Love in the Shadows

Chapter Eleven

(Lucy's POV)

I threw my things in the back of my dark green jeep. Sam's foresty eyes flashed through my mind and I gave my head a shake.

Focus.

Once Lee had buckled himself in, I got right to it. "Okay, what do you know of Tanya?"

"Not much. We met her when she came up with Tash in the summertime. Seems like she's a good kid. Her and Tash are tight and she adores Sam... although who doesn't?"

When I didn't outright laugh he gave me a suspicious look but then got back on topic. "I know Sam talked to Declan yesterday about Tasha going back home to be with her after a bad break up. Sam was feeling guilty that he wasn't going back to help too."

I glanced over. "Do you know what happened?" 

"No, but I know her boyfriend shared private pictures of her, and one of the reasons Tasha went back was that nothing was being done about it."

My teeth clenched. "If the police there ignored some kind of revenge porn situation that then escalated because the boyfriend wasn't put in check, I'm going to bring down the heavy."

"Ohhhh, I'm putting on "The Heavy" right now." I smiled at how easily he was distracted, as he fiddled with my phone's playlist.

Then when the air vibrated, he responded. "Agreed. Sam has made a few comments about his hometown that has given me the distinct impression that they're ass backwards. I don't think it's going to be your only problem with our current destination."

I tapped along with the music, an idea sparking. "Do you remember Summer Jacobs?"

He turned down the tunes. "The name is popping but I can't quite place it. Refresh me."

"The Nanaimo Case."

Lee whistled through his teeth. "Jacobs was the young girl. The one we didn't think fit the killer's profile. Plus, we didn't find her with the others."

I nodded and clarified. "She's never been found. I check sporadically. That one stuck with me. I never thought that she was one of Ricardo's victims."

"Don't they all stick?" He turned off the music altogether, realising why her name had flagged for me. "There had been pictures taken and then shared of her too."

"Yah. I mean it was out in B.C. It's probably nothing but the stories connected and I figured I'd mention it." I could feel Lee's eyes on me. He knew me well enough to know that I didn't just mention things. There was an added tingling in my gut, pushing me to voice her name.

Lee's hands drummed on the dash. "It would be enough to have Charlie look into it. If he approved us to go in, it would give us a little more legitimacy. Especially, if we are going into an area that's as backwards as Sam's described."

I looked at the time, just before nine o clock. "Let's call and see what he says. Then I need to grab some takeout. You're not going to make it there if I don't eat."

He mocked my hunger by clacking his teeth at me and snarling. I pointed a finger at him. "You joke but..." My hanger could take on a nasty edge.

"I know, I know. Feeding you is the safest option." Relieved that he had been warned and food would be on the horizon. I pushed the button on my dash to call our boss.

Charlie answered immediately. "Evening Lucy."

"Hey Charlie. Lee's here too. Sorry to bug you so late but we wanted to touch base. Do you remember the Fenelon Falls deputy chief of police, Sam?"

"I do."

"He's from Lake Ridge, outside Peterborough and he's gone home to help locate a friend's sister. Tanya is sixteen and she has been missing now for thirty-one hours. Lee and I are going up to help." I paused there. Giving him a moment to process.

"You want to go in with a badge?"

I thought about it. "Not especially. We don't really know much yet, but wanted you to know where we were headed. Also I don't know how it could possibly connect but she's got some similarities to a missing person case that we flagged a while back. I don't know if you remember, we had a young girl on the Nanaimo case that we were never able to connect..."

"Summer Jacobs. I remember. I made sure that they prosecuted the boyfriend for the pictures. I kept thinking about Bella. No one should have to go through that."

Bella was Charlie's daughter and she was six, she was also his whole world. "I didn't know that. Thank you Charlie."

His voice was gravelly with emotion. "Their police should have done it in the first place."

"Agreed." It bothered me that there were times that it was waved off like it wasn't a crime. In Canada, the non-consensual sharing of intimate pictures was illegal and when it involved a minor, the perpetrator could and should be punished to the full extent of the law.

I breathed deep, knowing that what I was about to share was going to infuriate Charlie. "Tanya also had pictures posted in Lake Ridge."

"Fuck. People suck, please tell me the police there are handling it?"

I could feel Lee shaking his head next to me. "It appears not but I don't really know yet, Charlie."

"Well let's find that out too." I could hear his pen tapping. It was a habit of his, when he was doing his best planning. "Okay. So, you want me to have someone look into young girls that have had nude pictures posted and then gone missing?" Doubt rightfully laced his tone, it wasn't much to go on. 

"No. I don't know, it doesn't feel like it'll flag but I wanted you to know we were headed there and why, just in case there's something more here than just a missing person."

The line was quiet for a moment and we could hear the sounds of Charlie typing away. "Lee?"

He sat up straight. "Yah, Boss?"

"They've put in a call for extra police support because of the overtime hours for the search. I'm going to send you, it'll flag that you're from a regular precinct. Let's say Downtown Toronto. Do you have your uniform?"

I glanced over at Lee as he shook his head. "He doesn't, but we'll head to Toronto and then loop back. We really appreciate this Charlie, I know it's not really what we do and it might not be necessary."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I don't think it hurts to have you guys go in separately and already have covers in place, just in case it amounts to more. Lucy, your clearance from Internal Affairs came in tonight, I was going to call in the morning."

Relief bubbled through my body. I knew it had been a clean shoot but it was always nice when others saw it too. Lee's hand squeezed my shoulder in encouragement and Charlie's voice came through again. "Just in case, will you call Serena tomorrow and see if she'll clear you to be back in action. For right now we'll send Lee in as police. Could you go in as Sam's friend?"

It was Lee who spoke up. "That was our plan originally so I don't see it being a problem. Thanks Charlie. Hopefully none of this is needed but we're relieved to have a plan just in case."

"You two, keep me in the loop, let me know if you need anything."

"Wait." I looked over at Lee, caught off guard at the intensity in his voice.. "If you're putting together a cover for me, make sure I'm straight."

Charlie's growl carried through the phone. "That kind of a town, is it? You got it. I'll have you reporting in for seven to seven tomorrow, that work?"

"Yup, thanks."

We hung up and I glanced over at Lee. "That vacation didn't last long."

He laughed. "They never do Luce, they never do. Now, let's get you some food before you go off the deep end."