Cold Cases and Second Chances Read online

  COLD CASES AND SECOND CHANCES

  J.M. DABNEY

  HOSTILE WHISPERS PRESS, LLC

  Copyright © 2021 by J.M. Dabney

  Hostile Whispers Press, LLC

  ISBN: 978-1-947184-45-9

  Print ISBN: 978-1-947184-49-7

  Photographer: Golden Czermak (FuriousFotog)

  Model: Silal Shafqat

  Cover by: J.M. Dabney at Hostile Whispers Designs

  Edits by: AlternativEdits (Laura McNellis)

  Proof Edits by: Maggie Decker and Kelly Miller

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  REMEMBER:

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places, is purely coincidental.

  PLEASE BE ADVISED:

  This book contains material that is only suitable for mature readers. It may contain scenes of a sexual nature and/or violence.

  For my readers who make telling my stories worth it.

  CONTENTS

  Cold Cases and Second Chances

  1. Robert

  2. Remy

  3. Robert

  4. Remy

  5. Robert

  6. Remy

  7. Robert

  8. Remy

  9. Robert

  10. Remy

  11. Robert

  12. Remy

  13. Robert

  14. Remy

  15. Robert

  16. Remy

  17. Robert

  18. Remy

  19. Robert

  20. Remy

  21. Robert

  22. Remy

  23. Robert

  24. Remy

  25. Robert

  26. Remy

  27. Robert

  28. Remy

  29. Robert

  30. Remy

  31. Robert

  32. Remy

  33. Robert

  34. Remy

  35. Robert

  36. Remy

  37. Robert

  38. Remy

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by J.M. Dabney

  Writing As Siobhan Smile

  COLD CASES AND SECOND CHANCES

  Life and Death sometimes made you believe in second chances

  * * *

  Robert

  One thing I was sure of in my life was I'd never start over after my marriage of thirty years ended. Yet when our kids formed lives of their own, we'd grown apart. I'd signed the papers and tried to move on. My work as a Homicide Detective became my life. It left me with no time to think, but I couldn't exist for my job alone. All that changed when they assigned Remy Bosley as my new partner. He was too good to be true, but in a short time, he became my friend—maybe something more.

  Remy

  For twenty-eight years, I'd worked to leave my past behind. Although, when the horrors shaped you into the person you were, there was no escape. Being a cop for me was making sure no one else turned out like me. My partner, Robert Kauffman, made it clear how far I'd shoved my dreams down. I was too old and damaged for fairy tales, yet that's exactly what I wanted. In a few short years, his family became mine, and I couldn't lose that no matter how much I wanted more than friends. When he was in danger, I did what needed to be done, and nothing was ever the same.

  * * *

  When a serial killer makes Remy’s old turf his hunting ground, how far will he go to protect the innocent?

  * * *

  (TW: Mentions of childhood sexual, physical, and mental abuses. Passive Suicidal Ideation, self-harm, and mental illness. These are off-page, but there are detailed flashbacks and conversations of said acts. Yet if these are triggering for you, please feel free not to read the story. Your self-care and mental health are more important. Thank you.)

  1

  ROBERT

  I wore many titles in my life—husband, father, detective, and grandpa, and I felt all my fifty-five years. Sadly, I glanced across the living room to find my ex-wife, Gladys, doing everything not to look at me. We'd decided to spend our holidays together for the sake of our kids and grandkids, but the tension was killing me. We were friends before we married, and I'd hoped we'd reconnect that old friendship. That hadn't happened, and I didn’t know how to fix what I hadn’t realized broke.

  She'd wanted the divorce. I'd come home from work one night to find her at the kitchen table with the papers already signed with her name. Out of all the emotions I'd felt, shock hadn't been one of them. We'd steadily grown apart until we were nothing more than roommates, rarely seeing each other more than three or four days a week. My career hadn’t changed, and she’d married me knowing that I’d join the academy after college while she went to law school. We’d had our lives, and I’d thought, futures planned.

  As a knock sounded at the door, Teddy, the ten-year-old and my oldest grandson, yelled he’d get the it. I heard Police bellowed loudly in a deep baritone and rolled my eyes. Remy Bosley, my partner of two years, was forty-six but was more like an overgrown kid than anything. He'd made life interesting.

  I heard the door open, and heavy steps announced that Remy was inside. Teddy was giggling, and I shook my head as Remy appeared with the little boy hanging upside down over his shoulder. He had three large bags in his free hand.

  "I come bearing gifts."

  "Hey, Remy." Carol, my youngest, got up from the floor and kissed his cheek as the big man leaned down for her to reach.

  "Beautiful as always, darlin'."

  "What are you doing here, man?" I asked.

  "Just finished serving Christmas dinner at the shelter and thought I'd drop off what Santa left at my place."

  "Didn't go to your families?" Robert Jr, mostly called RJ, asked as he took the bags from Remy.

  "Haven't seen them since I was eighteen. I usually just work serving food at several shelters on holidays or volunteer to work. Sometimes I'm at the crisis hotline answering phones. I sent a text, but you didn't answer, so I figured the kids were here."

  He made it sound like no big deal, but I knew he still had some wounds even twenty-eight years later. The few times I'd asked about his family, he'd shut down. I’d always wanted to know what went down for the fallout. I couldn't imagine anything making me turn my back on my children.

  "There's stuff for everyone in there. I may have gotten a little crazy with helping Santa out."

  I chuckled roughly as he winked at me and then growled as he flipped Teddy over his shoulder to set his feet on the floor. The big man removed his leather jacket to expose the cream-colored sweater beneath it. He shoved the sleeves up to show off his fully tattooed forearms. Remy crouched down in front of the bouncy seat and the six-month-old secured inside; the man's long wavy hair fell forward to conceal his face.

  "Hello, Love, would you mind if Uncle Remy picked you up?" Her huge smile must have been answer enough. He dug into one of the bags and pulled out a pale blue elephant. "I washed it, and it's all soft and cuddly just for you."

  "We haven't had dinner yet. You sticking around?" I asked.

  "Nah, man, I had dinner with a few of the regulars I know. I spent two days packing care packages with socks, gloves, and toiletries, and a few personal items. I packed enough that there were some left over for them to keep for the ones who need them. I just
wanted to drop the presents off, see the kids open them, and then I'm headed home."

  I nodded. Remy always handed out condoms, lube, and gift cards to fast food places when we were on shift. For Halloween, he'd dressed up as a zombie and turned his SUV into a mobile haunted house to hand out candy and bagged meals to the homeless. Thanksgiving was a repeat of Christmas, shelter and then the crisis hotline. He was a good guy and a great partner. My last one had smelled of mints and toothpaste that never quite covered the liquor stench that seemed to permeate his skin.

  "Remy!" I jumped as Carol screamed, and he barely moved Becca out of the way before he had one arm wrapped around her. "This is too much."

  "It's just a weekend. The place is kid-friendly with stuff to do with them, but babysitting is on you if you decide not to take them. I'd watch them, but my schedule is kinda funky."

  I sat back as I watched my partner get swamped by adults and kids alike as they opened presents. Even my ex-wife thanked him for the silky scarf she was running through her fingers.

  "Dad, this one is yours."

  I felt like a bastard because I hadn't gotten him anything. He wasn't looking at me as he was sitting crossed-legged on the floor playing with Becca as she clung tightly to her elephant. I opened the box, and it wasn't anything personal, new shirt, a more fashionable tie than I normally wore and a pair of new gloves.

  "Noticed yours were frayed a bit."

  The fact he still wouldn't look at me annoyed me. He was always over the top. I'd gotten used to surprise hugs, but it wasn't just me because he did it with everyone. Going out of his way for everyone made Remy happy. If he had it to give, he wouldn’t hesitate. Time, money, nothing appeared too much for him. His selflessness had put me on edge at first. I wasn’t accustomed to someone not having an angle; I’d spent too many years as a cop.

  "You need to bring the kids to the house to play with Romeo. He's missed them."

  "I'm sure the house horse was glad to see the kids go." Carol giggled.

  "He likes kids. We go almost weekly to the hospital to visit the children's ward, but we’ve missed the last few weeks because of work."

  "Is there anything sweet you don't do?" RJ asked.

  "I gotta lot of time on my hands."

  "Find yourself a boyfriend," RJ said with a smile, as he studied the video game in his hands that Remy had given him, and I stared at Remy.

  He'd never said he was gay. Yet the rumors around the precinct said he was, but that chain of gossip wasn’t always trustworthy. Between us, the subject never came up, but apparently, both my kids knew and didn't care. I wouldn’t have cared if he’d told me. He was a great guy, and I loved him as my partner.

  "I wish, but the one I want is kinda not interested. We've talked about this, RJ. Maybe one day. Forty-six is past the sell-by date anyway. Men my age kinda get left on the shelf."

  "What about that guy I set you up with from the gym?" Carol asked.

  "That was a no-go. Apparently, bellies aren't his thing. It was a fun date, though. Nice to get out of the house. Only so much you can read and clean or go over case files."

  An annoyed sounding throat clearing had me jerking my gaze to my ex-wife. The tension had amped up in her shoulders, and I knew her family had raised her in a strict Catholic home. I was surprised when they agreed to allow us to date in high school after our feelings had shifted from friends to more.

  "I better get going. My house is a wreck from Christmas prep and all the care packages. There's a bottle of scotch calling my name, too. My ex sent it to me for Christmas along with pictures of his new baby."

  "Harry had a new one? I thought they just had the one a few years ago." Carol frowned as she spoke, and I wondered who Harry was and if she’d met him.

  "Yeah, look." He laid Becca in the cradle of his legs and pulled out his phone. He seemed to be scrolling through images until he got to the ones he wanted. "Isn't she amazing? A little over ten pounds. I felt so sorry for their surrogate. Harry and Tim can’t produce a baby under linebacker status. They told me next vacation I had to go see them. Video calls just aren't the same." RJ snatched the phone before Remy could put it away and said how cute the baby was.

  Remy played with and teased Teddy and Becca, but Samson, my middle grandchild was shy, and I thought Remy was a bit too loud for him, so he stayed close to my daughter-in-law. I saw how he reluctantly returned Becca to her seat. I opened my mouth to ask him to stay, at least to hang out. Except for his volunteer stuff, he always spent most of his time alone.

  Carol rolled to her knees and wrapped her arms around Remy's neck. His eyes closed as if he were savoring the contact. "You already ate, but we have a ton of food. You can hang out; have dessert, and we'll send you home with leftovers. You'll be home in plenty of time to act all domestic. No reason for you to spend the holiday alone."

  "If I wouldn't be a bother. Romeo should be good for a little while longer. We didn't make it to the park for his run this morning. So much to do, but I planned to go for a run this evening."

  "Then it's settled." She kissed his scruffy cheek.

  I covered my smile with my hand as he retrieved Becca from her seat, and that's where she stayed the rest of the evening cuddled in his arms. My grandkids were catered to, and he even helped feed them so their parents could get a break.

  I'd never allowed a partner into my personal life before. Work was work, and home was home. It started with a beer after work, watching a game at my place, and an invite to dinner with my kids. How I'd missed how big a part of my family he'd become shocked me. My last partner I had, we'd been assigned to each other for a decade and never once had he even met my family.

  What it meant I didn't know, but he always seemed alone. He went above and beyond for everyone. Treated every person he met with the utmost respect, no matter how filthy or foul-smelling, they all received the biggest and longest hugs. Yet while I'd allowed him into my family and started to consider him a friend, he didn't share anything with me.

  That shouldn't matter, but it did.

  2

  REMY

  I sat crossed-legged in the middle of the interrogation room table as we kept going over the same information on the case. The forensic evidence was taking forever to analyze. It didn’t help I'd just pissed off the boss at the lab. Wouldn't be the first time. He and I butted heads since he put the evidence from one of my cases on the back burner because he didn't feel the victim was important enough to rush the tests.

  "Call him?" I rested my elbows on the inside of my knees, cupped my chin in my upraised palms, and batted my lashes at my irritated partner.

  "I think you trying to loosen his very expensive dental work at the Christmas party says we're not getting any favors. He lost a tooth, I think. That veneer sticks out like a sore thumb."

  "I tripped. I had too much to drink. It was a complete accident."

  "Remy."

  I suppressed a shiver at his stern tone. "I hit him. You didn't."

  "You're my partner and friend. I'm guilty by association." He lifted to sit on the table beside me, and I closed my eyes to inhale the scent of his body wash.

  Robert never wore cologne at work, but whatever soap he used was sexy as hell. I wanted to ask what brand he bought. Normal men didn't ask their coworkers what scents they used with the intention of using the soap to get off in their shower. To be honest, I wanted his smell on me and not because I bought the one he used.

  "He deserved it."

  "You can't hit him every time they don't run your samples as soon as they hit the lab."

  "He skipped Shine's rape kit to take on that higher-profile case with the rich boy." To be honest, it’s a wonder I’d stayed a cop as long as I had. Hypocrisy was a major point of contention with the profession I chose. Sad thing was that’s one of the reasons I decided to join the academy; I’d wanted to make a difference.

  "I didn't say he was right. I just said you can't try to destroy his teeth."

  I huffed and brought my
attention back to the board. We had a double murder. They had long sheets for drug offenses, mostly distribution. We had several suspects, but we just needed the DNA run.

  "What are we doing for dinner?" I asked.

  "What do you want? It's Friday night. It's usually Chinese."

  "My place or yours?"

  "Wanna be fancy and eat there?"

  "Really, like a real date? Aw, Daddy, I didn't know you felt that way."

  He grinned and shook his head. "I'll even pay for dessert."

  "Just to let you know, I don't put out on the first date."

  "No dessert then." I gasped, and he chuckled. "Why didn't you ever tell me? We've been partners for almost two years."

  "I don't know. It never came up. I haven't been dating anyone so it didn't seem important since you wouldn't be meeting a boyfriend or whatever." That was only partially true. I'd had a few partners in the past who had an issue working with a gay man. Attraction or no attraction, I liked him and didn't want him to treat me differently.

  "You told my kids."

  "They saw me coming out a bar one night with a date and saw us kissing." I didn't want to admit that I hadn't participated in said kiss and that me and the guy had parted ways right after the introductions. "Does it bother you that I'm gay?" I’d held my breath as I waited for his answer.