Taylor felt her head spinning. “Lori Westerson that I graduated from Father Ryan with? Are you kidding me?”
“No honey, I’m not. We’ve been together for a while, now. She’s the most wonderful woman. I just wanted you to hear it from me, sweetheart. I know this is hard to hear, but I’m so happy, and I want you to be happy for me.” He reached out as if he was going to hug her again, but Taylor took a step back.
“I’m thrilled for you, Win. Now, I have to go back to work. Congratulations.” She turned on her heel and walked back to the lobby door.
“Taylor, wait. Please, honey, can we just get together for dinner and talk about this? Talk about anything? Please. I’m still your father.”
His pleading only made her heart tighten and her throat constrict. “Win, I can’t deal with this right now. Maybe later. I’ll call you.” She swiped her card and disappeared through the door.
Fitz watched her slam through the door. He turned back to Win, whose smile was gone. He looked a bit ashen, almost as if he were going to be sick. Fitz felt a moment of pity for the man. He quickly shoved it away. Taylor was like a daughter to him, and he knew the pain Win’s antics had caused her over the years. Taylor was a woman who dealt with the world in black and white, and Win Jackson got off exploiting all the shades of gray he could find. Fitz knew it tore her to pieces, having a father who was dishonest, a criminal.
“Listen, Win, I think you’d best leave now. We’re real busy, you know?”
Win hung his head. “Yeah, I know. Just tell her…tell her I love her. Will you do that for me?”
“Yeah. When the time’s right. See ya, Win.”
Taylor didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The absurdity of the whole situation, her father marrying one of her old classmates, was so sick it was almost funny. Lincoln and Marcus were eyeing her, but she assiduously avoided their looks. She saw Fitz come back into the squad room. She knew he wasn’t going to let her fall apart, or dwell, or worry. That’s what she loved about him.
He came over to her, put an arm around her and bellowed, “So, are we gonna arrest this guy or what?”
She gave him a grateful smile. “Damn straight.”
“So, let’s do this.” He yelled into Price’s office. “Captain, where we at?”
Price slammed the phone down and came out of his office. “Okay, I just called us in some backup. Here’s how this is going to go. Taylor, I want you and Fitz to take the Hillsboro address. Take Officer Wills and Officer Miller with you. The pharmacy and the school both list it as his address, so it may be the best shot for finding him, and they’ll have your backs.
“I want Baldwin at the Granny White address with Marcus. Lincoln and I will take West End. I’ll get four officers to back the rest of us up at the Granny White and West End addresses. Keep your radios on channel twenty. I don’t want the media picking up on this before we get there and putting ghetto birds in the air. Full suit and everything, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt. You hear me?”
He was talking to all of them, but he was looking directly at Taylor. She squirmed in her chair but nodded dutifully. She was glad Baldwin hadn’t heard the remark. It seemed like Price was saying, ‘Hey guys, be really careful. You’re heading out into a dangerous situation with two cops that have gotten four people shot between them, so be sure to watch your asses.’
She felt her chest tighten but shook it off. Not now. Please not now. She knew in her heart that Price didn’t mean a thing by his comment; it was a standard warning. But the self-recriminations were building up on her. She hadn’t gone into a situation knowing she would have to draw her weapon since that awful night that she had shot and killed David, and she had to admit to herself, she was a little scared.
She got up and went into the ladies’ room. She splashed cold water on her face and toweled it off. Her chest was still tight, but she was breathing easier. She had it under control. She looked in the mirror and was surprised at what she saw. There was no little girl with scared eyes staring back at her. The woman standing in the mirror was strong and her jaw was determined. The panic was gone, her breathing was calm, and she realized that she was back. Taylor was back. And she would have Baldwin in her life, no matter what happened.
She gave herself a smile and looked at her watch. Six o’clock. It would be getting dark soon. The streets of Nashville would fill with people heading home to their other lives, students making their way to their favorite watering holes.
She walked back into the squad room, saying a small prayer under her breath. Please, God, let us find her. Let us find Jill alive and catch this guy. She stopped herself short of promising to go to church on Sunday if they did. She knew enough not to make promises she wouldn’t keep.
Baldwin came bounding back into the office with a book in his hand.
“What do you have there?” Taylor wandered over to him and stood close, happy to have him back near her.