Badge of Honor (The Town of Pearl 9)

“I’m okay, just a lot on my mind.”

Her aunt smiled. “Well, come on in. Mary has been waiting patiently to see you.” Her aunt held Lauren’s arm and brought her into the living room.

* * * *

May Salsbury watched her niece closely. She’d seen so many changes in her over the last several years. Lauren looked tired, overworked, and stressed. Her niece wanted to save the world from violence and violent people. She couldn’t fault her for that. But in her attempt to be a modern day superhero, she was losing time for herself. Lauren was obsessed and she would hate for such an obsession to cost her her happiness.

“There you are. We’ve been waiting for you,” Daisy said as Mary, Daisy, and Carly stood up and greeted Lauren.

Lauren gave Mary a huge hug and Mary smiled.

She held Lauren by her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “You look tired, honey. Rough case?” she asked.

“They’re all rough, Mary. No worries, I’m fine,” she said and then greeted her sisters.

May watched them all begin to converse as she grabbed Lauren a bottle of water. She knew her niece was working and on call. She’d seen the unmarked police cruiser outside.

“Where is Frankie? He could have come with you,” she said about her partner. Frankie was a character, and came from a family of law enforcement officers. But there was something about him that always made May ask how he was doing. She didn’t know what it was. Perhaps the way she would catch him watching Lauren. Not like a partner would, but like an admirer. A man interested in the physical.

“He had his own lunch engagement to go to. I have to pick him up in about an hour.”

“Well in that case, we should start lunch. Come on, your sisters made dessert and it looks to die for,” May told Lauren and they all headed into the dining room.

“So, how are the classes coming along? Were you able to kick butt on that soufflé thing?” Lauren asked Daisy.

Carly chuckled then pushed the long strands of her blonde hair behind her ear. “That’s kind of a sore subject right now, sis,” Carly said and then Daisy gave her a mean look.

“Oh quit it. I didn’t tease you this much when you kept making lopsided angel food cakes,” Daisy countered, her blue eyes sparkling with annoyance.

May laughed. “It takes time and lots of practice to make those perfectly. Cut each other some slack,” May told them. They smiled.

“Well, if you ever decide to come to Pearl and open up shop there, you can both make the things you know how to make perfectly. You know there isn’t a sweet shop in Pearl. That would go over really well. There are so many functions and events. Plus the town is so perfect,” Mary told them.

“It sounds perfect every time you describe it when you visit. But it’s also so far from New York. We’re just not sure about moving,” Carly told her.

“Besides, unless Aunt May is planning on selling this house and moving with us, we’re not leaving her,” Daisy added.

“Don’t forget the money needed to start up the sweet shop. I’m working on it, but we still have some time to go. We’ll get there and know where to establish the business when the time is right,” Lauren said and they all agreed.

May felt her chest tighten. She worried about all three of them, and especially Lauren. She lived on the edge, always risking her life. May often wondered if it stemmed from the fact that she’d killed three men that night their home was invaded. It was like she felt guilty for it. A twelve-year-old shouldn’t have had to live with such a burden. In her career as a police officer and detective, she’d killed only one other time and because it was her life or his. She took a bullet to her shoulder but survived. Then of course there was the lunatic on LSD that came after her and Frankie with a butcher knife. Cost Frankie thirty-five stitches to his back and cost Lauren twenty to her side over her ribs. She still had the scar to show for it. But Lauren was tough. Tougher than she needed to be. May worried about her, but police work was her vocation, her calling in life, and the danger was part of the job.

She listened in as the women all talked about what they were up to until after they finished lunch and Lauren’s cell phone went off. May watched as Lauren pulled the cell off the belt on her black dress pants as she stood up. The sight of the badge on her waist, the large black gun on her hip in the holster, and her conservative attire made her appear like a typical homicide detective.

“No problem, I’m on my way,” Lauren said. “Sorry, but I need to go. There’s this case we’re working on and our informant just got a lead. I’ll see you guys tonight. It was good seeing you, Mary.” Lauren hugged Mary and then her sisters before making it around the table to May. May took her hand.

“Be safe.”

“Always,” Lauren replied like she always did.

They said good-bye and May watched her go. Her heart felt heavy, her concern grew a notch more, and she prayed that Lauren would be okay. She was worried about her.

May glanced at Mary, who gave her a soft, knowing smile. Before the girls had arrived she shared her concerns about Lauren and about the needs of Carly and Daisy. Mary understood. She knew all too well about handling loss and being alone. Mary knew about a lot of things. Including things about the girls’ father neither of them ever shared with them. May closed her eyes and prayed to God to protect Lauren. There wasn’t anything more she could do. Fate was in control of all of their lives.

* * * *

“So what’s this meeting all about?” Lauren whispered to Frankie as they stood outside their commander’s office. Two Federal agents were there and a couple of the State Trooper investigators who were working the Tenth Street gang case. As Hercules came into view, along with his crew of big shots from the gang unit, she knew something big was up. Hercules eyed her over and then licked his lower lip. He was a hard ass, but good at his job. He and his team did a lot of crazy shit.

“Something is up and we’re part of the in crowd apparently.”