Life's Too Short - A Chenford Story

Chapter 3

Vanessa's Perspective

Vanessa watched as Detective Lopez and that lovely young woman, Tamara, left the hospital. When they were out of view, she turned her attention to the man Lucy had always referred to as Officer Bradford.

He was older than Lucy, that was for certain. He had harder lines as well - none of the sunny optimism that Lucy had. But it seemed to be a serious relationship — why else would he have power of attorney? She knew that her own relationship with Lucy was strained, but Lucy wouldn't just pick anybody to have that much power over her life. None of her relationships prior had ever been this serious.

Does he really care about my daughter? she wondered.

She had heard some stories about the man, normally complaints in the year and a half she rode with him as a rookie — He was too hard on her. He never gave her a break. He implemented "unreasonable challenges" that Lucy referred to as "Tim Tests." He was emotionally unavailable. As time progressed, she did start saying more positive things like, "He really pushes me to be better." "Tim will always be there. He saved me."

Earlier on, Vanessa had hope that his tough training style would push Lucy to leave the force. But that didn't work.

Tim made no move to speak with them. He remained quiet as he continued to look forward towards the direction Dr. Thrace had disappeared into. Vanessa recognized the façade of a man who knew how to school his features while he dealt with something deeper within him — maybe early trauma.

Tim leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees while he clasped his hands in front of him. He rested his forehead on his hands. Vanessa watched as his jaw clenched and unclenched.

"You are dating my daughter," Vanessa stated.

Tim sat up, almost surprised at being spoken to.

"Yes, I am," he confirmed, not volunteering anything more.

Not very chatty, this one, Vanessa thought.

"How long?" Vanessa asked. Patrick's ears, she noticed, perked up with interest at the conversation.

"Not long; a few months."

"I see. And yet you're already her legal power of attorney," she pointed out.

"We've had each others' back a lot longer than a few months."

"You were my daughter's T.O. Isn't there a rule against that?"

"I was your daughter's T.O., and then I became her Sergeant. When we started dating, I moved out of her chain of command by taking another job."

"Couldn't my daughter get another job instead?"

"She could have and would have, with another division. But I knew she wanted to stay in Mid-Wilshire," he shrugged.

"I see," Vanessa inquired. Getting information from this officer is like pulling teeth. "Have you always been a police officer?"

"Marines prior. One tour each of Iraq and Afghanistan as sergeant."

A born leader, Vanessa thought. Maybe the trauma was from the war and not from early trauma as I had thought.

"Thank you for your service," she nodded. Tim nodded back and settled back in his chair. It didn't look like he was in the mood for any more conversation, so she didn't push. He seemed like a broody type.

He didn't seem like any of Lucy's past boyfriends. At least the boyfriends she knew about. Perhaps it was just as well. None of those other boyfriends had lasted after all.