Chapter 5
Ronan
Fitzgibbon was waiting for Ronan at the bottom of his front stairs when he walked out of the house. “You ready to do this? I’m not sure I am.”
“It’s going to be fine, Ronan.” Fitz said, looking both ways before crossing the street to Jude’s house. “Jude knows just as well as we do that we’re snowed under with cases that we need help working. He also knows how far ahead of the game we are by knowing the man who’s coming to join our team.”
“Fuck off!” Jude’s voice boomed from inside the house.
“Fuck you double!” A second, familiar voice responded.
“Please tell me that’s not Greeley in there fighting with Jude.” Ronan felt his shoulders and neck tense up.
“I told Greeley I’d text him when it was time to come over.” Fitzgibbon sighed.
“Get the fuck out of here!” Jude shouted.
“Fuck. My. Life.” Fitzgibbon rolled his eyes and opened the front door.
Ronan was right behind him, ready to break up the fight. He knew Fitz would go for Greeley, meaning Ronan would take Jude.
“Hey, Dad!” Greeley called, sounding chipper.
“Hey, Dad?” Fitz asked, sounding stymied. “You too were just telling each other to fuck off and then Jude’s screaming for you to get out of his house. What the hell is happening here?”
Ronan pushed Fitz forward into the house, so he could catch a glimpse of what was going on. He saw Jude and Greeley sitting side by side on the sofa, each with game controllers in their hands. “You’re playing video games?”
“Are you guys okay?” Jude asked with a snicker. “You sound like you’re the ones with head trauma instead of me. Shut the door, let’s not heat the neighborhood.”
Ronan did what Jude asked, shutting the door and shrugging out of his coat which he set on a free coat hook.
“I brought donuts and hot coffee if you want some.” Greeley pointed toward the kitchen.
“Sounds good,” Fitz said, walking away.
“Is he okay, Ronan?” Jude asked.
“Yeah, he’s fine. There’s something we want to talk to you about and I’m guessing Fitz didn’t expect Greeley to be here.” That was an understatement. He hoped to hell Greeley hadn’t already told Jude what was going on.
Greeley zipped his lips behind Jude’s back, which told Ronan their new recruit hadn’t spilled the beans. “Bring me back a strawberry glazed, will you, Ronan?”
“Me too!” Jude echoed.
Ronan walked into the kitchen to find Fitz pacing. “Take a breath, Fitz. Greeley didn’t tell Jude why we’re here.”
“I thought they were at each other’s throats.” Fitz shook his head. “I mean, shit, that’s all we would have needed.”
Ronan snickered.
“What the hell is funny about that?” Fitz asked, fisting his hands on his hips.
“For once, I wouldn’t be the problem child!” Ronan hooted. He grabbed a plate and piled several donuts on it before fixing himself a coffee.
“You’re always the fucking problem child. If you’re not causing trouble yourself, you’re instigating it.” Fitz grabbed his coffee and a Boston cream donut and headed back into the living room.
Ronan followed behind and offered his plate to Greeley and Jude, who both snagged their requested donuts. I guess I don’t have to ask how you’re feeling today. We could hear you shouting from across the street.”
“I’m much better.” Jude offered a sincere smile. “It’s really helped having Greeley here for the last two days to play video games with me. It’s helping with my hand-eye coordination. Plus when he comes to visit, he brings junk food, unlike you two chuckleheads.”
“Strawberry glazed donuts aren’t going to get you back to work any faster,” Ronan said, sounding mature, for once.
“Is that what the two of you are here to talk about?” Jude asked, his glittering eyes dulling down.
“Sort of,” Fitz admitted, turning to Ronan.
“Cisco called to talk to Fitz this morning,” Ronan said, setting the story up for Fitz, who looked reluctant to talk.
“What the hell did you do this time?” Jude and Greeley asked at the same time.
“Seriously. What the fuck?” Ronan asked with a snicker. “Cisco wants to add someone to the team.”
“What? To replace me?” Jude asked, sounding alarmed.
“God, you’re an asshole.” Fitzgibbon sighed heavily.
“Not to replace you, Jude. What the dumbass to my left was trying to say is that Cisco got funding for a fourth detective. He presented data on our solve rates and how many cold cases were left to be solved. The budget was approved and now we can add a fourth person.”
Jude was silent for a few seconds. “Whoever we choose has to be someone who will gel instantly with the two of us and our dumbass.” He blew Ronan a kiss.
Ronan shot Jude the bird. “That was my first reaction as well.”
“Thankfully, I, as the captain of our illustrious team, have the perfect solution to who we’re going to bring on.”
“Oh, Gibson from patrol! He’s great. No one writes speeding tickets like Ike Gibson.” Jude’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
“No way,” Ronan said. “He chews with his mouth open. How about Crosby from property crimes?”
“What, the short guy who always has gummed up saliva in the corners of his mouth?” Jude gagged.
“God, none of us would make it through a shift working with him.” Fitzgibbon laughed. “Who do you suggest, Greeley? You know the job and all the officers with the Salem Police Department.”
“Well,” Greeley said, “I agree with Jude that you need to pick someone who can deal with the three of you. Whoever you hire is gonna need hazard pay just from dealing with Ronan alone.”
“Hey! I’m right here, you know.” Ronan pasted on a wounded look. Greeley had a point.
“I do know, Ronan. So does half the neighborhood.” Greeley rolled his eyes. “You want a detective who can give as good as he gets and I know the perfect person to join the team. Me.”
“What?” Jude’s eyes widened. “You’d be willing to leave the BPD to come work with us?”
“I’m already gone. I put in for a transfer before the holidays. Captain Armstrong called Cisco and let him know I wanted to come work for him. I assume that’s what started the chief off on asking for the budget to bring me to cold case.” Greeley looked to Fitzgibbon.
“That’s what he told me this morning. Are we all unanimous in welcoming Greeley to the team?” Fitz looked between Ronan and Jude.
“I vote yes!” Jude said.
“Me too,” Ronan agreed, feeling his anxiety slip away. Like Fitzgibbon, he’d been scared to death hearing Jude and Greeley arguing before they came into the house, but seeing the two of them interacting together quelled any lingering questions about Fitz’s decision.
“I vote yes as well, but there are some rules you need to be aware of before we make this official.” A smirk curved Fitz’s lips.
“Hit me with them,” Greeley urged.
“No calling me Dad on duty.”
Greeley snickered. “You got it, Fitz. What else?”
“Make a fresh pot of coffee if you finish one,” Jude added.
“Rookie buys lunch every Friday,” Ronan said.
“That’s fine with me. Hope you all like grilled cheese sandwiches.” Greeley laughed.
“We’re having a ‘Welcome Home’ party tonight.
Pizza, salad, all the usual sides. Aurora doesn’t know Greeley’s home to stay, so it’s going to be a surprise party for her.
Jace is trying to keep her away from the upstairs so she doesn’t see that her dolls are about to be evicted from the spare bedroom.
” Fitz wore a nervous look, not that Ronan could blame him.
He’d seen Hurricane Aurora at her absolute worst and wasn’t in a hurry to see her that upset again.
“I’ve got a plan to combat any bad feelings with Aurora.” Greeley waggled his eyebrows. “We’ll catch you guys later.”
“Text if you want to add anything to the food order.” Fitz grabbed his coat and followed Greeley out the door.
“I’m glad they’re gone,” Jude said. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Fuck, Ronan hoped Jude didn’t have any concerns about Greeley joining cold case. “What’s up?”
“It’s Cope,” Jude said, sounding reluctant to talk.
Ronan let out a sigh of relief. “Is he sick?”
“No.” Jude shook his head. “But there is something wrong with him. He’s different. On edge. Jumpy. Have you noticed?”
“I haven’t, but to be honest, when I’m here, I’m too busy worrying about you to pay much attention to Cope.
” Ronan hated to say that about Cope, but it was the truth.
All that had mattered over the last month was helping Jude back to health.
Cope could have been on fire and Ronan wouldn’t have noticed until Jude caught alight too. “Have you asked him what’s wrong?”
“Several times. Cope says he’s tired and struggling with PTSD from my accident. He still blames himself for what happened to me and for freezing when he heard me fall.” Jude buried his head in his hands.
“We’ve talked about this, Jude. Wolf told me it was only a matter of seconds between your fall, Cope rushing into the basement and Wolf calling me. We both know that when traumatic things happen, time seems to freeze, like a slow-motion replay of a touchdown.”
“I know. I know.” Jude shook his head. “I think Cope still has a lot of guilt over what happened.”
“Do you think whatever is wrong with Cope has to do with your fall? Or is it something else?” Ronan could think of a hundred other things that could be preying on Cope’s mind aside from Jude’s accident and ongoing recovery. The kids and work were at the top of Ronan’s list.
“I think it’s something else.” Jude paused. “You know the best thing that’s come out of my accident?”
Ronan shook his head. His mind flashed back to seeing Jude sprawled on the basement floor in a puddle of his own blood. “What’s the best thing?”
“Because of my brain feeling scrambled, I had to slow down and listen more. I can’t tell you how much better I’ve gotten to know Cope as a result of listening to him.” Jude wore a proud look.
Ronan snorted. “If that’s the case, I could do with a head wound of my own, for Tennyson’s sake.”
“Just say the word, pal, and I’d be happy to help!
” Jude barked a quick laugh. “But back to Cope. He was fine after I came home. We settled into our new normal. You guys cooking dinner and helping with the kids has done a world of good for Cope. He doesn’t feel like everything is on his shoulders.
Whatever it is that’s upsetting him started over the last two or three days. ”
“What can I do to help?” Ronan asked, feeling like an idiot for not noticing Cope was in trouble.
“Can you ask Ten if he knows anything or if he’s gotten a vibe from Cope? I don’t want him to betray any confidences, but if there’s something he can tell you that will help Cope…” Jude sighed. “I just feel so helpless. Again.”
“I’ll speak to him before we come over to Fitz’s tonight and let you know.”
“Sounds good.” Jude agreed and relaxed back into the sofa. “Now that I’ve kicked Greeley’s ass. It’s your turn.” He held out the second video game controller.
“You’re going down!” Ronan grabbed the controller and prepared to defeat his best friend. This was what he’d missed the most while Jude had been recovering. Time together hanging out and just being friends.
As for what was troubling Cope, Ronan was sure Ten would know how to handle things. Before long, everything would be back to normal.