The Puppet Master Chapter 2

Detective Peppers toughest case

Chapter 2
June 8th

The familiar sound of Jackie’s engine in the driveway should have soothed Penny’s nerves.
Instead, it sent a wave of tension rippling through her already frayed composure. She stood
frozen in the living room, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she listened to the sound of
Jackie killing the ignition, the muffled clink of her car door shutting, and the approaching thud of
boots against the porch. Penny’s heart pounded in her chest. It wasn’t Jackie she feared; it was
the space between them, the widening chasm of doubt, secrets, and dangers that neither of
them could seem to escape.

The front door creaked open. Jackie stepped inside, setting her suitcase down with a quiet thud.
For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other in the dimly lit room, shadows
stretching long against the walls. Jackie looked exhausted, but there was something else
beneath it, something guarded, something Penny had never seen before all of this.

Jackie finally broke the silence, her voice attempting to lighten the mood. “You left the porch
light off. Trying to keep the house mysterious for me?”

Penny let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah? Maybe I wanted to see if you’d recognize the house
without hidden cameras watching you come home.”

Jackie’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t bite. Instead, she exhaled slowly, closing the door behind
her. “Penny, I know you’re upset—”

“Upset?” Penny cut in, her voice sharp. “Jackie, we were being watched. Every conversation.
Every shower. Everything.” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I told you I needed you
home, and instead, I spent the last three days tearing this house apart by myself.”

Jackie took a step forward, her voice measured. “And I came back as soon as I could.”

“Yeah? Well, it wasn’t soon enough.” Penny’s voice cracked slightly, but she refused to back
down, knowing that beneath her anger lay a well of fear.

Jackie ran a hand down her face, exhaustion creeping into her features. “Penny, you know I
didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” Penny snapped, her heart racing.

Jackie’s green eyes darkened. “That’s not fair, and you know it.”

Penny let out a sharp breath, turning away, hands on her hips. “You know what’s not fair? Me
waking up every damn night thinking she’s still watching us. Knowing that someone, maybe
even her, saw things that were meant to be just ours.” Her throat tightened, and she swallowed
hard. “That’s not fair, Jackie.”

Jackie’s expression softened at that, and for the first time, she stepped closer. “Penny…” Her
voice was quieter now, edged with something raw. “I know this has been hell. But I swear to
you, we are taking our lives back. Together.”

Penny lifted her gaze, searching Jackie’s face for something real, something solid amidst the
chaos. “Are we?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jackie hesitated, then closed the final inches between them, resting her hands gently on
Penny’s arms. “Yes. I promise.”

The words should have felt reassuring, but Penny wasn’t sure she even knew what safety felt
like anymore. The anxiety twisted in her stomach, intertwining with the remnants of fear. Julia,
Tiffany, whatever she was calling herself now, was still out there, knowing every detail, every
little nuance of their lives.

They spent the next hour circling the same conversation. Jackie asking what else the Maine
State Police had found. Penny reassuring her that everything had been removed. Jackie
questioning if they should move. Penny insisting that’s what Julia wanted, to drive them from
their own home.

“I don’t want to live like this,” Jackie admitted, running a hand through her hair, her expression
revealing just how much the situation weighed on her.

Penny sighed. “Neither do I.”

A heavy silence settled between them before Jackie spoke again, her voice softer. “We need
something normal.”

Penny frowned, crossing her arms. “Jackie, nothing about our life is normal right now.”

Jackie sat forward on the couch, eyes locked on Penny’s. “Then let’s change that. Let’s go away
next weekend. Just the two of us.”

Penny blinked, her instincts immediately objecting. “Jackie—”

“No excuses,” Jackie cut in, determination lacing her tone. “Just us. No murder investigations.
No paranoia. Just one weekend where we breathe.”

Penny hesitated, her fingers twitching against her knee. She wanted to say no. To remind Jackie
that Julia was still out there. That they weren’t safe. But God, she was so tired. Tired of looking
over her shoulder. Tired of sleeping with her gun within arm’s reach. Tired of pretending that fear
wasn’t slowly eating her alive.

So instead of arguing, Penny let out a slow breath and nodded. “Okay.”

Jackie’s face softened with relief. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Penny said, her voice quiet. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Jackie reached for her hand, fingers lacing through hers. “We’ll be okay, Penny.”

Penny didn’t answer, filled with uncertainty. She wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe that
this weekend would give them a reprieve from the shadows that loomed over their lives. But for
the first time in weeks, she wanted to feel safe.

The tension still hung in the air, a palpable reminder of their reality. As Jackie squeezed her
hand, Penny could feel the warmth radiating from her, grounding her amid the chaos. But the
thought of leaving their home, their sanctuary, felt like a betrayal. What if Julia was still
watching? What if they were walking into a trap?

Jackie must have sensed her hesitation. “We’ll figure it out,” she said softly. “We can set up
extra precautions. I’ll call Tony to help. We can do this, Penny. We deserve a break.”

Penny nodded slowly, but anxiety still gnawed at her insides. The thought of therapy loomed
ahead like a storm cloud. She was due for a session soon, and the idea of opening up about
everything made her stomach turn. What would she even say? Would it help? Or would it only
expose her further?

“Are you okay?” Jackie asked, concern etched on her face.

Penny forced a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Yeah, just… thinking about therapy.”
Jackie raised an eyebrow. “You’re nervous?”

“Of course I am,” Penny admitted, her voice trembling slightly. “What if it reveals things we’re
not ready to confront? What if it digs up memories I’d rather forget?”

Jackie’s expression softened as she brushed a thumb across Penny’s knuckles. “You don’t have
to face anything alone. I’ll be right here, every step of the way. We’ll tackle it together.”

Penny took a deep breath, trying to find the courage within herself. “Okay. Together.”

Jackie leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to Penny’s forehead. “I love you, you know that?”

“I love you too,” Penny replied, her heart pounding. “But right now, I just want to feel… safe.”

There was a knock on the door. Penny said, “come in.” The door creaked open and they both
turned to see Tony stepping into the room. “Hey, ladies. How’s it going?”

Jackie straightened, slipping her hand from Penny’s grasp as she turned to face him. “We’re
figuring it out.”

Tony nodded, his gaze flicking between them. “I heard about the sweep. Did they find
anything?”

Penny shook her head, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. “Yes, cameras and listening
devices. They’re gone now.”

“Good,” Tony said, visibly relaxing. “But we still need to stay vigilant. Julia isn’t going to stop just
because we kicked her out of our lives.”

“Yeah, that’s the plan, We are planning to go away next weekend, a chance to catch our
breath.” Jackie said.

Penny felt a mix of gratitude and frustration. She appreciated their support but wished she didn’t
need it. The world felt like it was closing in, and every sound seemed amplified, every shadow a
potential threat.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on things while you two take your weekend getaway,” Tony offered,
trying to inject a sense of normalcy into the tension.

“Thanks, Tony,” Penny said, forcing a smile. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

As they exchanged more small talk, Penny’s mind drifted, the weight of the upcoming therapy
session pressing down on her. What would she say? Would it help to unravel the tangled mess
of emotions inside her?

“Penny?” Jackie’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“Yeah?” Penny blinked, shaking off her fears.

“Are you okay?” Jackie asked, concern lacing her tone.
“Just… thinking too much,” Penny admitted, forcing a smile.

“Try not to,” Jackie said gently. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”

Penny wanted to believe her. She wanted to trust that they could reclaim their lives, even if it felt
like an uphill battle.

As the evening wore on, the conversation shifted to lighter topics, but Penny’s mind remained
restless. The thought of therapy loomed ahead like a storm cloud, and she couldn’t shake the
feeling that it would reveal more than she was ready to confront.