Chapter Twenty Two
"You can't just keep me here," Eddie all but shouted at Victoria. "Jamie will find me, he will always find me because he loves me, he loves our family and he will find me!"
Victoria paced the bedroom, she was in so deep now. She was waving her gun around and seemed totally unaware she even had it in her hand. "That gun isn't going to help. You need to put it down, we can talk like ladies…I'm having Jamie's baby, you don't want to hurt his baby, do you?"
"No, I love him," Victoria gasped, tears of hate and anger running down her face. "I love him and you won't let him come and be with me. He's mine!"
Eddie sighed, she couldn't reason with crazy and Victoria was bat shit crazy. How the hell did she ever become a cop? Eddie knew that answer, she'd at one point been normal, something happened, something rough that she never got over…if she could get to the bottom of that, then maybe she had a chance.
"I know it hurts when the people you love don't love you back," Eddie replied. "My first husband lied to me, he cheated on me from the day we met and it hurt, it hurt badly. We can talk about this, I know Jamie would want us to talk this out."
"Shut up!" Victoria screamed. "Shut up and let me think! I need to think!"
Eddie bit her lip and gave in for now, she had to play the game and keep her head until Jamie figured this out. She knew he would, she knew it was just a matter of time before they would be together again.
"Thanks,Hailey," Jamie sighed. He'd gone through her address book and her computer. It was after nine now, and he hadn't heard a word from her. He felt like something was wrong now, like he waited too long to make this one particular call. "Dad," Jamie began. "Dad…it's me, I need to pull a hook. I need a phone pinged asap, on the down low. I can't find Eddie anywhere, I think something happened."
Frank had Baker on the ping and less than ten minutes later the results were as unsettling as the constant voice mail message. Jamie was pacing the house like a caged animal, he knew something happened to his wife. He'd always be worried, but now that she was pregnant it was double. She had a pronounced baby bump now and she didn't have the balance or the agility she would have without being pregnant. He picked up the phone on its first ring.
"The trace came back to the 12th Jamie," Frank told his son. "I called over and the desk sergeant found her telephone in the back alley near the parking garage. He's pulling the surveillance now…"
"Danny and I are headed there now Dad. We'll be right there." Jamie grabbed his keys and they headed out together.
They jumped into Jamies's car and sped to the 12th. Frank had just been delivered by his detail to review the tapes with his son. "Here we are, Sir… All afternoon."
Most of the time the alley was quiet, a few of the department stray cats wandered around, a few officers, but then, Eddie burst out of the door. She sank onto the ledge and held her stomach, she was in pain, but Jamie knew it was not physical. It was emotional…he spied the time, and then he knew. She saw it, she saw the kiss.
Jamie felt his legs go weak. He sank back and was absorbed by Danny. Eddie saw the kiss and now she was missing. She'd just up and left…no that didn't make sense, she'd never leave him and their kids, not like this.
Just a few minutes after Eddie sat down, Victoria burst out of the door. It was cleared to all of the seasoned police what happened. Eddie and Victoria had words, and then it all went to Hell, when Victoria elbowed Eddie to the face, knocking her out cold. She fell on her side, not her stomach, that was a relief, but then they saw Victoria pick her up and drop her into her trunk. Jamie turned and was sick. Not only had Eddie seen Victoria kiss him but then was thrown into the trunk of the car by a woman who was now both desperate and dangerous.
When he recovered, Jamie was ready to head straight for Victoria's apartment, Danny held him back. "We need to get her jacket first, the whole story, we need to get in her head or we risk Eddie. Calm down, Kid, we're all here and we've got this. "We'll have Eddie back safe and sound in no time. Now, let's think…"
"If I can't have him…" Victoria paced. "If I can't have Jamie then you can't either. No one ever can again! Yes, that's it, that's how I'll get out of this."
Eddie could sense her foreboding. She felt her heart pounding in her throat. She was going to kill her or Jamie, maybe both of them. Victoria picked up the telephone and dialed Jamie's number. She'd bring him here and she would kill them all, all three of them.
Jamie phone rang, "It's Victoria." He held his breath and picked up the phone, "Hello."
"Hey, Jamie, I think I have something you are missing here at my place" Her voice was eerily calm, it made Jamie's skin crawl.
"Don't hurt her, Tory," Jamie replied. "I'm going to come over and you and I will talk to Eddie. We'll make her understand."
"We will?" she asked. "You mean you feel it too, you feel…" Could this be? This was good, this was very good indeed.
Jamie refused to go into Tory's with a gun, he knew he had to play to his delusion to get control again. IF she checked him for weapons and found one, any trust he had would be gone. He did agree to let Danny wire him and hid his cuffs on his person. Danny and Baker would be his back up, Frank wanted to keep things close to their chest. This wasn't just his husband's wife, but his daughter and grandchild as well, this was one of the most important stings of their lives.
Jamie rang the bell, totally prepared to play along. He knew Eddie would understand what he was doing, she was a gifted police officer. Victoria was swinging around her gun when she opened the door. Jamie held himself neutral and kept his hands up. "Hey, Tory, I'm here. Let's put the gun down."
"I can't do that Jamie, you understand? You've been on the job for a long time how do I know that you're not carrying or maybe it's a trap? I have to be ready for anything, you taught me that."
"Yes," Jamie replied. "Yes of course, and you and I, of course we are going to be together, we need to talk and trust." Jamie raised his shirt to show he had no weapon.
Victoria looked him up and down enjoying the view smiling. "Turn around Jamie I have to make sure, you understand."
He nodded and turned around, he even went one better and showed her his ankles. "I'm clean, I promise. You know I'd never lie."
"I know but I had to check. Come in," she watched him walk in closing the door behind him. Her eyes were on him and her smile unnerving.
"We need to talk to Eddie first," Jamie suggested. "Then we can be alone."
Giving him, a quiet nod Victoria pointed the direction to go. "She's right there go ahead," she told him wanting him to lead.
Jamie stepped to the back of the bedroom, Eddie was tied to the bed, her face clearly battered, both eyes swelling and turning black and blue. "Eddie," Jamie gave her a slight smile. "I'm glad you're up, we need to talk."
"Jamie." Eddie pulled her arms groaning at the restraint wanting him to cradle her. "Where is she? Where's Victoria?"
"She's right behind me..." Jamie replied. "She's right behind me, we need to talk Eddie. We need to talk about our future." Jamie held Eddie's gaze, thankful for their silent communication. He knew she'd understand.
"Tory, how about you let Eddie go?" Jamie began. "Let her go and she can raise the children by herself. I don't want to have anything to do with it. Then you and I will have nothing holding us back. I can't keep the charade up anymore Eddie, you tricked me into marrying you." Jamie hoped this worked and didn't do more damage.
Eddie blinked putting on her best show. "Jamie please let me go. I want to look into your eyes please after everything we've been through."
"I want you to go," Jamie replied. "Tory, let her go and raise those kids. We'll get a divorce on grounds she tricked me, and you and I can be together. But you must let her go, we can't break the law.
"How do I know she'll go and not cause trouble or that you won't trick me?" Victoria eyed him uneasily keeping close to Jamie.
"Because we're partners," Jamie told Tory. "You and me, partners and friends, and that means a lot. You knew I'd come to help, you knew that's why you called me."
"Yeah I did know, we are meant to be together Jamie, you felt it during our first ride together. It's supposed to be us living the rest of our lives together."
"I know, so we'll let her go..." Jamie said again moving closer to Tory. "We'll let her go be the mother, we'll divorce, and you and I can make a family together. What do you say?" He held her eyes even and calm.
Victoria blinked lost in his eyes slowly lowering her arm nodding. "Yeah that sounds good. Okay let's do that, and you and I will be together how it should be."
"Okay, so let's untie Eddie now and let her go, then we'll get packed up..." Jamie had her now. He had her trust.
"Okay I'll untie her, she won't say anything right? So you and I can be together?" Victoria needed one last reassurance from Jamie.
"No, that's the deal right Eddie?" Jamie asked as he scooted one arm around Victoria's waste and worked the other into his pocket. He had her where he wanted her now.
"I promise Victoria you win. I don't want any trouble I love Jamie but obviously you were meant to be with him. "
With Tory's attention on Eddie for the time being, Jamie was able to get the cuffs out...he slid his hand around to get her wrist and fastened the clasp around one of them before she even realized.
Danny rushed in, having heard the entire altercation on the wire. He would take over now and let Jamie focus on the most important task. Looking after Eddie.
Jamie cut the ligatures and pulled Eddie close. "You okay?" he asked, grateful to have her in his arms again. "I will be," Eddie replied. "I knew she was orchestrating this. I knew she was the one in the house I knew it." Eddie tried to get up and pace off her frustration but the headache resulting from her swollen eyes made her stumble.
"It's all over," Jamie soothed as he sat her down. "It's all over. I'm sorry I didn't listen, I'm so sorry I didn't listen. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine Jamie I just need you." Once freed, Eddie turned into his arms wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
Jamie sighed, he knew it had to be traumatic for her, "Danny, get a bus, I want Eddie and the baby checked out. Get a bus."
Danny was one step ahead, a paramedic team was coming in and being directed to Jamie and Eddie while Victoria was being led out of the apartment, cuffed and broken down in tears.
"Are you okay?" Jamie asked again and again as they waited for the medics to get set up to take Eddie to the ER. "Do you have pain in your abdomen or your back?" He rocked slightly and stroked her hair.
"I'm fine," Eddie replied. "My face just hurts, I'm fine otherwise. I just want to go home and be with you and the kids. I just…"
"We have to get you and the baby checked out," Jamie replied. "I could have lost you and the baby. I need for you to get checked out and make sure you're both okay. Are you sure you don't have any pain?"
Eddie nodded again, "I'm sure, Jamie. Let's just go to the ER then home."
Eddie laid her head on Jamie's chest and sat holding her in his protective embrace until the medics were ready to transport her to the hospital.
Eddie was nervous while she rode in the ambulance, she felt all right but she did fall on her side and that could have hurt the baby.
Jamie sensed her anxiety. "I'm here, and it's okay, the doctor will check you and the baby and we can go home." He kissed the back of the hand he held.
The doctor came in not long after letting Jamie stay while he checked Eddie over.
The doctor was precise in checking Eddie, "Are you in pain anywhere?" he shook his head at her eyes noting that on her chart.
"Just my face," Eddie replied. "And my shoulder but Jamie said I fell on my side."
The doctor noted that "You have severe bruising and I'll be taking x-rays to see if anything is broken. Then we'll work on the swelling. Stay still for me I'm going to check your shoulder."
"What about my baby?" Eddie protested. "I need to know my baby is okay."
"I know," the doctor smiled as he pulled the sonogram machine over. "Let's check out this baby and make sure everything looks good. Do you want to know the sex?"
Eddie looked at Jamie, "That is up to you. This is all yours from beginning to end, just like I promised. You decide if you want to know."
Jamie thought a few minutes then smiled, "I'd kind of like to know."
They nodded at the doctor and he smiled. "Would you like to find the heart beat for us, Dad?"
Jamie beamed and took the transducer. He moved it around until they heart the comforting swish of their child's heart beating inside of Eddie. "Heart tones sound great," the doctor smiled. "Let's see what else we have here, thanks Dad, have a seat by Mom's head and we'll find…"
Jamie moved and held Eddie's hand, holding it tight as the doctor got the image on the screen. "We have a very active little boy here. He looks to be just fine."
Their eyes met, then slowly their lips. They shared a sweet soulful kiss over the news they were soon going to share another son.