Delta Stevens 2: Storm Shelter (40 page)

“S-Stevens,” Elson whined. “Please, help pull me up.” A bit of blood dripped from the side of his mouth.

Delta did not move. “You’ve destroyed enough, you sick puke. What makes you think anyone here is going to save your sorry ass?” Connie yelled.

A slow grin spread across Elson’s face. Sweat made the Indian gum on the beard pull off, and it dangled from his face like he dangled from the building. “Because you really are predictable, Consuela. You’d never let me die. You could never live with yourself if you did. You’ve sworn to save people. Even people like me.”

Delta looked at Connie, who was wearing a grin the mirror image of Elson’s. In that moment, Delta wondered who had truly won.

“You think so?” Connie mocked, sneering viciously at him. “You really think I’d save you after all you’ve done?”

Elson coughed and nodded. “You’re not a murderer, Consuela, and that’s what you’ll be if you drop me.”

“You’re right there, Elson. I’m not a murderer. But we’re done playing by your rules now, little man. Now, we’re playing by mine and my rules say that you messed with the wrong woman. You’re through hurting people, Elson, and I intend to see that you pay for your crimes.”

And before Delta could move, before she could even blink, Connie released a screaming Elson. Delta watched in horror as he clawed the air and rolled over once before landing face first on the cement below.

For a second, the two women stared in silence at the broken figure below, neither noticing the sounds of the paramedics as they drove right up to the body. Neither of them noticed or heard people now scrambling through the broken glass doors. Neither of them saw the crowd gathering around the lifeless figure oozing blood onto the pavement. And neither of them noticed as a uniformed officer bent down to study the small black object lying next to Elson’s body. For a moment, all Delta could hear was the rush of the wind and the pounding of her heart in her temples.

Finally, Delta laid a bloody hand on Connie’s shoulder. Connie did not look away from the corpse lying beneath the swelling pool of blood. Only a gentle tug from Delta turned Connie away from the gruesome scene.

Looking into Connie’s eyes, Delta realized they were small, dark blanks. There was no anger, no fear, and no remorse. Only the blank eyes of a woman who had stared into the face of death and survived.

“Del . . .”

Delta held up a hand. “Shh. It’s okay. It’s over,” Delta whispered, taking Connie in her arms.

Connie shook her head. “But I . . .”

Holding her tightly, Delta pressed closer. “You tried to save him, Connie. Period. End of story. I don’t want to know what you meant to do or didn’t mean to do. What I saw was you trying to save him, and that’s how it goes down.”

Connie slowly pulled away and looked up into Delta’s eyes. A flash of understanding passed between them. “Is it really over?”

Delta nodded. “It’s really over. Let’s go get your gal.”

The summer sun pierced through the spotting clouds that looked more like cotton balls than cumuli. Delta had been sitting on the bench for fifteen minutes, enjoying the sunlight as it stroked her hair and the back of her neck. Looking down at the scar on her leg, Delta pulled her shorts down to keep it covered from the sun.

“Hello, Delta,” came the low, scratchy voice of Alexandria.

Delta turned around to see Alexandria smooth her skirt before joining Delta on the bench.

“Well? How did it go?” Delta tossed the last of her breadcrumbs to the pigeons.

“Looks like a suspension for you, Connie, and Leonard.”

Delta’s eyebrows flew up. “Leonard, too?”

Alexandria nodded. “For allowing you to pretty much take over a homicide case and keeping so much of this under wraps. Internal Affairs went pretty hard on him, but his suspension isn’t that bad.”

Delta nodded. “I see. And ours is?”

Alexandria nodded. “I wish there was something more I could have done.”

“You did enough, Alex, by keeping Leonard off our backs long enough for us to solve this thing. A suspension is a small price to pay to have Gina back.”

Alexandria smiled. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Do you have any idea what your vigilanteism has done to this department? Half the guys think you’re some kind of hero, and the other half think you should turn in your badge. My God, Delta, your file is eight inches thick. You’ll never make detective.”

This made Delta smile. “Maybe not. Maybe that’s not what I’m supposed to be. I’m really good at what I do, and I just want to be able to keep on doing it.”

Alexandria looked away. “I wish it was that easy, Del. Internal Affairs is having a field day with you.”

“I know.”

Alexandria turned back, her green eyes hard. “No, you don’t. They may want more than a suspension. They may ask for your badge.”

Delta locked eyes with Alexandria and inhaled slowly through her nose. “Look, my best friend is alive, her lover uninjured, hell, even Aphrodite pulled through. I’d say we won this round against the bad guys, wouldn’t you? If we’re scolded and reprimanded for saving lives but not following the rules to do so, then it’s not worth it.”

Alexandria reached out and laid her hand on top of Delta’s. “Is that honesty or bravado speaking?”

Delta grinned. “A little of both.”

“You know my hands are tied or I’d help you if I could.”

“Look, Alex, I don’t expect you to come riding up on your white charger every time I need saving from myself. I broke the rules. Now I have to pay the price. It’s simple math.”

Alexandria shook her head. “It’s just so damned frustrating that you’re being penalized for a job well done. The lives you two saved—”

“But don’t you see? That’s the bit that I.A. can’t take away from me. They can’t dismiss the fact that Helen’s parents sent a letter thanking me and the department that justice had been done. They can finally rest now that their daughter’s killer is dead. Those are the people I work for. That’s what this job is all about.”

“I wish our system could see it that way.”

“But they don’t, and I have to live with that fact if I’m not going to follow all of the rules.” Delta sighed with disgust. “Alex, I’ve never been one to walk the paved road. I deviate, test, explore, and venture into uncharted paths. Sometimes that gets me into trouble. But that’s who I am. I find a problem, and I create a way to fix it. If I have to bend some silly rule to do it, then so be it. And you know what else? I like that part of me. It’s who I am. It’s what makes me so good.”

Alexandria smiled and squeezed Delta’s hand. “So do I. I admire your courage and determination, Delta Stevens, even if it does seem to cause you more heartache than good. I just wish there was something more I could do to help. I, I feel in part responsible for this.”

“Don’t be silly. You know I would have done this with or without you. Sometimes, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. You just made that easier by giving us some time, that’s all. Stop kicking yourself, Alex. What’s done is done.”

For a minute or two, the two women sat quietly watching the pigeons waddle among a group of young children.

“Delta, I have to ask you this one last question before I go. Call it a guilty conscience if you will, but I need to know.”

Delta cocked her head in question. “Shoot.”

“It’s something I just need to know, and I want it to be between me and you. I swear it won’t go any further.”

D e l t a ’s expression did not change. She knew what it was Alexandria was after. “No, Alex, Connie didn’t drop him on purpose. She did everything in her power to hold onto him. In the end, he just let go.”

Alexandria nodded and stood. “I knew that. I just needed to hear it from you.”

“Did you doubt it?”

“Well, I wondered. I mean, if I were in her position . . . well, let’s just say, I thought about what I might have done.”

“Rest assured, Alex, Connie hung on for as long as she could.”

Alex nodded. “With Internal Affairs, the Chief of Police, and the Mayor all pressing to find out whether or not one of their cops killed a man, you see why I needed to hear it from you.”

Delta grinned. “That’s politics for you. Forget the fact that the ass-hole got what he deserved, we just don’t want to look bad in the public eye. That kills me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.”

“How’s your leg doing?”

Delta shrugged. “Hurts like hell still, but I manage.” Delta squinted in the sunlight and wondered what it was Alexandria was struggling with so much. “Alex, are you okay?”

“Me? I’m fine. I just wish things could be different, that’s all.”

“You and me both. But you won’t hear me complaining. I’ve got my lover, my best friend, and her lover all safely tucked away. I’ll take whatever consequence comes my way, knowing that I’d do it all again if I had to.”

A warm smile spread across Alexandria’s face. “The world could use a few more women like you. I’m glad we’re on the same side.”

D e l t a ’s smile equalled A l e x a n d r i a ’s. “Me, too.” Wa t c h i n g Alexandria climb into her maroon Porsche, Delta smiled to herself.

A few more Delta’s?

What a scary thought.

“You two sure you have everything?” Delta asked, peering under the huge blue tarp covering their camping gear.

Connie checked her list and then looked over at Gina. Gina had lost weight over the past week and had a few nightmares, but other than that, she bounced back from her ordeal quite well.

“Ask my co-pilot. She’s the one who packed.”

Gina gave Delta the thumbs up. “Yosemite, here we come!”

Connie hugged Megan before turning to Delta. “I wish you’d

change your mind about coming. We’d have so much fun.”

Delta shook her head, as she gingerly patted her thigh. “This bad wheel would only hold you back. El Capitan will just have to wait until next year.”

Reaching out, Connie held Delta for a long, long time. “I can never repay you, you know.”

“Don’t have to.” Delta stepped back and smoothed her hand through Connie’s hair. “You’d have been there for me, and that’s what we’re all about. Now get out of here before we both start bawling.”

Smiling into Delta’s eyes, Connie opened the car door and got in. “You two take care of each other.”

Megan threaded her arm through Delta’s. “We will. As a matter of fact, that’s the first order of business.”

“Good. We expect you two to be on firm ground when we return.”

Waving goodbye to the campers, Delta slid her arms around Megan’s waist and pulled her closer. “A vacation is just what they need.”

Megan turned in Delta’s embrace and peered into her eyes. “And what do we need, my love?”

Delta gazed into the electric eyes that held her like a magnet. “I don’t really know. I understand that love isn’t enough. I love you, and I know you love me, but—”

“But you love your job, too.” Megan opened the screen door and watched Delta walk through. “You’re right. Love isn’t enough.”

“But it’s a start.”

Megan nodded as she sat on the couch. “It’s where we’ve been since we met. But if we’re going to make it, there’s more we have to build.”

Delta held her breath, as she sat next to Megan. “I hate that word ’if’.”

“So do I, but honey, we have to be realistic. Lesbian relationships fail because we hang our hats on love, and love alone. I wish it were enough, but it’s not.”

Delta stared at her hands folded in her lap. How could she be so good at reading people on the streets and so poor at analyzing her own relationships?

“Megan, I love you more than anyone I’ve ever loved. I don’t care what it takes to make this work, as long as it does work. Tell me what I need to do.”

“I know you love me. I don’t ever question that. What I do wonder is, if you had to choose between dinner with me and busting a major case, which one would it be?”

Delta didn’t answer the rhetorical question.

“See? In all honesty, you don’t think twice about jumping into danger. Well, I need you to think twice. I need you to care about getting hurt, to care about coming home safely. I need you to care about our relationship first.”

“And you don’t think I do?”

Megan looked at her but said nothing.

“Suppose I can’t? I mean, suppose I try to put us first, and we discover that I can’t?”

“Then, I’ll have to make some decisions for myself, won’t I?”

“You’d leave?” Delta asked, grabbing Megan’s hand.

“I don’t know what I would do.”

Delta thought about this a minute and then measured her words carefully. “Megan, I know that I’m a good cop, and I know that I’m an excellent partner to Jan. Something in me tells me that I can be a good partner to you, too, if you’ll just show me. Help me learn what it takes to make a relationship work.”

Taking Delta’s face in her hands, Megan lightly kissed her mouth. “The first step is over. See how easy that was?”