Chapter 5 #2
“My p-parents moved to Minneapolis when my s-sisters and I were kids.” I pause. “We grew up there.”
“And why did you pick the police academy? Because of all the crime in the big city?” she asks, half-joking. I chuckle. The news isn’t always kind to cities like ours.
“No, ma’am. B-but I see your p-point. M-my father.
..” I stop myself, wincing. “He always admired the police. C-called them heroes. It stuck in the back of my mind.” I shift slightly.
“After high school, I did a few jobs, then went to c-college and got a degree in criminal justice.” I pause again, clenching my arms. They wait.
All eyes on me as my gut twists. “It g-grew on me. I joined the force around twenty-five. My mom was a bit worried at first, but she’s alright with it n-now. ”
“Oh, I can understand that,” Lily gasps, her hand on her chest. “When this one,” she points at Jared, “told us he wanted to become a police officer, I tried everything to dissuade him. I didn’t want my boy getting hurt.”
“Mama, come on,” Jared groans, grinning.
“Mama’s little boy,” Bella whispers with a wink at her brother.
“But then I saw how he was impacting our community and keeping us safe and,” she presses her hand to her heart, “I couldn’t be prouder” she says, eyes glistening. “Are you planning on visiting your family?”
“Well, I’m only staying here for a year, so…maybe in a few months.”
“A year?” she repeats, startled. “Why? Don’t you like Lakeside?”
“Lakeside is fine, ma’am, b-but I’ve got a promotion waiting for me in Minneapolis.”
“Right, right. Then we’ll just consider ourselves lucky to have you for a whole year.
” She raises her glass. “Let’s drink to that.
” We spend the rest of the evening chatting over the most delicious risotto, veggie stew, and homemade apple pie I’ve ever had.
I was wrong to dread this. These people are kind and respectful.
They don’t try to pry into my personal life or make jokes about my stutter.
They don’t stare too long or ask too much.
It also helps me understand Jared better.
Why he’s so easygoing, so approachable. Right as Jared and I are about to head out, Allan hugs his daughter tightly.
“Tell Alaska to get better, alright, kiddo?” He pats her head with a tender gaze.
“Sure, Dad, will do,” Bella replies.
“Do you know if… Never mind.”
“She’s getting better. Really.”
“All right. All right. If she needs anything, you tell her. I heard a storm’s coming soon, and I’ve got a double set of flashlights—” Her dad rubs his chin.
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell her to come over.”
“She won’t,” her mom adds gently, next to her husband on the porch. “You know how she is.”
“I know…but I’ll tell her. I promise,” Bella reassures them, hugging both parents before heading out with Jared and me.
I thank his parents and remind myself to send flowers to his mom tomorrow.
Women prefer flowers, my sisters always said, bawling their eyes out when I told them I’d given a toy truck to my love interest in kindergarten.
"Bye, guys," says Bella as she heads to her car. We both say goodbye to her, then I turn to face Jared’s parents. “Thank you again for the meal.”
“We loved having you. You come back anytime,” his mom says, and I offer a clipped nod, overwhelmed by her affectionate nature.
“Anytime,” his dad adds, resting his hand on her shoulder. When the door closes, I’m about to head to my car, but Jared stops on the porch and sits on the stairs.
“I’m gonna head out,” I announce, keys in hand.
“Can I ask you something?” he says, his tone different, less cheerful. “It won’t be long.” He sounds calm, serious. I sit beside him, the cold air turning our breath into white smoke.
“Thanks for the evening. Your f-family’s really nice,” I say, grateful to have him as my partner and not some cold, closed-off guy like me. He sighs and reveals a more serious side.
“Don’t get me wrong, but your story about coming here as a test…
how come I don’t buy it?” Silence stretches, taking up space between us.
“Officers don’t get sent here for no reason unless they’ve screwed something up.
I get why you didn’t say the truth in front of my parents, but if we’re gonna be partners, I need to know who I’m dealing with. ”
“Fair enough.” I lean forward, elbows resting on my knees.
“So, what did you do?”
I exhale, taking my time. How do I explain this without sounding like a failure? Despite trying to focus, light-brown hair dances in the back of my mind, her name, her image clouding my thoughts. If she were here... Damn. I wish I could just hold her hand right now.
“My…my stutter.” I drop it like a stone. “That’s why.”
He frowns, turning sharply to me. “Your stutter? What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
“Captain Raines thinks that—” I stop. “Everything was f-fine until I did a-a presentation in front of the mayor and I stum—” I pause. “I...I—” Damn it. The words won’t come. Jared waits, and a whole minute passes as I regulate my breath. “The mayor said I was an embarrassment to the force.”
“Shit.”
“He ordered my C-c-captain to send me somewhere else for a year to g-get…get rid of it. Then I can come back and get promoted to s-sergeant. I was supposed to get it this year, but...yeah.” Jared looks away. I brace for his disappointment, for him to decide I’m not worth keeping as a teammate.
“Are they stupid?” he finally says, voice rising.
His hand morphing into a fist above his knee.
“Stutter or not, when you’re a good cop, you’re a good cop.
Damn it.” He scoffs. “What are they expecting? That coming out here will magically fix it? They’re cuckoo.
Total idiots. I had a buddy in high school, same issue.
Never went away. He still became a contractor, a damn good one.
” He sighs, hard. “Shit, Jack, I thought Captains were supposed to have a brain.”
“I...”
“I’m your partner now. I won’t drop you over some shitty...” He stops himself, turning away. I grin inside. I’ve had partners pretend to be okay with it, but never one who actually defended me. Not that I need defending. That’s why I hit the gym hard, bulked up. ‘Cause no one bullies the big guy.
“Thanks, Jared, but-” I take a deep breath, “I really need this promotion. I’ve worked so hard for it.” And I’ve always believed it’s what my father would’ve wanted, for me to become not just a good cop, but a great one. To make him proud.
“Why?”
Because that’s what my father would have wanted.
“Just...’cause it’s important to me. That’s all.”
“Kay, kay...”, cracking his knuckles, “You tried doctors and all?”
“Yeah. Years of,” I pause, “of speech therapy. But I honestly think it’ll always be there. There’s no magical f-f-fix.”
“Then why do they think it’ll disappear in a year? Why didn’t you tell them it won’t?”
“Because maybe it c-could. I don’t know. I didn’t want to lose my job, so I agreed.”
“You want it that bad?” Not really. I’m actually happy where I am. But...if my dad were alive, I’d want him to see me up there. A Captain, someday. I don’t answer, because I’m not sure how it would sound out loud, if it would feel like the truth or a betrayal of myself.
“So, one year.” He lets it hang.
“Yep.”
“And then you’re gone.”
“Yeah.”
Silence closes in around us.
“Thanks for telling me.” Jared’s solid. I think we could become friends. Cool under pressure. Not judgmental. He starts to stand, and a question hammers in the back of my mind.
Let it go.
You don’t know her.
You won’t stay in Lakeside.
“Can I ask you something too?” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. He raises his brows, studying me.
“Sure.” I wait a few seconds, unsure of what’s wrong with me, why I’m so stuck on a girl I barely know.
“Alaska,” I say it quietly, like her name shouldn’t be said aloud. He leans in, hands folded together, waiting. “What h-happened to her? Everyone here seems...really worried about her.”
He glances sideways. “You like her or something?” I don’t answer, but my silence answers for me. “A few years ago she... Whatever. That’s not my business to tell. Sorry,” he mutters. “If you want to know what happened to Alaska, you’ll have to ask her yourself.”
My mouth pulls to the side. “I don’t know her.”
“Yet,” he says, pointing at the sky. “You don’t know her yet. Small town, Jack. In a year, you’ll know everyone and everything.”
“Not sure about that.”
“Trust me. Nothing stays buried too long here.”
“All right then.” I let it go and wait a moment before standing. Jared joins me, and we shake hands before heading to our cars.
“We’ll start next week on the cold cases, if that’s all right with you,” he declares.
“Sure,” I reply, opening the metal door and sinking into the driver’s seat like a stone. I just got here, and already there’s so much I want to know. Mysterious disappearances, bodies in the lake, cold cases…and her. I start the engine and crank the heat. Cold air slips from my mouth.
Alaska, what happened to you?
I guess I have a year to find out.