“I don’t know about that,” she said, “but I plan to complain to someone first chance I get. Officer Big Jerk’s supervisor is going to get an earful. Get this, though, the guy’s last name is MacDonald. Isn’t that your friend’s last name? Weird coincidence, huh?”
“Yeah, that is weird,” Jenny agreed tentatively, her hesitation speaking volumes.
Over the years, Jenny had relayed bits and pieces of what had happened with Mitch after Jimmy’s death. He’d taken it extremely hard, blamed himself, and disappeared right after the shooting. Once Maggie returned to North Carolina, Jenny had gone to get him and then worked constantly to let him know she didn’t blame him. She knew Jenny still worried about him and hoped it was some other officer who had given her the ticket.
CHAPTER SIX
“So, you have plans after work?” Adam asked Mitch, finally breaking the prolonged silence that had followed the ticketing of Ms. Margaret Tucker.
“Yeah. I’m heading over to a friend’s house for dinner,” he grumbled. He was accustomed to driving and sitting in the passenger seat was making him carsick. The cheery attitude of his happy-go-lucky partner didn’t help with the nauseousness.
“Just a friend?”
“Yes. Just a friend. It’s my partner’s widow and her family.”
“Oh, well, I have no plans and wouldn’t mind meeting some new people. Mind if I tag along?” Adam asked as if there was nothing socially wrong with inviting yourself to someone’s dinner plans.
“No.”
“No, you don’t mind? Or no, I can’t go?” he asked innocently.
“No, you can’t go.”
Adam stopped at a red light and looked over at him. “You know, part of your probation is weekly reports from your partner. I tell them about how we got along, whether I seeany problems with the way you act or treat people, what I think of your attitude…” He let the sentence trail off and hang between them.
“Are you implying,” Mitch said through gritted teeth, “that if I don’t take you to dinner with me, you’ll give a bad report? That’s blackmail. Which, as a police officer, I’m sure you know, is illegal!”
“Not blackmail. I’m just saying that what I plan to tell the LT is still up in the air right now. I mean, do I advise him of your surly behavior toward Miss Margaret? Do I mention that you’ve told me to fuck off at least twice an hour since the day we met? Do I bring up the fact that we leave our beat a couple of times every shift to pass by the pawnshop where people with ties to Jimmy’s shooter are rumored to hang out? There are just so many things to think about…”
He didn’t realize Adam had caught on to that last bit. Since he wasn’t familiar with the area yet, he just drove wherever Mitch told him to. He thought a couple of blocks off their beat would go unnoticed. Technically, they weren’t allowed to leave their assigned beat without permission, but Mitch had received intel that one of Manuel’s flunkies was using the pawnshop just outside their area to sell stolen guns. He wanted to keep an eye on the place. Leaving the beat could get him in trouble, though, and he didn’t need that so soon after his recent reprimand.
“Fine. I’ll call Jenny. God, you’re shameless!”
Adam smiled.
An hour later, after taking a report of a stolen purse and writing a few traffic tickets, they returned to the station, changed clothes, and left for Jenny’s, each driving their own car. Jenny was fine with another guest as Mitch knew she would be. They stopped at a small grocery store and picked up the standing assignment for a bachelor coming to a potluck—two six-packs and a bottle of wine. He figured that would be enough.
When he’d called Jenny to ask about someone taggingalong, she’d sprung on him that her friend Maggie was also coming. Normally, he would have made an excuse to back out, as he’d been doing all year, but it was too late this time. He could also tell Jenny was on to the fact that he was avoiding the meeting and was irritated about it. Fine, he’d meet her. He guessed it was about time.
He’d heard a lot about Maggie from Jenny and the boys. She was a veterinarian and had moved back to the city about a year ago to be closer to her family. She was Jenny’s BFF, and the boys always talked about how cool she was.
He knew she was the one who had stepped up to help after Jimmy’s death. Part of the reason he’d put off meeting her was that he still felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and embarrassment over abandoning Jenny during that time. She’d been there when he couldn’t be, and that galled him.
The other reason he’d been avoiding her was that he had a feeling there might be some matchmaking going on, and he didn’t want any part of it. He’d have to let Jenny down easy on that.
Before Jimmy’s death, Mitch had dated a lot and was interested in someday finding someone to settle down with. Someone he could have a real relationship with—a relationship like Jimmy and Jenny’s. He lost interest in finding love when Jimmy died. What was the point? Even sex didn’t hold the appeal it once did, but that was something he hadn’t mentioned to anyone. Except for Veronica and one woman he worked with, most of the sex he’d had since Jimmy’s death had been hot and fast and with a stranger who had no way to get a hold of him afterward.
So far, the only positive event of his day had been the shrink calling to reschedule his appointment. A family emergency gave him a reprieve for the weekend, and he wouldn’t have to embarrass himself until Monday now. He was glad for the extra few days.
Well, one other highlight, he noted, was the encounter with Margaret Tucker. He’d almost laughed out loud whenhe watched her get laid out by that dog. Not that he wished her ill, but that kind of thing was always funny, as long as nobody got hurt. He didn’t know why he’d been such a dick to her. Probably just to show Adam he wasn’t going to take advice from him. That he could do what he wanted and that the LT’s warning meant nothing to him. Sometimes he was too stubborn for his own good. The LT’s warninghadmeant something to him. He knew he had to knock this shit off and get back to living. He just didn’t know how.
He’d handled the situation poorly. Although he realized that now, it was too late to do anything about it. He hoped that appeasing Adam by bringing him to Jenny’s would be incentive enough for him to keep his big mouth shut about it.
When they arrived, the screen door was unlocked, and kids were screaming in the backyard. Mitch closed and locked the door. He made his way to the kitchen, calling out to announce their arrival. “Hello! We’re here. Don’t worry. It’s two police officers coming through your wide-open front door and not a couple of psychopath serial killers! Geez, Jen, how many times have I asked you not to leave the front door unlocked? It’s not…”
He entered the kitchen and came to an abrupt halt. Adam was a step behind him and had to stop short to avoid running into him. Mitch froze.Shit!
“Oh, God, don’t tell me. Officer Big Jerk?” Jenny moaned.
