Announcement: Hi, I’m Kimberly Grace and I want to thank you so much for your continued support of my story, A Cop’s Crossroads with Love. I wanted to let you know that at some point the rest of this story will only be accessible to my paid subscribers. Creating this story and audio recordings takes a lot of time and hard work. It is time away from my primary role as a wife and mother. I owe it to my family and to myself to place value on what I’m creating here. Don’t worry, I will give you fair warning when the paid portion will be coming. I pray you will continue to come along with me on this journey as we discover more questions and answers in Cassidy and Jacob’s story.
An arrest warrant?
Jacob stared at the door that Chief Braxton had exited, probably a good couple of minutes ago. He blinked rapidly while he tried to make sense of what he had just heard. It did not make sense at all. Even though Jacob hadn’t known Carlos for a very long time, he had spent almost every day with him. They’ve bonded over their fishing expeditions and lamented when their favorite sports teams failed to clinch division championships. Their friendship was light and easy. Jacob could not even grasp the concept of a reality where Carlos was a criminal. The unpaid parking tickets only added up to $500. Something was not right here and Jacob was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Finally able to pull himself out of his stupor, Jacob turned his focus and gaze to Cassidy. She, too, looked rather shellshocked and frozen in place. His heart softened at the sight of her and he had to hold himself back from rushing to her side and wrapping his arms around her. Cassidy looked so fragile right now that even the smallest breath of air would cause her to break into a million pieces. Without thinking, Jacob reached his hand across the table and lightly placed it on her arm.
For a brief second, Cassidy seemed to relax but then she jumped up so fast, it made Jacob retract his hand quickly as if he had just been bitten by a rattlesnake. Cassidy’s eyes were brimming with a burning anger that pierced him so intensely, he had to look away for a moment. It bewildered Jacob as to why Cassidy was treating him as an enemy and not a friend. He closed his eyes and prayed that God would illuminate a step for him—just one step, that’s all he needed right now. Jacob did not plead for all the answers, not even what to do about Carlos. Instead, his prayer centered on Cassidy. He prayed that they could at least be friends again. With his eyes still shut, he heard Cassidy speak in an almost unrecognizable tone. It was one almost devoid of emotion, but he detected the smallest bit of care in it, which gave him a glimmer of hope.
“You’ve meddled enough here, Jacob. It’s time for you to go.”
Jacob kept his eyes shut and continued to pray. A warm, calming presence eased the tension in his forehead and back. His strength and confidence in his Savior were being renewed by the Holy Spirit. He sat silently for a moment, not moving an inch, but his lips continued to whisper quietly his prayer offering to God. He heard Cassidy start to walk toward the door. Now feeling more centered, he opened his eyes and spoke the only thing he could think of to encourage his friend.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Cass. It’s the chief’s fault for not telling you about the arrest warrant.”
Cassidy paused in the doorframe with her one hand holding tightly near the top of the door jamb. Her body looked tense and Jacob thought he saw a slight tremor in the other hand that hung defeatedly by her thigh. Jacob did not dare to even think about getting up and moving closer to her. He knew Cassidy would have none of his sympathy right now. Without turning her head to look at him, she replied in a low, flat voice.
“It doesn’t matter. I was given specific orders and I didn’t follow them. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go clean out my desk.”
Upon hearing the last remark, Jacob shot up in horror and hurried after her. She was already down the hall and making a right toward the big open space filled with rows and rows of desks. Jacob tried to pick up his pace, but surprisingly, Cassidy could move rather fast for her petite size. Perhaps the anger helped fuel her speed, Jacob thought. He was not expecting to find the office so empty and quiet when he entered the big room. It was just the two of them, except for an older gentleman typing slowly on a computer in the corner. He had so many stacks of piled-up manila folders on his desk that you could barely see his little head poking above them. Jacob’s voice rang out louder than intended, clearly catching the attention of the older police officer in the corner as his clickety clacking stopped immediately, leaving a deafening, ominous silence in the room.
“What do you mean, clean out your desk? You can’t quit, Cass!”
Cassidy glared at Jacob for a moment but then pretended as if she hadn’t heard him and went back to collecting her things. Jacob watched her pause when she picked up a picture of her uncle. He noticed the silent tears falling down her cheeks as she put it in a box, only offering up a quick wipe of her sleeve for the occasion and it was over. Cassidy was back to being a stoic wall, devoid of emotion. It unnerved Jacob to see her this way. This was certainly not the Cassidy that he grew up with and it was driving him mad that she was acting this way. She used to be fierce and determined. She would never back down from a challenge and loved to play games competitively. Suddenly, Jacob had an idea. He walked over to her and put his hand on hers to momentarily stop her from putting another one of her possessions in the box. He searched her face until she was finally willing to lock eyes with his and then he noticed it—the smallest spark of light in them. Now he knew it wouldn’t last long, but for now, he knew he held her attention.
“The Cassidy I know would never even think of giving up. She is smart, tenacious, and would never let anyone else define her destiny other than herself.”
He could tell she wanted to believe him and was hanging on his every word like a child waiting expectantly for the ice cream man to drive down her street. Her eyes welled again with tears and this time, she could not hold back the floodgates. Cassidy started sobbing quietly, so Jacob instinctively wrapped his arms around her. She felt good against his chest and, strangely, everything felt better when he held her. It didn’t take away the uphill battle or mess of a situation they found themselves in, but it did feel more manageable, to him at least. He thought he had understood what it felt like to be in love. Jacob came close in college once with his then-longtime girlfriend, but now holding Cassidy, he realized that he’d been mistaken. The way he felt being with Cassidy was unlike anything else. He never wanted to let her go. He yearned to be her protector, even though he knew she was fully capable of taking care of herself.
The moment was brief yet also felt like a lifetime had passed by between them, instantly solidifying a bond that neither one would be able to easily push away or deny now. Cassidy pulled back slightly, her beautiful green eyes shimmered with tear drops laced between her eyelashes. She met his gaze and parted her lips slightly, as if offering an invitation. Jacob naturally started to lean down to meet them, but was abruptly stopped by the sound of the old man in the corner clearing his throat. As quickly as the two had found themselves wrapped in each other’s arms, they were separated instantly now.
He noticed Cassidy’s cheeks were flushed, so he dropped his head downward to keep his gaze toward the checkered floor pattern and scratched the back of his neck with the full palm of his hand. He felt bad for putting her in a compromising position, but gave himself a little grace given the fact that it was thankfully only just one police officer who saw them together. Cassidy went back to clearing out her desk as though nothing had just happened and Jacob joined in to help her. At this point, what more could he do? He had tried everything he could think of to stop her from quitting. The least he could do was be supportive of her decision, even if he didn’t agree with it.
“Thanks for helping, Jacob. I made a huge mistake and now I need to take responsibility for it. My partner would have done what we were told. I should have followed the chief’s explicit instructions. I…I just don’t think I’m cut out to be a cop. They were right.”
Before Jacob could even inquire about who “they” are, both of them were startled when the sound of the older police man across the room boomed in a raspy voice.
“Before you close up that box for good, Burns, there’s something you ought to know.”
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Struggling to regain her composure, Cassidy rested her left arm on the top of the box and turned her attention to her colleague with a placid expression on her face. Even though she appeared calm, Jacob knew she was hanging on by a thread at this point. Her body trembled ever so slightly as the anticipation began to build and a palpable tension filled the nearly empty room. Jacob wondered where all the other officers had gone, but gulped when he realized that they were probably all out looking for Carlos.
Both Jacob and Cassidy had to stay in their suspense a little while longer while the man slowly made his way over to them. Apparently, what he had to say could not be shouted across the room. Either that, or this man lived for dramatic theatrics. He walked with a limp and had a cane to help him maneuver around. Jacob weighed the likelihood that the injury might have occurred while he was on duty. The man had a stern scowl and his breath was heavily labored with every step. Jacob easily concluded that he would not dare venture a word to him. Finally, after what felt like the longest walk ever, he made it to them. Jacob said a silent prayer for the man as he could tell he suffered greatly every day from his pain.
Cassidy rolled her chair over for him and helped him to sit down. It was clear to Jacob that she very much respected her older colleague. She had always had a kind, caring nature and Jacob’s heart leaped a little to see the old Cassidy shining through again. Cassidy kneeled down like a child would, waiting for their papa to tell them a bedtime story.
“It’s okay, Schmitty. What is it? What do I need to know?”
Now that Officer Schmitty was right up close with Cassidy and Jacob, he appeared to falter in his confidence a little. He clutched his cane with both hands and looked around wildly for a moment. Cassidy placed her hand gently on his arm and gave it a few small pats, signaling her support for him to share what he knew with them. That seemed to do the trick, as he cleared his throat once more before speaking.
“The arrest warrant.”
“Yes? What about it?”
“It was filed this morning. You had already left.”
Jacob’s wheels were spinning. Why would an arrest warrant be filed for a mere $500? He could tell Cassidy was thinking the same thing as she put her index finger up to her lips in contemplation.
“Why didn’t Chief Braxton radio me then?”
Officer Schmitty shrugged his shoulders and scoffed. He apparently felt that he had said enough as he started to struggle to get out of the chair. Jacob swooped in to help the man up and then he was able to steady himself with his cane. Schmitty began making his way back slowly to his desk.
“It beats me, Burns. But the docket is locked. Can’t even read the charges against him. You’ll have to talk to Judge Weston about it.”
Jacob knew Judge Weston. He played golf with his dad and occasionally had dinner with his family. He was one of only two judges in town and although he was a man who greatly respected upholding the law, he always tried to help people learn from their mistakes and give them options that would lead to making better choices. This was the first time Jacob could recall there ever being an arrest warrant issued in the town of Naven. Jacob’s stomach turned as he realized this was either a grave misunderstanding or…no, Jacob refused to believe Carlos had done something nefarious. He needed to find him and he needed to find him quickly. He turned around to tell Cassidy and nearly bumped into her. She had already placed her stuff back on her desk and was pulling on her jacket while grabbing her radio along with a few other items. At the same time, they spoke to each other.
“We need to find Carlos.”
Jacob smiled broadly. He could see the fire was relit in her eyes and was thrilled to see the brave and determined Cassidy had returned.
“I thought you were quitting?”
Cassidy smirked at him and smiled in a way that made Jacob’s heart soar. They appeared to be back in sync and he could not ask for more. Well, at least not right now. Jacob knew not to push his luck. They both started heading toward the front door, walking faster as if everything they had ever dreamed stood right outside of it.
“I’m no quitter, Roberts. Besides, this case just got interesting.”
Jacob wanted to reply ‘that’s my girl' or even ‘atta girl’, but he couldn’t risk messing up the huge progress they had made. It definitely would not be easy to hide his growing feelings for her, yet he would while they solved what was going on with Carlos. After all, they needed to focus and work together as a team. The thought of them as a team caused him to smile so much that Cassidy pretended to punch him in the arm.
“Get your head in the game, Roberts. We got work to do.”
“Copy that, Officer Burns, copy that.”
To be continued…
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