Chapter 24
BEX
A woman’s voice came through the line, sounding shaky. “I…I locked myself in the bedroom. He left, but I don’t know if he’s coming back.”
I sat up straighter, my fingers already moving over the keyboard as I grabbed a pen to jot notes onto my pad. “Okay, I’m here with you. But I need to know your address so I can send help.”
She rattled off one that sounded familiar.
“Are you hurt?”
“No. He didn’t hit me. He just…he was so angry. Throwing things. Looking for money and his gun.”
It took me a moment to place her voice from the sporadic, polite conversations we’d had over the years. “Mrs. Pritchard? It’s Bex Raines.”
Department policy was to only use my first name instead of employee number when needed to connect with a caller so they’d remain calm, but this wasn’t a stranger. And the situation wasn’t ordinary. I felt deviating from the rules was warranted. If I got in trouble for the decision, so be it.
A broken cry came over the line. “Bex. Oh my gosh.”
“You’re safe right now. The bedroom door is locked,” I reminded her. “I need you to stay on the line with me. Is anyone else in the house?”
“No. It’s just me.”
“Good. Take a breath with me. In through your nose…out through your mouth. That’s it. Can you tell me what happened?”
She did, in fragments I pulled into order.
Seth had come home furious yesterday after being placed on leave.
His anger had only increased as he tore through the house looking for cash and weapons.
Then it escalated even more tonight when he was talking to someone on the phone, saying Pike had ruined everything.
“I want to make sure I have this information down right. Seth left your home with his personal handgun, a duffel bag, and cash?”
“Yes, maybe fifteen minutes ago,” she confirmed. “I locked myself in the bedroom and called you in case he comes back.”
“And he didn’t physically injure you?”
Her muffled sob filled the line before she answered, “No, he didn’t hurt me.”
“I’m really glad to hear that. Did you see which way he went?” I asked.
“No, but it sounded like he was headed east.” She sniffled. “He has an appointment to take his truck in for a muffler repair on his next day off, so it’s louder than usual.”
“You’re doing great, Mrs. Raines.”
“Susan, please,” she corrected. “If you’re old enough to work dispatch, then you should use my first name.”
Her request reminded me so much of her husband that it made me want to cry, but I managed to keep my voice steady. “You’re right, Susan.”
“Thank you, Bex.”
“Just doing my job.” I added more notes to the CAD so the unit I dispatched would have a fuller picture when they arrived. “I’m going to get help to you and pass this information on right now.”
“You’re doing your job well.”
Her compliment let me know she had herself back under control, so I dug deeper than I normally would have during an emergency call. “Do you have any idea where Seth might be headed?”
“When he was on the phone, I heard him say they were meeting at the old pit.”
There was only one place that fit that term, the abandoned county burn site off the rural road. That had to have been where Corbin was headed when he called me just before I picked up this line.
“That helps a lot, Susan. Stay on with me until a unit is at your door. Only a couple more minutes now.”
While I spoke, I was hyper aware that every detail I typed in the system was being mirrored to Corbin. But this was personal for my dad too, so he needed to know what was going down right now. Grabbing my cell from the drawer, I fired off a quick text.
Me
Seth left home armed. Meeting at the old pit. Eastbound. Wife safe, locked in bedroom. Unit almost there.
I hit send without leaving the call.
Susan’s breathing had steadied by the time the deputy knocked and identified himself. I stayed on the line until she opened the door and I heard the officer confirm he had her. Only then did I release the call and sit back in my chair.
My phone vibrated with a reply from my father.
Dad
Got it. Will assemble a trusted team to head out to the old pit.
I’d helped as much as I could from the safety of dispatch, but that didn’t stop me from worrying about what would happen out there.
A couple of minutes later, my cell rang.
I wasn’t supposed to answer personal calls during my shift, but my dad’s name flashed across the screen.
If Mr. Hendrick had a problem with me speaking to the sheriff after I handled a call connected to an ongoing investigation of someone I’d known for years, he could keep his opinion to himself.
“You okay, Dad?”
“Yeah.” I heard the slamming of a door in the background. “Wanted to let you know I sent another deputy to the Pritchard residence. With all the shit that’s gone down, I figured you’d want to know she’s covered.”
“I do. Thanks.”
“Gotta tell you, kiddo. I’m so damn proud of you.”
I sniffled. “Really?”
“Worked with a hell of a lot of dispatchers over the years, but none of them hold a candle to you.”
That earned him a watery laugh. “Yeah, but you’re kind of biased since I’m your daughter.”
“I need you to really hear me, Bex.”
His voice was serious enough for me to straighten in my chair. “Okay, I’m listening.”
“I hate that you wound up in the middle of a situation where a man I’ve trusted for years betrayed his badge. That you were the one who was on the other end of the line when his wife called in after he scared the shit out of her.”
“I’m not happy about it either,” I admitted softly.
“But you stood tall through it all, while Pritchard chose to tuck his tail between his legs and run instead of answering more questions,” he growled.
“Being your father sometimes makes it hard for me to see the professional you’ve become, but it’s been impossible to miss under these circumstances.
I’m damn proud of you, Bex. Your mom would’ve been too. ”
One of the tears I’d been holding back slid silently down my cheek. “Thank you, Dad. I’m proud of you too.”
“Love you, kiddo. Stay safe while we go take care of whatever the hell Pritchard is up to at the old pit. My team is about ready to head out now.”
“I love you too, Dad.” I wiped the wetness from my face. “Be careful out there and please make sure Corbin also comes home safely.”
“Don’t think you need to worry about Cipher. The Black Crowns know what they’re doing,” he murmured begrudgingly before hanging up.
Trusting the two men I loved to handle the situation, I straightened my headset and took the next call. There were still people who needed the voice on the other end of the line. That part of the job hadn’t changed, even if everything inside me felt like it had.