Running with Secrets

Untitled Part 22

"Paul has a few tricks up his sleeve. But he's going to need to be pulled out soon. We're going to have to kill him."

Shocked and appalled at the revelation, Sally and Heath acted in disgust.

"What?!"

"Sir, that's a little extreme!" Sally said at the same time.

"I know. It sounds really bad, but some of the other uniforms at the precinct have seen him as Benson and know, without knowing who he really is, that he runs with The Electrician. Fortunately, we have worked something out to kill him off where he gets into a fight with some of the others. And fortunately for him, he is not one of the three who are on the wanted list."

"If he's not careful, he'll end up on it himself."

"Sally, he's good. He can take care of himself." Heath replied.

"I know, but to fake a death...."

"What's the difference between this--" he waved a hand around her apartment, indicating what they were doing with Kristin--"and that?"

"I guess you're right."

"I know he's right," Captain Vanderson responded. "Benson has to die so Paul can come home." He stood with his hands on his hips and shook his head. "The sooner the better, though." After a few seconds of letting his detectives grasp what was about to go down, he followed up with "Go home and pack, Johnston. You'll need a lot of rest for tomorrow."

"Yes, Sir." Heath said, proffering his hand to the captain. "I'll be here to pick her up at three p.m."  He turned and left mere seconds before Kristin came out of the bathroom.

"Where's Heath?" was the first thing to come out of Kristin's mouth.

"He had to go home and get ready for tomorrow. He has to come to the office in the morning to tie up his loose ends before three-o'clock." Uncle Seth said, as he put his hand on the door to leave.

"I'll get things cleared up here."

"I can help you, Sally." Kristin said.

"It's okay, but whatever."

Kristin didn't let it pass that the air around her felt different than it had earlier. There was so much tension now that she didn't know if she'd be able to sleep unless her uncle took it with him.

"Remember you won't be able to contact me, at all, when you're gone, Kristin. If you need me, Heath is the person you contact. He's your last contact here. Maybe Sally, since she's your old college roommate, after all."

"After all." she repeated after him.

Uncle Seth crossed the room and gave her one last hug. It would have been nice if it were her dad, but that would never happen again. He was too busy being happy with his secretary and she was still angry over it all these years later.

"I'll see you when I see you, then, I guess." She choked a tear back.

"You'll do fine, Kristin." He said, choking on her new name. "You'll do fine," he said one last time before he walked out the door.

After a minute or two, Sally stepped away from the corner of the wall, still having her arms crossed, but sighing. "I guess I gotta go change the laundry over and you gotta finish packing." She said as she left the room.

Kristin was amazed that everyone in her life right now had left her. She felt vulnerable in her loneliness and couldn't wait to gain a new normal. The only thing left to do was to sweep Sally's apartment for any renegade items that might be hiding out and try to read the book she picked out from the bookshelf.

It only took her three or four minutes to finish gathering her remnants, so to speak, but she had grown restless.

It wasn't long after that Sally walked back in. "I checked the fabric content and high heat is okay. I hope you don't mind. The clothes will be ready in forty minutes." She sized up the look on Kristin's face and determined Kristin was scared as a baby duck away from it's mother so she sat next to her on the couch. "I know you're scared, Kristin. I get that, but you have to be able to function. If you let your fear rule you out, you'll never get through this. You have at least three people here on your side. Obviously your uncle is a huge support, and if it were just a case of deja vu, you'd have been home already, but it's more complicated than that. Mather did you very wrong, and we're going to make it right. I wish I could go with you and Johnston, but that's just not possible. She watched Kristin as the corner of her mouth twitched at the mention of her partner's name. "Heath is a decent human being. His family is nice and even though he's a little stand-off-ish, he's got a little sister about your age that he'd die in the line of fire for. You're in good hands. That's why I stay partnered with him. Once he has your back, you're golden."

Kristin looked in awe at her new friend.

"I know what's going on in your head, but you do need to be careful. He has a very dangerous career."

Kristin wrinkled her eyebrows at Sally. "What are you talking about?" She closed the book and put it in her lap.

"I saw the way you looked at him when he got here. I don't mix work and personal life very much, and I certainly wouldn't mix my work life with my partner's. But you did light up a little when he arrived and you did fight back a smile when I mentioned him a minute ago."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sally. Besides. You two...you kissed." Kristin said, trying to push off her interest.

"I distracted him. And before you ask, yes, I've noticed how good looking he is and no I'm not a lesbian, nor do I have anyone to go out with on the weekends. It's just not my time right now, and I'm okay with that. I get my social fill when I get together with my rather large family. I'm okay with that too, really."

"I never thought you to be a lesbian." Kristin felt the red rising to her eyebrows. She must look ridiculous. "I just thought...."

"Listen, Kristen." Sally interrupted the thought. None of that's important about me. But I do hope that when you need some guidance, you call me first." She elbowed Kristin in the arm and winked at her. "I can be like the big sister you never had. Come to think of it, that's how I've been already."

Kristin began to cry again. "I always wanted a sibling, I guess you'll do, for now." She laughed through some tears and they both laughed together after that.

"Heath will take really good care of you for the next two weeks or so. Just remember that. And if he doesn't, I'll take care of him." Sally said punching her fist into her other hand as they laughed some more.

*****

"Yes, Sir." Heath said into his phone. "I understand it's delicate, I get it and I'm also not fifteen years old any more." He never would imagine himself mouthing off to his boss, but sometimes he treated him like he was a naughty teenager. It was getting old and he didn't like it. "I understand, Sir, but you have to understand that I'm very good at my job. That's why you picked me, remember?" He listened for a few seconds more then replied. "I have to get some sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow....Thank you, Sir. Good night."

It was always a hard night when his boss checked up with him like this right after a meeting. It was getting tiresome, he thought as he slipped into bed. He had already made sure everything was ready to go; his breakfast was ready for toasting and his last minute bathroom items were lined up on the bathroom counter, ready to put into the bag after he was done using them in the morning.

*****

The basket of laundry had been sorted and folded and Kristin was already done putting her few items into her bag as Sally was finishing putting her things away. Kristin had tucked herself into the make-shift bed she had been sleeping on all week as Kristin said to her, "I'll have someone come get your things early and take them to the office so Jerry doesn't bombard us with questions when Heath comes over in the afternoon. It would avoid so many things."

"I think that would be a good idea. I want to remember just his voice." She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

"Good night. Jeanie." Sally said as she took her basket of laundry with her to her bedroom and called her by her given name for the last time.