The Witness

Chapter Nine

THE GROUND WASN’T FROZEN YET, but it was hard packed and ankle turning, and the walk took twenty minutes across rough pasture. She was a lone figure on the horizon with nothing around her but the fence she was working on and the tools she carried. The destination was easy, but what Luke would say was not so simple. It was too early for the coffee he carried even though the sun was up, his sleep something that had ended with the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. He could think of a lot easier ways to start his Monday morning.

“You’re a hard lady to find, Lieutenant.”

Caroline St. James looked around to see him, and he caught a brief flash of surprise followed by stillness. “Chief.” She turned her attention back to the job at hand and tightened another coil of barbed wire, then stapled it to the post.

“I thought you were staying in the city this winter.”

“My uncle needed a hand.”

“Humm.” It looked like she was rebuilding most of this pasture fencing. He set aside his coffee and put his weight against the next wire to be stretched and pulled it taut. She drove in the staples.

She’d grown up on this land. She’d learned to shoot in the upper pasture firing at old Coke bottles and learned to be still and watch by tracking deer through the woods. He’d thought when he first met her that the city and the job wouldn’t be her cup of tea, but she’d turned out to be one of the best cops he’d ever had the privilege of working with.

“What brings you out to find me?”

“Trouble.”

She paused long enough to read his expression. “Not a shot cop.”

“Not quite that bad.”

She picked up her tools and moved to the next fence post.

“Have you been following what’s been going on with the Griffin sisters?”

“I’m not entirely cut off from the news out here, Chief.” She smiled. “I’ve met the youngest, Tracey. Marsh is seriously attached to that one.”

“There are three sisters: Marie, Tracey, and Amanda. The oldest, Amanda, you’ll remember as Kelly Brown.”

Caroline stopped working and leaned against the post to consider the name. She nodded. “Bressman’s Jewelry store three years ago-the murders. The lady gave us the name of the shooter-yeah, I remember her. I was interviewing one of the former employees who had made a threat against the store manager when Marsh passed word they had an ID on the shooter. You’ve got me curious.”

“Amy witnessed a hit in New York eight years ago and has been running ever since. There’s a dead cop along the trail, along with a few other close calls, and a bunch of money a guy wants back at any cost.”

“And her sisters just inherited money and became new targets.”

“Yes.”

Caroline winced. “I can see that would indeed be trouble.” She secured the next loop of the wire. “What do you need?”

“A safe place for a reunion. The two sisters think Amy died in New York. They haven’t seen her in eight years.”

“She’s back in town?”

He smiled. “She keeps her own counsel, kind of like someone else I know. She’ll call me Wednesday night for details.”

“There are a lot of reporters around the sisters. I’ve seen the news stories being run every day. They are making the two of them the main celebrities for the winter people-watching season.”

Luke smiled at the way she put it but thought it pretty accurate. The events in Marie’s and Tracey’s lives were being made into something even bigger than their story already was. “I’ll arrange the transportation to get them out of that spotlight. I need somewhere remote, absolutely private, with several roads in and out, and if you can add elegance and food and drinks and a lot of Kleenex it would help. Plan for Thursday night, and I’ll bring them in after dark.”

“I’ve been chosen for this assignment, I see; why?”

“Amy’s former army too.”

Caroline looked at him. “You always did like to go for the jugular when you needed to use it.”

“Logistics, she said. And good at it. She was in a long time.”

Caroline sighed. “It’s going to cost.”

Luke held out an envelope. “Blank checks already signed and you’re authorized for all three cards; try not to max them all out, please.”

She tucked the envelope into her coat pocket. “At this point I’m curious enough I’ve got no choice but to do it just to meet her. You know her well?”

“Not nearly as well as I would like.” He reached for his coffee, satisfied the biggest objective of his day was covered. “You should think about coming back to take over major cases, Caroline.”

“I retired.”

“Unretire.” He reached out a hand to rub her coat sleeve. “You’re missed. And there is nothing you could have done differently.”

“He left behind a wife and two kids, and I’m the one who put two bullets in him. He was breaking up under the stress in his life, and the officers around him didn’t see and stop the spiral. I can’t do my job when I’m wondering what is going through the head of the guy beside me and behind me.”

Luke didn’t dispute any of it; he-more than anyone-knew the pain she carried. She was tall and proud and comfortable with herself, but the shooting had taken a lot away from her. “You’ll suffocate out here, in the absence of the job you wanted since you were a kid. You are a good cop, and nothing that happened changed that.”

“I don’t want the dream anymore, Luke. It’s not worth the hurt.”

He slowly nodded. “Think about it anyway. I’m keeping a slot in the payroll for you-any time, any job-you’ll be welcome back.”

“I appreciate it.” She picked up her tools. “What of this do you want to approve?”

“I’ll trust your judgment. I’ll just need specifics before Wednesday evening.”

“Who knows about the reunion?”

“Me. You. In a short while Marsh and Connor. That will be it.”

“That’s best.”

“I think so too.”

“I’ll call you when I have something arranged.”

“Thanks, Caroline. It means a lot.”

She smiled. “I think you mean Amy means a lot. I’m glad for you.”

“Don’t get your hopes up; she won’t even tell me the name she’s using now.” He smiled and finished his coffee. “I think someone is going to fall hard for you one day, Caroline, and they’ll never know what hit them.”

“I do have that effect on guys,” she agreed, smiling back. “Get to work, Chief. This problem is covered.”

Because he knew just a layer of the depths in this woman and the deeper waters inside her heart, he reached over and gently brushed a glove down her cheek. “I’m glad we dated all those years ago; I’ve been waiting for someone to match you for a very long time.” She’d been in the army then and home between deployments. Caroline was one of the most fascinating ladies he had ever had the privilege of getting to know, as well as being one of the most beautiful. The years hadn’t changed that impression of his friend.

“You’ll find her sometime, maybe this time. And, Chief-” she smiled as she shared a secret-“Marsh already bought the ring for the youngest sister. Just so you know.”

Luke tugged off his coat as he entered his office and dumped it on the box of reading materials he had to get to eventually. His Monday was already looking to be a flurry of calls and meetings, and finding time wasn’t going to happen, so he was making it where he could. “Close the door, Connor.”

Connor closed the door, and he and Marsh took seats across from the desk.

Luke took a deep breath and knew how unusual his request was going to sound. “I need you two to arrange dates for Thursday night, and get Tracey and Marie over near Pliat County for the evening. Any problems with that?”

Marsh looked at Connor and back at him. “No, sir, there shouldn’t be. They’ve got a private party tomorrow night for friends at the gallery, but otherwise their calendar was still clear.”

“Amy called,” Connor said quietly, looking for confirmation.

Luke nodded. “St. James is helping me set something up for late Thursday night; we’re going to try and get the sisters safely together for a reunion.”

“I’ll need a pay raise for all the Kleenex this is going to take. Amy’s okay?” Marsh asked.

“She’s got guys trailing her, and it won’t take much to have her call it off. I need you to arrange it so if this aborts, Marie and Tracey have no idea it was ever planned. I’ll call around eight Thursday night-if it’s on, come to the location St. James arranges, but if there’s been trouble, take the sisters straight home.”

“Yes, that’s probably best. Who else knows?”

“Me, you two, St. James. I’ll tell Sam she’s made contact but not about the meeting. If trouble’s not here already, it will be anytime. The less people who might be followed or overheard the better. Amy said there have been two guys on her trail on and off for quite some time. They’ll have seen that news conference too.”

Marsh rose. “We’ll talk to Caroline and make sure we’re clear on the area where this will go down.”

“Guys…” Luke hesitated. “Amy’s fragile right now, very much on edge. Try to make sure the sisters have some perspective on it even if you can’t tell them what is coming. Anything you can do will help.”

“She not only called; you met her,” Marsh said softly.

“Yes.”

“This will go down smoothly, Chief. Whatever it takes,” Connor replied. “Thanks, guys.”

“So what are you doing on this beautiful day?” Connor asked.

Pleased at Connor’s call, Marie shifted the phone and looked down at the street. “My plans for opening the gallery at 10 a.m. look like a waste of time. There are six reporters and cameramen out there, Connor. I counted them. It’s ridiculous.”

“Bryce is around?”

“Yes. He’s the only bright spot around here. They’d be pounding on glass and holding the doorbell button down if he wasn’t out there making his presence loom large in their minds.” She turned away from the window to resume her work folding laundry, the phone tucked against her shoulder.

“Daniel was arranging a pool interview to try and back them off?”

“Tomorrow morning at nine with both Tracey and me. Maybe it will help but I don’t know. Most of them are from the tabloid press and are looking for dirt at any cost. They’ve been calling our friends, our former schoolmates, anyone with a story to tell. Did you see the paper today?” There had been another piece on the family with most of it being hashed over third-hand quotes about her aunt and mother and her sister Mandy, but it had been deeply embarrassing just the same, more innuendo than fact and overly aggressive in the picture it painted of the affair Henry had had. Marie knew the article must have deeply wounded Daniel too. She’d like to tarnish that reporter’s name in reply but had no means to fight back.

“Sykes is an aggressive reporter looking for anything that can get him promoted from the city daily to a national paper. He’s filling space with whatever he can get to have the byline. Ignore him. It’s not going to stay this way forever.”

“I know. That’s just easier said than done.”

“Let it go. So what are your modified plans for today?”

She turned her attention to what she’d been doing when he called. “Finish the laundry, then work with Tracey on the party plans for tomorrow night. So far we’ve made a hundred thirty invitation calls, and not a one has said they can’t make it. You would think someone in our circle of friends would have other more pressing arrangements for tomorrow night.”

Connor laughed. “Yeah, right. You’re inviting everyone you and Tracey know?”

“Pretty much. If I’ve got to explain everything and answer questions and plaster a smile on my face for a few hours, at least I want it over in one night. Not that I mind talking about this turn of events… I just get tired of doing nothing but talking about it.”

“I know what you mean. I think the party is a good solution. What else is on your week?”

“Daniel wants us to meet with a couple attorneys Wednesday. He insists we have independent representation not associated with Benton Group or Henry. The rest of the day will be trying to get some order back into the gallery after the party. I’ll keep the gallery closed for another week, interview two more possible staff on Friday, and adjust to thinking about maybe next week getting my life back into some order.”

“Give it time, Marie. The days are going to be like this for a while, but they’ll eventually return to normal. Would you maybe like to catch dinner and a movie some night this week, say Thursday? I’ve got a day in court so I should be getting off at a reasonable time.”

Marie looked down the hall to where Tracey was singing with the radio as she sorted out her things to take back with her to college. She’d heard Tracey on the phone with Marsh earlier that morning and left to give them privacy for the call, but not before she had heard her sister confirm a date for Thursday night. Since the choice was staying at home by herself or going out, there wasn’t much of a decision to make. She would enjoy an evening out. “I’d like that, Connor. As long as it can be somewhere I’m not going to get approached by hordes of well-wishers.”

She heard Connor chuckle. “I can probably manage that. Any kind of movie you don’t like?”

“Avoid the blood-and-guts kind, but otherwise I’m flexible.”

“Easy enough. I’ll call for you around six-thirty, and make it dress up. I’ve got a nice quiet place in mind that does wonderful Italian.”

“I’ll look forward to it. Thanks, Connor.”

“You’ll hear from me again today; I’m just catching ten minutes while I sit and watch for a guy that I suspect is already in Honduras by now.”

She smiled. “You got stood up.”

“Happens all the time in this profession, I’m afraid. Enjoy today, Marie, even with all the obstacles.”

“I’ll do that.”

She was smiling as she set down the phone.

“That was Connor?” Tracey asked, slipping in earrings as she came in.

“Yes. It looks like I’m going out Thursday night as well.”

“Marsh said dress up, so I was thinking of a shopping trip this afternoon. You want to risk it? Maybe head over to those shops near the college?”

“Yes, let’s do that.” Tracey had a great eye for clothes and what accessories went well together, and Marie would enjoy hearing her opinion on what she found. “Let’s splurge on new outfits for the party tomorrow night as well.”

Tracey headed back to get her purse and jacket, and Marie smiled as she thought about what she wanted to look for in a dress. Dates were special occasions and called for special things.

Mandy, I wish you were going shopping with us. These are big days in our lives, and there’s a void that never fills when you’re not here to join us. I hope heaven is nice. You are missed here.

With the will and the new wealth had come the possibility that they could finally get some closure regarding her sister. Sam had agreed to meet her and discuss what could be done to learn more about what had happened in New York years ago. There had to be a solution to this hurt.

Does peace ever come, God? So many years grieving the loss with You and it never really seems to get better or less sharp. I don’t know what I expected You to do for me about the hurt, but the fact it’s still so raw-I guess I didn’t expect that after all these years. Tracey’s going to pick up on my mood if I’m not careful, and I don’t want that. She deserves the happiness she’s found with Marsh, and I am looking forward to going out with Connor. He strikes me as a nice guy to have as a friend if not something a lot more. Please help me shake this sadness, at least for today.

Facts couldn’t be changed; she’d long ago accepted that. But they still hurt-and badly-in the memories that did not fade.

Marie went to join Tracey, forcing a smile in place and pushing back the sadness.