I pulled back onto the road, heading toward the police station. I knew where it was because our crew had to know the location of all emergency services. Hospital, fire, police, National Guard posts. When phones didn’t work and you were one of the first allowed into a natural disaster zone, they made sure we had our bearings.
While my mind reeled, the dark sky opened up again, pouring rain down in big sloppy buckets.
“We will need to hurry and get out of the area before the roads close,” he said.
Get out of the area? He really expected me to leave with him. I had to make my move at the police station before this went any further.
CHAPTER SEVEN
According to the female officer at the front desk, Officer Nelson was not in, and apparently his partner was working another case an hour away.
“If it’s not an emergency,” she said, “you may leave a note, or you can come back tomorrow.”
I didn’t want to face Jack outside. Confrontation was not my friend. But what else could I do? Confess to doing absolutely nothing to a coworker who assaulted me?
“Tha-thanks.” I headed for the exit and stopped with my trembling hand on the door. I could still ask to see the box, couldn’t I? Then maybe Jack would simply leave me alone after he got what he wanted.
But why did that insane man want me to do this in the first place?
Using all my strength, I turned back around and approached the desk again, but the officer was on the phone. Another man in uniform, a big husky guy with brown hair, walked by.
“Excuse me,” I said. “Umm…” I loathed the sound of my submissive voice. It didn’t reflect who I truly was on the inside. Why was I so messed up?
“Yes, ma’am?”
This time, I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t form. I felt like I was about to hyperventilate. Fuck. I can’t do this. I can’t.
Can. And will, said a deep voice inside my head. There is nothing to fear. You are safe. A wave of peace washed over me, like nothing could ever touch me. Suddenly, like a switch had been flipped, my mouth started moving.
“My name is Jeni Arnold. I’m working over at the cargo port with the emergency crew.”
“Yes?”
“I might have information about the box that washed up over there—the one with the body.” I couldn’t believe how confident I sounded all of a sudden.
“All right, well, let me get someone to take your statement.”
I explained that I hadn’t gotten a good look at the box, but after hearing some of the men on the crew talking about it, I wondered if it might be the same sort of box Ripley used to transport explosives. “If yes, then maybe the box didn’t wash up with the hurricane exactly. Maybe someone from the crew dumped it offshore.” I asked if I could take a look, since I’d worked with several crews over the past six months.
“We’re busy here, miss. You’ll have to come back later when Nelson or Franco is in.”
I didn’t want to come back. Jack was waiting outside, expecting me to carry out his bizarre request. And if I did this, maybe he’d go away. “The thing is, if someone from the crew is responsible, especially given the violent nature of the crime, I don’t think anyone should be there. I mean, the body was fresh, right? The company is going to have to halt work if there’s some psycho running around on our crew.”
He gave me a weary look.
“The barge is coming in tomorrow, and the National Guard still needs our help clearing the port. They’re not going to get it if the boss calls us home. And he will. I know him. He doesn’t like putting his crew at unnecessary risk,” I lied. Ripley had made it clear that we were all making bank because the work was inherently dangerous. Downed powerlines, no power, looters, limited communication, fallen debris, nails, glass, sharp metal. Ripley called us disaster janitors.
“Fine. Let me see what I can do.”
Yes! I didn’t know why I was celebrating. I’d just lied to a police officer, and I had a dangerous delusional man outside in my car.
A few minutes later, the officer returned with a set of keys in his hand. “Follow me.”
He took me down a long hallway, into what looked like a giant closet with heavy-duty steel racks piled high with boxes. We cut straight through that room and exited out a different door to a garage with five bay doors. A few cars were parked inside. One looked like it had been in a wreck.
“There. In the corner.” He walked over to a coffin-sized box covered in clear plastic with a big sticker on it. The sticker had a number and the name Nelson on it.
The officer reached for the edge of the plastic and lifted. “Look. Don’t touch.”
I crouched down and inspected one side of the black steel container. It was about four feet wide and six feet long with weld marks on the seams, like it had been built to last or hold something extremely heavy.
Wait. It’s a safe.
The officer helped me lift the plastic to inspect the door on the top. Sure enough, there was a spot to insert a key, but the front had been bent. I guessed the guys from the crew did that when they opened it.
I glanced up at the impatient officer.
“Oh, um. I can’t tell if this is one of ours. Mind if I look at the other side? There are usually stickers on these containers. Hazmat warnings and stuff,” I lied. I’d never actually seen an explosives container. And apparently this cop hadn’t either because he was buying my bullcrap story.
“Be my guest,” he said drably.
“It’ll only take a second.”
He lifted each edge of the plastic sheet while I pretended to search for something. Each time I shook my head.
“Well?”
I couldn’t remember if Jack wanted me to look inside. What does it matter? This request was insane.
“Thank you. This isn’t the same.” I made the phew gesture and swiped my hand over my forehead.
“Glad to hear it.” He jerked his head toward the door.
I followed him back the way we’d come and thanked him again. “Oh, and can you let Officers Nelson and Franco know I stopped by? Again, my name is Jeni Arnold.”
“Sure.” He walked away, not bothering to write down my name. He probably thought I was a loon, not worth anyone’s time.
I walked outside to the parking lot, finding Jack standing next to the driver’s side door in the pouring rain. He stared at me, his blue eyes seeming to grow darker. Those lips, a sensual shape for a killer, were in a hard flat line. His back was rigid.
“You forgot to look inside,” he growled.
How did he know that? “No. I did what you said.” I reached for the handle, wanting to get out of the rain, but he blocked me with his tall body.
“Do not lie, Jeni.” His words carried the threat of pain.
He can’t possibly know what I saw.
He added, “If you have not figured out by now that I know everything going on inside that head of yours, that is your problem. I’m not here to convince you of anything.”
I stared at him. Was he really serious? He thought he could genuinely read my thoughts.
“The box,” he said impatiently. “Tell me everything you saw. Go over it again in your mind,” he commanded.
He was crazy.