Chapter Forty-Two
Lainey
“So, Dr. Weaver is going to ask you on a date?” Kristy asked as she placed the dustpan on the edge of the pile of glass I’d swept and held it in place as I pushed the glass into it with the broom.
“That’s what Brian said, anyway.”
“Are you going to say yes?”
“I mean, he told me in front of Adam, and Adam didn’t seem to care, so I kind of feel like I have to go out with Justin at least once. If for no other reason than to prove to Adam that I don’t care either.”
“But you do care.” She said it more like she was seeking clarification than an actual statement.
“I want him to care.”
“Because… you care.”
I was annoyed that she was going to make me say it out loud, so I meandered through an explanation, trying hard to say I cared without actually having to say the words.
“I mean, the sex was amazing. And he has a really wonderful way with Conor. And, I liked hanging out with him, but he’s made it clear he thinks being with me dishonors Shawn’s memory. He’s not interested in anything more than a secret relationship. Actually, no. He’s not even interested in that.”
Because I might have been willing to continue going along with the secret thing. For a while, anyway.
“Don’t get mad at me because I’m just trying to understand things. But weren’t you the one who told me not more than a week ago that no one could find out.”
“I mean, yeah. But now it seems like the only two choices are to admit we’re dating or end it. He chose ending it.”
I felt the tears prick my eyes.
“I guess I’m not girlfriend material.”
“But now you have a doctor who wants to take you to dinner, so there’s a bright side.”
I plastered a smile to my face and replied with a lot more enthusiasm than I felt. “Yep! Now we’ll see if he really asks.”
“I bet he will.”
I had a feeling he would, too. Although I wouldn’t be broken up about it if he changed his mind.
****
Adam
Angus explained that for my first week, he wanted me to ride with Brian.
The following week, I’d ride with Sergeant Hendrix during the evening shift, and the week after that, I’d be back with Brian because that was the week he was scheduled to be on-call overnight.
Then I’d be with Sergeant Hendrix again in the evenings and during his overnight on-call shifts.
“Don’t worry. We don’t get called out that often,” Brian assured me when we pulled the patrol car into the parking lot at our first stop—the range. I needed to qualify with my weapon in order to carry it on duty.
“This shouldn’t take long,” I said smugly then opened my door.
“Why’s that?” Brian asked over the hood of the car. “Because you’re that good or that bad?”
“You’ll see.”
~~~~
Brian pulled my paper target and let out a low whistle.
“Damn, I want you on point on all my high-risk calls.”
I cracked a grin.
He looked at the paper again as if to confirm what I already knew—I was a deadeye.
“Once you’re off probation, you should think about joining the Regional SWAT Team and become a sniper.”
If Lainey was going to be dating, I wasn’t sure I was even going to make it in Haven Springs three months, let alone a year.
Still, I replied, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
~~~~
Next, we stopped at Suds For Your Duds, the laundromat at the far end of Main Street, to get a copy of their security camera footage from yesterday evening. Then we went across the street a few doors up and got the video from Campbell’s Hardware.
Brian reviewed it from the passenger seat as I drove and tsked, “And you’re sure it was seven o’clock?”
“I mean, probably not exactly seven, but close. That’s what time Teresa and Hugh were supposed to bring Conor back, and I remember they were right on time. Why?”
“Because I recognize every vehicle from six to eight p.m. and none of them I would consider a prime suspect. Doesn’t mean they didn’t do it, but they wouldn’t be first on my list of people to question.”
“Who would be first on your list”
“That’s the problem,” he lamented wryly. “I can’t think of a single person who would have it out for Lainey.”
“Maybe the DPS lab will be able to get something from one of the pages.”
“Let’s hope. I guess in the meantime, we talk to the people who were in town last evening.”
The rest of our day was spent driving around and talking to community members while we tried to casually slip in a few of the people Brian had identified in the video.
I also sized up every male we talked with, trying to check for any bruises I might have left.
Although admittedly, mine had faded, so whoever I had landed blows on, theirs probably had, too.
Compared to when I was on patrol in the Middle East, it was a slow day. The town wasn’t exactly a hotbed for crime, so we also found time to stop and pick up my keys from Sylvia.
Once again, she and Brian barely managed to act civilly toward each other, and that reminded me, I forgot to get the scoop from Lainey last night when we’d been alone—before everything went to shit.
As I pulled away from the real estate office, I asked, “You wanna tell me what that’s all about?”
“Nope,” he said, popping the “P” and looking out the passenger door window, signaling there would be no further discussion on the matter.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, telling me I had a text. Then it buzzed again only a few minutes later. I pulled my cell out and waved it at Brian, asking, “Am I allowed to look at this while I’m driving?”
“Yeah. You’re allowed to type on the computer, too. But I won’t get you started on that until tomorrow.”
I opened my messaging app and saw I had two texts. One from my brother telling me he was headed to Haven Springs in the morning, and the other was from Lainey.
Lainey: Your boots arrived.
“Lainey says my boots are at your house.”
“Great. Let’s go make sure Sylvia gave you the right keys and pick up your boots.”