Cold Highway: Ellie Kline Series: Book Four

by Stone, Mary

  “How many connections have you made?”

  “Two.”

  “Out of?”

  She deflated. “Forty-four.”

  “So, right now you’re waiting on other detectives to do their jobs and return your call?”

  “There are a few cases so old the detectives have retired, so I don’t expect them to answer right away, as their replacements seem to be overwhelmed with current cases. There’s a bit of lag, so I thought I’d work on your case list.”

  The last part earned a smile from Fortis. “What a pleasant surprise.”

  “I’ve made some headway, and I have two cases on the verge of a major breakthrough.” She cast her gaze to the bullpen, annoyed the glass walls exposed their meeting to the rest of the detectives, even if they couldn’t hear their conversation. Still, as she turned to Fortis, she leaned forward, lowering her voice. “I am trying to stay on the straight and narrow. I know you think I’m just running around half-cocked all the time, but that’s not true.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Anything else going on, workwise, that I should know about?”

  She shook her head, smiling curiously at her boss. “Nope. Just another exciting day working cold cases.”

  “Good. I have an assignment for you.” He waved toward the bullpen. The door swung open and Ellie held her breath, afraid to turn and find out what Fortis’s plan for her today might be. “Ah, there you are. All ready?”

  “Leaving in about ten minutes.”

  Ellie turned at the sound of Jacob Garcia’s voice, treating him to a smile, her curiosity sparked even more on what the impromptu meeting could be about. “Where’s Duke?”

  “In the car, chilling in the AC.” Jacob grinned, glancing toward the glass partition. “Detective Decker is afraid of dogs.”

  “What?” An incredulous laugh escaped Ellie’s lips. “Are you serious?”

  Fortis pressed his lips together, trying to hide a smile. “He lodged a complaint with Captain Browning. Said Duke was invading his space and being an overall nuisance. It’s easier to keep the peace and keep the dog out of the Violent Crimes Unit offices.”

  “Maybe Decker just needs to pull the stick out of his…” Fortis eyed Ellie, and she switched gears. “Duke is better trained than Jacob.”

  Jacob crossed his arms, giving her a playful glare. “Very funny, Kline.”

  “If the shoe fits.” She shrugged before turning back to Fortis. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “Jacob and Duke are heading to Springfield Elementary School for career day.”

  “Duke is going to be a hit.” Ellie grinned at Jacob. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him.

  Jacob harrumphed but didn’t comment, which told her that whatever response he had to that couldn’t be spoken in front of the lead homicide detective.

  Fortis cleared his throat. “Your chemistry is part of the reason I’m sending you two. Be yourself, as much as that pains me to say out loud.” He shook his head. “Kids love K-9 officers and their handlers, plus having a female detective along is good for the department’s image.”

  “It doesn’t hurt that most of the kids in Charleston have seen that viral video of you jumping off the bridge after that perp.” Jacob shot her a grin that showed every one of his teeth, giving as good as he got. “Really, I’ll just be there to make sure you and Duke behave yourselves.”

  “Do what you can to get kids pumped about connecting with their local law enforcement.” Fortis frowned, his hazel eyes darkening. “I don’t have to tell either of you what a delicate balance our public image can be at times. Faith in law enforcement begins when they’re little. Show them we’re here to protect and serve the public. Get them excited about a future career with us.”

  “I love kids, and it’ll be fun to get out of my own head for a bit.” Ellie felt like she was the one going on a field trip. She got to take a dog to see a bunch of kids who would want to be her when they grew up. What more could she ask for?

  Fortis gave her a serious look. “Everything all right, Kline?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just been looking through so many crime scene photos, all that death… I’ve never done a school visit before, I’m excited.”

  “At least one of us is.” Jacob rolled his eyes, letting her know he’d wrangled more than a few classes already since Duke the police dog became his new partner.

  Ellie stood, more than ready to get out of the office. She beamed at Fortis. “There’s nothing I’d rather finish the week out with. We’ve got this.”

  “If I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t send you.” Fortis glanced at his watch before shooing them out. “You have to be there soon. Won’t help if you show up late. When you’re done, go ahead and head home.”

  “Sir?”

  “Kline, you’ve been burning the candle at both ends. It’s Friday, and you already have ten hours of overtime thanks to the Parker case. Talk to the kids, play a couple rounds of hoops, then take the rest of the day off.”

  “You know about the hoops?” Ellie glanced at Jacob, who shrugged.

  Fortis chuckled. “There isn’t a thing that goes on in my city that I don’t know about. That includes when one of my detectives still plays hoops with the neighborhood kids, even after she got promoted.”

  “Chief Johnson has always said community outreach is an important part of the job. I don’t always have time now that I’m working Cold Cases, but a quick game of hoops on the way home from work can really influence kids.” Ellie glanced at Jacob, who was grinning at her. “And it helps me burn off a little steam, so it’s a win-win.”

  “Johnson will be glad to know you took his words to heart.” Fortis’s gaze wandered to the bullpen outside his office. “Maybe I’ll suggest Decker and Shaw do the same. Couldn’t hurt the waistline.” Fortis waved his hand as Ellie started to protest. “I’m just joking. You have a natural way with kids, and it shows.” He turned to Jacob. “You too, Garcia. You’re both good cops. Let that shine through during your presentation and the kids will eat it up. I’m counting on you two.”

  Ellie walked out of the office light on her feet, grinning ear to ear as she shut her computer down and grabbed her bag. They took the elevator, stopping at Ellie’s car to drop off her things before getting into Jacob’s squad car. “I see you rated the new Challenger.”

  “How do you like the new stealth paint job? They can’t tell I’m a cop until I’m already pulling them over.” Jacob smiled at her sarcastically over the roof of the car, which was all black except for the gold lettering on the sides that announced, “Charleston K-9 Unit.”

  “I’m not sure how anyone would peg you as a cop.” She’d missed the banter she’d shared with Jacob as a beat cop. Sliding into the passenger seat, she turned to pet Duke as she buckled herself in, sighing as Jacob pulled out onto the road heading north.

  As always, he was in tune to her. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. Did Fortis seem off to you?”

  Jacob shrugged, turning his blinker on to switch lanes. “Not really, but I don’t work with him that often. Did he seem off to you?”

  “A little.”

  “How?”

  Ellie shook her head. “I can’t explain it. He was a little too friendly. He complimented me more in that meeting than he has since I was promoted to detective last October.”

  “Maybe he’s starting to appreciate you more.”

  “That could be it.” She let herself relax into the soft seat. “It could be me.”

  Jacob took his eyes off the road long enough to meet her gaze. “Is there something else wrong?”

  “Nick.” As soon as she spoke his name, her stomach clenched.

  Jacob kept his eyes on the road, but his hands closed tighter around the steering wheel, the muscle in his jaw flexing. “Is he being an ass?”

  His protective reaction drew a smile from Ellie. “No. He’d have to call to be an ass.”

  “Oh. And have you called him?”
>
  “No.”

  Jacob frowned, but his lips turned up in the corners. “So, he hasn’t called you and you haven’t called him. Did you have a fight?”

  “No. Yes. He broke up with me.”

  Jacob’s foot came up off the accelerator and the car slowed abruptly. “Did he give you a reason?”

  Ellie bit her lip, folding her hands in her lap. “I pulled a gun on him.”

  Jacob barked out a laugh, snapping his jaw shut when he glanced at her and realized she was serious. “You better fill me in.” He hit the gas again, resuming the drive to the school.

  Ellie relayed the whole scenario that had gone down at the lake house, where Valerie had been stashed, and her reasons for doing what she had. “I guess I just thought this would be easier. We’ve been friends for so long. Much longer than we’ve been lovers. And we’ve broken up so many times, but this time feels different.”

  “I didn’t realize you’d broken up before.”

  Ellie blinked back tears, forbidding herself from crying in front of Jacob. “We’ve been on again and off again since we were teenagers.”

  “Maybe this is another of those ‘off again’ times.”

  “This really isn’t the same. This was an actual breakup, Jacob. He’s angry, I’m angry, and I feel like nothing between us will ever be the same. I let him know I needed space right now, but now I’m not sure. I don’t know what to do.”

  “You can start by not getting mad at him for ending a relationship that wasn’t right for either of you. I’ve often wondered if you two just dated out of habit.”

  Elbow on the arm rest, Ellie frowned at him then stared out the windshield at the late lunch traffic. “You’re right. My emotions are all over the place, and every time I think I’m getting over it, the pain comes, and it’s like we just broke up again.”

  “Can I give you some advice?”

  “Of course.”

  “Nick is a good guy who works hard, is kind to his family and your family, and spends a good deal of his time working for charities. I know it doesn’t make breaking up easier, but from what you’ve told me, it sounds like Nick took time to think about what was right for both of you before he broke things off. That takes maturity. He obviously cares about you.”

  It sure didn’t seem like it. “We were already having issues because my career intimidated him. There’s nothing noble about that.”

  “All right, I’ll concede that is not a rational reason to break up with someone, but let’s be honest, it’s more complicated than that.”

  Jacob’s rebuttal hit Ellie right in the gut. He wasn’t wrong. “All right, then how would you frame this?”

  “From the outside looking in and knowing both of you pretty well? I’d say his issue with your career and the kind of lifestyle being a successful detective requires is a compatibility issue. That’s not to say you don’t make a good partner, or that he’s not a good guy.” Jacob slowed the Challenger, checking the busy intersection before he continued through the green light. “It takes a certain kind of man to love a strong, fierce woman like you. Nick didn’t measure up. On some level he always knew it, but he needed a catalyst to get him to admit the truth to himself.”

  “The fight about what it took to keep Valerie safe.”

  “That fight was a symptom of the issues between the two of you, not its own separate issue. The moment he realized that you would always put the victim’s safety before anything else was probably an epiphany.” Jacob grimaced. “I bet it wasn’t pretty.”

  “I think that went down when I refused to holster my gun.”

  Jacob tried to keep a serious face, but his smile won over. “I’d pay good money to see that.”

  Ellie gave him a playful punch in the arm.

  “Sorry.” He grinned at her, but his brown eyes were all sympathy. “There’s no way any of this is easy for him, just like it isn’t easy for you. The best way to heal from this breakup and salvage your friendship is to see this from his side. Yes, a stronger man would be inspired by you and not intimidated, but wouldn’t you rather know now, before you got married?”

  “Yes.” She sat up straighter, stretching in the seat and sneaking another pat to Duke, who was laying with his head between the seats, resting his chin on his front paws.

  “That’s a start.”

  “Okay, but where do I go from here?”

  Jacob turned at a stoplight, his head tilting to the side as he considered her question. “What do you want?”

  “I want our friendship back.” She inhaled a deep breath and let it out. “It feels good to say that. He’s been one of my closest friends for a long time. I want to fix that.”

  “Are you only fixing it on the off chance you’ll end up back together?”

  Ellie opened her mouth to deny the possibility that she only wanted to nurture their friendship to save their relationship, but stopped herself. She turned the question over in her mind until she was sure she wasn’t just saying what she thought she should. “No. I’m not. I’m not going to lie and say I wouldn’t be thrilled if things worked out, but this breakup has felt different from the start.”

  “If you never get back together, would you still want to be friends with Nick?”

  “Yes. Absolutely.”

  “Then you have your answer.” He pulled into the Springfield Elementary entrance and parked but didn’t get out right away. “If the friendship is important to you, focus on that. You wanted Nick to give you space, and he’s respecting that. But now you have put yourself in a position to make the next move.”

  She bit her lip. “That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “It doesn’t have to be. What’s the most mundane thing you two do together, whether you’re a couple or not?”

  “Sunday dinners.”

  Jacob snorted, shaking his head. “I don’t know if I’d call having all the Klines under one roof mundane, but if Sunday dinner feels right, then reach out to him.”

  “It’s Friday.”

  “Who says it has to be this weekend? Call him up or text him that you’d like him to join your family again. Make it clear you’re looking to nurture your friendship and there’s no pressure. He can come when he’s ready.”

  “An open invitation.” She nodded, turning to Jacob. He held her gaze, his dark eyes reassuring. “You always give the best advice. Don’t let the compliment go to your head though.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  “What suddenly makes you so smart about love?”

  Jacob’s face flushed a deep red and sweat popped out at his temples. He popped his door and said, “I’m smart about a lot of stuff. Let’s get this presentation over with so we can play some ball.”

  Ellie made a mental note to nose into Jacob’s love life a little bit. She was almost positive she’d never seen the man blush. It had to be a woman, and if he didn’t want her to know, it almost had to be juicy.

  19

  Ellie pulled up in her parents’ driveway Sunday night, trepidation and excitement filling her as she parked next to Nick’s car.

  Jillian gasped, abruptly sitting up straight in the passenger seat. “Why is Nick here? Do you want me to go inside and ask him to leave?”

  Ellie bit her lip, giving Jillian a sideways glance.

  Jillian’s hazel eyes narrowed as she honed in on Ellie’s face. “What’s going on?”

  “I talked to Jacob about the situation, and I realized I still want to be friends with Nick.”

  Jillian’s jaw went slack. “You talked to Jacob? When?” She gave her head a little shake, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “Sorry, what I meant to ask was if you’re sure you want to see Nick so soon?”

  Ellie turned the engine off and opened her door, but Jillian didn’t move. Sitting back in her seat, Ellie turned toward her friend and roommate. “Friday, when I sent him a text about dinner, he didn’t respond. I’m surprised he’s here, since I expected him to need more time, but it’s going to be all right.”

/>   “What if things get awkward?”

  “Have you met my brothers?”

  Jillian chortled, opening the door. She was grinning when Ellie met her at the bottom of the porch stairs. “You know what, if Nick is uncomfortable, that’s on him. We’re all adults here, and I’m in such a good mood today, no one is going to ruin it.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Nick said from the shadows of the porch.

  Jillian shot Ellie a “busted” look before turning her attention to Nick. “Sorry, I didn’t see you lurking there.” Textbook Jillian, she had a hard time keeping her alliance with Ellie out of her voice.

  “I was sitting on the porch swing, collecting my thoughts.” Nick’s blue eyes shone as he turned his palms up in an expression of innocence. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you couldn’t see me behind the pillar.”

  Ellie rolled her eyes. “Funny, Nick.”

  Nick jogged down the steps, meeting them halfway. “You look good, Jillian. How are you feeling?”

  “My arm is healing, and I get to go back to work soon. I’m feeling great, but don’t think you can butter me up with compliments. I’m going to be watching you.”

  Ellie coughed, motioning toward the door. “Can you give us a minute, Jillian?”

  “Of course.” Jillian glared at Nick. “If I see so much as one tear I’ll—”

  “You won’t. I promise. I just came out to make sure she wants me here before dinner starts.”

  Jillian’s frown turned upward a notch. “Well, I guess that’s a start.” She turned and walked up the rest of the stairs, letting herself into the Palladian-style brick mansion the Kline family had called home for Ellie’s entire life.

  Nick waited for the door to close before he turned back to Ellie. “I was surprised you texted me.”

  “You never responded.”

  “You’re right, and I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t going to come, but when I went out to pick up dinner tonight, I found myself heading this way, and it felt right.”