Blood is Thicker than Red Wine
Jason Hamilton Mystery
This one's for you Mom
By,
Stephen Brandt
Chapter One
Lenexa, Kansas
"So he was killed with a wine glass to the neck?" I said standing over a dead body. It had been a slow year since we put down the Paint Can Killer. To some, it would have come at a good time, after a fifteen year Red Ball like that one, but I was anxious to solve another tough murder. There was talk back at the house that I couldn't do it again. Of course, they were all wrong, I could do it again.
"Yeah, cut his Carotid Artery, " Dr. Yes Zurkier said crouching down by the dead body. Zurkier had come on after Dr. Phoebe Cater left us after the Paint Can Killer case. "But that was overkill, it looks like he was suffocated."
"Over kill?" Detective Emily Van finally spoke up. Ah, my "partner" for lack of better words. The brass thought that after the last high profile case that their lead detective shouldn't be without a partner. So they stuck me with some white shield, who happened to be my ex girlfriend from growing up here. We'd remained close after my ex-wife and I got married. Well, closer than most people knew.
"Detective Van that's when murderer has aggression issues, and doesn't know when to stop on the victim." Dr. Yes said. "But I have to get him back to my cave to give you anything further." Dr. Yes called the morgue his cave, it was always dark, and smelled bad.
"Ok, ok, I know I'm the newb here, but I was asking why would you want to overkill with a wine glass?" Emily said.
"If we could understand the mind of a murderer, we wouldn't have to be here, they'd be stopped before they'd kill." I said.
"Well, this is all fine and dandy, but I have to get him back to my cave," Dr. Yes said. "Oh, rigor mortis hasn't set in, so I'd say maybe he's been dead inside four hours." Just great, not only is this overkill it is a recent kill, oh goody. That does mean, it's easier for me to solve. Cocky thought? Yes, but I'm getting used to this.
"Great, so we should be able to wrap this quick?" I said. "Scott and Steven have soccer game, and I should attend at least one game this year."
"Well, if you trust me on the scene, I can get all the interviews done, you can go," Emily said.
"Not all interviews are done by the detectives, sometimes the officers can help," I said. "Plus it's ok, I can make it by halftime they'll understand." Scott and Steven were cool with my schedule; all they were worried about was if I was safe. It's hard raising twin boys as a single parent. I'm a widower, my wife Jena, was murdered many years ago on the way to work. I was still a rookie detective at the time, and the case is still open. I haven't even looked at the file in five years. I don't have anyone around the house to help me with the boys. Sure, when they were still young I had a nanny part time, but now that they were 15, it wasn't really needed.
"Yeah, true anyway, I'm going to canvas the hotel and see what I can find," She said. "I'm sure someone heard something." Emily, ever the rookie believed that what the TV cop shows did, is what happened on real cases. I don't know how she got through patrol that way, but hey, we are ruled by the generation with make believe in their heads.
"Ok, go do that." I said kind of dismissing her. I don't have any authority over her, but as the lead detective I could tell her what to do. "Meanwhile, I'll be at the soccer game, call me if anything happens."
"I'll try not to, I know how people are when phones ring at games," Emily said.
"No worries, you can always text me too," I said. Thank god for having teenage sons or I'd never have learned how to text. That's not saying I'm a wiz at it, but for a forty two year old, I'm not bad.
"Well true, anyway, get out of here, I can handle it," Emily said sensing that I was hanging around to check on her. Which I wasn't, I just am not good at saying goodbye. There's an old George Carlin line about changing up how you say good bye to people. I just don't like leaving.
Fix this, add more stuff, how he got from the hotel to the field.
I was honored to have two athletic sons, but the downside of it was that they played a lot of sports. As a father I did have to make the attempt to see as many games as possible. It's a Hamilton family tradition to attend your son's sporting events. I did play soccer in college, and did try out for some pro soccer teams, but I'm not the athlete those two are.
Scott and Stephen were fortunate from an early age that they lived in an area, which had strong youth soccer clubs. Also, Kansas City had it's own pro soccer club here in town, the Wizards. Many of the youth clubs, and high schools were coached by world-class soccer players. My sons kept telling me to call them footballers, but I'm an American and I call it soccer.
Fortunately I just had to pop down K-10 to the fields at Rockhurst High for the game. The drive to the field was only twenty minutes, so it's not like I had to rush. Games were free of charge, but being a KCPD Detective, I could get in anywhere. It was especially help for titty bars, and sporting events. Not like I abused the privilege, it just came in hand when I needed it.
"Hey, Jason how's the murder business?" the basketball coach Jeff Firestone said.
"It's about the only business that is booming post W." I said. "Now if we could get more money for the soccer program."
"You think the state is going to give more money to the schools?" Coach Firestone said.
"Probably not, but it's not like they can cut anything else," I said. "Freaking Mayor cut the budget to the police department. What are we going to do? Solve crimes while walking?" It wasn't that severe but you get the point. I already had to pay for all my expenses.
"Welcome to 2009, hopefully Obama can be the second coming," Coach Firestone said.
"That's why I voted for him," I said.
"And now starting a Left Attacking Middie Scott Hamilton, and at central forward Stephen Hamilton." The PA Announcer said interrupting our political talk. And thank god for that, there's nothing in the world more boring to me than politics. Well maybe British or Canadian politics. The boys were playing a local rival (look up), so the game was packed to brim with students. Some of them were there for the game for sure, but if I had to use my well tuned detective skills I could said a good 60% of students were here to just be seen. Nothing wrong about that, but not the way I would spend a Friday night. Then again, I spent most of my Friday nights at crime scenes. Lets be honest I was only really there for my kids, if they weren't playing I'd be back at the squad room with Emily.
It was another one of those boring nil-nil ties.
"Yeah? Ok, I'll be there," I said while driving the guys home. They were happy the team won, just not happy, I had to take them home. I think in their ideal world, I'd just give them a car. They have a point actually; it would make everything easier for all of us.
"Dad where you going now?" Scott said from the front seat.
"Back to work, I just wish crimes have a punch in, punch out type of system, it would make our lives easier," I said. If murder ever was a nine to five business, I'd never leave it.
"Dad it's not like we new to this either," Stephen said from the back. "Don't worry, Scott and I can get dinner."
"That's not what I'm worried about, it's just not fun for me to leave you guys so much." I said. "I know you two can take care of yourselves." Yeah, I could quit being a cop and take a less demanding job like a reporter or something, but that wouldn't be fun.
"Dad, we're fine, it's not like we're going to go out and have a party," Scott said. "You probably would find out anyway." It's good that they were trying to keep on the straight and narrow, but they needed to live a little.
"Guys it's ok, I don't know every cop," I said pulling into our driveway. "That's why you guys have the family shield with you guys." The family badge was a mini-badge of what I carried; it signified that my boys were sons of cops. It was there mostly to identify them when they got arrested or pulled over.
"Well, be safe Dad," Scott said. "We'll leave some food for you."
"Good thanks, I'll be back later," I said. "Love ya guys."
"Hey Pop, you mind if Genevieve comes over?" Stephen said.
"Of course she can come over, " I said. "In fact, have her Dad call me, I got those tickets he wanted." It was funny that Genevieve and Stephen were an item, since she looked so much like my ex-wife. It was good that the boys didn't know her, or have pictures of her when she was their age.
"Yeah," I said snapping my phone on while speeding away. I didn't notice the number was Emily's.
"Jason, it's Emily, we got a security camera that shows the fountain," Emily said. "You might want to come in and see this."
"Well, that's cool, I'm coming in anyway, Dr. Yes found something in the body he wants me to look at." I said turning on my blue tooth. Those things were so helpful; thank god someone was smart enough to invent them. I would like the royalties off of that idea.
"Hurry in, I don't know how long the lab will stay open," Emily went on. Emily didn't know that I had a key to the lab.
"Leave the video on my desk, my laptop has a dvd viewer on it," I said. The force didn't give us much, but our computers were top of the line. Fortunately for me, work wasn't too far from the house. And if I used my siren, I could get their faster, but I wouldn't. But at this time of night, there wasn't anyone on the road, so I could zip down to the station fast. I didn't know why Dr. Yes wanted me at the lab; he could have just showed Emily the results. Emily after all had as much in this case as I do. Maybe he's not as sure about her as the Lt is.
"Jason, that was fast," Emily said when she saw me walking into the squad room.
"I'm not a slow driver," I said. "Where's the DVD?"
"It's on your desk, maybe you need to get better contacts," She said. That was funny since I just got new contacts a week ago.
"Oh, well usually it's not cool just letting it sit there out of it's jewel case," I said. "If I was anymore OCD, I'd have an issue with you leaving it out, but I'm not that annoying."
"Sure Jason just go with that," Emily said smirking back at me. "Anyway, I haven't seen the dvd, I was just told it's something you should know about." Then I saw why I was the only one who could look at it.
Unless I was hallucinating, I saw my dead wife Jena walk out of the hotel with a bag and a gun.
"Oh this isn't good," I said stunned. "It can't be, she's dead I know it." I was being stoic in front of Emily because of the history of Jena, me, and her, but I was shocked to say the least.
"What did you see," Emily said lifting her head up from her work.
"Jena;" I said.
"How can that be?" Emily asked walking over to my side of the desks. That was something I'd bet Emily would have never wanted to see either.
"Beats me, I was there when her car was blown up," I said. I remember it like it was yesterday. I had just dropped Scott and Stephen off at the babysitter's down the street from our house, and as I turned back to head up the street I heard a loud boom. In rural Kansas, hearing something like that is out of the ordinary, so it shook us. I noticed that the smoke from the boom was coming from my yard. What I didn't know at the time was if Jena had left the house or not.
"But did you see a body?" Emily said. Good point, I wasn't allowed anywhere near the crime scene, nor was I allowed to work for the month while it was being investigated. In fact, the casket was closed, but that wasn't a surprise Jena had always wanted one. After the funeral, I left town with the boys and headed to Malibu to forget the past.
"No, but it was Jena's wish to have a closed casket anyway, so I would have followed her wish anyway." I said.
"Seems like whatever happened Jena isn't dead," Emily said. That was strange, for twelve years, I grieved for her death, and to think that she was still alive rocked my world.
"That can't be, I mean hell why would she do this to me?" I said getting up from my seat to catch my breath. It was all too much for me to take. Then my phone rang.
"Hamilton," I said.
"Jason, it's Yes, are you at the house yet?" the Doc said.
"Yeah, what's up?" I said. "Better not be anything about a Jena Hamilton."
"Ok, Jason I know you are a detective and all that, but how'd you guess I was calling you about that?" the Doc said.
"Because Emily just gave me the security camera footage from the hotel, and I saw my dead wife on it," I said. "That and I'm good."
"Well, we found something you have to come down here for," Doc said. "I can't keep the lab open all night, I got practice."
"Ok, ok, I'll be down in a minute," I said.
Chapter 2
Back To Good?
I never thought I'd see Jena again, since I was at her funeral. As hard as this was for me, the boys wouldn't understand. I was hoping all the evidence was wrong, but as some popular mystery show on television says that the evidence never lies. That's Hollywood for you, but I know from some of my friends who've been on those shows that most of what they say is true. As much as television lies, these type of shows try to make it as true as possible.
The morgue like all those you have seen in movies and television is in the basement, but unlike those mediums our station house is only four floors. So to get there from the squad room doesn't take much time, but with the building being so old, our elevator was out of service a lot. Jogging down the stairs was always a fun experiment, because you never knew who you would literally run into.
"Hey Doc, whatcha got?" I said walking into Doctor Yes' office.
"I've got a locket that looks, like it's old, and some DNA," Dr. Yes said. "It is a hit for your wife." Great, just what I needed, evidential confirmation that Jena hadn't died in that explosion.
"Lemme see the locket," I said. The doc handed it to me, and sure enough it was one of Jena's. In fact it was one I gave her while we were still dating, and why she had that almost fifteen years later was quite a shock to me.
"That's hers," I said. "It's something I gave her while we were still dating."
"But from everything I read, she was blown up," Doctor Yes said. "It seems to me, that she didn't go boom."
"That's a way to put it, but until I have her in front of me, I can't tell you if she's real or not," I said.
"Oh kind of like a blowup doll," Doctor Yes said.
"Shut up, I'm not that repressed," I said. Even though I'd been divorced twice I wasn't quite lacking in the sexual department. I wasn't doing great, but work didn't allow me too much free time.
"But you've not made a pass at Emily yet," the good doctor said. "If I wasn't gay, I'd hit that like it was going out of style." We were actually always together, I had really never been faithful to Jena, since Emily was my first love. But we were quite about that, since I had kids with Jena.
"Well maybe she can screw you straight," I said jokingly to the doctor. I never had any issue with gay people, just as long as they didn't hit on me. Some people would consider that homophobic, I just considered it normal.
"That would take a lot," Doctor Yes said. "Oh I got some foreign DNA here too, it seems like Jena wasn't the only one there." At least that was a good bit of news for her, though I didn't think at this point I knew what to think about all of this.
"I suggest you find your ex and figure out who she was with, because I'm not coming up with anything," Doctor Yes said.
"Did you find any DNA of Jena on the body?" I asked.
"No, and that's the thing, we found it all over the hotel room, but not on the body, in fact, outside of the victim's DNA, and the strange person's DNA, there's nothing else." The Doctor said.
"Hmm, so she may have been an innocent bystander." I said.
"Yeah, oh lookie what just came up on the computer," Doctor yes said. "We got a match for the victim, it seems his name is Osgood Davis."
"Who names their kid Osgood?" I asked writing down the name. It seemed like some uptight mother would name their son. Or maybe some parents who didn't think too hard on their name choice.
"The same type of parents who name their kid Yes." Doctor Yes said. "Anyway, Emily should have his file upstairs."
"I'll call up to her, I still gotta look in on the boys," I said. "Even though I know they are safe, I just want to make sure." Also with Jena back in town their safety was more of my concern. She could find where I lived since I was a public official my address wasn't hard to find. But running home, and walking in on my kids would look really strange to them. And I don't need to embarrass them anymore, however I'm their father so I'm supposed to embarrass them.
"Hey, Stephen how's everything?" I asked when I rang his cell phone.
"Not bad Dad, Genevieve just showed up for some studying," He said. "What's up?"
"Oh nothing, you mind locking the doors?" I said.
"Why? Is there anything I need to worry about?" Stephen asked.
"No, but I'm just worried about this case I'm on," I said. I didn't need to worry the boys, but with their mother being back in town, it would be strange for them. Plus I didn't know what she was doing being back.
"Are we in any danger?" Stephen said. "Yeah Scott, it's Dad, I'll tell him."
"We probably shouldn't be," I said while walking back into the squad room. "But I'm just making sure."
"Ok cool, Scott wants me to ask if you can trace a phone number that keeps calling his cell phone?" Stephen asked.
"Yeah, give him the phone," I said.
"Dad, I've been getting calls on my phone with heavy breathing in the background," Scott said. "Its been freaking me out."
"When did it start?" I asked now getting quiet worried.
"Today, I wasn't thinking too much about it, figuring it was a practical joke," Scott said.
"I'll look into it," I said. "If anyone calls the house call here."
"Ok Dad, I'd hand the phone back to Stephen but he's off with the female again," Scott said. "I'll catch up with you later."
"Hahaah, ok Scott, don't be an annoying brother," I said, hanging up the phone. I quickly dialed my contact at the phone company. Luckily I had many friends in this state due to my father. I didn't exploit a lot of those connections too much, but when my boys were in danger, I brought out the big guns.
"Hey, Catherine it's Jason," I said to my contact over at the mobile phone company. "I need you to pull the luds on Scott Hamilton's mobile phone."
"My favorite Homicide Celebrity," Catherine said. "Yeah, just a second, what's his last four digits of his social security." Catherine had been there for me while I was still in town when Jena was blown up. Catherine and I had a complicated relationship, I played soccer with her brother in high school and college, and she always loved me. I'll admit, I'm not a bad looking guy, but she was a high school cheerleader. She, had picked the wrong sport to go after, she married the captain of the football team. That's saying that I didn't use that to my abilities.
"They are 6686," I said. "So how's Sam doing?"
"Not bad, he's made Lieutenant in Homicide in Boston," Catherine said. "He followed the Paint Can Murder case too."
"Good for him, I probably would be following it, if I hadn't been the one working it," I said. "What do you have?"
"Well it comes from a blocked number, but I can work around that," Catherine said. "It's nice having a computer science degree from KU."
"It's always good to have a degree from Kansas," I said pacing back and forth in a conference room at the KCPD new Walker Center. The Walker Center was a very old building, dating back to the 1850's. The only reason it was still around was that, the Kansas City Historical Society wouldn't let the Police Department knock it down. We were due to move into a new building but because of budget restrictions, and the Missouri government being slow; it has been put on the back burner for years. And yet, the sports teams can get new stadiums?
"Give me twenty minutes, and I'll call you back," Catherine said.
"Yeah ok, I got stuff to do around here," I said. First and foremost I had to call my exparents in law. I knew they still lived in the same place they had for the last fifty years, so it wasn't going to be hard to find their number. Of course, when I thought Jena died I pitched their number. They'd kept in touch with the boys since, but I wasn't always their favorite. Maybe they wanted me to be a lawyer to, but that's just the problem of having a famous father.
"Oliver, it's Jason, we gotta talk, give me a call at the station," I said when I only got the Malone's voicemail. It was always a surprise to me that people of the older generations have voice mails. Maybe it was that my grandparents still hadn't figured out technology yet.
"Jason have you typed up your notes from the crime scene yet?" Lt Joe Webb said.
"Nah, been looking over the CCTV footage, and was down in the morgue with Dr. Yes." I said. We had a rule that all notes had to be typed up right away, since most notes were beyond legible. And that didn't include me, my handwriting was so bad that I just wrote abbreviations for things.
"What was on the security camera?" Lt. Webb said.
"Jena," I responded.
"What?" Webb said surprisingly. "She's dead."
"No, no she's not, and I think she was at the crime scene too," I said.
"Oh boy, brass might make me take you off of this case," Webb said. Webb was the sole reason I was back in Kansas City. When the Paint Can Killer resurfaced, he called me in from Malibu since I was the only detective alive who worked the original case.
"If they do, they're wrong, and no one is getting in the way on this," I said.
"Oh Jason, I know that, but it might be taken out of my hands on this one," Webb said.
"Yeah, but they have to realize it's my family and I don't care about the rules," I said. "It's a case of I was call in on this, and as good as Emily is, I don't think she's ready to be a lead detective." Fortunately, Emily wasn't around at the time so I could spout off about this.
"Captain John Charles doesn't care, it's his way or the highway," Webb said. Ah good ole upper brass, only worried about their political aspirations.
"I heard from my father that Captain Charles' Dad was the same way," I said. "Sometimes it pays to have a father in this town." As little interaction as I had with my father, it was sometimes good that I could pull out some important information.
"Yeah the Colonel was the same, but wasn't as much of a jerk in person," Webb said. "Don't go repeating that."
"No prob," I said. I caught Webb up on everything we'd found in the stomach also, and some of the contents around the room that were missing. Finally, he let me get back to my report. By that time, Emily was done typing up her notes and had passed on some disturbing news to me.
"Jason, I had to pick up your phone while you were gone, Scott called, he says a woman he thinks is sitting outside the house," Emily said. Mess with me, that's fine, but don't go messing with messing with my family.
"Oh crap," I said. "Joe, I need you fast, Jena's at my place." I figured to cut the semantics and yell for my boss. Realistically, any decision on distribution of resources had to come through him.
"Yeah, ummm, take Emily, I'll call over to plainclothes and see if I can get some people," He said. "I want to keep this as quiet as possible."
"Ok, cool," I said grabbing my stuff and running out the door. "Emily, let me drive, the steering is a little off on my car."
"No problem, I really don't know the way to your house anyway," Emily said running down the stairs towards the carpool. She actually did know the way, but it was complicated from the house. One of the problems with the economy going into the tubes, that these police departments were really cutting back on the extra things we needed to get the job done. One of them was cars for the homicide detail. We did have cars, they were just so poor that nine times out of ten it was better for us to take our own ones.
"Oh come on, it's down by where Richard used to patrol," I said leaving the carpool.
"Jason, I wasn't in town for that," She said. "How do you know of it?"
"Emily, I'm good," I said..
Since the explosion, no one had rushed to my house with a siren on, I really never wanted to draw attention to my neighborhood. But with my kids in trouble, and maybe my ex-wife in town, I can't be too careful.
"Um, Jason, I think I see what the problem was with Scott," Emily said as we pulled up to my house. She pointed to the hanging swing bench on my front porch.
"Aw crap, I've dreaded this all day," I said. "Well not all day, but you know what I'm saying." I pulled up to my house and saw Jena swinging on the bench.
"Jason, you can help me here," Jena said getting up from her seat. "I'm so confused."
"Jena Malone, your under arrest for fleeing the scene of a crime," I said giving her, her Miranda rights (Expand on this). "Emily, put her in the back."
"Jason you can't do this to me, I'm your wife," Jena said spitting at Emily in anger.
"You stopped being my wife when you faked your death, and left me to raise the twins. Not that I haven't minded it, but you might have thought about me for once in your shallow existence," I said. Yeah, I've been waiting for this one.
"But, I had to," Jena said.
"Dad, who is this?" Scott said. He'd come out when he saw the lights.
"Scott, she's your mother," I said.
"No, that's not possible, Marissa is my mother," Scott said in disbelief.
"Whose Marissa?" Jena screamed from the back of the car.
"My other ex-wife," I said. "After you died, I moved to Los Angeles, and got remarried, but just like the rest of the Hamilton family, I got divorced."
"You never told them about me?" Jena said breaking down.
"You left them when they were four, what the hell was I supposed to say?" I said screaming at her. "Jena, I loved you to death, and trust me, anything you were facing I could have helped you with. But you didn't trust me."
"I trusted you, but your father didn't want me around," She said. "Something he said, you remind me of Mrs. Hamilton." Ok, that was crossing the line, bringing in my family. There's still a lot of pain in my heart, for what happened to my mother. Apparently, my crazy twin brother shot her on my 15th birthday.
"Ok, just take her away guys, I'm not putting up with her," I said. "I see twelve years of being away, hasn't changed you a lot." The two uniform cops took her, and put her in the car. I can see when they were putting her in the car that she wasn't too happy with not being let in the house. I never moved away after the bomb went off, I kept this house because of the family. Plus it was a nice house, that's probably the one thing I got from my family, well, and the money.
"What are you going to do when we get back to the house?" Emily asked.
"Not a thing, you're going to interview her," I said.
"Why me?" She said.
"Because, as a woman you can crack her," I said. "And I can't be in the same room with her anyway, plus there's all those rules."
"Well yeah, but you know we don't have the best relationship either, after all the whole high school thing." Emily said. "Plus I still want to knock her block off for take you from me."
"And they say I don't let things go," I said. Yeah well Jena has a lot coming to her. Eventually, I'll get to have her in the interrogation room, but for now I wanted Emily to take care of it. It was good being the primary on things, because out in the field I could tell people what to do. Not that I had any power trips, or liked to be a leader, it was just sometimes it was easier to lead than be told to do something.
"You don't, I'd like to think that I could have let go of that all after I married, and well divorced Roger, but sadly no," She said. Roger was her ex husband who she left when he moved away to Tulsa. They were still on speaking terms, and actually I could see them getting married again. Surprisingly I did know Roger through some friends from college. He's a really good man, just not what she was looking for apparently. I knew it was me she was looking for, but after two failed marriages, I wasn't in the market again.
"Well anyway, just don't do anything I won't," I said walking into the house.
"Dad you told us that we moved from Kansas City when you got a job with the Malibu PD, and nothing about Marrisa not being our mother," Stephen said.
"You gotta realize boys that I had just seen my wife blown up, and a case go south, I couldn't think of much." I said. "Plus I did get that job anyway, so most of it was true."
"And Marrisa?" Scott said.
"When you guys were young we all looked like we were related so I could skate on that," I said.
"Were you ever going to tell us about Mom?" Scott said.
"No, I was hoping to pass that one by," I said. "Of course I didn't see Marrisa going crazy and joining the hippy commune."
"So you were going to lie to us about our mother?" Scott said.
"Pretty much, I figured the less you knew about her better, plus if you really wanted to know, you'd find out, you're both like Uncle Jordan." I said.
"What is all the fuss about guys?" Geienvive said, walking outside.
"Get this, Marissa isn't my mom, and my real mom is still alive," Stephen said.
"It's my Mom too genius," Scott said.
"Yeah, well not everything cut and dry guys," I said.
"Wait, Mr. Hamliton, I'm missing all of this," She said.
"Well, my ex-wife is still alive, and she's the mother of them," I said pointing to the twins.
"So what, Jena is still alive, got to figure out since there was no body, you could have figured out she was still alive," Gen said. What did I say, she's amazing.
"Your missing it, Dad was going to lie about the death. I mean our mother, come on," Scott said.
"Guys calm down, it's not like I hurt you guys, or took away something," I said. "You've had a very good life, so really not knowing your mom would be a good thing."
"But it's our Mom," Stephen said.
"Yeah about that," Emily said walking in. "Sorry, LT Webb said he's interviewing her, and taking the case, per our history."
"Ok, that's good because you're not as good about her either," I said.
"What's going on?" Gen said.
"Um, yeah, boys, you know you're Dad and I dated all through school, until junior year, when Jena came around," Emily said. "In fact we were engaged for a while."
"No, we didn't," Scott said. "Dad what else do we not know?"
"Guys, let me finish, and this is something your Dad doesn't know either," Emily said. "Jason, remember when Jena and I both got pregnant?"
"Yeah." I said. How could I forgot, I cheated on my wife, with my long time love, and got her pregnant, while my wife was pregnant.
"Wait you cheated on Mom?" Stephen said.
"Let me finish," Emily said. "Jena is the one that lost the kids, I didn't."
"Wait, what?" I said. "I have two boys."
"Yeah, well Jena held a gun to my head and made me give birth to the twins, and keep the secret," She said. "I was hoping when she blew up, and you left, I'd never have to say anything. I didn't think you'd ever come back."
"Ok, so let me get this straight, Jena wanted kids, didn't let me in the room to see the birth of my kids, held a gun to your head, and had you give birth to the twins?" I said. Sounds crazy, but with Jena I could believe a lot.
"Pretty much," Emily said.
"So wait, Emily is our mother?" Stephen said. "Well that makes sense, I've always felt better around her than anyone else Dad has brought home."
"Yeah true, she's always been there for us, well since we moved back," Scott said. "And I did wonder why I looked like her."
"Ok, well you guys are taking that a little good now, but we have two problems," I said. "One Jena is back, and she's trying to be your mother again."
"What's the second?" Emily asked.
"The fact we're not married Emily," I said. "Boys, Emily and I have been seeing each other again, I mean after all, she is the love of my life, and really now the Mother of my children."
"I'm not getting married again Jason," She said. "After Roger, I'm happy just living in sin to be honest."
"Dad, we'd have no issue with Emily being around more, we've, well at least I have wanted her around for a while," Scott said, he'd really calmed down after Jena showed up. "Plus we know what she means to you."
"Well, Emily, I have no issue not getting married again, I have two dents on my record in that case," I said."But lets speed it up a bit, wouldn't it be easier if you just moved here."
"That's a thought; my lease is up pretty soon, and I do spend enough time here anyway through the job, or the kids." She said.
"It's not like we can't arrange anything," I said. "So guys are you good if I leave with Emily for a while for work?"
"Yeah, no problem," The guys said.
"Keep an eye on them Gen," Emily said half joking. Gen and Emily really didn't know each other, but Gen did know there was something up with Emily and I. This conversation did nothing but seal it for them. I was shocked that Emily was the boy's mother, but in the end, it couldn't be any better in a way. They've really not had any mother figure in their life. Marissa was crazy, Jena wasn't around long, and well Emily and I had just gotten back together.
I could just have Gen move in with us too, her family was broken, and her parents really didn't care about her. I just didn't need another mouth to feed. Not that bringing on Emily would be that much of an extra mouth. She's not that big, and works too. Yeah, now I'm thinking like a father when I'm thinking of my girlfriend. Still think I should have married her.
Such is the case with me thinking too hard, while have a big, potentially strange case out there. Maybe that's why Lt. Webb wanted me to work with Emily, or maybe he was playing match maker, either way, it was a smart move by him. Emily was a lot like her father, so it wasn't hard to work with her, as a partner, it was just hard for me to watch her, since I was so damn attracted to her.
"Want me to drive?" Emily asked.
"Why not, I mean hell I've been driving all day," I said, flipping her keys to the truck.
"You know I don't like driving all the time, but I figured with what has just happened, you need some time to think," Emily said.
"True, but at the same point, I don't mind having you drive, you know that," I said. Just then we got a call on the radio.
"Anyone, out there? There's been a wreck, and the prisoner has gotten away," said an officer in the radio.
"This is Det. Jay Hamilton and Det. Emily Van where are you, and what prisoner are you talking about?" I said into the radio.
"Jay, it's Toby, we're on Corporal Jackson Way, and the prisoner is Jena, she somehow, ouch, got out of the cuffs, and got out of the car," Toby said.
"Why wasn't the door locked?" I said, getting livid now.
"The door was locked; she apparently picked the lock on the cuffs, and smashed the window to the door open, causing us to swerve into a guardrail." Toby said. Yeah they were lying about the door being locked, you can't pick a lock a police cruiser. Not possible.
"Ah we're coming up on you guys, don't move," I said.
"This is Det. Jay Hamilton, I want an APB put out on Jena Malone, she's not armed, but considers her dangerous, and check her, so she can't get out of custody this time folks?" I said. I had no right to call that in, but few would argue when I did it. After all, my ex was on the loose.
"OK, 10-4, I'll see you," Toby said. I saw the cruiser sitting there, in the ditch and the two coppers out of the car just sitting there. It looked like nursing their wounds.
"Toby, how are you?" I said. Toby and I went way back, to our academy days. While I went on to be a detective, he was happy to be an officer. He could make a great detective if he ever took the test again, but I've always figured after flunking the last one, he'd never try it again.
"I'm a little shook, and cut, but nothing I've had before," He said.
"Officer Tommy Henderson how are you?" Emily asked.
"Ouch, not good, I think I might have a concussion," Tommy said.
"Ok so we need to get the medic's here, and find Jena, why can't anyone get a criminal to the house the right way?" I said.
"We were going to the house, who could have known that she'd break out?" Tommy said.
"If someone had bothered and asked me, I could have told you, she'd try that, if it was legal we should have tranquillized her, and strapped her down." I said. "But that went out in the olden days."
"No my dad used to do that stuff," Emily said.
"Yeah but your dad was around in the dark days in law enforcement," Toby said. "I can't imagine doing any of this without DNA analysis or computers."
"What are we going to do, about Jena?" Emily said.
"We have enough people around, and out there looking for her, I bet we can get Webb to call in more people to hunt for her," I said. "I also have a feeling the FBI will get a contact."
"Don't you know someone over there?" Emily said.
"Yeah, I have an ex that's in the FBI, I have no clue if she's in Kansas City still," I said. "If Webb wants me to call them I'll do it, but dealing with her won't be too fun."
"If I may speak out of turn, you seem to have bad luck with women," Toby said. His partner was now sitting down in the car waiting for the medic's to get here. He obviously wasn't doing well, so that's why I was trying to keep a good face, and talk a lot. Not that I mind talking.
"Hey, I'm right here," Emily said.
"What?" Toby said.
"Oh, you didn't know, Emily is the mother of my children, and my ex-wives are nuts." I said.
"Wait, Jena is the mother, right?" Toby said.
"As of what Emily told me back at the house, and it makes sense, she's the mother of my children." I said.
"That's well a change," Toby said. "You said wives, you have more than one ex?"
"Yeah, I was married for a time in Malibu," I said. "Marissa went nuts and joined a hippie commune."
"Toby, we're not even going to get into the fact, that I'm actually his high school girl friend, and should have married me young." Emily said giving me some flack.
"Yeah, but Toby should have married Melissa two years ago, but he messed that one up," I said. Toby and I actually grew up together, he was two grades behind us, but played sports on my teams.
"Guys, I'm blacking out, help, me, someone smack me, or something," Tom said.
"Oh crap, this isn't good, where's the medic?" I said. I didn't want to beat a person with injures, and him blacking out could do serious brain damage. Tom is a good man, with kids and a great wife, so taking care of him would be very good. Not that, if he was single we'd ignore him. After all I've been through I'm never going to leave a family without it's one part.
"They're a half hour off, me thinks," Emily said. "What can I do?
"We need to play loud music, or scare him, something, I mean anything," I said. "I'm just guessing here."
"This all wouldn't have happened if someone would have made sure Jena was put in there properly." Emily said. Yeah once again as much I hated my ex-wife, Emily hated her even more.
"You guys can stop hitting us with this, we get the point," Toby said. Just then the medics and Joe arrived.
"What the hell happened?" Lt. Webb said getting out of his car.
"Basically, Jena worked her hands free, broke the window, and when we looked back, we crashed," Toby said. "Jena is on the lamb." I've often wondered how lambs would feel about that phrase, then realized that lambs don't wonder about phrases.
"Damn, why weren't you guys with her?" Webb said to us. "Oh wait, I told you guys not to take her, because of your history, getting old sucks."
"Joe you're not that old," I said. "Why do we always have a fuck up in big cases?" Well, I did fuck up a minor case right after Mickey became my partner back in the day, but I was a rook.
"We don't, because not everyone is perfect, and you're freaking OCD," Joe said.
"But, we did lose a lot of the evidence in the Paint Can killer," I said. While we didn't tell the court we lost it, because it really didn't matter in the end, because of Quinn killing the PCK in open court.
"That lab tech was fired, and arrested," Joe said. "Anyway, the faster we can make you a Sergeant, Jason, the better." Joe had been talking to me for a year about taking a promotion in the department. But in reality with him in the squad the SGT, isn't really needed, Joe is such a good administrator that, two people doing the same job would be lazy. Well it's not the same job, well you know.
"Oh hell no, you know me Joe, I'm happy as a detective." I said. "Plus you can do this, after all you've been here for 20 years."
"True, I'm going to talk with Major Watts and figure out what to do," Joe said. "As much as I don't want to get him involved, I have to."
"Aw hell no, let's not do that please?" I said. I had no room for Major Watts. Yes he was my boss, but still, he was a cantankerous jerk, and could ruin any investigation fast. I know that Joe didn't like him, but what could we do.
"This just got bigger, and injured some of the officers, yeah we have to," Joe said, just walking away to his car. One of the problems with having a title above a detective, is that he had so much administrative work. And you see why I won't take it. "Plus it's my call."
Chapter 3
I wasn't happy to see Jena, and wasn't happy that Major Watts was going to be in on this, he had no business in the squad room. He did the important stuff up in the office, and ruined our lives. He really didn't need to be down there, it's like Dad looking over your shoulder when you are looking at porn.
The squad room was a place for the boys, well and a couple of the girls (Emily wasn't the only female detective), and the higher ups weren't welcome into our realm. Major Watts actually despite all my misgivings isn't that bad of a guy. He's just one of those people who take the rules, and his job way too seriously. Many people have suggested that he get laid. We knew he was a widow, since his wife Marjorie was murdered almost twenty years ago in the shootout that killed Lt. Vann.
"Ok who let Jena go with the uniforms and not Det. Vann and Hamilton?" Watts said charging into the room.
"That was mine Milton," Joe said. As much of a stickler for details as Major Watts was, he actually didn't mind Joe calling him by his name and not using rank. But hell would be raised if any of his peon's would use it.
"Why?" Major Watts said. "Were they doing something else?"
"Jena is Jason's ex-wife, and enemy of Emily." Joe said.
"Ah, wait, Jason ex? I thought you had only one ex-wife, and she was in Malibu, and crazy?" Major Watts asked.
"Nope, Marissa is my second ex," I said. It wasn't in my file, about either ex actually. Major Watts wasn't in town when I was married to Jena, but knew of Marissa.
"You have issues with Jena, Emily?" Major Watts asked.
"Yup, held a gun to me made me give birth to the boys, took Jason away from me, I could go on, but you'd be uninterested." Emily said.
"Wait, the boys?" Major Watts said.
"Yeah, mine." I said. "Really just figured this out, that's why we didn't take Jena in. If it had been ok with LT. Webb, I would have taken her in."
"But can you be trusted with her?" Major Watts said.
"It's been a decade plus since I saw her, so yes." I said.
"But, you won't take out your anger of the explosion?" He said.
"You mean physically?" I said. I know I have anger issues, but I've never been too bad while on the force. Well, except that guy I threw through the observation window in Malibu.
"Yup." Major Watts said.
"I'd never hit a woman," I said. "I'd love to get her in the box for a bit, and scare her to death, or violate her constitutional rights, but we know neither will happen." It would be fun to get her in a controlled environment and have her explain away the last fifteen years.
"I'd put you in the box with her, don't worry about that, the commissioner wouldn't have any issue with that, just don't do anything I can't explain later." Major Watts said. "I can explain away a lot of stuff, just make sure we can get her to trial if this is her fault."
"Oh, so be like a normal cop, and not one on HBO?" I said.
"Jason those aren't real," Emily said.
"I'm sure he knows that," Joe said, adjusting, moving around, and trying to get the day to move faster. Maybe he was trying to get home early too. Coming in late is always annoying. "What else do you need Milton?"
"Really nothing else, I just wanted to come down before I leave to check in, and see why Jena is MIA," He said. "I know we'll get her, I know we'll solve this. Don't let me down." That was going to be hard, Major Watts, was always one of those guys who could find fault in anything. Really a miserable prick most of the time.
"Ok, Jason, Emily, go home, rest up, I'll keep the night watch on," Joe said. "We'll do nothing but throw her in a cell if we get her."
"Thanks boss," She said.
"Thanks LT," I said. "Not that I mind getting woken up."
"Nope, you guys are ordered to get a full night sleep tonight," Joe said. "I have a feeling it might be the last for a while."
"That's a first, a LT telling their detectives to sleep more," Major Watts said. "Anyhoo, I gotta get out of here too." He wasn't much for a send off, or a goodbye, most of the time, he just left the room quickly. Once again he's a strange guy.
"Well, I'm a different type of guy anyway." Joe said, as the door to the squad room was shutting. "Oh and Jay, no funny stuff, I don't want any other children showing up, or anything weird in your life."
"I already got two, so I don't need more," I said. Especially when the boys were Emily's, and Marissa and I didn't have any.
"Funny, you two," Emily said. "Someone is sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Yeah, not me, it's my bed." I said laughing. It's not like we were going to sleep separately anyway.
"You two are already fighting like an old married couple," Joe said. This was by a guy who has been married for almost forty years.
"Considering how long we've known each other it's not hard," I said. Almost thirty years, I've known her and the family.
We just needed to get out of the squad room for the day. I had a feeling like that Joe did, that this was going to be a bad one. Not that any of my other cases weren't easy, after all working murder squad isn't easy We just needed to right our minds.
"Hey, did you get anything to eat?" Emily said when we go into the car.
"Nope, was going to warm something up at the house," I said.
"Hmmm, I got some pizza's at my place, can we swing by get them and some clothes for tomorrow?" She said.
"No problem," I said. I just wanted to fall asleep but that wasn't going to happen today. The biggest lack of sleep I was ever going to get was during these bad cases. Really, we could have bunked at the house, and let the kids take care of themselves for the night. Yeah I know, bad parenting, but Blue Springs isn't a horrible place.
"Guys, just go, and Jay, stop thinking of shacking up in the bunks upstairs, I'm closing those down, get out of here, go be with the boys." Joe said.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, come on," I said leaving out the back door with Emily.
The great thing about Emily's place is that it was right around the corner, and she could just run in get stuff and come back. As much as I didn't want to keep running back and forth between the squad room and my place, the fact I could get home now was good. Joe was right, getting away was better.
"Hey, when did they put a guard at your door?" I said pulling up to Emily's apartment.
"We don't have one," Emily said getting her gun out.
"Sir, I'm Detective Emily Vann, what are you doing here?" Emily said.
"There's been a disturbance in the area," Officer Ian McShane said.
"This is my apartment building, can I help," Emily asked.
"Maybe, we have a report of a small dark haired woman with handcuffs wandering around in the area." Officer McShane said.
"Oh crap, call KCPD Major Case LT Joe Webb, he'll take it from here, thanks," Emily said.
"What's the problem?" I said when Emily got back into the car.
"Jena." She said.
"Fuck." I said.
"You already did that to this case." She said. "Why didn't you let one of the other Detectives grab the phone?"
"Remember, I'm not the one that grabbed the phone," I said.
"Yeah, yeah, I grabbed it so you wouldn't," She said. "You already have enough opens on your desk."
"Hey, there's only four, and two are cold's," I said. Well, they weren't my cold's, Joe had gone through some of the files of the detectives who had transferred out, or he had fired due to bad clearance rate, and given them to me. My clearance rate wasn't great, but it was still in the top five of the squad. Well, top six if you include Joe, but he so rarely has a case now.
"Anyway, what do you want to do, we're under Joe's orders not to do anything tonight but sleep, and come in for work at noon?" She said.
"Let's just follow what Joe said, I mean KCPD can figure out this, and if we're needed, Joe can get us." I said.
"Ok, well, I guess so, just find it wrong that we have to stand down on this," Emily said as we drove away. Too bad she wasn't able to get clothes and food at her place. Then again I have food and she has some clothes at my place.
"Ah I love it when you slip in some soccer stuff in conversation," I said.
"Oh, I did, dang it, just happened, I see being around you for so long," Emily said when we got back home. "Has made me more of an unconsciousness soccer fan as I can be."
"Hey boys, and Gene we're home, Joe sent us back early," I said, knowing that the boys couldn't or won't listen. "There's going to be a guard outside and probably someone watching school for you three." Yeah, they'd figure this all out, but being a single father for so long, it's better to say it, than not.
"Oh you've always been a soccer fan, just sometimes the words slip out of your mouth." I said.
"True, but how much have you ever heard me speak like that?" She said.
"Emily, keep in mind there's years that we didn't talk," I said. "Also you didn't speak to me after Jena for a good three years. If Richard hadn't been killed I doubt we'd be talking now."
"Oh if he was still alive, he'd have fixed the relationship, and you'd have never gone to Malibu," She said. "He wanted us married, and you to be a lawyer."
"What is it with people wanting me to be a lawyer?" I said. "I passed the bar to get Dad to shut up about it."
"If you wanted people to stop about that, then why did you take the law courses, and pass the bar?" Emily said.
"I was bored, Jena was into her criminal justice stuff, and I needed something between training and playing." I said. Ah those days of still playing soccer, and thinking of being an agent. To be honest the law degree was just in case the playing career didn't work out, I could then be an agent. Of course I didn't think about being a cop then, it looked good when I signed up for it. Once again, bored, and a wife who was in criminal justice.
"But you didn't have to pass the bar to get your Dad to be quiet." Emily said.
"No, but being the son of a DA doesn't help either," I said.
"Try being the son of a cop," Scott said.
"Hey, you guys haven't had a bad life," I said.
"Speaking from experience it's not easy," Emily piped in.