LOGAN

Tuesday morning rolls around and just as I walk into the PD, Brantley rushes up behind me and starts firing off questions. “What do you suggest we do? Are we going to tell Royal? Are we doing another stakeout?” I’ve barely had my coffee and slept like shit last night, so I’m in no mood to spell it out for him.

I know what we should do, but I know we have to follow protocol; otherwise, it could jeopardize the entire case and the kid won’t get charged.

“We do what we were put on this case to do. We’ll go door to door to interview some of their neighbors and see if they have anything we can add to build our case.”

“That’s it? What about Royal’s daughter?” The concern in his voice is evident, but I’ve learned long ago to not attach myself to people or the cases I work. That’s when things start to slip by and you make mistakes.

“What about her? We don’t have any proof. Just speculation,” I explain. “The last time that held up in a case was never, so for now, we continue our investigation and document it just like we always do.”

“You don’t think when it comes out that we knew what was going on with his daughter that he won’t make us responsible for it?”

“No.” Probably. But I don’t tell him that. I could break the code of ethics and tell Supervisor Royal his daughter is wrapped up in drug and affair scandal, but if this case is as big as I think it’s going to be, I can’t risk it. He’ll confront her, she’ll tell them we’re onto them, and they’ll just move their location of exchange leaving us with nothing. “He’ll understand,” I tell Brantley.

He gives me a look that says he’s doubtful, but I don’t comment anymore on it. I have to finish writing up my notes and interview questions if we’re going to nail this case.

After a long day, I finally head home at dinnertime and am excited when I see that Skylar’s FaceTiming me.

“Hey, baby!” I greet as I see her smiling face.

“Hi, Daddy! Guess what?”

Before I can ask what, she continues rambling on.

“I was the student of the day! I got to write on the Smartboard, hand out papers, and be the line leader to the cafeteria!” Her energetic voice echoes through my living room and it makes me the happiest hearing her after a long day.

“That’s amazing! How exciting, baby. I bet you had a blast,” I say, smiling from ear to ear at how happy she looks. She then goes into fine detail about everything she did that day from using the potty after recess to coming home and playing with her neighbor friend, Jessica. Soon, Maggie interrupts and tells her to go get her jammies on so she and I can chat.

“Sounds like she had a great day,” I say, waiting for Skylar to be out of hearing distance.

“She did, which is another reason moving her would be a bad idea. She likes her school and her friends and uprooting her would only upset her,” she tells me in a firm voice.

“She’s six-years-old, Maggie. Kids her age are resilient. She’ll adjust and make new friends just fine,” I inform her, although I know she won’t agree with me.

“Logan...” she begins, but I’m done listening to her excuses.

“I’ve already done most of the hard work for you. I’ve been looking for decent apartments, job openings, the best elementary schools in the area, and I even got a quote from a moving company to help you pack and move everything here. I’ve offered to help you a dozen times so you don’t have to deal with the financial burden, so as soon as Skylar’s out of school, I want you to move here,” I say firmly, anticipating a fight.

She goes quiet for a moment, her eyes glassing over. “Really? You did that for me?” The way she’s looking at me is the same way she used to look at me whenever we’d make up from a fight, but we’re no longer together so there’s no making up happening.

“No, I did it for Skylar. She deserves to spend time with her mother and father. We’ll share custody and work around our work schedules so you still have your free time and we both get to spend time with her.”

She shifts in her seat as she takes her eyes off me. I can tell she’s processing everything I just said. I’ve known her long enough to know what she’s thinking. She’s trying to think of something to counter my offer, but she has no reason to. I’m making this more than easy for her.

“How’s June fifteenth sound?” I ask, trying to hold back a smile. “I’ll send you links I find of potential apartments and jobs, and anytime you have a job interview, you can bring Skylar here.”

“The only thing I’ll be able to afford there is a studio apartment where Skylar and I share a futon bed,” she says overdramatically. I’ve already told her a half-dozen times that I’d help her out if she needed it, but, apparently, she’s become hard of hearing since we’ve been together.

“I’ll make sure you get a two-bedroom apartment or house in a good neighborhood, okay? I already told you I’d help.”

She doesn’t respond right away, just sticks her nose up like a snob.

“So now that you have nothing else to argue, can I say goodnight to Skylar?”

She rolls her eyes and calls out for her. Skylar’s face pops back onto the screen and reminds me why I put up with Maggie in the first place.

“Night, baby. I’ll talk to you in a couple days, okay? I love you!” I tell her.

“Night, Daddy!” She waves and then blows a kiss at the screen. “Love you!”

Once we log off, I decide to search for any new apartments and job listings. Lord knows Maggie won’t lift a finger. If I ever wanted anything done, I always had to do it myself or leave her a hundred reminders. Just another reason things would’ve never worked out between us anyway.

I email Maggie some links that I think she’ll be interested in. Apart from always having to hold her hand, I’ll probably have to send in her resume and call for interviews, too. But it’ll all be worth it to see my little girl more often. I miss her and sick of missing so much of her daily life that I’ll never get back.

Once I close my laptop for the night, I look around and think about how Skylar will be living here part-time in about a month. My house is decent size, especially just for one person, but it’s not set up for a child at all. I’ve always been the one to drive up and visit Skylar at her mom’s, mostly because Maggie refused to meet me halfway or compromise at all, so I did what I had to to spend time with her.

I have a spare room that I can convert into a bedroom for her, but I don’t have any furniture or any necessities she’ll need. I make a mental list of things I’ll need to start buying, but honestly, it’s a little overwhelming. Skylar’s only six, so I know I can get away with a twin-sized bed and probably a nightstand and dresser. I’d like to get her some new sheets and clothes for her to keep here, but I don’t even know where to start on adding things she likes or how to decorate it.

Just as I’m about to get up and dig around in the fridge for something to eat, my cell rings and I’m frozen in place when I see Kayla’s name appear on my screen. It’s after ten o’clock, so my curiosity spikes, and although I should keep my distance when it comes to her, I answer it anyway.

“Hey,” I say, walking to the fridge and seeing if there’s anything I can easily whip up.

“Logan,” she whispers and my senses go into overdrive.

“Kayla? Are you okay?” My heart is pounding in my chest with concern.

“I don’t...” The phone begins to cut out as she talks and I can’t hear what she’s saying.

“Hello? Kayla? Kayla? I can’t hear you.” I’m pacing back and forth in the kitchen as I struggle to hear her words. “Dammit!” I curse, my free hand forming a fist with frustration. Where the hell is she?

“I need your help, Logan.” I hear her whimper and the broken sounds of her voice nearly cripples me.

“Where are you?” I ask in a frenzy, grabbing my car keys off the countertop and walking toward the door. “I’m going to come to you.”

“I’m on Spencer Ave.”

“Okay, I’m on my way.” I shut the front door behind me and take wide strides to my car. “Text me the address number.”

“You’ll see my car parked on the street,” she tells me, talking low. “Park behind me and walk to the big Oak tree across the street until you find me.”

What the fuck?  I have a million questions surfacing through my mind, but I want to get to her as quickly as possible so I rush out of my driveway and head toward her.

“Okay, I’m on my way.”

“Please hurry.”

KAYLA

I can’t stop smiling. Since meeting Christian yesterday morning, I’ve been distracted by the thought of his eyes and the cute dimples that appeared when he smiled at me. I’m tempted to text Courtney—because I need to tell someone—but I know she’ll ask me a million questions I don’t yet have the answers to, so for now I keep it to myself. Even if it’s hard.

“Hey,” Lucy calls as she pops her head in my office, breaking my trance. “Want to go out to that new Mexican restaurant for Taco Tuesday? I’ll even buy you the first margarita,” she says with a smirk, trying to lure me.

“It’s two-for-one drinks,” I say flatly, knowing she’ll only have to buy one anyway.

She sighs and steps inside. “Okay, fine. You caught me.” She laughs. “But c’mon. Hubby is playing poker tonight and I could use some girl time outside of work. So, what do you say?” She interlocks her hands together as if she’s praying in a pathetic plea and begs me to say yes.

Worried I’ll spill details about Christian once I have some alcohol in my system, I counter her offer. “Okay, fine. But only one drink.” I point a finger at her, letting her know I’m serious.

She cocks her head as if to say she doesn’t believe me.

“One. Drink,” I repeat. “But I’ll be glad to eat like five tacos if that makes you feel better.” Plus, if I’m stuffing my face, I won’t accidentally slip about Christian. As much as I want to, it feels like I’ll jinx it if I say it aloud.

She smiles and starts skipping back to the hallway. “It will! I’ll meet you here after work!”

The day flies by smoothly, and I’m excited to meet up with Lucy for tacos and drinks. I texted Viola and Courtney to come meet us, but Viola is home alone with the kids all night and Courtney and Drew are still in the honeymoon stage where they don’t come up for air unless there’s an emergency. Even after texting her Are you knocked up yet? and her replying with a picture of her ass in a thong with a message, Not yet, but we’re definitely working on it ;) I know I won’t be seeing much of her for a while.

Can’t say I blame them though. If I were lucky enough to find that kind of love, I’d soak it up for all it’s worth.

“So, you want to hear all about the latest drama in accounting?” Lucy’s an interior designer like me, but she lives for work gossip and knows everything about everyone in the building.

“Obviously.” I take a bite of my chip dipped in salsa and listen as she spills all the juicy details. We finish eating and I stick to my word of only having one drink, although I’m tempted to have another.

“Looks like it may rain soon. I should get going so I can walk the dogs before it gets dark,” I tell her, digging out my wallet so I can pay my tab.

“Yeah, I should get going too. I have three weeks of The Bachelor to catch up on.” She grins.

“You really do live for drama, don’t you?” I tease.

“Drama and scandals, baby.” She sets cash down on the table, and by the way she smiles, I’m almost expecting her to throw it up in the air and make it rain just to prove her point.

I snort and shake my head at her. We walk out together and say our goodbyes just before we both get into our cars. It’s later than usual for me to be getting home, so I know the boys are going to be eager to go on their walk.

Chaos and barking greet me as soon as I walk in the door. Between jumping on me and their tails wagging so hard, it knocks over everything in their way, and I can tell they’re more than ready to go.

“Boys! Hello! Are you ready to go out? Yeah? Okay, just give me a minute.”

I set my purse down and quickly change into a pair of leggings and Chucks. Before I grab their leashes, I put a few treats in my pocket along with some dog poop baggies.

I leash them all and as soon as I open the door, they fly down the staircase and out onto the sidewalk. They furiously sniff everything they can and I have to pull them to encourage them to keep walking with me.

“I know, you were all cooped up all day, but slow down. My feet were in heels all day,” I groan, knowing they won’t have any idea what I’m saying anyway.

Since they had to wait longer for me to get home, I decide to take them on the scenic route. They’ll need to get the energy out of their systems now so they sleep tonight instead of constantly jumping on and off my bed.

On our way back, it starts raining and I stupidly forgot to bring my jacket.

“Shit,” I mutter. “C’mon, guys.” I try and speed up the pace, but it’s no use because I’m going to be drenched in a few seconds anyway. “I picked a bad time to wear white.”

I mumble a few choice words to myself and do my best to keep my head down.

We’re only a couple of blocks away from the house when I hear a dog whining. I look over and notice it’s the same yard as before with Herman. It’s hard to see between the rain and gloomy skies, but I’m pretty sure he’s tied up to the picnic table again.

“Asshole,” I mutter at the dog owner who is nowhere to be seen or even cares he left their dog outside in the cold and pouring rain.

His leash is wrapped around the leg of the picnic table, making it even shorter than normal. It gives him no room to move and by the looks of it, he can’t lay down either or get under the table to get out of the rain.

All three of my dogs are barking as we approach Herman, which is scaring him even more. I throw them each a treat to quiet them until I can get closer to his leash and untangle him.

Just as I’m about to unhook him and let him loose, the owner stalks in the yard and begins hollering at me to get off his property.

When he gets closer, I realize he has a rifle in his hand. “You again?”

My dogs begin barking aggressively at him, and I secretly wonder what would happen if I just happen to let the two big ones loose.

“He’s going to die out here!” I yell between the rain falling and thunder echoing in the distance. Herman’s noticeably shivering and my anger rises. “He’s cold and wet and probably starving. He doesn’t deserve that!”

“Henry’s an outside dog since he decided to be a little house-shitter,” he shouts, slurring his words. Philip and Adam are pulling against their leash the louder he gets.

“Henry?” I question, pulling the dogs back just enough so they’re still in front of me. “You said his name was Herman.”

He throws his hand in the air like it’s no big deal. “Whatever.”

“You don’t know your own dog’s name?” I scream, enraged.

“His name is whatever the hell I want it to be! Now get off my property before I have you arrested for trespassing. Again.” He flashes his gun before resting it on his shoulders.

“Fine,” I grit between my teeth, but this is far from over. I pull the dogs back as we walk back to the sidewalk. I watch to see if he brings Herman inside with him, and when he walks back into his house alone—it’s decided. I’m coming back for him.

As soon as we’re back in the house, I don’t waste much time getting things ready for leaving again. I dry off with a towel quickly and start packing a bag. That asshole isn’t getting away with this.

I had the dogs shake off before we got back inside and fortunately now they’re all tired out and laying on the couch. I make sure to pack flashlights, towels, dog treats, and an extra leash.

After I have everything, I grab a dark hoodie and pull the hood up over my head. I throw the bag over my shoulder and head back out. This time I take my car, even though I’m just going down the block, but the faster I get Herman out of there, the faster I can get him out of the cold and rain. Before starting the engine, I lay the towels down on my backseat so he has something dry to lay on.

As I slowly drive down the road, the rain picks up and comes down harder. My windshield wipers can barely keep up, but, luckily, I don’t have far to go.

I park on the opposite side of the street where Herman is still laying in the backyard, drenched and cold. I reach over and grab my bag before opening the car door.

The street lights are dimmed by the rain, which I’m thankful for in this situation. The less chance of his deadbeat owner being able to see me the better chance at sneaking him out.

There’s a few large trees and I hide behind one so I can scan the yard and make sure the old man is nowhere to be seen. There’s no traffic noise and everything is quiet except for the downpour of the rain, so I know I have to stay down and quiet or I’ll spook Herman. I grab the leash out of my backpack and wrap it around my neck so I can clip mine on him right away without the hassle of trying to untangle his. The old man will see that Herman was rescued and that he’s no longer going to get away with being a neglectful owner.

I reach for my flashlight and shine it toward Herman. I don’t know him well enough to trust that he won’t get spooked and bite me. I packed treats so he’ll eat them out of my hand and learn to trust me so he’ll allow me to get close to him.

Crawling on the grass toward Herman, the rain starts blurring my vision. I can hear the water sloshing against my legs as I make my way to the picnic table. I’m almost there when I hear a loud slamming noise. Looking up, I see the owner coming out of his house and walking down the porch steps. He’s carrying a long item in his arms, and when I squint to get a better look, I see it’s his rifle resting on his shoulder.

“I know you’re out here,” he shouts and shivers run down my spine.

“Fuck,” I hiss, searching around for which direction I should go. If I head back the way I came, I’ll be in plain view. He’ll hear my shoes splashing against the grass and who knows if he’ll really shoot his gun at me, but at a time like this, I’m not sure it’s worth finding out.

How’d he even see me in the dark? Creep probably has night vision binoculars. I hear him walking toward me, and if I don’t move, he’ll walk right into me. My car is too far away to just run for it, but I’m not sure I have much choice at the moment.

“I told you to stay off my property,” he shouts again as I make my way to the other tree on the other side of the picnic table, but it doesn’t have a large enough trunk to hide me if he comes searching for me in this direction.

In the spur of the moment, I decide to call Logan because I’m not sure I’ll be able to get myself out of this predicament without an extra hand now that the old man has seen me. I whisper and keep my voice low as best I can and only hope Logan can find me.

We hang up and I hear the old man walking closer. “Come out, come out wherever you are,” he taunts in a low singsong voice. “I saw your little flashlight, so I know you’re here somewhere.”

I kneel, holding as still as I can and trying to control my breathing so he doesn’t hear me. The rain is coming down harder now and my body is shivering from the cold.

“Come here, Henry,” I hear him call out to the dog.

I’m tempted to scream at him for calling him the wrong name, but instead, I take advantage of his voice echoing and making enough noise for me to find a better hiding spot. There’s a large green bush that separates his yard from the neighbors that’ll hide me completely if he decides to walk this way. I don’t have much time to overthink it because he shifts his eyes in my direction.

Herman starts growling as the man approaches him, distracting him away from looking for me. I slowly crawl behind the bush just enough where I can still see them between the leaves. There are other trees surrounding the area, so luckily there are no streetlights shining where I’m hunched over.

“So, you think you can steal my dog, do you?” he says, knowing I can hear him. “What were to happen if say...there was no more dog for you to steal?”

What? No!

I hear him cock his rifle and when I look closer, I can see he’s aiming it right in Herman’s face. My heart is beating rapidly in my chest and my breathing becomes staggered.

He shifts the gun and positions it so it’s lined up right at Herman. I can’t tell if he’s bluffing or not, because if he’s not, I’m going to be the reason Herman dies.

“Ready?” His voice is light, almost as if he’s finding amusement in his little game. “Three...two...”

“No!” I scream and quickly cover my mouth. But it’s too late. The gun fires off.