Tomorrows Yesterday

Freya

     When I pulled into my driveway a spotted Chase sitting on my porch in the headlights of my car. He stood and started towards me as I parked and turned off the engine. I pushed my car door open and he put his hand under my arm to help me. "You Okay?" He asked.

     "I'm fine, but do you think you could help me carry a sleeping child in?"  I smiled. He ducked down and peered into the back seat and spied April asleep in her car seat. 

     "I'm sure I can manage one tiny little girl." He chuckled. I pulled the back door open and leaned in to unbuckle her, then I stepped back so he could reach in and get her. He cradled her against his body. Her little arms reached around his neck and her tiny head rested on his shoulder. My heart jumped watching him cuddle his daughter. Her hair just slightly darker than his own. He carried her to the front door and I let them in and showed him the way down the hall to her room. Mom had already dressed her for bed so all we needed to do was lay her in bed and tuck her in. He stood there looking own at her for a minute as I kissed her forehead and pulled her blanket up and secured her in. He was standing by the door with his hands in his front pockets. A soft smile on his face. "Motherhood suits you." He said softly.

     "Best thing I ever did." I replied. We moved back down the hall to the kitchen. I busied myself making coffee when my phone pinged. I read the text message from Scott. It seems Jeb made a stop before going back to Clara's tonight. He took pictures and would have them on my desk in the morning. He said I'd find this new development very interesting. Then he sent a dark pic to me that he had taken with his cell. Not the high powered camera that he used for the rest. It was very dark, but I recognized the warehouses in the back ground. I also recognized the man Jeb was shaking hands with. The Mayor. Our Mayor.

     "Knock knock!" Darren yelled as he came in. "Coffee ready?' I pulled four cups down and set them on the table with cream and sugar. Then I set the coffee pot on a hot pad and let them pour as Kellum came in the back door. He greeted every one then looked to me. 

     "April?" He asked.

     "Tucked up a nice and snug in her bed." I replied softly. Kellum, my dear friend Kellum. Always worried about my daughter. 

     He sat down and poured a cup of coffee too. "Well Scott followed Jeb after we left. He followed him to the warehouses on the East side of town." I put my cell phone on the table.  He met someone and Scott was able to take pictures. This one is a little too dark to really see things, but it's enough for me to recognize who he met." I pushed my phone towards Darren. He picked it up and frowned. 

     "I can't tell who it is." He said. "Its too dark."

     Kellum took it and looked. "I recognize the warehouse, but not the man."

     Chase looked, but laid my phone back down on the table. ¨I couldn't tell you. I've been gone too long."

     "I think the man he met is Bishop." Darren threw back his head. "What the f**k you say!" He barked.

     "The f*****g Mayor? You think that's Mayor Bishop?" He was in shock.

     I sat down. "I do. I know it's dark and hard to tell, but in my gut I know it's Bishop. Scott used a high power camera and is going to get the film developed tonight in his dark room. He'll have the pictures ready for me tomorrow morning. If this is Bishop then we have a real problem on our hands. I need to get my guys to dig deeper into Bishops life. Finances and stuff. Properties and ties to Jeb, but anyone who may have drug ties."

     "Wow" Darren was shaking his head. "Did Jeb say anything tonight?"

     "Not really. He has some political rally thing he wants to attend soon and was asking me to join him. He thought I'd be interested to see how high society lives and hob knobs. I explained that I was busy right now, what with your wedding and the carnival coming up." I thought about that a minute. "Come to think about it. The Mayor called this week to ask about security. Wanted to make sure there'd be enough. And Jeb asked about it too. Why would they be asking about it? Maybe to find out where all my deputies were and weren't?"

     Kellum looked deeply at me. "More like making sure they wouldn't be in the way."

     "I'm thinking so." My brain was going a mile a minute. Chase reached over and squeezed my hand. "You have enough men to cover town and the carnival?" He asked. 

     "I can have. I'll have my regulars on the fair grounds, but now I'm thinking I could use a few on the warehouses."

     "Count me in on warehouses." Kellum spoke up.

     "Yeah me too!" Darren said.

     "I can't put you there Darren. Bishop already asked about you. I told him you' be back from the honeymoon and would be helping with the carnival as always."

     "Yeah well, He doesn't know about me. I'll set up at the warehouses too." Chase said.

     I looked at him. "You plan to stay awhile after the wedding? I thought you'd be heading home."

     His bright blues starred into mine. "Home isn't always a place. It's the people in your life." 

     I swallowed. I had no answer to that. Kellum cleared his throat and stood. He put his empty coffee cup in the sink. "I'm headed to bed. If those pictures come in tomorrow, and it's who you think it is. I'm all in Freya."

     "Good night Kellum. Thanks for having my back tonight." I smiled.

     "Always." And he went out to his apartment in the back yard. Darren rose and made a move for the front door. "I'm going home. I'll call you in the morning sis." He said going out the door. That left me alone at the table with Chase. 

     ¨You sure you want to get involved?¨ I poured more coffee into my cup.

     ¨I still think of this town as home Freya, You and Darren are family. I know I don know a whole lot about whats been going on in your lives, but I´d like too. So...yeah I´m in.¨

     She pushed herself up from the table and stepped over to the sink. She turned and faced him. Leaning against the counter. ¨Okay. Be at my office tomorrow and we´ll look at the pictures and formulate a plan from there. Thanks Chase.¨ She smiled.