Cassie (The Mitchell/Healy Family #7)(29)
Not a single day goes by where I don’t think about my parents. It would have been nice to hear their voices again – guiding me to be the best person I could be; to help others, even when I don’t agree with their beliefs.
Though I quit going to church after their death, I never stopping believing in a higher power. Now, more than ever, I needed to keep that faith, because Las Vegas was like dwelling in Hell. The devil was alive here, and he didn’t take sick days. Like a beacon for evil, this place attracted the worst of humanity. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw someone pay it forward. I suppose that’s what drew me here. I knew there was plenty of misery to surround myself in. I wanted to blend in; to be a different person than the one everyone saw on television – the sad teen son left with nothing but the clothes on his back. Had I not been at my friends that night I would have burned to death like my parents, while my sister and her crack head boyfriend stood out back watching. I still couldn’t imagine what the police thought when they rolled up to our property and found her high as a kite, watching the fire she’d set burn our parents to death.
She’d been in custody since that night. Eight years had gone by and I’d never once visited. I was already in foster care by the time she went to trial, charged as an adult. Thirty years was a long time to recover and think about what she’d done. They’d never given her a reason to hate them, all except for trying to prevent her from being with a man who would in turn ruin her life.
They’d been right, and they didn’t even get the chance to see it.
Every time I smelled smoke I imagined what it was like for them. Had they died from the smoke while sleeping, or had they woke and tried to get out of the house before the flames engulfed them? I’d never know the truth. A part of me didn’t want to. I knew I’d dwell on more of what I couldn’t change.
My drug addict sister, who once had so much potential, had met a guy she thought she couldn’t live without. She gave up her soul to be with him. Then she gave up her life when she killed our parents.
She’d been writing for years, probably as soon as she was clean. One letter, that’s all she got from me. I told her to leave me alone, and that I hoped she rotted in a cell before the state was willing to set her free.
Joining the force seemed like the right thing to do. As soon as I was of age I submitted my application. I’ve never looked back or regretted my decision to do good; to save people from themselves, before they’re too messed up to know right from wrong. I didn’t want to see someone else have to go through what I did; the unbearable future of being alone.
Cassandra Healy. I read her file again just to be sure I hadn’t left anything out. I had high hopes for the girl, especially after she’d called from the hospital. Then something in me started to worry. Maybe she’d told her boyfriend about our meeting and he’d harmed her. Maybe her life was in danger because of me.
I drove as fast as my cruiser would allow, lights beaming for vehicles to get out of my way. If she was in trouble it would be on me, and I wasn’t going to allow that to happen.
I don’t know if I calmed down until I located her room and found her in one piece. She looked rough, but I’d seen firsthand what withdrawals can do to someone’s appearance. I approached her bed, first looking around to make sure she was alone. “Ms. Healy, is everything all right?”
She seemed weak as she spoke. “I’ll be fine once I’m out of here. They’re saying at least seventy-two hours. I feel like I’m going to die, and it’s your fault.”
I chuckled lightly to myself. “And why is that?”
“You told me to get clean, so I took your advice. Now I feel like I’m on death’s door.”
“You’re not. I can assure you, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
“That’s easy for you to say. I’m sure you’ve never gone through this before. You’re probably a natural do-gooder,” she said with sarcasm.
“I’ll have you know I work hard to be perfect,” I taunted.
“Give me a break. I might choke on your humor.”
“Why am I here, Cassie? You have to know you’re not my only case.” It was important to stay professional with my informants. I knew she was new to the program, but she had to know I didn’t mess around. My goal was to keep her out of trouble. I wasn’t there for a therapy session. I wasn’t even qualified for such actions. She needed a friend, but it couldn’t be me. My priority was her safety, and that’s as far as our relationship could go. Sure, I’d noticed how beautiful she was, even while strung out. I could only imagine how f*cking amazing she could be when she was clean. Even though I lived by my code of ethics, I was still human, and a man at that. I hated she’d fallen into a life of crime and drugs. Every case seemed to remind me of my sister, and how I hadn’t been able to help her. Sometimes I felt like each case was a do-over for me to get it right. With every failure there would be one that stood out. I hoped this one had a good outcome. Losing another female to the hard life of Vegas was crushing to my soul. For so many reasons I felt like this was my calling; to help the ones who couldn’t save themselves.
She waited a few seconds before answering me. When she did, she fidgeted with her hands, as if she was nervous. “I think Rocky is ready to make the switch. I don’t know for sure, but Brant mentioned something about it tonight while we were here. He said we wouldn’t have to stay in Vegas much longer.”