a pass at her, and she'd let her temper get the best of her. Unfortunately, she'd also humiliated Spanos in front of other police officers and made an enemy of the man.
"That's all right, I'm good," she told Andy.
"Well then, if you're not drinking, you have to try my new recipe." He moved his bulk into the kitchen before she could demur. A minute later, he returned with a plate of heavenly smelling meat garnished with fresh asparagus.
She sniffed in appreciation. In the excitement of her first day back at work, she'd forgotten to eat lunch. The rumbling in her stomach decided for her as he placed the plate in front of her with a flourish.
"Spring lamb with fennel and rosemary. My cousin's wife in Killarney mailed me the recipe last week."
She took a first succulent bite. Andy nodded with a smile as she rolled her eyes in appreciation.
"Now, you want to tell me why I've the pleasure of your company this fine evening?" he asked when she came up for air. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Everything all right with DJ?"
Trust Andy to get right to the point. She shrugged. "The psychiatrist said he could return to desk duty." She hoped she wasn't revealing any confidences.
He nodded. "Jimmy Dolan told me when he was in earlier." Jimmy was Drake's partner on the Major Crimes Squad. "Said Miller would have DJ cleaning out the fridge–guess she's still pissed."
Commander Sarah Miller led the Major Crimes Squad and had not been pleased two months ago when she learned about Drake's involvement with Cassie, a witness in a homicide case.
"Clean out the fridge?" Cassie asked.
"Cold case files. You know, ones that have stumped everyone, but no one has the heart to bury them. They're stored in a closet at the House, and every once in a while someone gets assigned the thankless job of going through them, looking for any new leads."
"But if they're older cases, isn't it more likely that you have less information as witnesses forget or move on?"
"Sometimes with new technology like DNA testing, you catch a break. And," he brightened, "once the shrink clears DJ to return to active duty he can get back on the streets where he belongs."
"He's good, isn't he?"
"Of course. I trained him, didn't I? He's the best I've seen," he went on, "when his head's in the game. Got a mind like a freaking camera–remembers everything. The way he reads a crime scene, it's like he sees something different than the rest of us."
She nodded. Drake's painting was like that. He seemed to see beyond the superficial to what lay beneath. "He'd be on the streets now if it weren't for him getting shot–because of me."
"You're good for him," Andy assured her.
"I just don't know how to–what to–" she stammered, unable to finish. She couldn't believe she was discussing her private life here in a public bar. "What does he want? I feel like I've done something wrong and I don't know what."
Andy cleared her dishes and swiped at the bar with a wet rag as he thought. "DJ's never been easy. Sometimes you just have to give him time to come to his senses." Cassie nodded, that was the same advice Adeena had given her. Then Andy looked up and grinned. "But don't give him too long to sulk," he went on. "Sometimes what the kid needs most is a swift kick in the butt."
"Thanks, Andy." She placed a ten-dollar bill on the bar. Andy pushed it back at her.
"You know your money's no good here."
She slid off the stool, refusing to argue with him. He took the bill and dropped it in a large jar with the words Children's Coalition emblazoned on it. Cassie froze, looking at the photo below the words. Virginia Ulrich, smiling as she cradled Charlie in her arms.
"Do you know Virginia Ulrich?" She gestured to the jar brimming with contributions.
"Sure. Her husband, Paul, grew up near here. I remember when his father ran his first campaign for City Councilman. George's gone
"That's all right, I'm good," she told Andy.
"Well then, if you're not drinking, you have to try my new recipe." He moved his bulk into the kitchen before she could demur. A minute later, he returned with a plate of heavenly smelling meat garnished with fresh asparagus.
She sniffed in appreciation. In the excitement of her first day back at work, she'd forgotten to eat lunch. The rumbling in her stomach decided for her as he placed the plate in front of her with a flourish.
"Spring lamb with fennel and rosemary. My cousin's wife in Killarney mailed me the recipe last week."
She took a first succulent bite. Andy nodded with a smile as she rolled her eyes in appreciation.
"Now, you want to tell me why I've the pleasure of your company this fine evening?" he asked when she came up for air. "Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Everything all right with DJ?"
Trust Andy to get right to the point. She shrugged. "The psychiatrist said he could return to desk duty." She hoped she wasn't revealing any confidences.
He nodded. "Jimmy Dolan told me when he was in earlier." Jimmy was Drake's partner on the Major Crimes Squad. "Said Miller would have DJ cleaning out the fridge–guess she's still pissed."
Commander Sarah Miller led the Major Crimes Squad and had not been pleased two months ago when she learned about Drake's involvement with Cassie, a witness in a homicide case.
"Clean out the fridge?" Cassie asked.
"Cold case files. You know, ones that have stumped everyone, but no one has the heart to bury them. They're stored in a closet at the House, and every once in a while someone gets assigned the thankless job of going through them, looking for any new leads."
"But if they're older cases, isn't it more likely that you have less information as witnesses forget or move on?"
"Sometimes with new technology like DNA testing, you catch a break. And," he brightened, "once the shrink clears DJ to return to active duty he can get back on the streets where he belongs."
"He's good, isn't he?"
"Of course. I trained him, didn't I? He's the best I've seen," he went on, "when his head's in the game. Got a mind like a freaking camera–remembers everything. The way he reads a crime scene, it's like he sees something different than the rest of us."
She nodded. Drake's painting was like that. He seemed to see beyond the superficial to what lay beneath. "He'd be on the streets now if it weren't for him getting shot–because of me."
"You're good for him," Andy assured her.
"I just don't know how to–what to–" she stammered, unable to finish. She couldn't believe she was discussing her private life here in a public bar. "What does he want? I feel like I've done something wrong and I don't know what."
Andy cleared her dishes and swiped at the bar with a wet rag as he thought. "DJ's never been easy. Sometimes you just have to give him time to come to his senses." Cassie nodded, that was the same advice Adeena had given her. Then Andy looked up and grinned. "But don't give him too long to sulk," he went on. "Sometimes what the kid needs most is a swift kick in the butt."
"Thanks, Andy." She placed a ten-dollar bill on the bar. Andy pushed it back at her.
"You know your money's no good here."
She slid off the stool, refusing to argue with him. He took the bill and dropped it in a large jar with the words Children's Coalition emblazoned on it. Cassie froze, looking at the photo below the words. Virginia Ulrich, smiling as she cradled Charlie in her arms.
"Do you know Virginia Ulrich?" She gestured to the jar brimming with contributions.
"Sure. Her husband, Paul, grew up near here. I remember when his father ran his first campaign for City Councilman. George's gone
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