by Jae
Dawn couldn't help it. She had to laugh.
"I hope you don't do that when your paying patients tell you about the dramatic moments of their lives," Del complained, pretending to pout.
"Sorry," Dawn said, finally calming down. "I take it Dad heard what she had to say?"
Del nodded grimly. "He and half the department."
"How did he react?" Dawn didn't laugh now. Del's answer was too important for that.
Del sat up to look at the photo of her mentor and friend. "He turned around and with the most deadpan expression said: 'If only all our witnesses were that eager to help out Portland's finest.'"
Dawn's eyes widened. She hadn't expected her father to react so casually to the sudden revelation about his partner's sex life. "He really said that?"
"Yep. Not everyone else reacted with such nonchalance, though. I later found out that your dad had some run-ins with a few jerks who had something against 'dykes in uniform.' He always had my back, and finding out I'm gay didn't change that." She smiled at Dawn. "Jim would have been fine with you being gay. I wish my father could be more like him." Del sighed, and the cloud of depression settled back over her.
"Maybe he changed," Dawn said softly. "Maybe he wants to apologize, and that's why he wants to see you."
"Maybe," Del said. She didn't sound as if she believed it. She stood and reached for her jacket. "Come on. I kept you long enough. Let's get out of here."
Janet and Mrs. Phillips were already gone, so they were the last ones to leave the office and walk across the dark parking lot. Dawn jerked in fearful surprise when she saw a shadowy figure leaning against her car. Only Del's presence kept her calm.
Del's cop instincts took over. She shoved Dawn behind her own body. "Hey!" she shouted to the stranger lurking in the parking lot.
The person quickly stepped into the light of the only street lamp.
"Aiden!" Anger, relief, and delight at seeing her lover warred within Dawn. When the emotional chaos within her quieted, she stepped next to Aiden and kissed her hello. "What are you doing here? I thought we said we'd meet at my place?" Not that she was complaining. She enjoyed every extra minute with Aiden.
Aiden shrugged. "I was in the neighborhood and saw your car still in the parking lot."
Dawn narrowed her eyes. It had taken her a while, but by now she could read between the lines and fluently translate what Aiden didn't say. "Being in the neighborhood" usually meant Aiden had been her usual overprotective self and had worried about her being alone at the office late at night. Dawn found it sweet and annoying all at the same time.
"See you later." Now that her other protector had arrived, Del started to walk away.
"Lieutenant... Del!" Aiden's shout quickly stopped her. "Do you have plans for tomorrow?"
Dawn couldn't believe it. Aiden wanted to do something with Del on her day off. Dawn wanted to hug and kiss Aiden, but she knew it would only make Aiden self-conscious about her offer to spend time with Del, so she acted nonchalantly and waited for Del's answer.
"No, not yet," Del answered slowly, almost carefully. "You have something in mind?"
Aiden's gaze flitted toward Dawn. She hesitated.
Del's stance shifted. "Why don't I meet you at Dawn's? Nine o'clock?"
Aiden nodded. A silent understanding seemed to pass between them.
Dawn narrowed her eyes and looked from one woman to the other. For the first time, she noticed that neither of them was relaxed. These weren't two friends making casual plans for the weekend. These were two cops planning a joint operation. "What's going on here?" she demanded to know.
Del looked at Aiden, leaving the decision on what to answer to her.
"Kade is being stalked, and we're investigating a few leads," Aiden said matter-of-factly.
Dawn couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Kade is being stalked? I just spent the whole evening with her at Del's party. Why didn't she say anything?" If she were in Kade's shoes, she knew she would be scared out of her mind, but Kade had acted completely normal as if everything was all right.
"She doesn't want the spotlight an official investigation would put on her private life." It was Del who answered this time, not Aiden.
Dawn could understand that. Kade was a very private person, and now that she was slowly growing closer to Del, she didn't want the whole city to know about it. "Not wanting an official investigation and not telling her friends are completely different things," she said, a little disappointed that Kade still didn't seem to trust her as a friend.
Del reached out and squeezed Dawn's arm. "It's nothing personal. It's just how Kade is. She deals with personal issues by ignoring them for as long as she can. She didn't even tell Carlisle... Aiden."
"Yeah," Aiden grumbled.
Dawn could tell she was clearly irritated about it. Seems like Kade told Del before she told Aiden. She almost had to smile. It's time to accept that you're not Kade's number one cop anymore, darling. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Aiden and Del exchanged another quick glance.
Okay, I wanted them to bond, but not over hiding something from me. "What are you not telling me?" she demanded to know.
Aiden rubbed the back of her neck, always a clear sign she was stressed, feeling helpless, or nervous about something. "One of the leads we're investigating... we think the stalker might be someone involved in one of Kade's cases. Maybe a suspect she put behind bars at the time the stalking started or a family member of a suspect."
That made sense. Kade made a lot of enemies as a prosecutor. Chances were the stalking was connected to her job. She nodded her understanding. "I'm following so far, but what does that have to do with me? It has to do with me, doesn't it?"
Aiden uncomfortably cleared her throat. "It's just one of many possibilities. It's probably a dead end anyway, but I don't want to take the risk."
Instead of answering Dawn's question, that answer confused her even more. "What are you talking about?" she asked, starting to feel exasperated.
"One of the cases that ended around the time the stalking started was Gary Ballard's." Aiden bit her lip as she looked at Dawn.
Dawn sucked in a breath. She had hoped to never hear that name again in her life. "You think he might be behind Kade being stalked?" She held her breath, hoping for a reassuring answer.
"It's just one of many possibilities," Aiden repeated as if she had told herself the same time and again. "We want to rule it out, just to be sure. And until we do, it would be better for you not to stay late and leave the office on your own."
Hot anger replaced the cold numbness Dawn had felt since Aiden had uttered Ballard's name. "Is that why you came to my office tonight?" She directed an annoyed gaze at Del. "So you could act as my police detail?"
Del quickly held up her hands. "No. I told you the truth. I wanted to talk to you. I didn't even know about Ballard until Carlisle... Aiden mentioned it right now." She threw an accusing gaze of her own at Aiden.
Dawn consciously relaxed her tense muscles. She knew Del wouldn't lie to her. "If I'm in any danger, I want to know about it," she said, trying hard to keep her voice steady. She looked from Aiden to Del until both of them reluctantly nodded. "And I want to make the decisions about what to do about it. If I think I need a bodyguard, I'll tell you. No self-appointed superheroes risking their lives for me, all right?"
Both cops sighed but nodded.
"So what is this secret operation you had planned for tomorrow?" Dawn asked. After her rape, she had promised herself that she would never again allow someone else to control her life and make her decisions for her, not even out of love and good intentions.
"We want to pay Ballard a visit in prison, see if he has anything to do with the flower deliveries or the attack on Del," Aiden answered.
Dawn looked up sharply. "Attack on Del? I thought you fell! What else are you hiding from me?" She angrily looked at the two women, but neither would meet her gaze. Dawn sighed. "Do we have to go over the same old
thing again and again and again?"
"It wasn't our decision to make," Del defended the both of them. "Kade is the one being stalked, so she should –"
"Bullshit!" Dawn interrupted. "You were the one attacked, so it was your decision to tell me that or lie to me."
"I'm sorry, but... What good would it have done to tell you?" Del said. "You couldn't have done anything about it, and you only would have worried."
Dawn sighed. That was how Del, Aiden, and most other cops thought, and she would never change it. Their protective instincts were too strong. Accept it; hope they'll tell you next time, and move on.
Aiden shifted uncomfortably when Dawn didn't say anything for a minute. "Do you want us to stay away from Ballard?" she asked, showing Dawn she would let her make the decision.
Dawn didn't want Aiden anywhere near the man who had raped her. She knew it would only upset Aiden. "If it's what you have to do to protect Kade, then do it. Just don't hide it from me."
The two cops exchanged another glance, then both of them nodded. "We won't," Aiden promised.
* * *
Aiden felt every muscle in her body vibrate with tension as they stopped in front of the visitor room and waited for the prison officer to open the door.
"Do you want to question him, or do you want me to take over?" Del asked, turning toward Aiden.
Officially, Del had the senior rank, so the decision should have been hers. Aiden appreciated Del leaving the decision to her. "I'll do it. Just hold me back if it looks like I'm gonna jump across the table," she said, only half joking.
"If you do the same for me," Del said.
They looked at each other, and for the first time, there was a complete understanding between them. Aiden suddenly felt that Del could become a friend – if she wasn't already. They grinned at each other but quickly sobered when the prison officer opened the door and stepped back.
Aiden took a deep breath and entered the room with resolute strides. She didn't want to give Gary Ballard any indication that this meeting was making her nervous.
The man in orange looked up as they entered. "Well, well, well! If it isn't the dyke detective with the glass jaw."
It was an allusion to him hitting her when she had arrested him back in October. Aiden didn't react to the provocation. She sat down across the table from Ballard even though a part of her hated sitting down with Dawn's rapist.
"I see you brought company," Ballard said when Del sat down next to Aiden. "She your girlfriend?" He didn't seem to remember Del from the trial.
Either Ballard had good gaydar, or he thought every short-haired female cop was a lesbian. Or he's the one who is responsible for stalking Kade, so he knows exactly who and what Del is, Aiden thought. "I'm not here to talk about me or my colleague. Let's talk about you. What have you been up to for the first of fifteen very long years, huh?" She knew Ballard wasn't stupid. He wouldn't tell them anything as long as he was in control of his emotions. She had to try to provoke him without making it too obvious.
The handcuffs around Ballard's wrists rattled as he leaned back. "Not a lot to do around here, Officer," he answered almost cheerfully.
Aiden ignored his use of the wrong title. "Yeah, I can imagine that. But I bet you're making plenty of new friends. Most of the inmates probably think your ass looks pretty sweet in prison orange." She gave him a suggestive wink, leaving no doubt about the meaning of her comment.
Ballard jumped up from behind the table. "What are you implying, you stupid bitch?"
"Sit down, or this visit is over!" the prison officer shouted from his place against the wall.
Ballard hesitated, and Aiden began to fear she had gone too far and he would end their conversation. Then Ballard glared at her one last time and sat back down. His red face slowly took on a more normal color.
Okay, calm down, Aiden ordered herself. Control yourself. It might feel good to drive him up the wall, but you're not here to avenge Dawn. You're here to do your job. "Hey, don't take it personally," she said casually. "I just thought with no contact to the outside world..."
"They could lock me up for the rest of my life. I'd still never allow a guy to touch me," Ballard spat out with contempt.
Hmm. That wasn't the defiant admission that he still has some contact to the outside world that I expected. Either he's more clever than I gave him credit for, or he didn't send the stalker. Aiden studied the man across from her but didn't find the answers she was looking for in his face.
"Why are you here? You don't just want to brag in front of your lover, do you?" Ballard jerked his head in Del's direction.
He's not having Dawn watched, that much is clear, Aiden thought with satisfaction, or he'd know that Dawn is my lover, not Del. When she had last seen Ballard, Dawn hadn't been more than a victim and a woman whose strength she admired. "I'm here to find out if you felt the sudden need to send some flowers," she said and looked into Ballard's glacier blue eyes to watch his reaction.
"Me? Sending flowers?" Ballard roared with laughter. "That's for girls and sissies! Even in this shithole, I need my money for more important things."
Meaning drugs, huh? Aiden resolved to suggest a surprise drug test and tossing Ballard's cell to the prison officer before they left. If she could do anything to make sure Ballard got no time off for good behavior, she would.
"So, who got the unwanted flowers?" Ballard asked.
Aiden hesitated. She didn't want to drag Kade into this conversation, but on the other hand, if Ballard was responsible for the stalking, he already knew much more than just Kade's name. "The DDA who was responsible for getting you convicted," she finally answered.
Ballard grinned without even a hint of sympathy. "Someone is going after her, huh?"
Del shifted in her chair, her muscles tensing, but to Aiden's relief, she kept her emotions in check and remained quiet.
"Maybe someone you know?" Aiden asked, looking him right in the eyes.
Ballard laughed. "You're accusing me? Believe me, if I went after someone, it would be the blond bitch whose whoring dyke ways put me behind bars."
You goddamned son of a bitch! You're blaming Dawn for what you did to her? The chair under Aiden creaked as her weight shifted forward. She felt Del's fingers clamp around her thigh, keeping her in her seat.
"And believe me, I wouldn't send her flowers!" Ballard continued without even noticing Aiden's reaction.
Aiden had enough. She couldn't face the man who had raped Dawn any longer. She gestured to the prison officer and quickly walked from the room without looking back.
Outside, Aiden and Del leaned against the wall, shoulder to shoulder, both of them quiet for long moments.
"I don't think he's responsible for stalking Kade," Del finally said. "Either he's a stellar actor, or he doesn't know anything about Dawn's or Kade's private lives. Flowers and love letters are not his style or the style of his cronies. He would send someone to kill Kade, not to court her."
Aiden would have liked nothing better than to add to Ballard's years in prison by charging him with another crime, but she had to admit Del was probably right. Kade would not be Ballard's choice of victim, and sending flowers was not his style. She would check out his visitor logs, but she had a feeling Gary Ballard was just another dead end. They were quickly running out of leads.
* * *
"Do you have time to grab a drink?"
At the unexpected question, Aiden turned and stared at Del. Del had never before suggested spending time together, so she wasn't sure what to make of this. "Uh... I rarely drink these days," she answered carefully.
"Then let's go for coffee or something else. It's not like I want to ply you with alcohol to learn your intentions toward Dawn anyway," Del pointed out.
"It's not? I mean... you don't?"
Del sighed. "I know I'm a little overprotective when it comes to Dawn. You'll understand if you ever have kids."
Having kids... Let's stay away from that topic. Aiden had no desire to discuss it
with Del of all people. "Do you really think of Dawn as a daughter?" she asked instead.
Del leaned against the car, which was parked in front of the prison. She thought about it for a while. "No, not really. From the very start, Jimmy – Dawn's dad – treated me like his younger sister. That role stuck, so I guess I'm something of an aunt for Dawn. But I didn't want to talk about Dawn."
Aiden could see only one other thing they had in common. "You want to talk about Kade."
Del smiled. "I admit that she's my favorite topic these days," she said with an openness Aiden could only admire. "But no, I don't want to talk about Kade either. I suggested drinks because I have a feeling there's a lot going on in your life right now – and I'm offering an ear if you want to talk about it."