Chapter 25
Anika
“Promise you’ll call if it turns out to be more than one.”
I roll my eyes at his reflection as I swipe on some lip balm.
“I can call a taxi, you know. Besides, you’re going to meet up with your chief at The Irish, are you telling me you won’t be having a couple of drinks yourself?”
“I won’t drink.”
This time I turn my head so I can look him straight in the eye when I lift an eyebrow. He’s trying not to smile, but I can tell he’s amused.
“You know you’re cute when you’re pissy, right?”
He hooks me behind my neck and, before I can stop him, kisses me hard.
“Now I have to do my lips again,” I sputter, trying not to let on how that kiss affected me.
It’s embarrassing what a pushover I’ve become when that man only looks at me a certain way. He totally has my number.
“If you make your mouth all slick and glossy again, you should probably wait until I’m gone. I’ll have no choice but to kiss you again.”
He doesn’t move, just stands there, looking at me with a weird expression on his face.
“What?”
He shakes his head.
“You…a month ago I was miserable, not sure what my future would look like, and trying to figure out a way back into your life. I told myself I’d be happy, even if we’d never be anything more than friends.” He runs a hand over his short hair. “I was delusional. Look at you, there’s no way that would ever have been enough. I can’t be in the same room with you without wanting to touch you, kiss you, lose myself in you. I don’t ever want to wake up from this dream I’m living.”
Then he leans in to press a kiss to my forehead and backs out of the bathroom.
I’m completely choked up and don’t trust myself to speak without swallowing a few times first.
“You can’t be sweet to me right before I’m supposed to meet up with the girls,” I call after him. “I’m gonna be a mess all night.”
I swear I hear his chuckle as he heads downstairs.
That man, he literally steals my breath. The way he talks to me, the way he treats me. It almost feels too good to be true.
Earlier today, he came with me to the funeral home. I’d briefly seen the funeral director yesterday afternoon, to get some of the basic stuff organized. But there were decisions that needed to be made, and I felt too overwhelmed to tackle them all at once.
This morning, with Hog’s hand on the small of my back, I was able to finalize all the arrangements for Kim’s funeral on Monday. I feel once we’ve been able to celebrate her life and say our goodbyes, things may finally settle down.
When I get downstairs five minutes later, Hog is already gone and the pups are curled up on the couch.
“You boys be good. We won’t be too long, okay?”
Oh Lord, I’m becoming one of those crazy animal parents who talks to their pets. As if they understand what I’m saying.
Still, I lean over the back of the couch and kiss both their heads, which they don’t even seem to notice, they’re sleeping so hard.
Then I grab my keys and my purse, and head out the door, where I notice Hog left the Suburban for me to drive. Probably because the pickup still smells like fertilizer a bit.
See? That’s what I mean, he’s always looking out for me.
When I get to the Just Peachy Produce stand along Main Street, it looks like they’re already loading produce in the back of a pickup truck.
“Am I too late?”
I’d hoped to pick up a couple of pints of strawberries for Monique and some for us.
“No, what is it you were looking for?”
“Strawberries.”
The young kid dives into the back of the truck and pulls out a shallow box holding a selection of fruits. I notice he has some apricots as well.
“I have three pints left.”
“I’ll take all three, and can I have a basket of apricots as well?”
I settle up and set my purchases on the passenger seat when my phone chimes with an incoming message.
Idiot neighbor is having a party. No room to park.
Try the play area and meet us at the point.
I grin, Monique has a love/hate relationship with her neighbor. Today hate appears to be the leading emotion.
The play area she refers to has parking, restrooms, and is a beautiful spot along the river, right next to the railroad tracks. It’s also a trailhead for bike and hiking trails. It should be a short walk to the point from there.
The Animas River meanders through Durango and Oxbow Park juts out in a curve of the river. The point is the very tip from where you can see the river to the north and to the south on either side of you. It’s like sitting on a little island in the middle of the water.
On the weekends, the parking lot at the play area can get busy, but not at this time of night. There are only two other cars parked there, both with bicycle racks. Those folks are probably riding their bikes along the trails, maybe taking in the sunset as well.
Speaking of, I should hustle or I may miss it, the sun is already sinking fast. I leave two containers of strawberries and a few apricots in the truck and take the bag with the rest along.
It’s a beautiful night, clear skies and warm enough a sweater is all you need. The rush of the fast-streaming river drowns out what few street sounds you might hear out here, making it feel like you’re somewhere out in the wilderness instead of the middle of town.
I’ve missed this. I’ve been working so hard to get my condition under control while building security for my future, I’ve stopped taking time to do the things that feed my soul. All work and no play makes for a drab existence.
I’m glad for my sweater, it’s a little chilly here in the shade of the tree canopy over the trail. I’m getting close to the point though; the roar of the rapids is getting louder.
A sharp crack sounds behind me, but before I can turn, my head is yanked back by the hair, and the cold steel of a gun barrel pressed up under my chin.
“Shut up, and walk.”
Hog
The Irish is busy.
When I walk in, I’m greeted by a few firefighters I know from Station 1 sitting at the bar.
“Heard a ceiling got the best of you,” the guy nicknamed Sparky says.
“Don’t know about that, I’m still standing.”
“Yeah, but it gets hard on the old body, doesn’t it?”
“Who are you calling old?” I fire back, playing along with this fraternal ribbing. “Aren’t you up for mandatory retirement yet?”
“Fuck you, Hog.” He grins, shaking his head.
“Not today, Sparky. Already made plans.”
I clap his shoulder and make my way over to a booth near the bathrooms the chief looks to have claimed.
“Evening, Chief,” I greet him when I slide in across from him.
“Hog.”
No sooner has my ass hit the seat when one of the waitresses stops by the booth.
“Can I get you a drink?”
Chief holds up his half-empty beer. “I’ll have another.”
“Do you have coffee? Wouldn’t mind a cup.”
“Yeah, just made a fresh pot. Anything to eat?”
“Wanna share an order of wings?”
We had dinner not that long ago, but I guess I can always put away a couple of wings.
“Sure.”
As soon as the server moves away, I get down to business.
“I’m interested, I’m pretty sure I have all required certifications up-to-date.”
“You do, I checked,” he confirms. “There’s a written test you’re required to take, but you’ve got a couple of months to bone up for that. It shouldn’t be a problem for ya.”
“Will there be a general posting for the position?”
Usually, when a position in the department opens up, they’ll at least put an internal post up, but for some positions they’ll go outside the Durango Fire Department as well.
The thing is, I want the job but I’m not sure I’d measure up against some of the younger whippersnappers who are eager to climb the ranks.
“No, there won’t. Cap and I agree that your unit would be best served bringing new blood in from the bottom instead of the top. We also agree you’re best suited to take over. No one on the crew is going to question your leadership.”
I’d be lying if I said that doesn’t make me feel good.
The server comes back with the chief’s beer and my coffee, alerting us the wings will be out soon. While we wait, the conversation drifts from work into personal life.
Mine, in particular.
“Is Roadkill over the fact you’re seeing his sister?”
“He’s getting used to it,” I inform him.
We’ll see how long that lasts when he finds out I basically invited myself to move in with her. He may have some ideas around that, but he’ll have to get used to that too.
“And she’s okay? I mean, after the deaths and the troubles at her business. I hear they caught all the bad guys.”
There aren’t many secrets in Durango. At least not for long.
“She’s handling it. She’s organizing and financing a funeral for the employee who was killed. The only next of kin was the woman’s mother who is in a nursing home. Anika’s taken on a lot, but that’s the way she rolls.”
“I could send the helmet around the firehouse to help offset some of the cost,” he offers.
“That’d be appreciated.”
Firefighters—we’re a brotherhood too.
“Consider it done,” the chief confirms, as his eyes turn to the entrance.
I glance over my shoulder to see Bill Evans walking in. His eyes seem to lock right in on me, as he strides over. A feeling of unease tickles down my spine.
“Chief Aimes, sorry to interrupt,” he starts. Then he turns to me. “Anika with you?”
Forget unease, every fucking nerve in my body jumps alive at his question.
“No. She’s out for drinks with her friends. Why?”
“I tried calling her a few times but she didn’t pick up. Then I saw your pickup parked outside, thought she was driving it and hoped she’d be here.”
I immediately get out my phone and dial her number, which goes straight to voicemail. As I try again, I ask Evans, “What do you need her for?”
“Livingston called me. The FBI just received records from Christopher Cooper’s cell phone provider. Most providers don’t retain the actual content of text messages, but they do keep a record of when, to whom, and from whom messages are sent. They found several message exchanges with a number that comes back to a prepaid phone. That prepaid phone was purchased online at Walmart and traced to Anika’s credit card.”
I surge to my feet and lean into the detective’s space.
“Like fucking hell it is,” I snap.
“Easy, Hog,” Chief soothes, standing as well and putting a hand on my arm. “Hear the man out.”
Evans’s eyes on me are steady. “She keeps her purse in the unlocked drawer of her desk in her unlocked office at the Chop Shop. Think about it. Wouldn’t have been difficult for someone else to get to it.”
I’m fucking thinking about it and the blood is running cold in my veins.
Abruptly, I shrug off the chief’s hand and shove past Evans, almost knocking over the server with our basket of wings as I head for the door.
Evans is right behind me when I rush outside. He grabs me by the arm and swings me around.
“Fucking talk to me, Hog.”
“Oxbow Park. That’s where she is,” I tell him, my heart beating in my throat. “She’s meeting the girls from work.”
“Fuck,” Bill curses under his breath. “Come on. We’re taking mine.”
His police cruiser is parked right out front. I don’t argue and get in on the passenger side.
Evans running his lights and blowing through downtown Durango is the only thing making me feel fractionally better.
He’s not messing around either.