Wednesday, June 7 at 6:08 pm
When Toni arrived home, she wasn’t sure what to do first. Full of questions, she wanted to talk to someone. She certainly didn’t want to approach either one of her sisters, especially after their lunchtime conversation. Both of her older sisters could make a situation more dramatic than necessary. Toni often sought out her mother first because she felt like she really listened. While Vanessa Reed’s advice was not always appreciated, all of her children agreed Mama Bear was the one they went to for support. Their parents, Justice and Vanessa Reed, were on a ten day cruise in the Caribbean. All of the siblings, including their half-brother Jax, had chipped in to send their parents on the cruise.
Toni thought out loud, “It would be unfair for me to call. The ship left the Charleston port on Monday. They’ll return next week. That sketch could be anyone.” She knew she should listen to Cam and wait to see what happens when the sketch went public.
For some reason, that wasn’t good enough for her. Toni dialed her brother’s number. If anyone would set her straight, Cori would. Out of all her siblings, Cori had the same calming presence their mother had.
Cori answered on the second ring. “What’s up, Sis?”
“Are you busy?”
“Naw. I’m about to order some food. You want to come over?”
“I’m starving. I’ll be there shortly.”
It didn’t take long for Toni to drive to her brother’s apartment. They lived approximately ten minutes from each other. That’s why she stayed in Charlotte. She liked being able to drop in to see her parents or hang out with her siblings. She loved her big Southern city with its hometown feel.
She knocked on Cori’s door and he opened it with a big grin. His smile wavered as he eyed her. “Uh-oh, something’s up.”
“Sorry, Bro. You’re the only one I can talk to right now.” She brushed past Cori and entered his apartment. Surprisingly, for a bachelor, Cori kept his place neat and orderly. Being a crime scene investigator, Cori was detailed and logical about most everything in his life. Her brother was also the nerd of the family, while she tended to be the artistic one. Where her apartment walls were covered with her own art, Cori’s walls resembled a sophisticated adolescent. Posters of several science fiction films like Star Wars and Matrix were framed. Toni had helped him find the frames.
She followed her brother through his living room towards his kitchen. Two large pizzas lay on the table.
Toni reached for a paper plate. “Were you planning a party?”
Cori flipped open the first pizza and grabbed a slice of pepperoni. “No, but I should warn you Cam said he might drop by.”
Toni held her hand with the plate in mid-air. “You could have told me he was coming over.”
Cori chewed the pizza. “You said you needed to talk. Besides, he won’t be here for another hour. He may not make it at all. This is the third time in a few weeks we’ve been trying to get together.”
“Oh, I see. Speaking of Cam, why are you talking about me with him?”
Cori grinned. “I take it he asked you to help him with his current case? Good for you to work together.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Toni hated when her brother had that knowing look like he knew her so well. She pointed her finger at him. “I told you about playing matchmaker.”
He shrugged. “Cam’s a good guy. He certainly has a track record that’s better than some other guys from your past.”
Toni couldn’t argue with him on that one, but for the millionth time she wasn’t interested in dating and she certainly didn’t want to be in a relationship with Cam Noble.
“Hey, what time is it?” She jumped up and grabbed the remote from Cori’s coffee table. Maybe she would catch the end of the six o’clock news.
Cori asked, “You looking for the sketch on the news? I’m sure you did a good job.”
Toni really wanted someone else to look at the sketch and tell her she wasn’t crazy. She sat back down so she could face the television. “This was a different experience today. The face looked familiar to me. I almost thought maybe I unconsciously added features.”
Cori wiped his hands with a paper towel. “You were trained to learn common facial features.”
“I know. The victim was detailed about her description despite the fact her surroundings were dark.”
Cori nodded. “The mind is pretty incredible. It can retain more detail from a traumatic experience than we realize.”
A memory flashed in Toni’s mind. She could still see Paul’s face contorted in rage as he stood above her. That image often haunted her in her sleep. She shook away the memory and gazed at the television. The NBC Nightly News with Les Holt was on instead of the local news. She pulled her iPhone out of her bag and clicked Safari to find her bookmark for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
There it was. It was always amazing to see her composite sketches posted for the world to see.
She passed her phone to Cori. “Take a look. Does that look like anyone you know?”
Cori stared at the image on her phone. “I don’t know. Nobody comes to mind.”
Toni didn’t know whether to be relieved or exasperated. Cori had spent more time around her and Paul than her other siblings.
He asked, “Who does it remind you of?”
She bit her lip. “Paul.”
Cori’s eyes opened wide. “What?” For a minute, he studied the image on the phone again. “I mean, I guess there is some resemblance.”
“Or he was just on my mind. I told Cam I thought the sketch looked like Paul.”
Cori raised his eyebrow. ”Why?”
Toni waved her hands. “I’ve been around Asia, Jo and you enough to know unshared details can wreck a case. I just didn’t want my composite to be a problem later.”
“Calm down, Sis. You’ve been trained and you’re good at what you do. Remember you only sketched what the victim told you and she had to confirm what you sketched, right?”
Toni slumped in the chair. “She said it was him.”
“Okay. You know just because the sketch resembles Paul doesn’t mean it’s him.”
“So, I made a fool of myself in front of Cam for no reason.”
“I’m sure that’s not how he saw it. Cam was just as angry as all of us after what Paul did to you. I never told you, but both of us confronted Paul while you were in the hospital.”
Toni’s mouth dropped open.
“Yeah, Cam can be a big intimating guy and believe me… We didn’t touch Paul, but I know we scared him.”
“I had no idea.”
The doorbell rang.
“That’s Cam now. Are you staying?”
Toni shook her head. “Uh, I probably should go.”
“You didn’t eat anything.” He lifted the lid on the other pizza box. “I ordered spinach and chicken for you. At least take the box home.”
She hadn’t eaten since lunch so she wasn’t going to refuse her brother. When she was worried, she had a tendency to forget about eating. Toni picked up the box and turned to see Cori open the door. Cam stepped in dressed in a t-shirt and jeans.
Oh my!
Even in casual wear, Cam looked like he stepped out of a fashion magazine.
He grinned at her. “Good to see you twice in one day.”
“Yeah. Sorry I can’t stay, busy day tomorrow. I’m just checking in with my brother.” She held up the pizza box. “Oh, and getting a free meal too.”
“Next time the meal is on you.” Cori pointed at her and walked back towards the kitchen leaving her to face Cam.
“You did good today. Captain gave the approval to release the sketch to the public. You should start seeing it tonight on the eleven o’clock news.”
Toni looked at Cam. “Good, I hope someone recognizes him. Jade needs to be able to get justice. She has a difficult time ahead.”
“I have every intention of catching this guy.”
Toni sensed he wanted to talk more, but she really couldn’t stay much longer. “Sorry, I have to go.”
“Let me help.” Cam reached over and opened the door.
She squeezed by him towards the door feeling like an electric current jolted her. Good thing she had a good grip on the pizza box or she would have dropped it.
Cam followed her as she started walking to her car. She wasn’t expecting that, but it was probably a good thing because she wasn’t always good with juggling items in her hand. “Can you hold this?”
He reached out and held the pizza box as she dug for her keys in her bag. Once she retrieved them, she clicked the locks. “I appreciate your help.”
He stared at her. “Are you still worried this guy is Paul?”
Am I that obvious? “It’s bothering me a little. I’m sure I just made a big deal out of nothing.”
“Well, I wanted you to know I’ll look into his whereabouts. Discreetly.”
She looked at him. “Thanks, Cam. I appreciate it.”
Cam waited until she climbed inside the car and started the engine. He waved goodbye and headed inside Cori’s apartment.
Toni backed out of the apartment complex feeling a bit calmer than she did when she arrived. She came for her brother’s support and drove away with comfort from a source she wasn’t expecting.