Chapter 21
21
Jeremy watched Cora drive away until her red taillights were out of sight. Turning, he caught Pete’s eyes on him. When his partner’s brow lifted in a silent question, Jeremy sighed. He wasn’t ready to proclaim his feelings for Cora. What had started as an attempt to cajole her into smiling more had morphed into a professional respect, then the beginning of a friendship. And if the kiss they shared before being interrupted was anything to go by, their friendship crossed over into something much more. And he wanted that more , whatever it was.
“Looks like you and the pretty doctor are getting cozier,” Pete said.
From anyone else, Jeremy would be tempted to joke the comment away to keep from revealing his feelings, but his partner was the closest friend he had. “Yeah. Before you ask, let’s just say we’re not defined, but things are changing between us. Getting closer. Finding out if there’s more than just friendship. And that’s what I plan on doing… exploring what we can be as long as Cora wants the same thing, too.”
Pete nodded, his lips curving. Then both men sighed, knowing the moment was over as the needs of the investigation loomed.
“Let’s get in and see what we have now that the body has been removed.” Jeremy’s stomach wanted to revolt, knowing the smells in the trailer would still loom from the refuse all around. He and Pete stepped back inside. With more lighting, it was clear that a stack of boxes was next to the filthy sofa. Ripping off the tape, they discovered wrapped bricks of white powder. Pulling out a knife, he slit one of the bricks and, using the Colorimetric Test Kit, discovered what he suspected—cocaine.
Turning to one of the deputies, he said, “Pictures and evidence bags. Work in pairs. No one is to be alone with this evidence.” Glancing at who was around, he called, “Colby, you work with Ford.” He trusted the deputies working with them, but assigning pairs made it easy to ensure that no one was tempted to or would be accused of tampering or stealing evidence. Either would ruin careers and lives.
“She wasn’t alone,” Pete said, leaving the bedroom.
Jeremy followed his partner back into the room. Pete had lifted a pile of blankets and a pillow in the corner, revealing an old duffel bag. Kneeling, he pulled out a pair of men’s jeans, boxers, and a small toiletry case. Twisting his head around, he lifted his brows. “DNA on the toiletries.”
Pete turned to take an evidence bag from the deputy behind him, then passed it to Jeremy. Once the toiletry case was bagged and labeled, Jeremy stood. “Let’s get the whole mess taken in for evidence.”
“I have the deputies canvassing the neighborhood. Now that the curiosity is over and questions are being asked, some will clam up.”
“We’ll get what we can and lean on the others,” Jeremy replied. His nose twitched. “Jesus, this menthol is getting to me, but the alternative sucks.”
The next few hours were spent collecting the evidence, including almost fifty pounds of cocaine. A purse was found in the living room with a driver’s license belonging to Cassandra Hamilton. The bedroom contained women’s clothing, as well as several men’s jeans and shirts that were in a different size than what was in the duffel. By the time the deputies canvassed the few trailers on the lane, they had gathered descriptions of some of the numerous visitors to the trailer. The man who lived the closest said he rarely saw the woman other than when she’d go out in her old car and return with groceries.
“He said that he figured she was a prostitute, but she was quiet and never had loud parties, so whatever she needed to do to survive didn’t bother him,” one of the deputies reported. “We can try to have him identify some of the men, but he said they mostly came at night. His eyesight isn’t the best.”
“If we’re lucky, we can get ID from the DNA,” Jeremy said.
Pete snorted. “This whole place is a fucking DNA petri dish.”
Jeremy thought about Cora and wondered if she was already in the morgue starting the autopsy. Just the thought of the state of the remains sent a shiver through him. He ripped off his gloves and pulled out his phone. With a few taps, he called her, knowing she probably couldn’t pick up. “Just letting you know, others either lived here, stayed here, or came by frequently. A neighbor said he thought she was a prostitute. There is also men’s clothing here in two different sizes. We’ll bring it to you, and then you can send off what you need.” He almost rang off but then lowered his voice. “Babe, I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this, but I’m so grateful for people who do what you do. Anyway, talk to you soon.”
As he hung up, he saw Brad and Mark climbing from their vehicles. Pete was already on his way to them, and Jeremy joined the group of detectives.
“There was a woman named Cassie Hamilton who used to work the old Motor Inn up near the county line. She’d turn tricks for the truckers who stayed there. She’d been arrested several times, and then she disappeared. I honestly figured she’d caught a ride with someone and taken her trade somewhere else,” Mark said, his shoulders lifting as he sighed heavily.
“We don’t know whose name was on the lease… if there even was a lease to this dump,” Pete said.
Brad rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes in thought. “Seems like this place is on the Britton land.” He looked over and spied one of the deputies. “Hey, Steve? Isn’t this part of the Britton farm?”
The deputy walked over and nodded. “It used to be. Old man Anthony Britton had all this farmland but died over a year ago. I haven’t had any reason to see who owns it now.”
“Check with that man across the lane,” Jeremy requested. “Find out who he pays rent to.”
The deputy jogged across the road, and a few minutes later, he came back. “He said that once Mr. Britton died, no one ever came by for rent. The five people still living in these camper trailers figured they could stay until someone kicked them out. They’re grumbling now… they think that since the police are now here, their free ride is over.”
Jeremy sighed. One trailer had the older man, and two of the others held what looked like migrant farm workers who needed the low rent. “Honestly, I’m not getting into that other than how it pertains to the bust here.”
By the time the sun rose and the evidence had been collected, Jeremy headed to the morgue. He was sure Cora was home, but he wanted to deliver the clothes and toiletry kit in case she needed to take DNA samples.
He made his way down the hall, and once he was given entrance, he greeted the receptionist. “I have some evidence to leave for Dr. Wadsworth.”
“Oh, you can take it on back. She’s finishing the autopsy on the woman who came in last night.”
His eyes widened as his chin jerked back. “She’s still here?”
“She was here when I got in for my shift.”
“Damn. Okay, thanks.” Jeremy pushed through the doors, walked down the hall, and entered the morgue’s autopsy area.
Cora looked up, surprise on her face. She wore a mask, but he could tell she smiled because of the crinkles at the sides of her eyes.
“Hey, Cora,” he greeted, trying and failing to ignore how seeing her sent a spark through his chest.
Her gaze dropped to the bags in his hands. “I take it that’s the evidence you called about?”
“Yeah. Where should I put it?”
Janice walked over and held out her hands. “I can take it, Detective Pickett, and maybe you can convince this one to go home,” she said, jerking her head toward Cora.
He wondered if Cora had mentioned his personal relationship with her coworkers but simply nodded. “I’ll try.”
He handed the bags over, then looked beyond Cora to the table. He had wiped off the menthol from his upper lip but was glad the odor lingered. He blew out a breath and thought about what Cora had to work on for the past hours. Shaking his head slowly, he held her gaze. “I am so sorry?—”
She held out her hand. “Stop apologizing, Jeremy. I chose this career. What I work with isn’t always easy or pleasant or textbook.”
He nodded, still holding her gaze, wishing they were anywhere but in the morgue. “How much longer are you working?”
“I was just finished getting her ready for Janice to put into the drawer. I’m not too proud to admit I’m exhausted. I thought I’d head home for a few hours of sleep. What about you?”
“Same.”
They stood, neither speaking, yet the longing filling the space between them was so thick he could swear it was tangible.
“You need to feed your Tommy Girl,” she said, her gaze never leaving his face.
It took a second for her words to penetrate, and then he jerked his head in a nod. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her to come to his place when he remembered that she also needed to get home to feed Max and Mia. “So, um… can I walk you to your car?”
“If you can give me a minute.”
“No problem.” He jammed his hands into his pockets to tamp down the urge to reach out to take her in his arms.
She moved to the side of the room, removed her scrubs, hair protector, and face mask, and leaned back and stretched. Then she clicked several keys on her computer while Janice logged in the evidence.
“Go on, Cora,” Janice encouraged. “We’ve got this. You worked all night, so sleep today, and it’ll all be here for you tomorrow.”
Cora grabbed her jacket and purse, then said her goodbyes as she turned to walk toward Jeremy. He smiled as she neared and opened the door for her to move through. As they headed to the parking lot, he tried to think of any way he could come up with so they would not have to separate. Inwardly grimacing, he thought of how exhausted she was and how he was selfish to want to spend time with her when she obviously needed sleep. Hell, so do I.
At her vehicle, he waited until she clicked the locks, and then he opened her door. She stepped forward but stopped before sliding into the seat. Turning, she steadily held his gaze. “I’m going to toss out an offer, Jeremy. You’re under no obligation to accept. And God knows, it would probably be easier if you said no. But here it is. If you want to return to my house after you feed your cats, that’s fine. I can guarantee that the only thing that will happen first is sleep, but…” She shrugged, a look of uncertainty now crossing her usually confident expression.
The weight he’d felt choking him lifted suddenly at her words. Without hesitation, he blurted, “I’ll be there. Just let me get home, take care of business, and shower. Then I’ll be at your place. Give me about thirty minutes if you can hold on that long before falling asleep.”
A slow smile beamed his way, and it was as though the clouds had parted.
“I’ll stay awake,” she promised.
Now, he grinned and, with a chin dip, watched as she climbed into her vehicle, and he closed the door. After jogging to his SUV, he hurried home. He rubbed Tommy Girl and placed food in her dish before hustling into the shower. He scrubbed away the scents of the crime scene that seemed to invade his skin and hair. Afterward, he tossed his clothes into the washing machine and turned it on, figuring they could at least get washed while he was gone. Looking at the clock, he offered a hasty goodbye to his cat and jogged back to his vehicle. Soon, he knocked on Cora’s door.
When it swung open, she smiled up at him, exhaustion threatening to pull the corners of her mouth down. He stepped in as she backed up. Her hair was wet and braided down the back. She smelled like a summer breeze, and he inhaled deeply, dragging the fresh scent into his body. She was in a long T-shirt, but he had no idea what she wore underneath. His gaze dropped to the words on her shirt. Support your local medical examiner… Die strangely.
He barked out laughter and shook his head. “You and your humor. Gets me every time.”
She smiled at his words but remained standing just inside her foyer. Her fingers began to fiddle with the hem of her shirt. He’d never seen her fidget before. She looked up and asked, “Is this crazy?”
“Crazy?”
“Me inviting you over to sleep?”
His heart fell at the realization she was having second thoughts. He dragged his tongue over his bottom lip and then caught her gaze following the movement. She wasn’t unaffected… just uncertain. He stepped closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. She tilted her head back as her gaze lifted to his eyes.
“We’ve both been through a shit night that interrupted what I think our kiss was leading to, even if that was nothing more than just a continuation of mind-blowing kisses.”
Her lips curved, and he continued, “And right now, all either of us wants is to crash. Just sleep. Let the night fade away in our memory and find peace when we wake again.”
“That sounds nice,” she whispered while nodding.
“And I’d love to sleep curled around you, protecting you in your dreams even if I can’t protect you from the shit our chosen careers sometimes offer us.”
“Okay, that sounds really nice.” She reached up to take one of his hands and led him down the hall to the bedroom with Max and Mia at their heels.
His gaze moved around the room, taking in the pale blue walls, rose-colored curtains and comforter, and the thick-cushioned, floral-patterned, comfortable chair in the corner. It was simple and neat, so like Cora. Yet while the splashes of color were a surprise, they were also like her.
Smiling, he stared at the queen-sized bed. She jerked back the covers and crawled onto the side closest to the en suite bathroom. She patted her side, and he walked around the bed. Shucking his T-shirt, boots, socks, and jeans, he crawled under the covers with his boxers left on. Her mattress was exceptional, and the pillows cradled his head. Rolling onto his side, he faced her as she had done the same.
“Maybe this is crazy,” she whispered. “But I’m really glad you’re here.”
“In our line of work, sometimes crazy is what we need to go with. And I have a feeling you haven’t had enough crazy in your life.”
She laughed, and the sound wrapped comfort around him. He gave in to the urge and lifted his arm, his heart pounding a rhythm he was unused to… uncertainty. But she immediately snuggled next to him, and he pulled her close. Her breath quickly evened out, the little puffs dancing over his chest. He wondered if he could ever rest with her sleeping so closely.
And then he fell asleep.