Fugitive at Large

“Come to my office,” Ryan said. “I’ll have them ready for you.”

Jimmy glanced at his notes again. “And you say the robber was wounded?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t bad. I think the bullet grazed his head.”

“We’ll notify the hospitals to be on the lookout for a gunshot wound to the side of the head.”

Jessica shrugged. “I suppose you should, but I doubt if he’ll go to a hospital. He can probably treat it with first aid. I might have gotten a better shot at him if I hadn’t had all those potato chips flying in my face.”

“Potato chips.” Ryan laughed and looked back at the chips that now lay in scattered crumbs across the floor. “You always did have a sense of humor. But seriously, I’m glad you were here today. My brother probably wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t stepped forward.”

“Just doing what I’ve been trained to do.”

Her words had a jagged edge to them, and he wondered if she was trying to deliver an unspoken message to him. Did she resent him because she thought she would still be in police work if it hadn’t been for him?

“I’m sure you remember how upsetting it was to enter a robbery scene and find victims who’d been shot for no other reason than for being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he told her. “No one was shot today. And that was because of you. Thank you, Jessica.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she touched Jimmy’s arm as he took a step toward the witnesses. “Jimmy, I was wondering. I’ve had a busy day, and I’m tired. You have my statement about what happened and my description of the robber. Would it be okay if I go on home? If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

Jimmy thought a moment before he nodded. “Sure, Jessica. Go on. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else. I’m always glad to see that no one was hurt in a robbery. We have you to thank for that.”

“Thanks. I think I’ll go say goodbye to Jamie and Richard before I leave.”

Ryan moved out of her way as she stepped around him and headed over to where Jamie stood. He smiled when she stopped next to him. “I’m going home, but I wanted to say goodbye first.”

Jamie reached out and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for everything, Jessica. You were great.”

She waved her hand in dismissal. “It was nothing. I’m glad the two of you are okay. Take care of yourselves and remember to be mindful of your surroundings no matter where you are.”

Jamie smiled and nodded. “I will.”

She glanced at Richard. “I need to pay for my drink.”

He shook his head and laughed. “It’s on the house. You’ve earned it.”

She raised the bottle in a salute to him. “Thanks.”

Jamie stopped her as she turned to leave. “Wait a minute, Jessica. I wanted to ask you something. My brother told me you used to be his partner. Do you ever miss being on the force?” Her face flushed, and Jamie gave a little gasp. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so nosy. It’s just that you handled yourself so well today, I think you must have been a good police officer.”

Before she could respond, Ryan spoke up from behind her. “She was good. The best partner I ever had. I hated to see her leave police work.”

Jessica stared at him a moment as he came to stand beside her. Then she turned back to Jamie. “I like what I do now. It’s rewarding work, and I get to work with people I love and admire.”

A teasing glint sparkled in Jamie’s eyes. “And you still get to carry a gun.”

Jessica laughed. “And I still get to carry a gun. I’m so used to it that it’s become a part of me. In fact, I carry it with me all the time.”

“Lucky for all of us,” Jamie said. “It was nice meeting you, Jessica.”

“Nice meeting you, too, Jamie.”

Then she turned and walked toward the door, her words about working with people whom she loved and admired still ringing in Ryan’s ears. Her meaning hadn’t been lost on him. She hadn’t loved him or even held him in very high regard. He pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything as he watched her go.

When she’d disappeared out the door, he turned back to his brother, who was staring at him with a slight smile curling his lips.

“I don’t know what happened between you two,” Jamie said, “but it must have been bad. There was enough heat in her voice to singe the hairs on my arms. What did you do to her anyway?”

“Nothing,” Ryan muttered.

“Nothing? I know women can be hard to understand at times, but I didn’t have any trouble getting her message. She doesn’t like you at all. You must have done something to make her feel that way.”

Ryan reached over and pounded his fist against the countertop. The officers talking to the clerk whirled at the sound and stared at him.

“Spencer, are you okay?” one of the men asked.

He rubbed his hand across his eyes. “I’m fine. Still a little rattled over how close my brother came to dying.”

They nodded and went back to their questioning.

Jamie stared at Ryan and frowned. “I’m sorry if I said the wrong thing. I just thought Jessica seemed like such a nice person.”

“She is a nice person. We had a disagreement, and it’s never been solved.”

Jamie narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I see. Then maybe it’s time you did something about that. From the way she reacted to that robber and took control of the entire situation, I’d say there aren’t many women around like her.”

“You’re right about that. There aren’t many like her.”

Jamie stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Do you remember when I first came to live with you after Mom and Dad were killed and I had so many problems adjusting?”

Ryan chuckled. “How could I forget? You nearly drove me crazy for two years.”

“Yeah, I gave you a lot of trouble. But you didn’t give up on me. And when I’d come home telling you about how everybody was against me, you always made me face up to my own mistakes. You didn’t make excuses for me and wouldn’t let me make them for myself. Maybe it’s time you quit making excuses for whatever you did to Jessica and try to make it right.”

Ryan shook his head. “I don’t know if I can or not.”

Jamie punched him on the shoulder and grinned. “You’ll never know unless you try. What have you got to lose? The worst thing that can happen is that she’ll hate you more than she already does.”

Ryan stared at his brother in surprise. “When did you get so smart?”

Jamie laughed and shrugged. “I always have been. I just didn’t want you to know it. Now, do as I say and get things straightened out with Jessica.”

He thought for a moment about what his brother had said, then turned to him and smiled. “Maybe I will. Maybe I will.”

Turning away from Jamie, he walked to the front door and stared out at Jessica as she climbed into her car, which was parked to the left of the entrance. She sat behind the steering wheel for a moment as if deep in thought before she finally started the ignition and backed out of her parking space.

As he watched her car disappear down the street, he thought of how he’d wrestled for the past four years with the decision of whether or not to try one more time to mend his relationship with Jessica. She’d been the best friend he’d ever had, and he missed her. But there was no getting around the fact that she didn’t miss him.

Did he dare try again to explain his side of their misunderstanding?