stretches the realm of probability pretty far.”
“Yes, it does,” he said, and took hold of my hand.
As we walked, I tried to imagine someone traipsing through Robin’s apartment, throwing her things around, looking for God knew what. It was disturbing, to say the least, and I made a concerted effort to push it out of my mind. Instead, I focused my thoughts on those four sweet red velvet cupcakes inside the white box I was carrying. Ah, happy thoughts. Peace. Love. Food.
It was noon by the time we got back to Sharon’s and found Robin slouched in the recliner again, looking exhausted. Inspectors Lee and Jaglom were sitting at Sharon’s dining room table carrying on a quiet conversation. Sharon was in her kitchen, cutting something on her chopping-block table in the middle of the large, sunny room. She looked up and smiled, and I had the thought that despite her very real concern for Robin, she would be able to dine out on this story for a long time.
Inspector Jaglom focused his patient eyes on me. “We’ve told Ms. Tully that she’s free to go for now, but she won’t be able to go inside her place for a few days.”
“She’ll stay with me,” I said.
He nodded, then caught Robin’s gaze. “You won’t leave town without contacting us first, will you, Ms. Tully?”
“I promise I won’t.”
Inspector Lee pushed away from the table and stood. “Commander Stone, can we have a word with you? It won’t take long.”
Derek handed me his keys and motioned for me to take Robin down to his car. “I’ll only be a moment.”
“Okay,” I said, grabbing the key ring. Then I turned to the two detectives. “I guess I’ll see you both later.”
“No doubt,” Lee said.
That’s what I was afraid of.
While we waited for Derek in the Bentley, Robin rested in the backseat. An earlier request to pack up some of her clothes and essentials had been refused, so Robin would be stuck using my stuff for a day or so until we could get back into her apartment. I had extra toothbrushes and sundry items she could use, but beyond a sweatshirt and sweatpants, my clothes would be a problem for her. Robin was five feet, two inches tall with great curves, while I was seven inches taller and thinner by a size or two. I could see a shopping trip in our future.
“I bought you red velvet cupcakes,” I said.
“You did?” she said meekly.
“Yeah, four of them.” I held up the bakery box. “We can eat them all when we get home.”
“That was really thoughtful.”
“I know they’re your favorite.”
I heard her sniffle and turned around in time to see her dissolve into tears.
“They’re not your favorite?” I asked.
She laughed through the waterworks. “Yes, they’re my favorite. But I can’t even think about eating. I’m just so sad, and worried, and I don’t know what’s going to happen next. But I’m so glad you’re with me. I’m just so . . . thankful that you’re hanging with me.”
“Hey, you’re my best bud,” I said, reaching back to grab her hand. “That’s what we do. Right?”
“That’s right.” She sat up, sniffed, and wiped away her tears with her sleeve. “I’m trying to stop crying, but hearing about those cupcakes put me right over the edge.”
“I know. They do that to me, too.”
Her smile was watery. “You’re so easy when it comes to food.”
“I’m sure that’s a compliment.”
“Of course.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I love you, Brooklyn.”
Now it was my turn to tear up. “Oh, honey, I love you, too. We’ll get you through this. You won’t be alone, I promise. I’m not going to leave you to deal with anything on your own.”
Right then, Derek opened the driver’s-side door and slid onto the smooth leather seat. His jaw was clenched so tightly that Robin and I exchanged worried looks.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes growing wider.
As he started the engine, he gave me a somber glance meant to silence me, but we both knew that
“Yes, it does,” he said, and took hold of my hand.
As we walked, I tried to imagine someone traipsing through Robin’s apartment, throwing her things around, looking for God knew what. It was disturbing, to say the least, and I made a concerted effort to push it out of my mind. Instead, I focused my thoughts on those four sweet red velvet cupcakes inside the white box I was carrying. Ah, happy thoughts. Peace. Love. Food.
It was noon by the time we got back to Sharon’s and found Robin slouched in the recliner again, looking exhausted. Inspectors Lee and Jaglom were sitting at Sharon’s dining room table carrying on a quiet conversation. Sharon was in her kitchen, cutting something on her chopping-block table in the middle of the large, sunny room. She looked up and smiled, and I had the thought that despite her very real concern for Robin, she would be able to dine out on this story for a long time.
Inspector Jaglom focused his patient eyes on me. “We’ve told Ms. Tully that she’s free to go for now, but she won’t be able to go inside her place for a few days.”
“She’ll stay with me,” I said.
He nodded, then caught Robin’s gaze. “You won’t leave town without contacting us first, will you, Ms. Tully?”
“I promise I won’t.”
Inspector Lee pushed away from the table and stood. “Commander Stone, can we have a word with you? It won’t take long.”
Derek handed me his keys and motioned for me to take Robin down to his car. “I’ll only be a moment.”
“Okay,” I said, grabbing the key ring. Then I turned to the two detectives. “I guess I’ll see you both later.”
“No doubt,” Lee said.
That’s what I was afraid of.
While we waited for Derek in the Bentley, Robin rested in the backseat. An earlier request to pack up some of her clothes and essentials had been refused, so Robin would be stuck using my stuff for a day or so until we could get back into her apartment. I had extra toothbrushes and sundry items she could use, but beyond a sweatshirt and sweatpants, my clothes would be a problem for her. Robin was five feet, two inches tall with great curves, while I was seven inches taller and thinner by a size or two. I could see a shopping trip in our future.
“I bought you red velvet cupcakes,” I said.
“You did?” she said meekly.
“Yeah, four of them.” I held up the bakery box. “We can eat them all when we get home.”
“That was really thoughtful.”
“I know they’re your favorite.”
I heard her sniffle and turned around in time to see her dissolve into tears.
“They’re not your favorite?” I asked.
She laughed through the waterworks. “Yes, they’re my favorite. But I can’t even think about eating. I’m just so sad, and worried, and I don’t know what’s going to happen next. But I’m so glad you’re with me. I’m just so . . . thankful that you’re hanging with me.”
“Hey, you’re my best bud,” I said, reaching back to grab her hand. “That’s what we do. Right?”
“That’s right.” She sat up, sniffed, and wiped away her tears with her sleeve. “I’m trying to stop crying, but hearing about those cupcakes put me right over the edge.”
“I know. They do that to me, too.”
Her smile was watery. “You’re so easy when it comes to food.”
“I’m sure that’s a compliment.”
“Of course.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I love you, Brooklyn.”
Now it was my turn to tear up. “Oh, honey, I love you, too. We’ll get you through this. You won’t be alone, I promise. I’m not going to leave you to deal with anything on your own.”
Right then, Derek opened the driver’s-side door and slid onto the smooth leather seat. His jaw was clenched so tightly that Robin and I exchanged worried looks.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes growing wider.
As he started the engine, he gave me a somber glance meant to silence me, but we both knew that
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