Insinuations Read online

  “I’ll tell my therapist all about it,” she joked. “Now let’s get some work done.”

  “Jordan,” he tried again.

  “Did you hear what I just said? Someone needs to take a look at that trailer, and I have to get back in there for a moment.”

  “I mean it. If you want to talk…”

  The terrible magic word, and the last she wanted to hear from him right now. How hard was it to not treat her like something fragile, like she was going to break any moment? He meant well. Everyone did, even Bethany. It was driving her crazy.

  “There’s no time right now. Maybe we can get a drink after work.” Without a further word, she went back into the room, where Pratt’s stance was a little less cocky now.

  “So?”

  He groaned. “I don’t trust you, but I guess I have no choice. Hobbs didn’t talk much in prison, but we ran into each other before. On the outside. Same old group, with your parents and some friends. See, most of us wanted to do a little dope and leave it at that, but he was always going on about something bigger.”

  Of all the stories, Jordan hadn’t expected that. A possible connection to her birthparents made this case go downhill very fast, the mere thought giving her a headache. As far as she knew, they’d had a few run-ins with the police, before and after she’d left, but nothing major. They weren’t the type of people she dealt with in her day job.

  Then again, she was still trying to convince herself that neglect wasn’t abuse. Maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe she was wrong again.

  “I didn’t think he was serious at the time,” Pratt continued. “Someone who gets out, needs to get away as soon as he can…He once mentioned getting back at those who didn’t support his plans. I remember your dad told him flat out he was crazy, and he didn’t like to hear that. He might come after someone, and I don’t want to take that risk.”

  There it was, that sleazy smile again, telling Jordan that Pratt had other things on this mind than his concern for Hobbs’ plans. “It might do some good and help reunite a family. You know your mom was really upset after Child Protective Services took you away.”

  “That’s heartbreaking.” If her birthparents had been upset, it certainly wasn’t because of that, but the drugs the police had confiscated at the scene. “All right. We’ll take a look around, see if there’s anything to help us find Hobbs. You’ll get your wish.”

  “Well, thank you. I knew you would come around…for old times’ sake, if nothing else.”

  “It’s not like you gave us something big. However it’s a start. I wouldn’t want Hobbs to come around and take care of all the loose ends he thinks are still out there.”

  Pratt shook his head. “Are you even listening? You and your family are some of those loose ends.”

  “If you say so. Well, thanks for the talk,” Jordan said and got to her feet, grateful she didn’t have to share space and air with him any longer. “I’ll have someone contact your P.O., and we’ll go from here.”

  Derek was waiting for her outside. He was clearly still mulling over something. Jordan didn’t like that it was most likely her family connections. If it came to that, she might still want off the case. This had nothing to do with Darby, but it was a memory lane she didn’t want to go down.

  “All right, let’s go check this out.”

  “Marshall and Baker are over there right now, as well as the crime scene unit,” he said. “Let’s hope they’ll find something.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Is it time to contact your parents?” Derek asked. “From what he said, they might be in danger too, and you could be as well.”

  Jordan shook her head. “He might believe that, but I don’t. Hobbs is too smart to get caught in old revenge schemes, and for what? Look, Pratt is right, all they wanted to do is get high. Hobbs is not going to lose precious time over some potheads, and risk going back to prison. This thing with Pratt, it seems more personal.”

  “Let’s not take the risk. You want to take him to a safe house?”

  “Sure. Let him stew a little, make him see we have better offers than Hobbs,” she said, somewhat irritated he didn’t share her assessment.

  Derek cast a long look at Pratt on the other side of the glass, then he nodded. “All right. Let’s go over to the trailer park and see if the kids have anything for us.”

  On their way out, Jordan stopped in her tracks at the sight of Ellie at the front desk, hesitating, unsure.

  “You’re coming?”

  “Can you give me a minute?”

  “No problem.” Derek walked a few steps further waited in a respectful distance next to the entrance.

  “Hi, Ellie,” Jordan said.

  Ellie who had her gaze fixed to the computer screen jumped a little. “Jordan. Hi. Can I help you with anything?”

  Given the past rather crappy few days, with the exemption of one dream that had quickly turned into a bloody nightmare, Jordan was happy to take in the sight of her, the slightly messy ponytail and the soft blush—in the silence between them, memories came easily. Maybe it was the same for Ellie, because her blush deepened, and she looked down at a sheet on her keyboard. Jordan remembered that she had asked her a question.

  “Will you be at Code 7 tonight?”

  Ellie cast a quick, surprised glance her way. Jordan couldn’t blame her for that. She had kept her distance best she could, despite her promise that they’d talk. Apparently, she wasn’t as good at it as she’d thought. She was lonely—but before she could involve Ellie in any of this, she owed her the truth, make sure she knew what she was getting herself into. After that, Ellie could decide whether she was still interested in pursuing a relationship.

  “I don’t know, maybe. You?”

  “Unless something comes up, yes. I’d like to ask you something.”

  Across the hall, Derek pointed at his watch. “Later. We need to head over to Pratt’s again. He claims Hobbs broke into his trailer, tried to kill him. If that’s the truth, hopefully he left some traces.”

  “Okay. Good luck. I’ll see you later,” Ellie said with a hopeful smile.

  “Looking forward to it. Bye.”

  Joining her partner again, Jordan had almost forgotten about what Pratt said to her, but it came back to her quickly enough. On the bright side, she hadn’t obsessed about Darby and how she should have seen through him sooner, for a few hours.

  Small favors. She appreciated them.

  * * * *

  “This is Dean Johnson,” Officer Marshall introduced the lanky teenager to Jordan and Derek. “Detectives Carpenter and Henderson. Could you tell them what you saw?”

  The young man was fidgeting, his hands in his back pockets. “Man, that was crazy. I was just walking past, and all of a sudden I heard them fighting, things breaking…then the guy came out, and he was running.”

  “You got a good look at him?” Jordan asked. Marshall looked a tad skeptical, she realized.

  “Absolutely. It was the guy they showed on the news, who escaped from prison. I saw his face.”

  “Why didn’t you call the police?”

  “TJ said I didn’t have to because he was going to, and that I should just wait. Did I do anything wrong?”

  “No, that’s fine.” Jordan turned away from his wide-eyed expression, impatient, with him, with herself, because she couldn’t figure out if he was lying. Why would he? It wasn’t like Pratt had any riches to promise. “You can go to the station with Officer Marshall, and she’ll take your statement.”

  “That’ll be it?”

  “That’ll be it,” she confirmed, “unless you remember something else. TJ said it was last night when the fight happened…it’s dark around here, right?”

  “There was a light on in the trailer, and when the door opened, I had a clear look of his face. I swear to you, it was Hobbs.”

  “Did he see you?”

  “I don’t think so. I hid when I realized who he was. Then I went to check on TJ. Hobbs tried to strangle him, and he
was bleeding from a cut in his arm.”

  “You saw the knife?”

  “No. I assume Hobbs brought it with him, and took it when he left.”

  “That’s what TJ told you?” Derek asked.

  “Yes, but why would he make that up? He was freaking out, and man, I would too if someone tried to kill me.”

  “Fair enough. Thank you, Dean. Officer Marshall will take it from here.”

  “It’s odd,” Jordan said after they’d both stepped into the trailer.

  “What is?”

  “All of it.” She took in the mess, turned over furniture, broken glass. “Why would he come back here?”

  “You heard Pratt,” Derek said as he was taking a closer look at a bloodstain on the carpet.

  “He tried to strangle him first, then stab him? I don’t know. That sounds awfully unorganized.”

  “He doesn’t have a lot of time or means to be organized,” Derek reminded her. “Maybe Pratt is exaggerating, and Hobbs just wanted to send him a warning not to talk to the police—which he did. What was that about last night anyway?”

  Jordan shrugged, turned away from her partner. She didn’t care discussing this subject in depth. “I had a hunch. Last night, he wasn’t as willing to talk though. Maybe you’re right and he’s really scared now. I just don’t see it.”

  “What else would be his motivation? If he wanted Hobbs to get away, he didn’t need to come in. I think this could help to draw Hobbs out.”

  “Hm.”

  “Hm, what?”

  “I hope you’re right,” Jordan said. She still wasn’t sure whether to believe Pratt, even with the obvious commotion that had taken place here. Her hesitation could be from experience, or paranoia. It was hard to tell.

  Chapter Four

  Earlier that morning, Ellie had been disappointed to be assigned to the front desk, but she didn’t mind it so much now that there was a ray of sun after weeks of constant grey. It was hard to uphold her enthusiasm when it felt like she was the only one. Jordan wanted to meet, for drinks, and talk. This was big. It was the moment she’d been waiting for.

  In fact, she was now glad to sit behind a computer instead of the wheel of a squad car.

  Everything had been chaotic for a while after Jordan’s ordeal, and Ellie’s own nightmares didn’t help. Bethany Roberts had made an attempt to get back together, work things out, but Jordan opted out of couples’ therapy, despite her claim that she owed Bethany. Maybe that meant she was ready to acknowledge she’d paid her dues to her ex—or it could mean something different altogether. Ellie would find out tonight.

  The rest of the afternoon passed rather quietly, with no new sighting of Hobbs. Ellie knew Libby and Jensen had been sent to the trailer. She sighed. Yes, at the moment she was preoccupied with what might or might not be a date, something hopeful, but she needed the experience. Of the four of them, Kate, Jensen and Libby, she had always been the one who knew she wanted to be a detective from day one. She was going to take the exam the moment she’d be eligible.

  She needed to keep that goal in mind too, and deal with her housing situation at some point. One step at a time—once it was clear where she and Jordan would go from here, she’d figure out the rest as well.

  Another hour, and she was back in civilian gear, ready for a whatever the night might bring. The green dress might be a little too much for the bar the co-workers of this precinct usually flocked to, so were the high-heeled sandals. It didn’t matter. She knew Jordan appreciated this style on her, and Ellie was done worrying about whether any misogynist asshole would look at her differently for it. She was glad she could listen to the sound of her heels on the pavement without it triggering a flashback.

  Worrying about the life of someone you loved had a way of pushing fears for yourself aside. Ellie liked the sound of that: Love. It made her all warm and tingly inside. Jordan was right. They had a lot to talk about—and a lot of guilt to work around. Roberts might have been there for Jordan in a devastating moment, but it wasn’t something she could hold over her for the rest of her life.

  “Hey, look at you. Hot date tonight?” Kate joked. She’d been in booking today, so they’d only talked on the phone.

  “I’m not sure. I’m trying not to make too much of it.”

  “I see. Detective Carpenter?”

  “Not what you think. We’ll just hang out, have a couple of drinks if she makes it, which isn’t clear yet. Don’t you want to come tonight?” It occurred to Ellie that spending the evening with Kate would be a good plan B in case Jordan didn’t show up. She hoped that wouldn’t happen, but she wasn’t certain either.

  “Sure, why not. Jensen’s still tied up as well, but maybe he and Libby can join us later.”

  “Great. Let’s go. You have to tell me all about how the wedding plans are going, because I suspect Jensen isn’t so clear on the details. He didn’t say much.”

  Kate laughed. “Men. All this talk about fonts for the invitations and the exact tone for flowers and decorations and wedding cake…not their strongest suit.”

  “I imagine. Well, I want to hear all about it. I can’t promise I won’t be jealous though.”

  “It’s legal for you to marry too, remember?”

  “Yeah. I’d have to find someone to marry first,” Ellie reminded her. “Now I feel like a drink.”

  Kate laughed. “Who knows, maybe that person is closer than you think.”

  Ellie shook her head, amused. That would be a little too much luck to hope for.

  * * * *

  Two hours and a couple of drinks later, Ellie snuck a quick glance at her watch, disappointed, but unwilling to lose hope yet. No message. Jordan had said she might be late. Jensen and Libby hadn’t yet arrived either.

  “Do you want to get married someday?” Kate asked. They had been drinking approximately at the same speed, about to cross into the territory of uncomfortable truths. “I’m telling you, the prospect is awesome, and it’s terrifying me as well. I mean, Jensen’s a great guy. I love him, but what if we disagree on everything, as much as we already do on white versus cream-colored paper for invitations, and butter cream versus chocolate?”

  Ellie had drifted a little, so it took her a moment to realize Kate was still talking about cakes. She honestly attempted to think about this dilemma, coming up empty. Since Jordan walked in that moment, she had to give a quick answer.

  “You’ll figure it out,” she said. “It’s just nerves. You two will get over it and focus on the big picture.”

  How could anyone ever know for sure? She wanted to be with Jordan. She had never stopped wanting that, but the future still looked uncertain. Ellie guessed she’d be the wiser soon.

  Libby and Jensen came in right after Jordan, and Kate got to her feet. “Hi, Jordan,” she greeted the detective. “I better go see what my fiancé is up to.”

  “Oh, no, you can all stay here,” Jordan said. “Ellie and I will be over there.”

  Just like that, it was decided, but Ellie didn’t mind. After all, what Jordan wanted to say to her seemed to require some privacy. She was all right with that.

  They sat down, partially hidden behind a column—almost romantic. The chatter and laughter of their colleagues faded into the background.

  “Don’t you want to get a drink?” Ellie asked. She noticed that her voice sounded like a breathless rasp and she didn’t mind. She had waited so long for this second chance. It was almost like starting from scratch, the complicated but incredibly pleasant moments they had spent together like a distant dream.

  “In a moment. Look, Ellie…,” Jordan began. “I’m aware I’ve been avoiding you these past weeks, and busy or not, it wasn’t fair to you.”

  “It’s okay. You needed that time.” Ellie barely kept herself from fidgeting, and she was aware of her rapid heartbeat.

  “Yeah. I guess. This case, with Hobbs, it’s stirring up some bad stuff. I have a lot on my plate right now.”

  “I know.” Despite her excitement
that this conversation was finally happening, Ellie stayed guarded, keeping her defenses up. At this point, she might still walk out of here with a broken heart, or not spend the night alone after all. “That’s okay, I understand. I don’t mean to rush you. I never…I’d just like to know where we stand,” she finished, unsure whether she made it clear how much she wanted them to be together again, better, have a new start. Jordan had some heavy issues to deal with, but so did Ellie. She knew what it was like—and frankly, she was ready for whatever compromise was necessary. As she’d just told Kate—focus on the big picture. “Can I help in any way?”

  “My parents asked me to come over for dinner tomorrow night. I was wondering if you’d like to join me.”

  Ellie could only imagine what her face had to look like, because Jordan laughed softly. “Too soon?”

  “No! I mean…no, I’m just surprised, that’s all. I’d love to. They know you’re bringing someone, right?” Then something else came to mind, and the words were out before Ellie could rethink them. “They’re not expecting Bethany, are they?”

  To her relief, Jordan shrugged off her inappropriate question. “I don’t think so,” she said. “If anything, Bethany had a hard time warming up to them and vice versa.”

  “So…” Ellie leaned back in her chair, hoping she wasn’t getting ahead of herself. “Meeting the parents. That means exactly…what?”

  “It means I missed you, and I’d really like to spend some time for you.”

  That was almost too good to be true.

  “I’d like that too.”

  “Plus, if there’s someone else around, there’s not so much of a danger they’ll ask about Darby.” Jordan looked a little guilty at that. “I know, I’m sorry. This is not what you’ve been hoping for, and I don’t blame you if you don’t want to get into this. Forget I asked.”

  “Wait. I understand, I really do.” In the wake of the attack she’d suffered, Ellie had gotten the concerned treatment from friends and colleagues. She appreciated all those offers, but when they came in a bulk, they were simply too much. There was only so much words could do. Besides, there were some images you didn’t want to burden the minds of loved ones with.