Chapter Nine
Repercussions of Betrayal
“You haven’t even given the force a shot yet!” Walker snarled, throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Goddamn millennials. Your generation is going to be the death of us.”
Nah. Global warming will get us all first, Melissa thought sardonically but she knew her snide remarks were not apt to better the situation.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, sir,” she told him sincerely. “But I’m afraid I have other obligations at this time.”
A mirthless smirk formed on Walker’s mouth and he grunted.
“Send me your resignation in writing, Rookie. I can’t send it through until I have something on paper. In the meantime, I suggest you get out of here before the others get wind of the fact you couldn’t even handle a week on the job. You’re a disgrace to all young women in this field.”
Indignation spiked through Melissa’s body but she shoved it down.
What is he supposed to think? You haven’t given him a real reason for leaving.
She stared at him for a long moment, wondering if he could be trusted.
I could tell him the truth, that I’m being blackmailed by the Waylands.
Louis’ words lingered in her mind and she shot her eyes down.
And then everyone will see your sex tapes. Imagine what a disgrace I’ll be to women on the force then.
This was the only way Melissa could think of to get out of the mess she’d found herself in without letting the truth be known.
For now. What will the Waylands do when they find out I quit? Will they still release the tapes? Will they try to point a finger at me being involved in their illegal operations?
“Why are you still standing there?” Walker roared. “Get out of my sight.”
“Yes, sir.”
She hurried out of the office, half-expecting to see August waiting for her, but to her intense disappointment, he was gone.
That’s it, then. It’s over. All this for nothing.
Her heart was aching and she knew she was going to lose her composure if she stuck around the precinct.
There’s nothing for me here anyway. I need to go home and get ready to deal with the Waylands.
On the drive home, she tried to be reasonable, think rationally. Releasing any video of her now would only bring more attention to themselves. She’d been up all night trying to figure out the best way to address what had happened.
There’s no one to talk to about this. Cara wouldn’t know what to do. She’d just get mad at the Waylands and make things worse. I have no one.
Maybe she’d learned to be alone for so long that the loneliness had taken a back seat in her life, but as she made her way back to her shared apartment, Melissa was suddenly consumed by the horrible reality that despite her training, despite her belief that she was a strong, independent woman, she was inherently all alone.
You’ve been through worse than this, she reminded herself. You’ll figure something out.
The sergeant’s anger resounded through her mind.
To the CPD, I’ll just be another rookie who couldn’t handle the pressures of the job.
A primitive sense inside her longed to do a U-turn and head back into the 22nd, lay out her dilemma and let the chips fall where they may, but she knew she had no credibility with the department.
Did Louis know that? Is that why he pounced so quickly? If he’d waited even a month or two before trying to flip me, I might have had a fighting chance in this.
Melissa’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Or I could bring him down myself, she thought, but she dismissed the idea as quickly as it had come on. If there was already a team on Portia and the Waylands, she might be interfering with their operation.
Not to mention if I start poking around in there, I’ll be putting myself front and center, something I have no interest in doing.
No, there was nothing she could do than the scenario she’d already played out in her mind a dozen times since returning home last night.
Melissa would email her resignation and look into another line of work.
Because it’s that simple.
~ ~ ~
To her surprise, Cara wasn’t home when she returned but Melissa didn’t give it much thought.
Stale coffee still sat in the coffee maker and instead of making a fresh pot, she poured the cold bitters into a cup and flopped down at the scarred dining room table to craft her letter to Sergeant Walker.
For almost ten minutes, she stared at the blank Word screen, trying to think of the proper phrasing for what she was about to do but nothing came out.
The urge to call August and beg him to understand was overshadowing everything else in her mind, her thoughts confused and disorganized.
This isn’t going to work, she thought, rising from the chair to pace around the small apartment. A part of her was exhausted and she wanted to go back into her bedroom and throw the covers over her head but Melissa knew that sleep wouldn’t easily come.
Her cell chimed and she snatched it up hopefully.
Morning Sunshine!
She resisted her instinct to whip the phone against the wall and stared at the text from Louis hatefully.
The only reason he’d be up so early is that he’s still partying from last night. I went home and agonized. He sat up drinking and doing lines.
Don’t know if you’re ignoring me but I just wanted to say glad to be working with you!
Her heart leapt into her throat and she eyed the message, suddenly understanding what Louis was trying to do.
He’s creating a digital footprint between us. Up until now, he had nothing except some stupid, drunken sex tapes to prove I have anything to do with them.
Her fingers froze over the phone, her mind racing.
If there’s no paper trail, there’s no way for them to connect me.
It was a brazen, flimsy hope but it was something.
You there, Melissa?
Don’t answer him. Ignore him.
A new confidence fired inside her and she threw the phone down as she considered her next move.
Resigning would leave the Waylands powerless but that wasn’t good enough, not when they were trying to ruin her life.
The cell dinged again and again but she didn’t bother to check the messages.
Yet when the landline rang a few minutes later, the sound made Melissa jump almost out of her shoes and it took her several seconds to regain her breath before answering the number she didn’t know.
Louis shouldn’t have our home number, she thought, picking up the cordless phone with trembling hands.
“Hello?”
“Melissa?”
Her brow furrowed as she tried to identify the voice but it didn’t come to her.
“Sorry, she’s not here right now. Can I take a message?”
There was a deep inhale and she waited for the man to speak.
“No. Do you know when she’ll be back?”
“Nope. Who is this?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he sighed. “Thanks.”
The call disconnected in her ear and alarm coursed through her body.
Was that related to the Waylands? Do they have someone watching me?
Paranoia didn’t suit Melissa but she was in a bad spot.
Now what?
She bit on her lower lip and picked up the phone, calling out to the phone company.
It took her several minutes to speak with a live person but when she did, she put on her best “scared girl” voice.
“Hi, I just got an obscene phone call and I want to know who the number belongs to,” she breathed to the operator. “Could you help me?”
“I’m sorry, miss, but we can’t give out information like that,” the clipped voice on the other end intoned. “If you file a police report, the department could issue a warrant for the records—”
“Would it help to tell you that I am the police?” Melissa interjected, the lost note to her voice evaporating.
“Then you should know the protocol, miss. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Melissa scowled. “No.”
She hung up before the operator could give her the standard “have a nice day” and stared at the wall.
I’m going to go crazy sitting in here all day, she realized. If the Waylands are watching me, they’re going to know I’m not at work and looking into their problem. If it’s not the Waylands, then someone else is looking for me, but what are the odds?
She had never felt more useless in her life and for a long moment, she could only stand and wait for inspiration to strike her.
Melissa reclaimed her spot at the computer and closed the Word screen, pulling up the internet instead. She did a reverse search on the phone number, hoping that maybe she’d get lucky online.
Chicago area code. 773-555-9023. Go.
Instantly a dozen sites appeared for her to look at, half of them wanting to charge, but in seconds, she found the name of the person who owned the phone.
Is this a joke?
She blinked twice at the name on the screen, shaking her head.
It’s a coincidence.
She closed the search and started again, only to find the same results.
How the hell… does this have something to do with the Waylands or is this something even worse than that?
Suddenly, a hundred images flipped through her mind like a Rolodex, each one overlapping the other.
She saw her mother’s worried face, telling her regretfully that they had to move again.
There were basement apartments, drafty rooms in houses and an endless parade of train and car rides as they zipped across the country.
She could hear herself pleading as a young girl to stay in Aspen, telling Lisa that she’d just made friends, but then they were gone, off to Florida.
Was it all for nothing?
Melissa hadn’t realized that she had risen from the table until the phone was in her hand again.
Don’t do it, a wise voice in her head called. You already told him you weren’t here, for some instinctual reason. Nothing good can come of this.
But what if it was a sign from the universe, one that had come at precisely the right time?
I’m lonely, defeated and this call comes through. That has to mean something, doesn’t it?
Something else took over her mind and Melissa watched as her long fingers pressed the recall button on the beaten cordless.
He answered on the second ring, a charged excitement in his voice.
“Melissa?” he choked. “Is that you?”
“Why are you calling?” she demanded. “What do you want?”
He exhaled in a whoosh so loud, it filled her ears.
“Is this really you, Melly?”
“I’m not answering any of your questions until you tell me what you want,” she hissed, suddenly regretting what she’d done.
Hang up the phone, Melissa! Hang it up now!
Was that her mother’s voice she heard echoing through her mind? With trembling fingers, she looked at the device in her hand.
“I shouldn’t have called you back,” she whispered.
“No, wait!” he cried. “Melissa, I’ve been searching for you, endlessly. You can’t hang up, please.”
“Then tell me what you want, Paul,” she insisted, shocked at how calm she managed to keep her voice.
“The same thing I’ve always wanted, Melissa,” he laughed nervously. “To be your father.”