The Freelancer – Chapter 59

Sunday, October 5

As I’d expected, this week’s Sunday dinner turned out to be a birthday party for Lana, complete with fifteen five year olds.  I could tell Elaine put a great deal of effort into the 50’s sock hop for her daughter, though I couldn’t figure out why.  They were far too young to be familiar with any of the music.  More than one little girl asked me during the ‘pin the kiss on Elvis’ game who he was.

Elaine expressed her gratitude to me for my help numerous times during the party.  Conveniently, Daniel Whitman had to work.  Of course, I knew there was more behind his absence.  On a hunch, I placed a tail on him to see if we could uncover what he was hiding.  Chances were, it wasn’t relevant to the case, but I didn’t usually dislike people for no reason and I couldn’t take a chance that he was somehow involved with more than he let on.

By five o’clock, the last parent had come to collect their child and Lana was sitting in her room reading a picture book a friend gave her as a gift.  I wondered what in Lana’s short life happened to make her so obedient.  Most children her age were wild and energetic, not poised and demure.

It occurred to me I hadn’t seen Jenna or Elaine in a while and I went in search of them.  Part of me hates admitting it, but when I heard hushed voices speaking in the laundry room, I stopped short of entering.  The agent in me wanted to know the reason for the secrecy.

The man in me wanted to know what kind of review I was getting…

“I don’t like the guy, Jen.  There’s something not right about him,” Elaine said.

I strained to hear who they were talking about because I knew it wasn’t me.

“’Laine, I’m sorry.  I had no idea he would come over here to talk to you.  He’s an old friend. Nothing more.” Jenna’s voice was an aggravated whisper.

Had to be Blackstone.  The terrorist was busy doing more than evading my surveillance team.

“Even when you were in high school, you know I didn’t approve of that friendship.”

“You mean Daniel didn’t approve.”

“Don’t put this off on him like that.  I didn’t like Chad back then and I don’t like Chad now.  After what he did to those animals, I don’t know how…”

“Stop it, ‘Laine. You and I both know he wasn’t the one who vandalized the shelter and slaughtered those animals.”

“Jen, I know another student took the wrap for it and got expelled. But I don’t buy the story. When guys get kicked off the football team for hazing, they don’t slaughter animals. They go after whoever got them kicked off the team.”

“Look, I’ve had lunch with him once since he came back to town and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve run into him outside of that.  He’s an old friend, not my boyfriend. Can we drop it now?”

Why didn’t I know about her having lunch with him?  Wait, I guess I did know, but telling me last night after a few too many drinks didn’t count.

“Okay, I’ll drop it.  There is something else I’ve been dying to talk to you about.”

I heard Jenna groan.  “And what might that be?”

“You had sex,” Elaine said, triumphant.

“Elaine!  You talked to Trista?”

“No.  I didn’t have to.  You’ve got that happy-goofy-tired glow about you.  Besides, your bottom lip is swollen, like you’ve been kissed for hours.”

Oh yeah, it had been hours…and hours.  I couldn’t control the smile creeping over my face.  The only thing to rein it in was the knowledge of how little Elaine would like me if she knew the truth about me.

“Don’t give me that look, Jen. I’m not coming down on you; I think it’s great.  I’m just wondering what changed.  I thought you swore off men after Tony.”

That was news to me.

“You never listen to a word a say, ‘Laine.  I said I had swore off men with dangerous jobs.”

Uh-oh. So much for entertaining the thought of keeping Jenna in my life once I told her what I really do for a living.

“You know he wasn’t on duty.”

“No, he wasn’t, but he was the job.  If he hadn’t been a cop, he never would have tried that heroic stunt.  We both know I’m right.”  Jenna paused.  “Besides, none of that matters now.  I’m with Jackson and he has the most boring career I could imagine.  I think I could have a real future with him.”

That was enough.  I crept away without a sound.  Once I closed the back patio door behind me, I ran my hands through my hair and sighed in aggravation.  Why couldn’t I be who I said I was?

My cell phone interrupted my thoughts before I could grow more depressed about the situation.

“Caldwell.”

“I know how Blackstone slipped past us,” Collin said.

“Great.  How?”

“He has a second car.  There’s a ledge underneath his back balcony that makes it easy to climb down to the first floor.”

I was puzzled.  “Why would he sneak out of his own home?  That doesn’t make any…sonofabitch!  He’s onto us.  Dammit, someone must have tipped him off that we were asking questions about him.”

Collin was quiet for a moment before he spoke.  “Probably the grandmother.  I could tell she didn’t appreciate our questions.  Should I pull Foster and Rodriguez?”

“No, I’m not going to make it easy on him just because he knows about us. Tell them to be on guard.  We’ll have to get someone to cover the back now, too,” I added.

“Taken care of.”

“Good.  Oh, I almost forgot.  I overheard Jenna and Elaine talking about him.  Do we have anything on a possible animal mutilation involving him when he was in high school?”

“No.  I’d remember something like that.  Why?”

“See what you can dig up on it.  Another student took the wrap for it.  This might be nothing, but…”

“It fits the profile.  I’ll see what I can find out.  See you tomorrow.”

I was beginning to like the way he thought.

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