11. Noah
Chapter 11
Noah
“What did you find out?”
I pushed open the door to the break room. Nick was scrubbing his hands over his face. Before he could ask, I dropped a bag on the table.
“Your wife said, and I quote, ‘Don’t eat them all in one sitting.’”
His bark of laughter filled the room. “Let me guess, peanut butter and chocolate chip muffins?”
“Yep, she said there was extra peanut butter drizzle.” I chuckled.
“Man, I love that woman, something fierce.” He opened the bag and inhaled. “Why’d you stop by there? In need of a donut?” He teased me.
“Eh, just a bear claw.” I chuckled again. “Truthfully, I followed Mara over to make sure she and Kelsey were settled before I came in. Abel and Brenna will make sure they get back home later. Probably going to stay the night as well.”
“Ah yes, the girls are having a book club meeting or something there on Wednesdays.” He opened the bag again and took a muffin out.
“Lacey, Sam, and Carmen were coming in as I left.” I nodded and pulled the food before me closer.
“Any reason to get together and gossip.”
He wasn’t wrong. I shrugged. “Probably, but if it means I get a free treat, I’m all for it.”
He dropped into the chair across from me. I slid him a covered plate. “Chef Mara was on her A-game this afternoon, which meant there were plenty of leftovers. She made you a plate too.”
“I was planning on grabbing a sandwich from the?—”
“Ribeye steak, roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts and asparagus, and her famous garlic mashed potatoes. The veggies have got some sauce on them. Don’t ask ‘cause I can’t tell you. Garlic something-something-something. The delicious smell made my brain short-circuit, and I stopped listening.”
“I take it that means she slept all day because Kelsey had her up all night?”
“Yeah. She always feels so guilty that I come home to a messy house. I could care less about that.”
“Dana does the same thing.” He shrugged. “I don’t mind getting my baby time and cleaning. I live there too.”
“That’s what I said, but I’ll never convince her that it’s okay.” Shaking my head, I tapped the container before me. “We should eat this while it’s still warm.”
“How can we eat this then be expected to go out there and do work?”
“Don’t know, but I’m sure as shit gonna eat this before I clock in.” I pulled out silverware, passing him a set, and we ate while talking about the information before us.
On the clock or not, we had shit to do.
Willow—Elizabeth—had a disturbing file. She had a history of mental issues. Bi-polar popped out at me. One doctor had said she had dissociative identity disorder. Now, this was one that would be hard to say yes or no to. Multiple personalities—didn’t we all have that at times?
I hadn’t gotten that vibe from her though. I’d been around people with mental issues—but it could be a silent war she was fighting.
We made our way out to the bullpen and walked around to our desks. “When are the parents coming in?” I asked, dropping my lunch bag into the bottom desk drawer.
“In,” he started, looking at his watch, “a half hour or so. They were going to fly in, get a hotel, and then come here.”
Nodding, I pulled a notepad from the desk drawer, a pen, and using my chin, I nodded to the interrogation rooms. “Let’s get the rooms ready. I’ll take one, you take the other. Video the sessions. I have an odd feeling here.”
“Same, brother. I think there is more to all of this. The vibe I got was not really worried. More like they’d lost a valuable package in the mail.”
It was time to pass on what we needed to get a handle on this whole situation.
I couldn’t help but replay the scene behind the shops. That tire had been slashed, but by whom? Leah seemed to be on team ‘blame Brenna,’ but—Something had been off. My recall of the way Willow acted, it seemed to be to egg Leah on. I’d had to send Abel back inside before he lost his mind. His temper—well, when it came to his wife, he was unpredictable. I was the same, so no judgment here.
The Sheriff was leaning the way I was now. I needed to work it out, and briefing him let me do that and benefit from his experience in cases like this.
I was walking back from his office, a fresh outlook on this case when the doors rushed open. A harried looking couple bustled in. I shared a quick look with Nick. Without saying anything, not wanting anyone to overhear my inner workings, I slid him a piece of paper I’d made notes on, gathering questions for this upcoming interview.
All while keeping things on the downlow. We didn’t want everyone on a manhunt until we knew what in the hell was going on. We needed to give a face and toss at them to see how they reacted.
There is more to this young woman. Sheriff says to go with our guts.
Why would she run away and why now?
What is her home life like?
Does she have friends? Can we reach them?
Ask about any previous issues. Is it behavioral? Mental? Her sheet is long, but I don’t get a feel for what they are calling it.
Is this an outcry for help?
He read the paper, nodded, and then in silent agreement, we moved to the front of the office.
“Good timing,” Mrs. Angelo said as we came closer. “Deputy Lawson, Deputy Stroud, you have someone wanting to speak with you both.”
I could tell a lot by the interactions they had with Mrs. Angelo. She’d been the front desk clerk since well before I’d come along. She was the sweetest woman on the planet. She treated us all as if we were her grandkids. Baking cookies and treats when she thought we needed a pick-me-up or because she was bored. We never complained, no matter the reason.
To see her eyes tighten, narrowing in on the couple—yeah, she’d gotten an odd vibe off them.
I caught the look Nick sent their way and knew he was reading the situation as I had.
“Mr. and Mrs.,” I looked at the paperwork in my hand. I knew their names; it was a tactic to see how they reacted, “Lawrence. Welcome to Seaside. If you will come with us, we can go talk in a more private setting.”
They both rushed closer. “Where is our daughter? Did you get her?”
Get her? She wasn’t a stray dog on the street.
“Have we found her?” I asked, pushing open the interview room door. “Not as of this moment, no.” I waved toward the chair. “Mr. Lawrence, if you would have a seat in here. Mrs. Lawrence, if you would come next door with me?”
“Why are you separating us?” Mr. Lawrence pulled his wife slightly behind him.
“We want to maximize your time here. Parents sometimes have different recollections of their kid’s movements. It’s easier to ask you both a series of questions, but if you would like, we can talk to you together.”
I watched his grip tighten on his wife’s arm. It had to be painful, but she said nothing, just looked between us.
After a heartbeat, he released her, and they came into the room.
This was going to be a long night.
“I’ve seen distraught parents before. Mad even, but that, I don’t even have words.” Nick shook his head.
I was right there with him. Those two were—as my wife would say—three fries short of a Happy Meal. They were just off. I couldn’t say why just yet, but their math ain’t mathing. Nick and I watched them leave, their hushed whispers following them out the door.
“Why did that seem like they were more worried about what we thought of them rather than the fact that their kid is here and possibly causing trouble?” he asked, tossing the file in his hand to the desk.
“What gets me is the fact that he was the only one really talking. Every time she would start, his posture changed. I can’t say I’m a fan of his demeanor. I get an odd vibe, man.”
“Yeah, same.” He sat at his desk, scrubbing a hand over his face.
“I’m going to patrol, let someone else have a lunch break. Let this all sink in. You learn anything, let me know.”
“Sure thing. Do me a favor and ride by the shop? Make sure the girls are safe.”
“You got it.”
It had been a quiet night on the streets so far.
I’d been out this way earlier, making sure the girls had a good night and all made it out of the shop and home safely. The streets of Seaside had been quiet. A handful of tourists were out at shops. Some places stayed open later than others. There really was something for everyone.
I parked, deciding to do a foot patrol. A few people were walking down the boardwalk, and a good handful were out on the sand, watching the surf roll in. Nothing was more relaxing than sitting out at night, the moon your only light as you listened to the surf. The water rolling in and slapping the wet sand.
It was good for your soul no matter who you were.
I stopped in at a few shops, checking on the people working. This was a small town, and I didn’t know about others, but I sure as shit cared about the people in it.
I couldn’t help but grin thinking of running into Mara that first time. Leave it to my brother to find someone who just happened to have a heart-stoppingly beautiful friend.
Was she perfect, no, but yes. She was, and still is, perfect for me.
Something I teased her about, even now, was her clumsiness at the fair. I’d been covered in, I think it was cheese sauce, and she’d tried to wipe it from my pants. I knew then that this woman was for me.
The hard-on I’d had to try and hide had cemented her fate.
Turning down the side street, I made sure to go by and check each door, making sure they were shut and locked. A few, the ones with full walls of glass, had pull down gates. I checked to make sure they were secure.
As I walked around the corner, heading toward Abel’s shop, a noise drew my attention. I stopped, looked around, and cautiously continued toward the side of the building. I was careful to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible. Once I hit the corner of the building, I’d be in full view of anyone watching.
Peering around the corner, I watched three figures moving about. They had spray paint cans. I could hear the clanking of the metal ball in them.
I hit the mic on my shoulder, keeping my voice low.
“SD17, dispatch, we have a 10-31 in progress.”
I gave the address to the shop, popped the clip that held my taser in place.
“10-4, SD17.” She repeated the address and paused for a moment. “Other units are in route.”
Giving myself a moment to watch them, I realized it was just some kids. But that fact didn’t make this any less worrisome. Kids nowadays, this younger generation—it was a toss-up if they had respect for authority figures or not.
I stepped around the corner, pulled my taser, keeping it pointed at the ground.
“Sheriff’s Department. Drop the cans and step back from the building.”
One kid dropped his can like it was on fire; his hands went up in less than a blink. The other two, they stood stock still yet refused to do as I ordered.
“Look, drop the cans and step back. It’s too late in the evening for bullshit, fellas.” I moved closer, putting the wall to the shop at my back.
I had to duck as a can was tossed at my head.
“Fuck you, pig.”
The bigger of the kids moved one way and the other two the opposite. With a curse, I dodged another can. I’d let him distract me, so the brick that came at me, slammed into my temple. The crash of a body against mine had me falling back through the glass door.
I grabbed the hands coming at me, doing the best I could. My bell was rung—vision was double, and the blood running into my eye made it hard to focus. He hit me again, with something. I had no choice but to use my larger size against him.
I pushed the heel of my hand against his jaw, shoving hard enough to get him off balance. My legs wrapped around his, and as we flipped over, I pinned him to the glass-covered floor. At this point, I didn’t care if he got cut, it would serve him right.
“Stay still, dammit! You’re under arrest.”
“Sheriff’s Department!”
“Over here. Get this asshole in cuffs!”
I grunted, struggling to keep a grip on him. There was blood everywhere. I was sure my injuries were nothing serious—head wounds bleed like a motherfucker.
“We’ve got him. Noah, let go.” Press this to your head.” Nick barked out orders. EMS was called. I was helped to lean against the wall. “You’ve got a few gashes on your arms.” He grimaced.
My stomach churned. “Go to my house,” I pleaded. “Please. Don’t let them call her. I’m fucking fine, but she’s going to freak out.”
“I’m calling Abel,” he said, pulling out his phone.
“Fuck!”