JACKS ARE WILD Read online

  After waiting for a moment to make sure he hadn’t awakened her, he rolled onto his side and watched her. She lay curled up in a ball with the blanket tightly wrapped around her body. She always kept a soft sheet clutched against her face and chest like a security blanket. Replacement’s hair fanned out on the pillow as her chest softly rose and fell. He wanted to wake her up to talk to her.

  Jack rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

  How is that? There are, like, seven billion people on the planet, and I’ve met the only two I can’t get out of my head? Two? What’s the percentage on that? What am I talking about…two’s enough. Too many.

  Jack grinned at his own joke and then gazed again at Replacement.

  I’m like a little kid. I want to wake her up so she’ll play with me…

  He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

  **********

  Jack heard giggling, but he couldn’t tell where it was coming from. He looked up to see a field stretched out before him, the grass blowing in the breeze.

  I’m dreaming.

  The sky was a crystal blue and completely clear. He could almost feel the warm breeze on his face.

  I like this dream.

  A little girl, previously hidden by the grass, jumped up and ran away from him.

  “Hey,” he called out to her.

  She turned her head and Jack saw the side of her face.

  She’s laughing.

  Her arms went out wide and her brown hair streamed behind her. Jack ran after her. Her giggling was infectious and between that and the sun, he felt warmth beginning to grow in his chest. He stretched his own arms out wide so he could feel the tops of the grass tickle his hands as he ran.

  “Wait for me,” he yelled.

  She slowed down. The girl looked back, letting her mouth open. The smile had vanished, and Jack could see fear in her eyes. Her giggles had changed to shrieks. She wasn’t happy; she was terrified.

  Jack held out his hand to her as he quickened his pace.

  “No, kid. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  The girl’s little legs moved faster as she glanced over her shoulder. Jack noticed she was focused on something behind him. He turned around to see a black cloud rushing toward them. It looked like a giant wave that had already broken but was still hurtling forward, crushing the grass and shaking the ground as it thundered on.

  “Run,” Jack shouted.

  He tried to sprint, but groaned as pain shot through his legs. His feet wouldn’t move; they were frozen to the ground. His legs wouldn’t budge. Jack looked up, only to see the little girl had stopped too. She faced him now. Their eyes locked.

  “RUN,” Jack ordered as he braced himself for the impact of the wave. “RUN.” The cloud slammed into him and sucked him under; darkness enveloped him. The wave rolled him end over end, dragging him along the ground. Jack fought the urge to scream as rocks and debris bashed and cut him. His legs kicked as he tried to swim, but his limbs just flailed at the void.

  Can’t breathe. I can’t breathe!

  His chest tightened and his eyes burned as he struggled to hold his breath. Suddenly his head broke the surface. The wave continued to grow, lifting Jack higher and higher. He could see the little girl below, standing frozen as the wave towered above, poised to crash down upon her.

  **********

  “RUN, RUN!” Jack sat up, screaming.

  Replacement rushed into the room and frantically looked around. Jack scrambled out of bed, and then got to his feet, panting; his arms were up and ready to fight.

  Replacement held out her hands. “It was a dream, Jack. You’re okay. Everything’s okay.”

  Jack wildly looked around the room, eyes wide open and lip twitching. He rubbed his eyes, nodded, and slowly lowered his arms.

  Replacement started forward, but Jack shook his head. “No. I’m good. I just need a second.” He held up his hand and breathed deeply three times. He lurched into the bathroom and shut the door. As he grabbed the edge of the sink, he lowered his head and arched his back.

  Damn it. Me and dreams. Some people never dream. It’s like I never stop.

  He ran water and splashed it on his face and neck. He rested his elbows on the sink while he let his fingers dangle in the running water. After a few minutes, he walked out of the bathroom. Replacement was waiting for him, a glass of water in her hand.

  “Thanks.” Jack grinned sheepishly. “I think I should go for a run.”

  “A run? You only got a couple hours of sleep.” Replacement frowned. “You’ve been doing nothing but walking at work.”

  Jack pulled some sweats out of the bureau. “I won’t be able to sleep.”

  “Can I come?” She tilted her head.

  Jack nodded so she rushed out. By the time he finished getting dressed and walked out of the bedroom, Replacement was already at the front door, ready to go. Jack smiled, despite himself.

  Neither of them spoke as they left the apartment. It was a gray day, but he didn’t care; he just wanted to run. Jack set a hard pace, but Replacement bounced happily along beside him. Her much shorter legs ran twice as fast as his, but she still breathed easily. Jack watched her out of the corner of his eye. Her head was in constant motion, and he noticed her lips moving from time to time. She looked up during one of those times and blushed.

  “I talk to myself,” she huffed.

  “Me too. Don’t sweat it.”

  She wobbled her head. “I talk-talk to myself. Sometimes aloud. It makes people think I’m nuts.”

  “I heard it helps you figure stuff out. That’s why I do it.”

  “Me, too.” She beamed.

  Jack smiled and then focused on the road. He really wanted to push it, hoping the run would wear him down enough so he could sleep without dreaming. They ran hard for almost an hour before they headed back to the apartment so Jack could try to get a little sleep, but it didn’t work. He tried a few times to go back to bed, but found himself just staring at the ceiling, thinking. After a half hour, he was frustrated and got out of bed to pace around the apartment.

  Replacement was crafting a list of what she needed to start her private investigation business. Every time he passed through the living room, she stopped and asked whether she could get him something. Each time he refused and continued to pace—doing push-ups, opening and closing cabinets, and heading back into the bedroom to try again.

  After the fourth round, when he came out the door, Replacement was waiting with a big glass of warm milk and a grin.

  “Go back in.” She handed him the glass. “Drink.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot while he downed the milk in two big gulps. She took the glass back and turned him around. “Get on the bed. On your stomach.”

  Jack smirked. She pushed him teasingly forward. He lay on his stomach, letting his head flop onto the mattress, and then she yanked the pillow out from under him. Replacement climbed onto the bed so she could straddle his lower back.

  “You don’t have to give me a massage,” he insisted.

  She pushed his head into the mattress as her hands ran up his neck and over both sides of his head. He moaned.

  “Yes, I do. I want to get some work done, and I’m not going to get anything done with you going around banging cabinets and hovering around me like a puppy.”

  I’m not hovering…

  He moaned again as she continued to work on his head. By the time she reached his back, he was almost drooling. When she finally reached his feet, he was mush. She pulled the blanket over him and his mouth opened, but before he could mutter “thank you,” he was asleep.

  Deathtrap

  “Jack.” Someone shook him. “Wake up.” Replacement started to pull the blanket off him, but he grabbed it tightly and sat up, scowling.

  “Knock it off,” he snapped.

  “Boy, did you wake up on the wrong—”

  “I haven’t woken up yet.” Jack rubbed his eyes. “What?”

  “Do you have Maris
a’s number?”

  “In my phone.”

  “I looked.” She shrugged. “I have the same number.”

  “Then call it.”

  “I did; she isn’t answering. I left a message, but I need to know if she took pictures of the first time someone tagged the store.”

  “Okay.”

  “Can you ask her tonight?”

  Jack nodded. “Sure, but first I want to grab something to eat.” He rolled out of bed and did a double take when he saw the clock: 6:45 p.m.

  “Damn it, I have to go to the station first tonight. I have fifteen minutes to get there or Collins will write me up.”

  “Oh, snap. Sorry, I was online and…” Replacement stepped back as Jack rushed past her into the bathroom.

  Jack brushed his teeth, splashed water on his face, and then hurriedly got dressed. He yanked open the bedroom door just as Replacement called out, “Did you shave?”

  “Crud.”

  He spun around and shaved in less than two minutes. When he raced back into the living room, Replacement stood next to the door with a bagel sandwich and a thermos of coffee. Jack grabbed both and then kissed her cheek before he rushed out the door. He was halfway down the hallway before he realized what he’d done, and he heard her gasp when he’d done it. As he thundered down the stairs, a grin spread across his face. In three long strides, he reached the Impala. As he swung the door open, he stuck his hand into his pocket for the keys and groaned.

  “Damn it!”

  He rifled through his pockets, looking for the keys, until he realized they were still upstairs.

  “Come on, baby,” he urged.

  Time and use had worn down the ignition on his 1978 Chevy so if you jiggled it just right, you could start the car without a key. After only two twists, the ignition turned and the engine roared to life.

  “Yes!”

  Jack gunned the Impala all the way to the police station. He flew into the parking lot, past rows of police cars, and slid to a stop in front of the sprawling two-story building. His hand hesitated when he looked down at the ignition with no key, wondering whether he should turn the car off and take his chances starting it later. He hopped out and hurried through the double doors of the station with a minute and a half to spare.

  As he rushed in, Officer Kendra Darcey laughed while she pointed up at the clock. “You like living on the edge, Jack.”

  “I had plenty of time.” He grinned as he walked over to give her a hug. “How’ve you been?”

  Kendra was twenty-four. She wore her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and her blue eyes seemed to reflect her constant energy. A four-inch scar ran from the corner of her chin to her eyebrow. She was beautiful despite the scar. A huge smile spread across her face but vanished just as fast.

  “I got your shift.” She shrugged. “Sorry, but it’s pretty sweet.”

  Jack raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, it was.”

  “Can I make it up to you?” She grinned sheepishly. Jack noticed when her cheeks flushed, her scar stood out a little more.

  “What do you have in mind?” He grinned, which only made her turn redder. “Don’t worry about it. What could you do?” He patted her shoulder and then headed to the assignment desk. He grabbed his disappointingly thin folder and knew before he opened it what his assignment would be.

  Neighborhood relations. Walking a beat around downtown for yet another shift. Fantastic.

  “Maybe you could talk to Collins?” Kendra suggested.

  “It won’t do any good. I might as well run straight into a wall.” Jack chuckled.

  “Do you want me to try?”

  “To talk to Collins? Go ahead, but my money’s on the wall. Seriously, thanks, but no thanks. If you do, we’ll both be screwed. Right now it’s just me. At least it’s still warm out.”

  “Can I buy you a drink when you’re done?”

  “I’m working the late shift. I won’t be done till seven in the morning.”

  “How about tomorrow night, then?”

  Replacement will get ticked off…

  Jack inhaled. “Sure, where?”

  “The Boar’s Butt?”

  “Eleven thirty?”

  “Yeah. I’ll save a table.”

  As Jack walked out of the station, he stopped at the top of the steps. Billy Murphy was pulling out of the parking lot. Not only was Billy going out on patrol, but the police cruiser he was driving was the Dodge Charger that Jack loved.

  When Murphy saw him, he stopped momentarily. He looked at Jack, and then smugly sneered before he peeled out of the parking lot and sped down the street. Jack stood there, burning. It was like watching your girl walk away with a guy you know is a scumbag.

  Sorry, baby.

  **********

  As Jack started his patrol, he went straight to the tattoo parlor. A tall, lanky guy stood behind the counter. His head was shaved on one side, with long black hair on the other. He went a little pale when Jack walked in, but he nodded.

  “Hi. I’m looking for Marisa.”

  “Not in.”

  “What time do you expect her?”

  The guy tilted his head to the side and spread his hands out on the counter. “She’s the boss and…it’s Marisa…who knows?” He shrugged.

  Jack nodded.

  He’s right. Marisa goes where and when she wants.

  “Can you tell her I stopped by?”

  “Sure.” The guy grabbed a pen and scribbled a note.

  “Has she been in today?” Jack asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Thanks.”

  The bell over the door chimed and three kids, who Jack was certain were too young for tattoos, talked excitedly as they entered. When they saw Jack in his police uniform, they nearly fell in a pile as they scrambled and backed out of the door. The guy behind the counter laughed. Jack walked out the door and watched the kids jostle one another down the sidewalk. His mood darkened as he looked down at his watch.

  I should go by her apartment. She could at least call…

  He shot a sideways look up at the stars and then started his beat again.

  **********

  By eight p.m., Jack was walking along the outskirts of downtown. He looked at the big old houses packed together along the tree-lined street. The lawns were always perfectly manicured, even in the winter. If a car was in one of the driveways, it looked as if someone had just driven it off the dealer’s lot. He twisted his hands and cracked his wrist. Having grown up poor, Jack had to watch that he didn’t slip into an automatic dislike of people of means.

  The people in those houses worked hard for their money. Some of them, anyway.

  Jack gazed up and down the street. A car up ahead stood out like a sore thumb. The big, old, brown sedan was parked haphazardly in front of a large colonial.

  Mrs. Sawyer is out and about. The drivers and pedestrians of Darrington had best be careful.

  He crossed the street and saw the car’s owner, Mrs. Sawyer, descend a new handicap ramp on the side of the house. She waved when she noticed him.

  “Jackie, it’s so good to see you.”

  He walked over to her, gratefully accepting a hug. The faux fur on her thick brown coat tickled his nose as he gingerly hugged her thin frame.

  “It’s nice to see you, too, Mrs. Sawyer. How’s the General?”

  “He’s doing well. He doesn’t like the cold, but there are plenty of mice to catch inside now.” She made a big show of frowning. Jack laughed.

  “And how are you?”

  “I’m well. I’m visiting my good friend, Madeline Hopkins.” She held out a gloved hand toward the colonial. “She fell and broke her hip. We used to go to Finnegan’s every Sunday for brunch, but she hasn’t been able.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “She’s doing much better and, now that she had them put this ramp in, she’ll be up and about lickety-split.”

  Jack looked at the new ramp and then down to the sign on the lawn: A-PLUS CONSTRUCTION. His han
ds balled into fists.

  A-Plus is Murphy’s moonlighting business. If he made this thing, it will probably implode and kill someone.

  Jack looked up and down the ramp with a scowl. He took a few steps to the right, glaring at the untreated lumber and joists even he could tell were spaced too far apart.

  “What’s wrong, Jackie?”

  “A guy I know made this ramp and he did a pi—” Jack cleared his throat, “a poor job of it. He should have used pressure-treated lumber and the joists are off. Look at the supports.” Both his hands went out. “The cement is already cracking.”

  “Is he a friend of yours?” Mrs. Sawyer’s words were clipped.

  “A friend?” Jack snapped. “No. He’s a jerk.”

  “Well, that’s a good thing.” She turned around and grabbed the railing. “I’m going to go tell Madeline everything you just said and insist she get a full explanation.”

  Jack stood there for a moment as what he’d done, and to whom, sunk in. He nodded while he suppressed a smile.

  “I don’t mean to alarm you, Mrs. Sawyer, but you should also be aware the brackets on the railing you’re holding are interior brackets.” Jack shook his head. “They could pull right out from the wall.”

  Mrs. Sawyer gasped as she let go of the railing. “I’m going to insist that man rip this whole deathtrap down and do it again properly.”

  “That’s what I’d do.” Jack nodded. “But he can be pretty stubborn. If he says he won’t do anything, you may have to call the town business board.”

  “I’m going to do more than that. I’m going to call the inspector’s office.”

  “Good thinking.”

  Her eyes went wide as she clicked her tongue. “And they have that special news segment. They’re doing it now. You know the one? The one with the TV girl reporter, the little brunette who wears too much eyeliner. She asked for stories about people taking advantage of the elderly. Well, now she’s going to get one. Thank you, Jackie.”

  “Just watching out for the people of the community.” He waved as she headed back up the ramp.

  Sticking it to Murphy had nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.