Turning Tables (WeHo Book 3) Read online

  Turning Tables

  Sherryl D. Hancock

  Copyright © 2017 Sherryl D. Hancock

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 154231139X

  ISBN-13: 978-1542311397

  DEDICATION

  For everyone who's ever found their world turned upside down by someone else and managed to come through it with a better life and love. Always remember that the night is always darkest right before dawn, and you will make it through.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  For my wife, Tirzah, who has to live with so many women (characters) and puts up with them all!

  CHAPTER 1

  Jericho Tehrani lay staring open-mouthed at her wife of just over ten years.

  “What did you say?” she asked, her tone of voice disbelieving.

  “You… you heard me,” Kelly stammered, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment.

  “No, I think you’re gonna need to repeat that one,” Jericho replied, her look still shell shocked.

  Jericho was still in bed, it was 9 o’clock in the morning on a Sunday. Her wife, Kelly, was, as usual, up and dressed and had likely been puttering in the house for the last three hours. They’d long since stopped staying in bed together on a lazy Sunday morning. When they’d first gotten together and even for the year after that, Kelly had adjusted her sleeping patterns to suit Jericho’s. After they’d gotten married, her sleeping patterns had slowly gone back to her way, which was to get up at the crack of dawn and go to bed early at night. She was no night owl.

  Kelly had wandered into the bedroom on this particular morning. She’d idly moved about the room, doing this and that, straightening up the sink area in the bathroom, clearing off the TV cabinet and finally adjusting the blinds to the point of letting sun into the room. When Jericho had turned over onto her back looking at Kelly as if she’d lost her mind that was when Kelly had dropped her little bomb.

  “I said I don’t think I want to be married anymore,” Kelly repeated, her eyes looking everywhere in the room, but at Jericho.

  “Where is this coming from?” Jericho asked, blinking, trying to comprehend what was happening.

  “I’ve been thinking about this for a while now,” Kelly said, moving to stand by the door.

  Jericho knew that Kelly wanted to escape, she hated confrontation. Jericho didn’t care at that point what Kelly hated.

  “How long of a while?” Jericho asked, moving to sit up, which had Kelly practically dancing in place in nervous agitation.

  At 5’9”, Jericho was imposing, as was her well-muscled, tan and toned body, nicely on display in the tank top and shorts she wore to sleep in. To say that Jericho was butch was definitely a safe statement, with her strong features, which matched an extremely strong personality; no one would ever mistake her for anything else. Her look was only slightly softened by the fall of thick silky black hair, a gift of her fathers’ Persian heritage and blue eyes, a gift from her American mother. At that moment, though, Kelly only saw the law enforcement agent she was married to preparing for an assault.

  When Kelly didn’t answer, Jericho narrowed her eyes, “Kell,” she said, her tone serious, “How… long?” She measured out the words to make sure Kelly understood that she wasn’t going to let this go.

  Kelly looked like she’d been snared in a trap, her brown eyes darting everywhere in the room, her breathing becoming a little more rapid. Finally she looked back at Jericho.

  “About six months now.” Kelly answered meekly.

  “Six months?” Jericho repeated disbelievingly.

  Kelly nodded.

  “We’ve only been here five.” Jericho shot back.

  “I know.” Kelly said simply.

  “So you’ve been thinking about this for six months, and you’re just bringing it up now?”

  Kelly bit her lip, blowing her breath out as she nodded.

  “So you let me take this job, but you were thinking you didn’t want to be with me anymore all the while?” Jericho asked, sounding like a lawyer building a case.

  “You wanted this job,” Kelly said.

  Jericho looked back at her for a long moment, blinking a couple of times. “Well, I wanted to be married for the rest of my life too, it doesn’t sound like that’s happening though.”

  Kelly once again looked scared. It irritated Jericho that Kelly looked scared a lot, like she’d ever laid a hand on her in anger. Jericho had a temper, there was no doubt about that, but she rarely let it off the chain in front of her wife. There’d only been a couple of times when her anger had gotten the better of her, but she’d never considered for a second striking her wife. Not that one could tell by the way Kelly looked all the time whenever she knew Jericho was getting pissed off.

  “I, um, I’m gonna go,” Kelly stammered.

  “Go?” Jericho repeated, her tone incredulous “You’re gonna go?”

  Kelly put her hand to the dresser in front of her, which she’d conveniently put in between herself and Jericho, like a barrier. She picked at the chip on the dresser that had happened when they’d moved this last time.

  “Is there someone else?” Jericho asked, not believing she’d have ever had to ask Kelly this question.

  “No,” Kelly said immediately, glancing up at Jericho, but then went right back to picking at the dresser.

  “So then where are you going?” Jericho asked.

  “Shelly’s here.” Kelly said then.

  “Shelly’s here?” Jericho repeated. “All the way from Texas?”

  Kelly nodded, biting her lip.

  “So you have been thinking about this for a while,” Jericho said, starting to feel the anger coming up in her, “And you’ve been talking to Shelly about it, but not me.”

  Kelly swallowed convulsively, only nodding in response.

  Jericho gave a short laugh, “Right,” she said sharply, “Because why should you talk to me about it?”

  “I gotta go,” Kelly said.

  “We need to talk about this,” Jericho said, putting one foot to the floor.

  “Shelly’s waiting.” Kelly said, her eyes widening at Jericho’s movement, terrified that she was going to get up from the bed.

  “Well, we can’t keep fucking Shelly waiting.” Jericho snapped.

  “Jericho!” Kelly gasped, as if she’d been physically slapped.

  Jericho dropped her head back against the headboard, “My life is falling apart and still I can’t cuss?”

  “I’m going to stay with Shelly in El Paso while we settle this.” Kelly pronounced, and then she walked out the door.

  Jericho sat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. How did this happen? She wondered.

  A little while later she suddenly realized it was far too quiet in the house. Where was Riley? Riley was their two year old Samoyed. In truth Riley was Jericho’s dog, but they called her theirs. Getting out of bed, Jericho called to Riley. When there was no response, she walked out to the kitchen and looked into the backyard, expecting to see the white haired fuzz ball to be standing at the door begging to come into the house. She wasn’t there…

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now!” Jericho shouted to no one.

  Kelly had obviously taken Riley with her. Why? That was just it, Jericho stood legs braced wide apart, hands on the kitchen counter and yelled in absolute desolation and fury, yelling until her voice was ragged and would no longer serve her. Walking over to the back slider, she picked up her lighter and her cigarettes, a brand from Egypt called Cleopatra Golden Kings, one of the things she still got from back home in Iran.

  Walking outside to sit at the patio table, she shook out a cigarette and lit it, still unable to believe what was happening sud
denly to her life. One minute she was on top of everything, she’d just been made the Director of the State’s Division of Law Enforcement, she and her wife had bought a nice house in a decent neighborhood in Brentwood and they were fixing it up, and now, BAM! Everything was a mess.

  Turning on the Bose stereo using the remote, she was surprised when no music began. Glancing back at the unit Jericho saw that the iPod that had been there had also been removed.

  “Jende!” She screamed in Farsi, calling her wife a bitch, as she launched the remote across the yard, watching as it smashed against the wall.

  “Everythin’ okay over there?” asked an Irish accented voice from the yard next door.

  “Just fan-fucking-tastic over here this morning!” Jericho called.

  Suddenly there was a red-head perched on the wall between their houses, her grin was wry as she hopped down on Jericho’s side. Jericho couldn’t help but chuckle. Quinn Kavanaugh lived in the house next door with her girlfriend a singer named Xandy Blue. Quinn had accidentally attained some fame on YouTube when she fought four men in Belfast, Ireland and someone had videotaped it. She’d further been made famous for essentially lifting part of a house off of a small child, Xandy’s cousin, in Kansas after a tornado had torn through the house the child lived in. Jericho and Kelly had met the couple when they moved in and Jericho had liked the couple right away. Kelly had been more reserved in her feelings toward the two, she had no idea how to deal with someone like Quinn Kavanaugh whose arms were decorated with tattoos, and who didn’t really care what people thought of her. Jericho liked the woman.

  “What’s wrong?” Quinn asked, sitting down and pulling out her own cigarettes.

  Jericho looked back at Quinn, thinking she had no idea how to put it politely.

  “She fuckin’ left,” she said, lighting another cigarette and taking a deep drag.

  “Left?” Quinn asked, looking confused, “Kelly?”

  “Yeah,” Jericho said, nodding.

  “Like for good?” Quinn clarified.

  “She doesn’t think she wants to be married anymore,” Jericho said.

  Quinn stared back at her, open-mouthed, “I thought you two were solid,” she said then, shaking her head.

  “That makes two of us.” Jericho said, still thinking she needed to wake up from this bad dream.

  “Son of a…” Quinn said, looking disturbed by the thought. “So no warning at all?”

  “None.” Jericho said, “Just good morning, I’m leaving, bye.”

  “Fuck…” Quinn said, she never would have believed Kelly capable of that kind action, she’d seemed so mild, so timid.

  “You said it.” Jericho said, shaking her head.

  Looking around her at the backyard that she and Kelly had talked about doing so many things with, she was at a loss. The only way they’d been able to buy in the Brentwood area was to buy a fixer upper. She’d assumed they’d be doing the work together, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Lovely, was all she could think.

  This isn’t actually happening, was all Catalina Roche could think as the dealer she’d been working for months now, actually pulled a gun on her and put it to her head.

  “Son of a…” Cat muttered, as she simultaneously brought her left arm up and through to block the shot that went off right as his arm shifted, catching her in the shoulder, and pulled her weapon with her right hand and shot him.

  She noted the look of surprise on the man’s face as he fell.

  “Goddamn it!” Cat screamed, as she began to pace agitatedly.

  “Stupid fucker!” She yelled at the man, even as she knelt to check for a pulse. She didn’t feel one.

  Pulling out her cell phone she called 911 and ordered an ambulance, while still holding her gun and watching the door. Fortunately, they’d been alone in the room, and as far as she knew the house as well, but she wasn’t taking any chances that the sound of the gunshot wasn’t going to bring reinforcements.

  Dispatch answered, she identified herself as a San Diego PD officer and provided her badge number. She asked for an ambulance and explained that it was an officer involved shooting. She knew that would involve IA, she the next call she made was to her boss.

  “Dibbs,” Dave Dibbins answered after two rings.

  “Dave, it’s Cat,” she said, “I just had to shoot Mopar,” she explained, her tone grave.

  “Shit, what happened?” Dave asked, immediately on high alert.

  He knew his officers and that none of them would shoot if they didn’t have to, especially not in a case where a dealer was involved.

  “He pulled a gun on me,” Cat explained, noting absently that her hands were shaking.

  “Jesus,” Dave breathed, “Are you okay?”

  “I took a round in the shoulder,” she replied, suddenly realizing that she had definitely been close to death.

  “What’s your twenty?”

  “Fourteen seventy eight Blue Bark Drive,” Cat replied, her voice softer now.

  “I’m headed there now, did you call an ambulance?” Dave said, even as he stood pulling on his shoulder holster and clipping on his badge.

  “Yeah,” Cat said, suddenly feeling light headed, “Gonna sit down now,” she said, and knelt and then moved to sit.

  Dave found her sitting by the body ten minutes later, the EMT’s were working on her shoulder, and there was a sheet over the body.

  “How is she?” he asked the EMTs.

  “It was a through and through,” one of the guys told Dave, “She’ll be fine, but we’re going to transport her, she’s lost a lot of blood, not life threatening though.”

  Dave nodded, looking around the scene.

  As the EMT’s helped her up, Cat picked up her gun that had been set aside. She cleared the chambered round and locked back the slide taking out the ammunition clip, handing both to Dave.

  “I’m sure IA will want this,” she said, sounding weak.

  “Go,” Dave said, nodding as he took the weapon and clip, “They can get your statement at the hospital, I’ll call Elizabeth.”

  Cat nodded, as she was assisted onto a gurney.

  Less than an hour later a frantic Elizabeth walked through the doors of the hospital. Dave met her there.

  “She’s okay, Liz, I promise,” he told her, seeing the worried look on her face.

  “Where is she?” Elizabeth asked without preamble.

  “Come with me,” Dave said, taking her hand.

  Elizabeth nodded to the members of Cat’s team, as she passed them, knowing they were there to support Cat. Dave led her to a door, and then gestured for her to go in. Elizabeth pushed the door open gently, and walked inside. She spotted Cat lying on the hospital bed, her eyes closed. Elizabeth’s eyes went immediately to the bandage on Cat’s shoulder. Walking over to the bed, Elizabeth looked down at the woman that meant so much to her.

  Things between them were still tenuous. Elizabeth knew that Cat was still having a lot of problems dealing with her betrayal. Elizabeth had been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person, and it had done irreparable damage to their relationship. Even so, Cat had been the one to help rescue Elizabeth from a maniac who’d abducted and brutalized her months after that betrayal. It was that act, the fact that Cat had been with her after that horrible experience, and had helped her recover, that kept Elizabeth hopeful that things between them could get better again. There were times when things seemed to be going right, but then something would happen and Cat would pull away again. It was maddening.

  “Hey,” Cat said weakly, her eyes looking up at Elizabeth who was lost in thought for the moment.

  “Cat,” Elizabeth said, her look concerned, “What happened?”

  Cat looked contrite, her grin wintery, “I guess being the sometime girlfriend of a rock star is a little dangerous for an undercover narc.”

  “Oh, my God!” Elizabeth exclaimed, realizing what Cat was saying.

  In the wake of Elizabeth’s infidelity Cat had gotten i
nvolved with a famous singer named Sable Sands. Sable was an openly gay, highly recognized rock star. Cat had made a strong effort to keep her name and her image out of the media, but it had suddenly become apparent that her information had somehow leaked out to the press, and it had almost gotten her killed. The dealer had uttered “Fuckin’ faggot cop,” as he’d pulled his gun to shoot her.

  “It’s okay,” Cat said, not really feeling what she was saying, but not wanting to deal with a hysterical woman either.

  Elizabeth pressed her lips together, not wanting to say all the things she was thinking about Sable Sands and her infernal pursuit of Cat. Sable Sands had not been willing to give up on a relationship with Cat, even when Cat and Elizabeth ended up living together, albeit in separate rooms of a house they invested in. Cat had been unwilling to force Sable to stay away as well. Elizabeth knew that she had no place to complain about Cat still seeing Sable, but she was damned if she was going to give up on Cat either. It was a bit of a mess, really.

  “Bet,” Cat said, seeing the thoughts churning in Elizabeth’s head, “I’ll be okay, really.”

  “I know,” Elizabeth said, nodding, “I just worry, you know that.”

  “I know,” Cat said, nodding, “They say I’ll be out of here tomorrow, okay? Then I’ll be back at the house.”

  Elizabeth took a deep breath, blowing it out and nodding at the same time.

  They both heard a commotion in the hallway and looked at each other.

  “That’ll be Sable,” Cat said unnecessarily.

  “Indeed,” Elizabeth replied, sounding very English, her look exasperated.

  Sable Sands arrived with a flurry of activity no matter where she was, this instance was no different. The door to the room opened, and Sable stood their wearing all black, her eyes drawn immediately to Cat. She walked in, her heels clicking on the tile floor, she glanced at Elizabeth, her look, as always measuring.

  “Play nice,” Cat warned Sable, before she could say anything.