The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (169 page)

My office is my private space, and I immediately regret inviting this man in.  Hoping to keep things formal and brief, I take a seat at my desk and offer him a chair.  “What is so important that you would drag me away from my guests and leave your lovely wife sitting alone in a restaurant?”

Philip sits back in his chair and studies me for a moment before answering.  He purses his lips as he considers his answer.  “Do you know why I became a cop, Juliette?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” I tell him.

“I was abused as a child and bullied daily.  I became a cop because I hate bullies and I wanted to make sure that the victims had a voice and a defender.   I swore that I would always use my power and authority to make other people’s lives better, not worse,” he says grimly.

“What does that have to do with me?” I ask.

“It has everything to do with you.  You and I both know that you didn’t have anything to do with Mr. Jorgenson’s disappearance.  The cops like you for the collar because it’s easy.  You had motive and opportunity.  Like you told Megan, things are not always as simple as they appear, and something inside bothered me right from the start.”

“That didn’t stop the police from turning my life upside down.” I remind him.

“I couldn’t tell you at the time, but the Denver police were sitting on a lead that would take the investigation in a completely different direction.  The Indianapolis P.D. didn’t want to pursue it because it’s extremely complicated and could take months or years to resolve.  But now they have no choice.” 

If he’s moving the investigation back to Denver, then that leaves out Derek, Adam, and Auggie as suspects. Since I don’t interrupt, Philip keeps talking. 

“It seems your ex-boyfriend has a little bit of a gambling problem.  They have received credible accounts that suggest David fell victim to foul play and organized crime due to his gambling debts,” he says.  “Although with David, I hate to use the word
victim.
”

I’m dumbfounded.  “But that ... wait ... how did ... when was ...”

“All kinds of tips started pouring in after your interview last night.  His so-called
friends
readily spilled the beans when they heard your story.  Which explains all the evidence that was discovered in Jorgenson’s hotel room.”

“You mean my pictures and videos?” I ask, embarrassed to think about anyone seeing them, especially a room full of men, even if they were officers of the law.

“Not entirely.  There were pages and pages of financial statements for both you and Evan, along with NFL Vegas odds, betting lines, and point spreads.  He had notebooks filled with your comings and goings.  We believe he was planning something big.  We know he was in contact with Mac, and it was only a matter of time before Jorgenson used you to get to the real cash cow – your fiancé.”

He pauses to let that sink in.

“Here’s the thing.  David’s disappearance may have saved your life.  We know what he was capable of, we just don’t know how far he was willing to go.”

“Do you think I’m in danger?” I ask, terrified of the response.

“No.  Not now that you’ve gone public.  If he’s still out there, and I seriously doubt he’s still alive, he’s not going to come within a hundred miles of you or Mac.”

Philip goes into great detail to tell me what they know about David’s disappearance.  It’s much worse than I’d imagined.

“Why did you have to come here to tell me like this?  Why not call my attorney or stop by my house?  I know you know how to get there.”

“Indianapolis P.D. is not going to discuss an ongoing investigation with you or anyone else outside the department.  If the real perpetrators think we’re still concentrating on you, they might get lazy and comfortable.  That’s when mistakes are made.  And when they slip up, which they eventually will, they will get caught.”

“Thank you for telling me.  I know you risked your job discussing this with me, but you have to know I’m going to tell Evan.”

Philip gets up from his chair and walks toward the door.  He grabs the doorknob, and just before he walks out, he turns to me and says, “I know.”

And with no more words, no fireworks or confetti, it’s over.

Words Fail Me

P
hilip and I return to the dining room, where he rejoins his wife Megan, who’s occupying her time reading
Rolling Stone Magazine
.  “Thank you for allowing me to steal away your husband.  I hope we didn’t leave you alone for too long.”

“No, not at all.”  She holds up her magazine. “I came prepared.”

I look at Philip, raise my eyebrows, and he smiles knowingly.  This was clearly no accidental meeting, not that I ever thought it was.

“Juliette, why don’t you join us?  Just for a few minutes.  I’d love to get your cheesecake recipe.  It’s the best cherry cheesecake I’ve had in my life, and believe me, I’m a real cheesecake connoisseur.”

Megan knows her cheesecakes.  We debate the merits of two of New York’s finest cheesecake purveyors, Junior’s classic cheesecake versus Two Little Red Hen’s veritable tower of creamy cheese.

Our conversation is interrupted when a big, masculine hand wraps around mine.  I look up to find Evan standing beside me.  My fingers squeeze his hand in joyful appreciation.  He is clearly in protective mode, holding tightly on to me as he scowls at Philip.

Megan tries to act unmoved by the devastatingly handsome man who’s just joined us.  It’s hard not to notice him standing proudly with his jeans cupping his ass and thighs in all the right spots and the breadth of his shoulders stretched under another one of his favorite Black Sabbath concert tees.  No one knows better than me how difficult it is not to stare.

Evan eyes Philip cautiously. “Detective Harper.”

Philip holds out a hand to shake. “Mr. McGuire.”  Evan does not reciprocate.

“Evan, don’t be rude.  Philip is here to share some good news,” I explain.

“Since when are you two on a first-name basis?” he asks with more than a slight anger in his tone.

“Since the investigation ended,” Philip says.  “Juliette can fill you in on the fine details, but I wanted to be the one to tell her that the Point Pleasant P.D. is no longer involved, and that she and her friends are no longer the subject of an active investigation.”

“Forgive me if I don’t jump for joy.  This had better not be some kind of a ploy to get one of us to talk without counsel present,” Evan warns gruffly.

Philip snickers.  “No, you have my word.”

Evan looks at me.  I can’t hide the elation and relief I feel now there’s no more dark cloud hanging over me.  My grin is a mile wide and I think I can stand a little taller now that this weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

“Well, then – that is good news.  Thank you for coming so far out of your way to let us know.”  Evan finally offers Philip a real handshake.  “We won’t keep you any longer.  Enjoy your meal.”

Evan and I return to the bar, where there are two empty seats waiting for us, along with plenty of questions.  Adam is there, and so is Derek, who’s getting ready to start his shift.

“Mac, tell me what the fuck that was all about,” Adam demands.  “He has no right to speak with her or any of us without our attorney present.  I can’t afford to make any mistakes right now.  I have a kid to think about.”

“I know you do, Sparky.  I didn’t mean to make you worry.  Detective Harper is here to share some good news for a change,” I eagerly tell him as I take a seat at the bar.

“Good news?  Well why didn’t you say so?  Spill,” Emmy demands from behind the bar, placing her hand over Adam’s as a way of comforting him and reminding him to be more open-minded.

“The police are no longer listing any of us as potential suspects in David’s disappearance,” I explain.

“All of us?  Auggie, Derek, you, and me?  We’re all officially cleared?” Adam asks.

“Yup.  But there’s more.  The bad news is that the police are now considering the possibility that either he was taken against his will or he simply disappeared in order to avoid paying off his debts, making his disappearance look like a homicide.  He got mixed up with some pretty dangerous thugs.  It doesn’t look good.”

“I’m sorry to break up this pity party, but I was there that night, and personally I think Dipshit got exactly what was coming to him.  As far as I’m concerned, it’s all good news!” Derek pronounces.  “I think we need to celebrate.”

“Absolutely not,” Evan quickly answers.  “Celebrating the potentially violent death of Juliette’s former boyfriend would not play well in the press.  Not here and not now.  Let’s be smart here, people.”

“It’s done,” I repeat.  As reality sinks in, I literally sink into my chair.  My emotions are all over the map.  Just a moment ago I was happy – grateful, even.  Now, all of a sudden, I am filled with grief.  I lay my head on the bar, and once again I cry.  I cry for David, the young man I once loved.  And I cry from relief.  My nightmare is over.

D
erek hosts a dinner at his house Friday night to celebrate Kai’s official name change.  Marcus and I were able to adjust the schedule so we could all attend.  I finally took Lindsay up on her offer to manage for a night so both Marcus and I could have the night off.

Everyone is here except for Auggie and Lucas.  They had to fly out to L.A. yesterday for Lucas’ screen test, and I won’t get to see Auggie before Evan and I leave for our vacation tomorrow.  He’s only been gone a day, but I miss him already.

It’s the strangest thing to see preschool toys all over Derek’s home.  Proudly displayed in the middle of his living room are a giant Brio train set and wooden table.  Evan and I arrive just in time to witness Adam sitting on the floor with Kai on his lap.  We watch as the two control the remote control train engine, sending it up, down, and around the wooden tracks.  The tracks and accessories are meticulously arranged, and the moment something moves out of place, one or both of them hurry to fix it.

Shea has graciously set out bottles of wine, along with a few bottles of sparking apple juice for Emmy.  The two women sit at the table, watching as their men become more and more domestic; Adam playing on the floor with his son and Derek in the kitchen making drinks and putting out food. 

As soon as the rest of our little party arrives, Shea scoops up Kai and puts him to bed.  Derek quickly fixes drinks for Marcus, Camilla, and Reese, who have all come prepared with outrageous and shocking drink orders.  Marcus demands that Derek make him a Dirty Girl Scout.  Camilla orders a Dirty White Mother and Reese surprises us all when she asks Derek to make her a Red Headed Slut.  The irony is lost on no one, not even Shea, who laughs right along with the rest of us.

I look around the room filled with our dearest friends, and I’m reminded how only two weeks ago I was heartbroken and miserable.  Had I known then what I know now, I could have avoided months and months of pain and anguish.  Not just for me, but for everyone in this room.

To think about what could have been tears me apart – how any one of these men could have taken the blame for what happened to David.  There are plenty of innocent people filling the prisons. It happens all the time.  I have moments of regret that make me feel like a giant pile of crapspackle.

I stare at the smiling faces of everyone in this room, and I am reminded of how close I came to ruining it all and losing everything.  Evan has been nothing but patient, kind, and supportive.  He loves me, and I need him more than I need air to breathe.

Reese notices my melancholy and pulls me over to talk in private.  “You’re sitting here feeling sorry for yourself, aren’t you?” I open my mouth to answer, but Reese cuts me off.  “I can see it on your face, so don’t deny it.  I know how your mind works, little lady.  You’re thinking about all that stupid shit with David.  I have two words of advice for you – stop it.  You can’t change the past, so there’s no point in wasting any time thinking about it.  We’re here for you, and now you know how far we’ll all go to support you.  So stop being so self-deprecating and lighten up.”

I do my best to look insulted.  “Did you just tell me to stop defecating?”

“I sure did.  Everyone knows you’re so full of shit,” Reese teases.  “Listen, Jette, I just want to remind you what a great guy you’ve finally got.  No one deserves it more than you.  To see the two of you together really raises the bar.  How will I ever find anyone who comes close?”