eyes cut out.
“What the heck?” He spun around and found Susan standing on the bottom step of the porch, her eyes blazing and her hands on her hips. “This is not okay!”
He was annoyed with her for not waiting near the car, but right now, his first priority was to keep her safe. He grabbed her elbow and steered her into the house. He stopped just inside the door and pulled out his gun.
“Stay here and don’t move,” he told her. “I mean it, Susan.” He glared at her until she lowered her eyes and nodded. Frustration made him move faster and he cleared the house in no time. He pulled out his phone and called Maggie as he walked back to where Susan was standing, staring out the door.
“We got another present,” he said, his voice terse and raspy. “It’s escalated again.” He heard a noise and looked over to see Susan running for the bathroom. “And now Susan’s throwing up her desserts, so, yeah.”
“Is that some kind of weird euphemism?” Maggie chuckled.
He sighed and ran his hand over his face. “I wish. Susan’s literally throwing up. Just come over as soon as you can and bring the crime scene techs. If we’re lucky, the perp got sloppy and left us some fingerprints.”
“Will do,” Maggie said. “And Reed?”
“Yes, partner?”
“Bring her a cool, wet washcloth and a glass of ice water.”
“Thanks, Maggie. See you soon.”
“What is wrong with me?” Susan whispered to herself as she rested, sitting on the floor next to the toilet. A soft knock at the door made her jump, and she felt her face flame red. “Yes?”
“Can I open the door?” Reed’s deep voice sounded calm, but she knew he was worried about her.
She sighed. She’d have to see him eventually. She couldn’t hide in the bathroom for the rest of her life. “Yes, Reed. Come on in.”
He opened the door hesitantly, waiting until he saw her face to push it all the way open. “I’m not very good at this, but I brought you a cool, wet washcloth and some ice water.”
As he stood there, awkward but adorable, her heart melted the rest of the way. She’d never been in love before and had expected love to be blinding and breath-taking and jarring. But at this moment, she knew that she loved this man with all her heart and all she felt was happy, warm and secure. She didn’t need fireworks, she needed Reed.
She smiled up at him and he grinned back. He handed her the water and clumsily fumbled with the wash cloth. “I’m not sure, am I supposed to place this on your head or your neck or just hand it to you.”
She took a small sip of water to rinse her mouth, then reached for the cloth. She folded it and placed it on the back of her neck. “Thank you, that feels good.” She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the cooling sensation.
She could hear him shuffle from one foot to the other, so she opened her eyes and looked up at him. “I didn’t know how to help, so I asked Maggie.”
“It’s okay, Reed. I appreciate it no matter who thought of it.” She sighed. “I’m so sorry.”
He plopped down on the floor next to her and smiled gently. She wanted to take his hand, but she had a glass of water in one and the other was holding the cloth to her neck.
“You have nothing to apologize for. You’ve been through so much recently and had to do it all alone. I’m a trained U.S. Marshal and thi
s stuff is freaking me out.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I’m really impressed with how well you’ve been coping. Even if you didn’t listen when I told you not to eat the pie after the cake,” he grinned.
Susan giggled and looked sideways at him. “I didn’t really have a choice,” she confessed. “About the coping, not the pie and the cake.” He grinned at her clarification. “It was either cope or give up; and for me, giving up was not an option.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” he argued. “I’ve seen people in WITSEC withdraw into depression or anger. They couldn’t bounce back from what they’d experienced, and they withdrew into themselves. If I didn’t know your story, I would have no idea that you’d been through any kind of trauma, let alone witnessing a murder, having to relocate and all.”
They sat there in silence for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. That ended when there was a loud knock at the front door, then Maggie’s voice shouting, “Is it safe to enter?”
He grinned at her and she could feel her cheeks turn pink in embarrassment. He called out to Maggie as he stood up, then he turned and held out his hand to help her up.
Once on her feet, she asked for a moment of privacy to clean up and Reed nodded, pulling the door closed behind him.
Susan looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was all mussed and her mascara had run, making her look like a raccoon. She grimaced at her reflection. She ran the washcloth under hot water then wiped away the mascara mess. She brushed her teeth and her hair and braced herself to face Maggie. Reed had been polite, even when he teased her. But she knew his partner wasn’t going to let her off that easy.
10
Maggie was squatted down, staring grimly at the photo and bundle of herbs. Reed stopped next to her on the porch. “Thanks for getting here so fast, and for the washcloth and water advice.”
She grunted and ran her hand down her face. “This isn’t good, Reed. It isn’t good at all. The perp is escalating, changing the pattern and I can’t for the life of me figure out why.” She paused and stood up, placing her hands on her hips. “This doesn’t feel like the New York threat. Susan was right, it feels personal and angry.”
“Right? This feels emotional and Bruno doesn’t have feelings,” Susan piped up from behind him.
He turned to look at her. She’d washed her face, so the black mascara smudges were gone, and she’d changed her clothes. She looked fresh and clean and somehow even more vulnerable. He swallowed hard and renewed his determination to keep her safe.
Maggie, on the other hand, didn’t seem impressed by her transformation. Her brow furrowed and a frown appeared on her face. “What were you thinking, Susan?”
Susan bowed her head and nodded. “I know, I know. I screwed up and Reed had to take care of me instead of doing his job.” She looked up at the woman’s disapproving glare and squared her shoulders. “I take full responsibility for my actions today. I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”
Reed was confused by his partner’s tone and Susan’s response. He started to defend Susan but one look at Maggie’s face and he realized that there was more going on here.
“I realize that this has been tough on you,” Maggie began. “But you made this decision and promised to follow the rules. One of those rules is to keep a low profile and let us do our jobs. Reed was so worried about you that he left the porch unattended. Luckily it doesn’t appear that anyone tampered with anything. But that doesn’t absolve you.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to stand up for her. “Come on Maggie, she didn’t do anything wrong or on purpose. She just ate too much, that’s all. It isn’t a big deal.”
He was surprised when Susan turned to him, tears in her eyes, shaking her head, no.
“Reed, it wasn’t a random thing. When I was younger, I suffered from bulimia. It took a lot of therapy and time to undo those bad habits, but I overcame them. I learned to enjoy food and eating and not to use it to numb myself. Today, I slipped up. I was tired of being in control all the time. I was tired of being afraid. Even though I didn’t set out to eat too much and make myself sick, there was a part of me that knew what I was doing.” She looked up at him and he could see in her eyes that she was begging him for forgiveness.
He was torn. Why hadn’t either of them told him about this? Was he always going to be kept out of the loop? He’d been given this assignment at the last minute and had spooked the witness because he didn’t know the details of her situation. Now this had happened. If he’d known about the bulimia, he might have realized what was happening and kept her from eating too much. Didn’t his partner trust him enough to share information with him? What the heck?
He knew getting angry wasn’t going to solve anything, but he was already there. He felt himself clench and unclench his fists while he looked from Susan’s face to his sister-in-law’s face and back again.
Unable to formulate words to express his frustration and hurt feelings, he grunted and turned around, heading through the house for the back yard. He heard Susan’s gasp then Maggie’s soft voice. “Let him go.”
Reed heard footsteps coming up the path and he looked up into Maggie’s concerned face. She sat down on the bench next to him and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Reed was irritated and unhappy, but this was his partner and his sister-in-law. He decided to wait and let her explain herself, rather than accuse her and potentially make things worse.
She reached over and grabbed his hand, holding it with hers. She cleared her throat and started talking. “I know you’re upset with me right now, but I didn’t purposely keep this from you,” she told him. “The bulimia wasn’t part of the case file and I only know about it because Susan shared it with me when we relocated her. Even Jackson didn’t know.”
Hearing that made him feel a little better, and he squeezed her hand to let her know he was listening. “I’m sure you haven’t shared everything you’ve learned about Susan with me, either. It’s not possible to document every single word and every detail of every conversation. Even if we are trained U.S. Marshals.” She chuckled, and he grinned in spite of himself.
“What she shared with me was a private moment and I had no idea it would come back to bite me. I don’t think she realized what was happening either, or she would have shared it with you, herself.” She let go of his hand and turned to face him. “I need you to put aside your hurt feelings and help me here, Reed,” she pleaded.
“My being here has agitated the perp and it hasn’t gotten us any closer to figuring out who that is.” He looked at his partner hoping she’d disagree, but her guarded expression showed she’d reached the same conclusion.
“I think I should stay here with Susan and you should take a break.” Reed felt his anger rise at her words, but she held up her hand to stop him before he could argue. “Just hear me out. You’ve been on duty for several days, 24 hours a day. Just take a day off, relax, get some rest. We can meet here tomorrow at this time and discuss what we want to do next.” She reached into her pocket and handed him her car keys.
He wanted to tell her just what he thought of her plan, but Susan appeared at the back door, and he looked up into her stricken face. “Why does Reed have to leave?” she asked, her voice trembling. He looked at Maggie’s determined face and even though the thought of being away from Susan made his heart hurt, he knew it was the right thing to do. He took the car keys from his partner’s hand, stood up and walked over to her.
“She’s right, Susan. It’s better if she stays here tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully that will deescalate things on this end and it’ll give me a chance to relax, so I can think straight.” He paused; his expression thoughtful. He leaned forward and whispered, “remember when we talked about needing space?” He watched her expression lighten as she remembered, and instantly felt bad. He hated misleading her, even if it was to keep her safe.
“I don’t want you to leave, but I respect your need for a little alone time.” Her eyes were wide, and her
voice was wobbly, but she lifted her chin and did her best to smile at him.
Reed wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go, but since he couldn’t do that, he muttered a gruff good night to the two women and headed for the car.
He was still hurt and angry and he found himself speeding through the neighborhood. A small child standing on the sidewalk alone gave Reed pause, and he slowed down to check it out. About three feet behind the child was a very pregnant woman. As Reed drove slowly past, he heard her call the child to come sit with her on the grass. The child smiled and waved at Reed, then toddled back to his mother, who gathered him in her arms and kissed him on the forehead.
Reed sobered up quickly, realizing that his anger served no good purpose. He pulled the car over and turned off the engine. Why was he so angry? What was going on with him? He knew Maggie well enough to know that she’d never purposely keep information from him. He was usually a good judge of character and his gut was telling him that Susan was honest, and he could trust her. So why was he getting so upset?
He hated to admit it, but he was angry at himself, not at the two women. He was developing feelings for Susan. Rule 1 of being a U.S. Marshal: do not get personally attached to the witness. He slammed his hands down on the steering wheel. This was his first major case and he was mucking it up.
He took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. He needed to put his feelings aside and do his job. He was a U.S. Marshal and he was going to protect his witness. He looked at himself in the rearview mirror and saw the determination on his face.
Decision made, Reed started the car and pulled away from the curb. A plan was formulating in his mind and as he drove, he made a mental list of things he’d need to get the job done.
Having Maggie around was definitely different than having Reed around. The woman wanted to talk all the time and she didn’t cook. Two hours in and Susan was in desperate need of some alone time.
Murder and a Pinch of Rosemary Page 5