to you at the bar last night, don’t let it interfere with the job. If this little romance you two have going on doesn’t work out, you will still have to deal with her. Frankly, she’s very good at what she does and so are you, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you two can make it. Because if you don’t . . .” She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “Well, let’s leave it at that, and hope you pay heed.”
Chad stopped and touched Holly’s shoulder. She faced him, and he placed a hand on each of her arms, looking her square in the eyes. “I promise you, partner, that my relationship with Brooke will not affect my ability to do my job. I also promise that it won’t interfere with our friendship.”
Holly swallowed the lump in her throat. “I never thought that it would come between our friendship. Why would you even say something like that? It’s not like we’re lovers. You’re entitled to a personal life with a woman.” What was this all about? Holly didn’t like the sudden sinking feeling in her stomach. Why would he say such a thing?
“I know. But sometimes I get the sense that I’m the man in your life.”
Holly laughed, the high pitch sounding foreign to her. “Please, bud, don’t flatter yourself. I love you. I really do. But as far as being the man in my life, afraid not.”
“No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. But you know how we are together. I know everything about you and vice versa. I felt responsible for you when Jack died. I guess I still do. I’ve got a guilty conscience. I suppose it comes from having a Jewish mother.”
Holly removed his hands from her arms, holding them as she said, “Listen, you have no need to feel guilty or responsible for me. Live your life, and I’ll live mine. Of course nothing will interfere with either our friendship or working relationship.”
They stepped out of the elevator and through the front doors of the Medical Examiner’s offices and headed for the car.
As they drove down the freeway, drops of rain danced from the darkened sky, slowly at first, then quickly turning into a downpour. Holly flipped the windshield wipers to high. “I only love the rain when I’m sitting at home in front of a fire, drinking a nice merlot, or maybe even a martini.”
“Ah, so you’re a Sinatra kind of gal,” Chad said.
The tension between them subsided a bit. “Maybe a little.”
“How was it last night?”
“Was what?” Holly played dumb. It didn’t work.
Chad grinned. “You know. The date?”
“It was not a date. And it was nice. Fine. We had a good time.” The traffic slowed. “A little rain and people get all freaked out and have to drive like they’re from Mars.”
“Holly . . .”
“I’m going to his house for Thanksgiving, okay? There! Yes, I had a good time. I like him, okay? And I’m going to see him again tomorrow, with his family. End of discussion.”
Chad opened his mouth to say something.
“Stop. No more.”
They pulled in front of Shannon McKay’s house.
“What do you think you missed?” he asked.
“If I knew that, we wouldn’t be here looking for it, now would we?” Holly pulled on her jacket and slipped the hood over her head and got out of the car. Chad followed suit.
As they entered the house, they detected a stale odor that hadn’t been there before, and the rain had added a smell of mildew to the already musty air. Mother and child were in fresh graves. An eerie silence echoed in the space that was now void of a child’s laughter, and the drone of raindrops hitting the roof, which had probably seemed so peaceful to Shannon McKay, simply represented a dull sadness now imprinted on this home.
“I may sound stupid, because I’ve already asked, but can you give me any idea as to what we’re looking for?”
“We’re looking for anything that might help us dig deeper into that dark side of Shannon.”
“So, we’re going on a Dungeons and Dragons hunt, triple X-style, huh?”
“Yep.
Chad stopped and touched Holly’s shoulder. She faced him, and he placed a hand on each of her arms, looking her square in the eyes. “I promise you, partner, that my relationship with Brooke will not affect my ability to do my job. I also promise that it won’t interfere with our friendship.”
Holly swallowed the lump in her throat. “I never thought that it would come between our friendship. Why would you even say something like that? It’s not like we’re lovers. You’re entitled to a personal life with a woman.” What was this all about? Holly didn’t like the sudden sinking feeling in her stomach. Why would he say such a thing?
“I know. But sometimes I get the sense that I’m the man in your life.”
Holly laughed, the high pitch sounding foreign to her. “Please, bud, don’t flatter yourself. I love you. I really do. But as far as being the man in my life, afraid not.”
“No, no. I didn’t mean it like that. But you know how we are together. I know everything about you and vice versa. I felt responsible for you when Jack died. I guess I still do. I’ve got a guilty conscience. I suppose it comes from having a Jewish mother.”
Holly removed his hands from her arms, holding them as she said, “Listen, you have no need to feel guilty or responsible for me. Live your life, and I’ll live mine. Of course nothing will interfere with either our friendship or working relationship.”
They stepped out of the elevator and through the front doors of the Medical Examiner’s offices and headed for the car.
As they drove down the freeway, drops of rain danced from the darkened sky, slowly at first, then quickly turning into a downpour. Holly flipped the windshield wipers to high. “I only love the rain when I’m sitting at home in front of a fire, drinking a nice merlot, or maybe even a martini.”
“Ah, so you’re a Sinatra kind of gal,” Chad said.
The tension between them subsided a bit. “Maybe a little.”
“How was it last night?”
“Was what?” Holly played dumb. It didn’t work.
Chad grinned. “You know. The date?”
“It was not a date. And it was nice. Fine. We had a good time.” The traffic slowed. “A little rain and people get all freaked out and have to drive like they’re from Mars.”
“Holly . . .”
“I’m going to his house for Thanksgiving, okay? There! Yes, I had a good time. I like him, okay? And I’m going to see him again tomorrow, with his family. End of discussion.”
Chad opened his mouth to say something.
“Stop. No more.”
They pulled in front of Shannon McKay’s house.
“What do you think you missed?” he asked.
“If I knew that, we wouldn’t be here looking for it, now would we?” Holly pulled on her jacket and slipped the hood over her head and got out of the car. Chad followed suit.
As they entered the house, they detected a stale odor that hadn’t been there before, and the rain had added a smell of mildew to the already musty air. Mother and child were in fresh graves. An eerie silence echoed in the space that was now void of a child’s laughter, and the drone of raindrops hitting the roof, which had probably seemed so peaceful to Shannon McKay, simply represented a dull sadness now imprinted on this home.
“I may sound stupid, because I’ve already asked, but can you give me any idea as to what we’re looking for?”
“We’re looking for anything that might help us dig deeper into that dark side of Shannon.”
“So, we’re going on a Dungeons and Dragons hunt, triple X-style, huh?”
“Yep.
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