Page 3 of Finding Justice

When Naomi joins me once more, I can tell she didn’t have any luck either. It’s in her tone, her eyes. Even though I just met her, I hate seeing her this way. Needing to comfort her, I pull her into my arms and kiss the top of her head. It’s clear she’s tried, and unsuccessfully so, to reach Cole. She couldn’t know how difficult he would make that, a self-defense mechanism on his part.

Trying to reassure her, I say, "We'll find him. He always turns up." Bolstered by that, she asks if I have any other ideas on where he might be. Wiping away a tear, I reply that I do and we’ll check every single one of them.

And we do, each time coming up empty and compounding our concern for him. Our fear. Upon seeing the exhaustion Naomi is fighting and I’m feeling myself, I call it a night. Without sleep, we’ll be useless, more likely to miss something.

When I ask for directions to her place, I’m surprised to learn she bought the property I wanted for my own, yet didn’t have the guts to go for. “It’s great, huh?” She wants to know with a genuine smile. “The foundation and essentials were kept up following the original owner’s passing, but it’s definitely outdated in other areas.”

Instead of telling her how many times I thought about buying it as we walk to her front door, I say, “It was a good choice.” As she unlocks it, she pleads for me to let her know if I hear from Cole or have an update. “Of course,” I instantly agree, having already figured I would without her asking me to. “Give me your phone.” She digs it out and hands it to me. I dial my cell, effectively exchanging numbers with her. “You’re welcome to call or text whenever you’d like,” I encourage her.

Taking a step forward, she embraces me. The feel of her arms around me and her scent so close drives me crazy while settling something inside me at the same time. I realize that I never want to let her go. I want her to be mine forever. “Clive, thank you for all you did." We’re interrupted by my phone ringing, the screen telling me it’s the precinct, which can only be bad news this late at night.

I just never expected it to devastate us.

Chapter 4

Naomi

The pain on Clive's face as he listens twists my stomach into knots and makes my chest ache. "What?" I ask, dreading his answer. His eyes are shining as they stare directly into my own while he tells the other person he’s on his way. "Clive?"

He clears his throat and grips the railing of my porch so hard I can hear the wood crack from the pressure. "Fuck!" He screams, the agony his voice contains causing me to move closer.

I beg him not to tell me, already knowing what he was told. His sadness surrounds us and tears spill down my cheeks as I murmur no repeatedly, as if that will make it not true.

"Cole’s been located. He’s gone," he explains, and those five words break my heart.

* * *

Clive triedto insist I stay home, but I needed to be here to honor Cole’s memory. I can’t be at the scene, of course, nor would I want to, so I’m waiting in Clive's vehicle. The red and blue lights swirling around us are a testament to the fact this is truly happening.

All I know right now is that Cole was found less than an hour ago. Clive’s anger is apparent as he talks to his fellow cops, though I know it isn’t aimed at them but the situation. I didn’t think stuff like this occurred in small cities, which is a naïve thought, I know.

I can’t stop crying, haven't since I started after first learning the news. Cole was my first case when I moved here a few months ago and I tried like hell to get through to him. And failed miserably.

Glancing up, my vision is a bit blurry but I notice Clive walking toward me only to be stopped by a man I don’t recognize. Clive does, though, and seems relieved to see him. The stranger embraces Clive in sympathy and that’s when I realize it must be his friend that he told me about. Separating, they talk a bit before Clive motions at where I’m sitting and Caleb can’t quite hide his surprise when he spots me. After another hug, they head different directions. Clive climbs in, resting his head on the steering wheel. I rub his back, giving him time to process everything. We’re each hurting, but he’s known Cole longer. They have a history. I can tell that Cole meant something to him and losing him is hitting him hard.

We stay silent for a while, then I finally ask, "What happened?"

"Overdose." I respond that Cole didn’t do drugs. "It can happen the first time somebody uses," he reminds me. He punches the wheel and exclaims, "I should’ve found him earlier."

The sun will be rising soon and we’re both grieving. Running my fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him, I suggest, “Come home with me. We need to sleep and I don’t want to be alone.” I admit softly, adding, “And I don’t think you do either.”

Shifting to look at me, he cups my face, leaning his forehead against mine. "I always am and I’m tired of it." Just when I thought my heart couldn’t break more.

"Then stay with me," I offer, determined that he'll never be alone again.

Chapter 5

Clive

I’m sitting on Naomi’s couch, unsure what to do next, though I know what I’d like to do. Rip this town apart until I discover the person responsible for Cole’s death. Which includes me. I failed to uncover the fuckers behind the drug despite searching for a week. Seven days I left Cole to essentially fend for and protect himself from anyone who saw him as an easy target.

"Here," Naomi says. She’s standing in front of me holding a teacup out for me to take. "It's lavender with honey."

Accepting it, I inhale the smell and it seems to seep through my pores. I’m not comfortable holding something so dainty nor am I worthy of a woman like her. I don’t know her that well yet, but I do know that she’s way out of my league. Of course, that doesn’t stop me from aching for her. When she sits next to me, I absorb her goodness and warmth, needing it to thaw me as I’ve felt frozen since being told about Cole. Then she questions if I saw him and my hands shake so much I have trouble setting the cup down without burning myself.

"Yeah," I choke out, the image of him lying there with the needle still in his arm something that’ll haunt me for the rest of my life.

As she rubs my arm, I hear the tears in her voice, the remorse when she says, "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked that. It was insensitive."

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