Pierced: Pierced Trilogy Boxed Set (33 page)

“Right,” Skinner says. “But that’s still a good idea. That’s something positive I can take back to Lucas Colby. But you can’t do it all. I want someone there during the daytime too. That way I can tell Colby we’ve got eyes on his sister’s place around the clock. I think the department can spare a little overtime for this. I’d also like to tell him we’ve beefed up patrols in her neighborhood as well.”

“Do we have anything else at this point?” Lieutenant Marcos interjects, looking from me to Conner. “Anything else that we can tell Lucas Colby to reassure him that we are doing everything in our power to catch this jerk?”

Marcos is a good guy, as supervisors go. He’s always quick to listen to your side of things, and he’s willing to go to bat for the detectives working under him. He’s also one of the old timers that know my history, and he was real supportive when I first made detective. In fact, he and Lee Parson were both part of the five-man review board that selected me when I put in for this position.

“We still have the sketch of the tattoo that Miss Colby drew,” Conner offers. “She insists this guy has the tattoo on the right side of his neck.”

“Conner and I will continue to canvas the area tattoo parlors,” I add. “I was also thinking about maybe faxing the sketch to departments in neighboring cities. Someone somewhere has to have seen it before; it’s a pretty unique design.”

“Okay, that’s a good idea. Go with it,” Marcos says, still scowling. “Keep me posted.”

“And keep me in the loop on this one,” Captain Skinner adds as we stand. “The last thing this department needs is to piss off the Colby family.”

His words are sobering and I can’t stop thinking about them the rest of the morning. What if I let my involvement with Samantha fuck this investigation up somehow and end up embarrassing the department? And pissing off the Colby family in the process?
Don’t psych yourself out, Pierce. Now is not the time to get squirrelly. Just do your job and keep Sam safe.

After lunch, I start watching the clock incessantly and I wonder why I haven’t heard from Sam but, I guess no word is a good thing. Around one thirty, I can’t take it anymore and I send her a text:

Hey, Sunshine.

How’s your day going, baby?

Her reply is almost instantaneous, which is a relief. It means that she’s okay:

Uneventful. Which is good, I guess.

I’m sleepy though. U?

Her response makes me smile, but I think about how she tossed and turned last night. I’m sure she has to be tired.

Day’s almost over, u can go home n sleep.

Tell u about my day later.

I don’t want to get into her brother’s phone call to the Mayor over text. I’ll tell her when I pick her up from work in a couple of hours. As I’m turning back to the report on my desk, I get another response from her:

I miss u, Josh.

I sit and stare at her text for a moment, sort of not believing what I’m seeing. I know she told me she missed me yesterday but, seeing the words in front of my eyes is just a little … surreal. Out of nowhere, my heart actually skips a beat as I stare at those words. Fuck. What is this girl doing to me? I text her back:

I miss u too, baby.

C u soon.

At quarter to four, I tell Conner that I’m headed out to escort Samantha home. He looks up at me and I can tell that he’s got something on his mind but, he doesn’t say it. “What is it, Dave?”

He hesitates a beat and then says, “I just want you to be careful, Guy. Marcos and Skinner … even the Chief … they’re all watching this case closely now. And now the Mayor’s office is involved too. Look, I know telling you to cool it with Samantha until this thing is over would be a waste of my time but … just be careful,” he shrugs.

I nod silently and head out. I know what he’s saying is probably the smart thing to do but, I just can’t. I am not going to put our relationship on hold waiting for this investigation to be over. That’s not going to happen. Not unless Samantha were to ask me to. And if her last text is any indication, she feels the same way on this subject as I do.

When I get to the museum, Sam is waiting for me just inside the doors, and her security detail, Mr. Martin, ushers her out of the building and over to my truck. I get it. He doesn’t want me to leave my vehicle unattended by coming inside to get her. That would leave the truck open to any number of vulnerabilities: explosive devices, listening bugs, general sabotage. A little overkill maybe, but I like the way this guy thinks, and I wonder if he was ever a cop before he got into the close protection business.

“Thank you, Martin,” Samantha says to him. “I’ll see you here tomorrow?”

“For as long as you need me, Miss Colby,” he says, all business. “I wish you’d reconsider letting me check your apartment.”

“Detective Pierce has it covered,” she says, and he eyes me speculatively. I return his steady gaze and I know we’re sizing each other up right now. “As I told you,
and my brother
this morning, I only need someone with me while I’m working.”

“As you wish, ma’am,” he says with barely concealed exasperation. “Detective,” he says as he nods at me. I return his nod and he closes the passenger door, allowing us to get underway. As I pull slowly out of the parking lot, a question occurs to me.

“Hey, Sam, does your brother know about us? That we’ve been seeing each other?” I ask her, thinking about the kiss Martin witnessed this morning and wondering whether or not he’s reporting back to Lucas Colby on his sister’s personal life.

“No,” she shakes her head, “and I had a conversation about that with Martin this morning after you left. He assured me that discretion is a major part of his job, and that I am his client right now, not Lucas.”

“Okay,” I say as I reach over and take her hand.

On the drive over, I tell Samantha about her brother’s phone call to the Mayor this morning and my subsequent meeting with my Lieutenant and my Captain. She apologizes for what she calls Lucas’ overbearing tendencies, and I try to assure her it’s no big deal but, I’m not sure how convincing I am. The fact is, this case has just gotten a lot more complicated and her brother’s call to the Mayor isn’t making things easier.

Glancing in my rearview mirror, I see Martin tailing us as I pull into the private lot of Sam’s apartment building, and he stays several yards back as we get out and head inside. We enter her apartment and I do a quick sweep of it, checking all the closets and making sure all her balcony doors and windows are securely locked. I even do a quick check of her studio upstairs, just for my own peace of mind. When I finish, I find her in the living room waiting for me.

“I’ve got to go, baby,” I tell her glancing at my watch. “I’ve got to get back to the station. You going to be okay?” I ask her, putting my arms around her and pulling her to me.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she says, and I can tell that she’s tired.

“You know, you should lie down,” I say softly. “Take a nap. Try to make up for the sleep you didn’t get last night.”

“I’ll be fine,” she protests softly with a small frown.

“Hey, this is not a request,” I tell her, trying to sound stern but failing miserably. “I want you to lie down for a while. And another thing … don’t cook! When I come back, I’ll bring some take out, all right? Do you like Chinese?”

“Chinese is fine,” she says, giving in after a slight pause.

“Oh, everything’s fine,” I say with roll of my eyes. “You’re going to be difficult, aren’t you?” I ask her and she nods, giving me an exaggerated pout. I kiss her lips tenderly. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” I head to the door and turn back to look at her but, she interrupts me before I can even open my mouth.

“I’m locking the door!” She’s wearing a sassy smirk on her beautiful face and I can’t help but smile at her. This is an improvement over her sadness this morning.

“Are you being a smartass, Miss Colby?” I ask her with a chuckle.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, Detective Josh,” she purrs, batting those big green eyes at me. And I can’t help myself. I reach out and grab her, pulling her to me with one hand as the other tangles in her hair, and I kiss her passionately for a long moment.

I have to make myself pull away before I get completely lost in her. “I gotta go, baby,” I whisper. “I’ll be back soon. Call me if you need me, okay?”

“I will.” She looks at me with a small smile and I get going. I wait to hear that she locks the door and then I head out. As I walk to my truck, I see Martin sitting discretely on the corner of the parking lot. I get into my truck and pull away, and as I near his black sedan, I roll my window down. I come to a stop when our driver’s side doors meet up, and our eyes lock.

“How long do you plan to sit here?” I ask him, getting right to the point.

“Until my relief comes,” he answers me truthfully, and I smirk at him and nod. So maybe Lucas Colby is calling the shots after all.

“Mr. Colby is concerned about his sister’s safety,” he tells me. “He wants her to feel like she’s in control, but he wants someone watching her place at all times.”

“The SPD is doing that,” I counter, motioning to the unmarked cruiser sitting on the street in front of the building.

“And so is my security team,” he responds. “On the orders of Mr. Lucas Colby.”

“And does Colby expect you to report back on his sister’s private life, Mr. Martin?” I ask him.

“My job is to help keep her safe, Detective,” he answers without hesitation. “All Mr. Colby will hear from me is that his sister is safely at home and that she had an uneventful day at work. How she got to and from work, and who she spends her evenings with is not what he’s concerned about.”

“And I’m assuming your relief reports directly to you, not him?” I ask.

“That’s correct.”

“Good,” I say with a nod. “Well, if you’re going to be here until we catch this guy, you should know that you’ll be seeing a lot of me.” He nods silently at me and I know that he understands the situation.

“Well, since we’re being so forthcoming here, you should know that until your department catches up with this asshole, Mr. Colby wants me to shadow his sister whenever she leaves her apartment. Not just while she’s at work.” He looks me straight in the eye as he makes his intentions clear. “I intend to do my job, Detective. But I’m quite good at it, so don’t worry. Outside of the close protection detail at the museum, Miss Colby will never even see me.”

“I saw you,” I respond matter-of-factly with a smug shrug of my shoulders, and he smirks at me.

“Yes. Well, you’re trained to spot me,” he concedes. “She’s not.”

I study him speculatively for a moment, eyes narrowed as I contemplate Lucas Colby and his efforts to keep his sister safe. First his call to the Mayor and now this. Well, I wanted Sam to have a close protection detail. She’s the one who insisted on it only being at work. As much as I hate to admit it, even to myself … I think I like the way her brother operates. At least on this. He’s obviously working hard to find a way to protect his sister while making her feel as though she’s still in the driver’s seat. Trying to respect her wishes while also trying to keep her safe. I gotta admire that.

“I have to go back to the station but I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” I say, taking one of my cards out and handing it to him through our open windows. “I’m glad you’re here,” I tell him honestly, looking him in the eye. He nods again, his eyebrows raised slightly as he takes my card. I think I’ve surprised him with that statement. “Any problems, you call me.”

I pull out of the parking lot then and head back to the station. The rest of my afternoon drags by as I can’t keep my mind on anything but Samantha. I wonder if she’s okay and if she’s taking a nap like I suggested. And I think about Conner’s words earlier, about being careful and about the brass watching this case now. And I also think about Lucas Colby. I’ve only met him that one time in Sam’s hospital room but, from what I remember, he seemed genuinely concerned about his sister, and from what Samantha’s told me, the two of them seem to have a sincere affinity for one another. I looked into it when Conner and I first caught this case, and from all accounts, Samantha and Lucas Colby are said to be devoted to each other. Especially since the death of their father four years ago. I know that he meant well with his phone call to the Mayor this morning; he’s only trying to look after her. I can’t fault him for that. Hell, I actually respect it. He’s doing what any good brother ought to do. Doesn’t make my life any easier though, but he doesn’t know that.

When my work day is finally over and I leave the station, I make three stops before heading back to Samantha’s place. First, I go home to empty my gym bag and refill it with another clean shirt, clean underwear and socks. Then, I stop at the Dragon & Phoenix Chinese restaurant to pick up our dinner. Finally, I make a quick stop at the same florist shop I went to the other day. Maybe I’m going overboard here but, Sam’s had such a difficult couple of days, and she was so sad this morning and so frustrated this afternoon. I just want to do something to make her smile again. Besides, buying a girl flowers is what boyfriends do, isn’t it?
Is that what you are, Pierce? Her boyfriend?
Fuck. Is that what I am? I don’t even know; we’ve never talked about it. I frown as I enter the shop and the friendly bell sounds, alerting the girl behind the counter to my presence.

“Hello,” she calls out as she comes around the counter to help me.

“Hi,” I mutter back, still mulling over the boyfriend thought.

“Did the rose work?” she asks me with a small smile.

“What?” I look at her with an annoyed frown.

“The Esperance rose?” she asks again. “Did it do the trick? Did you get a second date?”

“Oh. Yes, it did,” I say, offering her a weak smile. “Thank you.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure,” she smiles. “What can I help you with today?”

“I don’t know,” I shrug, glancing helplessly around the store. “Yeah, I do,” I say suddenly, turning to her with an air of determination. “Get me a whole bouquet of those ‘hope’ roses.”