Chapter 4

  Tyrone drove Jacklyn home that night,

All through the drive,

He was talking about something,

Something Jacklyn wasn't paying attention to,

Someone she wasn't listening to

Her mind was elsewhere,

Actually, it was nowhere in particular.

Her mind was just roaming freely but she wasn't still paying attention to the handsome guy next to her.

"Jacklyn." Tyrone called when he noticed her absentmindedness,

She turned to him,

"What?"

Tyler frowned,

"You were not listening?" He asked sadly,

Jacklyn made up a light smiling face,

"I'm sorry Ty,

My mind had to wander somewhere else." She explained.

"What were you saying?" She asked him with an apologetic smile.

Tyrone sighed,

This is the first time in ages someone had ignored him and surprisingly,

He finds it funny.

"Never mind." He said feigning a sad expression as he continued to drive,

Jacklyn reached for his arms,

"I'm sorry please." She pouted like a puppy that's pleading for something.

Tyrone couldn't help bit smile,

"You look cute when you do that." He complimented on her pouting face,

Jacklyn smiled,

"So what were you saying?" She asked him again,

"Okay,

I was just asking if you'll want to go out with me some other time." He said but was putting it up as a question.

"Okay.." Jacklyn strained her neck as she recalled what her mom had told her earlier,

'You're still young and blooming,

Give yourself chance to love and experience what love is.

If your heart get broken in the first attempt,

Pack up and move on,life's all about chances and opportunity.'

She smiled at Tyrone,

"Okay,

We should go out some other time." She told him,

Immediately his face brightened,

"That's very good news,

Promise you ain't gonna regret it." He said to her,

Jacklyn just nodded as he drove her home.

   Monday's work was stressful as they'd got extra three murder case from the Walls.

Jacklyn had to work late with Max and Jake,

Harry and the rest had little to do there,

So they were free to go home.

"Bestie,

Mind if I get you some coffee?" Max asked her as he got up from his seat,

Jacklyn barely looked up from the photos that were right in front of her,

She just nodded with her full concentration on the photos,

"Get me one cup please." Jake said from his corner,

Both Jacklyn and Max turned to him.

Normally Jake wasn't much a talker and doesn't interact much with people,

"Okay,

Strong or with milk?" Max asked,

"Strong." Jake said with fill concentration on his work.

Max left to get the coffee while Jake and Jacky stayed behind busy with work,so not talking to each other.

"So,he's your boyfriend?" He asked her still not raising his head,

Jaclyn raised her head up and looked at him,

"You talking to me?" She asked him,

Surprised that he spoke to her,

Not because she wanted him to talk to her,

Nah,far from that.

But she never expected him to want to talk to her cause she's a snob especially to opposite sex colleagues.

"Yes,I'm talking to you,

He's your boyfriend now right?"He asked again,

" Not really,

We still have to go out on more dates to be sure of that."she replied casually,

Though was surprised how he knew about her date with Tyrone and why he's asking.

"I'm not trying to interfere, just that I happened to pass by your building yesternight and I saw you get out of his car,

So I felt as a good colleague, I should ask." He said to her,

She just nodded,

"It's no big deal I guess."

But to him it was,

He had his eyes on her for quite along time now,

He's not that type of guy that goes all in for girls not especially after what happened with him and his ex girlfriend Ashley.

He was taking his time to be sure on what she wants and what type of person she was,

But seeing her yesternight with that other guy,

He felt like he was on the losing end and regretted why he didn't ask her out since.

Although, he'd heard her talk a few times about hating dating people from work and that really turned him off,

She might not like the idea of us dating and might say no......

He's confused..

Should he go on and tell her how he feels of acts like there was never a feeling.

Max came in with the cups of coffee and some snacks too,

He gave Jaclyn some, gave Jake and took the rest.

"Guess you guys should stretches your legs a little." He suggested,

Jacklyn who was already straining her eyes nodded,

"I think I need that stretch a whole lot,"

She stood up

"Guys,I'll out for a few minutes." She opened the main office door and walked outside.

"You like her?" Max said to Jake,

He looked at him,

"Yes you,

So you like her?" He asked again,

Jakes demeanor changed,

"Why do you ask?" He asked the man I stead of giving him a reply,

"Cause I've noticed the way you look at her and the way you act around her,

Do you love her?" Max asked him.

Max is more of like a big brother to Jacklyn,

The both of them had taken Crime Analysis Course while at college and that was where they met,

Max was hoping to be sent to the FBI but unfortunately for him,

The FBI weren't in need of new recruits as at then,

So he was sent together with Jacklyn.

Being the only female at the Department was very stressful for her,

For the fact that she'd to tolerate the men's advances at her,

For this reason,

She came them at bay and only relate to them as colleagues and nothing more.

She couldn't extend her gracefulness to them except to Max and for a reason,

He's her college mate and also a gay.

Max isn't into women at all, rather he's into same sex,

He currently has a fiancee and they're both engaged.

"I'll give you a chance to date her, but if you mess up dude,

I won't hesitate to whip your ass so bad and shove it into your mouth you'll have to go through your teeth to wipe it off,"He warned,

Jake was surprised at his protective instinct and of not for the fact he knew Max was strictly gay,

He would have said that both of them were dating.

Am I clear?" He asked him,

Jake nodded,

"Yes."

He stood up and Max signalled him to go ahead and talk to Jaclyn who was outside,

He nodded and went out to meet her.

Jacklyn was going through some stuffs in her mother's room,

Katy was trying to clear out some old stuffs from her room and fortunately for her,

It was Friday and Jacklyn had came over,

So they were both taking out the stuffs together.

Jacklyn came across some old photos,

"Mom, remember this?" She pointed an old photo of her and her mom on her fifth year birthday,

She was busy munching cake's icing and had it all over as her mom carried her,

Another was hers and her father at their ranch in Mexico.

"How old was I here?" She asked her mom,

Katy took the photo from her,

"You were six then I guess,

That was where you first broke your leg." The woman said,

Jaclyn frowned,

"Don't you remember your friend then Cassius,

Both of your were dragging who was going to ride on Ramani then and unluckily for you,

You fell down from the horse on your first attempt to ride it." She explained.

"Yes I remember now." She said recalling the incidence that instant.

She took out a toy train,

It was a red Cabbuca and Lionel was inscribed by it's side,

It was clearly a Lionel product.

"Mom,who has this?" She asked,

She recall Ed never had any toy of this sort and she hadn't seen this toy ever.

Katy took it from her immediately,

"It was yours as a toddler,

You use to love toy cars and trucks and trains." Katy said nervously,

Jaclyn was surprised at her moms reaction and suddenly she grew a wide interest on the train,

"Mom,let me have a look." She stretched her hand to collect the train where her mom had kept it.

But the toy fell down and instantly a folded piece of paper fell out from one of the coaches,

She picked it up and wanted to toss it away but on a second thought kept it inside her pants pocket hoping to go through it later.

As they continued to clear out the mess they've created,

She took some more photos of herself as a kid and threw them into her bag to keep it at her apartment.

   It was already ten pm when she got home,

Taking out her white shirt,she was left with only her bra and the jeans pant when she decided to check the intercom for any message,

The first one buzzed,

"Hey bestie." Max voice rang,

"Just wanted to know if you're home already,

If you're good night and have a graceful weekend.

I'll be out with San San for the weekend." He announced to her,

She just smiled and pressed the buzzer for the next message.

"Hey Jack,"

It was Tyrone.

"Would you be free for the weekend,

Let's spend time together." He said,

She pressed it for the next.

"Hello Jacky,"

It was Jake's voice,

"Would you mind we go grab lunch tomorrow and dinner on Sunday night,

Would love to spend time with you.

Text me your reply please,

Goodnight and sweet dreams love." He said to her,

She blushed at his message.

Getting up from the seat,

She took off her pant,

Now in only her bra and lacy panties,

She strolled to the bathtub and turned on the water heater,

"Maybe I should go out with Jake this time,

I'll call Tyler and give him some good excuse why I can't go out with him." She said to herself as she soaked her stark naked body into the latter filled tub.

She washed her body intensely like every other night,

Washing out the pungent smell of blood and murder,

Of cocaine and high doze of propane that's always in the victims they always receive and the corpses they always see.

Her job is one hell of a job,

Everyday there's always a new case,

Be it murder,

Drug abuse,

Physical abuse on women and children.

It was so sickening she'd to witness this every time and for that she thrives harder to make sure that those killers and drug men are always caught and apprehended.

But when she's home,far from all those chaos and drug life,

What she does best was wash out the smell from her skin and latter herself with enough fragranced soaps and creams to keep the smell at bay.

Leaving the tub awhile later with a towel around herself,

She walked into her room and took out her nightie,

She was taking her worn clothes to the laundry basket when the paper she'd kept earlier fell from it,

She picked it up and opened it.

It was a letter to someone named Ricky,

Ricky.

Who's Ricky?

She asked herself as she probed to read the content of the letter to herself.

"Dear Ricky,

Sorry you've to be away from mommy at this trying moment.

You'll have to stay with aunty Katy and uncle Adam and might see them as your parents from now onwards cause I might not be alive when you'll be reading this.

Your mommy had to leave you here to protect you,

I can't watch your life being endangered like your uncle Ken because of the decision I took.

But in all know that you're mommy's and daddy's love and would forever be,

This train should be with you always cause your daddy had it specially for you.

His name is by it's side and should always be inscribed in your hearts.

Lionel,

Lionel Baird and you're his precious daughter Ricky Baird.

Mommy loves you Icky.

From Mommy

Cynthia Smithson.

Wait,

From Mommy Cynthia Smithson

She looked back at the names,

Lionel Baird,

Ricky Baird and Cynthia Smithson.

Her mom had told her earlier that the train was hers as a toddler,

Aunt Kate and Uncle Adam,

What's all this?

It was confusing to her.

She ran to her bag and brought out the old photos she'd taken from her mom's room.

She spread the photos on her bed as she continued to go through the photos each.

She'd gone through almost all of them and it was a few left,

That was when she noticed a very old photo of a couple and their daughter,

She looked closely at the couple and found out that the daughter that was either age two or three, looks a lot like her father and the father looks like....

No.

She turned the photo's back for any inscription,

It was clearly written,

"Mommy, Daddy and Ricky."

Ricky?

She looked at the child closely, then at the father,

She brought another photo of herself as a kid and compared it to the photo of the toddler,

It was very similar,

They both strike a strong resemble to each other.

Wait 

They're the same person....

She peered closely,

She wanted to believe she's wrong and all this were just hallucinations but it was very crystal clear that Ricky and Jacklyn were the same person,

Back to the letter,

Stay with Aunty Kate and Uncle Adam.

Cynthia Smithson and Lionel Baird were Ricky's parents,

They were her real parents.

They lied to her,

Cynthia Smithson is her mom,

Her mom that got killed years ago and the daughter the world and her father Lionel Baird though was dead wasn't,

She was very much alive.

Why?

Why?

She bent beside the bed and began to sob.