It scared the daylights out of him to think that Marie could be in some sort of danger, but the only thing he could do at this point was wait for his cell phone to ring. It wasn’t in his pocket three seconds before it began to buzz. Thinking that it may be his captain, Frank hurriedly snatched it out.
“Hey, did you get in touch with Captain Snyder?” Amber asked.
“Yeah, but I wasn’t able to tell her about our theory.”
“Why not?”
“Well, it seems that when I called her, she was in the process of investigating an accident.”
“What? Where?”
“I have no idea. She hung up on me before I had a chance to ascertain any more information.”
“Oh wow. I hope everything is alright.”
“So do I.”
“Are you going to try to call her back?”
“I tried to, a couple of times before you called, but I wasn’t able to reach her.”
“Hmmm . . . I don’t like the sound of this Frank. She could be in real trouble.”
“I don’t think there’s any need to worry Amber. If she needed assistance, I’m sure she would have called it in. Besides, the way she sounded on the phone gave me the impression that it was just a routine accident.”
Frank said this more to reassure himself than Amber. His gut told him that everything was okay, but his numerous years of experience told him that anything was possible. He decided to trust his gut and wait a while before trying to contact her again.
“Okay partner. If you say so.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll call her later, on and find out what’s going on.”
“Okay, thanks.”
After disconnecting the call, Frank headed home. It was disappointing to him that he couldn’t tell his boss about Amber’s and his theory. He thought about the case and immediately became disgusted. He never could understand what the color of a person’s skin had to do with who they fell in love with. He thought about his boss and her husband, whom he’d met on several occasions, and remembered how happy they had seemed to be together. Frank wasn’t naïve, so he knew that Marie and her husband sometimes went through a rough patch in their marriage. He also knew that was normal, not only for them, but for virtually every married couple in America.
It took Frank less than ten minutes to get home. Once inside of his house, he dropped down on his couch and undid his tie. For some reason, he felt tired. He’d been experiencing that a lot lately. His stomach growled, alerting him that he hadn’t eaten since early afternoon. Although he didn’t feel like it, Frank got up and made his way to the kitchen. He stopped in the entryway and smiled when he saw his daughter sitting at the table eating a slice of leftover pizza.
“Hey sweetheart. Is there any left for me or did your brother demolish the rest of it?”
“Hey Daddy,” Rhonda squealed. With joy in her eyes, she jumped up and flew into her father’s arms. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“Wow. It looks like someone is glad to see me.”
“I’m always glad to see you Daddy.”
“I’m always glad to see you too honey.”
Frank kissed his daughter on the forehead and headed for the refrigerator. He frowned when he saw that there was only one slice of pizza left. With a twisted expression on his face, he turned to look at Rhonda.
“Hey, don’t look at me. This is only my second slice. Captain Caveman up there ate four,” she said, pointing toward Frank Jr.’s room.
Frank took a deep breath and shook his head. He should have known that his greedy son wouldn’t leave much of anything.
“Oh well. It looks like it’s cold cuts for me tonight.”
Frank opened one of the drawers in the refrigerator and took out a package of turkey meat. After grabbing the jar of mayonnaise, he opened a separate drawer and took out a pack of cheese slices, a head of lettuce, and a tomato that had already been cut in half.
“Looks like I need to go grocery shopping,” he said when he opened the bread box and discovered that there was only a half loaf of bread left.
“You sure do Dad. We’re all out of cookies.”
Frank looked up to see Frank Jr. stroll into the kitchen. Frank Sr gave his son a disbelieving look.
“I just bought two packs of cookies the other day. You mean to tell me that you two have eaten them up already?”
“Don’t blame me, dad. The cookie monster is responsible for that,” Rhonda said. “I only had a few.”
“Snitch,” Frank Jr. said to his sister.
“Whatever. I’m not taking the fall for you,” she said, laughing.
Frank Sr. walked up to his son and folded his arms. An incredulous look passed over his face as he shook his head.
“First of all, why did you eat four slices of pizza, knowing that it was supposed to be our dinner for tonight? And second, why in the world did you eat damn near two packs of cookies in a matter of three days? What’s the matter with you, boy? You got a tapeworm or something?” Frank Sr. asked.
“A what?”
“A tapeworm.”
“What the heck is a tapeworm?”
“Never mind. From now on, don’t touch any sweets in this house without checking with me first.”
Frank Jr. frowned and cut his eyes at his sister. In his eyes, it was all her fault.
“And don’t even think about blaming your sister. You’re the one who scoffed down those cookies, so if you want to get mad at someone, get mad at yourself. Now answer my first question. Why did you eat so many slices of pizza?”
“Sorry Dad. I was just real hungry after practice.”
Frank was just about to admonish his son for his lack of courtesy when he was interrupted by the doorbell. Seeing this as an opportunity to escape his father’s wrath, Frank Jr. bolted from the kitchen.
“I’ll get it,” he said, quickly exiting the room.
Although Frank Sr. knew the true motive behind his son’s hasty departure, he allowed him to leave anyway. Besides, someone had to answer the door. About a minute later, Frank Jr. returned to the kitchen. A strange look resided on his face.
“What is it, son? Who was at the door?”
Frank Jr. looked at his sister, then back toward the front door.
“Uh . . . dad, someone is here to see you,” he said, sheepishly.
The strange look on his face caused Frank Sr. to become concerned. When he walked into the living room, however, he was met with a pleasant surprise. At least he hoped it was a pleasant surprise. Standing in his hallway, looking as radiant as she did when he’d first met her, was Principal Grace Ponder.
She’d ditched the conservative work attire she wore while at her place of employment and now had on a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a white blouse. A pair of brown sandals showed off her freshly painted toenails. The white polish matched her blouse perfectly. Her hair, which had been pulled back into a ponytail while she was at work, now hung freely around her shoulders.
“Uh . . . hello, Ms. Ponder,” Frank Sr. stammered. He was as shocked as his children that she’d visited him.
“Good evening Mr. Stone. First off, I would like to apologize to you for coming to your home unannounced.”
“It’s quite all right, Ms. Ponder. Please come in and take a seat.” Frank ushered her away from the front door and into the living room. Frank Jr. and Rhonda peeked their heads into the living room, attempting to hear what was going on.
“Frank, what did you do?” Rhonda whispered to her brother.
“Me? I didn’t do anything. What did you do?” he shot back.
“Oh, please. I ain’t did jack. If anybody did something, it was you.”
“Stop talking so loud. Daddy’s gonna hear you.”
Neither of them wanted that. They wanted to remain right where they were so that they could eavesdrop on the conversation. Unfortunately, their father had other plans.
“Frank! Rhonda! Stop eavesdropping and go to your rooms so I can talk to Ms
. Ponder.”
Disappointment was etched onto their faces as they headed for their rooms. Principal Ponder noticed their worried expressions and decided to put their minds at ease.
“No need to worry, kids. Neither of you is in any trouble.”
“Thank God,” Frank Jr. said. He was so glad that Grace Ponder’s visit didn’t have anything to do with him, he practically ran to his room. Ronda, on the other hand, had a different thought process altogether.
If neither one of us is in trouble, then what the heck is she doing here? she wondered.
Just before disappearing through the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Grace smile at her father. It was a scene that didn’t sit well with her at all. A frown remained on her face until she reached her room. When Frank was sure that his children couldn’t hear them, he turned his attention back to Principal Ponder. Since she had just stated that neither of them was in trouble, his curiosity piqued about why she was there. Seeing the perplexed look on his face, Grace figured she needed to get to the point of her visit.
“I know you’re wondering why I’m here, Mr. Stone, so I’ll just say. I received a call today from Yolonda Green. She was still highly ticked off about what Frank Jr. did to her son, so much so that she threatened to take legal action against the school and Frank Jr.”
Frank cocked his head and smirked. “So, let me get this straight. This little punk starts a fight with my son, comes out on the losing end, and now his mother wants to sue everybody?”
“Yes, that’s about the size of it. Since you’re a police officer, I wanted to get your professional opinion on whether she has a case.”
Frank took a deep breath and leaned back on the sofa. He rubbed his chin and thought back to the day of the altercation. He’d made it a point to visually examine the other young man when he entered the principal’s office. From what he remembered; the boy didn’t look like he’d suffered any significant injuries. Only a few bumps and bruises, but he decided to ask Ms. Ponder to make sure.
“Did you see the kid today?” he asked.
“Yes. Anytime I give students alternative learning as a punishment, I go by and check to make sure they are there.”
“How did he look?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, how did he look? Did it look like he had any broken bones on anything like that?”
“Not hardly. As a matter of fact, when I stopped by the room, he looked like he was busy annoying someone else.”
“That figures. I guess he hasn’t learned his lesson yet.”
“Apparently not. Somehow, though, I don’t think he will be bothering your son or daughter again,” Grace said, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a slight chuckle.
“Not if he knows what’s good for him.” As soon as he said it, Frank wanted to take it back. It made him sound like he was advocating violence, which wasn’t true. He immediately held his hands in the air.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s quite all right,” Grace said, smiling. “Like I told you in my office, I’m glad your son beat the brakes off that little punk.”
Frank’s loins began to stir as Grace’s lips curled into a radiant smile. He pinched his wedding ring and turned it a couple of times.
“Now I’m the one who needs to apologize. As a principal, I shouldn’t be sounding like I’m promoting violence between my students, but . . . I’m sorry. That kid is just a pain in the ass. Back to my original question though. Do you think Yolonda Green has a case against us?”
Frank slowly shook his head.
“Nah, I doubt it. The kid didn’t seem to suffer any significant injuries. Kids get into fights at school all the time, so I don’t see how this is any different. From the looks of it, this Yolonda Green is just upset because her son came out on the short end of the stick. I’d be willing to bet anything that if the situation were reversed and her son was victorious, she wouldn’t be bitching about it at all.”
Grace nodded her head in agreement. Frank’s words had re-affirmed what she’d thought all along, but because he was a cop, she wanted his opinion. However, if she was being totally honest with herself, it wasn’t the only reason she stopped over. Ever since she’d seen him at the school, she’d been having erotic thoughts about him. Frank was just her cup of tea. Tall, dark, and extremely handsome. She loved the protector type of man, and who better to protect you than a police officer? But as much as she yearned to get to know him better, the wedding ring on his finger said that he was off-limits. So even though she was attracted to him, Grace wasn’t a homewrecker.
“So, is your wife in? I’d love to meet her.”
“Huh?”
“Your wife,” she said, pointing to his wedding band.
“Oh, she’s not here.”
“Really? I’d better hurry and leave then. I don’t want to catch a beatdown.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Really? And just why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Oh? How so?”
Grace knew that she was pushing the envelope, but she couldn’t help herself. Frank was fascinating to her and even if she couldn’t have him for herself, she wanted to know more about him. Frank stared at her for a few seconds. He was surprised at her audacity and although he liked her, he wasn’t about to disclose anything in his personal life to her. He was just about to tell her so when his doorbell rang again. When he got up to answer it, Grace stood up with him.
“Oh my God, I didn’t realize it was this late,” she said, looking at her watch. “I really must go. Thank you for your time and your advice. I have to admit that I was a little worried about that woman’s threat,” she half-lied.
“No problem, Ms. Ponder.”
“Please, call me Grace.”
“Okay, Grace. Thanks for coming by.” As Frank ushered her toward the door, he couldn’t help but look down at her apple-shaped behind. Once again, he rubbed his wedding band to ward off the impending heat that threatened to surge through his body. When he opened the door to let her out, Amber stepped inside.
“Frank! We have an emer—oh, I didn’t realize that you had company,” she said, looking Grace up and down.
“Amber, this is Grace Ponder. She’s the principal at St. Joseph’s High School.”
“Nice to meet you,” Amber said dryly. Frank and Grace shot each other a quick glance. Amber’s tone wasn’t lost on either of them.
“Likewise. Thanks again, Frank.”
Amber gave Grace the once-over as she walked past her.
“Your new girlfriend?” she asked when Grace was out of earshot.
“Not at all, and you know that I’m married so stop talking crazy. Like I said, she’s my kids’ principal.”
“Really? What’s she doing over here? Helping them with their homework?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass. Just tell me what you were about to say when you first got here.”
Amber took a deep breath and got ready to deliver the shocking news.
31
After giving a brief synopsis of what had transpired at Marie Snyder’s house, the sound of Amber’s voice wasn’t heard again until she and Frank had reached Marie’s house. Frank found that very peculiar. Amber was the chatty type, so the fact that she remained silent seemed strange to him. He wanted to inquire about the murder of their captain’s husband but given her surly attitude, he decided to wait until they got there and investigate it for himself.
Twice he’d asked her if anything was bothering her and both times, she told him that she was fine. Frank wasn’t a stupid man. He knew that something was bothering his partner, but he was smart enough to keep quiet and not aggravate the situation. For one brief moment, he wondered if she had gotten jealous when she’d seen Grace, but that would be absurd . . . wouldn’t it? Even though Frank’s wife was still in a comatose state, he was still a happily married man and Amber knew that.
When
they finally arrived at the captain’s residence, Amber quickly cut the engine and got out of the car. She moved toward the house so swiftly that Frank had to jog lightly just to catch up to her before she reached the front door.
“Hey, hold up a second,” he said, grabbing her hand as she reached for the doorknob.
“Look, Detective, I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but you need to leave it outside of these doors. Our captain and friend is in there, devastated by the loss of her husband, so I’m going to need you to focus on the job at hand. Got it?”
Amber drew in a long breath and blew it into the air. Her partner was one hundred percent right, and she knew it.
“Okay, Frank. I hear you. I’m sorry. I just had a few things on my mind, but I’m good now,” she lied. She was still feeling some kind of way about Grace being there, but she knew she had to push her feelings to the side.
“Good. Now let’s go in here and see about Marie.”
The two detectives entered the house and were immediately overcome with sadness and grief. Grisly murder scenes weren’t new to them. This situation, however, was completely different. One of their own had suffered a profound personal loss. Marie’s place was packed with law enforcement officers and family members. Normally, civilians wouldn’t be allowed within fifty feet of a murder scene, but special privileges were granted sine Marie was a captain. The looks on her coworkers’ faces ranged from sadness to rage. Frank understood exactly how they felt. Whoever had murdered Donald Snyder had unknowingly declared war on the entire department.
When Frank and Amber entered the living room, Amber nearly threw up at the sight of Donald Snyder’s neck hanging open.
“Oh my God,” she mumbled, covering her mouth. “Who is God’s name could have done this to Donald?”
“I don’t know, but this seems personal,” Frank said, looking around.
“What makes you say that?”
“Look around, Detective. It doesn’t appear that there was any struggle here.”
“So, you think that he knew his killer?”
“It’s quite possible.”
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