Ridley Pearson - In Harm's Way

“You must promise me,” she said, “that you’ll never pretend that didn’t happen. It’s all I ask.”

“Promise.”

Five minutes passed into ten. She offered little touches as if making sure he was still there beside her, as if reassuring herself. “There are moments you never forget,” she said. “This is one of them.”

“Agreed.”

“I’m not saying it has to happen again. I’m not saying it won’t. I’m just saying… it had to happen now and it did and we can’t have any regrets.”

“No. None. Not from me,” he said.

“You don’t have to court me, but you mustn’t ignore me.”

“Never. Not possible.”

“And I promise to keep it professional in public. I know that can’t be easy for you. I don’t want you worrying about that.”

“I’m not even thinking right now. I’m certainly not worrying about anything, except disappointing you, because I never want to, I don’t intend to. If I could wrap up all the happiness in the world into a package, if I could give you that, I would. Whatever the word means to you, whatever it is you want-I would give you that.”

“Then you’d wrap up yourself,” she said, her fingers absentmindedly finding his face and the tips of her fingers searching his expression like a blind person’s. Finding a grin, they pulled away, satisfied.

“I know you can’t stay,” she said, “but I want you to, you’re welcome to as long as you can. I’d like to fall asleep in your arms. I’d like to never wake up.”

“I’d like to take a shower with you,” he said. “To soap you all over.”

“Now?”

“Why not?”

Later, he could hear the water still bubbling in the kettle, the chorus of night creatures-crickets, frogs, and things that go chirp in the dark; beneath it all he heard the steady, comforting sound of a cat purring and his eye finally lighted on the tabby balled up by a pillow on the loveseat, so still he’d not seen it.

“What’s its name?” he asked.

“Her,” she said. “Angel.”

He nodded.

“It never hurts to have an angel around,” she said. She wore a terry-cloth robe pulled tightly around her slim waist as she fixed them both tea and brought him a cup. He wore his uniform again, its shoulders damp from his wet hair.

She sat cross-legged on the couch.

He stared at her. The cat got up and climbed into her lap.

“I like this about you,” he said.

“The silence?”

“Umm.”

“Me, too.” She hesitated. “You were like an eighteen-year-old tonight.”

“Had a few, have you?”

She threw her spoon at him and hit him in the chest. He caught it as it fell and placed it on the coffee table.

“Don’t overthink this,” she said.

“It’s tempting,” he said, “but no. I don’t plan to.”

“You’re welcome here anytime. Standing invitation.”

“Standing, as in the shower?”

“Don’t get fresh.”

“Please?”

She laughed.

“I’ve heard you laugh more tonight than in two years of knowing you.”

“Maybe you haven’t known me.”

“Maybe not,” he admitted. “Although in the Biblical sense-”

“Shut up! If I had another spoon to throw, I would.”

He passed her the spoon. Her eyes shone brightly as she teased a second throw, and she set it down.

He sighed contentedly.

They stared.

“I want you to know,” she said, “I’m serious about this. But it doesn’t mean you have to be. This is your free pass out of jail. Tonight. Right now. No harm. No foul. But if you don’t take the pass, if you stay in jail and decide to roll the dice, that’s something else entirely.”

“Understood,” he said. He didn’t want a pass. He wanted to sleep here. He wanted to tell her he’d dreamed of this, fantasized about it and that it had exceeded all he’d imagined because one couldn’t imagine how at ease he felt with her. He felt transformed. If not for the kids, he’d run away with her if she’d have him, and it struck him that she would have him, that she’d have agreed, and he nearly laughed.

“Go home,” she said.

“Are you always this bossy?”

“Only when I’m afraid of losing something.”

“Not going to happen.”

He placed down the cold teacup, crossed to kiss her on the cheek, but she offered him her lips and they kissed until the cat climbed off her lap in disgust.

Walt received Wynn’s handgun the following afternoon and spent thirty minutes with the man’s attorney arranging the terms for a Boldt interview. He impounded the handgun, pending Wynn’s voluntary completion of a one-day weapons course the following week.

He reached Boldt by Skype that night, explaining he’d heard back from NFL owner Marty Boatwright, and that both interviews were now arranged. Boldt said he’d make travel plans and get back to him.

He watched the Disney Channel with his daughters, read with them at bedtime, and caught up with e-mails while Beatrice licked herself at his feet. It was the first normal evening he’d had in a while and he promised himself to make more of them. He’d quickly come to see that Fiona was right about his intolerance of silence, though dared not test it. He kept himself busy with simple tasks until utterly fatigued and fell asleep in a bed he’d once shared with Gail. Beatrice snored before he did. He slept without any recollection of dreaming.

The following day, a Tuesday in July, Terry Hogue was announced from the front desk. He complimented Walt on the decorated 1867 rolling block Remington rifle hung in a glass box on the wall. They discussed firearms for ten minutes, Walt feeling no need to push the attorney.

Finally, Hogue withdrew a sealed plastic bag and pushed it across Walt’s desk. Inside was a pair of black lace underwear.

“They belong to Dionne Fancelli.”

“Not exactly what I’d expected,” Walt said.

Hogue slid a signed and notarized document to Walt. “His statement as to how this undergarment came into his possession and that it was passed directly to you.”

Walt read the letter carefully. “A love souvenir.”

“Their second, and last time,” Hogue said. “I questioned the boy repeatedly, Walt. They’ve had sexual intercourse twice. Other stuff along the way, sure. But only twice, the last time eight months ago. He’s willing to cooperate fully. It’s not him. I happen to believe him, in case you care.”

“I care.”

“I thought you might.”

“What I told you before-that was straight. I’m not after him.”

Hogue produced a second plastic bag. This one contained a cotton swab.

“So that completes our end of the deal,” Hogue said. “I guess I should wish you good luck. My client would welcome the dismissal of him as a person of interest.”

“Has she said anything to him about problems at home?”

“He knew there were problems,” Hogue said. “The two times they attempted sexual intercourse failed miserably. And it wasn’t him, it was her. She became so overwhelmed emotionally that he withdrew, despite protection.”

“And they didn’t try after that.”

“No. And they didn’t talk about it. He brought it up only once. She blew up at him. They didn’t speak for days. He doesn’t know enough to have spotted the warning signs. He just thought she was too young and that he was stupid for having tried.”

“He was right.”

“Indeed.”

“Okay,” Walt said, accepting a second letter pertaining to the swab.

“If we can help you get the bastard, Walt…”

“Thank you. My guess is, you already have.”

Walt had the two bags packaged and shipped to the Meridian lab, knowing it would be several weeks, if he was lucky, before getting the reports.