Chapter 2
“We’re here to talk about Frankie Pecorino.”
Maisy sat in Jackson’s office once again. Gemma Kendrick, the psychologist and Adam Phillips, the principal, were in attendance, along with his other teachers. Hale Hanson, the Phys Ed teacher grinned. “’Morning, Maisy.”
“Hi, Hal.”
Jackson cleared his throat. “Maisy, why don’t you tell us your concerns.”
“Frankie’s usually so upbeat. In the past two days, he’s seemed inordinately depressed.”
“Why, do you think?” Jackson again.
“Well, he got a fourth demerit for trying to go over the fence. He knows that one more will send him back to juvie.”
Jackson frowned. Deep lines around his eyes indicated he didn’t sleep well. “I know. He’s on probation here now.”
“Yes.” This from Maisy. “That’s why I asked for this meeting.”
“What do you think is going on?”
“My guess would be it has something to do with his little brother. The boy was taken away from his father and put in foster care. Maybe that isn’t going well.” The kids were allowed phone calls to family only.
“I’ll get all the information for the boy’s placement.” He looked in Frankie’s folder. “His name is Freddie. This might give us a lead on how to help Frankie.”
Maisy spoke up. “Meanwhile, we have to make sure he doesn’t get that fifth demerit.” They were allowed five demerits before they were sent to juvie.
Jackson transferred his gaze to the school psychologist. “Gemma, you need to have a frank conversation with him.”
“I will.” Gemma was all business. She turned to Maisy. “But you’re the one closest to him.”
“I think I am. I can talk to him, first, but we shouldn’t overwhelm him with meetings.”
Jackson nodded.
Gemma said, “I’ll wait to hear from you then.”
“I guess that’s all we can do.” Maisy frowned. “I have him in social studies class this afternoon. I’ll try to talk to him at the end of the day.”
“Keep us all informed.” Adam, the school principal, put in. “I do not want to lose this boy.”
“I think all of us agree on that.” Jackson sighed. “Let me know how it goes after you see him, Maisy. Good meeting, everybody. We’ve got some concrete things we can do. Thanks for your time.”
They all stood. Maisy was the last to leave. She turned at the door. Her heart hurt when she looked at him. “I appreciate your efforts, Jackson. And you not singling me out.”
An arched brow. “I told you I wouldn’t.” He cleared his throat. “Let me know how your talk goes with him.”
With that she left. Frustrated, angry and confused. Every time she saw him, she felt worse.
* * *
Jackson forcefully repressed his frustration over Maisy, just like he’d tried to forget his time with the Tarantulas. He left his office at lunchtime and drove to a restaurant on the outskirts of town, parked and bumped right into Joe Romano. “Hey buddy,” Joe said. “It’s great seeing you again.”
“I feel the same.” They entered the restaurant and got a table in the back.
“So, how’s it going?” his friend asked after they were seated.
“I’m better than I was ten days ago.” He gave Joe a grateful smile. “Thanks for meeting me at the cabin and letting me explode there.”
“You helped me right after…all that stuff went down for me and a lot of times since. We said we’d be here for each other.” He rolled his eyes. “That sounds so schmaltzy.”
Jackson laughed
“You think God had a hand in bringing us together?”
“I don’t believe in God. I know you do.”
“Only because I want to. AA teaches us to think of God as a higher power.”
“How are those meetings going?”
“They keep me away from booze. I’ll never go back to where I was when I was drinking.”
Romano had gone off the rails when his twin brother, who’d been on his fire department group, disobeyed an order to vacate and he and the two little boys he was trying to save died.
“Good for you for sticking with it.”
Joe studied Jackson across the table. “Did you give any thought to getting a counselor?”
“Yeah, I might do it. I’m in the gathering names stage.”
“Don’t wallow in that stage. Your nightmares are proof positive you need it.”
“I’m trying.”
“I want you to promise me you’ll call somebody this week.”
Joe always pushed him.
“All right. I will.” He picked up the menu, signaling they were done with heavy stuff. After they both ordered BLTs, Jackson sat back and grinned. “Tell me about your female firefighter.”
Joe had had only male firefighters on his squad, until they asked for a fifth person and got Lara Swanson. “Yikes, now that’s a story.”
* * *
Joe was still thinking about Jackson as he drove to the fire station. He was off duty today but decided to go in to finish up some paperwork. There was never enough time to do it on his regular shift because his firehouse was so busy.
Once he arrived, he saw the bay was closed, which meant today’s crew had gone out on a call. Better for him to concentrate. He walked in through the kitchen. It could use some new appliances, but it was well kept. The wood cabinets shone in the sun coming in through the windows. The somewhat worn hardwood floor was clean as were the counters. Neatness was important to firefighters.
Once inside the office and before he forgot, he pulled up the order he’d put in for the appliances. Pending, it said. He called up his computer, got the name of the company where he sent it, and emailed them for an update. Before he tackled another thing, he heard the clang of weights coming from the exercise room across the way. Who was here? He got up to investigate the noise.
Oh, hell. Firefighter Lara Swanson was working out. She laid on the bench in fleece shorts and wore a tank top. All her curves were obvious, not that he hadn’t seen them before. They wore something similar to sleep in, and on a night call, they raced to the bay in those clothes.
He watched her. She was precise and careful with her movements. When she finished, she sat up and saw him. “How long have you been there?”
“I just came in.”
“Well, since you’re here, can you spot me?”
“First tell me why you came to the fire house today. Don’t you belong to a gym?” Most firefighters did.
“Can’t afford one.”
“Why? You make a decent salary.”
“I prefer not to discuss my finances with you.”
She was good at brushoffs. One of the reasons the guys didn’t like her much.
“Okay, let’s do the bench press.”
She set up the barbell on the stand with a clang.
“That’s a lot of weight.”
“I got to this level two days ago.”
He crossed to the machine and she laid down on the bench. “How many?”
“Probably five. Maybe less.”
She lifted the weight and slowly lowered it. More sweat beaded on her face. She raised it up again, then lowered it. She made it through three then said, “That’s all I can do. My arms are saturated.”
“That’s plenty.” He didn’t tell her some of the guys couldn’t bench press that many pounds.
She sat up. “Thanks.”
Cocking his head, he asked, “Would you have done that without a spotter?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not, Captain.” Nobody liked her sarcasm either.
“You all set?”
“Yeah. What are you doing here?”
“Paperwork.”
“Lucky you.”
“Don’t stay too long in here. You’re pretty whipped.”
She arched a brow. “I don’t need your supervision over my weight routine.”
“I like to know where my people are in their fitness.”
“Whatever.”
“See you next shift,” he said on his way out. He gave a wave without looking back.
“Yep, you will.”
The woman was a mystery. From day one, she’d held her own but she needled him. He should address that with her. At his office, he sat down and wondered again why she couldn’t afford a gym.
* * *
After a lesson on the Emancipation Proclamation, the boys were heading out and Maisy touched Frankie’s shoulder. You had to be careful about touching the kids here, but she knew the boy didn’t mind. “Frankie, I need to speak to you.”
He rolled his eyes. “I knew this was gonna happen.”
“Close the door and we’ll talk right here.”
When they were seated at a table, she said, “I’ve been asked to talk to you. All your teachers and Mr. Phillips are worried.” She studied him. “It’s almost like you got that last demerit on purpose.”
“Does it matter anymore?”
“Does what matter?”
“I…he…” His face was so sad it made Maisy’s heart clutch.
“Frankie, please. It’s better to get things out. To tell us what the problem is.”
His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head. Maisy waited until he looked up. “It’s my brother. That’s why I got a demerit.”
“You were found trying to jump the fence where there are no guards.”
“I was trying to get to Freddie.”
“What’s happening with Freddie? Isn’t the foster care working?”
He shook his head.
“Why is that?”
Tears came to Frankie’s eyes. “Ms. Shepherd, his…his foster father tried to…you know, tried to have sex with him.”
“Oh, my God! This has to be reported. He’s got to get out of there.”
Frankie nodded. “I guess I knew that.”
“Do you want to talk more about him?”
He shook his head.
“All right. But we want you to go see Dr. Kendrick. She’s going to call you to set something up.”
“Because of the demerit.”
“No, because you’re hurting. As I said, we’re all worried about you.”
“I guess.”
Maisy let him get a safe distance away then walked over to Jackson’s office. May was warm, and the sun felt great. When she arrived, he was getting out of his car and seemed…untroubled. Where had he gone? Who did he talk to?
“Hey, you looking for me?”
“Yes. Where were you?”
“Lunch with a friend.”
Words tumbled out. “A female friend?”
“No, with Joe Romano. He’s a captain in the fire department.”
“Diego knows him.”
“He’s a great guy. Let’s get to my office.”
She went ahead of him. When he closed the door, she said, “I know what’s up with Frankie.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.” He dropped down at his desk. She didn’t sit. “His brother told him the father in the foster care home tried to sexually assault him.”
“Oh, no.”
“There’s a legal process to go through in schools when this happens, but we have to do something right away.”
“I’m going to call DCF—” the Department for Children and Families “—and report this right now.”
“Mind if I wait?”
“No.” He pressed a button. “Harry, get me Tom Johnson at DCF.”
Jackson put the phone on speaker. His phone rang. “Tom Johnson.”
“Hi, Tom. It’s Jackson Kane.”
“Hi, Jackson.”
“We don’t know the whole story yet but the brother of one of our kids told a teacher that Freddie was being sexually abused by his foster care father.”
“Goddamn it. Freddie…?”
“Pecorino.”
Tom said, “I’ll cancel my afternoon appointments and get right on it.”
“Could you let us know what happens?”
“The wheels of municipal government grind slow, but I’ll declare an emergency. I’ll get the boy out today.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
“I’ll be back in touch.”
Maisy stared at him. “How do you do that? Make things happen?”
“Since I started Pathways across the state, I’ve made a point out of establishing relationships in the local communities. I’ve had six years to do it.”
“I’m impressed.” And, God help me, aroused by this. She said, “I’ll be going. Will you let me know what happens?”
“I’ll contact you as soon as I hear from Tom.”
“Thanks, Jackson.”
“I’m glad we’re on a first name basis again.”
“Yeah. Me too.”
She got outdoors before she sat on a bench to think about her reaction to him. She’d felt drawn to him before. But never turned on like this. And she didn’t like it, one bit.
* * *
Annie Stefano floated into school the next morning and joined Maisy in the office across from their rooms. Sun poured in from the plentiful windows. “Good morning,” she said, in a sing-songy voice.
“Somebody’s happy.”
“I am. I’m getting married.”
“I know you’re engaged.”
She dropped down on a chair. “We set the date.”
Thrilled for Annie and Diego, Maisy smiled. “That’s terrific. When is it?”
“Two weeks. We’re letting people know now.”
“Mama Stefano can throw you a wedding that soon?”
“Diego and I have most of it already planned out.” She shrugged. “We learned how tenuous life can be. But the wedding is going to be small. His family and mine. The wedding party. Maybe Captain Thomas and a few other friends. Now, will you be my maid-of-honor?”
Surprised, Maisy said, “Me? You have two sisters.”
“They’re going to be bridesmaids. That way I don’t have to choose one over the other. My brothers-in-law and his brothers will be ushers. This is what they all wanted.” She grabbed Maisy’s hands and said, “So, Maisy Shepherd, will you stand up for me?”
“Of course, I’d love to. Is Will Kirkland Diego’s choice for best man.”
“Will just made the PPD. He’s guarding the president. But he can’t get furlough this soon to attend.”
“Oh, dear. Then one of your brothers?”
“No. Jackson Kane.”
Maisy sucked in a breath.
“What’s wrong? Oh, I know he’s our boss, but he was so happy when we asked him.”
“So, I’m…I’ll be up there with him? Do things beforehand with him?”
“Some, but it won’t be too much. Why? What’s wrong with that?”
“Well, we were on the outs about why he left me hanging that week.”
“You said you settled that.”
“We did. Things are still strained between us.”
Annie’s face fell.
No, no, no, Maisy wasn’t going to spoil her friend’s mood. “But don’t worry, I have time to get back to a better footing with him. We’ll be fine.”
“All right. Now, I bought some bridal magazines. Let’s go through them after school.”
“Yeah, that’ll be so much fun.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Great.” She stood. “See you in between classes.” And Annie floated back out of the room.
Maisy put her face in her hands. All that time with Jackson. What would it do to her willpower?
* * *
The DFS worker got Freddie out of the foster care placement and into another emergency one by nine that night. Tom had reported the perpetrator to the police.
Jackson went home after Freddie was safe. His house was nice but not ostentatious. He’d had a ranch built on the outskirts of Westwood. Most of the rooms faced the woods behind the place. The kitchen was all granite and chrome, the living room huge with a lot of windows and two bedrooms sat in the back. The third was a personal gym. He’d work out before he tried to sleep.
But first, he dropped down into a chair instead and called Maisy.
“Hello.”
She was laughing at something, and a male voice in the background said, “I got a triple score!”
“Maisy, did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No, I’ve been waiting for you to call. What happened?”
He’d explained the night’s events. “They’ll find another placement tomorrow.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Did you tell Frankie?”
“Yes. I walked over to his cabin before I left.”
“Wow, you are something else.”
“Thanks. Do you have company?”
“No. That was my brother, Caleb.”
“Oh, yeah. He lives with you.”
“We’re playing Scrabble and he’s gloating.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“What are you doing?”
“I just got home. I waited until Freddie was settled.”
“You work so hard.”
“Sometimes. It helps me with…never mind.”
Silence.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your game.”
“Thanks for calling me.”
Jackson hung up, dissatisfied with the contact. He wanted more from her.
Hell, he had to stop thinking about her. So he strode to his bedroom, tore off his suit, tossed it on the floor, threw on some gym clothes and hit the machines. He forced himself to warm up on the treadmill, then set it to a high challenge and ran for twenty minutes. He was breathing too hard to think about anything else.
He did some stretches and then lifted weights. He shouldn’t be on the bench without a spotter, but he did it anyway. After using three more machines, he went back to the treadmill and cooled down.
He was exhausted but covered in sweat so he took a hot shower then fell onto the bed and zonked.
The nightmares came at midnight.