get off shift in ten minutes.”
“And straight onto your real job,” Solomon reminded me in a low voice as he leaned in, causing his pecs to pop under his lightweight, cream sweater. It was an attraction I could have sold tickets for.
“Damn,” I said, though I wasn’t sure what I was damning: my lack of leisure time or his muscles.
“Want to grab dinner later?”
“If by ‘grab’ you mean, sit down at a nice restaurant and eat at a leisurely pace, then yes.”
“What if I meant grab a hotdog while watching a suspect?”
I shrugged. “That works for me too.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven. Wear something pretty.”
“Fancy hot dog stand, huh?” I quipped, suddenly remembering I had another date that day. “Can we make it eight? I have a dress fitting with Lily.”
Solomon frowned. “I thought you already did that.”
“We did, but Lily found her perfect shoes this morning and she wants to try them on with the dress to make sure they really are perfect, so I said I would go with her after she finished her shift at the bar.”
“Are you ever going to show me your bridesmaid gown?”
“No. You’ll have to wait for the wedding.”
“Is it a meringue? Is it floral?” Solomon teased.
“No and no.”
“Is there a headdress? Does it have sequins?”
“Yuck. I hope that stuff doesn’t turn you on.”
“Getting you out of it would.”
“One track mind.”
“Mmm. The right track.” Solomon’s eyes dipped down my body then back up again and I could pretty much figure out what he was thinking because Mr. Ahearne had the same look right before he asked me to his social club luncheon. Solomon checked his watch, probably noting the several hours between now and dinner. “Where are you headed next?”
“The office to take another look through Jim Schwarz’s background, and Lucas said he left a bunch of reports for me. Then I’m going to do some checking up on Jim,” I added, wondering if my colleagues spilled as much information on their planned whereabouts.
“I won’t be there. File a report and don’t do anything dangerous.”
“Who? Me?” I feigned mock shock. “Never. A little light snooping, then trying on shoes and dresses, and after that, home to wait for you.”
“I like that,” said Solomon.
“What? Shoes and dresses?”
“Someone to come home to,” he said, walking away, and leaving me wondering if I would like that too.
~
After my gym clothes were hung in the locker in the employee’s room, I switched into cute, mint-hued pants, a black sweater, and the most gorgeous pair of pointy-toed black Louboutin pumps - a gift to myself for being fabulous. I hightailed it to the agency, but Solomon was nowhere to be seen. Only Fletcher was in the office with his head buried in a file. It was just as well Solomon was absent because I had a stack of paperwork on my desk to read through. I needed to concentrate, and not think about our romantic dinner - unless he really did want to grab a hotdog? - and whether he would stay the night. I mentally thanked the lingerie gods for having the fortitude to ensure I wore a matching set. Just in case.
Settling into my chair, I retrieved the victims’ slim files from my locked drawer, and pulled the stack of papers Lucas left on my desk onto my lap. I set about adding the reports to the files of each victim. I returned Karen and Lorena’s now thicker files to the drawer.
After a moment or two of paper shuffling, I turned to Lucas’s almost empty desk and empty chair. Now that the upstairs section of the agency was up and running, he didn’t spend much time down here anymore. I cast a casual glance at the ceiling and wondered exactly what they were doing up there. Wrinkling my nose and blowing out an exasperated lungful of air, I turned my eyes to the papers. Jim’s credit report, his bank statement, his cell phone usage, a résumé; it was all there, and once again, I was amazed at the kind of information we could access on
“And straight onto your real job,” Solomon reminded me in a low voice as he leaned in, causing his pecs to pop under his lightweight, cream sweater. It was an attraction I could have sold tickets for.
“Damn,” I said, though I wasn’t sure what I was damning: my lack of leisure time or his muscles.
“Want to grab dinner later?”
“If by ‘grab’ you mean, sit down at a nice restaurant and eat at a leisurely pace, then yes.”
“What if I meant grab a hotdog while watching a suspect?”
I shrugged. “That works for me too.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven. Wear something pretty.”
“Fancy hot dog stand, huh?” I quipped, suddenly remembering I had another date that day. “Can we make it eight? I have a dress fitting with Lily.”
Solomon frowned. “I thought you already did that.”
“We did, but Lily found her perfect shoes this morning and she wants to try them on with the dress to make sure they really are perfect, so I said I would go with her after she finished her shift at the bar.”
“Are you ever going to show me your bridesmaid gown?”
“No. You’ll have to wait for the wedding.”
“Is it a meringue? Is it floral?” Solomon teased.
“No and no.”
“Is there a headdress? Does it have sequins?”
“Yuck. I hope that stuff doesn’t turn you on.”
“Getting you out of it would.”
“One track mind.”
“Mmm. The right track.” Solomon’s eyes dipped down my body then back up again and I could pretty much figure out what he was thinking because Mr. Ahearne had the same look right before he asked me to his social club luncheon. Solomon checked his watch, probably noting the several hours between now and dinner. “Where are you headed next?”
“The office to take another look through Jim Schwarz’s background, and Lucas said he left a bunch of reports for me. Then I’m going to do some checking up on Jim,” I added, wondering if my colleagues spilled as much information on their planned whereabouts.
“I won’t be there. File a report and don’t do anything dangerous.”
“Who? Me?” I feigned mock shock. “Never. A little light snooping, then trying on shoes and dresses, and after that, home to wait for you.”
“I like that,” said Solomon.
“What? Shoes and dresses?”
“Someone to come home to,” he said, walking away, and leaving me wondering if I would like that too.
~
After my gym clothes were hung in the locker in the employee’s room, I switched into cute, mint-hued pants, a black sweater, and the most gorgeous pair of pointy-toed black Louboutin pumps - a gift to myself for being fabulous. I hightailed it to the agency, but Solomon was nowhere to be seen. Only Fletcher was in the office with his head buried in a file. It was just as well Solomon was absent because I had a stack of paperwork on my desk to read through. I needed to concentrate, and not think about our romantic dinner - unless he really did want to grab a hotdog? - and whether he would stay the night. I mentally thanked the lingerie gods for having the fortitude to ensure I wore a matching set. Just in case.
Settling into my chair, I retrieved the victims’ slim files from my locked drawer, and pulled the stack of papers Lucas left on my desk onto my lap. I set about adding the reports to the files of each victim. I returned Karen and Lorena’s now thicker files to the drawer.
After a moment or two of paper shuffling, I turned to Lucas’s almost empty desk and empty chair. Now that the upstairs section of the agency was up and running, he didn’t spend much time down here anymore. I cast a casual glance at the ceiling and wondered exactly what they were doing up there. Wrinkling my nose and blowing out an exasperated lungful of air, I turned my eyes to the papers. Jim’s credit report, his bank statement, his cell phone usage, a résumé; it was all there, and once again, I was amazed at the kind of information we could access on
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