The Negotiator Read online

  Andy’s eyebrows rose, but he nodded. “Of course. It’s in the tea room. I’ll show you, if you like.”

  “That’s okay, I know where it is.”

  “Then I’ll help you put it up. It’s no trouble.” He unfolded himself from the chair and stood. Cally tilted her head back to look up at him.

  “Jack’s right,” she grinned. “You are tall.”

  Andy shrugged and looked away, as if embarrassed. He strode to the other side of the squad room. Cally turned to follow him.

  “Mom, I’m going to stay out here,” said Jack, pulling a library book out of his bag.

  “That’s fine, Jack. I won’t be long.”

  By the time she made it to the tea room, Andy was already inside. It was a small room outfitted with a counter and a sink, overhead cupboards, a table and a scattering of mismatched chairs.

  “The noticeboard is right over there,” he said, pointing it out.

  She looked in the direction he’d indicated. A noticeboard brimming with various brochures and notices hung on a wall.

  “Do you have your poster with you?”

  “Um…yes.” She reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out the folded piece of paper. Smoothing it out on the table, she moved toward the noticeboard.

  “I’ll pin it up for you,” Andy offered.

  He reached for the poster and his fingers brushed hers. Again, her breath hitched from the contact and her belly somersaulted.

  Get a grip on yourself, she admonished silently. He was only a man and after her experience with Stewart, she’d vowed never to get close to one again, no matter how tempting.

  She took a deep breath and willed away her jitteriness, watching while Andy moved a handful of the other notices out of the way until her poster hung in a prominent position.

  “There, now it’s sure to be seen,” he said, turning to her with a triumphant grin.

  Despite her best intentions, Cally’s heart fluttered again. She tried to stem her response to him, but she might as well have been trying to hold back a tsunami. Heat flooded her cheeks and once again, she was tongue-tied.

  “Are you looking for anyone in particular? Female? Male?”

  She nodded and did her best to regain the power of speech. “I-I think I would prefer to have a man around—” She broke off, suddenly aware of how that sounded. Andy eyed her with interest.

  “W-what I mean is, J-Jack would love some male company. He hasn’t…um…”

  “I take it his father’s not on the scene?”

  She shook her head, wondering a little frantically how they’d come to this point. She had no intention of sharing her family history with a man who was little more than a stranger, no matter how good-looking and how interested he appeared. He turned away and she was relieved when he dropped the topic.

  “I-I guess I’d better keep going. I still have a few more rooms to clean, including the squad room. It’s going to be late getting home as it is.” She moved toward the door. Andy turned to watch her leave.

  “Thanks for helping me with the poster and…and for hanging it up and…everything,” she stammered. “I really appreciate it.”

  He stared back at her, his expression thoughtful. “No problem. I was happy to help. Besides, I’m curious, why you’d seek an officer to share your house? I assume that’s who you’re targeting, seeing as how you’ve put it up on our noticeboard.”

  Cally bit her tongue. She didn’t really want to get into the details of it with him, but still, perhaps he could pass on her needs to his workmates? It might save even more embarrassing questions later.

  “I…um…” Her shoulders slumped. “It’s complicated.”

  He spread his arms wide. “Hey, I’m a police negotiator. I can do complicated.”

  She kept her gaze fixed on the polished brass buttons of his navy-blue police shirt. “Well, um…” She took a deep breath. “It’s kind of a long story.”

  He leaned back against the countertop and crossed his arms. “I can do long stories.”

  “I’m not sure where to start.”

  “How about at the beginning?”

  She sighed and stepped forward and took a seat at the table. “The thing is, like I told you, I need the money. I’m working two jobs and it still isn’t enough. The bills are piling up and if something doesn’t happen soon, I’m going to be forced to sell my house.” She paused and took another breath. “The other reason is, I-I think I’m being followed.” She peeked at him from beneath her lashes and anxiously awaited his reaction.

  A frown marred the smooth, tanned skin of his forehead. “Have you spoken to the police?”

  Relief coursed through her. At least he hadn’t burst out laughing. From the look on his face, he appeared to be giving her statement credence.

  “Of course.” She looked away and then bravely met his gaze again. “I-I haven’t told you everything.”

  Andy raised an eyebrow, his expression blank. “There’s more?”

  “Yes. A little over a month ago, my house was broken into.”

  “Were you harmed?” His voice reflected his concern.

  “No, no. Jack and I were both asleep at the time. We didn’t even know it had happened until we woke and discovered the front door open and a few household items missing.”

  “Did they arrest anyone?”

  Cally shook her head. “There were footprints in the dirt along the driveway heading into and out of my property. From the size of the shoe, they determined it was a single male offender. The police are still looking for him.”

  “What did he steal?”

  “Not much, to tell you the truth. We don’t have anything of any real value. Even the TV is not worth stealing.”

  “Tell me about the person you think is following you.”

  “It began last week. I noticed a blue car parked on the side of the main road not far from where I turn into my driveway. I live on a tiny block situated behind a very large house and my cottage is barely visible from the road. In fact, if you didn’t know it was there, you could easily drive right past it.”

  She shrugged and continued. “The sight of the car didn’t alarm me at the time. It’s just that I noticed it. It’s a very busy highway and it was unusual to see a car parked there. I hadn’t given it any more thought until a few days later, driving home with Jack after school. The same blue car was traveling a couple of cars behind me.”

  “How do you know it was the same one?”

  She sighed. “I don’t, but it was definitely the same color and the same make. It was a Toyota.”

  At his querying look, she added, “I saw the silver Toyota badge on the front. I drive a Toyota too, so I know what it looks like.”

  “Okay, so you saw a blue Toyota which was similar to a car you’d seen parked near your house a couple days earlier. There must be thousands of blue Toyotas in this city. Why would that make you think you were being followed?”

  “It’s just that it felt odd. First, I notice a blue Toyota parked near my driveway where cars don’t usually park and then a couple days later, I’m almost certain I see it behind me in traffic. Then yesterday, I saw it again. Parked in the same place, a few yards from my driveway. Something about it doesn’t feel right.”

  “I can understand you feeling jittery, but your stalker theory seems a little thin. Do you think it could be a delayed reaction to the burglary?”

  Cally groaned in frustration. “You don’t believe me. This is exactly why I was reluctant to tell you.”

  He pushed away from the counter and came toward her. “I never said I didn’t believe you, sweetheart, but what you’ve told me so far doesn’t amount to stalking.”

  She refused to acknowledge the warmth that spread through her at his use of the endearment. “Would you please let me finish?”

  “Okay, okay.” He threw his arms up in surrender and returned to lean against the counter. Cally stood and began to pace.

  “Yesterday, when I saw the car again, I decide
d to go and speak to whoever was in the vehicle.”

  He frowned at her. “You told me you thought this guy’s been stalking you and yet you decide to approach him? Alone? Not a smart thing to do. What if he’d been a real sicko and he’d snatched you or something? No one would’ve known what happened to you.”

  Cally flushed because she’d considered the same thing. “Well, as you can see, I escaped unscathed. Besides, I phoned the detective investigating the home invasion and told him about it before I left the house. He agreed to send someone over. They at least had some idea what was happening there. Not that my act of bravery got me very far. As soon as I got close, it sped off. I saw a man behind the wheel, though. A man with short dark hair.”

  “Did you get the plate number?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s a start. At least you have something to go on if you see him close to your property again. Did you give the plate number to the police?”

  “No. I’m not sure if they did a drive by, but he was long gone, if they did. I didn’t hear from the detective. I guess he thought the problem was resolved.”

  “I can run a check on it, if you like. I have access to the same database.”

  She frowned. “Isn’t that illegal? He hasn’t actually done anything yet.”

  “Yes, it’s kind of illegal without just cause, but do you want to know who owns the car, or not?”

  “I don’t want you to get into any trouble. I’ve seen the news reports on police officers illegally accessing information. It’s taken very seriously. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.”

  Andy shrugged. “Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t offer.” He paused and then spoke again. “So, correct me if I’m wrong—you want a man to help provide for you financially and in his spare time, scare off the boogie man, but only by legal means?” His eyes widened innocently. “Did I miss anything?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, you have.” She lifted her chin defiantly. “I’m also concerned about my son. Jack needs a male influence in his life. I’ve thought about approaching his soccer coach, but the season doesn’t start for another three months. A male roommate would provide a kind of kinship Jack might identify with. He’s getting older. It’s important to provide him with good male role models. I’ve been reading some books about it…”

  Andy cocked up an eyebrow. A grin threatened. “Really?”

  Cally’s defenses went up. Anger began to simmer. “Don’t laugh at me. These books make a lot of sense. And what would you know about raising boys, anyway?”

  When he didn’t answer, she plowed on. “It’s just that…” She paused, suddenly uncertain how much she wanted him to know. Briefly, her thoughts warred in her head before she decided to be completely upfront with him. “It’s just that Jack’s never had a male figure in his life. I think it’s time he did.”

  “What about his father?” Andy asked, just as she knew he would.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Taking a deep breath, Cally released it slowly and tried to ease the nervous tension that had her heart beating so rapidly. She felt the weight of it like a tangible, living thing in her chest. Something about Andy inspired trust and invited confidences. She wanted to tell him. Besides, it would be a relief to have someone else to talk to about it. Ever since the death of her aunt, there’d been no one but Kate to confide in and she’d only been back in the country for two years, after living overseas for a decade.

  “Jack was born nine months after my sixteenth birthday,” she began, crossing her arms over her chest and staring down at the floor. “Jack’s father—the boy I thought was as madly in love with me as I was with him—told me to get an abortion. He told me he was too young to be a father. He wouldn’t even consider keeping it. He forced me to make an appointment with a clinic, but I didn’t want to go ahead with an abortion.”

  The awful memories assailed her. When she spoke again, her voice was harsh with emotion. “I was too scared to tell him… I didn’t want to risk his anger. I wasn’t sure what he’d do. I was scared he might hurt me.”

  Andy’s face darkened on a frown and his lips tightened, but he refrained from commenting. Cally drew in a ragged breath. “From the moment I told him I was pregnant, he changed—and not in a good way. We’d never had so much as an argument before and yet, after that it seemed it was all we ever did. One afternoon, he put his fist through the wall of his bedroom.”

  She sighed at the memory of that terrible moment when she’d been sure he was going to use his fists on her and forced herself to finish. “So, I did what any other pregnant teenager would do: I went home and told my parents.”

  The pain of that meeting felt as fresh and raw as if it were yesterday. She trembled as she remembered.

  “It was after dinner. Dad had retired to his study to go through some half yearly school reports. He was the principal of the local high school in Watervale,” she explained.

  “I was nearly eight weeks along. Mom and I had always gotten along all right, but I had been Daddy’s little girl. I didn’t think there was anything I could do to anger him.” Her trembling became more violent.

  In an instant, Andy was beside her, putting his arms around her and drawing her close against the solid wall of his chest. His heart beat steadily beneath her ear, reassuring her with its strength. Gradually, she calmed.

  Pulling back slightly, she looked up at him. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d buried my feelings about it a long time ago. I guess some things are too hard to forget.”

  “Cally, if you don’t want to talk about it—”

  “No, I’m fine. I-I want to. I think I’d rather you know, if that’s okay?”

  “Of course it is. I just thought—”

  “I want to tell you.”

  He nodded. She pulled out of his arms and moved across the room. Leaning her back against the sink, she folded her arms protectively across her stomach and continued in a quiet voice.

  “My parents had tried unsuccessfully for many years to have children and when I finally came along, I was loved and cherished like the long-awaited child I was. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for me.”

  “So, what happened when you told them?”

  Her smile was mirthless. “They threw me out.”

  * * *

  Andy reeled back in shock. No way had he seen that coming. After all, she was a well-educated, professional, young mother who appeared to be doing the best she could to raise her son. She was having some money troubles, and he knew all about that. But he’d never have guessed she’d been abandoned at a young age by those who were meant to take care of her.

  Christ, she’d been little more than a baby herself. A surge of anger tightened his throat. He thought of the men who’d deserted her. Their abandonment was so foreign, he could barely believe it.

  It was obvious she wasn’t lying. Her guileless blue eyes shone with openness and honesty—and a few tears. His job required him to read people well and as far as Cally Savage went, he was sure she didn’t have a deceptive bone in her body.

  “What did you do? You managed to finish your education and go to university. That couldn’t have been easy with a young baby?”

  “You’re right. It wasn’t easy.” She gave him a small smile. “But I didn’t do it on my own. I had the love and support of my aunt. After my parents threw me out, I moved in with her.”

  “She looked after Jack while you went to school?”

  “Yes. I was halfway through year ten when I fell pregnant. After Jack’s birth, I went back to finish my Higher School Certificate through my local TAFE college. Later, with my aunt’s encouragement, I applied for university in Armidale, where I lived.”

  “What about Jack’s father? How did he react when he realized he had a son?”

  Color exploded across her cheeks. She looked away. “I never told him,” she murmured.

  Andy frowned. “You never told him you had the baby?”

  Cally shook her head, her gaze now fiercely def
iant. “No, I never told him I had the baby. He hadn’t wanted Jack from the outset. I was the one who wanted to keep him. Jack’s my son. End of story.”

  “But—”

  She stared at him hard. “End of story.” Turning on her heel, she left the room and went to check on her boy.

  * * *

  Andy stared after Cally, his thoughts in chaos. A few moments later, he heard the vacuum cleaner start up.

  He couldn’t deny her story intrigued him. The vulnerability in her eyes as she’d recounted her past had tugged at his heartstrings and his primeval urge to protect had raced to the fore. It had been all he could do to stop himself from holding her close and promising her he’d never let anything bad happen to her again.

  In fact, he had held her close. The memory of her in his arms crowded his thoughts. Even those few, fleeting moments were branded on his mind. The feel of her soft warmth; the smell of her hair: Everything about her drew him.

  His gaze glanced off the poster he’d pinned so recently to the noticeboard. From the moment he hung it there, he’d wanted to take it down. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel knowing one of his male colleagues was sharing her house. Okay, she was looking for a roommate, not a life partner, but he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the thought of someone else being the man in her household.

  A germ of an idea took hold. He could move in with her… He immediately frowned at the wayward thought and did his best to dismiss the idea. He wasn’t looking to relocate. He had a perfectly nice condo overlooking the beach. His commute was a little longer than he cared for, but the view and the proximity to the ocean more than made up for it. Besides, he didn’t even know where she lived. For all he knew, she lived in the boondocks.

  Curious, he stepped closer to the poster and focused on the details:

  Wanted: roommate to share three-bedroom house in Chatswood. $300 per week, excluding utilities. References required. Please phone 993266250.

  Okay, so she lived in Chatswood. It was on the opposite side of the harbor from where he lived and nowhere near the beach. Still, it was closer to work and would cut down significantly on his commute. And he could afford it.