Lauren (9 page)

"I'll follow your lead, Lieutenant, and I won't even say I'm from the city,” she said sarcastically, placing emphasis on certain syllables to make her Bronx accent stand out even more, but she understood his concern.

Lauren immediately noticed the old rock and roll theme that had started out in the parking lot now continued inside as she and Eddie entered the front entrance. The entrance itself was designed like a huge jukebox. The side panels were lit up in green and red lights, and the center door was glass but painted to appear like the front of a jukebox with pushbutton numbers and records to choose from.

She thought it was rather ingenious and assumed it took hours to create such a realistic masterpiece. There was a short hallway past the door that began with hardwood flooring, and continued throughout the restaurant. There were old record labels, famous music artists, and names of old bands decorating the walls.

The owner decorated the place from floor to ceiling. Lauren could hear the music playing and she recognized the artist's voice immediately.

"Man, I love Elvis. He was so cool.” Lauren smiled, then located the jukebox. It sat alone, all lit up in lights as
Blue Suede Shoes
played.

"Can I help you?” a young guy asked Eddie.

Lauren walked toward the two men.

They spoke to the bartender who worked at the bar three nights ago. The manager hadn't arrived yet, but Ken had questioned him last night.

The bartender only remembered the blonde, not the guy.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could remember more, but the place was so crowded that night.” He shook his head, sincerely disappointed for not remembering more. Lauren spoke to a waitress as Eddie continued his conversation with the bartender and a cook.

Lauren spoke to some of the other staff, then noticed a bus boy come out of a back room, break eye contact with her, then head into the kitchen. He was Hispanic and to her, he appeared a little frightened.

Lauren made a mental note of it as she listened in on the conversation between Eddie and the bartender.

She looked back toward the kitchen door. Something about the kid bothered her. Call it ‘intuition’ or ‘gut feeling,’ but whatever it was, she didn't feel right leaving the restaurant without speaking to the kid first.

They got what they needed and were about to leave when Lauren asked the bartender, “Hey, do you mind if I speak to the busboy who just entered the kitchen?"

"Yeah, no problem. But his English isn't that great."

"That's okay. Thanks,” Lauren said, then she headed after the busboy.

Eddie followed her into the hot, stuffy kitchen.

The first bus boy was responsive, but another one stood toward the back, near the grills, and avoided looking at her. Lauren focused on the first bus boy instead.

"
Olá, como estás
,” she said.

The guy stepped forward, and spoke to Lauren in broken English.

"So you were outside taking a smoking break? Show me where you were sitting,” Lauren asked as she followed the guy out the back kitchen door, to a set of overturned plastic crates the staff used as seats.

From the farthest seat, one could see the parking lot. Lauren took out her notebook and continued to ask questions, half in English and half in Spanish.

"So you remember seeing a white truck?"

"
Si
."

"Was it a boxed truck?” Lauren made the shape with her hands.

"
Si
and a
señorita
... a woman, yellow hair, got in. She looked like she was..."

The man started rocking side to side, as if he were drunk.

"Too many cervasos?” Lauren asked, with a small smile.

"
Si ... Si, señorita
.” He grinned, nodding his head ‘yes.'

They continued to ask a few questions, and soon they had a description of the vehicle and a partial description of the man.

Lauren thanked the man and shook his hand, smiling wide. He kept nodding and smiling back. She glanced at Eddie. He had been watching and listening. She left the kitchen thinking that Eddie appeared annoyed, and couldn't help but wonder why, as they exited the building and approached the unmarked cruiser.

She was about to open the door when he stopped her.

He stood close to her, too close, but she didn't complain. He was doing that eyebrow thing again and his eyes looked rather intense.

She waited with uncertain anticipation and wondered what, if anything, she had done wrong now.

His hand held the door handle and it brushed against her hipbone. She immediately felt the physical contact and caught her breath. Her first thought was he was in her space. A bit too close for a professional situation, yet she wasn't complaining.

She looked up into Eddie's green eyes. He had a good six inches on her, and she sensed his masculinity. The man had sex appeal. That was an understatement. She forced herself to remain professional and unaffected.

"What is it?” she asked, annoyed at her cracking voice, which Eddie seemed to notice immediately. He smirked, fully aware that he caused such a reaction.
Pompous bastard.

"Where did you learn Spanish?” He still held his position in front of her.

Breathe, Lauren ... just breathe.

"I just seemed to pick it up here and there.” Releasing a sigh and breaking eye contact with him, she attempted to remain calm.

"Shouldn't we head back now?"

Her hand lay behind her, on the door handle. She moved toward him, to give herself space to open the door, and her cell phone and her gun tapped against his hip. She might as well have tapped against him with her body, considering the wave of excitement and pleasure she felt from the contact.

"I said to let me handle it. It's my case, and if you have a hunch, then you should let me in on it,” Eddie scolded.

Surprised at discovering what this entrapment was really about, she was also annoyed at her silly feministic response to the man. Reality set in, and she wondered what his problem was.

"You got it?” He stared at her a moment, before she had time to respond to his first statement. Then, as she began to speak, he quickly moved away, allowing her some space. As if dismissing her, he opened the car door for her and she got in.

She took a half second to take a deep breath, before Eddie entered the car. She wasn't quite sure what that little scene was all about. Quickly, she decided if he were going to continue with the superiority complex, then they would be exchanging more intense words in the near future.

As she debated about giving him a piece of her mind, he entered the driver's side and the voice of dispatch crackled through the radio.

Lifting the receiver to his mouth, he responded, glancing toward her with an unreadable look while he continued his brief conversation.

Starting the ignition, he reversed one handedly, concluding the conversation, then replaced the receiver to its proper location.

"You know,” Lauren began to say, when Eddie's cell phone rang.

She decided it wasn't worth the effort, as they headed back toward the Ridgeburgh PD.

It was dinnertime back at the Ridgeburgh Police Department. Various maps of the surrounding area as well as the city now covered some of the office walls.

They had a description and sample picture of the white-boxed truck and a sketch artist worked on a picture of their possible suspect.

Lauren stretched her arms out above her head, turning her neck side to side to work out the kinks.

"Sprite or Coke?” Eddie offered Lauren first choice of the cold beverage.

"Coke. Thanks.” Lauren opened the can to take a sip. She was grateful for the caffeine, but she needed something to eat. Her stomach growled.

"We just ordered some pies from up the road. They'll be here in twenty minutes."

"Sounds good to me. So how many detectives do you usually have working homicide in this department?” Lauren asked, trying to keep the conversation away from personal stuff even though she wondered if Eddie was involved with anyone. It was weird to be so attracted to someone and at the same time dislike him. She hardly knew him at all.

"Usually ten, but with a case like this, we can pull another eight or so for assistance.” He leaned against the wall and watched her.

Eddie was exhausted, and wondered if he looked like he felt. Lauren didn't. She still looked fresh, energetic, and ready for another sleepless twenty-four hours.

"Hey, Eddie, I was just thinking, did you actually call the other surrounding departments and ask if anyone remembers seeing a white box truck, or did you just put out an APB?"

"Probably just the APB, since we don't have a license plate. Why?"

Lauren rubbed her temples. “Ahhh, forget it. I don't know what I was thinking. There's something we're not connecting and I can't put my finger on it."

"You mean with his route and where he finds these women?"

"Exactly. Maybe a quick phone call to the surrounding departments might stir up some info. Can you put someone on it? In the meantime, let's go back over the locations where the victims were last seen. We'll look at the surrounding bars and restaurants."

"Why the hell not,” Eddie said, and they went back to the room.

It was nearly midnight, the place had cleared out. Eddie decided they should call it a night. “Let's pick this up tomorrow."

"Okay. Hey, Lauren, you need a lift?” Ken asked.

Eddie shot him a dirty look.

"No, thanks, Ken. I have my car and I'm staying at the motel a couple of blocks over."

"I thought you said you had family nearby?” Ken asked.

Lauren gathered her things, and met Eddie and Ken by the office door. “I do, but I don't want to mix my personal life with my work. And the city is paying,” she added, with a smile.

"Then you should have picked the Hilton outside of town,” Ken said sarcastically.

"I wasn't given much choice. It's fine, really."

The three of them walked out to the parking lot. The heat hit them full force. Ken waved goodbye as he left. Lauren opened the passenger's door and tossed her stuff on the seat.

It was hot out. At least 85 degrees. Her cool skin warmed up quick, and she instantly missed the air-conditioned office.

She started closing the door and watched Eddie as he lightly nibbled his bottom lip.

He wanted to say something, but he didn't.

"Good night,” Lauren said, then got into the car and left. Glancing back at Eddie, he appeared disappointed for some reason. Dismissing it, she headed out of the parking lot."

While he drove, Eddie thought back to four years earlier. So many times, he wished things had gone differently. He didn't want to go over the past, reminisce about his wife's murder and the investigation. He never would give up hope of one day finding her killer. If he could just find her killer and lay it all to rest, everything would be different. However, four years made it harder and for the first time, he found himself attracted to another woman. A woman he was sure he couldn't have and even if he could, he didn't think he had it in him to love someone like that again.

He tried to bury the feelings, the attraction and chemistry between Lauren and him, by turning up the volume on the radio and blasting the music. Slowly, he denied his feelings, and his gut, and sang along to the music.

Instead of heading home, he drove around the area thinking about the case and the poor young woman who was missing. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to find this guy and stop him.

The next few days passed without a further clue or lead in the case. Lauren stood in the hallway, taking another call from Renee Wilson's mother.

"Yes, ma'am, we're trying our hardest, but there's no new information as of now.” She spoke into the phone, while Eddie listened to the one side of the conversation, by the doorway.

"I understand, and I can empathize with the difficult time you, Mr. Wilson, and your family are going through. I promise to keep you informed as the investigation continues. You take care of yourself, and yes, you can call me again. No problem, ma'am,” Lauren ended the call. She released a deep sigh, as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Victim's parents?” Eddie interrupted Lauren's thoughts, as she turned toward him.

"Yeah,” was all she said as she bowed her head and began walking past him.

He gently took her hand to stop her. He looked at her, staring deeply into her eyes.

"It's nice of you to talk to them. Not everyone can handle that,” he told her and she gave a small smile, then continued walking back to the desk.

Ten minutes later, he'd received a call from a patrol officer who was working the night Jillian disappeared.

"Yeah, Lieutenant Tennellie, this is Officer Murray from the Creek Valley P.D. I just got in after a few days off and heard about the missing woman. I'm not sure if it was her or not, but I was conducting a registration check and DWI with another officer when we stopped a white box truck. There was a guy driving and a young lady, blonde, who was laying her head against his chest. It didn't look suspicious at all and his registration was legit. There was no need to stop him,” the officer added in defense of himself.

"About what time was this, Officer Murray?” Tennellie asked.

"Around 11:00 p.m. or so."

Eddie asked the officer a few more questions. They were able to confirm that their suspect drove the truck and that the blonde passenger was Jillian Monroe.

He hung up the phone and relayed the information to Ken and Lauren.

"So it didn't look like she didn't want to be there. She looked consenting?” Ken asked.

"As consenting as someone can be when there's Ecstasy in their system,” Lauren added sarcastically.

"Well, that puts our suspect at the scene and accompanying the victim,” Eddie added.

"More evidence, but nothing that can tell us who this guy is and where we can find him,” Lauren said.

Ken nodded in agreement.