Chapter One
Pulling up to the rustic cabin, Pete let out a sigh. It had been a long night of work on the streets of Los Angeles. He heard a familiar bark after he swung the Mustang's door closed, then stepped up on the porch and took in a deep breath. As with most men, Pete felt it was better to leave work at work, but this was even truer for a police officer. He pulled open the creaky screen door and stepped inside. Sadie first greeted him with a fast-moving docked tail. "Hey, Girl." He gave a quick rub and pat to his multi-colored canine friend.
"Hi there, stranger," came from the woman walking out in her fuzzy pink robe. Jenny planted a kiss on her husband. "How was the night shift?"
"A long one."
She quickly picked up on the weariness in Pete's voice.
"Can I make you a hot breakfast before you crawl into bed?"
"That sounds wonderful." Pete plopped down on the couch and kicked off his shoes. "Are you off to work soon?"
"No, I don't have to be in until ten today." Jenny noticed Pete rubbing his foot after removing his shoes. "Hey, let me help you out, handsome?" She sat on the far end of the couch and pulled up his right foot into her lap. Her small hands softly massaged his aching foot.
Pete leaned back and in so much as a groan said, "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"
Jenny swapped to his left foot and gently worked her magic on it as well. "No, I don't believe so." She grinned.
The contentment was obvious on his face as he closed his eyes.
"Now, don't you nod off just yet. You need to eat." She placed a quick peck on his cheek before wandering into the kitchen.
The aroma of bacon quickly overtook the small cabin. Jenny pulled out a small pan from the stove with fresh baked biscuits to complete the meal. "Pete, would you like honey or strawberry jam for your biscuits?"
"Honey sounds great." The smell was enough to bring Pete back to life. He stretched, then ambled over to the table. As he sat down, Jenny served his plate filled with over-easy eggs, biscuits, and bacon.
"How about some coffee or juice?"
"I'll stick to juice since I want to get some sleep." He noticed Jenny only putting down one plate of food. "Aren't you going to eat?"
"I was going to head out for a run with Sadie, but if you want I'll have a cup of coffee first."
"Join me."
Jenny placed a glass of orange juice in front of Pete and a cup of black coffee for herself.
"So, do you want to tell me about your shift?" She asked as she scooted in her chair.
Pete thought being vague might be the best option. "Not too much to speak of really. We had the standard drunks, prowlers, and a traffic accident call." She doesn't need to hear about a death caused by a drunk. He started to down his meal, but between bites he said, "What does your day look like?"
Jenny sipped her caffeinated brew and peered over at Pete's rugged, stubbly face. Even though his green eyes looked tired, they stirred up a passion in her. "I was going for a jog, then shower before heading into the park office. I have to work the visitor desk today. I should be back by six if you want to have dinner together."
"I'm up for that. I have to leave for my watch by nine thirty."
"That should be enough time for dinner and maybe a walk. Can I get you some more juice?"
"Yes, please." He watched her closely, as she poured him another glass and handed it back to him. Her robe slipped off her shoulder and exposed her bare skin.
"Any news on Mac and Mary's anniversary party?"
Pete was completely preoccupied by the view and never heard the question Jenny posed. He finished the last couple bites on his plate then sat it on the floor for Sadie to lick clean.
"Pete, did you hear me?" Jenny asked as she stood by the counter.
"No, I'm sorry. What did you say? A sexy woman in a pink robe distracted me for a moment."
"Very cute." Jenny blushed. "I asked if you found out any more details about Mac's anniversary party?"
"No. Mac had some scheduling conflicts and they need to pick a new date."
"Can I get you anything else to eat?"
"No, but I can think of one more thing I would love." Before Jenny could even ask what, Pete stood up and scooped her off her feet, robe and all, then carried her back to their bedroom.
A few hours later, Pete woke to the phone ringing. His lovely bride was gone. He assumed she had left for work. Sadie lay curled up at the foot of the bed. Still groggy, he reached over to answer it. "Hello?"
A man asked, "Is Jenny Walker there?"
"No. Can I take a message?" was his natural response while still half asleep.
No response came from the other end. A dial tone sounded as the caller hung up the phone.
Pete shook off the grogginess and wondered who it was. He didn't recognize the voice and thought it odd the caller didn't use her married name.
'Strange' Pete put the receiver down. He glanced over at the clock and saw it was a little after noon. 'I'll never get back to sleep now. I might as well get up.' The blind was down, but the sun was bright enough to light up the bedroom. Pete sat up and immediately was greeted by Sadie. "OK. OK. Girl, I'm up." He put on his robe and strolled to the front of the cabin to let her out. It was a beautiful clear day so Pete went to change into some work clothes. Outfitted in a flannel shirt and khaki pants, he stepped outside to split some firewood for the wood-burning stove.
Later that day, Jenny drove up in her red Jeep after working at the Visitor's Center. Pete stood over the grill out front priming the coals for cooking. As she climbed out of her vehicle, she asked, "So what's my guy got planned for supper?" Pete wore a simple off-white apron with ties wrapped around his waist.
With a smile he offered, "I marinated some pork chops, if that sounds good to you."
Jenny stepped up behind him and peered over his shoulder as he stirred the coals. "That works for me. Do you have anything else on the menu?" She teased with a flirtatious banter.
Pete twisted around and cupped her chin in his hand as he leaned in for a welcome home kiss then asked, "What did you have in mind, lady?"
"How about … " just then her Aussie mix leaped up for her attention," a walk with Sadie?"
"Of course, I have time for both my girls. We can go right after dinner."
"I'm going to change out of my uniform. Do you need anything?"
"No, I have it covered."
A few minutes later, Jenny walked into the main room and noticed Pete still out on the porch. She stepped outside and found Pete lighting a couple candles at the small round table. It was covered with an ivory tablecloth with two place settings, and a small vase with a mix of wild flowers in the center.
Pete looked up and saw Jenny. "I thought we have the perfect weather to eat out on the porch."
The birds were chirping and the sun's rays streamed through the pine branches. "I couldn't agree more." The two sat down and she admired the dinner spread. "Who says a bachelor can't cook, or maybe I just got lucky."
He reached over and caressed her hand. "You mean, married man, right?"
"That's right, you're not a bachelor anymore. I can't believe it's been fourteen months now. I got lucky and snared the Strawberry Fox?"
"Hey, where did you hear that?" Pete questioned with a tinge of embarrassment.
"I can't divulge my sources." Jenny's blue eyes glanced over with such innocence. "Besides, I'm keeping this fox for myself!"
The two savored a nice dinner and chatted about her day at the park. Then they carried in all the dishes to the kitchen. "Since you cooked, I'll clean these up after our walk. I don't want us to run out of daylight."
"OK, I'll get Sadie's leash in case we need it." Pete grabbed the tan lead, which prompted Sadie to circle with excitement. The three headed down the dirt trail just outside the cabin."
During the walk, Pete brought up the big question. "Jenny, have you thought anymore about moving into the city?"
"Yes, but it's hard to think of leaving our peaceful sanctuary up here." The two walked along and held hands as Sadie romped ahead of them on the trail. "I understand that it's not fair to make you do the majority of the driving for work."
"Trust me, I didn't mind giving up the apartment lifestyle, but it would be nice to be a bit closer in." As the sun set, the temperature started to drop, Pete wrapped his arm around his wife hoping to keep the chill away. "Beautiful, I think we could find us a little place on the edge of the foothills." Pete emphasized 'little' thinking about his police officer salary.
"It would be nice to be closer into town to visit with the Reeds. At the very least I want to have a small yard for Sadie."
"I think we can manage that. So, you're OK with starting to look at some potential properties?"
"I guess if we are going to get serious about it, now would be a good time. The rental agreement on the cabin is coming up for renewal."
"Jim gave me the name of a realtor he used. I'll give him a call tomorrow."
After their walk, Pete had to jump into the shower then dress for work. Jenny stood at the kitchen sink washing up the dishes from dinner. Now dressed and ready to go, Pete stepped up behind her and gave her a kiss on the cheek then gently squeezed her shoulders with his large hands. "Thanks for cleaning up."
She twisted around, still holding her dripping wet hands over the sink in anticipation of her goodnight kiss. "Hey Mister!"
Pete quickly obliged her with a kiss on the lips. "Have a good night. I'll see you in the morning around eight."
"Be safe. Love you!"
"OK. Beautiful," and Pete Malloy went out the door.
Pete arrived at the station and headed to the locker room to change into his uniform. He had his gray locker door propped open and was stowing away his street clothes when Jim showed up.
As Pete glanced around his locker door, he noticed Jim's facial expression was one of exhaustion and the shift hadn't even started. "Evening, Partner. How is the family?"
"Not great. Jean took Jimmy to the doctor earlier today because he was covered with a rash. He has been scratching like crazy and he's battling a fever. The doctor said he has chicken pox."
"The poor guy. Did the doctor give Jean some medicine for him?"
"Just a cream to use on the skin rash. The doctor said we just have to wait it out. I hope that Jimmy gets some rest tonight. He didn't sleep much the night before."
"I'm guessing we'll both be glad to go back to day watch next week."
Jim couldn't stifle a yawn as he began to change into his uniform. Both men finished gearing up, and then headed to roll call.
Sergeant MacDonald sat behind the front desk flipping through papers as the men streamed in. He glanced up at the wall clock noting the hour, then proceeded to review the current conditions from earlier in the evening. "There has been a student protest going on at the USC campus. I want extra patrols around the area tonight in case things get out of control. Get on the radio if you see anything. On another front, street racing has been reported in Baldwin Hills as of late. Be on the lookout for Blackie Nelson, who is suspected of setting up the drags." Mac closed up his folder and stood up. He sent off his men with his routine statement, "Let's be safe out there." As the officers started exiting, Mac called out, "Reed. Malloy. Can I see you for a minute?"
Both Pete and Jim approached Mac at the front with their hats in hand and briefcases at their sides. "What is it, Mac?" Pete asked. "Do you have a new date for the anniversary party?"
"No." Mac had an uneasy look on his face.
"What's wrong, Mac?" Pete questioned.
"Jim, I wanted you to be aware that Charlie Burnside got released earlier today from the State Prison."
Pete glanced at Jim trying to read his facial expression. His partner just shrugged his shoulders, with his initial reaction being one of denial and no concern. But with a tense tone, Reed questioned, "Wasn't he sentenced to a year?"
Mac tucked his folder under his arm. "Yes, but he was granted an early release after serving just six months."
"Thanks for the heads up, Mac." Pete could see the concern in his partner's eyes. "Let's get rolling, Jim." 'A busy night shift might be a very good distraction after this news', thought Pete.
After stowing all their gear, the two officers climbed into the squad. Pete could see that Jim's mind was elsewhere and most likely preoccupied with Burnside's release, so he picked up the mike to clear them. "This is 1 Adam-12, clear for AM Watch." As Malloy pulled the cruiser out of the lot, he asked, "Do you want to talk about it, Jim?"
"What is that going to do? If Burnside is holding a grudge, I can't do a thing about it."
Pete came to a four way stop and glanced both ways before proceeding. "Jim, I really can't believe that Charlie would be stupid enough to act on that threat he made prior to the trial."
"Yeah well, he was pretty dumb to lie about not assaulting suspects in custody too." Jim stared out his side window as his thoughts brought him back to the day he witnessed Burnside slamming a suspect into the ground while wearing handcuffs.
"Come on, Jim. He did resign and admitted to his mistakes."
Jim quickly turned back to Pete. "MISTAKES? Malloy, he was beating people up while on the job!"
"Jim, I wasn't condoning what he did. He had an anger problem, and he tried to cover it up with his humor. I couldn't tolerate it any more than you. Let's just hope that he got some help while he was in prison."
Reed rubbed across his brow with his hand as a sigh came out. "Sorry Pete. I don't mean to take out my frustrations on you."
"No problem, Partner. I understand." Pete hadn't forgotten how Charlie tried to push Jim's buttons. He remembered all too well how quickly the confrontations escalated between them, and they almost came to blows in the locker room. Pete thought it might be good to check into the time Burnside spent at the State Prison. Maybe he could find out if he got some counseling, or did he need to pay a visit to the man.
The radio came to life, 1 Adam-12, 415 disturbance at 126 Bloom Street, handle code 2. Jim picked up the mike and responded, "1 Adam-12, roger."