The question didn’t catch Krissy off guard at all. She had expected it, mostly because her parents bring up the subject so often. She looked down at her plate and chased a few pieces of pineapple with her fork. “I’ve just never found the right guy,” she said. “There have been a few who were sure I was the right girl, but they never really took the time to get to know me.”
Daring to take things to the next level Colt looked back at Krissy, his eyes locking in on hers. “What is it you would want a guy to know that they have never listened to in the past?”
“You’re not wasting much time, Colt Crawford.” A smile crept across Krissy’s face.
“My clock’s ticking, too.”
“In that case, I’d better hurry up and answer your question. All the guys I date like the fact that I am a cop. That’s why they date me. They want a secure, confident, driven woman.” She paused. “I can be those things, but it’s not what I want. Like I told you before, I would love to leave law enforcement behind, get married and have a couple of kids. It always annoys me to see parents drop their kids off at day care and expect someone else to raise them. I think that if you have kids, it is your responsibility to raise them yourself. The best baby sitter in the world could never love a child the way a mother can.” She looked down at her plate, then back up at Colt. “I’ve just spilled my guts. What about you? You’re still single”
“I’ve never taken the time for a relationship. Been too busy building my business, chasing my career.”
“Will that ever change?” Krissy asked with a hint of hope in her voice.
“This runaway trip of mine is the first step. And it hasn’t taken long to figure a few things out.”
Colt and Krissy sat on the patio at Sambos, staring out at the stars twinkling above the vast Pacific Ocean. “How long are you planning to stay here in Santa Barbara?” she asked.
“I have no plans. I didn’t exactly think things through when I left L.A.”
A waiter came by with their check, but it didn’t make any difference. Colt and Krissy were absorbed in their conversation and neither had any intention of leaving. “Do you ever see yourself settling down with a stay-at-home wife who raises her own kids?”
“To be honest, until recently, I never really gave it any thought. But it would be nice to have a hot dinner on the table every once in a while. And someone to share it with. It gets old eating alone.”
“We’re not alone tonight,” Krissy said, her eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
It was close to 9:00 when they finally wrapped up their conversation and walked hand in hand back to Colt’s car. “I’ll drop you off at home,” Colt offered. “I can pick you up in the morning and take you back to the police station.”
“I’ll need to be there by 8:00.” Krissy couldn’t recall feeling this content with any other guy she had dated. There was something different about Colt and she liked it.
Showing posts with label Online Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Online Fiction. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Colt Crawford - Chapter 9 (Thursday)
Kevin, the seeming leader of the two, spoke first. “I know him by reputation only. Never met him.”
“And what is that reputation?” Krissy asked. This was her favorite part of her job. She loved interviewing a suspect and then experiencing that moment when reluctance turns to victory. She waited eagerly for the answer she was about to receive.
“He’s known around here a source of information.”
He was still going to be vague. Krissy could feel the tide turning, but it wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. “What kind of information?”
“Numbers,” Kevin said.
Frustration was starting to build. “Give it to me straight, Kevin. What is Steven Mathis known for?”
“Let’s just say he can help out with sports-related investments.”
“Gambling?”
Kevin’s head nodded slightly. “You didn’t hear that from me.”
***
“I have to admit that there are some perks to working with a civilian on a case like this one.” Krissy was trying to hide a thin smile as she walked out of the campus police station.
“I can’t say I’m surprised that these guys know of Mathis,” Colt replied. “So we have confirmed he’s into gambling, but we haven’t confirmed who attacked Samantha.”
“Can we link Creighton to Mathis?” She walked slowly toward the parking a few feet from Colt’s side.
“We have the witness at the dealership who has seen them together and the repair records,” Colt said. “But that is not enough to convict anyone of illegal activity.” Colt paused as he digested the information. “Has Mathis ever done any time?”
“He had that tax problem that cost him about nine months.”
“That’s another angle we haven’t explored. Mathis knows Samantha and has reason to be mad at her.”
“He’s the one who skipped out on his taxes. She actually saved him, but I guess he wanted even more,” Krissy said.
They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence, each trying to piece together what they knew. On the way back to the police station, Colt and Krissy agreed that the next step had to involve scrutinizing the life of Steven Mathis.
“We need to know everything we can about Mathis,” Krissy began. “Who he hangs out with, where he goes after work, what he spends money on. You wanna help me follow him for a while?”
Stakeouts basically consisted of hours of nothing followed by a few minutes of excitement and were a regular part of the job for Colt. Over the last decade he had developed a love-hate relationship with the classic stakeout. “How could I turn that down?”
Colt and Krissy climbed back into Colt’s car to make the drive from the university back to the harbor area. “I’m hungry,” Colt said. “Let’s get something to eat on the way.”
Armed with Chinese take out, chopsticks, and a couple of small drinks, Colt and Krissy pulled into the harbor parking lot. “This is going to be tough, Krissy said. There’s no place to park where we can see the front of his office.”
“Do you see his truck anywhere?”
Krissy scanned the lot. It wasn’t hard to spot Mathis’ silver Ford F-350. It had oversized tires mounted on chrome rims and a hefty lift. The hitch on the back dropped down about ten inches, presumably to tow his boat. Krissy spotted it in a corner of the lot away from other cars. “There it is.”
“Then we know he is here. I guess this is as good a place as any to have some lunch.”
--Results--
As they wait for Mathis, who should they see walk into the Yachtery?
A) Dean Brown, the police chief - 60%
B) Creighton - 0%
C) Krissy’s ex boyfriend who is a criminal defense lawyer - 40%
“And what is that reputation?” Krissy asked. This was her favorite part of her job. She loved interviewing a suspect and then experiencing that moment when reluctance turns to victory. She waited eagerly for the answer she was about to receive.
“He’s known around here a source of information.”
He was still going to be vague. Krissy could feel the tide turning, but it wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. “What kind of information?”
“Numbers,” Kevin said.
Frustration was starting to build. “Give it to me straight, Kevin. What is Steven Mathis known for?”
“Let’s just say he can help out with sports-related investments.”
“Gambling?”
Kevin’s head nodded slightly. “You didn’t hear that from me.”
***
“I have to admit that there are some perks to working with a civilian on a case like this one.” Krissy was trying to hide a thin smile as she walked out of the campus police station.
“I can’t say I’m surprised that these guys know of Mathis,” Colt replied. “So we have confirmed he’s into gambling, but we haven’t confirmed who attacked Samantha.”
“Can we link Creighton to Mathis?” She walked slowly toward the parking a few feet from Colt’s side.
“We have the witness at the dealership who has seen them together and the repair records,” Colt said. “But that is not enough to convict anyone of illegal activity.” Colt paused as he digested the information. “Has Mathis ever done any time?”
“He had that tax problem that cost him about nine months.”
“That’s another angle we haven’t explored. Mathis knows Samantha and has reason to be mad at her.”
“He’s the one who skipped out on his taxes. She actually saved him, but I guess he wanted even more,” Krissy said.
They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence, each trying to piece together what they knew. On the way back to the police station, Colt and Krissy agreed that the next step had to involve scrutinizing the life of Steven Mathis.
“We need to know everything we can about Mathis,” Krissy began. “Who he hangs out with, where he goes after work, what he spends money on. You wanna help me follow him for a while?”
Stakeouts basically consisted of hours of nothing followed by a few minutes of excitement and were a regular part of the job for Colt. Over the last decade he had developed a love-hate relationship with the classic stakeout. “How could I turn that down?”
Colt and Krissy climbed back into Colt’s car to make the drive from the university back to the harbor area. “I’m hungry,” Colt said. “Let’s get something to eat on the way.”
Armed with Chinese take out, chopsticks, and a couple of small drinks, Colt and Krissy pulled into the harbor parking lot. “This is going to be tough, Krissy said. There’s no place to park where we can see the front of his office.”
“Do you see his truck anywhere?”
Krissy scanned the lot. It wasn’t hard to spot Mathis’ silver Ford F-350. It had oversized tires mounted on chrome rims and a hefty lift. The hitch on the back dropped down about ten inches, presumably to tow his boat. Krissy spotted it in a corner of the lot away from other cars. “There it is.”
“Then we know he is here. I guess this is as good a place as any to have some lunch.”
--Results--
As they wait for Mathis, who should they see walk into the Yachtery?
A) Dean Brown, the police chief - 60%
B) Creighton - 0%
C) Krissy’s ex boyfriend who is a criminal defense lawyer - 40%
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