The first half of my shift had been uneventful. I was making my way back to the station to catch up on some paperwork and grab a bite to eat when a call came over the radio. There was a problem at The Crooked Judge, and they were requesting police backup. It was an odd call for a weeknight. Normally, the place was full of couples having dinner. I radioed the station, letting them know I was on my way over to the bar.
I’d just pulled up outside the bar when Greg and Matt brought two men I recognized as members of the Green Cobras. Both men were in cuffs, and Matt and Greg took them over and placed them in the back of their cruiser.
“Gentlemen, what happened?” I asked as I climbed out of my car and approached them. I glanced into the back of their cruiser and recognized Dorian Patten and Linden Becker.
“Pool game gone bad. There were apparently three Cobra members here, but the one who started it all took off just as we arrived. Almost knocked Matt over on our way in. These two were still inside, causing shit.”
“You alright, Matt?”
“I’ll be fine. I didn’t even know what hit me.”
“Did you get a look at him or a name from these two?”
“No, these two aren’t talking,” Greg answered.
I nodded, looking over my shoulder in both directions. The street was quiet, and there wasn’t anyone to be seen in either direction. It looked like a normal Wednesday night.
“What about the other guys, the ones they fought with?”
“They are inside, sitting at the bar. These two roughed them up a little, pulled knives on them for cheating.”
“All right, so you taking these two in? Did you get statements?”
“We are taking them in, but we didn’t get statements. The bartender who saw it all had gone for a break when we got there. I guess she was a little rattled, being new in the area, so we are waiting for her to return.”
I frowned. I’d just been here two nights ago. There wasn’t a new bartender. “New employee?” I questioned.
“Yeah, apparently her first night on the job.” Greg chuckled.
“All right, well, if you two want to take these two in, I can go in, talk to the guys they fought with. I’ll also get a statement from the bartender and any other witnesses there may have been.”
“Matt can take them in. I’ll stay and give you a hand,” Greg said, heading back toward the door.
“Sounds good.”
Matt got into his car and drove off toward the station while we headed into the bar. While Greg went to talk to the three men who had been involved, I walked around the bar talking to the other customers to see if they had witnessed anything. I sat down at every table and took down notes as each person provided me statements of their version of what had happened. It all seemed to be started by the one guy who got away.
When I finished, I walked up to the bar. Glenn stood there, rag slung over his shoulder, and smiled. “Hey, Jackson, thanks for coming.” He extended his hand out, and we quickly shook.
“No problem. I see these guys are still causing shit in here.”
“No. They’ve been good since I laid down the ground rules. Not sure what happened tonight, I was in the back when it all happened.” Glenn said, nodding toward the three guys that Greg was still speaking with.
“Okay, I don’t recognize them from around here.”
“Me neither.”
“I was told that the bartender who called the police was on her break when my guys got here. Is she back yet? We’d really like to get a statement from her before we leave, especially now that we know one of them ran off.”
“She should be back in a moment. She was pretty rattled, so I gave her a little extra time. The Cobras haven’t been here in months, and the first night they are, this happens. They are going to have to stop coming in here, Jackson. This place is going to get a bad rap if they don’t.”
“Do you know which one of them ran off? Did you see him at all?”
“Yeah, the big guy, Garrick. He’d come in with them tonight. You’d know him, I’m sure.”
“I know of him, yes.”
“Well, the second he heard the sirens, he apparently ran out the door. I wouldn’t doubt if he isn’t the one who started it all, but then I was in the back, so I can’t say for sure.”
“How long had they been here?”
“Came in around six, I’d say. They ordered a few drinks, tried to hit on my new bartender and server, but you know how they are. These other guys, though, I have no clue who they are,” Glenn said, nodding toward the other three men who had been involved.
I nodded and then heard a door slam in the distance, and Glenn held his finger up and poked his head around the entrance to the back.
“Good, you’re back. The police want a word with you.”
“Be right there,” I heard a familiar voice say.
“She’ll be out in a minute.” Glenn went back to straightening up and clearing dishes off tables, and I turned around to see Greg make his way back over to me. “Just about ready to head out?” he asked as he put his notebook in his back pocket.
“Yeah, just waiting to talk to the bartender who called the police.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m convinced it was the one who ran who started it all.”
I nodded. “Yeah, that was what the others said as well. We’ll wait and see what this bartender has to say and go from there. Those guys really should come down to the station, anyway. You should let them know that.”
“Already did. They said they’d meet us down there.”
“I’m sorry, you wanted to talk to me, officer?” a quiet voice asked behind me, and I turned around and met a face I’d thought I’d never see again.
It was as if all the air had left the room. The second my eyes landed on that dirty blonde hair, and those soft, dreamy blue eyes, I was done. My eyes skimmed down her sexy body, a body I’d once had in my bed, and I swallowed hard. I cleared my throat and fought the sensation that ran through my body, reminding me just how attracted I’d been to her.
“Bailey?” That was the only word I could get out of my mouth, as once again, my eyes ran the length of her body before returning to look into her eyes.
“Jackson,” she murmured, staring back at me.
“What are you…” I stopped mid-sentence, lost in her eyes. I didn’t need to ask. I knew she had moved back here. I just didn’t think I’d run into her this soon.
The sound of my name falling off her lips sent a wave of heat through my body. We stood in silence, staring at one another, and in those few moments, I had completely forgotten what it was I was even doing here and what I’d even wanted to see her for.
Greg cleared his throat and stepped in. “Miss,” he said, looking up at me and frowning. “we wanted to have a few words about what took place here tonight. I understand you were the one who called the police after the fight broke out. If you have a few minutes, we have a few questions we’d like to ask you.”
Her eyes never left mine as Greg continued speaking. Bailey stood there nodding at everything Greg said, but I doubted she was even listening. She confirmed my suspicions when he asked his first question. Instead of answering the question, she only nodded. Greg repeated the question once again, this time a little louder. She jumped at the sound of his voice, but finally, her eyes left mine and she slowly began answering what he wanted to know.
“Now, a little on the personal side. We were told by Glenn that the one man who left earlier had put his hands on you. Are you able to provide us a description of him?”
I met her eyes and clenched my fists at my side. The thought of another man putting his hands on her in any way boiled my blood.
She didn’t say anything, but when her eyes met mine, I knew what had happened earlier had her rattled.
“Bailey, if you can’t remember exactly what he looked like, it’s okay. Anything that may help identify him would be helpful.”
“Ummm…he had a snake tattoo. Wrapped around his forearm and letters.” She closed her eyes and brought her fingers up to her temples, rubbing them. “GREE, were on his fingers.”
“Okay. Thanks, miss, that will be all for now. If we have any more questions, we will be in touch.” Greg said, pocketing his notebook.
I hadn’t taken my eyes off her until I felt Greg pull me by the arm. I lifted my hand to wave goodbye to Bailey and followed him outside. As soon as the cool, fresh air finally hit me in the face, it was like I woke up.
“What the hell happened to you in there?” Greg asked as we stopped just beside my car.
“What do you mean?” I questioned, swallowing hard.
“Come on Jackson, you obviously know her. Some sort of history between you?”
Greg was new to Sunset Cove and did not know about the history between Bailey and me. However, Dave knew, and once he found out that I hadn’t kept my head about me, he’d pull me off this case faster than I could blink.
“Let’s not talk about it! It’s in the past, all right.”
“Didn’t seem that way.” He shrugged. “It seemed like it had just happened and there were a lot of things left unsaid between the two of you.”
Ignoring his comment, I walked around to the driver’s side door and ripped it open. Climbing in, I pulled the door shut, shoved the key in the ignition, and started the car.
“Are you planning on walking back to the station?” I yelled as I rolled down the passenger’s side window.
“No.”
“Then get in,” I barked as Greg pulled the door open and climbed in. The door had barely closed when I pulled away from the curb, taking off toward the station and in the opposite direction of Bailey Scott.