Chapter Fourteen
After Tess had headed home the night before, Bree had left Ned a message about what had happened to her tires.
Now it was Sunday morning, and the first thing she did was check her car.
She texted Tess that her tires looked fine.
She kept it light and on topic because she was struggling with all that was happening—not just with the incidents.
She’d probably exposed too much of her own feelings with the tears and the kiss.
Her resolve to not get romantically involved with Tess was experiencing fissures. Cracks that reached her heart.
As she drank a cup of coffee and waited for Ned to return her call, Bree thought about Tess and how she was growing on Bree.
She’d found herself delighted at how well Tess had accepted her family, and how they’d embraced her.
Tahoe had been the beginning, but even back here in Corazon Cove, their time together was so good.
Tess’s support after her meltdown over the flat tires last night only added to her deepening feelings for Tess.
As she finished her coffee, Bree’s phone rang with a return call from Ned.
“My tires are okay this morning,” Bree said.
“You need to know that local law enforcement, Chief Stella Myers, has been informed. She’ll update the county sheriff’s office too.
I know your agency’s investigation is targeted at addressing the judicial misconduct claimed in the complaints and any consequences you can dole out are limited, so I’m glad the police chief’s involved. ”
“Yes, I can understand contacting the local police, that’s certainly appropriate.
But let me add that we’ve worked very hard to keep this assessment under wraps so we can reach a resolution—I want to repeat that you need to continue maintaining confidentiality with regard to the CJP investigation.
What does it serve to risk a leak about the investigation that would give anyone involved at the courthouse a chance to take actions of their own?
They could pursue a cover-up or silence a perceived threat,” Nate responded.
“Of course I didn’t mention your involvement to Chief Myers, but I think you might want to talk to her. I think—”
“I’d like to bring you up to speed if that’s okay,” Ned interrupted.
“After your message, I personally talked to Stella Myers before I returned your call. The Corazon Cove police chief is now in the confidential loop. She’s up to speed on the current events, and she’ll be watching for criminal activity.
She’ll have her patrol officers keeping an extra eye out in the courthouse area.
” Ned paused, then grunted into the phone.
“And after this incident, I’m sure Chief Myers will assign your place and Fairchild’s to extra patrols too.
She’s also ready to jump in if this ends up outside of the scope of the Commission.
Chief Myers worked with the county sheriff’s office after Fairchild’s shooting and is willing to work with the FBI if that’s necessary too. ”
“Thanks, Ned. That’s good news, but I need to add that while I know your hands are tied and you’re focused on your job, this confidential role is impacting my life.
It’s having major repercussions in both my professional and private lives.
I now have to regard my new colleagues with suspicion.
I’ve just moved to a new town, and I feel like I’m being dishonest with my one friend. ” That was the polite version.
Ned shifted into a more aggressive mode. “The sooner we finish and determine the next steps, the safer you should be. And that includes others who might be collateral damage, or in the way.”
“Are you talking about Tess’s safety?” Bree swallowed hard.
“I wouldn’t disagree.” Ned’s reply had its intended effect on Bree’s emotions.
“What’s going on, Ned?” Bree struggled to keep her tone professional.
“I honestly don’t exactly know, but the little pieces I do know aren’t out of line with the complaints. I don’t have the liberty of sharing it all with you, but if it helps you to stick with your role, remember that Fairchild’s shooting is unsolved. Someone almost killed her.”
“This is shaping into more than what I signed up for. And I suspect you knew that before I agreed to my end of things.” Bree felt a mix of emotions—unhappiness, anger, frustration.
But Ned also held the incentive that would keep her involved in resolving whatever this was about, and he clearly had no qualms about flashing that card.
Bree was unsure where she stood on so many things right now, but Tess’s safety was not among those things.
“I don’t have all the answers, but we’re working on it.”
“You told me that Tess isn’t directly involved in any of the complaints. I’ve spent time with her—I can tell you that she’s a straight arrow. As I indicated before, keeping this from her is not what I want.” Bree could feel her blood pressure rising.
“A straight arrow somebody shot in the courthouse parking lot a little over a year ago. It looks like she got caught in the middle of something.”
“Exactly,” Bree huffed.
“Well, as long as we don’t have the full picture, would you want to bet that she’s not in danger?
” Ned asked. “You must realize that Fairchild is safer if we resolve this. The more people who know about the investigation, the greater the chance someone involved will hear about it. Their response could impact the resolution…or worse.”
And that was the direct hit, the hardball pitch from Ned. She couldn’t just walk away if there was a chance Tess was in danger—not after the bullet that had come so close to ending her life. Not if Bree was in a position to prevent it, and she had a front row seat.
After a long silence, Ned asked, “Are you still with me?” and Bree knew he didn’t mean on the phone line. “You’ve already made sure that Fairchild knows as much as you know except for the Commission’s involvement, so I’m sure she’s on the alert and being careful.”
Bree didn’t think she could criticize herself for her professional handling of things.
She’d already given Tess all the information she possessed about those incidents, so Tess, her presiding judge, had a heads-up that something seemed to be going on.
So what would breaking confidentiality and informing Tess accomplish except maybe improving her personal relationship with her? Or maybe making her more upset?
She still needed to try to keep some control. “I can’t withhold this investigation from Tess forever. The only thing I’ll promise you is that I’ll let you know before I talk to her.”
“I’m holding you at your word, then. All we need to resolve a complaint is often just one event or one person with information.” Ned paused. “You’re playing an important role, Bree.”
On a professional level, Bree couldn’t argue with his logic.
“You’re on a timeline, Ned.” She made a decision to go a step farther in stating her position.
“I understand the confidentiality aspect and appreciate it, but if I have to make a choice between the Commission and telling Tess because it would serve her best, I’ll choose to tell Tess. Just so we’re clear.”
No matter what her struggle was with her feelings for Tess, that was separate from allowing Tess to become the casualty of Ned’s ambition in addressing the complaints.
Bree suspected neither she nor Tess would come out unscathed by her confidential agreement, but Tess’s safety was more important than either of their feelings.
Bree just had to figure out what was in Tess’s best interest, and it certainly wasn’t straightforward.
She waited in silence when Ned didn’t respond for a long moment.
“I hear you.” Ned’s sigh came through the phone. “Give this a little more time, and before you decide any change in course, you need to let me know. I brought you in because I trust you. It’s imperative that you keep me informed, Bree.”
After they hung up, fear and guilt and indecisiveness as to what was the best course of action pressed on Bree’s chest like the heavy weights they were. Tess’s shooting, the bag offer, the witnessed exchange in the tavern lot, the four flat tires, they were all pointing to something corrupt.
She was trying her best in what might turn out to be a no-win scenario.
Bree prayed Tess would understand when the eventual disclosure of her confidential role occurred.
In the meantime, she had a judgeship with obligations to fulfill and a raffle prize to celebrate with Tess. She’d try to focus on those.
And now, Bree had defined her highest priority for Ned, and in doing so, for herself.
As best she could, she was going to put her turmoil about a relationship with Tess aside for now.
Tess’s safety would be her north star, and if that north star began to flicker in any significant way, she wasn’t going to hesitate to change course. Screw the Commission.
Tess joined Alice for dinner on Sunday evening at Alice’s place. Her aunt was a good cook, and her baked chicken was right up there with her grilled cheese sandwiches in Tess’s list of lifetime culinary favorites.
“You probably didn’t invite yourself to dinner because of my cooking.” Alice chuckled.
“Don’t knock your gastronomic skill set. Right up there with your head shrink expertise.”
Alice nodded with a knowing look. “Okay, the chicken is done, that couch is open, and the therapist is in.” They both laughed. “Catch me up.”
Tess proceeded to tell Alice the recent events in her life with a focus on Bree as they ate. She concluded by addressing how she felt.
“Walking away from someone who doesn’t want what I want…it’s harder than it should be because whenever I’m around Bree, in the moment, it feels so right.”