Truth Avenged (Green Division Series Book 1) Read online

  “Men can pull off battle scars. They are sexy on you guys.”

  “Good to know.” She is a fruitcake. It was going to be a short night. Both of them were beyond exhausted and partly explained their behavior.

  “We need to get some sleep. You’ve got a date with Kerr and I have one with my doctor. Should I go back to the comfy couch?”

  “Stay with me.” No matter how off course their conversation had traversed, she wanted him with her.

  “Come here.” He moved over and patted the area of the mattress next to him. She turned and crawled into the bed next to him. They laid face to face, no space separating them. He rested his hand on her upper back and pushed his leg in between hers. She wrapped her arm around his bare lower back. She wanted sleep, but it was a pointless battle. She’d wake in horror minutes later, possibly a few hours on a stellar night.

  Tuck recognized the pain on her face. The nightmare had shaken her. He raised his hand to her jaw and ran the back side of his hand up and down her jaw line.

  “Good night.” He whispered and pressed his lips against hers, a sweet good night kiss. That was his plan at least. The first sweet kiss was prolonged and followed up thoroughly. Tuck pulled away from her lips and kissed her forehead affectionately.

  “Good night.” She smiled at him.

  C hapter Nine

  They woke up at the sound of Chance’s alarm at 8:00 in the morning. He had to be at his doctor’s appointment at 9:00 to get the shards of metal removed from his head.

  He reached over her and clicked the off button then cuddled her.

  “I don’t want to get up.” He yawned. “I’d rather stay in bed with you.”

  “Why don’t you?” She said barely awake.

  He kissed her neck. Chance enjoyed his closeness. “I should be back from the doctor’s before noon. And if you meet with Kerr early this morning, you would be free for the afternoon too. What do you say to taking a day off from your investigation and spend it with me? No talk about shootings, or plane crashes, or either of our jobs.”

  She turned and faced him. “Doing what?”

  “We’ll figured it out.” He winked at her. He kissed her softly and crawled out of bed. “Call me when you’re done your meeting.”

  “Okay.” She stretched her arms over her head.

  “I’ll see you later.” He leaned over and kissed her one more time before leaving her house.

  *****

  Chance dragged herself out of bed and got herself ready for the day. Their relationship had taken a hell of a turn in the past day, a turn she wouldn’t complain about for sure.

  “Do any of these men look familiar?” Kerr asked.

  A stack of a dozen criminal faces stared back at Chance. The mug shots in front of her were less than flattering. She studied photo after photo until she reached the end.

  “No. I’m sorry, but no.”

  “Take your time and look, we’re not in any hurry.” Mitch stood at Kerr’s side.

  “I’m positive.” She pushed the photos away from her. “Which one of them is the suspect?”

  Kerr slid the photos back to her. “Humor us. Take a guess. No pressure.”

  She thumbed through the photos again and settled. “I still have no idea, but him. He’s my guess.” She held the photo.

  Kerr’s forehead wrinkled as he and Mitch exchanged looks.

  “What?” Chance asked at their unspoken communication.

  “Lucky guess.” He took the other eleven photos and tossed them into a file folder.

  “But, I didn’t see well enough to identify him. It was just a guess.” She looked down at him. Her mind wouldn’t register any memory of him.

  “It was the right one.” He took the photo from her.

  “So what happens now?”

  *****

  Tuck was out of the hospital by 10 a.m. and free of his metal decorations. He drove back to his house, showered, and got his affairs in order to return to work the following day. The doctor cleared him for work and he’d spoken to Kerr on his return drive to give him the news.

  His cell phone rang. It was Chance. She was released from her meeting with Kerr and wanted to know what their plans were. Tuck invited her to his house, a change of scenery for them. Big plans were in store for them. Big plans of doing nothing but relaxing together. That was his hope.

  *****

  Chance put the Jeep into park and looked at his cozy Victorian style home. The butterflies returned to her stomach. It was 2 p.m. and yet another rainy afternoon. An afternoon of discussing nothing but their lives pre-shooting. This would be different.

  “Hi.” She said almost shyly as Tuck opened the door. She walked inside and he took her coat like a true gentleman. “You have a cute house.”

  “Cute?” He repeated. He put her coat on a hook attached to the wall.

  She smiled. “Cute in a manly kind of way.”

  “Uh huh.” He smiled back. “Nice save.”

  “Did your doctor appointment go well?” His hat covered the injury, as usual. Tuck took the hat off.

  “Staple free and cleared to return to work. I go back tomorrow.”

  “Wow. Good news.” She smiled, but wasn’t as happy as she pretended to be. That meant Tuck wouldn’t be spending all of his time with her.

  “How about the meeting with Kerr?”

  She put her finger to his lips. “I remember the conditions for this afternoon including no talk about anything involving those past events.”

  “This isn’t rehashing the past, its talking about current events.”

  Chance shook her head no. “Those were your terms.”

  “I’ll get it out of you.” He winked at her. “Do you want anything to drink? Coffee, water, soda?”

  “I’m fine, thanks.”

  He lead her into the living room and they sat on the couch together, Tuck propped his feet up on the coffee table. The television played lowly in the background.

  “What’s his name? That’s all I’ll ask, I promise.”

  She gave him a dirty look. “Jason Thomas.”

  “Where does he live?”

  “You aren’t keeping your promise.”

  “Okay.” He put his hands up in defeat. “I’m done.”

  “Thank you.” She put her legs up on the couch and leaned against his side. He draped his arm around her shoulder. She kept a fifty foot wall around herself, but Tuck managed to permeate it quickly like no other man in her past had. “Is this our plan for the afternoon?”

  “Would you rather go for a hike?”

  “Ha…ha…hah.” She mocked.

  “My company isn’t good enough for you?” He flirted.

  “If there are no other alternatives.” She returned his smartassedness. She reached her arm around his side and rested her hand on his abdomen. God, she loved being in his arms. This was a fine way to spend the afternoon. She could feel his eyes glare upon her. Her eyes wandered upward and her feeling was correct. He placed his free hand under her chin raising it toward him.

  What happened following their first initial kiss was a bit of a blur. A happy, hot, hazy blur. Clothes littered the floor around his bed, a shattered picture frame on the floor a casualty of their impassioned travel from the couch to his bedroom.

  Hours passed.

  “We must have done something right to keep that smile on your face.” Tuck grinned. She hadn’t stopped smiling.

  Chance nestled up against him contented beyond content. One good thing had come from all the events in the past weeks, Tuck. She was in deep. Way over her head. Chance was not the type of girl to jump in bed so quickly with a man. Not that in modern times it was outrageous, but much more expedited than her normal romantic behaviors. Then again, she’d never had a man such as Tuck, nor had she shared so many heightened emotions. That wall of hers prevented it. Even Paul hadn’t seen her at the lows Tuck had.

  “I want to know more about you.” She played with the buzzed hair at the nape of his neck. “What
’s your back story?”

  “Backstory…I was born and raised in Farmington. My dad was a finish carpenter, my mom an elementary school teacher. I have three younger sisters, I was the only boy in the family. That was rough. I had the Leave It To Beaver childhood, a loving family and wholesome upbringing. I still raised hell with the best of them though. I graduated school and ran away to Michigan for my college years. The plan was to graduate with my bachelors in Criminal Law and get picked up by one of the departments in Michigan.” He yawned.

  “Why Michigan?”

  “I always wanted to live there. I was young and foolish. No logical reason. So, I got hired by Grand Rapids Police Department and went through the Police Academy. I spent three years on the force and was miserable. Hated living in Michigan and hated being away from my family. I came back to Maine, went through another academy, and spent another three years working for the Augusta Police Department before I got picked up and put through another academy by the Game Warden Service. Which is where I plan to retire from. I’m done with these academies. I’m too damn old and out of shape to keep up with those boys in their young twenties.”

  “Trust me, you’re not out of shape.” Chance patted his chest.

  He smiled. She could see she’d shifted his train of thought. She needed a few minutes of recovery time.

  “So why is it at thirty four, a man like you is still single?”

  “A man like me?” That didn’t sound like a compliment.

  “Don’t take this out of context, but you are the type of man women dream about. Tall, dark, handsome. You work in law enforcement and that uniform attracts women by itself.” The uniform did have its perks. “You are intelligent, compassionate. All things we women look for and since we can’t find it in reality, we resort to reading about it in a sappy book, or watching it in a Lifetime movie.”

  “Are you saying I’m too good to be true?” His ego was boosted.

  “Oh, I said don’t take it out of context!” She shook her head. “You are a good man from what I’ve seen and I’m surprised a woman hasn’t cornered you by now.”

  “The right one hadn’t come along.”

  Hadn’t. The word hit Chance. What did that mean? Hadn’t…

  “You…” Chance cleared her throat. “You’ve never been married? No kids?”

  “No, and no.” He moved his hand the indent of her waist. “How about you?”

  “No.”

  “My turn to interrogate.” He pulled her atop of him.

  “What method of interrogation are you using?” She wiggled in his grasp.

  “Let me guess….you were an only child. Grew up in an upper middle class household. You were a problem child, gave your parents a lot of headaches in your younger years because you were as stubborn then as you are now.” Chance looked at him inquisitively. “Graduated and ran away to college out to California at some liberal arts hippy dippy school.” He smiled as though he’d won the battle.

  She laughed. “Wow, I don’t know how much more wrong you could be.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “I have twin older brothers, both of whom were the hellions. They are Marines now, one is in Afghanistan and the other is stationed in California. If they were able to come back during the whole incident which we won’t discuss, they would have been here and still searching the woods. They were crazy overprotective and the reason I was an awkward bookworm who spent more time in a book than I did partying. Um, I graduated first in my class and was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Oregon for journalism. My parents were moving to Seattle to open a new restaurant after selling their businesses back here, so I’d be only a few hours away from someone familiar…so I moved to Oregon and got my fancy degree and here I am. I made it big, all the way up top to the Tranton Times. It worked out well.”

  “Do you wish you’d stayed out west?”

  “No, this is home. I can always take a plane west to visit my family and vice versa, but I love Maine.” She sighed and rested her head on his chest. “This is home.”

  “And why is it a woman like you is single?” Paul’s name stood out in the back of his mind, but he didn’t broach it. “Twenty seven. Beautiful. Fiery as hell.” He moved his hands south grasping her behind. “Fucking amazing in bed.”

  “Mhmm, aren’t you being nice.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  She blushed, she didn’t handle compliments well.

  “What’s the scoop?” His hands didn’t wander off her backside. “Why are you single?”

  “Because I attract all of the wrong men. Assholes, conceited workaholics, losers, men who prefer men, dirty old men.” She stopped her tirade.

  “Ouch.” His forehead wrinkled. “What category do I fall into?”

  “None that I see.” She picked her head up and kissed his chest. “You broke the mold.” Chance continued up his jaw line meet his lips. Her recovery time was over. Round two.

  Chapter Ten

  Tuck returned to work the following day. Even the guys at work noticed the change in his attitude, but he didn’t explain its origin. Chance was distracting. Their planned afternoon of spending time together turned into more sex in one night than he’d had in the prior months combined. If they were this good together while she was injured and they had to be cautious, his mind wandered to how good it would be when she was healed.

  Work, Tuck, focus on work. He reminded himself. Kerr had given him the cold shoulder when he asked about Jason Thomas. He told him it wasn’t his case and to focus on his work. If they needed his assistance, they would ask. It drove Tuck up a wall being left on the outside. Kerr wasn’t giving him any excuses to get close to this case.

  Tuck’s phone rang.

  “Hello.”

  “I pulled all the strings I have and found what you were looking for.” Claire said. “The military records on John White.”

  “You’re shitting me?”

  “I’ve never understood that expression, but no, I’m not shitting you.”

  “What do the records say?”

  “Not much. John White served during World War Two. He was a training instructor at Brunswick Air Base and died in a car accident shortly before he was to be shipped overseas.”

  “He died in a car accident? Are you sure?”

  “He and two other airmen.”

  “Does it say where the accident happened?”

  “On base. This John White and the two airmen left a bar off base highly intoxicated and were traveling at a high rate of speed when they hit a tree, according to the report. There are a few old black and white photos, the car was burned and I mean burned. Their funerals would have been closed casket, if there were any bodies left for a casket. I also have the files of the other men you asked for.”

  They’d died in a car accident on base shortly before they were to ship overseas. It didn’t seem all that improbable they’d want to get smashed before they were to leave for war.

  “You are a miracle worker. Thank you.” The mystery was solved, as far as the files were concerned. Tuck knew Chance wouldn’t believe it. And deep down he didn’t either.

  “Do you want to meet me for lunch at our place? My treat. I’ll bring the files.”

  Tuck delayed his answer.

  “I’ve spent the past forty eight hours devoted to finding this information for you, no questions asked. It wasn’t easy Tuck. It was a long chain of ass kissing and digging. I wouldn’t do it for anyone else but you. It’s only dinner. Please.”

  Ass kissing. Who was she kidding, she didn’t only kiss ass, she would give it away freely if it would further her cause.

  *****

  Night had fallen on the lake and bright hues of pink streaked across the sky. Chance returned from her follow up appointment cheery. She was healing better than expected and the doctor was proud of her for not further injuring herself. She was proud of herself too. Small miracles. But he did sternly warn her about taking it easy as he knew she hadn’t. And reminded her it had been only a
few weeks prior that she’d nearly died. That was a reminder she didn’t need. She had no intention of lounging around the house and sleeping as he prescribed though. She hadn’t delved into researching the plane crash for a few days and itched to continue.

  Chance took notice of a vehicle pass slowly in front of her house. It had become a normality in her life, seeing the police patrol her street so frequently. It did provide a measure of comfort.

  The newspaper was paying her salary without question until she was healed. The reason she’d been shot was due to their assignment in the willywags. Paul hadn’t pulled through with any information on his end. She knew he was a busy man and wouldn’t spend much of his time researching something that wasn’t related to the newspaper. He’d become very driven in the past few months and she felt as though he was slipping away. Once upon a time they spent all of their time together. Now his time was divided and he didn’t have nearly as much to allot to his Chance.

  KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

  Chance opened her door and the cold fall air greeted her.

  “You’re welcome.” Tuck extended his hand and passed her a thick stack of documents.

  “What is this?” Chance walked inside and put the files on the table.

  “The answer to your mystery.” The documents provided would only strengthen her resolve.

  She opened it up and shuffled through the paperwork.

  “You found their military records?” She turned to him shocked and leapt into his arms. “How?”

  “I have my connections.” One he wasn’t fond of. “It seems Squirrel, Mr. John White, died in a car accident on base.”

  “What? That’s not possible.” She didn’t believe it.

  “It’s all in the files.”

  Chance sat down at the table and read the documents spellbound.

  “I can’t stay, but I’ll drop by when I get off duty if you want some company.”

  Chance heard the words, but the reaction was stunted.