Chapter 10
The courtroom was hushed the next day as Colin’s lawyer questioned potential jurors. “Have you ever been convicted of a crime? How do you feel about police officers? Is there any reason why you can’t be on this jury?”
Colin sat there, his hands clenched in his lap, staring at the string of people who paraded through the courtroom. He consciously stilled his foot, which wanted to tap, tap, tap on the floor.
Regan’s brother sat at the next table over wearing a shit-brown suit with a tie that must have been a Goodwill special. Colin tried not to look at him or make eye contact after his initial perusal. Surprisingly enough, when Brian spoke today, he sounded like he had half a clue.
Colin turned around to scan the audience. There were a few officers he knew there for support for him. It was nice, but the face he wanted to see wasn’t there. Of course she’d been told to stay away, however a small part of him wanted her to say “screw it” and show up anyway.
The interviews went on for hours and Colin needed a break. He hated sitting for long periods of time. He needed to be active, move around, chase bad guys.
He leaned into Petrowinski. “Is this almost over? I need to get the hell out of here.”
“Don’t look so impatient. The jurors will think you’re going to flee.”
Colin gave him a dubious look. The only place he was running was out of there. “Fine,” he said, leaning back in his padded black chair. The room seemed to be getting warmer and warmer as the hours passed. His bulletproof vest added to his discomfort. He tugged at his collar.
“You okay? You look pale,” Petrowinski asked in a loud whisper.
Colin gave him a quick grin and let his face fall back into its neutral apathetic look. Regan called it his “I don’t give a shit” face.
At the end of the session, the lawyers agreed on eight men and five women to round out the jury. Court would start the following Monday, giving Colin the weekend to relax and reflect. The only reflecting he’d be doing was the one where he wished he’d never given Ramirez a ride that night. That way he’d be around causing trouble in the city, and Colin would be home satiating his lustful tendencies with his hot wife.
Reality sucked. He was driving his beater to Jack’s house to drink a beer, then he’d go to bed alone, only to have this trial to look forward to.
~ ~ ~
“Good evening. I’m looking for Colin Rourke,” the female voice on Regan’s home phone said in a singsong voice.
“He’s not here, may I take a message?”
“Yes. This is Samantha Walters from The Port City Times.”
“I’m sorry, but he can’t talk to you.”
“I just wanted to discuss—”
“Listen, Samantha, I understand you have a job to do. However, Officer Rourke is not going to be your big break. Please do not call here again.” Regan hung up the phone and sat at the kitchen table. This was the last known address and phone number for Colin, so it made sense that the media would try to find him here.
She ran the conversation again in her head like she was listening to a digital recording. She’d never mentioned the divorce. Never said “He doesn’t live here.” Was she protecting herself or Colin?
If people thought Colin was still living there, perhaps . . . No, who was she kidding? That reporter was probably the only one in the southern half of the state who didn’t know they were divorced and that Colin wasn’t living at the house anymore.
The stalker knew, her brother, the plaintiff’s lawyer, knew, the Port City Police Department, especially all the women, knew. She sighed, debating whether to call Colin and tell him that a reporter was looking for him and more were sure to follow. They were like sharks in the water, circling. Where there’s one, there’s bound to be many more.
She checked her watch. It was past dinner time and Colin would be home from work. He hadn’t been on the desk today, which made her suspect he had been in court.
Picking up the phone, she started dialing and it rang in her hand. She jumped, the phone slipping out of her hands and ending up on the table, the battery cover open and the battery hanging out. Quickly, she picked up the pieces and shoved them together before pressing the on button. “Hello?”
“Hey, Regan.”
“Brian,” she said on a sigh.
“What’s going on?”
“I was glad you weren’t another reporter looking for Colin.”
There was a pause before he answered. “Don’t they realize that he’s not there anymore?”
“I guess not. What’s happening with you? Did you have court today?”
“I did. We did jury selection and it was awesome. What a rush.”
She brought the phone into the living room and curled up on the couch. “How did Colin look?”
“Fine, fine. Blue uniform, messed-up hair, like usual. I don’t know. I was too busy doing lawyer stuff. I wish you could have seen me. I was talking the talk and walking the walk.”
She could almost imagine her brother strutting across his apartment “walking the walk.” The image made her chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?” he demanded. “Is my job humorous?”
“No. I’m sorry. I was just thinking about something. Go ahead and tell me about your day.”
She was willing to listen on the off chance he would mention something Colin did or said. She’d rather hear everything from Colin’s perspective. She was excited for her brother to have the opportunity, but she wished he wasn’t on the team going after her husband. He gave her a rundown on all of the jurors, the pros and cons of each one and the rejects he’d wanted on the jury but couldn’t get through Colin’s lawyer.
After about a half-an-hour, she convinced Brian to hang up and not to come over because it was getting late.
Except, it was still early at the Rourke house. She wasn’t going to go to bed, didn’t need to eat, and knew there was nothing on television. Regan sat in the dark, waiting for a call from Colin. She had no reason to expect to hear from him. He had no obligation to tell her about his first day of court. She only hoped he’d want to talk to her, not some skank from the police department.
Being insecure was not her normal M.O. She never liked showing weakness, but right now she needed to hear from Colin. After her parents died, Regan had bounced from foster home to foster home. In order to fit in and stay at the top of the pecking order, she acted tough and took crap from no one. Brian had been at some of the same placements, but sometimes she’d been alone to fend for herself.
She blew out a breath. Brian had been her rock. It was like her parents knew she was going to need support when they adopted Brian.
Once she was in college and out of the foster care system, she didn’t hear from Brian as much, which was okay because she didn’t need him as much.
He called about once a month while he was in graduate school and studying for his bar exam. His life was suddenly busy without her.
She reached out to him by sending a graduation announcement to the last address he’d given her. She didn’t know if he’d show up. When he did, she was thrilled and they spent the next few weeks catching up on what they’d missed in each other’s lives.
It was not long after they reconnected that she started working at the police department as a dispatcher.
Brian hadn’t said much when she started dating Colin. He tried to be around whenever Colin was until Regan had to remind him that he was her brother, not her father. She told him that she was an adult and could do whatever she wanted. He still had only met him a handful of times.
Her phone still hadn’t rung when she went upstairs to get ready for bed. She had a routine from when she and Colin were dating. At around nine she’d head upstairs, then she’d read for a while before turning out the light and drifting off to sleep.
She lay in bed, the covers pulled up, her cotton pajamas on and had just opened the book she was reading when the phone rang. She debated whether she should answer it. She didn’t have the desire or energy to talk to another reporter or Brian.
She pursued her lips together as the phone continued to ring. Throwing back the covers, she rolled to grab the receiver.
“Hello?” she asked with reserve.
“Regan?”
“Colin.” Relief and love flooded through her veins.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Are you calling on a secure line?”
“Yes. Is that want you wanted to talk about in the few minutes we have?”
She cursed herself. “That’s not what I wanted to say. How was court today?”
“It was long, boring, and I wanted to leave after lunch. These people are going to judge me. I had to play the part of perfect cop all day. I wanted to zone out and not listen to everything they were saying about me. I felt like an eight-year-old being sent to the principal’s office.
“When I was in school, I got called to the office for fighting on the playground. I spent a few hours in and out of the principal’s office, waiting for my mom to come take me home. She was ticked when I had to stay home for two days for protecting myself.”
It was a conversation they’d had many times over the lifespan of their relationship. She didn’t mind hearing it again. Stories like this made her think of good times with Colin. In bed and on vacations, they spent hours talking about the good and bad of their childhoods.
“I wish you could have been there today. There were times when I wanted to whisper to you about some of the prospects.”
“That would have been great. I’d love to see who they choose for jury duty. It’s good I wasn’t picked to sit in on your trial.”
“Maybe it would have been a good thing. At least I would have had one person in my corner. The members of the jury already look at me with contempt and they haven’t even heard the testimony.”
“Don’t get defeated. You have to stand up for yourself. Only you know what really happened. Right?”
“Yeah. Thanks. I’m not looking forward to the trial starting Monday.”
“Me either. It seems like it’s the only thing everyone is talking about. That and the fact that I’m a bitch for divorcing you over this.”
“Don’t say that. I know this is hard for you, but don’t let them get to you.”
“Was it your turn to give the pep talk?” Regan laughed into the phone. She wanted to keep the conversation light and upbeat. They both were dealing with their own crap and it could bury them if they allowed it. “Are you going to Kim’s party this weekend?” she asked, hoping he would.
Jack had asked her to go when they’d been at dinner the other night. She didn’t need a date for the casual party, but agreed for appearances.
“I don’t know. I heard about it, but I’m not sure I’ll be much fun.” The party was optional, but everyone was expected to be there. It built comradery and team unity.
Regan scoffed. “Are you kidding? You’re always the life of the party. I’ll be there.”
There was a pause. “Let me reconsider.”
“I wish you would. I’m going with Jack, but I’d see you there.”
“I don’t like you dating Jack,” Colin said forcefully.
She started to protest. “We’re not dating. He’s my cover. People won’t get suspicious if I’m seeing someone else.”
“I still don’t like it.”
She imagined Colin, his arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his perfect face.
“I’ll be there. If only to keep an eye on you and Jack.”
“Yes, Officer.” She saluted him through the phone even though he wouldn’t see it. “You’re the one I want. Just being able to be in the same room with you will make me happy.”
“That’s more like it.” He was smiling, she could tell. “I’ll see you at the party then.”
She said goodnight and disconnected. She closed her eyes and nodded. With the party was coming up, she started to plan on how she could get a few minutes or more alone with Colin. What Jack didn’t know . . .
~ ~ ~
Regan had enough seniority to have most weekends off and this was no exception. She spent time getting ready for Jack to pick her up. A super-hot shower had been first on the list. Her skin was rosy from the heat as she toweled her body dry. Then she spritzed on some perfume, her favorite because Colin had given it to her just before they married. He said the scent reminded him of her and she’d worn it almost every day since.
She chose black crotchless panties with a matching bra. She slipped on a red, tight shirt that accentuated her assets and pulled up a tight black skirt made out of synthetic leather. Her jewelry was simple, two necklaces, one that was a diamond she’d bought on her honeymoon on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. The other plunged deep into her cleavage. On the gold chain was her wedding ring. The smooth circle of gold sat between her breasts, bringing comfort to her. She had only started wearing it, but knew it was the right thing for tonight.
She skipped down the stairs, a thick beat pounding in her head. She busted out a song as the doorbell rang, cutting her off.
“Just a sec,” she called, sliding her feet into black leather stilettos. She’d gotten better at walking in them and knew they looked killer. Who cared about comfort and maneuverability when her ass could look this good all the time?
Jack drove them to the party slower than a drunk moving along at night. She tapped her foot and tugged down on her skirt when Jack’s gaze lingered on the expanse of thigh exposed. She didn’t want to cause an accident or lead him on, so she tugged harder.
“You look amazing tonight. Is there a special reason?” he asked.
Regan got the feeling he expected her to say it was all for him. And that if he played his cards right, he might get lucky, but she wouldn’t.
“No reason. I just felt like dressing up more than the jeans and polo shirts I wear to work.”
He put his arm over her shoulders and threaded his fingers in her hair.
“It took me a long time to get ready,” she started, hoping he’d get the hint and leave her hair alone.
He murmured his appreciation.
“I worked for at least fifty minutes on my hair alone.”
He pulled his arm back like he’d been stung. “Sorry,” he grumbled.
“Are we almost there? I’ve never been out here before.”
“Almost. You seem excited.”
“I am. I’ve never seen Kim’s house and to hear her talk it must be spectacular.”
“I’ve heard those rumors too.” He smiled sideways at her. She tried to return his affection, but couldn’t with butterflies cascading though her stomach. She’d be seeing Colin soon and that was all that mattered.