turned on Jones, wanting to plow his fist into his partner. “Don’t say anything,” he snarled.
“Let it go.”
“I did let it go.” The image of Laken burned in his mind in stark clarity, a picture of pain and betrayal. “And I’m beginning to feel just what I let go.”
“Come on, man, get serious.”
Mac looked to the man who had been his best friend for four years. “I’m totally serious. And you know what? After just sitting here, and doing nothing while I let you grill her, I deserve to lose her.”
He too left his partner to follow him. He wasn’t surprised not to see her at her work area when he looked. Resigned, he left.
He started calling her cell phone when he got to his car. She didn’t answer. At the station, he called again. It clicked off on him. The next time he called it went directly to voice mail. She’d turned off her cell phone.
****
Laken was miserable; her emotions swung between hurt and anger with each minute. How in just a couple days had Spencer MacDaniels come to mean so much to her? She fought back a wave of tears. The arrogant jerk, she didn’t need him. She stomped her way up the stairs. She’d just reached her apartment when the door across the hall opened.
“Oh, Laken. I thought I heard someone out here but wasn’t sure it was you. You usually move around so quietly.”
Laken plastered a smile on her face and turned to the woman. Mrs. Simmons was a nice, old, busybody who dyed her hair an unfortunate shade of orange and was always coming up with reasons to visit. Laken would have enjoyed her visits more if she just wasn’t so pushy.
“How are you tonight, Mrs. Simmons?” she asked, not wanting to start a conversation but knowing it was the fastest way to escape.
“Oh, just wonderful, dear, my nephew is here to visit. Howard, you know. You promised the next time he was in town you’d go out with him.”
Laken groaned inwardly. This couldn’t be happening now. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Simmons, but I had a really miserable day at work. I don’t think I’d be very good company tonight.”
“Nonsense, a night out is just what you need.”
“It really isn’t a good time.”
“Pish posh.” The woman waved her hand. “Now, dear, I’ve told Howard all about you. He’s anxious to meet you. He’s at a meeting now but will be back about six-thirty. I thought that by seven should give him time to get ready.”
“I should stay home. You know I was sick last week.”
“He’s planning on picking you up then,” the woman continued as if Laken hadn’t said anything. Laken resigned herself to go out. At least she could get it over with, and the woman wouldn’t be forever after her. And who knew? Maybe Howard would be as wonderful as Mrs. Simmons made him out to be, and she could forget about an infuriating broad-shouldered detective.
****
On the way home from work, Mac stopped at the pharmacy. One of the clerks from the night of the murder was there. Mac introduced himself and showed his badge. “I was wondering if you might be able to remember a couple of customers that were in here last Wednesday.”
“I help a lot of people,” the man said. “But you say Wednesday, that’s the night it rained so hard.”
“Yes,” Mac confirmed, feeling a surge of hope.
“We weren’t too busy. People stayed in because of the rain.” The man was obviously thinking back.
“I’m interested in two women. Both about five-eight with light brown hair. The first one was sick.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember her. She was real sick. It was amazing she could even stand up. I wondered if I shouldn’t call an ambulance she looked so bad. Nothing happened to her, did it? I’ve seen her around. She’s usually nice and friendly. She said she was going right home to bed. That she’d be fine.”
“No, she’s fine. The other woman that I’m wondering about was in here at the same time.”
The man thought a minute. “Oh yeah, the promotion
“Let it go.”
“I did let it go.” The image of Laken burned in his mind in stark clarity, a picture of pain and betrayal. “And I’m beginning to feel just what I let go.”
“Come on, man, get serious.”
Mac looked to the man who had been his best friend for four years. “I’m totally serious. And you know what? After just sitting here, and doing nothing while I let you grill her, I deserve to lose her.”
He too left his partner to follow him. He wasn’t surprised not to see her at her work area when he looked. Resigned, he left.
He started calling her cell phone when he got to his car. She didn’t answer. At the station, he called again. It clicked off on him. The next time he called it went directly to voice mail. She’d turned off her cell phone.
****
Laken was miserable; her emotions swung between hurt and anger with each minute. How in just a couple days had Spencer MacDaniels come to mean so much to her? She fought back a wave of tears. The arrogant jerk, she didn’t need him. She stomped her way up the stairs. She’d just reached her apartment when the door across the hall opened.
“Oh, Laken. I thought I heard someone out here but wasn’t sure it was you. You usually move around so quietly.”
Laken plastered a smile on her face and turned to the woman. Mrs. Simmons was a nice, old, busybody who dyed her hair an unfortunate shade of orange and was always coming up with reasons to visit. Laken would have enjoyed her visits more if she just wasn’t so pushy.
“How are you tonight, Mrs. Simmons?” she asked, not wanting to start a conversation but knowing it was the fastest way to escape.
“Oh, just wonderful, dear, my nephew is here to visit. Howard, you know. You promised the next time he was in town you’d go out with him.”
Laken groaned inwardly. This couldn’t be happening now. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Simmons, but I had a really miserable day at work. I don’t think I’d be very good company tonight.”
“Nonsense, a night out is just what you need.”
“It really isn’t a good time.”
“Pish posh.” The woman waved her hand. “Now, dear, I’ve told Howard all about you. He’s anxious to meet you. He’s at a meeting now but will be back about six-thirty. I thought that by seven should give him time to get ready.”
“I should stay home. You know I was sick last week.”
“He’s planning on picking you up then,” the woman continued as if Laken hadn’t said anything. Laken resigned herself to go out. At least she could get it over with, and the woman wouldn’t be forever after her. And who knew? Maybe Howard would be as wonderful as Mrs. Simmons made him out to be, and she could forget about an infuriating broad-shouldered detective.
****
On the way home from work, Mac stopped at the pharmacy. One of the clerks from the night of the murder was there. Mac introduced himself and showed his badge. “I was wondering if you might be able to remember a couple of customers that were in here last Wednesday.”
“I help a lot of people,” the man said. “But you say Wednesday, that’s the night it rained so hard.”
“Yes,” Mac confirmed, feeling a surge of hope.
“We weren’t too busy. People stayed in because of the rain.” The man was obviously thinking back.
“I’m interested in two women. Both about five-eight with light brown hair. The first one was sick.”
“Oh, yeah, I remember her. She was real sick. It was amazing she could even stand up. I wondered if I shouldn’t call an ambulance she looked so bad. Nothing happened to her, did it? I’ve seen her around. She’s usually nice and friendly. She said she was going right home to bed. That she’d be fine.”
“No, she’s fine. The other woman that I’m wondering about was in here at the same time.”
The man thought a minute. “Oh yeah, the promotion
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