Had a Great Fall (An Olivia Thompson Mystery) (6 page)

“That’s not entirely true,” Nate objected with a smile. “You saved yourself. I just got to witness your amazing right hook.”

“You hit someone?” Taylor’s eyes widened.

Olivia took a big bite of meatloaf and then pretended that she couldn’t answer because her mouth was full.

“In Olivia’s defense, the guy totally deserved it.” Nate’s leg brushed against hers. “I was smitten right away.”

“But that was years ago. Why did you wait so long to start dating?” Taylor didn’t hesitate at all as she dug into their personal business.

“Nate was too busy dating other girls,” Olivia said coyly.

Nate cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. “We both were busy dating other people.”

“Sure. If you say so.” Olivia had thought she was just kidding, but she also detected a truthfulness in her tone that surprised her. “Anyway, the past doesn’t matter. All that matters is now.”

She took Nate’s hand under the table and thread their fingers together. His thumb softly caressed the back of her hand.

“Aw.” Taylor’s eyes grew dreamy. “That’s so sweet. The two of you are such an adorable couple.”

“So I hear you’re a detective,” Brian said, not nearly as charmed as his wife. “That’s a dangerous line of work.”

“It can be,” Nate said tentatively.

“My dad said you were looking into Rosie’s case.” Brian stared hard at Nate. “Doesn’t Chicago have enough grisly murder cases?”

Taylor flinched and looked at the kids. “Hey, Teddy, why don’t you take Em into the other room and turn on that movie we were watching earlier?”

“Okay!” Teddy jumped out of his chair in an instant. It took Emma a little extra encouragement, but she soon followed her brother into the other room.

“Bry, I asked Nate to look into Rosie’s murder. He’s doing it for me.” Olivia hadn’t even thought to check with Brian. He had been so young when it happened, and he had never talked about it growing up. “Nate is a good detective.”

“That’s not the point, Livvy.” Brian’s dark eyes narrowed. “We’ve finally moved on as a family, but you refuse to let it go.”

Olivia said, “Rosie was our sister, Brian. I don’t understand how you can let it go so easily. Her murderer was never found.”

“I barely even remember Rosie,” he said coldly. “It’s been fifteen years. She’s been dead for almost twice as long as the amount of time I actually knew her.”

“She loved you so much,” Olivia said, overcome by a wave of sadness. Rosie’s heart would be broken if she knew how Brian felt. “She used to read to you every night before tucking you into bed.”

Brian stared at her blankly. “I only remember her fighting with Mom and Dad. I only remember seeing her picture on the news every night. I only know that she’s the reason Mom left us.”

“Brian!’ Taylor gasped.

“Mom left because she wasn’t strong enough to stay. It’s that simple.” While Olivia had kept a distance from her mother over the years, Brian had constantly tried to reunite their family. He visited her on every holiday and invited her to the kids’ birthday parties. As far as Olivia knew, Jill had never taken him up on his invites.

“Maybe we should talk about something else,” Taylor said quickly. “How are your classes this semester, Liv?”

Olivia felt numb. She barely even heard her sister-in-law’s words. “I’m exhausted. Thanks for the meal, Taylor, but I think we should head home. I could really use some sleep.”

“Of course.” Taylor smiled awkwardly. “I’m sure you’ve barely closed your eyes the last couple of days. Do you want to take some desert with you? I baked two pies.”

Olivia was about to turn down the offer when she noticed the hopeful look in Nate’s eyes. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

After saying goodbye to the kids, Olivia left with a pie in hand. Taylor had insisted they take home a whole pie.

“I like her,” Nate said, eyeing the pie as it sat in Olivia’s lap.

“Oh good,” Olivia grumbled. She wasn’t in the mood for Nate’s usual banter.

Nate detected her sour mood immediately and wisely kept his mouth shut until they arrived at Ed’s house.

“You should forgive your brother,” he said as Olivia unlocked the front door. “I’m sure he just doesn’t like to think about what happened to Rosie.”

“Brian doesn’t like to think about anything that doesn’t play into his delusion that we have a perfect family.” Olivia remembered that when their mom had moved out, Brian had pretended that everything was fine and that their mom just needed more space. He would tell his friends that their family had two houses rather than admit that their parents were separated. “He still won’t admit that Teddy wasn’t planned even though Taylor was still in high school when she got pregnant.”

“This pie smells amazing,” Nate said, holding it up to his nose.

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Good talk.”

“Look, Liv. There’s nothing I can say here that’s going to make you feel better. But we can at least eat some delicious pie.” He gave her a pleading look.

She was already on her way to the kitchen. “Fine. But this will be the only desert you’re having tonight.”

Dani quickly lost track of time in her prison cell. She only knew that time was passing because of the rising and falling of light outside the distant window that faintly lit her cell. Every night, when the light would fade completely, the footsteps would come. They would be faint at first, growing heavier as they approached the bars that kept her separated from her freedom.

With the protection of the darkness, the footsteps would stop on the other side of the bars, just feet away. Dani could hear the breathing, but she couldn’t see a face. The figure was large enough that she suspected it was a male. Some nights, he would slide a plate of food under the two-inch gap between the bars and the floor. Other nights, he would bypass her cell completely and move further down the hall.

Within a short amount of time, Dani had realized that she wasn’t alone in the basement. She could hear other people moving around, at least two or three people. It took much longer before she had the courage to reach out to them. Even then, it started with a hesitant hello that went unanswered. Five hellos later, a timid voice finally responded.

Dani had discovered that their mystery captor never visited them during daylight. That meant they were free to talk to each other for hours at a time. During that time, they each took turn telling their stories. At first, there were two other girls: Melanie Grant and Tina Larson. If Madison was being kept in the basement, she wasn’t able to talk. Dani did her best to keep positive thoughts about her friend, but deep inside she suspected that something terrible had happened to her.

One night, not long after Dani woke up in her prison, the man came and took Melanie away. She never came back. The night after Melanie was taken away, the man came to Dani’s cell. So far, she had been lucky. He had visited the other girls at night, doing unspeakable thing to them. But he had always left Dani alone.

That night, she wasn’t so lucky.

After locking the cell behind him, he came and sat next to her on the bed. He was a surprisingly attractive man- early 30s with dark hair and eyes. He also looked very familiar.

“Hello, Dani,” he said, a playful smile on his lips.

She nearly threw up. “Do I know you?”

“I know you,” he replied. “My name is Eli.”

The name didn’t register, but the way he kept staring at her reminded her of someone. A few seconds later, she realized that he was the man she had seen in the library, the one she had suspected was watching her.

“You’ve been following me,” she said in a whisper.

His smile grew. “You remember me. Good. You and I were destined to be together, Dani.”

“Just like all the other girls?” she asked angrily.

“No.” He grabbed her arm and squeezed hard enough to make her wince. “This other girls are just a distraction. I use them to serve my needs so that I don’t hurt you.”

“You’re hurting me now,” Dani said, her stomach turning.

“I’m sorry.” His hand dropped away. “I don’t want to hurt you. I just want us to be together.”

Dani was nervous to ask her next question, but she had to know. “Where’s my friend? Where’s Madison?”

He didn’t answer right away. Finally, he said, “She isn’t here. I set her free.”

While the words themselves didn’t sound like a bad thing, Dani knew instantly that her friend was dead. There was no way that this monster had let her go.

“And Melanie?”

This time, he ignored her. He stroked her cheek softly with his hand and then pressed his lips over hers. Bile rose in her throat and her body tensed as she waited for him to progress to more intimate activities. She was surprised when he pulled away, a strange look in his eyes.

“That’s all for now, love. We’re going to take things slow.” He smiled as he stood and opened the cell door. Once it was locked behind him, Eli turned to give her one last, long look. “I
will
have you, Dani. Soon.”

Sometime after midnight, it started to rain. Nate lay in Olivia’s childhood bed, an arm tucked behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Olivia was curled around him, her skin the softest blanket imaginable. But Nate was too distracted to truly appreciate it.

Being put on suspension had bothered him more than he had let on to Olivia. He had thought that by leaving town, he might be able to focus on other things. But just like always, the case wouldn’t let him find any peace. His multiple calls to Vince throughout the day weren’t enough. If he was going to solve the case, he needed to be closer to it.

“If we’re going to be up all night, we could at least be enjoying ourselves,” Olivia said suddenly.

Nate hadn’t even realized she was awake. “I know why I’m awake, but why are you? You’ve slept about an hour in the last three days.”

“Just thinking.” Her breath was warm on his chest. “Lying awake with you is better than any deep sleep.”

“Your sleep deprivation is making you soft,” Nate said, smiling faintly. “Not that I’m complaining. This is an improvement over your typical sassy commentary.”

Olivia lifted her head to glare at him, but a slow smile spread across her face. “I just realized something.”

“That I’m the hottest guy you’ve ever been with?”

“Naturally.” Her smile spread. “But also, you’re the first boy I’ve had in this bed.”

“Really?” Now Nate’s smile matched hers. “Not even lover boy Tanner?”

Olivia groaned. “I never should have told you about him.”

“That’s probably true,” Nate agreed. “But I’m glad you did. I like learning about your past, especially when it doesn’t involve a grisly murder.”

“Then I should probably tell you about the time I won second place in the Mathletes Tournament in eighth grade. Or the time I made it to the Spelling Bee regionals. Or the time-”

Nate interjected. “Stop, please. You’re turning me on.”

Olivia poked him in the ribs and he squirmed. “Don’t act like you are surprised by this information. You’ve always known that I’m a giant nerd.”

“What did your brother mean when he said that Rosie was always fighting with your mom?” Nate had been wanting to ask Olivia that question for hours.

“I don’t know. Rosie was a teenage girl, Nate. Fighting with mothers is pretty much required for girls.” Olivia eyed him suspiciously. “Why did you ask me that?”

“I’ve been thinking. While I’m in town, I should spend more time digging into the case. I thought I could stop by the local police station tomorrow and see if I can chat with the sheriff. It’s still the same guy that was in charge back then, and he might remember something useful.” Nate did his best to sound indifferent. He didn’t want Olivia to suspect his real motives.

It didn’t look like she suspected anything. “If you think that will help.”

“It can’t hurt.” If Nate couldn’t work on the case back in Chicago, at least he could try to make himself useful doing some detective work in Mercy. “There’s not much I can do at the hospital anyway, and if anything changes you can call me and I can be there right away.”

“That’s true.” Olivia studied him thoughtfully. “You’ve only been suspended for one day and it’s already killing you, isn’t it?”

He brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen over her eye. “It’s been a little frustrating. But this- this moment- it makes things a lot better.”

“It doesn’t suck,” she said, running a hand down his chest and over his abs. Her touch left a tingling trail on this skin. “We should probably try to get some sleep.”

“Sure. Sleep.” Nate’s hands were busy doing an exploration of their own. “Would you believe that I’m not tired?”

“You’re definitely up now,” Olivia said, her pouty lips turning into a flirtatious smile.

She yelped and giggled as Nate swiftly flipped her onto her back. Her eyes sparkled at him in the dark and nothing else mattered to him anymore.

Nate woke early the next morning despite getting just a couple of hours of sleep. He lay on his side for a while and watched Olivia sleep. It was the only time her face lost the hard edge that had been there probably since the morning that Rosie’s body was found. He wanted to reach over and trace her face with his finger, but he didn’t want to wake her. For once, she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

He rolled out of bed as smoothly as possible, pleased when he didn’t wake her. It took him a few minutes to pull on his running gear and then he was headed outside. Nate enjoyed starting his day with a long run. He relished the quiet time to be alone with his thoughts. As he ran along the streets of Mercy, neighbors stopped to wave as they were on their way to get the morning paper. That was something that would never happen in Chicago.

A run through Mercy was like a run back in time. Each landmark represented a place where Olivia had spent her childhood. Nate wondered which of the landmarks Olivia would regard fondly and which would cause her heartache. He knew the park was hallowed ground- the place where Rosie had breathed her last breath.

The town wasn’t very big and Nate saw almost all of it before turning around and heading back to the Thompson house. He stopped on the porch to pick up the newspaper before letting himself inside. The smell of coffee and bacon greeted him in the entryway.

Nate smiled and went immediately to the kitchen. He found Olivia at the stove, fully concentrating on the omelet in front of her. She was wearing his old Bears t-shirt and nothing else, her hair tied into a messy knot at the back of her neck. Nate was struck yet again by her natural beauty.

“As if you weren’t already the perfect woman,” he said as he stepped behind her, arm circling her waist as he kissed her neck.

She sighed and relaxed into his arms. “The only thing perfect about me is you.”

“If only that were true.” Nate kissed her again, this time on the cheek, before reluctantly moving away. Letting go of Olivia was always the hardest part of his day. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby.” Olivia filled a mug with coffee and handed it to him. “What’s your plan for the day?”

“I think I’ll dust off my sleuthing skills.” Nate leaned back against the counter. “Maybe I’ll interrogate some of the locals.”

Olivia laughed as she turned off the stove. “You’re such a Nancy Drew.”

“I prefer Hardy Boy.” Nate flashed her a playful smile.

“I don’t think the Hardy Boys would get suspended from their job over a pointless fight with their coworker,” Olivia said with a frown. She took two plates full of food to the table and sat down.

Nate wanted to be annoyed, but she had a point. “He was saying rude things about you.”

“What?” She looked at him in surprise.

“Barnes. He started talking shit about you and that’s why I punched him.” Nate held up his hands to cut off her lecture. “I know it was stupid. I’m not disagreeing with you. But when it comes to you, I’m not going to apologize for anything.”

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she said with a slow shake of her head. “I don’t want to be the reason you got suspended.”

Nate dropped into the chair across from her. “I didn’t get suspended because of you. I got suspended because I lost my cool.”

“Why were you even hanging out with Barnes? You can’t stand that guy.” Olivia’s eyes narrowed at him over the top of her coffee mug.

“I believe someone told me I needed to be nicer and try to make friends,” he said smugly. “This is why I prefer to remain cold and aloof.”

“Are you kidding me?” Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “Your idea of being nice and making friends is to punch people in the face? How have we remained friends for so long?”

Nate smirked as he ate a big bite of omelet. “Because you’re too beautiful for me to punch.”

“Nice try, Tucker.” Olivia pointed her fork at him. “You should know by now that your charms don’t work on me.”

“Yes, they do,” he replied confidently. “Admit it, Thompson. You love me.”

“There’s no accounting for taste.” She leaned back in her chair with a sparkle in her eye. “But you’re not wrong.”

Nate finished his coffee and asked, “Do you need to leave for the hospital soon?”

“Soon.” Her head tilted. “Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if you have time for a shower,” he said, staring hard into her eyes.

“With you?” A smile played at the corners of her lips. “Always.”

He glanced at the table. “I’ll take care of the dishes.”

“Later.” She caught his hand and stood. “The dishes can wait. I can’t.”

“Point taken,” Nate said, allowing her to pull him to his feet. “Lead the way.”

She took a few steps away from him, heading toward the stairs. Just before reaching them, she reached down and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head and dropping it in a heap on the floor. Nate’s breath caught in his throat as she flashed him an irresistible smile over her shoulder.

Nate knew without a doubt that he was about to take the longest and best shower of his life.

* * *

“Seriously, Tucker. You don’t have to call me every hour.” Vince sighed loudly into the phone.

“Yes, I do. You’re still a rookie, Monroe.” Nate hit the automatic lock on his car and studied the old building in front of him. It claimed to be the Mercy Police Station, but it appeared to be abandoned.

“I know how to do my job, partner. You haven’t heard from me because there is nothing to report.” Vince typed furiously on his keyboard. Loud conversation filled the station around him and Nate could picture the detectives gathered at the coffeemaker, making inappropriate jokes and chatting about sporting events.

Nate hated being off the case. He felt guilty for not being able to help the victims. “Our girl is still unconscious?”

“No signs of waking anytime soon.” Vince muttered something and Nate could hear Barnes’ voice in the background. “No new victims though, so that’s something.”

“Yet,” Nate replied. He pulled up to his full height, bracing himself for whatever might be waiting for him on the other side of the rotting wooden door. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“I’m sure you will,” Vince said glumly before hanging up.

The door screeched loudly but offered no resistance as Nate shoved it open. The interior of the station looked just as he had expected. Wooden paneling on the walls, dirty wooden floors. Two desks faced Nate from the opposite wall. An old man was seated at the one on the right.

“Can I help you?” the man asked.

“Are you Sheriff Merriweather?” Nate asked.

“Are you a criminal?” he replied in a slow drawl.

Nate wasn’t wearing his usual tailored suit and gun holster, two things that always gave him away as a detective and demanded a certain amount of respect.

“My name is Nathaniel Tucker, sir. I’m a detective from Chicago.”

The sheriff stood, his attention official captured. “Detective Tucker, what brings you to Mercy?”

“I’m investigating an old case. Rosie Thompson.” Nate knew that he wouldn’t have to explain any further. Everyone in town remembered the case.

“Why would a detective from Chicago drive all the way out here to investigate a cold case?” He hitched up his sagging pants.

“I have my reasons.” Nate wasn’t sure if he should reveal all of his cards just yet. “Do you have some time for some questions?”

The sheriff sighed and gestured toward the empty chair near his desk. “Pull up a seat and let’s talk.”

The wooden legs screeched loudly against the floor as Nate moved the chair closer to the desk.

“How about if you start by telling me what you remember about the Thompson murder?” It had been fifteen years and Nate needed to know how good the Sheriff’s memory was when it came to the details. Years of investigative experience had taught him that cases often turned on the details.

“I remember everything,” he said confidently. “I had been sheriff for ten years at that point, but it was the first murder to cross my desk.

That wasn’t surprising to Nate. Mercy was a small town with small town problems. A murder like Rosie’s was a once-in-a-century event.

“The weekend deputy called me at home to tell me that a body had been discovered in the park. At that point, no identification had been made. I arrived at the scene less than ten minutes later and immediately recognized the Thompson girl.” The sheriff’s eyes drifted past Nate’s shoulder. “I knew her daddy since we were boys. We grew up next door to each other.”

“Did you know right away that it was a homicide?” Nate asked. He didn’t have time to get lost in a trip down memory lane.

Sheriff Merriweather’s eyes moved back to Nate. “It doesn’t take a big city detective to know that teenage girls don’t typically bash themselves in the head in the middle of a park.”

“Fair enough.” Nate hadn’t meant his question to be insulting, but he could understand why it was interpreted that way. “You never found a murder weapon?”

“No. Coroner said it was a heavy, blunt object. We checked every rock and tree limb in the park just in case Rosie had somehow fallen and hit her head accidentally. But we all knew that wasn’t the case. That poor girl was murdered.” He looked down to where his hands were clenched tightly together on the desk. “I’ll never forget the look on Ed’s face when I had to tell him that his little girl was dead.”