Page 59 of Jessica's Hero
It has to stop. And if the police can’t do enough to bring this asshole to justice, I’ll be the first one to ask Blade and Arrow to step in. Because although I value following the law, I’ve also discovered that there are times we need to do more. When the police databases aren’t good enough and a little ethical hacking is necessary. When we can’t wait for a judge’s approval before stepping in.
When I first became a cop, I was determined to follow the law to the letter, as my old mentor used to say.“The integrity of the legal system relies on sticking to the rules,”he told me,“and as soon as we start breaking them, the whole thing falls apart.”
But then I watched what some of my friends went through, and I began to reconsider.
It doesn’t mean I don’t think the rules are important. But if my old mentor had to hold his girlfriend while she sobbed in his arms and hear her ask why someone hated her so much, he might reconsider, too.
I can’t watch her go through this again. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it to save her any more pain.
Another message flashes onto the screen before I answer the first; still from Oliver.
I talked to Leo at B and A. He said they know a guy up in Vermont who designed his own fingerprint analysis program. It can search databases we don’t have access to. Maybe we’ll get a hit there.
Forcibly unclenching my jaw, I blow out a long breath before picking up my phone to reply.
I hope so. But we need to do more. The cameras at Jess’s place aren’t enough. Anyone who’s watching there knows she’s not staying there anymore, so it’s doubtful they’ll try anything. And there’s still nothing on the neighbor’s doorbell cameras besides the one shot of the unsub in the dark. Which doesn’t help besides giving us a basic height and size.
As I wait for his response, a sound in the living room draws my attention. I turn off the burner and remove the pan of sizzling bacon so I can hear better, breathing a sigh of relief as soon as I identify the soft rise and fall of Jess’s voice.
On the phone, maybe? It’s possible she’s talking to Nora or Thea, or even Marie, the coworker who helped Jess before I arrived. Still. I can’t help worrying.
I walk to the doorway of the kitchen and peer into the living room. Jess is just where I left her, curled into a ball on the couch with her favorite knit blanket wrapped around her. She’s staring at the TV, tuned to some cooking competition, with her phone nowhere in sight.
“Jess,” I say softly, not wanting to startle her. “Are you okay? Do you need something?”
She startles and lets out a tiny yelp of fear, which makes me feel like shit all over again.
Feeling guilty is pretty much my default mood since I heard the news about Jess yesterday. Or at least, it has been ever since the breath-stealing fear subsided and I realized she was physically okay.
Well. Notokay. She has another cut on her hand, but it’s nothing life threatening. Nothing like the injuries Iwas imagining as I raced over to her lab, my mind immediately fearing the worst.
Emotionally, though? She’s definitelynotalright.
“Sorry, sweetheart,” I soothe as I hurry over to the couch. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just thought I heard you talking, and I didn’t know if you needed me.”
Jess looks up at me with a wan smile. “It’s fine, Kane. I’m just a little jumpy is all. But you didn’t do anything wrong.” Once I take a seat beside her, she snuggles into my side. “I was just leaving some reminders on my phone. Things I need to do when I get back to work. Stuff I still need to get from my house.”
The thought of her going back to work makes my molars grind painfully again. But rather than share my immediate thought, which is,There’s no way you’re going back to work after yesterday, I take a few seconds to sort through my thoughts before speaking.
I don’t want her back at the lab. I want Jess here, where I know she’s safe. Or barring that, like when I have to go to work, I want to bring her to Blade and Arrow to stay. I definitely don’t want my sweet Jess being back at the place that’s brought her so much pain—both from the gruesome package and the people who treat her so poorly.
But I know I can’t make that decision for her. So instead, I say, “I thought you were taking a few days off. Surely they can’t expect you to come back right away.”
Jess’s lips thin. “Not exactly. My boss said to take the week, if I need. But I haven’t been in my new position that long. A week off… That doesn’t look good. So I was thinking I should probably go back tomorrow.”
My stomach goes heavy. “Sweetheart. Are you sure about that?”
She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Tiny worry lines form between her eyes. “It’s not that I want to, Kane. But it’s my job. I can’t not go because I’m scared.”
“It’s not just that.” We’ve avoided talking about the repercussions of yesterday, mainly because of me. I haven’t wanted to bring up anything that could upset Jess any more than she’s already been, and talking about added security measures and threat assessments isn’t really the way to go about it.
“My boss said they won’t accept any mail for me,” Jess replies. “So we don’t have to worry about that. And you said someone from Blade and Arrow will be guarding the lab in case anything suspicious comes up.”
“That’s true. But that’s not a guarantee. Someone could get inside. Security could make a mistake. Or it could be someone who works there. A regular visitor, like your—” Pain shoots through my jaw. “Ex boyfriend.”
Jess shakes her head. “I know you think Brian could be responsible. But there’s no way. And I really don’t think anyone would try something now. Not with the added security.”
Ever since Jess mentioned that she ran into her ex only minutes before discovering the package, asshole Brian Morgan jumped to the top of my list of suspects. He had the opportunity, not to mention there are obviously bad feelings between them. “I know you don’t want to think he could do it,” I tell her gently as I take her hand in mine. “But that’s an unfortunate lesson I learned in my job. Sometimes it’s the least likely suspect.”
