Jake watches me for a moment, his face an emotionless guard, but something behind his eyes stands out like he knows what I’m about to say or who I’m going to say it about. But he asks anyway.
“Who?”
“Kasper Hill.”
Silence settles over the table. I’m glad we’re the only two people here because the tension in the room shoots ten-fold. Jake and I stare at each other. I see the muscles in his jaw twitch. Then, after a moment that I feel might just go on forever, Jake nods. Just once. Just barely.
But it’s there.
“Detective Hill,” he says with a nod. “Yeah. I figured that’s why you’ve come.”
I wait for him to go on, but when he doesn’t, I reach across the table and rest my hand on his arm. Jake pushes out a slow breath, squeezes my hand back, and then rubs his face.
“Jake,” I say quietly. “I need your help. I can’t bring this guy down alone, and I’m tired of sitting back and watching him do whatever he wants. It’s wrong and immoral, and as both a social worker and a human being, I can’t stand for it any longer.”
Another second of silence and Jake looks at me finally. He reaches for my hand now and cradles it between his, looking me in the eye.
“Kasper Hill is a dangerous man,” he says quietly. I almost can’t hear him, in fact, and I look back over my shoulder, feeling paranoid like Kasper might be standing there watching us.
“I know he is,” I respond. “And that’s exactly why I want him to pay for his crimes.”
“No, Jami, that’s not what I mean. I mean … he is too dangerous to fuck with. He has hookups, okay? Not only is he a wife-beater, but he’s a dirty cop, too, one that just slides by without a second glance. No one can bring him down. That’s the point.”
“Has anyone ever tried?”
“Yeah,” says Jake. “Tried and failed.” He shakes his head and sighs heavily. “Don’t think I’m disregarding your concerns, James, because I’m not. I just know about this guy, okay, and he’s not the one to get involved with. It’s best if you just leave it.”
“I’m sorry, Jake, but I don’t think I can just leave it.” I push my mug away and cross my arms over my chest, fuming. “There’s an innocent woman and an even more innocent little girl involved in this. And one of these days, it’s not the wife we’re going to be rushing to the hospital for.”
“You don’t think I know that?” Jake hisses, and his tone rises a few notches. He clears his throat and hunkers down, eyes on the door behind me, watching for any intruders. “I’ve had a problem with that guy since the moment I got hired on here, okay? But it doesn’t matter. It never did. Kasper Hill is dangerous. More dangerous than I can possibly explain to you. All you’re asking for is trouble. He doesn’t like people in his way.”
“Yeah? Well, fuck him and all his dislikes, Jake, because I really don’t give a shit.”
“Jami.”
“No, seriously.” I slam my palm down on the table, wishing it was Kasper’s face instead. “I don’t give a shit about this guy. I don’t care what kind of nonsense he has going on in his dirty cop life. What I do care about is helping a mother and her child get as far away from this monster as feasibly possible.”
Jake says nothing to this, which I guess is a good thing because right at that moment, a shadow passes by the staff door lounge, and I look over just in time to see a figure that looks eerily similar to Kasper Hill floating by the door. Just as I’m about to admit to seeing things, the devil himself pokes his head into the kitchen, eyes landing on the two of us.
“Jami, right?” he says cooly, ignoring Jake completely. “I remember you from the hospital. Is everything okay here?”
There’s something in his tone that implies he doesn’t give a shit if anything is okay ever again, but I try to ignore it despite the electrifying fear that is slithering up my spine.
“Everything is perfect, Detective.” I force the words out, sounding braver than I feel, and Kasper smiles the kind of smile that makes vomit tickle the back of my throat.
“Excellent,” he says. “I’m around if you need anything.”
Neither Jake nor I speak until we can see Kasper slip into his office across the hall and close the door behind him. Jake looks over at me, and he shakes his head, lowering his voice until only I can hear him.
“There’s no hiding from him, James.”
“Good thing hiding isn’t my intention.”
When Jake doesn’t say anything to this, I get up and walk around the table to hug him where he’s sitting. His concern is touching, but it hasn’t changed my mind.
“Thank you for seeing me today,” I murmur. “I hope you’re all treating Renee well.”
“Sure thing, Jami,” Jake says, and he stands to wrap me in a real hug. “Please be careful,” he whispers, bringing me into him. “All I can do is warn you. Don’t get involved with this, Jami. Withhim.” His lips touch my ear, and I shiver, knowing that it has nothing to do with my friend and everything to do with the man we’re speaking about.
