Snow Signs - Jennifer Seet

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different than other men she had dated, nice, maybe a little controlling, but nothing she had time to really put her finger on. She met him while Christmas shopping at the mall, where they both wound up at Blake and Norris bookstore, sharing a table as they sipped coffee and read their purchases.

      “This place is crowded. Mind if I sit with you?” a voice had asked.

      She had been attracted immediately to his gorgeous eyes--sea-green.

      God! You could swim in them!

      Right then and there she was instantly intrigued and wanted to get to know this man better. When he sat down after ordering his drink, she couldn’t help but notice the determined set of his jaw, the strong, lean lines of his body. He exuded male hormones.

      He immediately started flipping through his book, which she noticed was by an author she enjoyed too. But when she went back to reading her purchase, Claire quickly recognized and accepted the fact that her concentration was broken. She’d read a paragraph, look up, read another paragraph, glance over. Once or twice she observed that he was looking at her, too.

      Finally, their eyes locked and laughing, they realized they were more interested in each other than in what they were reading. So, they shoved the books aside and began to talk. It didn’t take them long to understand that they had a lot more in common than just the mutual attraction. Claire found Greg knowledgeable about a number of subjects and easy to engage in conversation.

      He asked her to dinner for that next Saturday. She accepted readily. They became better acquainted on their first date and started seeing as much of each other as their busy schedules would allow in the following weeks.

      “Played out like a bad novel…boy meets girl; girl gets her hopes up…”

      I really opened up to him, telling him about Doug…but, he didn’t share much of value with me…and, unfortunately, he never shared that he was married. Claire still blanched every time she remembered that part.

      She found out one day while standing in one of the aisles of the very same Blake and Norris bookstore when she heard a familiar voice talking to a female, “Hey hon, are you ready to leave yet?

      Claire peered around the end of the aisle and saw Greg. Confused, she looked closer to make sure it really was him, and that’s when she noticed the shiny gold of a wedding band on his finger.

      “Just let me pay for this book and I’ll be done,” the woman responded.

      And, Claire noted a ring on her finger, blazing with a sparkly brilliance that announced to the entire world that he was her man and she was his woman.

      Claire stood there frozen with shock, but hidden from view, until Greg and his wife left the bookstore.

      After that, when he called (and he did call—more than a few times!), she never answered the phone or returned his messages. She could have checked into his background a little more at the time, but she was embarrassed and didn’t want to know anything else about him.

      It was a dead issue to me—over—I was too ashamed to find out anymore.

      Finally he stopped trying to contact her altogether. Probably knew his little secret was out…or maybe he just found another unsuspecting victim, she fumed.

      Even though it was more than a few years ago, tears formed in her eyes, remembering this particularly painful time. It still hurt and was probably the reason she never committed to a serious relationship again. At the time her career as a detective trooper was in full swing and she devoted herself entirely to her job.

      * * * * *

      When she made detective ten years ago, Claire felt she had finally reached the pinnacle of her career. She had always found herself fascinated with the crime scene, literally pulled into the details of the investigation, even though she didn’t have the final authority or credentials to do more until she felt brave enough to apply for an opening in that division.

      Luckily, her supervisor, Corporal George Stanley, had seen this attention to detail, the interest in gathering evidence, and the ability to communicate with witnesses until she intractably drew them into her confidence. That’s why Corporal Stanley didn’t hesitate to recommend her to the “Chief” when she came to see him in his office.

      Captain Marvin Hennessey, the division commander at the time, had known Claire since she started on the force and had always wanted to give her a chance, but she had graciously turned him down for other promotional assignments in the hope that something would open up in the detective division.

      “Chief, I’m just not ready yet,” she would tell him.

      Everyone called Marvin “Chief”. It seemed like even before he became a Captain he was called ‘Chief’. Marvin didn’t demand this title out of respect; he just earned it. And in everyone’s minds, he was the Chief long before he was promoted to the rank of Captain.

      “Claire, just tell me when you’re ready. We’ll make room for you if we have to.”

      “I know Chief. I’ll let you know.”

      But even as she gained more experience and honed her investigative skills, she waited her turn. She didn’t want to usurp anyone’s position. That was always the way Claire operated: unassuming, professional, and respectful of others.

      Then when Bernie Olson announced his retirement ten years ago, she knew the time was right and put in her application the next day.

      George Stanley read the paperwork while she stood by waiting for a response.

      Looking up finally, he said, “What took you so long!”

      Smiling, Claire recalled all the times when the two of them met in this office, going over accident reports and other business together. “Just couldn’t bring myself to do it, George. I knew I would miss the direct contact I have with you.”

      He chuckled but grew quiet as he thought about how much he enjoyed having her work specifically with him and how much he would miss the everyday shared camaraderie.

      “You’re a good senior trooper, Claire, but you deserve this chance…and we’ll still be working together. You know you can come to me any time.”

      Shaking hands, she noticed that he held on a little longer than normal. She knew that when she left the office, there would be a tinge of sadness overshadowing the excitement…for both of them.

      As she turned and faced the door, she stopped and considered the possibility of grabbing the application out of George’s hand. She shook her head. No, I need this opportunity. No turning back now.

      He watched the hesitation and headshake from behind his desk and was tempted to ask her to reconsider. George knew the challenges that lay ahead for her. But he knew Claire well enough to know she was up to the demands of the new job. Self-doubts would soon give way to self-confidence.

      “Good luck to you, Claire,” he called out as she quietly shut the door.

      Of course, Chief wasted no time in approving her application and announced the promotion to detective the very next week. No one was surprised, but there was still grumbling from some of the patrol troopers about a ‘woman detective’. Even during the mid-1990’s there was a sexist attitude prevalent in the state police rank and file, especially in southern Indiana.

      Claire knew what was going on and she worked diligently to dispel any doubts about her ability; she worked harder and longer hours than anyone to gain the respect of her fellow detectives and the trust of the road officers in her new capacity as well.

      It didn’t take long for them to realize that she was very competent and adept at combing crime and accident scenes for clues and evidence to help derive answers that others couldn’t or wouldn’t see.

      Soon, she found herself being called on to help with some sticky crimes, ones that had more questions than answers.

      As

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