Insinuations Read online

  “You deserve…”

  “No.” Ellie laid a finger on her lips. “I deserve to have this amazing woman in my life, someone who’s brave and kind, not to mention gorgeous and sexy. That’s what I deserve, and I got her.”

  Jordan couldn’t suppress the smile at her passionate speech. “I hope you did get your head checked out earlier,” she said, but her voice was shaky.

  “My head is fine. Come on. Let’s get some sleep. If you’re a little late today, I’m sure Derek will cover for you. We will take the time to talk, just not right now. Okay?”

  To her relief, Jordan nodded and they lay back down under the covers, soon falling asleep in each others’ arms. There was something hopeful in that.

  * * * *

  Ellie woke to the sound of a phone, momentarily disoriented and wondering why her face felt this tender, then she remembered.

  “Jordan. It’s yours.”

  “Oh God, shoot me now,” Jordan muttered and winced. “I’m so sorry. I vaguely remember this is not the first inappropriate metaphor I’ve used. Sorry. Ouch.”

  “Yeah, I imagine. At least you did that to yourself.”

  Jordan answered the call, her attention immediately with the person on the other side of the line. “I understand. No, this is not a bad moment. I’ll be right there.”

  “Are you sure?” Ellie asked when Jordan began to gather her clothes hastily. “You shouldn’t be driving.”

  “I’m okay. This can’t wait.”

  “Let me come with you, then.” Ellie quickly threw on some clothes as well. “I’ll drive you, and then we can come back here before you go to work.”

  Jordan looked indecisive, but she nodded.

  “Okay, but when we get there, I want you to stay in the car. You do exactly what I say.”

  It was a relief to see Jordan being back to the woman Ellie knew her to be, focused, and taking charge. In fact, it was a bit of a turn-on too. There was no denying they’d have to talk about last night, but either way, they’d be okay in the end, even if they needed to postpone that conversation for a bit.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Only minutes had passed when they arrived at the park Darla had named, the place deserted in the early morning save for a couple of joggers and an elderly man walking his dog. It didn’t take Jordan long to establish that Darla was nowhere to be seen. She went back to the car to call her.

  Darla had turned off her phone.

  “Damn it,” she cursed before sitting back in the passenger’s seat.

  Ellie cast her a curious glance. “I know I’m not supposed to leave the car, but can I ask?”

  Of course, Ellie had so many questions, mostly because Jordan had been dodging many of them as long as she could. This was not one of the troubled subjects though.

  “My informant? She said she could put me in touch with someone who knows Ryder. She said it was urgent…but here we are.”

  “Do you think something might have happened to her?” Ellie asked, swiftly uncovering Jordan’s worries.

  “I don’t know. I will try to find her. There are places where she usually hangs out. I can ask around, but I want to go back to the station, put the word out. This isn’t good.” She picked up her phone again. Fortunately, Derek picked up on the first ring. Jordan had a faint memory of last night’s interactions that made her cringe.

  “I told the boss you were sick, probably calling in later today…I hope,” he said, keeping his tone light, but it wasn’t hard to read between the lines.

  “Thanks, you’re the best. That’s not why I’m calling. Darla Pierson—she was supposed to meet me this morning, regarding Ryder, didn’t show up. I have some ideas where to look, but I’ll need some help. I want to make sure she’s not in trouble.”

  “I’m on it,” he promised. “You better make that call?”

  “I’m coming in,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’ll clear things up with the lieutenant.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on, Carpenter. I want to see you in my office ASAP,” the man in question said from the other end of the line.

  Even Ellie flinched a bit at his tone. “Ouch,” she said after Jordan had disconnected the call.

  “Yeah. Ouch. Would you mind being my designated driver for a little while longer?”

  Jordan reached over to take Ellie’s hand. “I swear, sometime soon I’ll be the responsible adult I used to be at some point, before all this shit started, and we’ll talk.”

  “Don’t worry,” Ellie said. “I told you, I won’t go anywhere. Do you still want to stop by your house?”

  Jordan took a look at her rumpled clothes. There wasn’t much of an alternative. “Absolutely. The ‘I just fell out of bed’ style might be okay with Darla, but the boss won’t be amused if I show up to work like that.”

  Ellie’s sympathetic look reflected what she already knew—she was in for some stern words from her supervisor.

  Back at the house, Jordan grimaced at her reflection in the mirror. The quick hot shower made her feel slightly better, but it hadn’t done anything for her complexion or the dark circles under her eyes. Why had she done that to herself?

  That’s right. Darby. Kathryn. Bethany, who knew how to put her finger on the wound, and did so gladly, because she believed in confronting fears when they weren’t her own. Jordan shook her head, then holding on to it with both hands.

  Ouch.

  So she’d had lousy birthparents, wasted years on a relationship that hadn’t done her or Bethany any good, and crossed paths with a sadistic killer. More importantly, she had come out alive every time, and there were still people in her life willing to bet on her.

  Now was not the moment to get emotional either, she reminded herself, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

  Unfortunately, she had somewhere to be.

  * * * *

  Ellie had dropped her off at the station and then went home to get her own day started.

  “Carpenter,” the lieutenant greeted her when Jordan knocked on the door of his office and reluctantly went inside. “I was beginning to wonder whether we would see you today. It’s very considerate of you to show up after all. What’s this mysterious sickness your partner was talking about, if I may ask?”

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I was meeting with a CI this morning, about the Ryder case, and Pratt, but she didn’t show up. I know I’m technically not supposed to be on that case, but—”

  “Not just technically, but since those two cases so conveniently overlap, it’s not why I wanted you here. Sit.” He got up to open his door. “Henderson! Do you have a minute?”

  The list of people she owed was getting longer. Derek walked inside, appearing much too calm for the conversation to come—or maybe he had expected it all along.

  “Lieutenant?”

  “I know you guys know your job, there’s no question about it. However, in order to do my job, I need to be informed about what’s going on every once in a while, don’t you agree? Detective Carpenter, what was the reason again for seeing Mr. Darby, not to mention making Henderson cover for you?”

  “She didn’t actually—”

  “I’m not talking to you right now.”

  “This was about text messages Officer Harding got,” Jordan defended herself. “They bordered on threatening, and there was a clear reference to the attack. It made sense to assume Darby could have found a way to send them, via a guard maybe.”

  “Did you find any evidence that this was the case?”

  Jordan bit her lip. “No.”

  “Did you learn anything of importance from the alleged mastermind himself?”

  “No…but…He killed three women, at least. I needed to make sure.”

  Derek cleared his throat discreetly, alerting her to the fact that her voice had risen quite a bit.

  “Jonathan Darby denied having attacked Officer Harding,” Jordan continued. “I understand that he might be lying, but what if that’s not the case? That means the real a
ttacker is still out there!”

  “This is exactly why it was a bad idea to go by yourself without clearing this with me first. Your private life is your business, but obviously Darby is aware of your relationship with Harding. He got into your head.”

  “That’s not all…”

  “Listen, Darby will spent the rest of his life in a maximum security facility, for which, believe me, we’re all grateful. For now, I need you to concentrate on Ryder and Pratt, not some side investigations that a psychopathic killer suggests you might do. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal clear, sir.” At least he hadn’t suggested she’d take a vacation.

  “Henderson, this is not high school. The next time you come to me first.”

  Derek nodded, unfazed by the criticism. “Will do.”

  “All right, you two, get back to work—and Carpenter, when this case is closed, you will take some time off.”

  Jordan breathed a sigh of relief when they were on the other side of the closed door. “Thanks for trying. I owe you. You want to come for dinner with my parents too?”

  He laughed. “You don’t think it would be awkward? How about you pay for coffee for the next month?”

  “Oh, you drive a hard bargain. Speaking of coffee, I could use some. Did you get anything on Darla?”

  “No, nothing.”

  Jordan nodded, feeling queasy at the thought she might have pushed her too hard.

  “She knows the risks.”

  “I’m aware. This is still strange. I’d like to hit the bars tonight, check if anybody’s seen her. There are a few places I know she hangs out on a regular basis, especially when she wants to be under the radar.”

  “Okay. I’ll come with you.”

  The following silence was laden with meaning, not hard to figure out for Jordan.

  “I promise, you will never again get a phone call from Bethany in the middle of the night. That was stupid, and childish.” Kind of appropriate though, considering she was still dealing with that frightened child of so many years ago.

  “It hasn’t been that long,” Derek said. “You should cut yourself some slack.”

  Jordan knew he was right, but she wasn’t sure if a couple of weeks under palm trees could scrub her mind clean of the nightmares. Getting Pratt behind bars, and his buddy Ryder too, would go a long way towards achieving that.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ellie should have gone home, do some cleaning and grocery shopping, or figure out what to wear for the dinner with Jordan’s parents. Somehow, she couldn’t make herself leave the house where Jordan was trying so hard to make a home for herself in the aftermath of her trauma.

  It was a beautiful place, no doubt about it. Then again, she’d made a deal with the Devil to get it—that’s where Ellie’s doubts came in. However, she had to trust that Jordan knew what would help her move on. As long as Ellie was included in that vision of the future, she could keep her promise and be patient. She couldn’t even imagine what Jordan was going through with the latest revelations.

  What Libby had said was true though. They wouldn’t give up trying.

  She walked around, cup of coffee in hand, wondering if at some point they would make plans to live together. In fact, they practically did, with Ellie arriving after her shift every day and sleeping in Jordan’s bed while she was at work. Neither of them had mentioned in so many words what it meant, or could mean. Ellie could sympathize. She was hurt when Rhonda had moved out so abruptly, leaving one month’s rent behind. For too long now Ellie had been paying for a space bigger than she needed, too busy to even try getting another roommate. Jordan, however, had spent nine years in a claustrophobic relationship, so it wasn’t surprising she hadn’t brought up the subject yet.

  Space. Ellie sighed. She stood in front of a bookshelf, then she kneeled, drawn to the box that said ‘photos’. Her fingers tingled with the curiosity, opening the lid an inch. Ellie got up and stepped back, spooked by her almost transgression.

  Jordan was a private person, with everyone. Snooping in the home of someone who had trusted her with the keys was generally a bad idea, no matter how intimate she was with that person. Ellie took a deep breath and sat on the couch, her eyes still on the box, as she finished her coffee.

  She would ask.

  Chances were there were pictures in that box she didn’t want to see, of a happier time with Bethany that must have existed at some point in the past. Nine years. Where had they gone so wrong?

  Ellie went back to the kitchen and rinsed her cup in the sink before she let herself out. It was a beautiful place. She could imagine living here someday.

  * * * *

  Kate was behind the wheel of the squad car when they got the message from dispatch. “Teenagers report a white female, twenties, presumably dead, near the tracks of Hartwood station. An ambulance is on the way.”

  Ellie took the call, and Kate made a sharp turn towards the location. While this was hardly an occasion to celebrate, it made her feel hopeful that her friend was getting back to her usual self, the grief not so deeply etched into her features anymore, though, of course, it was far from over.

  They’d all honor Jensen by doing their job the best way they could. The train tracks were only a few blocks away. When they got out of the car, the two teenage girls, pale and shocked, were already waiting for them. One of them was crying.

  “Over here.”

  Even in the dark, it was easy to see the bloody bruises marring the women’s face, her clothes stained with dirt. Ellie dropped to her knees, feeling for a pulse. Against the odds, she could feel it, faint, against her fingertips.

  “That’s all right, sweetie, stay with me.” The woman was unconscious, but breathing. Ellie carefully checked for visible injuries. No sign of ID in the pocket of the woman’s red hoodie.

  “Damn,” Kate said, her next words drowned out by the sirens of the ambulance, its lights together with the squad car’s painting the scene in a ghostly light. Two paramedics came rushing towards them, and Ellie let go of the woman’s cold hand, stepping aside to let them work. Kate told them what little they knew. “I’ll go with her,” she said to Ellie. “Let’s get Homicide in here.”

  Ellie had a bad feeling about this—aside from the fact that this young woman had been beaten up and left to die.

  She reached Detective Doss at her desk, hoping against the odds that this violent assault wouldn’t become a homicide after all, and the woman could be as lucky as she had been. Ellie was aware of the distant impulse to curl up and cry, but instead she went to take care of the distraught teenagers, finishing their statements and getting them a ride home with another officer.

  For a moment, she sat in the squad car, praying she could be wrong and this wasn’t directly related to the disappearance of Jordan’s informant. In her heart, she knew she wasn’t. Jordan would take this hard.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jordan had two more places left, her frustration and concern growing in the unsuccessful search for Darla. A woman named Charis shared that Darla had shown up a couple of days ago, but she hadn’t seen her since. Charis knew Serena. She had, however, no idea where Jordan could find her.

  “I wish I knew. I would so tell you if you could get me a date with that guy,” she said with a wink, nodding to Derek who had taken a phone call a few feet away.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, but thanks anyway.”

  Jordan went to get her partner who had just finished the call.

  “That was Maria,” he said, sounding more serious than she would have liked—definitely not the moment to let him know she was on to him about their relationship.

  “Just two more places, I swear, then we can call it a night.”

  “This wasn’t a private call,” Derek said. “I think we found her.” His next words seemed to come from far away, like under water. “Jordan! She’s alive—still. Officers thought it was better to be safe than sorry and called in Homicide, but she’s hanging in there.”

  �
�What happened?”

  “Someone beat her up, dumped her. Maria’s at the hospital. They don’t have any ID yet, but the description fits.”

  “Okay. I want to go there. Give me a second.”

  She went back to Charis’s table. The woman gave her a hopeful smile. “You changed your mind?”

  “This is important. The moment Serena turns up, you call 911, and call me too.” She handed her a business card. “Don’t tell anyone we asked for her.”

  “Sure. That sounds serious. Is she in trouble?”

  “Not from us, but she might be in danger. Don’t forget it. Call 911 right away,” Jordan insisted.

  “Yeah, I think I can remember that.”

  “Just do it.”

  Jordan joined Henderson again, aware of his concerned looks. At this point, they were more than justified, she had to admit. “I’ll be okay,” she answered his unspoken question. “This means we’re getting close. It will be over soon.”

  He didn’t agree nor disagree.

  * * * *

  “Ms. Pierson can’t answer any of your questions right now. She’s unconscious,” the doctor said with more than a hint of impatience. “At this point, I can’t tell you when or if she’s going to wake up, but we’re doing our best.”

  “I just need to see her for a moment. Please.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Jordan could see Kate McCarthy swallow hard. None of them wanted to be here. She had a debt to pay though.

  “Two minutes, no more. This woman is fighting for her life.”

  Two minutes could be short or long, depending on what you filled them with. Jordan stepped into the room, for a moment overcome with dread. She’d seen too many women brutalized and murdered, almost ended up dead at the hands of a killer—much as she’d tried to deny it, it was taking more of a toll than she cared to admit. This was almost worse than everything else though. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was at least partly responsible for Darla lying in this bed. Jordan knew, Darla had always worked independently, like Derek had said, she knew the risks, when to lay low.