Chapter Two #2
“Martinez, this is Officer Jude Collins. He’s transferring from Atlanta PD.” Chief gestures between us. “Collins, this is Liam Martinez. He’ll be your partner.”
“Good to meet you.” I extend my hand.
Jude hesitates but then shakes my hand. “Uh… yeah. Good to meet you too.”
His grip is firm, his palm slightly cool.
Up close, I can see his eyes are light blue with a dark ring around the iris.
His lashes are thick and dark and his mouth full.
I’m embarrassed that I notice those physical details, but to be fair, he’s a really good-looking guy.
Sally and Diane weren’t exaggerating. There’s nothing weird about noticing when someone is attractive, right?
“Collins has a decade of experience with Atlanta PD,” Chief is saying. “But he was looking for a change and we’re happy to have him.”
“We can always use good men.” I add quickly, “And women. Don’t want to be sexist.”
Jude smiles faintly. “No, we wouldn’t want that.”
Chief goes to sit in his leather chair behind the desk. “I realize our department is much smaller than what you’re used to, Collins, but I’m sure you’ll come to enjoy it here. It’s a great little community.”
“I’m sure it is, sir.”
I smile at him. “I’ll make sure to show you all the ins and outs. You’ll fit in before you know it.”
Jude gives a small nod but doesn’t return my smile. His energy isn’t unfriendly exactly, just reserved. Same as he was last night at the bar. He’s just friendly enough to not come across as rude, but offers nothing more.
“Obviously, we do things differently here than in a big city department.” Chief leans back in his chair. “I expect we might learn some things from you as well. I’m open-minded about change if it makes sense. If you have ideas about improving something, I’m happy to hear your thoughts.”
“Yes, sir,” Jude says, appearing surprised. “That’s refreshing to hear.”
Chief nods at me. “I’m counting on you to get Collins up to speed quickly.”
“Will do.”
He shifts his gaze to Collins. “It’s pretty quiet around here now, but the Golden Peak Mountain Ski Resort officially opens for business in a few days.
That means the town’s rhythm will change.
Our department won’t suddenly turn into NYPD, but the pressure on us will ramp up.
The bars will be busier, which means more drunken fights.
Also, a lot of people who come here from the city don’t know how to drive in the snow, so we’ll have more accidents and stranded tourists. ”
“Makes sense,” Jude says.
“Of course, we still have our usual local ruffians to deal with. Martinez can fill you in on who the local troublemakers are.” He flicks his gaze to mine. “Sally already showed Collins his locker. You two will share a desk for now.”
“That’s fine.” I make sure to sound agreeable. I don’t want Collins to think I resent sharing my workspace with him.
Chief looks dejectedly at the stack of folders on his desk. “I’d love to chat more, but, unfortunately, I’ve got time sheets to get through and lunch with the mayor later.”
I grimace. “We’ll get out of your hair, sir.”
Chief rises and holds out his hand to Collins. “Again, welcome to Golden Peak, Jude. I mean that.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jude gives the first real smile I’ve seen from him. “I’ll do my best for this department.”
“I’m sure you will,” Chief says.
I lead the way out of the office and Jude follows in silence. Heading toward the back exit, I grab keys from the board by the door. “Patrol vehicle’s out back,” I say.
Jude merely grunts.
We head out into the cold where we find the parking lot mostly empty. I unlock one of the newer Ford Explorers and we both climb in. Once the doors are closed, Jude focuses on buckling his seatbelt, and the silence thickens.
“So,” I say as I adjust the seat and mirrors. “From Atlanta to Golden Peak. That’s quite a change.”
“It is,” he agrees, staring out the windshield.
“Usually people do it the other way around. They leave a small department for a bigger department.”
“True.”
I wait to see if he’ll offer more, but he doesn’t. Okay, so he’s not particularly chatty. I can work with that. Someone thoughtful and quiet is probably a better partner than someone who never shuts up.
I eye his jacket, noticing it’s a little on the lighter side. “You’ll probably want to invest in some better winter gear if you plan on staying.” I start the engine and let it warm up for a minute. “We’re heading into winter and it gets cold up here.”
“I noticed.” There’s the smallest hint of humor in his voice.
“Yeah, well you ain’t seen nothing yet. You’ll thank me for suggesting a warmer coat when the temperatures drop for real.
” I chuckle and pull out of the lot, heading toward Main Street.
I spend the first thirty minutes of our shift showing him the town.
I point out the areas where we have drug activity and higher theft.
“You have two bars in town, it looks like.” Jude peers out the window. “Either of them a problem? Last night at The Fox & The Kettle everyone seemed well behaved. It had a nice mellow vibe.”
“Oh, yes.” I laugh. “That’s because Jim keeps a tight rein on the place. If you get out of line more than once, he won’t let you back in. No exceptions.”
“That’s probably a good thing.” Jude turns his head to study me. “I’m gathering from your tone that the other bar is different?”
“Definitely. We have way more trouble at the Hawk’s Nest.” I sigh.
“I’m not saying nothing bad ever goes down at The Fox & The Kettle, but the Hawk’s Nest is a dump.
It’s on the edge of town, and it’s the worst by far.
A lot of drugs pass through there. If we were a bigger department, maybe we could have undercover officers keeping an eye on the place, but we just don’t have the manpower.
That’s the drawback of a smaller department. ”
“Bigger departments have drawbacks too,” he murmurs, going back to staring out the window.
“I’m sure they do. No place is perfect.”
The silence returns. I’m the kind of person who likes to make people feel at ease.
But something about Jude has me a little tongue-tied.
I don’t want to ask dumb questions or make him uncomfortable by prying.
However, if I want to get to know my new partner, it’s obvious I’ll have to ask him stuff. He’s not volunteering much.
“What made you want to come to Montana?” I glance at him. “I’m sure there were bigger departments you could have transferred to.”
“There were. I like the mountains.”
“Ahh.” I nod. “You don’t think you’ll be bored with a small department like Golden Peak?”
His expression is placid, but his fingers drum against his thigh, showing tension. “I thought maybe a slower pace would be good for me right now.”
“Any particular reason why?”
He lets out a breath, giving me a wary glance. “Is it a problem for you that I’m here, Martinez?”
Surprised by how defensive he sounds, I quickly say, “What? Heck no. That’s not what I meant.
” I laugh gruffly. “It’s just that most of our officers were born on the mountain and have lived here all their lives.
Golden Peak is a great place, but it doesn’t usually attract people from the big city. Small-town life isn’t for everyone.”
His jaw clenches but then he seems to relax a bit. “I grew up in a small town in Florida.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah. Placerville, Florida.” He shrugs. “After being in Atlanta for a long time, I got tired of all the traffic and people. I decided to make a change.”
“Okay, fair enough.” I can’t help feeling there’s more to the story, but I won’t push him to talk yet.
I don’t buy that he just decided one day he wanted to leave the big city for a tiny department like ours for no reason.
However, I don’t want to alienate him on our first shift together.
“How about we grab some coffee and then see what calls come in?”
“Sounds good.” There’s obvious relief in his voice that I’ve backed off.
I park outside Happy Ground’s Coffee. When we walk in, the place smells like fresh-roasted beans and bacon. The scent makes my mouth water. “They have great breakfast sandwiches here, if you’re hungry.”
Jude purses his lips. “Just coffee for now.”
“Morning, Liam,” the owner, Marie, calls from behind the counter. She’s human, in her sixties, with kind eyes and a ready smile. As usual, her apron is dusted with flour from her morning baking. “You want your usual?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I meet Jude’s gaze. “Bacon, cheddar, and egg sandwich with a large black coffee.”
He wrinkles his brow. “You eat bacon every morning, you’re gonna have a heart attack before you’re thirty.”
Despite his lecturing tone, I’m thrilled he said over three words without me forcing it out of him. “I don’t eat bacon every day. Duh. Sometimes I get the oatmeal. That’s good too.”
“Still,” he murmurs.
I give Marie my credit card. “And I’ll have you know I’m turning thirty Friday, so looks like you were wrong.” I grin.
“The day is young,” he says with a smirk.
I laugh. “We haven’t even spent one shift together and you’re already bagging on me?”
His lips twitch, but he turns away before I can see if he actually smiles or not.
“Unbelievable,” I fake grumble. “You’re supposed to have my back. I get picked on enough by the other knuckleheads at the station. You and me, we’re supposed to be a team.”
He shakes his head but a faint smile touches his mouth. “I guess you’re the kind of guy who likes to joke around a lot.”
“Something wrong with that?”
“No, I’m just not used to it.” He tugs his wallet out. “My old partner was always in a bad mood.” His jaw tightens as he swipes his card to pay for his large latte.
“Life’s too short for that.” I move to one of the tall tables near the window at the front of the shop.