Reunited By The Badge

“We can go back to my house…” Simone started.

“No. Now that they’ve seen us together, I don’t trust that they won’t find us there.”

“Then we should go to the police station.”

“Let’s just get a hotel room. I don’t think we should involve the police just yet.”

“Someone shot at us, Paul! We need to file a report! My brothers need to know!”

“I know that, Simone! But I need to think this through. Please, just give me a minute to think!”

“We might not have a minute, Paul!” Simone’s voice rose an octave and the tension between them suddenly increased ten-fold. Before either could blink, the conversation took a sharp left turn and they were yelling back and forth, each determined to prove a point when there was none. It was Bickering 101 and reminiscent of when their relationship had gone all kinds of wrong.

Chapter 2

The no-tell motel they’d found by the highway was fetid, reeking of debauchery and sin. The smell of cigarettes, marijuana, sex and body odor was pungent through the late-night air. Simone distorted her face with displeasure as Paul closed the door to room thirty-eight and tossed the key card on the laminated dresser. He sat down on the foot of the mattress beside her and exhaled his first sigh of relief since leaving the restaurant. Simone had finally stopped shaking and Paul felt like he could breathe normally again.

Neither spoke. Both were still reeling from the fight they’d had in the car. Simone had wanted them to drive straight to the police station. Paul had refused, insisting that it would only make things worse. He was adamant that they needed additional proof to substantiate his claims and the only way to get that was if no one knew where they were or what they were after. Simone knew her family wouldn’t take them disappearing lightly and she trusted her brothers would look for them. They still hadn’t come to an agreement. The argument had been contentious, the intensity of their emotions palpable.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Simone finally said, breaking the silence. “No one we know would think our not going to the police is a smart thing to do.” There was still an air of hostility in her tone.

And a hint of defiance in his as he responded. “No one knows what we’re up against. Even we don’t know yet, Simone.”

“Which is why going to the police would make sense. I know my brothers would back us up.”

“I don’t agree. All that’s going to happen is that the police will dismiss my concerns because the proof I have is shaky at best. The preliminary test results Oliver sent me still need to be analyzed and there’s more testing that needs to be done. Lender will be tipped off that we’re on to them and we won’t be able to prove what they’re doing or stop them.”

“In the movies when people don’t go to the police, they die. They fall off cliffs, demons get them, all kinds of horrors,” Simone said facetiously.

“In the movies I’ve seen the police get it, too.”

“You’re watching the wrong movies.”

“You watch too many.”

Simone tossed up her hands in frustration. “I’m an officer of the court, Paul! I have a responsibility to uphold the law. I have a damn badge, for heaven’s sake!”

Paul cut his gaze in her direction, a smile pulling at his mouth. “Why do they issue you a badge anyway? You’re a prosecutor.”

Simone shifted her body, turning to stare at him. “Are you making fun of my badge?”

“I just asked the question!”

Her tone was laced with attitude. “It makes me official. It says that I represent the courts of the state and that I took the Attorney’s Oath and I’ve promised to honor its tenets. Don’t you dare make light of what I do, Paul Reilly. It’s as important to me as the Hippocratic Oath that you doctors take.”

“I’m not, Simone. I was just curious about the badge. They don’t give us doctors one.”

“No, they give you those white jackets with your names embroidered over the breast pockets. Same thing, different medium.”

“I cannot believe we’re sitting here arguing over a tin emblem.” He lay backward on the bed, pulling his arms over his head.

“We’re arguing about involving the police. Don’t change the subject.”

Paul blew a soft sigh as another wave of silence swept between them. Both sat listening instead to the noise in the room. An alarm clocked ticked loudly from the nightstand next to the bed and water leaked from the faucet in the bathroom. There was a steady rhythm of clicks and plops, both just loud enough to be annoying. Minutes passed before he spoke again. “I’ll do whatever you think is best, Simone.”

“You will?”

“Yeah,” he mumbled as he folded an arm over his eyes.

She nodded. “I’ll call my brother. We need to at least tell him that we’re safe. We can also tell him what we know in an unofficial capacity. If they can help work it from their end, it can’t hurt. Until we figure out what the hell we’re doing, we can use all the help we can get.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? Really?”

“Yeah, baby, okay.”

A noise outside the door pulled Simone upright. “Did you hear that?”

Paul mumbled, “No. I didn’t hear anything.”

Simone stood and moved to the window to peer through the blinds. Outside, three working women were gathered in the parking lot changing their clothes. Bare asses and boobs were on full display and no one seemed to be concerned. Laughter rang through the late-night air, their good time fueled by the bottle of booze being passed between them. Simone exhaled, turning back toward the bed. “I don’t know if I can stay here…” she started.

The rest of her comment stalled in midair, warm breath the slightest whistle past her lips. Paul had fallen into a deep sleep, jet lag and exhaustion fully claiming him. He snored softly and for a quick moment Simone realized just how much she missed hearing him beside her at night.

Shaking the thought, she grabbed her cell phone from her purse and her food from the meal bag. She took a seat on a cushioned chair in front of the small desk and dialed Parker’s number. As she waited for someone to answer, she took the first bite of her macaroni and cheese.

“Where are you?” Parker questioned. “I’m sending a patrol car.”

“We’re fine, big brother. You just needed to know what happened. I also took the bumper off some guy’s car, I think. You’ll handle that for me, too, right?”

“If they knew Paul was at that restaurant, they’re probably tracking his cell phone. They may even be tracking yours.”

“We thought that, too, so we tossed the sim card in his phone and powered it off. I’m using my other phone. The one that’s in mom’s name. My primary phone was dead, so I left it at the house on the charger.”

“You need to come in, Simone. Until we figure out who shot at you, we can’t trust that either of you is safe.”

“We can’t, Parker. Paul truly believes this company is killing patients and he’s determined to stop them. If we come in, we might lose our window of opportunity to prove his theory.”

“I wasn’t asking, Simone. That was an order.”

“I stopped taking orders from you when I was ten.”

“Then I’m calling Mom and Dad.”

“Don’t you dare! I just need you to trust me.”

Parker yelled, “You don’t know what the hell you’re doing! Neither of you has a clue what you’ve gotten yourselves into! Now, where are you?”

Simone sighed. “I love you. And I’ll be okay. I promise.”

“Don’t you dare hang…”

Simone disconnected the call abruptly. She took another bite of macaroni and sat in reflection as she polished off the last of her meal. She didn’t have the words to explain to her brother what she was feeling or why they were suddenly acting like fugitives. She honestly wasn’t sure what the hell they were doing. But they were together and she instinctively wanted to do whatever necessary to support Paul. He needed her and it had been forever since she’d felt like she added value to his life. Wanting each other had never been the problem between them. Needing each other, and admitting to it, had been a whole other animal neither had been willing to claim. But now necessity had put them together, if for nothing more than to hold on to each other for emotional support, and Simone had no intentions of failing him.

Paul was now snoring loudly, and she instinctively knew that it had been days since he’d last rested well. She was reminded of those days after medical school, during his residency, when his shifts at the hospital seemed to last for days before he was able to come home and fall out from exhaustion.

She dropped her fork and empty container back into the bag. After reaching for her phone she dialed again.

Her brother Mingus Black answered on the second ring. “What’s wrong, Simone? And why is Parker texting me to ask where you are?”

“I need you. I’m at the Karavan Motel on Cicero Avenue.”

“Karavan? On the South Side? What the hell are you doing there?”

“Someone tried to kill us tonight,” she said, explaining all that had happened since Paul Reilly had called her.

“So, you two check into the city’s seediest motel?”

“We’re not planning to stay, and they take cash,” she continued, hoping to rationalize why the no-tell motel had been a good idea and why Paul felt going to the police was not. Even after saying it out loud Simone knew it sounded like she and Paul had lost their collective minds. And she definitely couldn’t tell any of them that she just needed to be with Paul because she had missed him terribly.

Mingus listened, taking it all in. A private detective by profession, he heard his sister’s dilemma with a different ear than their police officer brother. He didn’t yell or give her orders he knew she wouldn’t heed like Parker did. Instead, when she was done talking, Mingus said, “Sit tight. I need to put some things in place. I’ll be there before breakfast tomorrow. Are you carrying?”

“Yes,” she said, taking a moment to check the weapon in her handbag. The Glock 43 had been a gift from her father, the patriarch ensuring she and her sister both knew how to handle a firearm just as well as their brothers. Regular visits to the gun range kept her shooting and safety skills honed.

“Keep it close, and if you need to use it, don’t hesitate to pull the trigger. You can always ask questions later.”

“What are you going to tell Parker?”

“That I didn’t put your leash on you this morning. That he should check with whoever did.”

“Thank you,” Simone responded, chuckling softly.

“Get some rest. I’m sure you’re going to need it,” Mingus concluded.

After disconnecting the call, Simone moved back to the bed and kicked off her heels. Laying her body beside Paul’s, she eased an arm around his waist and shifted herself close against him. She nuzzled her nose against his back, inhaling the scent of his cologne. The familiar fragrance reminded her of their last trip together, a two-week excursion on the island of Jamaica. They had walked hand in hand along the beaches of Negril, had swum beneath the cascading waters of Gully Falls, and had danced under a full moon in Montego Bay. They’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms and woken each morning making love. It had been as magical as any holiday getaway could possibly be. Weeks later, they were no longer a couple, barely talking to each other about the weather.

Taking deep breaths to calm her nerves, Simone closed her eyes and settled into his body heat. She couldn’t begin to know what he had gotten her into and despite trusting that Paul would have never purposely put her in harm’s way, running from gunfire added a whole other dynamic to his situation. The nearness of him only put her slightly at ease, not enough that she could fully relax.

Sleep didn’t come as quickly for Simone as she lay listening to the occasional sound outside the door and the steady rhythm of Paul’s heavy snores. Simone hated showing any vulnerability, but she was scared. This was bad and had the potential to get worse.

Her mind continued to race as she thought about what she might need to do to help her friend. Thinking how much she had missed him when he’d been gone and being grateful to have him back, even under the dire circumstances they found themselves trapped in. Wondering if she should heed Parker’s advice and run for the security of the police department and shelter with her law-abiding family. Her father was, after all, Jerome Black, the Superintendent of Police, leading the entire Chicago Police Department. Her mother, Judith Harmon Black, was a federal court judge, and both were well respected in Chicago’s judicial system. With two brothers on the police force, another who was an attorney in private practice, the baby boy in the family a city alderman, her favorite sibling a private investigator, and her only sister front and center in state politics, law-abiding protection was a given.

Despite her best efforts she couldn’t turn her brain off. For another two hours she lay pressed against his back, not wanting to disturb his rest and needing him near, even if they weren’t a couple anymore. Thinking about the past and the present, Simone’s thoughts ran the gamut from sane to senseless until sleep finally slipped in and delivered her from her misery.

Chapter 3

Outside, the morning sun was just beginning to rise. Paul stood at the foot of the bed staring down at Simone’s sleeping form. Fully clothed, she was curled in a fetal position around a pillow. Her mouth was open, low gasps expelled from her lush lips. Her freckles were like stardust across her nose and her skin shimmered under a layer of light perspiration. Simone was a beautiful woman, but there was something about her when she slumbered, where she seemed most angelic and at peace. In those moments her beauty was extraordinary, leaving him to wonder what he had done to get so lucky.

In that moment though, he was wondering what he needed to do to ensure she was protected. How to get her, and himself, out of the mess he’d pulled them into. He sighed, feeling as if things might implode if he didn’t tread cautiously. But he had neither the time or the wherewithal to play nice with Lender Pharmaceuticals.

The knock on the door pulled him from his reverie and startled Simone out of a deep sleep. She sat upright, clutching at the well-worn spread atop the bed. Bewilderment furrowed her brow. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she threw her legs off the side of the bed as Paul moved to look out the window. He heaved a deep sigh as he sidestepped to the door and opened it, greeting Simone’s brother Mingus. The two men embraced like old friends, an exchange of shoulders bumping and chests grazing.

“You two good?” Mingus questioned as he entered the room, carrying two large duffel bags over his shoulder and a tray of coffees from Starbucks.

“No,” Simone muttered as she flipped her hand at him. “I need to pee, and I want a shower.”

Mingus and Paul exchanged a look, both smirking slightly. Her brother shook his head at her as he extended the duffel bag in her direction.

“Well, I brought you some things from your house. Clothes, your toothbrush…”

“My toothbrush!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down like a four-year-old. “I love you, big brother!”

Mingus laughed. “Until you see what I packed for you. Knowing you, I’m sure it’s all wrong.”

“As long as you brought me clean panties, I’ll be a very happy woman.”

“Panties? Ohhh…well… I didn’t…”

Simone’s eyes widened, a hint of saline suddenly pressing against her thick lashes. “Please, don’t tell me you didn’t get me any clean underwear. How could you not think to pack me clean underwear? I can’t believe you…”

Mingus held up his hand to stall the rant he knew was coming. He winked an eye at her. “Vaughan packed clothes for you. I’m sure you’re good.”

Relief flooded Simone’s expression. “You talked to my sister?”

“She had the spare key to your town house.”

Simone nodded. “Excuse me, please, while I go freshen up.”

Mingus dropped to the chair, his clasped hands resting in his lap as he gave Paul a look. “Don’t rush,” he said.

Simone looked from one man to the other and back, then rolled her eyes skyward. “Don’t hurt him, Mingus.”

Mingus narrowed his gaze and pushed his shoulders skyward. “No promises.”

Paul chuckled, dropping his large frame to the bedside. He clasped his own hands together in front of his face as he rested his elbows on his thighs.

She gave them both another look, then moved into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. “You two work it out,” she muttered under her breath. “Not my problem.” The pipes rattled loudly as the shower was turned on in the other room. When the rain of water sounded steadily on the other side of the door, both men shifted forward to stare at each other.

“I talked to your brother. He packed that other bag for you. He said to tell you he’s headed north to lie low for a few days. That you would know where to find him. He doesn’t like how folks are looking at him. He also said he has enough equipment there if you need it. He said you knew what that meant, too.”

Paul nodded. “Did he tell you where north was?”

“No, and I don’t want to know. And, if that’s where you’re planning to go, you don’t need to tell Simone until after you get there.”

“I don’t know if I can keep her safe, Mingus.”

“You better,” the other man said with conviction. “She’s already a target. They know she’s connected to you. If they can’t get to you through regular channels, they’ll get to you through her. I know I would.”

Like all the members of the Black family, Mingus was just as dedicated to the municipality. But he usually worked alone, sometimes in the dregs of the community, beneath the cover of darkness, getting his hands dirty. He sometimes did what others weren’t willing to do and he did it exceptionally well. Paul had no doubts he knew what he was talking about.

“I need to go to the hospital. I have patients there I need to check on. I also need to get my hands on some of my files and maybe a new sample or two.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I don’t have a choice. I have to go, but I’m not taking Simone with me. She can stay here until I get back.”

“If you get back.”

“Such faith!”

“In my line of business, we deal in facts, not faith. And the fact is someone is gunning for you. And maybe it’s because you know something about that pharmaceutical company that they don’t want you to know. Or maybe not. For all I know, it could be a spurned lover out for revenge.”

“Your sister had an alibi. She was with me, so she didn’t have a reason to try and kill me.”

Mingus chuckled. “Touché!”

Paul sighed. “I need to print the emails my brother sent me so I can study the results from the tests he was able to run. I’ll swing by a FedEx office first and then head over to the hospital. I’ll be in and out in thirty minutes. Forty-five max. Then Simone and I’ll get on the road.”

“The print shop is going to want a credit card. Go here,” Mingus said, jotting an address down on the hotel notepad that rested on the desk. “Ask for Liza. Tell her I sent you. She’ll print whatever you need. You can also use her computers. She can back-door you into any system you need to get into. Tell her what you need, and she’ll find it for you.”

“And she can be trusted?”

Mingus shot him a narrowed look but didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he passed him a set of keys. “I’ll take Simone’s car,” he said. “There’s a black BMW parked outside beside it. The registration won’t come back to either of you. If you get stopped, the car belongs to Black Investigative Services. Tell them to call and I’ll confirm you’re authorized to be driving it. But don’t get stopped. I did a little digging last night and the men at the restaurant were a professional team. They didn’t miss by accident. They wanted to scare you, not kill you. But if they had wanted you dead, you would be.”

The sound of the shower suddenly came to an abrupt halt, Simone cursing loudly about there being no more hot water. The two men exchanged a look and shook their heads.

Mingus continued, “Lender Pharmaceuticals has deep pockets. They can afford to pay well to silence you. If you keep digging and they get pissed off enough, whomever comes next might not miss.”

Paul rose from his seat and Mingus stood with him. Both stole glances at their wristwatches.

“One hour,” Mingus said. “Go to the hospital. Get in, get what you need and get out. Simone and I’ll meet you at that address I gave you in one hour. Then you two need to put some distance between you and Chicago.”

Paul nodded and the two men shook hands. “Thank you,” he said. “I really appreciate your help.”

Mingus chuckled. “Don’t thank me. Thank the nuisance in there. If she didn’t love you, I’d kick your ass for getting her in this mess. I still might. No telling about me!”

Paul hesitated as he pondered Mingus’s comment, wondering if it were possible that Simone did still love him. If they might be more than old friends. If when all of this was finished, Simone would still find favor with him. He suddenly wanted it more than he’d ever admitted to himself previously. He felt a mist of saline press hard against his lashes and he swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand.

Paul gave Mingus a wry smile and then he turned to leave, his hand on the doorknob. For a split second he thought about telling Simone goodbye. Just in case they didn’t make it back to each other. Then he reasoned there was no point in tempting fate.

He turned back to face Simone’s brother. “I really love your sister. I hope you know that. I never meant for any of this to happen,” he said.

“Yeah, I know,” Mingus replied. “We all do.”

Paul spun back toward the exit, then he stepped out into the early morning chill, closing the door behind him.

Chapter 4

It was the new day shift change, the hospital employees focused on updates about patients and not on him. Paul managed to enter the building and make his way to his office with only two nods of his head and one good morning to an elderly man rolling his way down the corridor in a wheelchair. Paul stole a quick glance out the glass partition before closing the blinds.

There were manila folders resting on the center of his desk and a boatload of pink message slips. He didn’t bother to look at either pile, instead reaching to unlock the bottom drawer with the smallest key on his key ring. At first glance, it appeared that the drawer held indexed files and nothing more. What Paul was after was duct-taped to the underside of the inner drawer. He pulled the flash drive from its hiding spot and slid it into the back pocket of his denim jeans.

Just as he relocked the drawer, after pausing to grab his calendar from the desktop and sliding it into his briefcase, there was a knock on the door. Paul froze, his eyes skating from side to side. There was a second knock, someone calling his name. He took a deep breath and held it as he considered his options.

Paul secured the zipper on the briefcase and rested it in the seat of the chair. He moved from behind the desk to the door and pulled it open. The voice that greeted him was overly exuberant for such an early morning hour.

“Dr. Reilly! You’re back!” The nurse standing before him looked relieved. “Kelly said she thought someone was in here, but she wasn’t sure. I wanted to make sure we didn’t have another intruder.”

“Good morning, Grace. Another intruder?”

She nodded. “Someone was in here yesterday, rifling through the files on top of your desk. We called security but by the time they got here, the men were gone.”

“Men? There were more than one?”

“There were two men actually. Both white, dark hair, wearing dark suits,” she said.