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  Next in Line

  A novella by R.L. Wilson

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  About the Author

  Sneak Peek: Making Choices

  Cha

  pter One

  Logan

  I felt pain in my jaw as I realised what had just happened. The guy that we were arresting for being drunk and disorderly had turned around while I was trying to cuff him and with a mighty swing his fist connected with my face. “Ouch” I complained as I got back up to my feet to see my partner and long-time best friend Cooper Hutson laughing at me while he finished cuffing the guy. Giving Coop a little glare and taking the drunk guy, I shoved him a bit while putting him in the back of the police car. I smiled a little as I thought that I had gotten some sort of revenge for him punching me.

  We got back to the station and palmed the drunk guy off on one of the officers for processing. Cooper and l had just sat down at our desks when the Chief popped his head out of his office door. “Shields, Hutson, in my office, now” Cooper and I both looked at each other before we started walking towards the chief’s office. “Shit…what did we do this time?” I asked Cooper. He just shrugged at me and said nothing. When we were in the Chief’s office and the door was shut, he gestured at us to sit down. Without as much as a sound from either of us we sat down and waited for the Chief to start talking. “So as you know the Construction Site Killer struck again last week. Making 3 murders in the past 6 weeks. We need all the men that we can get working on this case and the way that you two brought down that rapist last month proves you two have what it takes to help in an investigation like this. You guys are now officially on the Construction Site Killings case.”

  I sat quietly for a minute thinking about what the chief had just told us when Coop spoke up and said “But chief, we are already on the Johnson case, the six year old girl who was kidnapped, possibly by her father. That case isn’t closed yet. We can’t just abandon it for another one.” “I have put someone else on the Johnson case. I need you on the construction site killer case because you two are the only ones without a family or attachment so you can relocate easily” the chief quickly replied while handing both of us a key each and some paperwork. I looked through the paperwork in an attempt to understand exactly what the Chief was trying to say. Written on the top of the paper was an address and all the information on the murders. “I suggest you get comfortable there gentlemen you’ll be living in that apartment until the case is solved. It’s directly across the road from the construction site where the bodies are being dumped, so you will be able to keep a close eye on things without arousing suspicion. Now go home and start packing, you move in tomorrow morning” the Chief said. Coop and I both stood up and thanked the Chief before walking out and heading home to start packing up our things.

  To say that I don’t like moving house would be an understatement. I absolutely despise having to move house. It’s just such an annoying process, packing everything up just to take it to another house then having to take it straight out again and of course you lose something important along the way which you aren’t able to find until weeks later. I was glad that the apartment we were moving into wasn’t a permanent thing. It meant that I didn’t have to pack up all of my things, just the stuff that I needed which was mostly clothes as the apartment had already been furnished by the department. I packed all the boxes up in the back of my truck and drove to the new apartment. As I pulled up I saw Coop had gotten there before me and had already started unpacking his car. I let out a big sigh as I started doing the same thing. “What’s wrong with you princess?” Cooper mocked me. “Hey, don’t give me that crap. I totally saved your ass, you owe me”. Coop scoffed as he took some more boxes inside.

  Of course I hadn’t really saved his life. Coop and I had gone to Kindergarten together. He had been pretty little for his age back then. The day we became friends he had been playing with some bubbles at kindergarten when the biggest kid there snatched it off him and pushed him over. I had immediately jumped off the swing I was on and come to his rescue. I swear I barely even pushed the kid but over he went, face first straight into a mud puddle. After that day we become inseparable. Throughout school we were always in the same class, generally known as the trouble makers. Then after high school we got serious and went to the Police Academy together. Once we graduated we were lucky enough to be assigned as partners and had stayed partners since. It is safe to say we are more like brothers than best friends.

  I grabbed some more stuff out of the back of my truck and walked up to the door of my apartment when I heard what sounded like some keys drop to the floor and then a little voice. “Ah darn it”. I looked over to see her picking up her keys and dropping all the books that were in her hands. I watched her for a second before coming to my senses and going over to help her pick up her books. She was quite easily the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She had light brown hair that went halfway down her back and the most brilliant jade green eyes I had ever seen, so deep they reminded me of the wedding ring my mother used to wear. The ring that my dad had held onto ever since she left us when I was only a few months old. As I looked into her eyes, unable to divert my gaze, I handed back her books. She smiled at me and said “Thanks” then walked into her apartment without as much as a glance back. It was at that moment Coop popped his head around the corner and nearly shouted “Damn! She was hot! Who was that?” I shook my head at him, trust Coop to make a bad impression before we had even moved in. “I dunno…our new neighbour I guess.” I said as I pushed him back into our apartment before he could make us look even worse.

  Holly

  I threw my keys and my books on the coffee table before looking for Sophie who was in the kitchen making out with her on again, off again boyfriend Spencer. They had only been dating for about 5 months but had broken up and gotten back together more times than I care to remember. After a second of awkwardness she finally realised that I was standing there and pushed away from Spencer. Wiping the sides of her mouth she said “Oh hey Holly. I didn’t even hear you come in. Spence and I were just starting to make dinner”. That’s not all they were starting to make I thought to myself and then giggled silently at the joke I had just made. “Did you have a good day at work today?” Soph asked when I hadn’t replied. “It wasn’t too bad. I only got bitten once today but I will need to go and burn my shirt though” I replied as I was walking into my room to take my snot covered work clothes off and throw them in my hamper. I worked in a day care centre with kids under the age of two. We have one young child who vomits on everyone all the time, never on herself. I swear she waits until someone picks her up before vomiting all over them. We have another little girl who will wipe her snotty nose all over your clothes instead of in the tissue that is in her hand and a little boy who has just started biting all of the staff all of the time for no apparent reason. I do love my job but some days I wonder if it’s worth the pain and dribble.

  After getting out of what was one of the hottest showers I have ever had in my life, just to make sure there was no snot on me so I wouldn’t get sick. I quickly got dressed into my track pants and a tank top, wrapped my hair in my towel and went into the kitchen to find that Sophie and Spencer were now arguing. Feeling awkward I tried to remain unnotic
ed and quietly walked back into my bedroom pretending that I hadn’t seen or heard anything when I heard Spencer throw the wooden spoon at the wall, grab his keys and slam the front door on his way out. I popped my head out of my room and saw Sophie put her hands over her face and started sobbing into them loudly. I grabbed the wooden spoon, wiped the wall down and walked over to Soph and hugged her tightly. “He’s such an ass” she said between sobs. “I swear that it’s over for good this time”. Yeah we have all heard that before I thought to myself but didn’t say anything as I didn’t want to upset her even more, so I just stood there rubbing her back and trying to comfort her while she cried on my shoulder.

  After about half an hour or so Sophie had finally stopped crying and started to calm down. I quickly said to her “Wait here a minute” and ran into the kitchen. I came back carrying a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses. “This will make you forget all about tonight!” I told her, smiling. She managed to get a little half grin out. I poured each of us a shot and announced loudly “Bottoms up!!!” About an hour and several shots later Soph and I were dancing around the lounge with the stereo blasting when I suddenly realised how late it was. “Aw man, I have work in the morning I better get myself to bed” Soph sighed and said “Yeah me too” so I stumbled my way into my bedroom and called back to Sophie “Night” but she had was already asleep on the couch.

  The next morning I woke up, regretting the night before and started to get ready for work, hoping that today would be a better day than the last few that I’d had. I put my uniform on, threw my hair up in a bun and went into the living room to see Sophie still curled up on the couch. I grabbed the blanket that was on the floor, put it on her and headed for the front door. When I opened the door I was surprised to see Mr Sullivan standing there. “Oh, good morning” I said a little confused as to why he was here and how he even knew where I lived. “Good morning Holly. I’m sorry to intrude on you at home but I was just wondering if maybe I could take you out for lunch today?” I stood there shocked for a minute. Did he mean a date? Are you even allowed to date people from work? Mr Sullivan has a child who goes to the day care that I work at. Not wanting to be rude I said “Umm sure, lunch can’t hurt.” A smile spread across his face as he said “I’ll pick you up from work at one.” I smiled back as he walked away. How did he know when my lunch time was? Without thinking anymore about it, I grabbed my books and keys and left for work.

  I was glad that I got to spend most of today in the office doing research and study for new procedures that we were going to start doing soon for the children. It meant time away from the screaming room with the child who wouldn’t stop biting today. I was so focused on my work that I jumped a little when someone knocked on the door. I looked over and saw Mr Sullivan standing there smiling at me. “Are you ready to go?” he asked me. “Sure” I replied and then started shutting down the computer, grabbed my bag and headed out the door. When we got to his very shiny silver car he opened the door for me and I got in without saying a word. When he was in he started the car and we began driving down the road. I turned to him and said “Look Mr Sullivan I –“When he cut me off mid-sentence. “Please call me Eamon. Mr Sullivan makes me sound so old”. Feeling really uncomfortable with it I said “Ok, Eamon, I’m not really sure if I am allowed to date you because I work with your son.” “That’s okay, we won’t make it a date then. Just two friends going out to lunch.” We went to a little café for lunch, not too far from my work. It felt really awkward and there wasn’t much of a conversation despite Eamon’s best efforts. I was so glad when it was over and we pulled into the car park out the front of my work. Without looking at Eamon I said “Thanks for lunch” while jumping out of the car and walking as fast as I could back into work.

  When I got home from work that day I found Sophie all dressed up in a tight short dress and heels and I looked at her in confusion. “Why are you so dressed up?” I asked. “Spencer text me today and asked me to meet him at the café around the corner so we can talk about our relationship”. “Ah Soph” I started to say, but Sophie put her hand up to stop me from saying anything else. “I know what you are going to say Holly that I can do better than him. But I love him so I’m going to try and make this work”. I rolled my eyes and said “Ok then” while walking off into my bedroom. Sophie and I met at the beginning of high school and for the first year we didn’t really like each other very much at all. At our school there was always a competition to see who could become more popular. I never won because I wasn’t willing to sleep with every guy who looked my way just to make that happen. Apparently Sophie didn’t have that same problem. One week when half the school was away on camp Sophie came up to me at lunch and started talking to me. I think she only did it because there wasn’t really anyone else who she thought was cool enough to talk to. After that we became close friends and it’s stayed that way ever since. I would do anything for her, but I didn’t really like her dating Spencer, or even Spencer himself for that matter. He had too much of a temper and would always throw or break things whenever him and Sophie would have a fight, which was often but Sophie has never listened to me about anything before, why would she suddenly start listening to me when I tried to tell her things about her boyfriend? I popped my head out of my door and said “I hope that you have a good time and please be safe.” Sophie just smiled at me and walked out of the front door so I started getting undressed and jumped into the shower.

  Cha

  pter Two

  Logan

  Work had been a drag today. I don’t really like working at the station with the Chief constantly breathing down my neck. It also makes it hard to get away from Cooper when he starts to get on my nerves. After a long day at the station Coop and I got back to our place. We decided that we would take it in turns looking out of the window watching the construction site for anything that looked suspicious and of course I had the first turn. I pulled a chair up to the window and sat there eating my Chinese food and thinking how I hoped something would happen so my night could become more interesting. As if by coincidence I heard a loud bang followed by some things smashing. I grabbed my gun out of its holster and ran to go and see what was going on. When I stepped outside I saw that the door for the apartment next door had been kicked in. Holding my gun in front of me I ran inside and found a lamp some books and dinner plate were all broken on the floor. Suddenly I heard a scream and a thud so I made my way to the bathroom checking the corners as I worked my way through the apartment trying to locate the source of the scream. I booted the door open and saw a man wearing a balaclava pulling the girl that I saw yesterday across the bathroom floor. I aimed my gun and yelled “FREEZE!” The man froze and looked at me without letting go of the girls’ hair. I slowly started to walk towards him when unexpectedly he let go of the girl and pushed me, flinging me into the wall before sprinting out of the apartment.

  I attempted to chase after him however when I got to the hallway he was already gone. Damn he was fast I thought to myself quickly. I yelled out to Cooper and he came running out of our apartment with his gun in his hand. He followed me back to the bathroom where the girl was still lying on the floor with her head up looking out of the bathroom. I kneeled down next to her and scooped her up so that I was hugging her trying to calm her down. She was shaking and started to weep, so I grabbed the towel from the towel rack and wrapped it around her. I just sat there for a little while holding this crying, shaking woman trying to calm her down. “My name is Logan Shields” I said, hoping that by talking to her I could try and take her mind off what happened long enough so she would stop crying and shaking. It started to work. She looked up at me with those amazing green eyes and wiped her tears away. “I live next door” I began saying when she didn’t say anything. “I helped you yesterday when you dropped your books.” “I’m Holly Farley” she replied so quietly that it was almost a whisper.

  Shortly after that three police cars arrived and two officers were inside getting Holly’s and my side of
what happened while the remaining three had gone outside to secure the building and make sure the perp wasn’t still nearby. After I had finished giving my statement I heard a gasp. There was a blonde haired girl standing in the doorway with her hands over her mouth. She ran over to Holly, sat on the couch next to her and put her arm around her while asking a million questions and sounding like she was going to cry. I told the officers that Coop and I could take it from here and they all proceeded to leave. Coop and I just stood in the living room with our arms crossed watching this blonde girl, who was obviously desperate for attention, ask Holly a bunch of questions about what happened. Cooper asked the blonde girl to go into the kitchen so he could ask her some questions. When he walked past he flashed me the biggest smile. I just shook my head as I tried to hold back my smile knowing exactly what he was thinking. I looked at Holly sitting on the couch looking so sad and all that I could think was that I just wanted to hold her tightly and not let go until she knew everything would be okay. Wow that was weird. I shook away the thought and sat down on the couch next to Holly.

  I wanted to ask her who was that man? Why was he here? But I knew she didn’t have any of those answers and it would only upset her further if I were to ask them. I grabbed hold of her hand that was resting on her leg. Instantly I felt a tingle go through my body from how soft and gentle her hand was. “Cooper and I will go now and let you get some rest. If you need anything at all we are just next door” I said. I nodded at cooper so he knew we needed to leave and we walked out the door. Before I could close it Holly looked at me and said “Thank-you Logan”. I just smiled at her and closed the door hovering by it for a moment until I heard the locks click. Only then did I walk with Coop back into our apartment.