Bloodstain

BLOODSTAIN

BY

John C. Dalglish

2012

Other Clean Suspense Books
by John C. Dalglish

“Where’s My Son?”
- Det. Jason Strong-Book - #1

For My Brother - Det. Jason Strong-Book - #3

Silent Justice - Det. Jason Strong-Book - #4

Tied to Murder - Det. Jason Strong - #5

One of their Own - Det. Jason Strong - #6

Death Still - Det. Jason Strong - #7

And a New Series.

Crossover - Chaser Chronicles - #1

Prologue

Norman Lasiter laid his books on the bench and sat down.

“I'm gonna’ do it, Mark.”

Mark Jensen i
s Norman’s best friend. Actually, he’s the only true friend Norman has. Mark put his foot up on the bench and looked at him. “You’re crazy, Dude. You don't stand a chance with her.”

Norman knew what he meant
and why. It's not that Norman is stupid. In fact, he’s a straight “A” student. He’s also athletic, a starter on the varsity football team. He’d probably be one of the coolest kids in school, if not for one thing.

Norman was born with a Port Wine Stain birthmark. A large one on the left side of his face and it
impacted his life almost every day. “I'm telling you, she likes me. We sit near each other in Chemistry and she always says hi.”

Mark rolled his eyes.
“She's just being polite, Dude. That’s what girls like her do to guys like us.”

“What do you mean ‘guys like us’?”

“You know what I mean! We’re on a different social scale than they are.”

Norman understood but remained steadfast.
“I don't think so. I think she really likes me. I've always been too scared to ask a girl out, I'm not going to back down this time. Prom is in three weeks and I’m going with her.”

The ‘her’
they’re talking about is Marcie Walker. Tall and thin, with jet-black hair that falls to her mid-back, and large green eyes that made Norman

blush
to just think about, she was one of the
cool girls
.

Mark was clearly
not convinced. “I don't want to see you crash and burn, man.”

“Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.”

Norman did his best to sound confident but inside he was terrified. He’s tall and well built, but it seemed the girls could never get past his birthmark. He’s convinced Marcie is different.

Even though
they’re sitting in the shade, both boys are sweating in the early summer of San Antonio.

Mark took his foot off the bench and sat down next to his friend
. “When you going to ask her?”

“After football practice
tomorrow. The cheerleaders practice in the gym, and I'll catch her there.”

Mark put his arm over Norman's shoulders.
“Well, if I can't talk you out of it, I'll wish you good luck. Call and let me know how it goes.”

“I will.”

*******

Practice ran longer than usual th
e next day, and Norman was afraid he’d missed his chance. He ran over toward the gym, still in his uniform, and carrying his helmet. He spotted Marcie and two friends coming out of the locker room.

“Marcie!”

She looked but kept walking.

“Marcie!”

This time she stopped and turned toward him. The two girlfriends stopped too. He ran up to them. “Marcie, can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Okay, what's up?”

She didn't move and neither did the other two girls. Norman stared into those green eyes, unsure what to do, so he plunged ahead. “Well, uh, well, I was hoping you would go to prom with me.”

The two girlfriends giggle
d and Marcie looked embarrassed. “No”

“You sure?”

“I'm sure, the answer is no.”

Norman
couldn't help himself. “Why not?”

The two girls rolled their eyes
and laughed out loud. Marcie looked angry. “Because, I'm not going to my senior prom with a guy who has a bloodstain on his face!”

She turned and walked away, looping arms with her girlfriends, her black hair flowing behind her. He could hear them laughing.

Norman stood there for a long time. Frozen in place, anger surging up in him. He felt naked, exposed, humiliated.

How could she? Bloodstain! How dare she?

His anger churned and mixed with embarrassment. He looked around for anyone who might have seen what just happened. A group of teammates was watching from the parking lot, and Norman could hear them laughing.

He wanted to run after her, make her
apologize, or make her pay for her cruelty. Instead, he threw his helmet against the gym wall and ran for home.

Chapter 1

Jason pulled into the driveway and got out. Sandy was waiting for him when he got to the door. She was tall, almost the same height as him, with blonde hair and brown eyes.

Jason love
d the way she greeted him. She would stop whatever she was doing, come over to him, and give him a peck on the lips. The kiss was always followed by a long hug. It was a wonderful ritual, and one he knew was partly born out of the fear he wasn’t going to come home one day. They’d talked about it when their dating became serious, but not since.

They met at a
Sonic drive-in. Jason had pulled in for a Cherry Limeaid and Sandy was a passenger in the car next to him. She was ordering the same thing and a conversation started up.

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 went on an official date two weeks later. She had laughed, when after the movies, he had taken her back to Sonic for a Limeaid.

From that day on, they remained inseparable
. When Jason received a job offer from the San Antonio Police Department, Sandy had taken a teaching job with the 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 given it over to the Lord, and accepted the danger as part of loving him.

There was no reason to discuss it. She would no more ask him to quit than he would ask her to give up teachin
g, but he knew her prayers went with him every day.

Still
, 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
extra long hugs. Jason had been tracking a suspected serial killer in Springfield, Missouri. There had been guns involved, which always made her anxiety worse. In truth, he might be the one holding on a little longer today. He missed her and the strength he drew from her.

Still it was nice to be home
with her rather than facing Lieutenant Patton. Jason has a violation of department policy to answer for, but at least he was able to be home for a while, before going to the station.

*******

Way too early the next morning, Jason’s phone began ringing. Seeing the station number on his phone, he 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 the load while you’re off gallivanting across the country.”

He gave a small laugh
, and rubbed at his eyes. “Gallivanting? Really? Is that what I was doing?” He stretched. “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. “Do you have to go?”

S
he had no school today, some sort of teacher training thing, and Sandy had suggested last night she’d 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.”

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

“Morning, JD.”

Jason's middle name is David, and he’d 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. Receding brown hair, or as he put it,
migrating
brown hair, seemed to be going to his eyebrows and moustache.

They
were indeed unruly, and when the lieutenant got upset, his eyebrows knit together to form a bushy 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 fall-out.”

Jason
didn’t say anything. He bore responsibility for much of what took place in the days after the records search and those events could result in his removal from the force.

The lieutenant got to the point.
“You’re suspended with pay for fourteen days.”

Jason let it sink in. It
wasn’t the time off, that would be okay, but the mark on his record may well hold him back for years. Still, he knew 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.”

“Don’t mention it, and
give your partner the news on the way out.”

“I will.”

Looks like Vanessa has two more weeks of carrying me.