“Hopefully, she backs away before it’s too late,” Jake murmurs, and even though I don’t say anything to this, I wholeheartedly agree. The last thing anyone needs is another woman for Kasper Hill to take his anger out on.
23
JAMI
“Honestly, James, I’m so happy for you. I think you deserve this.”
“Thanks, Ren.” I press my cell phone to my ear and curl up on the couch with a glass of wine. It’s seven p.m. and already dark outside, but Ely isn’t off work for another hour, so I’ve been catching up with my best friend on much-needed girl talk.
“Has Ely talked much about his wife and son?” Renee asks. In the background, I can hear Aaron and Matt arguing over something, which is their favorite pastime. Over the years, Renee has perfected the art of blocking them out. Sometimes I wonder if she feels more like a mother and less like a lover, though she never shows it.
“A little bit,” I tell her. “But it’s not a frequent conversation. I think the thing that wears on him the most is knowing that there’s still a criminal out there who had a hand in their murder, and he can’t find them to bring them to justice. I think that is keeping him from having any sort of closure. I don’t know if I could live like that, honestly. Just … never knowing.”
“Jake said it was a really bad deal. At least that’s what he’s heard from other cops,” Renee says. “He told me that Ely was so distraught he took an entire year off trying to hunt the men down, and he almost lost his job because of it.”
“Can you blame him?” I ask, taking a sip of the sweet, boozy nectar. “I’m surprised he went back at all.”
“Maybe you’re just what he needs. I think you’re just as good for him as he is for you.” Renee pauses to yell something at Matt, and I giggle aloud. “Speaking of,” Renee says back into the phone. “How is it going with Tara and Madison? Jake tries to keep me in the loop, but he says you’re more involved right now.”
“Things are scary for them, I’m sure.” I tuck my feet beneath me and pull a throw over my lap, hunkering down into the soft cushions of the couch. “But they’re safe right now, and that’s the most important thing.”
“I heard Kasper is back at work. He wasn’t suspended for more than a day.”
“Yeah, apparently dirty, abusive cops are honored with gold medals over there.” The bitterness is thick in my voice, but I don’t care. The anger I’m feeling doesn’t even begin to compare.
“It’s screwed up,” Renee agrees. “I’ve heard of this happening a lot, actually. Something needs to change. He won’t get custody of Madison, will he? I’m still not convinced he won’t eventually lay a hand on the kid if he hasn’t already.”
“With the way Kasper Hill is gliding by, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does.” I close my eyes and press the palm of my hand to my forehead to try and push away the incoming migraine tugging at my temples. “But Tara has a meeting with Ely on Monday. She told me she might have evidence to prove that he’s a dirty cop, which could make the case stronger.”
“Yeah, forget wife beating, right?” Renee says sarcastically. “If he’s a dirty cop, that’s all that matters.”
“Pretty much.”
Renee yells something again, louder this time, and then speaks again to me.
“I gotta go, James, and get ready for work. I’m on night shift tonight.”
We say our goodbyes and hang up, and I set my cell phone down and turn my attention to the TV, putting on one of my favorite dramas while I wait for Ely to get off work. I’m so engrossed in my show that I almost don’t notice half an hour later when my phone lights up and buzzes, startling me out of a sleepy trance. I pause the TV and reach for the phone, glancing curiously at the screen.
It’s Tara.
Why would she be calling at this hour?
A nervous sensation flutters through me as I swipe the answer icon and press the phone to my ear.
“Tara? Is everything ok—”
“Jami?” says a small voice, shutting me up at once, and I recognize that voice immediately, that frightened, scared little voice. “Is this Jami?”
“Maddy?” I confirm, but I already know the answer. I sit up on the couch, suddenly more awake and alert than I have been all day. “Madison, it’s Jami, yes. Talk to me, sweetheart. Are you crying? Where is your mommy? Are you guys okay?”
“It’s mommy,” Maddy says, and her voice breaks on the other end of the phone. “She’s hurt. She’s not talking.”
“What happened, Maddy?”
“Someone came in the house and is hurting mommy,” Madison says quietly. She’s whispering now, as if afraid to be overheard, and a sensation much like being stabbed in the heart might feel like floods through my body. I swallow a painful lump in my throat and jump up, reaching at once for my keys hanging by the door while I yank on my shoes. I don’t even know what I’m going to do yet, but I can already tell I have to do something.
“Who is in the house, sweetheart?” I ask, only remotely surprised that my words are still working. “Is it someone you know? Are you still there? Who is there with you?”
