Chapter 7
The firehouse was still closed the next day and instead of signing up for a shift at another station, Joe took a personal day and went to visit Jackson. Later, he might price out some screens. Lara was sent to a station where another female firefighter worked so she should be okay.
When he got to Jackson’s, he saw the police chief’s sedan parked outside. Joe exited the car and knocked on the side door.
Maisy answered. She seemed rested but still…worried.
“Hi, honey,” Joe said, hugging her. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You got company?”
“Jackson called him to come over.” She squeezed his hand. “They’ll tell you all about it.”
She led him to the living room where Jackson was sitting up in a recliner. Joe crossed to his friend and squeezed his shoulder. “Hey. You seem better.”
“Some.”
He turned to Chief Thomas. “Hi, Chief.”
Mick Thomas nodded. “Joe.”
Joe dropped down on the couch and Maisy pulled up a chair next to Jackson. Joe saw the look they exchanged. He was about to comment but Jackson started to talk. “I asked you both here today because I have some insights. I was led to them when Adam Phillips stopped by and told me the Adventure Course rope had been cut.”
“Cut?” Hanson asked. “Hell, I wonder how my investigative team missed that.”
“So your fall was orchestrated by someone?” Joe asked.
“Yes.”
“Did the kids do it?”
“No.” Maisy spoke up vehemently. “They love Jackson. I’m sure it wasn’t them.”
Jackson held Joe’s gaze. “Joe, remember when you told me about the odd things that happened to you? Tell Mick.”
“I already know. Joe filled me in the night of the explosion at Engine 1.” The chief’s face was taut. “I put Lieutenant Donovan on it, but there isn’t much evidence to go on except for the incendiary device.”
Joe felt like the top of his head was going to come off. “Are you saying that you think Jackson’s accident was the work of my stalker?” His hands fisted. “It can’t be that. It can’t be.”
The chief stared at him.
“My stalker tried to hurt Jackson because he’s my friend ? Good God.”
Thomas leaned over and braced his arms on the chair. “I’m sorry, Joe, but the pieces fit together. Now, no matter how horrified you are, this has larger implications. First for your family.”
“I have ideas about that,” Jackson said. “Your parents can go to Syracuse to visit your aunt and uncle. Your sisters and husbands can go to Disneyworld. I’ll cover their expenses.”
Joe sat back and scrubbed his face. “That would be a relief.”
“Somewhat. But Joe, I’m not your only friend.”
“You are—” His eyes widened. “Oh, my God, Lara! You think she could be in danger?”
“I’m afraid so.”
His heartbeat thrummed. “You can’t send her and Sammy away?”
“No.” Mick answered. “She has to work and Sammy can’t hang out at a pool in Orlando.”
Jackson said, “You could send an officer to be Sammy’s aide. He’d have to live in, though.”
“There’s no extra bedroom.”
The chief said, “We can figure that out.”
Joe swallowed hard. “What about Lara?”
“We’re putting a guard on her. You and she will share the same one. You’ll be inseparable.”
Oh, great, Joe thought. Just what they needed!
* * *
“They’re sending your whole family out of town?”
Still in his uniform, as she was, Joe had followed Lara home after their shift.
“Yeah, compliments of Jackson. I can’t object when it comes to their safety. And the kids will have a ball in Orlando.”
“What about us?” Sammy asked, fully alert now.
“You need a new aide.”
“L-Lara found one she liked.”
“You can’t use him yet. An undercover guard will stay with you here, posing as your aide.”
Frustrated, Lara raked back her hair. “We don’t have any extra room.”
Joe gestured to the porch. “We’ll turn the porch into a bedroom. We’re going to replace the screens and windows today and put blinds on them. Hopefully, they’re in stock. If not, Jackson will find them.”
“An officer can’t sleep on porch furniture.”
“We’ll push the couch aside and put a bed in there. I already ordered one from a furniture store.”
Lara sighed heavily. He had this all set up without consulting her. But she saw the urgency of his actions.
Joe crossed to her. Put his hand on her shoulder. “This is only temporary, honey.”
She glanced at Sammy. He wasn’t upset. She said, “This is dangerous, Sammy.”
He shrugged. “Not my usual routine.”
Lara turned to Joe. “What about when we go to work?”
“The chief ordered that you and I are to be inseparable. We’ll be constant companions with a cop assigned to us, too.”
She felt her eyes moisten so she turned and went into the kitchen. He followed her. Held her by the arms. “Why are you crying?”
“Because you and I together all the time…Joe, we’re finished with that part of our relationship.”
Before he could answer, the doorbell sounded.
Lara scrubbed her face and they walked back into the living room. They could see a big box store van and two workers at the door through the screen. Joe crossed to the foyer.
The delivery man looked down at his clipboard. “We got a rush order. We have the windows and screens and blinds for your porch. We’ll be installing them now.”
Joe let them in, showed them to the porch, then came back in and turned to her. “What’s for dinner?”
That night, the aide moved in, too. An undercover cop, Craig Madison was a big guy with muscles twice the size of Sammy’s. And Lara suspected Sammy would cooperate. As he’d said, his routine was deadly and she could tell he appreciated some excitement.
Joe headed back to his place to get clean uniforms and other necessities, and soon they were all set up.
Sammy went to bed at his usual time and the officer got set up on the porch. Joe took Lara’s hand. “Let’s go upstairs and watch TV so Craig can come in here and hang out.”
“Okay.”
He spoke to Craig then came back in and led her up the steps. Once there, he turned to her and cupped her cheek. “Try not to fret over us being together. We don’t have a choice.”
They really didn’t. So why was she so concerned about this? “All right.” She pointed to the other half of the room. “Let’s sit over there for a while and let me digest this.”
“Sure, babe. Whatever you need.”
She rolled her eyes at the sexist term.
* * *
The next morning, Lara and Joe woke up late, took quick showers and wolfed down toast. Craig was already up, too, and greeted them. When Joe opened the front door, he found Will Kirkland on the porch. “Will, hi.” He introduced Lara to the ex-Secret Service Agent.
She said, “You’re our protection?”
“Yeah. I opened a security company in Syracuse which covers Westwood.”
Joe nodded. “I remember.”
The guy looked younger than when he’d come to Westwood, ashamed of what happened at his job and sad about his father’s death. “The police are overwhelmed right now. So they hired me.”
Joe smiled at him. “If I need a guard, I’m glad it’s you.”
“Thanks, Joe. I’m going to drive you two to work.”
Once in his SUV, Lara asked, “Are you just hanging out at the firehouse?”
“No. I’ll also make sure the perimeter is secure. And I’ll follow you to calls.”
Joe scowled. “That means we have to tell the crew everything.”
Will glanced over at him. “You’re being stalked, Joe. Nothing for you to be ashamed of. And they deserve to know that.”
“I guess.”
They parked in Joe’s spot and got out of the car. Joe said, “We haven’t been back here since the explosion.”
“Yeah. I’m anxious I guess.” This from Lara.
“I’m here, so let that calm you. First, I’m going to walk the outside.”
Will headed to the side of the firehouse while Joe and Lara went into the kitchen.
Joe said, “Hey, guys. Good to see you.”
They hugged Joe and Lara both. Firefighters were an affectionate bunch and they’d been through something big together.
“Before breakfast I need to catch you up on some things that have happened. Let’s sit.”
They all got coffee then took places at the big table. Joe would tell them flat out. “I’m being stalked…”
When he finished, Gabe said, “So the explosion. That was meant to hurt you?”
“That’s what the police think. I do too.”
The back door opened and Will walked in. “Just in time,” Joe commented. “This is Will Kirkland. He owns a private security firm in Syracuse. The police hired him to guard me.”
They greeted Will. Both Gabe and Abe knew him personally as they’d grown up in Westwood like Joe. Thankfully, nobody asked about his previous job as a Secret Service agent.
Will said, “I’m going to check the whole place. You all can help.”
“What do we do?” Gage asked.
“We have to open every door and appliance. The stalker probably wouldn’t repeat his tactics and plant a bomb, but we have to be sure.”
They crew scoured the kitchen, then Will went into the common room. “Boy, this is a lot,” Danny said. “What do you think about it, Lara?”
“I’m glad someone’s watching Joe.”
“Yeah, me too.”
A call came an hour after breakfast. “Car accident on North Road and Coventry. Engine 1, Truck 1 go into service.”
They bounded out of the kitchen to the bay and Will joined them. No one spoke and they donned their gear. They piled into the rig and set off with the sirens blaring. Will followed in his car.
Joe read the report from his tablet. “A two-car crash blocking traffic. Approach from the north.”
“Not much info,” Gabe said.
“Sometimes that happens, but today it worries me. Be alert, everybody.”
When they arrived at the scene, the engine screeched to a halt and the truck wasn’t far behind. Cars had already parked on the side of the road and a group of people had gathered around. The others dismounted the rig.
Will said, “I’ll take care of the crowd.” He approached them. “You need to get back. This is a crime scene.” Reluctantly, the gawkers left.
Joe said, “Get your bag, Pike.” On scenes they used last names.
Pike grabbed the medic bag and they jogged over to the scene. A man lay in the road and a woman attempted CPR. He dropped down next to her. “I’m a trained medic, ma’am. Please move away.”
As the traffic whizzed by, the firefighters stayed close in case Pike needed something. He performed CPR. At one point, he called out, “Deluca, get me the defibrillator.”
Pike shocked the victim. Did more compressions. He took out a resuscitation mask which created a seal over the victim’s mouth so firefighters didn’t have direct contact during the treatment. After twenty minutes, he sat back on his legs. His face was flushed and sweat covered his brow. But the grim expression on his face told Joe all he needed to know.
The victim was dead.
* * *
When they got back to the firehouse, Lara felt sick to her stomach. They climbed off the rig and hung up their turnout gear. Joe ordered, “Everybody inside at the table.”
They dragged themselves through the door. Lara wondered if the incident would remind Joe of Jimmy’s death. He told her he still had nightmares about what happened three years ago and she witnessed one.
Inside, everybody took a seat, including Will.
Joe zeroed in on her and Trent. “Bobby and Lara, is this your first death at the scene?”
Bobby was pale and nodded.
Lara cleared her throat. “Yes.”
“It’s hard to lose someone. But the important thing is to deal with your grief and put it behind you so you’re ready for your next call.”
“How do we put it behind us?” Lara asked.
“We’re going to clean the house. The kitchen’s been scoured by the forensic team, but the rest of the place could use sprucing up.”
Will leaned forward. “Many of you know I was a Secret Service agent.”
“Yeah.” Bobby studied him. “Why’d you leave?”
“I didn’t jump in front of a bullet in time. So I quit. But I know something about losing people, both personally and professionally. And Joe’s right. You gotta deal with the emotions first then stuff them.” He gave a crooked smile and quipped, “But we never had to clean house.”
“You gonna help?” Gabe joked.
“Nope. I gotta keep watch. But get going. You’ll feel better after some physical activity.”
Lara was buoyed by Will’s remark, though essentially he reiterated what Joe told them. Still, Will’s experience was reassuring.
Before they stood, Joe leaned in. “And we’ll order out for lunch. My treat.”
“Okay, sure.”
“Great idea.”
“Someplace expensive,” Lara put in with a wink. Then she pushed back her chair and went to work.
* * *
When Lara and Joe got back to her house, he stayed outside and talked to Will who was watching the perimeter. Lara dropped her bag near the staircase and hoped Sammy was in an okay mood. She could use a break.
The living room was empty.
She called out, “Sammy, where are you?”
“Out here.” The strong voice came from Craig. She remembered a time when Sammy had a booming baritone.
She crossed to the porch. Sammy and Craig sat on opposite sides of a table. They were playing cards. She’d bought card holders a while ago but Sammy wouldn’t play anymore. This was good. Really good. “Hi, there.”
Sammy glanced over. “Hi. We’re playing Uno.”
“Are you having fun?”
Joe joined her at the door. “Who’s having fun?”
“We are.” Craig gave them a once over. “You two look dead on your feet. Rough shift?”
“Very.” Lara could hear the weariness in her voice.
“Go relax.”
Joe and Lara left them alone.
“Relax,” he said when they got to the kitchen. “How do you do that?”
“I can think of a way,” she teased, “But they’d know what we were doing.”
“So what?”
“I still worry about Sammy’s reaction to us.”
“He’s okay with it. He told me that he didn’t expect you to be a nun for the rest of your life.”
“Hmm.”
They changed and were coming downstairs when the doorbell rang.
Joe started for it.
Craig yelled, “Joe! Don’t open the door.”
Joe jerked back. “Jeez, I wasn’t thinking.”
Craig strode to the front and peered through something off to the side.
“What’s that?”
“A door camera I put in today.” He pressed the button. “Identify yourself.”
“I’m a process server from the state.”
“Show your credentials.”
Standing behind the guy, Will said, “I already asked for them. He’s who he says he is.”
Craig opened the door. “I’ll take it.”
The guy was small and wiry. He lifted his chin at the unusual circumstances. “I have to leave it in Lara Swanson’s hands.”
“That’s for me?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She stepped up to the door and Will let the man hand her the envelope. “Lara Swanson, you’ve been served.”
As soon as she took it, Will snatched it out of her hands. “Stay back, I have to check it.” He pulled a mask and gloves from his pocket and put them on.
Still outside, he closed the door and Joe peered through the camera. Will removed sheets of paper stapled together and shook them out. Leafed through them. He took off his mask and gloves and opened the door. “Nothing suspicious.” He handed the sheaf to Lara.
With Joe looking over her shoulder, she glanced down. “Oh, my God.”
Joe said, “Divorce papers?”
* * *
Sammy asked Craig to wheel him to the couch. “Leave us alone for a few minutes?” Sam asked. Craig went back to the porch. In his clearer moments, Sam could see what he was doing to his wife. No more. He was getting worse and they both knew it. Now, she had tears in her eyes. “Sammy? What? Why?”
“I thought it was time. I wanted to make you happy, for a change.”
She dropped down in front of him and cupped his cheek, like a woman did to a man she loved. “Oh, Sam.”
He savored her touch, then motioned Joe over. “You come, too.”
Lara and Joe sat on the couch across from the wheelchair.
Sam had to force himself to go on. This was hard. “We had our time together, honey. And I’m getting worse. This,” he gestured to the papers “is a chance for you to live the rest of your life happy.”
Tears filled her eyes. She was mourning the loss of him. He felt the same. But this was necessary.
He called out, “Craig could you come back in here?” When Craig came to the doorway, Sammy said, “T-take me out somewhere?”
“Sure. Kirkland will be here for the two of them.”
A slice of pain shot through Sammy. Then it was replaced by sadness. But in some ways the unselfish act felt good. At least there was one thing he could give back to his beloved wife.
* * *
She drove by here every night to wait for an opening. Was this it? With just the two of them there? At least she wouldn’t have to hurt the cripple.
She parked down the street from Swanson’s house. She took the Glock and the silencer from her pocket, then left the car. A warm wind blew back her hair and she remembered how she and the kids had loved the summer.
The Secret Service guy came around from the back of the house and stood out front, arms folded. Shit, where was his car? Fuck it, she wasn’t backing down now. She approached him. From a distance, she held up the gun. “Drop your gun on the ground, Kirkland.”
He straightened. “Come out of the shadows.”
Nothing from her.
“Can I help you?”
She called out, “Oh, yeah, you can help me.”
She fired.