Long Lost Love

Cheryl and I became fuck buddies as often as we could. As best I could tell, even though we avoided the subject, she was married to a lawyer. She knew he was fucking his share of women. He was verbally abusive and controlling and that drove her further into my bed. She loved fucking a guy 20 years younger and we did some wild shit; once fucking up under her skirt on a long elevator ride in a hotel she was staying at for a nursing convention.

After about 6 months of fucking whenever we could, she texted me one day while I was on patrol.

Cheryl: Delete my number. Don't text me anymore. We can't see each other anymore.

Me: What? What happened?

Cheryl: Please John! Trust me.

Me: Does he know about us?

Cheryl: No, but he'll find out if you text me. DO NOT CONTACT ME.

Me: Okay. Let me know if you need anything.

She never replied to that. "Oh well," I thought to myself. "It was fun while it lasted, but it's probably better. We were playing with fire."

About a month later, I was on duty on a Friday night when I received a radio call from dispatch.

Dispatcher: J21, County Comm.

Me: County Comm. J21. Go ahead.

The dispatcher directed me to provide back up to another officer who was headed to a domestic violence call at a residence. Domestic violence calls are some of the most dangerous calls a police officer makes and, even though this call was in a very nice, upscale neighborhood, we couldn't take anything for granted.

When I arrived, there were already 2 other patrol cars on scene. I started up the front walkway of the home and was met by my sergeant coming toward me. "Hey John," he said.

"Hey Pete. What's going on?"

"Some dude did a number on his wife. We have an ambulance on the way code 3. She's all freaked out because she's a nurse."

"Where's the husband?"

"Bastard took off."

"Okay," I said. "What do you need from me?"

"The neighbor might know something. Can you go take her statement?"

"Yes, you bet. What's the neighbor's name?"

"I don't know, but the victim is, let's see," Pete said flipping through some notes, "Cheryl."

"Cheryl?"

"Yes. She's a nurse at the county hospital. Do you know her?"

"Um, yes. I think I've met her before."

"Okay, well go talk to the neighbor."

"That fucking bastard," I thought to myself trying to gather my emotions. "I hope he rots in hell." Of course at the same time I felt some level of guilt and anxiety about the whole situation. Cheryl said he didn't know about me, but you never know.

I walked up to the neighboring house and rang the doorbell. There was no answer. The house was dark, but I rang the doorbell again and knocked lightly. Still no answer. It is very possible the neighbor was home and ignoring me. I pulled out one of my business cards and wrote "Please contact me" on it and left it for the neighbor.

The sergeant on scene released me from the call and I headed back out on patrol. Over the next few hours, I desperately wanted to check in with Cheryl, but I also knew I needed to keep my distance and stay out of it. My shift ended and I headed back to the station and was changing in the locker room when our sergeant came in.

"Hey Pete. How'd that domestic end up?"

"Oh that, she looked worse than she was. The ambulance crew treated her on-site and she headed off to her sister's house to be safe."

"Did the husband ever come back," I asked?

"No, but they found his car at a bar nearby and arrested him. Why so much interest in this case?"

"Oh, I don't know. I guess I'm still just interested in learning all I can from other incidents."

"Great. You're doing very well, John. Keep it up."

The next few days were my days off and I was looking forward to relaxing and definitely not doing anything work related. I got home, grabbed some snacks and poured myself some wine so I could relax. Despite the fact that it was very late, I could never go straight to sleep, so I turned on the TV and finally fell asleep while it droned on.

My plan to sleep late was thwarted when the ping of my work phone woke me up about 8 in the morning. "Dammit, I forgot to turn it off." Instinctively, I glanced at the phone. There was a text from an unknown number.

Unknown Number: You left a business card on my front door.

Normally, I would have turned off my phone and not given it another thought until my next day at work. However, this was the domestic violence call involving Cheryl and I was itching to find out more about what happened.

Me: Yes. We had some questions about an incident at your neighbor's house.

Unknown Number: Would you like to speak to me?

Since I wasn't a detective, I wasn't supposed to make contact with people on cases without going into the office and checking out a patrol car. However, this was a pretty open and shut case and my desire to speak to this person was more out of my curiosity about Cheryl.

Me: Yes. May I come by today?

Unknown Number: Sure. Can you come by about 5?

Now this was becoming a pain in the ass. I had a date I was supposed to meet at 6. This conversation couldn't take any more than a few minutes, so I could do it on my way to meet Tina; my date.

Me: Yes. I'll be there right at 5. Who do I ask for?

Unknown Number: I am the only one that lives here. My name is Mary.

Me: Okay. See you then.

I relaxed around the house all day, ran a few errands, and caught up on a little paperwork. About 4 o'clock, I showered and shaved and dressed for my date. Tina was a really hot babe my age that worked at my bank. She always dressed to the nines at work, and we were meeting at a very nice restaurant, so I thought I'd better kick it up a notch. I ironed some slacks and a dress shirt and threw on a sport coat; that last little bit was also to conceal the service weapon I would carry to meet with Mary.

Like a lot of cops who were young and still single, I drove a pretty nice car. My 2017, Corvette Z06 was jet black and sat exactly the number of people I would ever allow in my car; two. I whipped it out of the parking lot at my condo complex and headed off to meet with Mary. I arrived, as planned, about 15 minutes early and drove through the neighborhood a few times. Our city was relatively safe, but you never went into a meeting like this without some basic surveillance. I noticed Cheryl's car was not at her home.

I walked up the front path to Mary's house and rang the doorbell. I heard a female voice yell "be right there", so waiting 2 or 3 minutes wasn't a problem. When the door opened, I was pleasantly surprised. Mary looked a bit older and was definitely not hard on the eyes. She had short, sporty, dark hair and was dressed in a mid-thigh length, casual skirt and a loose fitting blouse. Her legs were tan as hell and, even though her shirt was loose, it was obvious she had a nice rack.

"Hello. I'm John. Valley Springs PD," I said presenting my badge as proof of my ID.

"I know who you are," Mary said without even the hint of a smile.

"Well, okay then. I guess we're grumpy," I thought to myself. "May I have a few minutes of your time," I asked out loud?

"Please, come in," Mary said leading me into her family room. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Some water would be great."

"Nothing stronger?"

"Sorry mam, I'm on duty."

"You are? Well you dress very nice and drive an amazing police car," Mary said laughing from the kitchen.

"Oh, well, I mean, I'm here on official business."

"Okay, suit yourself. I'm going to have some wine."

"Feel free, mam."

As Mary retrieved a bottle of water for me and a glass of white wine for herself, she said, "Could we drop the 'mam' crap? It makes me feel old."

"Sorry about that, Mary. It's a habit. So, tell me what you know about the situation with your neighbors."

"Well, I just moved in a couple months ago. The husband is a prick who always complains about my dog, which is the size of a loaf of bread, and his wife never said more than a polite hello."

"Did you ever hear them fight?"

"Nope. Not at all. It was always quiet over there."

At this point, I was completely confused as to why I was here. This Mary woman didn't seem to know anymore than I did; in fact she knew less. I figured I would ask a few more questions and then leave and meet Tina with time to spare.

"Did you ever hear any of your other neighbors talk about them?"

"Everyone told me he was the neighborhood dick, but nothing criminal. And as for her, I honestly don't remember people saying much. One person said she was a nurse."

"Okay. Do you know why my sergeant seemed to think you know something?"

"I don't. I just found your card and it peaked my interest, so I texted you."

"My business card peaked your interest? How so?"

"You grew up in the town of Waterside; on Ram Way for a little while, didn't you," Mary asked?

"Mary, people like me get a little weird when strangers know a lot about us. Why don't you tell me where you got that information and why you texted me?"

With that, Mary lightened up a little and smiled from ear to ear. "John, you don't remember me?"

"No. Why should I?"

"Do you still have your Superman costume?"

"Holy fucking shit! Excuse my French. Mary Beth?"

"Yep. It's me."

"What the hell? How did you end up here in Valley Springs?"

"That's a long story. How have you been, John?"

As I stared at her, it all came back to me. Almost 20 years later her hair was different, her body was all grown up, and those little, side teeth that resemble small fangs were there to melt me when she smiled.

"I've been good. I came to work here a couple years ago right out of college and I live on the other side of town in a condo."

Mary told me she had moved to Valley Springs just recently and was renting this home. She was working in pharmaceutical sales and traveled quite a bit. She had been married for about 10 years and they had no children. We laughed about the first time she babysat for me and I assured her I didn't have my Superman costume anymore. I am sure back then she knew I had a boyhood crush on her, but she was kind enough not to bring it up. It was a little strange talking to Mary Beth. From one perspective she was much older than I, but now, we seemed more like peers.

I told her about moving to the country outside Waterside to live while she was away at college. I then gave her the summary version of my life from high school to college and now as a cop in Valley Springs.

"You were quite the football star," she said. "Every once in a while, my parents would tell me about how 'the little boy I used to watch' was tearing up the football world."

"I worked hard and football paid for college, so I am grateful for that."

As time ticked away I glanced at my watch. I had about 15 minutes before I had to meet Tina.

Picking up on my time checking, Mary Beth said, "You have to go, don't you?"

"Well, um, yes."

"Do you have a date?"

"Yes," I said.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"Oh hell no! I mean, it's our first date. She works at my bank."

"We should connect some time and laugh more about old times," Mary suggested.

"For sure. That would be awesome. Here is my personal cell number. Text me later."

"I will. It was great to see you again."

"It was fabulous to see you. We'll get together soon," I promised.

"I'd love that," she said as she gave me a hug and a peck on the cheek.

Short of Tina crawling under the table and giving me a blow up on our date, there was no way she could hold a candle to reconnecting with Mary Beth; my long lost love. I am sure Tina was a really interesting date, but I just couldn't concentrate on what she was saying with the litany of "what if's" about Mary Beth clouding my brain.

I got home from my date and texted Mary Beth.

Me: Just wanted to say again how great it was to see you.

Mary Beth: Same here.

Me: Any chance you can get together in the next two days?

Mary Beth: Damn. No. I leave on a business trip tomorrow morning. I'll ping you when I get back.

Me: Okay. Sounds great.

The next week couldn't have gone slower. It seemed like every little annoyance that could draw out a week happened at once. As I was headed into work on Friday, my person cell phone rang with a call from a number I didn't recognize.

"Hello, this is John," I answered.

"John, it's Cheryl."

"Oh shit. How are you? What number is this?"

"It's my new number. I had to get it."

"What's been going on," I asked?

"Well, he beat me up a little."

I paused and contemplated how I should respond. "I know."

"What do you mean you know," she asked?

"I was there that night. I was backing up other officers on scene."

"Oh shit. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Don't be silly," I said.

"I want to see you, John."

As much as I physically wanted to see Cheryl, something odd stirred in my gut. I wanted to wait and see what happened with Mary Beth. It was crazy. I had no idea if Mary Beth was even interested in anything more than reconnecting to laugh about me running around the house in a Superman costume, but I had to hold out to see.

I took the easy way out and lied, "Cheryl, I talked to my sergeant and told him you and I had a fling. I had to. I could have gotten in a lot of trouble if he had found out later. Anyway, he told me NOT to be with you until this thing is well in the past."

There was a long silence. "Okay. I get it. Again, sorry for the drama."

"Take care, Cheryl."

In police work, boring days are good and this particular Friday was among the more boring days of my life as an officer. The downside of a boring night was how long it took to drag on. The entire time I was waiting and hoping Mary Beth would return from her trip and text me. My hopes were fulfilled when a text came in from Mary Beth.

Mary Beth: Hey John. I hope your Friday night is going well.

Me: It's slow which is good. How are you? (happy face emoji)

Mary Beth: I'll be better when I finally get home. Flight's delayed. Won't land until 2 o'clock. No shuttles home that time of night and $$$ to ride share.

Me: I'll be there.

Mary Beth: What?

Me: I can get off a bit early and I'll be there. Text when you land.

Mary Beth: You don't have to do that.

Me: I know, but I want to.

Mary Beth: You're so sweet. How can I thank you?

Me: Dinner Saturday night.

Mary Beth: Deal. See you about 2.

Now I just needed to find a reason to get off early. It was a slow night, but I was still a newbie on my shift and had no seniority with the other guys. I called my sergeant on the radio and asked for a 10-25 (person to person meeting). We met behind a closed business that was a favorite place for cops to meet.

"What's up Johnny," my sergeant asked?

"Hey Pete. Any chance I can get off a bit early tonight?"

"Not feeling well," he asked?

"No, I feel fine."

"That's not what I heard. Seems the stomach bug got you a little, huh," he asked with a wink?

"Oh, uh, yeah. Something I must've eaten."

"Okay. I got you covered."

"Thank you very much Sarge."

"One more thing," he started.

"What's that," I asked?

"Is she cute?"

"Would I settle for anything less than fucking hot?"

"Good point. Have fun. See you Monday."

"That is unless it goes better than expected," I laughed.

"For your sake, it better not go that well," he laughed and waved goodbye.

I returned to the station a few hours later, changed into my street clothes, hopped in my Vette and headed to the airport. Thank god for 24-hour grocery store hours. I stopped into one on my way out of town and grabbed a bouquet of flowers. After a long week travelling, I was sure it would brighten Mary Beth's spirits.

Just as I was exiting the freeway at the airport, she texted me and said the plane had just landed and she'd be out at the curb. As I rolled up to the curb and saw her standing there, decked out in her tight little business jacket and skirt with her legs clad in nylons, my heart fluttered like she had a spell on me. She was gorgeous.

"How was your trip," I asked as she climbed in?

"It sucked. Meetings didn't go well. Delayed flights. Drama at home."

"Well, maybe this will help," I said as I reached behind the seat and brought forth the flowers.

"Oh my god. They're beautiful. You're so sweet," she screamed as she leaned over and kissed my cheek as I drove.

"I figured you might need something to brighten up your week."

"That is the nicest thing...," she started to say and teared up a little.

"What's up? You seem more upset than just a bad week at work," I said reaching over and giving her thigh a friendly touch.

She put her hand on mine, so I left it there on her thigh. Touching her like that made my heart start to race. "I don't want to bug you with my drama," she said.

"How about if I say it wouldn't bug me?"

"It's just my ex. He's fucking crazy. When I started to travel a lot with my new position, he got really paranoid and was convinced I was sleeping around. I never so much as looked at another man and I wouldn't even have dinner with colleagues for fear he'd find out. His crazy antics like showing up at business meetings to check on me almost cost me my job."

"That sucks," I added.

"No shit. Finally, I filed for divorce. It was finalized 6 months ago and he still does weird shit. He found out which hotel the conference was at this last week and called them and said I was depressed and he feared for my health. They sent security to my room at like midnight and woke me up."

"You need a restraining order," I said, offering professional advice.

"I've tried, but he's never completely crossed the line."

"Okay, well, let me know if I can help."

"Thanks. And, sorry for the drama."

"Please don't be sorry," I said gently squeezing her leg. She left her hand touching mine, almost like we were on the verge of holding hands.

We chatted about the better parts of her business trip and, at her prompting, I told "cop" stories to her. As we arrived at her house, now about 3 o'clock in the morning, I insisted on walking her up to the house and making sure she was safely inside.

As we approached the front door, I was messing around with her rolling suit case that kept falling over when she grabbed my arm to stop me and yelled, "Oh fuck!" Her exclamation was followed by the bursting of the flood gates that held back her tears. She turned to me, draped her arms around me and started to sob.

I held on to her and glanced over her shoulder. Her front door, predominantly glass, was covered in dog shit that had been thrown at it. Someone had very deliberately hurled the feces at the door. As soon as I could get her calmed down, I walked her around the back of the house and we entered through there. We both knew it was her crazy ex, but like he'd done in the past, he made a statement to her in a way that could never be traced to him.

Between the previous week and this little incident of crazy vandalism, Mary Beth was beyond exhausted. At my insistence, she had a drink and headed off to bed. I told her I'd let myself out.

As I was about to walk out the front door, I paused. A small, dark sedan was driving down the street very, very slowly with only its running lights illuminated. I stepped out onto the front porch and took a few jogging steps down the path and it immediately took off. I started to place a call to the station, but I really didn't have anything to go on besides some smeared dog shit and a car driving slowly. I knew one thing for sure, I wasn't leaving the house that night. I walked back inside, stripped down to my boxers, fetched a few blankets, and fell asleep on the couch in the living room.

I woke up at about 8 o'clock in the morning as I was used to not getting much sleep. I threw my jeans back on and headed out to the front yard to look around for any incriminating evidence I could find that her ex had done this. Finding nothing, I grabbed a hose, some paper towels, cleaner and scrubbed off the mess.