A Dozen Deadly Roses (2 page)

“I am
not
‘cooking up’ a story.  Furthermore, I’m following proper procedure by notifying you of the problem.”

Lasko’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but she didn’t seem upset at Jade’s sharp tone.  “And what exactly would you like me to do?  Has anything else happened besides getting the roses?  I’m assuming you’ve already checked with the florist.”

Jade shook her head.  “They’re hand delivered to my apartment.”

The lieutenant waved her hand dismissively.  “It’s probably a prank by some cop, or maybe a former boyfriend is getting back at you.  Either way, you have a job to do and I expect you to do it.  That includes working with Stryker.”  Fluffing her peroxide-bleached hair with her hand, she said, “Besides, the guy’s hot.  I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of being partnered with him.”

“Lieutenant, I’m telling you someone is trying to intimidate me.  Don’t you think the situation merits investigation?”  Jade knew the lieutenant would discount anything she said.

“Donovan, I’ll tell you what I’d tell any citizen.  Leaving dead roses at your door isn’t a crime.  In fact, you’re better off than most people because you carry a gun.  Let me know if anything serious happens.”

Lasko picked up the report again.  “Now get to work.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Ma’am,” Jade said evenly.

“Good.  Now, go find your partner and hit the street.”

“Roger that,” said Jade, doing an about face, pleased that her plan had worked.  Lasko disliked her so much, Jade was certain the lieutenant wouldn’t make any further notifications up the chain of command on the weird flower deliveries.  Jade would handle the situation herself.  Wanting to live up to the world’s image of an LAPD officer, she was more afraid of appearing weak to her fellow officers than being stalked by some psycho.

Opening the door to leave Lasko’s office, she nearly collided with Mac Stryker.  His fist, raised to knock, whipped toward her face.  Automatically, she grabbed his wrist before his hand connected with her cheek.

“Nice reflexes,” he said with a wry smile.

“Academy training,” she said matter-of-factly, releasing her grip.  The heat of his skin still sent her heart racing.  He was so damn good-looking and self-assured.  The fact he could turn her life upside-down terrified her.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said.  “Are you my training officer?”  He gave her a smile worthy of a “B-list” actor on the red carpet, but his tone conveyed he wasn’t happy with the arrangement.

“Yes, she is,” Lasko interjected, “And I want you to tell me if she gives you any problems.  Report to me at your end of watch.”

Jade saw a flicker of surprise invade Mac’s eyes.  “Yes, Ma’am!”

She needed to get out of this office.  There was only so much she was willing to take from Lasko
.  “Don’t just stand there,” Jade snapped as she strode past Mac.  “Let’s get a move on.”

# # #

Her obvious anger pushed Jade’s strides fast and hard.  Although a few steps behind, with his long legs, Mac had no trouble keeping up with her.  He noticed that since he’d been gone, Jade’s rear end hadn’t gotten a “patrol car spread.”  Her sable hair was tightly braided down the back of her head and fastened above the top of her collar.  Medium in height, she looked taller in her uniform.  She was definitely a fine-looking woman.  He wondered if she’d married.  If so, she hadn’t changed her last name.

He’d gone to the Watch Commander’s Office to confirm who his Training Officer was, although he had a pretty good idea already.  In his gut he knew he was working with Jade Donovan.  He couldn’t believe the department would intentionally put them working together.  Sure, he’d been to the LAPD shrink and been deemed fit for duty and cleared to be a cop again.  But were they right?  Or was partnering him with Jade some kind of a test?   They’d work together today, but maybe if he pushed some of her buttons, tomorrow their working arrangements would change.  He’d have to be subtle, though.

It wasn’t that he had anything against Jade specifically.  He just didn’t want a daily reminder of his previous inability to function as a police officer – the day he’d been put to the test and failed.

Lasko’s order to tattle on Jade if she gave him any trouble spoke volumes about how the two women got along.  The lieutenant’s request was unprofessional and rude.  Besides, Mac had never been a snitch in his life and if he couldn’t handle working with Jade, he didn’t deserve to be back on the job.

Jade turned toward the kit room.

Might as well get her worked up now
.  “I’ve already checked out the equipment and loaded the car,” Mac said with an innocent tone.  “Because you were late to Roll Call, I didn’t have your serial number, or I could have logged onto the MDT.”

She spun around, her gaze blazing into his.  “Listen, Stryker.  You were a cop for a long time.  I know you were a training officer because
you
trained
me
.  I respect your previous time on the job.  But things in this department have changed.  It’s my job to see you’re trained the way we do things today.  Got it?”

“Oh, loud and clear, Officer Donovan,” said Mac.  “Just tell me what’s changed about loading the equipment and doing a vehicle check, and I’ll be sure to do it your way tomorrow.”

And little lady, you’d better lighten up, or I’m not going to be subtle about making your life miserable
.  He wasn’t any happier than she was about their working arrangement, but he wasn’t going to be her whipping boy for the next ten hours.

Jade took one look at his clenched jaw and narrowed eyes, and knew she’d better de-escalate the situation.  Besides, she was taking her anger at Lasko out on Mac, and he didn’t deserve it.  He was right.  She’d been late to work.

She forced softness into her voice.  “Well, nothing’s changed in checking out the car, but they’re calling the in-car computer an MDC: Mobile Digital Computer.  You know the Department and their acronyms.  The laptop shouldn’t give you any trouble – it’s not that different from the old terminal; just a lot smaller.”

They walked out to the car where she checked his preparations, loaded her equipment into the trunk, and then hit the street.

There had been no question she would drive and he would keep the books.  Most probationers didn’t drive for the first two weeks on patrol so they could get a good handle on the computer and broadcasting on the radio.  Jade knew Mac wouldn’t need much time at all to get back into the swing of being a patrol officer again.  Heck, five years ago he’d been able to handle working in a black and white, even though he was hammered most of the time.

He sure looked better now.  He’d lost about twenty pounds.  Obviously he worked out with weights, and it showed on his tall frame.  His badge gleamed on his uniform shirt where sharp creases enveloped his broad chest.  Not an ounce of fat hung over his duty-belt holding his gun, radio, and other equipment.

His dark eyes, which always reminded Jade of caramelized root beer, were now clear and free of the watery redness caused by too much alcohol.  His chiseled features were more pronounced, probably due to the weight loss.  Robust coloring replaced his former sallow complexion.  The fine lines etched around his eyes were payment for his years of hard living.  Gray sprinkled the temples of his chestnut hair.  Like most men, Mac had become distinguished with age.

She snuck another glance at him.  His gaze surveyed his surroundings, just as he’d taught her to do five years ago. 
This is too weird.  Now I’m his training officer.  I wonder if he feels awkward, too?
  She decided to clear the air.

“I think we should discuss the shooting,” she said.

“What’s there to discuss?  You were a hero, and I lost my job.”

“And you blame me for that?”

“No.  But I don’t want to talk about it either.”

Jade bit her lip in frustration.  “That’s just great. I remember how well it worked for you to hold in your feelings a few years ago.”

Her partner didn’t say anything, but instead focused his attention out his window.

Mac’s appearance may have improved over the years but he still solves his problems the same way, Jade thought.  He ignores them.  The last time he was so shortsighted, it turned him into a drunk.  I wonder how long it will be before he crawls back in the bottle.

Then a horrible thought struck her.  Now that he was apparently sober, what if he’d remembered the other thing that happened five years ago?  What if he’d returned to the LAPD to tear her life apart?

She inhaled sharply as her hands tightened on the steering wheel.

Don’t panic, if he knew anything he’d have pounded on your door a long time ago
.

“Okay,” she said, with irritation filling her voice, “if you won’t discuss the shooting, the first thing you need to know is citizens make complaints against cops for absolutely nothing.  You wouldn’t believe some of the crazy accusations that are made. Worse yet, Internal Affairs is required to open an investigation.  I know some desk officers who got a personnel complaint because a woman alleged the officers had removed one of her kidneys while she talked to them on the phone.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Mac said.

Jade shook her head.  “I’m not. But with obvious bogus complaints they write the paper, then close it out.  Oh, and I.A. is now called PSB, Professional Standards Bureau, but everyone still calls it I.A., except the brass.”

Mac let out a slow whistle.  “No wonder morale stinks.”

Jade shrugged.  “The police union is working on the disciplinary system, but it takes time.”

Mac pressed buttons on the car computer checking out what each screen was for.

“What a joke,” Mac complained.

Three tones from their radio indicated an emergency call was about to be broadcast.  Mac’s heart rate increased, wondering if they’d be assigned the call.

“15A21, 15A21, handle the traffic collision at Whitsett and Vanowen.  Vehicle overturned with a person trapped inside.”

Mac keyed the mic.  “15A21 roger.”

“Handle the call Code Three,” the dispatcher ordered.

“15A21, roger on the Code Three response.”

Not taking her eyes from the road, Jade reached down and flipped a lever on the center console activating the black and white’s emergency lights and siren.

Sunday traffic, lighter than on a weekday, pulled out of their way.  Minutes later they arrived on the scene.

A single car had jumped the curb, flipped and slammed into a telephone pole.  Contents from the car were strewn on the ground.  The stench of gasoline filled the air.

A woman, bleeding profusely from the head, sobbed while sitting at the side of the road next to the wrecked vehicle.   Mac jumped from the black and white and, as he ran toward the overturned luxury sedan, yelled to a male bystander to grab one of the clean disposable diapers that had spilled from the vehicle and place it on the woman’s wound.

“Dexter,” the bloodied woman screamed pointing at the wreckage.  “You’ve got to get Dexter!  He’s just a baby!”

Jade rushed toward the injured lady and the other citizens milling around.  As Mac sprinted to the torn and twisted metal, he heard his partner use her radio to request an ambulance and the fire department for a wash-down of the street.

“I need everyone to move away from the vehicle.  It’s leaking fuel,” she ordered.

Blood pounded in Mac’s ears as he dropped to hands and knees to find the child.  The car was eerily silent.  Looking in the rear of the vehicle he expected to see a child’s car seat.  Instead, the compartment appeared empty.

Mac turned back and shouted to the injured woman.  “Was he in a car seat?  Where was he sitting?”  As Mac turned his head to look in the vehicle again, his adrenaline leapt and his heart jumped into over-drive.  Smoke coiled from the engine area of the car.

“Jade!  Get those people out of here!  The car is on fire!”

Jade dropped any pretense of being nice.  “I need all of you people to move down to the parking lot at the corner.  Do it now!” she barked.  The group of on-lookers began to shuffle down the street.  She offered her hand to the injured woman.  “Ma’am, if you can walk, you need to move away from the car too.”

“I’ll help her, officer,” said the man holding the makeshift bandage to the driver’s head.

“You’ve got to get Dexter,” the woman screamed as Jade turned and ran to help Mac.

Mac, flat on his belly, low crawled into the vehicle.  “I don’t see the kid or the car seat anywhere,” he yelled.  “Do you think he got thrown clear?”

“Keep looking inside.  I’ll check around the car!”

The smoke from smoldering car parts mushroomed.  The front of the vehicle was bent around the phone pole like a horseshoe.  Mac put out of his mind the thought that his daughter, Ashley, had died in a similar car accident.

“Come on Stryker, focus!  You don’t have a lot of time,” he whispered to himself.  “Dexter, where are ya, bud?”

There!  A small sound.  Mac held his breath.  Dragging himself on his elbows he crept deeper into the core of the car.  The noise came from the front floorboard of the vehicle.  Reaching to his equipment belt Mac grabbed his mini flashlight and clicked it on.  The bright beam cut into the smoke-filled interior of the car.  In anger, Mac punched the dashboard and swore.

CHAPTER 2

It was a dog.  A scared to death, black, Labrador puppy.  The pup growled.

“I don’t believe it,” Mac muttered.  “Come on, Dexter.  We gotta get you out of here.  This car may blow any second.”  Mac heard the sound of firefighters setting up to douse the smoldering car.

The canine cringed further into the wreckage.  Mac reached for the puppy and Dexter bared his teeth.  “Listen, pooch, you’re coming out with me whether you like it or not.”  With a grunt, Mac grabbed the hound by the scruff of the neck and pulled the dog to his chest.  Close to Mac’s body, the puppy relaxed and licked Mac’s face.  “Jade, I’ve got him,” he yelled.

Keeping a tight hold of the puppy’s leather collar, Mac backed out of the vehicle.  Once on his feet, Mac raced away from the wrecked sedan.  A muted explosion blasted heat across Mac’s back as the fuel ignited.  Oily black smoke billowed into the air.  Firefighters moved in, dousing the flames with a dry powder.