Chapter One

Caroline woke before her alarm went off. Still half asleep, her hand habitually reached over to the right side of the bed as she did every morning, reaching for Peter as she had for over thirty years. Her hand searched for him, only finding the other side of the bed cold and empty. As she completely woke from her slumber, she reminded herself that Peter was not there. He had not been there over a year now.

 Sitting up in bed, she looked to her dresser where she had what she called her shrine to Peter. It was a series of pictures of Peter. The only picture of her was the one of their wedding day walking under a line of policemen holding ceremonial sabers above them as the other wedding guests threw rice on them. “Unfortunately, the rice never kicked in,” she said every morning to herself. “It would have been nice to have part of you in a son or daughter still with me.”

 Her eyes moved to the next picture, one showing Peter receiving the Police Medal of Honor. He was being awarded for a major shootout in response to a domestic disturbance. Two nearby units had responded to the call. As they approached the house, which was reported by a neighbor to have heard screaming from, two gunmen with automatic weapons opened up on the police officers. The two officers from the other patrol car were killed instantly. Peter’s partner went down with a career ending wound. His downed partner began to return fire on the house as the gunmen attempted to finish him off. As the two gunmen from the windows focused on his downed partner, Peter, her Peter, against all odds, rose up from behind his cover and alone charged the front door of the building. Screaming in a furious rage, he used his former high school linebacker shoulder to ram down the front door. The two gunmen were so stunned by his sudden bursting through the door that it bought Peter the seconds needed to shoot and kill both men before they could even think to respond.

 Peter began to secure the one story ranch, room by room. Reaching the door to the basement he thought he heard something. He pressed his ear to the door and could make out the muffled cries for help. With great force he kicked in the door. He noticed that the basement windows had been painted black. He turned on the basement lights before he took his first step down the stairs. As the lights flickered on, two large kennel dog cages were illuminated. Within one of the cages were two barely dressed sixteen-year-old girls. They were gagged with their hands and feet tied together. One of the girls had several bruises on her delicate frame. Imprisoned in the second cage was a tied and gagged fourteen-year-old girl. Seeing Peter descending the stairs in his police uniform, their cries of pain became cries of relief and joy.

 For the next twenty years, every Christmas and on Peter's birthday, he received cards from all three girls. They were now grown women with their own families, yet they never failed to send their cards to Peter twice a year. She looked at the top drawer of her dresser where she still kept safely all the cards they had sent her Peter. He had told her once that those cards meant more to him than the Policeman’s Medal of Honor.

 Her eyes as always went to the last picture on her dresser of Peter, at fifty years of age, in his dress police chief’s uniform. Looking up above the pictures, hanging on the wall, framed under glass was Peter’s Medal of Honor, and all his other medals and ribbons. Beside them, also hanging on the wall was a framed American flag folded into a triangle; the flag that was draped over her Peter’s coffin. A week after turning sixty, Peter was shot from behind by one of the grown Triad sons.

 With a sigh, she pushed the covers and forced herself to start the day. Caroline dressed quickly and went downstairs. She could smell the coffee from her automated coffee machine brewing.  As the machine, drip by drip, filled the coffee pot, she opened the fridge and took out an opened pack of bacon and one egg. Turning to her stove, she heated a stainless-steel pan. She peeled off two strips of bacon from the slab and placed them on the pan. The bacon strips sizzled as they hit the hot metal. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath enjoying the aroma of the cooking bacon mixed with the smell of the coffee.

Finishing cooking her breakfast, she sat at the kitchen table with the one fried egg and bacon on a plate and mug of coffee with cream. She first looked at the chair Peter used to sit in. She sighed slightly as she ate her breakfast alone. Just as she was about to finish her second strip of bacon she heard scratching on the glass sliding door to the back yard of their home. A German shepherd was sitting just outside. With one of his paws he scratched on the glass. He was clearly eyeing her last bacon strip as he licked his lips.

 Caroline sighed softly. "Go away."

 The dog didn’t move. Instead it put down his paw and began to whimper through the glass.

 She took what remained of her last piece of bacon, opened the door just enough so she could toss the strip into the backyard. Reclosing and locking the sliding door she watched as the dog raced after the strip of bacon. The strip disappeared in one lightning bite.

 “Hungry?” she asked. “You should go home so your owner can feed you.”

 The dog returned to the sliding glass door and sat. Looking up at her with sad eyes he once again reached up with his paw and began scratching on the glass. He whimpered slightly to her.

 “I am not letting you in.” She looked into his big brown soft eyes. “I need to go to work. I have no more time to cook you more bacon.”

 He stopped scratching and tilted his head slightly as he looked up at her. He whimpered just a little bit louder through the glass door.

 “I have learned not to be fooled by innocent-looking eyes and sad faces.” She explained to him, “Now shoo, go home, I have to go to work.” She pulled the floor to ceiling curtains across the glass door blocking his view into her kitchen, and more importantly her view of his pleading face.

 She looked at the kitchen clock. She was not running late… yet. She went straight to her home office, picked up her laptop and put it in her soft black leather briefcase that Pete had given her on their tenth wedding anniversary. She paused for a moment as she looked at the case and remembered opening his gift to her. Within the box he had folded an apron and cooking mittens. At first she was furious with him until she removed them and saw underneath, wrapped in pink tissue paper, the designer Prada.

 Before locking the briefcase she took the documents off her oak desk and placed them in the bag with the laptop. Walking into the attached garage she entered her light blue Mercedes and placed her briefcase on the passenger seat. Clicking the remote the garage door opened. Before it completely did open she glanced at the covered car in the second spot of the garage. Under the battleship gray cover was Peter’s Charcoal 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. It had been her birthday gift for his sixtieth. She tightened her jaw thinking how he had only been able to drive it for one week. After the funeral, she covered it and left it untouched since.

 The garage door completely opened, she spotted the German shepherd sitting dutifully at the side of the driveway. As she placed her car in drive and pulled out of the garage she immediately hit the remote to close the garage door behind her. She was concerned the dog would try to bolt into the opened garage. “Sorry, I am not letting you into the house, not even the garage.” She said through the closed window of the passenger’s side.

 The dog did not move. He made no attempt to run into the garage before the door completely closed. He just sat there. As she pulled into the street, his head moved with her as he watched her drive away.

 Looking in her rear view mirror she could see him sitting at the end of her driveway, still watching her. “Strange.” she said to herself as she turned on AM talk radio for her commute into downtown.

 Chapter Two

Judge Caroline Wright banged her gavel, "License revoked for one year."

"This is my life you’re ruining!"Thomas Pierce’s voice echoed throughout the small courtroom.

 His lawyer whispered to him to control his temper. “You’re going to make it worse, Thomas.”

"Listen to your counsel, Mr. Pierce; this is your second offense for driving while intoxicated and under the influence of drugs." The Honorable Caroline Wright warned him, "I do not understand why the judge of that case did not revoke your license at that time."

 Thomas's fists clenched at his sides. "How am I supposed to keep my job? My wife?!"

 Caroline peered down at him from the bench. "You should’ve thought about that before you killed that little girl’s cat, Mr. Pierce."

 The courtroom fell silent.

 Thomas’s father, Mr. David Pierce, sat silently in the back of the room, his expression unreadable.

 As Thomas was forced to hand over his driver’s license to the bailiff, instead of handing it over, he tossed it on the ground at the bailiff’s feet. Thomas Pierce then turned his back on the judge and began to walk out.

 Little Missy, who sat with her parents, was whimpering “You killed my cat.”

 “Get another cat.” Thomas snarled at her.

 Caroline had heard and seen enough. She called out to Thomas’s lawyer, “Mr. Greenberg, please return before me with your client!”

 Greenberg took hold of Thomas’s arm to redirect him to stand before Judge Wright.

 Thomas yanked his arm free in defiance, continuing to walk to the exit. His father sitting in the back near the exit hardened his eyes as he looked at his son. At that moment, another bailiff entered through the double doors. With his hands gripping the front of his gun belt he stared down Thomas.

Thomas stopped. Reluctantly, he turned about and followed his attorney to face Caroline. “What?” He said.

“Mr. Pierce, you have clearly not learned your lesson. You are fortunate that your actions resulted only in the death of an animal. You could have harmed or worse killed that little girl.” Her eyes turned to Missy. “I find you in contempt of court and I am fining you one-thousand dollars.”

 Thomas’s face boiled red with rage. He was on the edge of losing complete control of himself.

 Seeing that he was about to erupt she pointed her gavel at him, “Think before you say your next words, Mr. Pierce. One more outburst, Mr. Pierce, and I will hold you in contempt and sentence you to ninety days in jail.”

 One more bailiff entered the courtroom from a door behind the court’s bench. He took up a position near the back door, watching Thomas closely.

 Thomas’s eyes narrowed as he sized up the additional law enforcement.

 “Do not make this any worse.” His attorney advised him. “She can turn this into a prison sentence; she is actually being very lenient.”

 Thomas Pierce clenched his teeth. “Lenient?” he huffed.

 “Extremely.” Greenberg confirmed.

 Thomas, still clenching his teeth, took two deep breaths before he finally responded. “Yes, Your Honor.” He turned his head to Missy, “I am sorry I killed your cat.”

 “You will address only the court, Mr. Pierce.” She reminded him.

 He turned to face Caroline, “I’m sorry Your, Honor. I am sorry I killed her old cat.” The redness in his face had not subsided. “I will pay the fine.”

 “Very well, you are dismissed. Next case.” She looked to her court secretary.

Late That Afternoon

Caroline was in her chambers as she reviewed the cases she had that day and for the scheduled cases for the next day. A gentle knock came to her door. “Enter.” She called out.

 Mayor Castillo entered; he waved his assistant to wait outside shutting the door behind him. Not asking, he sat in one of the two leather armchairs on the opposite side of her maple wood desk. His entire face smiled. “Caroline…”

 “What do you want this time, Mr. Mayor.”

 “What makes you think I want anything?” he innocently put his hand over his heart as if to clutch the pearls he was not wearing.

 “Seriously, you just happened to be in the courthouse and wanted to drop by to say hello?”  Caroline smirked slightly “I stand corrected. My apologies for thinking you were only here because you wanted something. Please forgive me, Mr. Mayor.”

 His broad smile of perfect white teeth returned to his face, “You are forgiven. I would hate for you to think I would only visit, because I have an ulterior motive. I see you as a friend, Caroline.”

 “I voted for Jefferson,” She reminded him.

 “I am aware. Yet, I know once you know me better, and understand that my policies are to improve our fair city,” to her surprise he was able to broaden his smile even more so, “I will win your vote in my reelection. Perhaps, if I may be so bold, even your endorsement.”

 “That is being bold.” She folded her hands on the desk in front of her. “Please cut to the chase. What is it you want? Let me guess; Thomas Pierce, David Pierce’s son.”

 “Mr. Pierce is a pillar of the community.” Mayor Castillo nodded his head.

 “He is also one of your major political donators.” Caroline added.

 “That may be so, but only because he understands my goals to improve our small city.”

 “And when exactly are these improvements kicking in? I have noticed my property taxes increasing along with sales tax. When are these improvements magically materializing?”  She challenged him.

 “These things are delicate, it takes time.” He defended himself. “Let’s focus on the here and now.”

 “Which is, I thought, was only a friendly visit?”

 “It is, it is.” He assured her, “Yet, while I am here I hope you can reverse your judgment on Mr. Pierce’s son.”

 “Mr. Mayor.” Caroline picked up a court document. “I just received a legal request from his daughter-in-law to place a restraining order on his son.”

 “Why?” Castillo lost his smile.

 “It seems the son of your pillar of the community can be very abusive. She served him divorce papers after his hearing with me, and threatened her.” She explained.

 “Did he actually strike her? If not it is merely her word against his.” Castillo took the order from her and looked over it.

 “You are right it is not enough to have him arrested, but the accusation, under the law is enough for the restraining order. As for my own encounters with Mr. Thomas Pierce I will give his wife’s word the benefit of the doubt.”  She took back the order from him.

 He lost all joy in his face, “This does complicate things.” Finishing his read of the order, suddenly, like turning on a light switch, his smile returned, “Yet, could you still find it in your heart to allow him to keep his license? He is willing to pay a much higher fine.”

 “You’re joking? Yes?” She was shocked by the Mayor’s suggestion. “He most likely should never drive again, until he completes a rehab program. Thomas Pierce is a danger to himself and others.”

 “What if the Pierces pay ten times the fine and Thomas enters a rehab program?” Mayor Castillo counter offered. “You could also see matching funds in your own campaign war chest. Scratch their backs, and they will happily scratch yours.”

 Looking at him grinning like the Cheshire Cat, she imagined his body disappearing and her responding to only his floating head. “Are you trying to bribe me, Mr. Mayor?”

 “Bribe? What a terrible word. No, not me, I would never stoop to such shameful methods,” He stood from his chair, “Mr. David Pierce is more than willing to assist you in your career. How does a shot for a seat on the State Supreme Court sound?”

 She looked up at the Mayor, “I have no ambitions. If anything I have been more than fair with your Mr. Pierce’s son.”

 “Well, sleep on it, Caroline.” He grinned down at her. “Think of all the good you could do on the high court.”

That Evening

Almost home, she was surprised to see the German Shepherd still sitting at the end of the driveway on the grass where she had left him. She backed the car into her driveway as the dog sat in the same spot watching her as she did so. Using the remote she opened the garage door behind her and pulled the car into its spot beside Peter’s covered Mustang Dark Horse.

 As the garage door began to descend, the dog walked up to the edge of the opening and sat in front of her. He did not move, He merely looked at her, as he disappeared behind the closing automated door.

 She shut off the engine and sat in the Mercedes. She looked at the closed door in front of her, the light of sunset shined dimly through the top glass windows. She thought of the dog on the other side, night descending on him. “I hope you at least had a better day than I did.” She said aloud before finally undoing her seatbelt, grabbing her briefcase on the passenger seat, and climbing out of the car.

To sure follow as the story continues