When in doubt, p.19
When in Doubt, page 19
She walked back to her vehicle wondering why she hadn’t believed Simone last night or her own instincts. If Randy, or any other member of her squad, was capable of framing Jeri for a shooting, he’d certainly be capable of assaulting Simone. The troubling question was why. She’d worked with those guys for years, fought beside them on the job, and helped them personally on more than one occasion. Why would any one of them set her up?
Chapter Twenty-five
Simone checked her phone after each client hoping to hear from Jeri, but at five o’clock, she was convinced she was being ghosted. She’d hoped Jeri would give her theory some thought and at least admit it was possible. She should’ve expressed her suspicions about Randy more carefully, but was there really a delicate way to tell someone their best friend was possibly a criminal? When the someone was Jeri, probably not. She’d been through too much lately to see things clearly, especially when it came to the shooting.
She packed her bag and started toward the elevator but spotted Cleaves and ducked into the stairwell. The last thing she wanted right now was another vague conversation and condescending look from him. She was almost home when her phone pinged with a text.
Meet us at Zeto for wine?
Charlotte’s message clearly included Erica, and Simone checked herself before answering. She hadn’t spoken to Erica since their exchange about Jeri at the bar and wasn’t sure she wanted to. Why should she? Because you love Jeri, her conscience replied. She texted back. See you in 15. She darted upstairs, dropped off her bag, changed clothes, and walked into the bar precisely on time.
“Hey, girl.” Charlotte rose to give Simone a hug. “Glad you could make it.”
“Me too. I needed this.” She glanced sideways at Erica but didn’t acknowledge her.
“We probably need to talk,” Erica said, waving for Simone to join them.
“Probably a good idea.” Simone took the seat across from Erica so she could watch her reactions and gauge her comments and responses. “I’m listening.”
Erica knocked back a shot of wine and wiped her mouth before starting. “I’m really sorry for acting like such a bitch.” Charlotte nudged her, and Erica shot her a hard stare. “About Jeri.”
“Okay.”
“I have no right to judge who you date, and God knows I can be abrasive about it. I was wrong about Kay and thought I’d learned my lesson, but the truth is, I worry because you’re so compassionate and kindhearted. I’m afraid someone will take advantage of you. Probably unnecessary, but true.”
“I can take care of myself,” Simone said. “I did it for quite a while after Kay.”
Erica hung her head. “I know, and that’s my fault too for siding with your parents and leaving you alone to deal with everything. I’ve tried to be a good friend since, maybe a little overbearing, but I promise I’ll never interfere again. If you like Jeri, that’s great. I just want you to be happy.”
“Me too,” Charlotte added.
Erica sat back in her chair, waiting for Simone to make the first move. It had been a longstanding tradition that the injured party decided when the exile over hurt feelings ended.
Simone wanted to finally forgive and forget the past, so she chose to believe Erica was sincere. She nodded, raised her glass, and said, “Let’s drink.”
Charlotte already had another bottle of red breathing on the table with three glasses. “Hope this will be okay. I’ve wanted to try it for some time.”
Simone grinned. “I’d prefer whiskey, but this will do. So, what’s going on with everyone?”
Charlotte glanced at Erica before taking off. “Well, I’ve been shopping for a new dress for the GGF gala and I want both of you to help me choose from three I have on hold. I’m thinking about donating some of my old formals to the auction.”
Erica laughed. “Really? You’re not the Queen, Charlotte, or even a princess. Who’d want your castoffs?”
“Hey, it’s not about me. Some of those gowns have history. I wore the gold one to Obama’s inaugural ball, the silver one to the governor’s last gala, and the lavender one I’ve had since college graduation when—”
“Not the lavender lesbian deflowering gown?” Erica pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and feigned fainting.
Charlotte blushed, and her pale complexion turned bright red. “The very one. Tell me that won’t bring a nice chunk of change.”
“Only if you share the story,” Simone said and winked.
Erica shook her head. “Whatever. Leave it to the junior sister to come up with unique ways to contribute. You do us proud. And of course, she’s the first outfitted, bejeweled, corsaged, and ready to dance.” She raised her wine glass for a toast. “I’m not sure if I’m going frocked or suited this year. The jury is still out, depending on my date.”
Simone was about to say she didn’t have a date yet when her phone chirped with a text. She held up her finger and looked at the message she’d been hoping for all day.
Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. A lot happening. Sorry about last night too. You might be right. Talk later?
She reread the message several times. Did you might be right refer to Randy? She’d never wanted to be wrong about anything so badly. Jeri would be devastated. Simone’s chest tightened, and she took a gulp of wine before typing back. I’d love that. Anytime. Not a school night.
“Are you okay, Simone?” Charlotte asked. “You look weird.”
“I’m fine now.” She placed her phone face up beside her in case Jeri replied.
“So…how’s it going with Jeri?” Erica asked.
“Good, really good. I think the shooting case is almost over, so she’ll be doing what she loves again.” Simone reconsidered what she was about to say and then blurted, “I’m going to ask her to the gala.”
Charlotte and Erica stared and neither spoke for several long seconds. Charlotte’s expression softened first and she said, “That’s great.”
Erica nodded but her eyes bulged with surprise.
“I’m in love with her.” The words rolled off her tongue so easily she wondered why she hadn’t said them sooner, to Jeri. She should’ve told Jeri first. “I’m totally in love with her.” Simone’s body warmed and tingled with the realization and the urge to tell Jeri.
Charlotte shrieked, and Erica’s mouth hung open.
“I know you don’t approve, but I can’t worry about that anymore. I’ve never been more certain of anything. Ever.”
Erica met Simone’s gaze. “You’ve got that look we all hope to have someday. I’m happy for you. Really.”
“And I’m over the freaking moon. That woman is so hot.” Charlotte hugged Simone and wiggled against her, giggling the whole time. “Can I have just one dance with her, please?”
Simone held her at arm’s length. “Not if you’re going to shimmy like that.”
“I’ll behave.” She crossed her fingers and raised her eyebrows. “Maybe.”
Erica slid closer to them. “Don’t worry, Simone, I’ll chaperone our little sister.” She raised her glass again. “Here’s to love. May we all find it someday.”
“Cheers.” The doubt that had haunted the edges of their friendship since Kay finally faded, and Simone felt better. They finished the bottle before Simone excused herself and headed home.
She’d just closed and locked her door when she got Jeri’s next text telling her she was sixty minutes out. Simone took a short shot of Jameson’s to the bathroom, drew a hot bubble bath, and settled in. While she soaked in the foamy suds, she imagined scenario after sexy scenario of Jeri’s arrival.
She’d held back physically for so long, and now her body hummed with excitement and anticipation. Jeri’s ordeal was almost over, and Simone could finally shed her reservations. However tangentially, those doubts had separated them as definitively as a brick wall. She emptied her whiskey glass, toweled dry, and slid into a pair of silk pajamas, the fabric arousing her body even more. In the living space, she turned the gas logs on and threw a light blanket over the back of the sofa. Perfect. The stage was set, and she was so ready.
When the knock sounded at her door, Simone jumped. Now that the moment had arrived, she was unexplainably shy and uncertain. Did Jeri share Simone’s feelings of love or was her interest merely casual? Was there hope for a future together? Could they overcome their differences? She took a deep breath and moved slowly toward the door. Only one way to find out. She opened the door and her body tensed. “Randy? What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
The last time he’d said those words, he’d tried to con her into a conversation about Jeri. That wasn’t happening again. “I’m sorry. I’m expecting someone. You need to go.”
“I’m afraid I have to insist.” He pushed past her and closed the door behind him.
Chapter Twenty-six
Fifteen minutes before showtime, Jeri walked into the lineup room. Everyone stared, and she played it off, cutting up as usual. “What’s up, guys? Forget me so soon?”
“What the actual fuck are you doing here?” Carl asked. “You cleared for duty?”
“Nah, just missed your ugly mugs.” She glanced around the room. “Where’s Randy?”
“Called out sick,” Carl said. “Told him I was in the mood to make a few arrests tonight, so he probably couldn’t take the pressure to keep up.” Carl whipped his aluminum alloy baton from the holder, snapped his wrist, and the six-inch expandable device locked into a twenty-one-inch weapon. “Think fast, Wylder.” He rushed toward her and feigned hitting her on the head but drew back at the last second.
The hairs on Jeri’s arms and the back of her neck bristled, and she broke out in a cold sweat. It can’t be. She stumbled backward and dropped into a chair, suddenly in that other room on Morehead Avenue. And she remembered. Smoke billowed around her, and Vanoy rushed her with a knife. She saw it clearly, drew her weapon, and pointed. Someone fired a shot, but not her. She glanced right, and Carl charged her with his ASP cocked. A sharp blow to her head, excruciating pain, and then darkness.
“Hey, you all right? I was joking,” Carl said.
She pulled for breath and realized she was hyperventilating. “Good. I’m…good.” She couldn’t get away from him fast enough. “Have to go.” She barreled down the hallway to the exit nearly bowling over officers in her path. Detective Bowen pulled into the parking lot as Jeri got to her car, and she ran to him. “Carl knocked me out. Not sure who shot Vanoy though.”
“I think I do. Talk later?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” Cops were supposed to look after each other. The thin blue line was real, or so she’d thought. Now she wondered if it was necessary as she’d been told or just a way to cover up misconduct. Was Randy part of the deception, of setting her up? If so, she had to know why. The idea of his betrayal made her tremble with grief and rage.
She needed to see Simone, to ask her advice, and take a few minutes to focus before confronting Randy. Or maybe she should get the Randy business behind her and go to Simone with everything settled. Before she could decide, her phone rang.
“Hey, partner, it’s Randy. I need to see you.”
“Yeah, me too, but I have something else to do first.”
“I’m with Simone. You should probably come to her place now.”
“You’re what?” The worse-case scenarios spun through her mind, and she blurted, “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand?”
The line went dead.
The drive to Simone’s passed in a tortuous slow-motion crawl. She weaved her vehicle between incompetent and dangerous drivers, crossed the center line, and ran stoplights, but none of that mattered. Randy had Simone, and all Jeri could think about was the ways he could hurt her if he chose. She brushed tears from her cheeks, refusing to give in to her feelings.
She slid her vehicle to a stop in front of the Madison, bailed out, and ran up the four flights of stairs. When she reached Simone’s door, she paused to catch her breath and tried to plan her approach, but her mind blanked. There was no plan except to make sure Simone was okay. She pulled the Walther from her ankle holster and knocked.
Randy opened the door and stood aside. “It’s about time.”
Jeri grabbed him by the belt, pushed him against the wall, and shoved her gun under his chin. “What the hell are you playing at?”
Randy’s eyes bulged and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Can we…talk?”
Jeri glanced at Simone sitting on the sofa in her pajamas, feet propped on an ottoman, sipping whiskey from a rocks glass. “Are you okay?”
“So far. I’m just a little confused by Randy’s late-night visit. He wouldn’t tell me why he was here until you arrived.” She pointed. “Would you mind putting that thing away?”
Simone’s calm tone and steady gaze soothed Jeri. She looked at Randy again, saw no threat in his eyes or demeanor, and lowered her weapon. “Sorry?”
“You might want to hold off on that.” He straightened his clothes and lumbered to a chair opposite the sofa. “Have a seat.”
“Just tell me what the hell is going on.” Jeri was too hyped to sit so she paced behind Simone and waited. “Hurry up, damn it.”
“Let him take his time,” Simone said, reaching for Jeri’s hand. “I have a feeling this isn’t good news.”
“Understatement.” Randy looked at them both before leaning forward and burying his face in his hands. “I shot Calvin Vanoy.” His shoulders jerked up and down as he sobbed quietly.
Jeri felt like she was on a roller coaster, up and down emotionally so frequently that nothing made sense. She came around the sofa and dropped down beside Simone, who wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She started to ask why, but Simone shook her head and mouthed wait. It was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Every part of her wanted to scream that they’d been like siblings so what could’ve made him do such a despicable thing, but she clenched her fists and waited. Eventually, Randy spoke, his voice quiet and strained.
“I got there just before the flashbang went off. I don’t think you even realized I’d arrived. Vanoy charged with the knife, and you hesitated. I thought he was going to kill you.”
She had hesitated, unsure if Vanoy would stop, unsure of her target in the heavy smoke. Jeri started to say thank you but had to know the rest. “And then?”
Randy wiped his face and finally made eye contact. “Carl arrived. He saw what had happened and cold-cocked you with his baton. I swear, Jeri, I had no idea what he was doing.” Randy waited a few seconds before continuing. “He grabbed my weapon, took the barrel off, and rubbed it on your hands before switching it for yours.”
Their damn leather gloves. Of course, neither of them would’ve tested positive for gunshot residue. Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner? Because she didn’t want to believe any of this, at all.
“He was moving so fast, and I guess I was in shock or something. Then he turned off your body camera and stuffed it in his pocket. By that time, the woman was gone with the knife, and the rest of the squad arrived a few seconds later while you were still out.”
Jeri felt her body grow warm as her anger built, but Simone squeezed her hand and told her to breathe. How could she breathe when her best friend had betrayed her so completely? He’d left her hanging all these weeks, facing possible criminal and administrative charges for things she hadn’t done. He’d let her believe she killed someone and said nothing while she struggled with grief and guilt. She’d waited long enough. “Why?”
Randy shrugged. “Carl and I grew up on the rough side of Jersey. We saved each other’s lives more times than I can count since we were teenagers. He left his family and friends to move here after I joined the force.”
“So, why did you two set me up? Why not just tell the truth? You were protecting me.”
“If I got sidelined on administrative leave, I wouldn’t be able to work extra duty. I couldn’t afford that, Jeri. Side jobs pay for my mom’s in-home care. I couldn’t give her round-the-clock staff on my salary alone. Carl thought it through quicker and covered for me.”
“But you went along and threw me under the bus. Well-intentioned or not, you lied and broke the law.” When she looked at Randy, he seemed a stranger. Could a friend really do such a thing? The dull ache and deep sense of loss she felt said yes. Would the pain ever go away?
“We thought you’d give your statement, be cleared, and that would be the end of it. The amnesia screwed everything. I’m really sorry, Jeri. Please try to understand.”
“It’s a little late for sorry and understanding, don’t you think? You really believed I’d lie for you? That I’d cover evidence tampering?” He nodded, and she asked, “Does Carl still have my body camera?”
“Yeah.” The word was barely audible as Randy stood and started toward the door.
“Where you going?”
“To turn myself in to Bowen. Carl texted that he was rounding up the whole squad, so I have to put an end to this. I’ll make it right, Jeri. I swear. And again, I’m sorry.”
Jeri looked at Simone for some indication of what she should do next, but when she did, she knew. “I have one more question before you go.” She didn’t wait for a reply. “Did you attack Simone on the street in front of the Madison?”
Randy shook his head. “Carl. If her property wasn’t redeveloped, my uncle Finelli’s company would lose the job, and I’d be out of more work. Another example of Carl doing the wrong thing to help. When he told me, I was pissed.” He glanced at Simone. “I’m really sorry he did that.”
“Did Carl also leak my address to the protestors and break into Simone’s loft?”
Randy couldn’t look at her but nodded as he reached for the doorknob. “I should go.” When he opened the door, Bowen and a uniformed officer were waiting. “How?”
