Jason was enrolled in the police academy at University of Texas at Austin and Sandy was in her final year of teacher college. They met a couple times in the commons of the university for lunch and finally, two weeks later, went on a date. She had laughed when after the movies, he had taken her back to Sonic for a Limeaid.

From that day on, they remained inseparable and when Jason had received a job offer from the San Antonio Police Department, Sandy had taken a teaching job with San Antonio schools.

They were married the summer after they graduated and had never talked about the danger in Jason’s job again. He sensed she had dealt with it and accepted the danger as part of loving him. There was no more reason to discuss it. She would no more ask him to quit than he would ask her to give up teaching.

Jason still knew though, after every shift, she would greet him the same way. Sometimes the hugs lasted longer than others, but the greeting was always the same.

Today was one of those long hug days. Jason had been tracking a suspected serial killer in Springfield, Missouri. There had been guns involved and that always made it worse. In truth, he might be the one holding on a little longer. He had missed her and the strength he drew from her.

Still it was nice to be home and with her rather than facing Lieutenant Patton. Jason knew he had an issue to answer for but at least he got to be home for awhile before going to the station.

****

Way too early the next morning, Jason’s phone began ringing. He saw the station number on his phone and figured it had to be Lieutenant John Patton. Instead, the voice that greeted him when he answered was his partner, Vanessa Layne.

“Slacker, you awake yet?”

“I am now.”

“You coming in today? I’m tired of carrying everything while you’re off gallivanting cross country.”

He gave a small laugh and rubbed at his eyes.

“Gallivanting? Really? Is that what I was doing? Yes, I’ll be in. I’ve got an appointment with the lieutenant.”

“ Anything I should know about?”

“No. I’ll see you when I get in.”

He hung up and swung his legs off the side of the bed. Sandy rolled over and touched his back.

“You have to go?”

It happened she had no school today, some sort of teacher training thing, and Sandy had suggested last night that she would be willing to skip it if Jason stayed home.

“Yeah. Can’t put it off.”

She groaned and rolled back over.

He got up and got dressed.

****

Jason arrived at the station about mid-morning. He walked to his desk opposite Vanessa, who was busy filling out a report. She looked up and smiled.

“Welcome back, stranger.”

“Thanks. Have you seen the lieutenant?”

“He ran down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Said he’d be back shortly and you should wait in his office.”

He went over and took a chair in the Lieutenant’s office. Almost as quick as he got comfortable, the door shut behind him.

“Morning, JD.”

Jason's middle name was David and he had picked up JD in the academy. It had stuck.

“Good morning, Lieutenant.”

John Patton dropped into his chair. He was a big man who worked out almost every day, including his days off, and had muscles on his muscles. Brown hair that was receding, or as he put it, moving to his eyebrows and moustache. They were indeed bushy, and when the lieutenant was upset, his eyebrows would knit together to form a hedge. Jason noticed the hedge was visible this morning.

“Jason, you’ve put me in a tough spot. Your work in Springfield was first class but the records search you did for Michael Barton is strictly against department policy.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jason figured the fewer words the better.

“I’ve made the Captain aware of the search but not the results.”

Jason didn’t say anything but he knew he bore responsibility for much of what happened in the days after the search.

The lieutenant got to the point.

“You’re suspended with pay for 14 days.”

Jason let it sink in. It wasn’t the time off, that would be kind of nice, but the mark on his record may well hold him back for years. Still, he knew that John Patton had protected him. It would have been much worse if the captain knew all the details.

Jason stood.

“Yes, sir. I appreciate the consideration.”

“Okay, and JD, give your partner the news on the way out.”

“I will.”

Looks like Vanessa has two more weeks of carrying me.

He had no way of knowing that he would be off for less than a week.

Chapter  2

Jason Strong took Highway 368 out of his Terrell Hills neighborhood down to Houston street and then east to the police station. He and Sandy had moved there when he’d made detective. It was a nice neighborhood of newer homes and an easy commute for him.

He was headed back to work after only six days served of his suspension. The lieutenant had called him this morning and lifted his suspension because of the case that had just landed on his desk. Jason had jumped at the chance to get back to work and was on his way within twenty minutes.

His pager started going off five minutes after the lieutenant hung up. It was Vanessa. He had ignored the paging to get ready but she had kept at it right up until he pulled into the station parking lot.

He pressed the button to end another page and headed towards the station doors. He was almost there when he saw Vanessa coming towards him. She was tall and thin, some might say skinny, with long straight black hair and large eyes. They had been beat cops together and she was good, very good. She’d made detective before him and he was glad that when he’d made rank, they were assigned as partners.

Usually, she was smiling but that wasn't the case this morning. She started talking before he got to her.

“Why didn’t you answer my pages?”

“Good morning to you, too”

“Lieutenant says there's a body over by Canyon State Park. He wants us to take it.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I ignored your pages, he wanted me here as fast as possible.”

She wasn’t buying it.

“Whatever!”

He laughed. It was good to be working with his partner again.

“Why are we taking a case in a state park?”

“Lieutenant says it’s just outside the park, in the Stanton subdivision, and they’ve asked us to take the lead.”

“He give you any other details?”

By now Jason had turned around and was walking with Vanessa towards her car.

“Just that it's a female. Uniforms have taped the area off. Medical Examiner and forensics are on the way.”

They got to her car, a restored 1971 Dodge Challenger, and got in. She fired up the engine with a roar. Jason loved the sound of it. Vanessa's husband had restored it for her at his auto body shop.

Jason had been to the shop a handful of times and had seen several of the cars Rob had done for customers. He was good at what he did. Jason had a Ford Thunderbird he wanted Rob to tackle but the new house had used up all the fun money for now.

They were on the Highway 1608 loop heading north towards the suburb of Stanton. Even though it was a hot July day, they drove with the windows open and the air conditioning off. He knew Vanessa loved to let her hair blow and his comfort came second. Truth was he didn't mind. It reminded him of his college days.

Jason was just over six feet with sandy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore his dark sunglasses most of the time but, when he wanted information or wanted to get a read on someone, he would take them off. He could be very intimidating with his stare. He was muscular in an athletic way, not a body builder, but strong and very calm under fire.