Chapter Five
Rachel was dressed in her tight black jeans and silver tank top. She wore her three inch black heels and straightened her long, dark hair. She'd slept for over ten hours and didn't want to sit around in an empty apartment tonight. She called Blake and he met her downtown for a drink. She was leaning against the bar, waiting on another shot of vodka and a pitcher of beer for the table. A handsome red-haired man settled on the seat next to her and tried to convince her to dance with him, but she politely declined. She wasn't interested in meeting anyone tonight; she just wanted to have fun. That's why she'd called Blake.
This was a firefighter bar they frequented. She came here tonight to get her mind off her conversation with Jay. Just when she'd forgotten him for ten minutes, he called. The ginger was persistent, she'd give him that. No didn't seem like a word in his vocabulary.
"Look, you seem like a nice guy, but I'm not interested, okay?" she said, making one last effort to get ginger to leave her alone. But, apparently, it wasn't registering to him, because he grabbed her arm.
"The lady said no! Let her go, now," said a familiar voice.
"I got this, Jay, I don't need your help," she said, grabbing her drinks and heading for her table in the back.
"Rachel, Rachel."
She heard him but kept walking. She couldn't deal with him right now. She hadn't had enough alcohol yet. No such luck; he caught up to her right as she made it to her table.
"I need to talk to you, okay? Can you give me five minutes, please?" he pleaded.
"What is it, Jay?" The look in his eyes made her annoyance fade.
Drinking her shot down, she glanced over to see Blake glued to one of the flat screen TVs. The news reporter's breaking story was about a sniper firing at first responders. She stated one police offer had been shot but was in stable condition. The shooter hadn't been caught yet.
"This is why I called, Rach," Jay said, taking a seat.
Of course, that's why he called. What was she thinking, he called because he was ready to hear I love you from her? She knew he was worried about her safety but she could hope, right? She, Blake and some of the guys from their station gathered around the table and listened as Jay filled them in on what happened. Rachel's heart began to race at the thought that Jay could have been hurt.
"You guys need to be on high alert with each call until we catch this bastard," Jay told them. "The chief has made arrangements for all of you to have bullet proof vests. So please wear them and be diligent of your surroundings. This could be an isolated incident, but my gut tells me it's just beginning."
He stood up from the table and reached for her hand. "Let me give you a ride home, please."
"Go ahead, Rach, I'll catch a ride with one of the guys," Blake said as he hugged her goodbye.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Jay's hand on her lower back sent fire through her body as he led her through the crowded bar out the back door. His eyes were constantly searching their surroundings. Her nerves were on edge by the time he settled her in the passenger seat of his SUV. He paused before starting the engine and looked at her, his eyes revealing what he wouldn't allow himself to admit. He reached across the seat and linked his hand with hers and squeezed. Not a word was spoken as he finally started the engine and drove to her apartment.
He put the SUV in park and escorted her to her door. He gently took her keys from her when they were inside the foyer and said, "Wait here."
She did as he asked while he searched her apartment. Today must have really shaken him up. Rachel refused to let herself read anything into his actions. He would have done this for anyone he cared about.
"It's clear. Can't be too careful right now," he said as he put her keys on the counter.
"You want something to drink, Jay?"
"I can't. I'm still on duty and have to get back to the station. I needed to make sure you were okay," he said as he walked towards her door.
She was silent for a minute as he came closer to her. To her surprise, he pulled her into a fierce hug. She wrapped her arms around him and held on. Rachel breathed in his scent—sandalwood and ocean. They fit so perfectly together, her head resting under his neck. Too soon, he let her go and stepped back.
"Promise me you will wear your vest and be careful, Rach, until we catch this guy. I couldn't take it if anything happened to you."
"I promise, Jay. I couldn't take it if anything happened to you, either."
"Lock up behind me," he told her as he left.
She clicked the deadbolt lock in place and leaned against the door. She promised herself she would not cry, but the tears came. How could she be so in love with someone who wouldn't allow himself to be loved? Nausea hit her hard and she ran to her bathroom. She had a feeling she was going to regret that last shot of vodka.
***
Jay waited outside Rachel's apartment door until he heard the locks click into place. He couldn't explain the urge that had come over him to see her in person, even though she hadn't been in danger or near the shooting. He wasn't sure how long he stood outside her door but he could've sworn he heard her cry. Part of him wanted to go through that door and just hold her. But the stubborn part of him won out. He walked to his SUV, fired the engine up and peeled out. Going home would be useless; there was no way he would sleep, so he headed back to the station.
Normally, this late at night, the station was pretty empty but, with the shooting, several detectives were working overtime.
"Hey buddy, I thought you went home," Jay said to Mike as he sat down at his desk.
"I came back and took another run at Scooter, and something he said got me thinking. You remember, about a year or so ago, there was an accident involving a tanker truck near downtown?"
"I seemed to recall the tanker lost control and plowed through a crowd of people near the park."
"Yes. It was particularly crowded, due to the annual spring music festival in the park, that day."
"You think there's a connection?"
"Scooter mentioned a tanker truck accident, so I began considering any accidents involving Music City Gas Company."
"And let me guess. It was their tanker," Jay said as he stood up from his desk.
"Bingo."
"Great work, Mike," he told his partner and slapped him on the back.
Jay poured two cups of coffee and, after handing one to Mike, they began going through any reports of anyone who had been injured or killed that day. Just from his rough assessment, it appeared several hundred people were seriously injured and several others died. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, but at least, they had a good start. This guy needed to be caught before more people died.
"Why don't you try to catch a few hours of sleep, and I will keep narrowing things down here?"
"I think I might take you up on that. The wife has been nagging me to come home since she saw the news report," Mike replied, letting out a big yawn.
"Go home, and I'll call you if I find anything."
"Try to catch a nap in Cap's office, will you?"
"All right, man, give Marcy a kiss from me."
Jay got up from his desk and started a third pot of coffee. He glanced at the clock on his phone; it was almost five o'clock in the morning. His butt had been sitting at this desk for almost four hours straight. He walked around a bit to stretch his legs and aching back. He'd been able to narrow down the list from over one hundred people to twenty seven and was pleased with the progress he'd made so far. But, the process was slow. He was feeling pretty ripe, so he headed to the locker room to freshen up. He took a quick shower and put on a fresh change of clothes. It would be a few hours before Mike got back, so Jay decided to take a quick nap in the captain's office.
***
Cap had a worn out brown leather sofa that was reasonably comfortable. Jay toed off his boots and lay back on the couch. His thoughts drifting to Rachel and why it wouldn't work. In college, he'd had a girlfriend that he dated for over a year. It was going great until she found out he had to leave school and give up his football career and she couldn't handle that. Later, he dated an assistant district attorney on and off for two years. That was longest relationship he'd ever stayed in. She wanted to settle down, but he didn't, so she moved on.
Thinking back, he wondered if he even tried to make a relationship work. Rachel had been a part of his life longer than any other woman, besides his sister. Maybe it didn't work before because none of those women were Rachel. He knew things between them had already changed, and if he didn't man up, she would disappear from his life or end up with some other man. He couldn't live with either choice.