Trystan
WHAT A CLUSTERFUCK the last few days have been. With everything that happened to Cam, the ongoing investigation, combing through videos from Maggie’s, and trying to be available to Caleb, I am exhausted. One-hundred-percent of my focus really needs to be on this case, but my thoughts are overtaken by my Sunshine. That night has been replayed many times in my head. When she asked me to lie with her and hold her, I reacted quickly, like a shot fired from a gun I was next to her. Holding her all night was one of my most amazing recent memories. Thinking of all the years we missed out on that makes me frustrated, angry, but mostly sad. Just having her close had me shifting and repositioning myself all night. My cock most certainly remembers her.
When we woke up, I figured I would get sassy and fiery Cam back, but that isn’t what happened at all. She softened. My hardheaded, strong-willed girl seemed somewhat nervous and embarrassed. Her cheeks were stained with a pink blush color. And for some reason, she wouldn’t make direct eye contact with me for long periods of time. She is scheduled to meet me at the station today to provide a statement about what happened at Maggie’s. Sadly, her frustration is high because she only remembers bits and pieces. She was released from the hospital rather quickly, with instructions to take it easy and monitor symptoms from the concussion she sustained. After release, she went home with Hunter and I haven’t seen her since.
When I reached out to her by phone last night, our conversation centered around how she was feeling and the case. She offered to look at some video footage to see if anything sparked her memory. So that is where we are today. I have a few hours until we meet, and Caleb asked me to play catch with him for a bit. That was a request I could not pass up. My son has a heart of gold and has been very concerned about Cam for the last several days. His eyes tell me he has plenty of questions, but he hasn’t asked them yet. I catch him starting and stopping himself several times a day. Today that changes. He and I have always had a very solid relationship with open dialogue. People say you shouldn’t be friends with your kid; I say fuck that. I can be both a parent and his friend. I want him to know he can come to me with anything throughout his life.
“Dad, are you ready? I need to work on my mechanics a bit, so I just need you to catch and see if you see anything off.”
“Sure thing, Bud. I’m thinking we do this for about an hour, grab some lunch, and then I have to head to the station. Are you still sleeping at Connor’s tonight?”
“That’s the plan. Will you be okay without me?” chuckling, he asks.
“Think I got it covered, dude. I will be at the station with Camryn for a while and have to put in some more time on this case.”
“Dad, can I ask you something?”
“You never have to ask me that question, Caleb. Any question you have for me, fire away.”
He sets himself up, away from me, and takes position; winding up his arm, kicking his leg out, and letting a pitch fly my way. Damn. My boy has gotten some power behind his throws. We haven’t played catch for some time, and although I have seen his mechanics improve drastically when he pitches, catching for him only solidifies that.
“Damn, Caleb. Your strength is going up. I hope you know how proud I am of you.”
He smiles sheepishly. “Of course it is. I have been working on my game nonstop. Jackson has been helping me a bit too. He brought one his buddies to the field the other day, he used to play with in the majors. He was a pitcher but got hurt and had surgery, so he has been off for some time recovering. He watched my throws and gave me some tips on mechanics.”
“That’s awesome, Bud. I am happy Jackson showed up. He knows more than most, and I am sure any of his buddies will offer some great advice. So let’s get back to that question you had? What’s on your mind?”
“What happened to Camryn the other night? Gram and Gramps wouldn’t tell me much, but I saw Auntie Ave crying and you weren’t around. You know how you tell me sometimes I look lost in the clouds. Like when I’m thinking deep about something. Well, that is how you’ve looked for a few days.”
Snickering I reply, “Not much gets by you, huh? So observant. Well, Bud, you know how I mentioned the case I am working on? The other night it happened to Cam. One of my guys from the force tried to get her to the hospital, and they were in accident. She’s okay now, but she was out of it for a while and got a pretty nasty gash on her forehead.”
“Oh my God, Dad. Can I see her? Why are these people doing that to the girls? I don’t understand.”
“I wish I knew, Caleb. They aren’t good people. But I am working on it and maybe, with Cam’s help, we can catch them. Most video we have seen when this kind of thing happens has been dark and it’s hard to tell what is going on. The video from the other night is clear. But you don’t need to worry about that. I have probably said more than I should. And as far as seeing her, I think we can arrange something. When I see her later, I will tell her you were asking about her.”
“I really like her, Dad. She is always so nice to me. And her and Auntie Ave make me laugh. And I know you like her. I mean really like her.”
“Is it that obvious, Bud? She is pretty spectacular, isn’t she? Let me see if I can set something up so you can see for yourself she is okay.”
“That would be lit. And yeah, Dad, it is that obvious. You get a goofy smile on your face when her name is brought up. You drive by her house randomly when it is the opposite way of where we need to go.”
Lit? I always laugh when he says that word. I hate it, but all the kids are using it nowadays. My answer seems to pacify him as he goes back to hurling the ball to me. Apparently, I am not very good at hiding my feelings for her, even from my very observant twelve-year-old son. Hopefully, Camryn will be agreeable to a get-together with him. If she isn’t comfortable with me being there, Avery can be a part of it. Playing the role of catcher for my son today has been much needed for both of us. Single parenting is hard. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all, and there are times when I feel the weight of not being as present as I want to be. He never complains about it. Truly I am blessed with an understanding kid, who knows my job is important, but being his father is my number one priority. There are times when I doubt myself and think I could be doing better, but in his eyes I am doing just fine. And really, at the end of the day, that is all that matters. We spend a little more time throwing and catching. When we are done, he meticulously follows his stretching routine. His discipline when it comes to baseball inspires me and makes me incredibly proud.
After a great afternoon, which ended with lunch for Caleb and me, he is dropped off at Connor’s house. The plan is for him to spend the night and then head to the beach with the family tomorrow. That gives me about twenty-four hours to focus on this case as much as I can. At this point, we need a break and a big one at that. Hopefully, Cam sees something that triggers a memory of who she may have come in contact with. But I know I can’t put any pressure on her without causing frustration. As long as she is willing to view the video, I am willing to sit with her and see what we can come up with. It also means I get to be close to her in some way, and I am all for that.
When I get to the station, the front desk informs me Preston has been looking for me. We have not caught up much since that accident, so I am happy I get the chance to check up on him and see how he is doing. I shoot him a text to meet me in my office. Speaking of my office, it looks like a bomb went off in it. I haven’t been here in a few days and you can certainly tell. Papers are strewn all over my desk. Stacks of case files are piled in each corner. And now there is a pile of video footage sitting front and center. God I need an assistant, but sadly the Savannah PD does not provide those. A quick glance at my watch tells me I have thirty minutes to make this mess look a little less chaotic.
Busying myself with moving files and paperwork, a knock at the door startles me.
“Hey, T. Do you have a few?”
“Preston, how are you? I am sorry I haven’t reached out much to check in on you. How are you feeling, my man?”
“Surprisingly, very good. Very little pain at all, which is shocking. My car on the other hand, not so good. Thank God for good insurance.”
“What happened that night? I never asked you.”
“To be honest, I am not sure. I was on the phone calling Maggie’s to give you 411. All while trying to keep Camryn calm and keep an eye on her. I looked down for a second and then headlights were blinding me. I swerved to miss the car headed my way and barreled into a tree. The other car never stopped. That’s all I recall happening.”
“Well, it could have been much worse. What a fucker, though, not stopping to help.”
“How’s Camryn doing? I have been worried about her since Saturday but did not feel it was my place to check in on her.”
“She’s doing better. Actually, she will be here shortly. We are going to get a statement based on what little she can remember.” Pointing to the box of video, I sarcastically respond, “Then we will be watching some movies. She has agreed to watch some of the film to see if anyone or anything jogs her memory. Sadly, you know with Rohypnol, memories are tough to come by. And, hey man, I never got to say thank you. Relieved that you were there. I don’t want to think what else could have happened to her had you not been.”
“No thanks needed, my man. Right place, right time. My baby sister signed me up for that speed-dating nonsense so I decided to go with the flow, maybe have a few laughs; perhaps score some pussy for the night. Her meddling was a good thing, for once.”
Laughter erupts from my lips. “Sisters. A gift and a curse. Trust me, I know. Avery likes to bust my balls and often. But she means well. As I am sure your sister did too.”
“Speaking of sisters, I have dinner plans with mine. She feels she’s to blame for me getting in the accident, and I need to squash that shit as soon as possible. She will overthink that shit to death otherwise. But, hey, keep in touch and let me know how I can help. With this case, I am at your disposal.”
“Appreciate that and I will definitely take you up on it. It is past time we lay this one to bed. Solving this one has become my number one objective. The mayor and chief are coming down pretty heavy since there is no decline. Quite frankly, I was invested before, but I am ready to bring these motherfuckers to their knees. Seeing Cam as I did the other night will haunt me for a lifetime. Feeling so helpless isn’t a good look or anything I want to feel again anytime soon.”
“I hear ya, my man. I have all the faith in the world in you, brother. Their time is coming. Give Cam my best and let her know I was asking about her. Catch you later, T.”
“You got it, man. Oh, before I forget, there is an opening coming up in the narcotics division. I mean, if you are looking for a change from the normal beat duty. Let’s catch up tomorrow and I’ll give you the details.”
“Most definitely. You know that is where I want to be. Until tomorrow.”