Girl Jacked (8 page)

As Jack walked out front, all eyes were on him. He knew someone must have said something. The men’s eyes narrowed in envy and the women batted their eyes. He focused on the door and kept walking, his jacket in his hand. It was freezing out, but he let the cold wash over him.
Guilt
. He hated guilt.

Never again,
he vowed as he crossed to his car.

He opened the envelope that Marisa had given him and looked down at the picture that she had found. A rat-faced guy was posing to show off his new eagle tattoo on his right forearm. Kevin Arnold. He’d have to run him when he got home.

On the back of the picture she had written, ‘I’ll wait.’ Next to it, she wrote the number 2614 and drew a heart around it. He remembered the new tattoo on Marisa’s back, a heart with a gold combination lock. He didn’t make the connection when he saw it before, but he did now. The combination was 2614.

Jack Stratton you suck. 2614. My badge number.

Someone laid on their car horn as Jack pulled out. He didn’t care.

On the way home, Jack remembered to stop by the supermarket and pick up a gigantic chocolate cake, an ‘I’m sorry card’ and a box of chocolates for Mrs. Stevens.

As he walked back to the car, he changed direction and headed over to the liquor store.

I’ll just have a little. Take the edge off. Nothing more.

The bell on the door rang as he entered. The old fat guy, Cappy, who sat behind the counter, barely looked up. It was a small store with three rows of hard liquor and four refrigerators of beer in the back. Jack headed for the rum.

Jack grabbed a half pint, took two steps, and then put it back. Reaching out, he picked up a pint, but then hesitated. As he returned it to the shelf, the glass clinked against the other bottles. Settling on a fifth, he headed for the front.

Cappy got off his stool as Jack approached and set the bottle down on the old worn counter.

“Hey Jack, you want anything else?”

Jack stopped cold and stared at the back of the cash register.

Cappy set his hand on the counter and leaned in a little. “Hey. You want anything else?”

Jack still didn’t speak. He was staring at a flyer taped to the back of the register. Replacement must have put it up. As he stood there gazing at Michelle’s picture, his hands tightened into fists.

“You want it or not?” Cappy grumbled.

Jack turned and walked out the door empty-handed.

“Jack?” An elderly woman in a big brown coat paused in the middle of getting into an old sedan as she called to him.

Despite being in her late 70s, Mrs. Sawyer was always very active. Jack had met her when she was convinced her home was being robbed because she found a broken window. Jack was sure it was from a tree branch nearby and a bit of wind. Nonetheless, he went by to check on her every day for a month to make her feel better and now he had a lifelong friend.

Jack went over to accept a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and rocked him back and forth. It always made him feel good.

“It’s so nice to see you, Jack.”

“How have you been, Mrs. Sawyer?”

“Wonderful. I just picked up some fresh apples. They’re on sale. So is the haddock. I might make a chowder.”

“I was going to stop by…”

“You’ll have to. I’ll get you a warm cup of cocoa and a big slice of pie!” She patted him on the arm. “I stayed out a little too late running errands, so I better head back. ‘The General’ will be wondering where I’ve gone.”

'The General' was her cat.
Jack closed the door for her and stepped up on the curb. With a wave, the little old woman gunned the car out of the parking lot. Jack was glad there was only light traffic. She drove faster than most in town.

After he returned to his apartment, Jack stood outside Mrs. Stevens’ door. He tried to balance the cake, card, and chocolates as he knocked. He took a step back when she opened it. It was obvious that she had been crying, and she looked scary.

When she saw him standing there with the cake and card, she let out a mournful wail and threw both arms around his neck.

 “Mr. Stratton, I am so truly sorry!” He could hardly understand her through the sobs and sniffling. “You are the nicest man.”

Jack’s mind raced to find an excuse so he could get out from her clutches without offending her too much. He also didn’t want to drop the cake. “It’s okay Mrs. Stevens.”

She patted the side of his face with her wet hand and then took the cake, card, and chocolates. “God bless you, sir. You are an angel for what you have done for that poor girl.” Another strange wail of a sob caused her to turn and run into her apartment, the door slamming behind her.

Jack stood there and wiped the side of his face with his jacket.

Gross! She slimed me!

He shook his head.
Replacement. I wonder what she could have told her that …

He turned and ran up the stairs three at a time.

“What did you tell her?” he demanded to the empty living room and kitchen.

Maybe she went to get something to eat.

He walked into the bedroom and sat down to kick off his shoes. Just then, Replacement walked out of the bathroom with her head down wrapping her hair in a towel.

Jack smirked.

She doesn’t see me.

“Boo.”

Replacement shrieked. Jack saw her hand shoot out and the next second she launched the candleholder on his bureau at his head. It just missed and smashed against the wall. She ran shrieking into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Jack sat there for a second and then fell over laughing.

She ripped opened the door and yelled, “Jerk! What the hell is the matter with you?”

He laughed harder.

She stormed out wearing her nightshirt. He tried to stop, but he just rolled over and laughed at the ceiling.

“Seriously? Seriously?” She slapped his legs.

“Stop. Stop. I can’t breathe!” Jack’s sides hurt.

“Do you knock? You hide in here…”

“Hide? Knock? It’s my apartment.” He was down to giggling now.

“You are a total JACKASS!” She stomped back into the bathroom and slammed the door.

After a minute, Jack rose with a groan and went to the door. He shook his head and knocked softly. “Sorry.” Jack listened and waited. “I’m sorry,” he said again louder.

She opened the door a crack. “Do you mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Will you announce yourself next time?”

Announce myself? It’s my damn apartment!

Jack couldn’t help what he said next, “Why of course, your royal hiney-ness!”

He burst out laughing then ran for the living room with Replacement in hot pursuit. He doubled over, and she hit his back with her balled up fists.

He teased in a singsong voice, “I saw your hiney! All white and shiney!”

She stopped and stood bolt upright. Jack peeked up at her. Her face was so red it looked sunburnt and her eyes were wide.

“Okay. I’ll stop. Truce?” Jack panted.

They both looked at each other and smiled as they tried to catch their breath.

“Is your shower broken?” Jack asked as he tried to control his laughter, which still wanted to bubble out. He realized that every time he came home, she was getting out of his shower.

“You have unlimited hot water. You’re not a ‘save the water and conserve’ type of guy, are you?” She got so close to him they were inches apart. She was trying to make him a little uncomfortable while making a seductive face. “But I did hear that those ‘save the water types’ have a slogan, ‘Save the planet, shower with a buddy!’” She laughed as his mouth dropped open. “Did you want me to wait?” She raised her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

“Don’t go there.”

Not after this morning…too far.

Jack walked over to the computer.

“Now I’m sorry!” she continued to joke as she skipped over next to him. “Forgive me?”

Jack tossed the envelope on the desk. She tore it open.

“Did you run this guy? Do you know where he lives?”

“I just got in. I was going to login and run him now.”

“I thought you went to the police lab? Why didn’t you run him there?” She turned the picture over and her eyes narrowed when she saw Marisa’s note. “Gee … the guys down at the lab must think you’re pretty sweet.” She was pointing to the heart and batting her eyes.

“I said, knock it off, I’m not in the mood.” He grabbed for the envelope. “Hey, what did you say to Mrs. Stevens?” he asked as the memory of the crying landlady came back.

“I bought her a pie.”

Jack got out of his seat as he sensed Replacement’s frustration. She sat and began typing.

“A pie?”
I should have kept the cake.

Jack’s stomach growled and he headed for the kitchen to scrounge for food. He opened the refrigerator, and there was milk and a large apple pie on the top shelf.

“Can I have some of this, please?” he sounded like a little kid as he begged at the refrigerator.

“I bought it for you,” she called over her shoulder as she kept typing. She was using her laptop now.

“It had to be a lot more than pie to get her crying like that. What else did you say?” Jack poured a tall glass of milk to go with the huge hunk of pie he dished out for himself.

“I … I just … I kept in character.”

Jack shook his head dreading what she might have said, but he didn’t care; the pie was delicious.

“Kevin Arnold. This guy’s a piece of work,” Replacement proclaimed.

Jack started to choke on his pie. He rushed over to the computer.

She was logged into the police database!

“How did you do that?”

“I’ve been looking through it all day looking for the car, so I just went over and ran his name. Look at the pictures. This is the same guy.” She pointed at the screen and sat back in the chair.

“How did you login?” Jack was trying to control his growing exasperation, but he was losing that fight.

“I used your login.” She shrugged.

“How did you get it?”

“I saw you type it. Chargers, just with a dollar sign instead of the letter ‘S’. I pick up on stuff like that.” She looked at him with a genuinely innocent smile.

She’s telling the truth.

His irritation evaporated. He didn’t know if it was because it was his own stupidity for letting her see his password or the fact that from the look on her face she had no idea that she broke a whole string of laws.

“Okay,” he mumbled as he walked back to his pie. “What does it have on him?”

He ate some more. Jack was shocked that a pie could abate his anger so quickly. He shrugged and took another bite. It was
really
good.

Replacement’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “He’s been arrested eight times; breaking and entering, drugs, and three assaults.” She continued to type. “No jail time. There are two restraining orders out on him. Both expired. He has one outstanding warrant.” The typing stopped.

“What were the assaults?”

“One domestic. Looks like a girlfriend. That’s how the restraining order came up.”

“What about the other assaults?”

“First one was a girl inside a bar.” She scanned the page. “It doesn’t look like he knew her. Relationship says none.”

“Second one?”

“Oh this is different, girl
outside
a bar. He didn’t know her either.”

“What is the race of the women?”

“Girlfriend is listed as white. Girls from the bars are African American.”

If this guy touched Michelle I’m going kill him.

“You have an address? Since he has no jail time, they would have listed it under probation records. It should be in there.”

“I’ll try.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard again.

Jack shook his head. He worked at the station and knew next to nothing about their computer systems. He’d have to sign up for some more classes.

“Nothing.”

Jack closed his eyes, laced his fingers behind his head, and exhaled.

“Check who posted his bail.”

After a minute, Replacement tilted her head and shook the mouse. “That doesn’t make sense. Nancy Mulligan bailed him out but that’s the girlfriend he assaulted.”

Jack frowned. “It happens all the time. I don’t get it. Why would a girl stay with someone that treats them like that?”

“She lives at 303B Hillside Downs Road.”

Jack was too familiar with Hillside Downs. It was an apartment complex with about 100 apartments total. They looked like something from a third world country and going there was about as safe.

Gun. Taser. Vest. Mace for the dogs.

Jack grimaced as he started to make a list of things to take.

Jack looked at the clock. “I can’t go out there now. I’ll need backup. I’ll go in the morning. You’ll stay here.”

“Great. Sure!” Replacement smiled and moved to the couch.

Jack looked down at her and frowned.
I didn’t mean that you'd sleep here! I meant that I would go, and you won’t go.
He wanted to say but instead he ran his fingers through his hair.
I’m getting soft.