Curveball

  Ericka Stone

  Case #011

  By

  Felicia Rogers

  Curveball

  Ericka Stone

  Case #011

  Copyright ©2024 by Felicia Rogers

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Contact Information:

  Website: http://feliciarogersauthor.weebly.com

  Email: feliciarogersauthor@yahoo.com

  Published by:

  Felicia Rogers

  Cover Design by For the Muse Designs

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The author, Felicia Rogers, does not consent to any artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language model, and machine learning.

  Dedication…

  To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

  And to my family who continues to support me through this writing journey.

  And to my father, who left this world too soon.

  Table of Contents

  Other works by Felicia Rogers

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Excerpt: Ericka Stone Case #012

  Other works by Felicia Rogers

  Stand-alone works:

  All I Have

  The Holiday Truce

  A Month in Cologne

  Andrews Brothers (Regency Romance)

  The Ruse

  The Rescue

  Southern Hearts Series (Civil War Romance)

  Millicent

  Amelia

  Cora

  “Justice” and Miss Quinn Mysteries (Regency Romance)

  The Case of the Missing Cross (FREE ebook)

  The Case of the Puppet Constable

  The Case of the Secret Love

  The Case of the Chinese Boxes

  The Case of the Hidden Treasure

  The Case of the Lost Island

  The Kenelm Chronicles (Regency Romance)

  The Golden Goose

  The Silver Moon

  The Bronze Heart

  Hudson Hunts: The First and Last

  Secret Defenders (Paranormal Romance)

  Cian and Arin: Beginning (prequel)

  The Key

  Mara’s Secret

  Iceas’ Victory

  Meaningful Numbers Series (Christian Romance)

  One of Forty

  One of Twelve

  One of Three

  The Haywood Brothers Series (Christian Romance)

  Love of a Businessman

  Love of a Detective

  Love of a Rancher

  Redeemed Soldiers (Christian Romance)

  Diamond Mine

  Pearl Valley

  Emerald Street

  Ruby’s Way

  Amethyst Cove

  Sapphire Shoals

  Opal Obsession

  Ericka Stone Cases (Clean Detective Stories)

  Freelance

  Pendant

  Treasure

  Escape

  Reunion

  Reckless

  Discovery

  Detour

  Journey

  Vanished

  Curveball

  Unresolved (coming Dec 2024)

  The Board Series by F. A. Rogers

  (novellas are listed in order)

  Maralie (FREE on Amazon)

  Reuben

  Vanessa

  Simon

  Darla

  Daniel

  Irving

  Levi

  Francesca

  Benjamin

  James

  The Return to Eden’s Hollow

  Chapter One

  Director James Manis stood before the five teams that had made up his office. Pain shot through his chest. He’d thought recently that he was having a heart attack, but the doctor had diagnosed him with panic attacks, expressing that the job of running the Police Assistance Unit was too much for him. He’d advised him to step down.

  James had refused.

  He’d also not shared the recommendation with anyone. Not his bosses, and not his son.

  He massaged his chest as he stood before the group. Some were still trickling into the conference room. The design of the offices when he moved in had not been his idea. Chief Ron Wexell, the liar and murderer, had designed the offices before he was found out. Then James and his teams had been forced to deal with the arrangement.

  The rooms were design to separate the people. The more distant they were the less likely they were to work together. That meant that less was accomplished. The plan had been brilliant. It had worked.

  Today the teams would be even more separated. One of his worst regrets was that Tito wasn’t on the same team as Ericka. After everything that had transpired between him and that lying captain of the White Lily, maybe it was the for the best. Maybe he needed a break from women.

  Then again maybe not.

  Blake Hager, team lead for Beta Team, eyed him with a cocked brow. He had his leg cross, and his foot bounced with an intense level of impatience. There was another one he worried about. That boy was going to get himself in trouble. This new assignment out west might do him in.

  Then there was Greg’s team. They sat together and laughed. They looked so comfortable in a shared space. Ericka leaned heavily against Greg. Something had transpired between them recently. He’d noticed it. Love was in the air. Sometimes he wished he was on their team.

  And with everything they had been through of late, it had only made their bond stronger. Detective Ericka Stone was one tough cookie. She had come through the loss of her parents stronger than before.

  They weren’t really gone; they just couldn’t be a part of her life.

  After Morgan’s brainwashing and Robert’s attempt to bring her in without government help, they were both lucky to not be in jail. He’d helped with that, but he wouldn’t be telling anyone else. That was his secret to keep.

  “Director, what is this about? We have cases to get to.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “What?” Nick blurted it out before anyone else.

  He fancied that he was another Blake Hager, but he wasn’t. Blake somehow lived a charmed life. He’d survived many times when he shouldn’t have. But Nick wasn’t him.

  “Orders have just come down from above. For the time being the PAU is being dismantled.”

  Now everyone was saying “what.” They were leaning forward in their chairs and talking all at once.

  “Your cases have been given back to the appropriate authorities. You are being assigned new cases, in, um, new locations.”

  Burle McKay rubbed his hands together. His retirement package had fallen through in the last few months. No one was sure what the hold-up was, but James had an idea. It was this. The plan to send these teams all over the country had come from the highest level. And they wanted Burle with Beta Team, at least for now.

  James held up his hand and the room quietened. “I know you all have questions. I promise I will answer them, but one at a time. Now let’s get down to business.”

  ****

  Ericka fanned her face and knocked away the gnats that threatened to get in her eyes, her nose, and even her ears. What was wrong with these creatures?

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “What can’t you believe?”

  Maggie tied a wet rag around her head. Water dripped along the side of her face. “Where have they put us?”

  “They have a department store. I’m pleased.” Fanny smiled broadly. The woman had lived so much on her own out in the boonies that a store was all it took to satisfy her.

  Ericka needed a little more. She needed less bugs!

  “I’m glad someone is happy. This moisture is terrible for my piano. How do people live like this?”

  Ericka didn’t know how any of them would survive. They’d only been in town for a week and had decided to take a hike in the Cherokee National Forest. They had taken time to stop and visit Gertrude, Cade, and Felix Hastings. They’d offered refreshments but the group had declined. Now she wished she’d stayed there instead of coming on this hiking trip.

  “Ah, take a whiff of that mountain air.”

  “All I smell is poop. Wonder what kind of poop? I bet it’s cow. Yep, smells like cow. But I don’t really care, because I don’t like the smell of any poop. And

it’s there.”

  The group laughed at Maggie’s antics.

  They’d been sent to the small city of Clifton. It was nestled between huge mountains in the foothills of Tennessee. It reminded her of Greg’s childhood home. He’d grown up in a northern part of Tennessee, so the area was comfortable and familiar to him. And conveniently not too far from their current location.

  “Let’s get our hike on.”

  “Are you sure? I mean there could be snakes.” Maggie studied the ground.

  “Yup, there probably are.”

  “What about bears?”

  “Could be those too.”

  “Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my.” Quinn sang the phrase from the Wizard of Oz and earned a hearty slap from Maggie across the chest. Quinn rubbed the area as if he’d been seriously injured.

  “Do not play with me. I don’t do wild animals. I’m a city girl.”

  “Cows. Now that is a wild animal.” Tristan snickered under his breath and Maggie came at him with her fists raised and poised to strike.

  Ericka enjoyed the camaraderie. It was nice to be part of a group that enjoyed each other’s company. As they talked and joked, she noticed that Greg had started leading them down a trail. At first the land was flat, and the dirt path was wide. The farther they went, the narrower it became. Weeds grew high in places. Prickly leaves and dark thorns tugged at her shorts and pricked her legs.

  Maggie’s arms went rapidly around her face and head. She slapped at her exposed arms and legs. “I’m going to invest in a bug spray company.”

  “That might be a good idea.” Quinn slapped at the creatures as well.

  Fanny whistled. “What are you guys talking about? I don’t see any bugs.”

  “Did you use spray?” Quinn moved closer as he asked the question.

  “Nope. They just naturally don’t like me.”

  “Lucky.”

  The narrow trail broadened and dumped them out into an area with odd-shaped rocks in no particular order. The sound of rushing water reached Ericka’s hearing. She took a step backward, and Greg grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close.

  She thought the gesture was romantic, and she was leaning forward to kiss him when his eyes widened, and he moved them a couple of steps backward. She faced the way he was and drew in a swift breath. The cliff had appeared out of nowhere. On the opposite side of them was a waterfall. The water cascaded into a shallow pool twenty feet from where she’d stood moments before.

  “Let’s not go head over heels just yet.” He smiled, but she could sense the relief that he’d caught her.

  She was relieved as well. Falling wasn’t something she’d planned for the day. Falling in love was enough for now.

  That sounded corny in her own head. She was glad she hadn’t said it out loud.

  Maggie clapped her hands. “Why don’t we have lunch here and then head back down? The sun won’t be with us much longer, and I’m kind of tired of the bugs.”

  “I second that notion.” Tristan removed the pack from his back and set it on the ground. Then he and Maggie began drawing out food items.

  Each of them had packed something in their packs so that no one person had to carry the entire load. It was kind of like their lives right now. Everyone shared the load so that no one person had to do it all. It was working well so far.

  “Did anyone pack utensils?” Tristan shuffled through his bag.

  Fanny held them up. “Got them.”

  They sat down on the randomized boulders. Greg offered grace and each of them dove into the plate they’d created. Once they finished, Ericka would be too full to move.

  It had been a good day.

  Except for the bugs.

  Gnats should be destroyed.

  Greg had suggested the hike since he knew that tomorrow would be their first official workday in the small town of Clifton. Once work began, they didn’t know how intense or time-consuming it would be. This last attempt at relaxing might be all they had for a while.

  She planned to enjoy it.

  ****

  Greg tried to enjoy the meal, but he couldn’t stop looking at the cliff that Ericka had almost walked off. He’d known that once they started dating his outlook would change. He’d already worried about her more than he should. And with good reason. She was constantly getting into trouble and getting hurt. It was as if her mission was to drive him insane with worry. Or to put the insurance company out of business.

  But now that they were officially together, he worried about her even more.

  Matters weren’t exactly helped by the new living and working conditions. They’d both temporarily had to give up their houses in New York. They’d decided to rent and share a storage unit. Almost everything but their clothing had been left behind.

  Now they were supposed to live above their workplace. So, they would be together every day all day. He wasn’t sure how that was going to work out.

  If they’d had time to get to know each other in New York when they could go home and rest from one another it would have been more ideal. But it was his fault. He’d wanted to tell her about his feelings.

  Waiting, always waiting.

  It constantly got him in trouble.

  Now telling, telling was probably going to cause some trouble.

  The group was talking about some odd flower or bug or something. He tried to pay attention, but he couldn’t. Ericka was so beautiful. She wore her hair in a ponytail showing off her youthfulness. Some fine strands had come out and fallen into her face, so she kept moving them behind her ear. He wished he could reach forward and wrap a silken strand around his finger. Then maybe bring it to his face, breathe in deeply and—

  “Earth to Greg! Earth to Greg!”

  “What?” He knew his voice was deep and he sounded angry, but they had interrupted his fantasy. What did they expect?

  “What is this bug?”

  Maggie was still looking at it, so she didn’t see his face. Probably a good thing.

  “I don’t know about bugs.”

  “But you were outdoorsy and stuff. Way more than us. You have to know something.”

  “Nope, not into bugs. But I think it’s time we got back. Looks like rain.”

  The sky was turning a nasty black color. He could just see them sliding on their butts down the narrow dirt trail once the rain hit. That was something he didn’t want or need.

  They gathered the stuff quickly and put their packs on their backs. The first step they took the sky lit up. Then the thunder boomed. Fanny jumped. Maggie gasped. Ericka started mumbling.

  Lightning.

  Thunder.

  “Fifteen.”

  “Fifteen what?” Tristan was in the middle of the group.

  “Fifteen seconds between the lightning and the thunder. It means the storm is about three miles away. And unfortunately, we can’t exactly avoid the trees.” Ericka bit her lip as she looked around the area.

  Greg knew they should probably find shelter. The due diligence of the area might have helped, but he’d picked a random trail and decided to just go. Plus, the area had no cell towers so there hadn’t been a way to check for potential weather.

  “Let’s keep going. I think we passed some lower trees.”

  The thunder continued, but the lightning they could see soon passed. Greg heard Ericka release a sigh as they rounded the last bend in the trail and their vehicles came into view.

  As soon as they stepped from the tree cover, the sky opened up. In the few steps it took to reach the cars they were drenched.

  Greg and Ericka got in his car and the others went to the SUV that Quinn was driving. It was closer and they got to it first.

  Inside the sedan, Greg cranked up the heat. He could hear Ericka’s teeth chattering. He would have offered his extra shirt that he carried for her to change into, but then she would have had to change in the car. That was something that he couldn’t take right now. Not after the recent fantasy. The seeing might be his end.

  “You ready to go home, Ericka?”

  “I am.”

  The motor roared to life. The trip back to town took triple the time with the bad weather, but they all made it intact.

  Home.

  That had a nice ring to it.

  Now the real fun could begin.

  Chapter Two

  Ericka held her clothes and stood outside the bathroom door. Fanny had arrived first. Maggie had gone next. The men had been nice enough to let the ladies go before them, so there was that. But they were all outside the door dripping in the hallway. Someone would need to clean that up.

  She was pretty sure they didn’t have a maid coming to help them.