The Forsaken (8 page)

“Soon, very soon, you’re going to fade for real. The public will see you with new eyes. With my eyes.”

The article was close to completion. Just sentences and a picture download away from being ready for Frank’s inbox. If he could have his way, this would be a new beginning.

“We like to watch heroes fall, Detective,” Chase murmured as he prepared the email. “We can’t wait to see them bleed.”

10

JUDE SHUFFLED INTO THE
department at eight a.m. He passed by the clones he saw every day, disregarding the pleasantries and the façade of waves and hellos. He hardly slept the night before. His eyes, sunken and tarnished by unkind hours, glared out of a groggy face.

Before making it to his desk, Jude noticed Rachel hanging up the phone. She appeared disturbed. “Something wrong?” he offered with almost no emotion.

“Not sure.”

Vague. He was only a fan of vagueness when it was him selling it. Making a mental note of her mannerisms, tone, and how she had already claimed half of the section near his desk as her own space, Jude pulled off his jacket and sat down. Her clutter, disorganized files, and several personal effects lay scattered across both their areas. It was already starting, he could tell.
Mike must like this one,
he thought
.
Here Jude was, trying to readjust to his life, to a new case, and get back into the real swing of things, and in strolled chaos in she-devil form.

“Morning,” she said at length.

He nodded. “Making yourself right at home, I see.”

“Trying to get organized, making notes and copies. That sort of thing. Helps me think and focus. Is it bothering you?” She looked flustered.

“Couldn’t be more thrilled to be sharing this cramped area with you.”

“Look, Jude, last night sucked, I get it. We were meeting each other for the first time. I acted immature, and I’m guessing you feel that you did as well.”

“Hmm,” was all he said, scratching his chin.

“Can we move past that awkward stage? I’d like to be professional, really. Maybe you and I could get a cup of coffee or grab breakfast. Talk about the case, get to know each other a little. Swap horror stories.”

“Swap horror stories? What are we, girl scouts?”

“That’s not what I meant. Geez, that sounded really cheesy, didn’t it? Forget it. All I meant was that we’re going to be partners.”

“Not for long, if there is a God,” Jude returned.

“I just thought that in order to gain one another’s trust—”

“Let’s clear one thing up, shall we? I don’t trust you. If you’re smart, you’ll do the same.”

“What is that?” she asked, her lips shifting into a snarl. “That ego trip you’re on.”

“It’s not an ego trip; it’s reality.”

“One reality, maybe.”

“You’ve been on the force eight years, and you mean to tell me that you’ve never had a thought that made you question things? Eight long years and there was never a time you felt like you couldn’t trust someone?”

“Of course there was. But it’s a human system. It’s a human world. Flawed people are inevitable.”

“Yes, they are. Turns out you’re not the dullest tool in the shed. Like I said, there are no friends, not here.”

“Detective Foster, all your little digs and what have you, it’s cute, really, it is. But I’m gonna have to ask you to stop. If you and I can’t have trust in this relationship, the least you can give me is respect.”

“You’re on my turf, skirt. All right? The only reason you’re here is because of your father. Mike knows full well I can crack this thing on my own. He called you in to appease some guilty conscience or a group of fat cat city officials. Hate to break it to you, but you’re just furniture.”

Rachel chewed on her fingernails before responding. “My father’s dead, just like yours.” She leaned over, put the heels of her hands on the desk. “Nobody got me this case. The chief called
me
because I’m good. I’m real good. My job means something to me. I worked my butt off these last eight years to keep jocks like you quiet. I didn’t suck anything or say anything to get where I am. I’m a big girl.”

“Bet you are.”

She took the newspaper from under her arm and chucked it at him. “We made front cover, in case you didn’t know.”

With gritted teeth, Jude spared a glance. “Everybody wants their fifteen minutes of fame. I just want to be left alone.”

“At least no one got any clear pictures of the lead detective in all his shining glory. You were so lively last night.”

Her sarcasm was only a slight stab. He could take it. “But I’ll bet this trash is loaded to the brim with libel,” he said.

“What’s this Vallace guy got against you anyway?”

“Other than the fact that he’s never written a legitimate article in his life? Or maybe it’s that the little porker has to use his tippy-toes to sit at eyelevel. He’s nothing more than a shark in shallow water.”

Rachel folded her arms. “He seems taken with you.”

“He’s been arrested and let go more times than I can remember. He’s got a grudge against cops. I busted him once or twice. DUI and a domestic claim.”

Rachel squinted.

“He still lives with his mother,” Jude added. “From what I’ve heard, she’s a grade-A, straitjacket nut.”

“Yet we let creeps like him run the press. How the world turns.”

“Watch your back with him. He’s an idiot, but he’ll use any angle to strike a nerve.”

“Might wanna hit the brakes, Romeo,” Rachel said. “You almost sounded human for a second. I can take care of myself. I’ve dealt with shady reporters before.”

“Right. Well, did you read the article?”

“Yeah,” Rachel replied. “It’s clear he doesn’t think we have a shot at solving this thing. He also used the words overzealous, supercilious, and degenerate, all in reference to you.”

“Vallace likes to use flashy words. Gives him the feeling like he’s an actual reporter.”

“Maybe you’re underestimating him.”

Jude pretended to tune her out.

Rachel leaned back in her chair. “By the way, the chief asked to see you.”

“Welcome to day one,” Jude sighed. After browsing Vallace’s colorful piece, he headed toward Mike’s office and knocked on his door.

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter,” the chief said from within. Jude opened the door and stepped inside. “Sit down.” Mike wore his reading glasses, and the newspaper covered the lower portion of his face.

“You asked to see me, sir?”

“They get better every time, don’t they? Did you read this?”

“I skimmed it, yeah; I try not to let it get to me.”

“This windbag quoted us. Vallace has quite the talent for writing fiction, doesn’t he?”

“Yes,” Jude replied.

Mike eventually put down the paper. “Ahh, to hell with it. I’m gonna be straight with you, Foster because, contrary to popular belief, I am not the heartless devil you sometimes think I am. I know this isn’t going to be easy. I’ll have you know that it wasn’t fully my decision to bring in a new recruit on this thing. My hand was forced. That’s the beauty of bureaucracy. Everybody’s got a say in how you run your ship.”

“Who asked for her?”

“Don’t bother yourself with the details. Bureaucracy may be alive and well, but at least I got a say in
who
we recruited. In short, I asked for her. Her father’s history with this department and with me made it easy. Still, there are some changes that are going to be taking place in the next few weeks.”

Jude didn’t like the direction this conversation was headed.

“Frankly, no one thinks you’re ready to handle a case alone. When I told you I was on the fence about bringing you in on the case, I wasn’t jerking you around. There is still doubt, even in me, about you.”

Jude scratched his scalp nervously. He felt uncomfortable and unprepared for this uninvited evaluation.

“Now, I do think you are capable of returning to what you do best, sure.
Capable.
But I can’t have some rogue out there callin’ all the shots and leaving me in the dark. I’ll be forced to pull you. I mean it. Put all your little charms aside, for now. Detective Sutherland is a good cop. Unlike most of us, she still gives a crap about people. And I don’t want any of your bottled-up issues screwing her up.”

“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” Jude said.

“Don’t play the martyr. This old dog isn’t buying it.”

“Why her?”

“I can trust her.”

Jude shifted in his chair.

“Yeah, yeah, I taught you not to trust anybody. Do as I say, not as I do. She’s his daughter. Despite the differences you and her daddy shared, he was still a vital part of this place. Had his mistakes, like you. But he meant something in this town. And he was my friend, so just respect that.”

“Conflict of interest, Chief.”

“Don’t be so cold. She’s a little rough around the edges, I know.”

“I think
jagged
was the word you were looking for.”

“Now you’re being melodramatic. Besides, she could say the same about you,” Mike said. “If this case gets outta control, I need to know that you’ll be up front. Just, don’t be
you
, okay?”

Jude cracked his neck.

“This change can be good for you. It’s time to move on. You can’t use what happened between you and your ex-partner as a reason to stay complacent.”

“You sound like my shrink.” Jude stood up and headed out.

“Close the door behind you, slick.”

Rachel was outside, waiting for him to walk by. “No scars or heavy bleeding. Guessing it wasn’t too bad in there.”

Jude ignored her with a roll of his eyes and headed toward the break room for a coffee.

Rachel followed. “I was hoping to talk to you about something.”

“Can it wait?”

“No. It’s been churning in my gut. Look, before you walked in, I was on the phone with someone.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Jude spat. “I was wondering when you planned on bringing that up. Seemed like you were playing that one a little too close to the chest. Where does that rank in your trust meter?”

“I wasn’t hiding it from you. Honestly, at first I didn’t think anything of it. Then I remembered that the chief wanted to see…Forget it. Basically, this guy randomly called in to offer a tip.”

“A tip? What’d he want?”

“Nothing. He called your desk, but since you weren’t here, I picked up.”

Jude stopped in the hallway. “Never take my calls. Are we clear?”

She was taken aback. “Crystal.”

“This saint got a name?”

“No name. His voice was all distorted. I think he had one of those devices.”

“Is that the factory-issued name?” Jude snickered. “It may be bogus. Some loser playing a prank.”

They arrived at the break room, and Jude made himself a cup of coffee.

“But he provided a legitimate address,” she said. “I verified it. A group of projects. He told me we’d be closer. Said that place could lead us to who we’re looking for.”

“That isn’t cryptic at all. Where’d the call come from?”

“Pay-phone. Bogus or not, we should probably check it out.”

“So naïve,” Jude said, sipping his coffee. Rachel started walking away. It was in the way she exiled him in that break room, the way she brushed loose strands of smooth hair from her eyes, that kept him frozen for a moment, sinking in the frailty of his words. His lack of confidence cut through her. It was enough to shut her off, and he knew it.

“I’ll do it myself,” she said.

Suddenly, the chief’s request echoed inside of him. He bit down hard and tossed his cup into the trash. He’d lost this battle, no question. “What’s the exact location?”

Rachel maintained a brisk pace like she hadn’t heard him.

He folded. “I’m coming with you. Just tell me where we’re going.”

11

THE SILENCE CONSUMED EVERY
square inch of the car space. But it was more than the quiet that left moments vacant inside Jude’s rundown Chevelle; it was undeniable tension. Painful, wandering-eyes tension that made all the hairs on his forearm prick up. He couldn’t lie; Rachel riding shotgun felt more right than any partner he’d ever had, yet there was this relentless disapproval that floated around in his veins. He couldn’t shake it, like she didn’t belong here. Like she was better than this place.

He was well aware that he’d pried open Pandora’s Box by agreeing to go on Rachel’s witch hunt, but any stray thought was bombarded by a thousand more, with Mike’s harsh resolve in stinging opposition.

“You know, you can stop brooding. I know you only came ’cause I made you feel like a bucket of crap. Guilt gets to you, doesn’t it?”

Jude scanned the streets, distracted.

“It’s okay if you think this is senseless,” Rachel said. “Big girl, remember? It won’t hurt my feelings.”

He came to a stop at a light. It was fewer than thirty seconds before the light flashed green and he took a right. He kept tightlipped.