Page 9 of Outrun The Devil

It would soon be a year since she was taken and held captive for thirty-six hours. Olivia had managed to attend every appointment with the therapist, enduring all the discussions about her trauma to satisfy the department's requirements. Now, there was just one more meeting left, an exit interview that would finally put an end to it all. Although she didn't need it. Detective Olivia Collins was fine.

Olivia considered herself two things: a mother and a detective. Like all mothers, Olivia worried if she was doing enough for her child. The family history added more complexity to her concerns.

Family can be complicated, especially when explaining to a child that their parent didn't want them. Olivia did what Landon had asked her to do the day she told him she was pregnant in high school - keep his name off the birth certificate if she was determined to have the baby. He didn't want to be part of the child's life. Landon’s parents felt the same way and didn't want his future to be ruined, and made sure to pay her a very generous amount of money to keep quiet. Only Olivia's mother supported her decision, but even she was disappointed. Despite this, Olivia's mother helped raise Jessica, Olivia's daughter.

Jessica had been asking about her father since she understood what family was, and Olivia had to handle the situation carefully. She knew that the last thing any child wanted to hear was that they were unwanted.

When Jessica was in grade school, she used to make family trees. However, it was difficult for her because her classmates seemed to have complete and perfect families. Jessica would ask Olivia about it, but they would give her the same answers.

As Jessica grew older and went to college, the questions started to come up again. Olivia would sometimes check in on Jessica's father to make sure he wasn't getting into trouble. She checked on him over the years but didn't do it too often, so her boss wouldn't notice. With social media becoming more popular, it was easier for Olivia to keep an eye on Jessica's father.

He succeeded in life, going to Harvard as he planned and becoming a successful lawyer. His achievements could have benefited Jessica, but Olivia didn't regret her decision. When Jessica was young, Olivia resented him for missing out on being a part of their beautiful life together. Olivia often considered calling him to invite him to get to know their daughter, but she always hung up before doing so. She thought that if he wanted to be a part of their lives, he would have reached out on his own.

Olivia and her family had lived in Phoenix all their lives. Even though they didn't move out of the city or state, Landon never tried to get to know his daughter.

He still lived in Phoenix and Olivia sometimes saw him when she went to the courthouse for work. They would exchange polite smiles, but nothing more. Jessica’s father had plenty of chances to reach out and get to know his daughter or even ask about her, but he never did.

Jessica came up beside her. She scrunched her nose before planting a kiss on Olivia’s cheek. “I’ll see ya later for dinner.”

As her daughter began to leave the kitchen, she stopped and turned. “And remember, play nice. Grandma needs some happiness in her life.”

Of course, she does. Olivia sighed, giving Jessica a smile of promise. Promise she would try to behave. The keyword is try.

Olivia's phone buzzed once more. She looked over and wasn't shocked to see her boss's name on the display again.

“You know you can answer that right?” Her daughter said, indicating the phone as she made her way towards the door. “I know that when your boss calls, it means something’s up.”

Olivia realized that Jessica's worry about her boss calling was more than just concern. Whenever Olivia left Jessica, she could tell that her daughter was afraid that it might be the last time she saw her. It was a year ago when Olivia didn't come back home that night and she couldn’t begin to imagine the fear that struck her daughter. Olivia shook her head, determined to stick to the boundaries she had set.

“I made a rule a long time ago.” A rule she intended to stick to despite her daughter’s objections.

“Mom, I'm not a kid anymore. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated you setting that boundary for me back in the day, but now that I'm an adult, I get it. I know how it is to keep a job and handle all that pressure.” Olivia never required Jessica to get a job when she turned sixteen. She told Jessica that if she wanted her own money that was what she needed to do but it was never a pressure. Now, her daughter worked on campus to help pay for her tuition.

Leave work at work.

That had been the rule she made it almost ten years ago when she realized that she kept bringing work home. And when you were a homicide detective, it wasn’t entirely healthy to bring that home to your kid. The decision was made to not accept any calls once she clocked out or before she clocked in and to do her best to not talk about the cases she worked on. There were some exceptions to that rule though. Olivia could check voicemails or texts, determine their urgency and decide if she wanted to call anyone back. It was rare that it happened as everyone at work tried to respect her rule.

Her captain wasn’t leaving voicemails or texts this time. But even still, there was a sense of urgency every time that phone rang and it was his name on the screen.

“It’s fine. I’ll talk to him once I get to the station.”

Olivia walked her daughter to her car.

“Don’t forget to pick out our movie for movie night,” Olivia kissed her daughter’s cheek.

“I won’t, I’ve got a good list going already.”

Knowing her daughter, Jessica had no idea what she wanted and it would take until moments before when she would decide on which one.

Watching her daughter drive off, she said a silent prayer before heading to her car and getting in.

Olivia's phone buzzed again, and she glanced at the unfamiliar numbers. She wanted to ignore the call, but her detective instincts wouldn't let her do that. With a heavy sigh, she answered the call, shifting her cell to one shoulder while she settled back into the car seat. “Collins,” she said curtly.

“I was afraid you wouldn't answer.” Rachel Park, a reporter from Phoenix Gazette, replied in an almost apologetic tone. Olivia could sense the desperation in Ms. Parks' voice, but she was determined not to give in.

“Ms. Park,” she replied tightly, struggling to control her emotions as well as the caller. “What can I do for you?”

“You wouldn’t still be against an interview would ya?” Ms. Park asked tentatively, still hoping for a yes despite Olivia's coldness moments before. But Olivia had made up her mind and wasn't going to budge on this issue.