35. Garrett
CHAPTER 35
Garrett
I needed more coffee. I hadn’t slept the night before. A possible intruder tended to do that to a guy. One missed night of sleep wasn’t going to kill me—I’d flipped between days and graveyard for a lot of my career, so I was used to it—but it hadn’t done much for my mood.
I’d spent my morning on a half-day patrol shift, amped as all hell. I didn’t want to be patrolling the county, I wanted to be catching a murderer. And figuring out who’d been in my house, if they weren’t the same person.
The home invasion felt like another taunt. Someone sending a message that they could still get to Harper, even though she’d moved in with me. It made me fucking furious, both that someone had the audacity to do it, and that I hadn’t caught them.
I would. They were messing with the wrong guy.
In the early afternoon, I was finally able to head back into town. I made a quick stop at the bakery to check on Harper. She was fine, just busy.
I’d also called in reinforcements. The Squirrel Protection Squad.
I didn’t think a bunch of mostly retired townspeople were going to be able to protect Harper from a killer. But at the very least, they’d hang around and make sure she was never alone. And they’d call me if they saw anything suspicious.
She sent me back to the office with a box of cookies. When I got there, I went in and took them to the break room, but I was too focused—or maybe too distracted—to grab one for myself. Not that I had a shortage of Harper’s baked goods in my life. But I had a question I needed to investigate.
What was the deal with Matt Rudolph?
I hadn’t run his background before, mostly because I didn’t have good enough cause. A guy who seemed weird and appeared to like my girlfriend a little too much wasn’t a justifiable reason to dig into his record—if he had one. And when he’d threatened to file a complaint against me, I had to keep out of it. Otherwise it would have looked like I was trying to dig up dirt on the guy to get myself out of trouble.
But at this point, I needed to know if he had a criminal history. It wouldn’t tell me everything, but it could tell me something.
I ran his name and got a hit. Matt had been arrested seven years earlier. For breaking and entering.
Holy shit.
No conviction. There wasn’t much information, but it looked like the case had been dropped. It was likely there hadn’t been enough evidence to prosecute.
That didn’t prove Matt had broken into Harper’s house, or mine, but it definitely painted an interesting picture.
One arrest. No conviction. What did that mean? It might mean he’d been innocent—and according to the law, he was.
But it could also mean that he was just that good.
I needed to talk to him, preferably without spooking him so he wouldn’t lawyer up too quickly. There was so much more I needed to know. Riled up as I was—that fucker was not going to hurt my woman—I knew I needed to stay calm and rational .
The original investigators in Jasmine’s murder had made too many assumptions. It had cost us the case and a killer was still on the loose. I didn’t want to make the same mistake.
But it would help if I had more to go on. I hadn’t had an opportunity to talk to the florist yet. That was kind of a long shot, but what if it was the thing that connected the dots? If I could show there was even a possibility Matt had bought the flowers Jasmine had received, it would be enough to justify questioning him.
My gut told me that was where I needed to go next.
“Haven.” Jack’s voice cut through my concentration. He stood next to my desk with his arms crossed over his wide chest. “Can I see you for a minute?”
“Sure.”
I got up and followed him to his office, my mind still reeling with possibilities. With next steps. I shut the door to Jack’s office and took a seat while he did the same.
“What’s going on with the Joyner case?” he asked.
I hesitated, debating how to answer his question. “I have some leads to pursue, but I don’t have anything concrete.”
He nodded slowly and I couldn’t read his expression. “I have some concerns.”
“About what?”
“Whether you should continue on this case.”
I straightened. “Why? Are you still concerned about the complaints? I told you, those don’t have any merit.”
“I’m concerned because I’m seeing a pattern that I’ve seen before. I’ve been at this a long time, Garrett. I can tell when the job is getting to someone.”
“The job isn’t getting to me. And what pattern?”
“A guy starts to seem off. Slips up when he didn’t used to. It might be breaks in protocol, evidence handling, badgering suspects—takes a lot of forms. Then comes paranoia.”
“What makes you think I’m paranoid?”
“I’ve been to Rich Pine’s place before. He has enough shit to rebuild society if there’s ever a zombie apocalypse. Something falling on you doesn’t mean you were set up.”
How the hell had he heard about that? “Nowhere in my report did I claim I’d been set up.”
“No, but you told Sheehan you thought it was deliberate.”
“Damn it, Kade. Did he seriously tell you that?”
“Because he’s concerned. Said you sounded paranoid. Maybe even unhinged.”
“I’m not paranoid, and I’m certainly not unhinged.” I was about to say Kade had it out for me, but that was exactly what a paranoid person would say. “I realize I have no proof that someone tipped that pile onto me. But it was a trespassing call and I don’t think it makes me crazy to speculate, especially when my gut tells me there was someone out there.”
“Instincts are great when they prompt you to ask questions or consider different possibilities. But your gut feeling isn’t evidence. And trust me, it can steer you wrong. This is what I’m talking about. I’ve seen plenty of guys start ‘trusting their gut,’” he said, making air quotes, “when their gut is compromised by stress. The results aren’t pretty.”
“Jack—”
“Listen.” He put a hand up. “I’m not ignoring the facts. Your girlfriend got a strange package and I agree that it’s concerning, especially with the similarity to the Joyner case. You’re taking extra care to keep her safe, and I applaud that. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m grateful for the SPS.”
“You and me both.”
“But you have a lot going on right now. This is a big case, and it can’t be helping that the entire town is watching. Everyone wants to know if you’re going to be the one to catch an elusive killer. Hell, people are taking bets as to who it is.”
“You’re kidding.”
He rolled his eyes slightly. “I wish I were. In any case, you take that and add everything you’ve got going on in your personal life, and it’s okay if things are getting to you. There’s no shame in that. What is a problem is if you won’t admit you’re in over your head and at least need a break.”
“Jack, I’m not in over my head. I’m telling you, I’m on the cusp of something.”
“Don’t make me put you on administrative leave.”
Alarm shot through me and I sat forward in my chair. “No. Not now.”
“I won’t if you agree to take a few days off. Starting now.”
I fought against the immediate urge to argue. Stay calm. Be rational. Show him you’re fine.
“I’ll take a few days off. But I have one lead I’d like to investigate first.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“Jasmine received a second anonymous package before she was killed. Flowers, specifically white flowers with lilies. The original investigators assumed they were unrelated, like the first package, so they didn’t look into it. I admit, this is a long shot, but I want to talk to the florist in town. They might not have purchase records going that far back, and whoever it was might have paid cash. I get it. Long shot. But this is a cold case. If the evidence was easy to find, they would have solved it ten years ago.”
“All right. Talk to the florist. And then I don’t want to see you for at least three days. Get some sleep. Don’t spend your time poring over that case file.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Garrett…”
I met his eyes.
“Law enforcement and paranoia are a bad combination. You start to think everyone’s out to get you, it’ll make you reckless and rash. I need you to keep your head on straight.”
“I will.”
By his expression, I could tell he wasn’t sure if he believed me.
I got up and left, glad I hadn’t called in the home invasion. I heard a noise and my gut tells me someone got in and out of my house, but they didn’t leave a trace. Paranoid? Yeah, that was exactly what he’d think.
Also, fuck you Kade for ratting me out. I shouldn’t have said anything to him. To anyone.
I didn’t know who I could trust anymore.
Except Harper. And if I were being honest, my brothers. There wasn’t much any of them could do to help, but I knew they’d have my back no matter what.
I left and headed into town to Tilikum Blossoms and Blooms. Although I didn’t know if that was where the flowers Jasmine had received had come from, it was the only florist in town, so a good place to start. If it proved to be a dead end, I’d still find an angle to use on Matt. One way or another, he and I were going to have a conversation.
The front of the store was basically covered in plants and flowers. Pots spilling with colorful blooms lined the sidewalk and bouquets filled the window. I went inside and was hit with the scent of roses.
I liked the way Angel Cakes smelled a lot better.
Margie Curtwright had owned Blossoms and Blooms since it opened, as far as I knew. She was in her sixties, with short silver hair and a friendly smile. Her beige apron had the store logo on the front, and she wore a little flower tucked behind her ear.
“Well, hello, officer.” She tucked a flower into an arrangement-in-progress. “What can I do for you today? Something for your lady love?”
“Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you.” Although while I was there, flowers weren’t a bad idea.
She lifted her eyebrows. “About what? Surely I’m not in trouble.”
“No, ma’am, not at all.”
“That’s a relief. What can I help you with?”
“I’m investigating— ”
She gasped. “The Jasmine Joyner murder.”
Of course she knew. Everyone did. “Yes. Not long before she was murdered, Ms. Joyner received flowers, but she didn’t know who’d sent them. I’m wondering if there’s a way to track down whether they might have come from your shop.”
Her brow furrowed. “That’s a tough one. What kind of flowers?”
“They were white, with lilies.”
“And you don’t know who sent them?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out. At the time, Jasmine assumed they were from her ex-boyfriend, but I suspect she was wrong.”
She shook her head. “No, no, it wasn’t a boyfriend.”
“What makes you say that?”
“White lilies? Those aren’t I love you flowers, or I’m sorry flowers. I suppose if he just waltzed in and chose an arrangement on his own he could have sent those. But if he had help, that isn’t what he would have left with. Not for an ex-girlfriend. A white arrangement with lilies? Those are funeral flowers.”
I stared at her for a second and she gasped again.
“Funeral flowers,” she whispered. “Oh my.”
That would certainly send a message. “I have an approximate date. Is there any way we could look to see if there’s a purchase record?”
She tapped her lip. “Only if the customer paid with a credit card or check. If they paid with cash, I wouldn’t have any information on them. But I’m afraid I don’t keep credit card records that long. I don’t have anything that goes that far back.”
My shoulders tightened, but I tried not to let my frustration show. I knew it had been a long shot, but I was still pissed. I needed a damn break.
“Oh!” She held up a finger. “I wonder. ”
I hesitated, waiting for her to explain, but she just stared into the distance for a long moment.
“You wonder?”
“Sorry, I was thinking. Years ago, we suspected an employee was stealing from the till. We set up a camera. Sure enough, we were right. After that, we sort of forgot it was there. Just left it running.”
I handed her the piece of paper where I’d made a note of the dates I wanted to check. “So you were recording this area on these dates?”
She slid it closer. “I’m pretty sure we were.”
I almost hesitated to ask, half expecting her to cheerfully say they’d lost or deleted the files long ago. “Do you still have the footage?”
“I’m sure we do. Somewhere.”
“Could I see it?”
Her face brightened. “Of course! I’d love to help catch a killer. You can have anything you need. If they make a show about the case, be sure to tell them my name. Give me a few minutes.”
She disappeared into the back and I wandered around the store, eyeing the arrangements while I waited. Owen sent me a text, saying he was going to his grandparents’ house for the evening. Uncle Theo was taking him. I let him know that was great and I’d see him later.
“That was easier than I thought!” Margie came out, waving a thumb drive. “My husband, God bless him, is so organized. I copied the files for you.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” I took the thumb drive. “I appreciate your help.”
“My pleasure.” She gestured to the flower arrangements. “See anything you like for your lady?”
“Actually…” I took a bouquet of red roses. “I’ll take these. ”
“Classic.” She nodded in approval. “I like it and she will too.”
I went back to the counter and paid for the roses, then thanked Margie again.
Outside, the sun was bright, so I slipped on my aviators. As anxious as I was to get to the footage she’d given me, I decided to swing by the bakery first and give Harper her flowers. Angel Cakes was only a few streets away. Not that I needed a reason. Any excuse to see her.
The parking in front of the bakery was full, so I went around to the back, found a spot, grabbed the flowers, and got out.
As I walked by her car near the back entrance to the bakery, I did a double take. Something was tucked beneath the driver’s side windshield wiper. It was a coaster from the Timberbeast Tavern. That was odd. Why would someone have put that on her car?
Wait.
I had a handful of Timberbeast coasters at home. Was that one from my house?
I set the bouquet on her hood and pulled a pair of gloves out of my pocket. The coaster was cardboard, white with the Timberbeast Tavern logo. This one had a chocolate brown splotch on it, just like the spots Owen left on the coasters when he had hot chocolate. The kid always made a mess. It was why I insisted he use a coaster.
Someone had been in my house. And they’d taken that coaster to prove it.
I looked up, my eyes sweeping the parking lot. Whoever they were, they were taunting Harper again—showing her they could still get to her. Newsflash: They couldn’t. Because I was going to catch them first.