under“LifeTech Industries Storage Facility.” There was no reason for LifeTech to maintain a storage warehouse that was so large. I mean, really, how much room could pieces of skin take up?
Arriving in Mansfield, I stopped at the office to see if I could catch Coop or Naomi before they left for the day. Naomi was in the parking lot, ready to leave. Rolling my window down, I pulled up next to her and told her about my interview.
“I know you thought he was an asshole, CeeCee, but he sounds pretty solid.”
“Sounds like it, huh? I don’t care. Something’s not right with him, and something’s not right with that warehouse.” I started chewing on my lip. “I think I’ll call one of my contacts at Cleveland PD tomorrow and see if one of them will sit on it for a while.”
“Unless you have something more concrete, I don’t know if they will or not. Listen, I gotta get going. Coop and I are going down to my parents’ for dinner.” She tapped the side of my car and walked away.
I was thinking about whom to contact in Cleveland when my attention was drawn to the vending-machine supply truck that had just pulled in the lot. There was something ominously familiar about the driver that I couldn’t put my finger on. He looked normal, whistling loudly as he unloaded the truck. When he went inside the building, I silently berated myself for being paranoid and headed home.
It was getting late, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Michael’s car parked in front of the house. I realized I hadn’t talked to him all day. He had dinner waiting for me, with two lit candles on the table.
“Wow! What’s the occasion?” I tossed my coat and keys on a nearby stool.
“You and me together, and alone.” He smiled, but for an instant I saw something flicker in his eyes.
“That sounds wonderful! I know what’s for dessert.” I pulled him close to me by grabbing his belt buckle. “But what’s for dinner?”
“Your favorite: basil and shrimp pesto, Caesar salad, French bread, and tiramisu for dessert… one of the desserts! I also managed to get my hands on the best bottle of Pinot Noir in town.” He pulled me into a tight embrace, one that lingered just enough to make me suspicious.
“All right, mister.” I pulled away. “You better tell me what’s going on! Let me guess. You mistakenly drank a glass of water laced with LSD, and since you were out of your rational mind, you cheated on me with one of the Cleveland Browns cheerleaders,” I quipped, although I was a little scared of the answer.
He tilted his head back, laughing. “Oh, how your mind works. Baby, you put all of those girls to shame. Even the strongest LSD wouldn’t make me be unfaithful to you. C’mon, let’s eat.”
We managed to get through dinner before we wound up in the bedroom. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I’d get through the salad. The girls were back with us tomorrow, so we needed to utilize our time together. Lying in bed, our bodies intertwined, I remembered how fortunate I was.
“Why I deserve any of this, I’ll never understand,” I said softly.
“What do you mean by that?” Michael propped himself up on an elbow.
“You. The girls. Sean. All of this.” I waved my hands around. “I look back at things I’ve done in thepast and keep wondering when they’re going to catch up with me.”
“Cee.” Michael turned my face toward his. “I’ve been thinking. When Selina and Isabelle come back, why don’t you take them to Florida for a couple of weeks? I estimate, by the time you get back, I’ll have this case wrapped up and things will be normal again. Most important, I think you need the break.”
“As wonderful as it sounds, I’m in the middle of two homicides.” I groaned.
Michael sat up. “So what? You have fifteen detectives under you who are more than capable of handling it! Why do you have to be in the middle of every goddamn case? Don’t you think that there are more important things in life? Like me and the
Arriving in Mansfield, I stopped at the office to see if I could catch Coop or Naomi before they left for the day. Naomi was in the parking lot, ready to leave. Rolling my window down, I pulled up next to her and told her about my interview.
“I know you thought he was an asshole, CeeCee, but he sounds pretty solid.”
“Sounds like it, huh? I don’t care. Something’s not right with him, and something’s not right with that warehouse.” I started chewing on my lip. “I think I’ll call one of my contacts at Cleveland PD tomorrow and see if one of them will sit on it for a while.”
“Unless you have something more concrete, I don’t know if they will or not. Listen, I gotta get going. Coop and I are going down to my parents’ for dinner.” She tapped the side of my car and walked away.
I was thinking about whom to contact in Cleveland when my attention was drawn to the vending-machine supply truck that had just pulled in the lot. There was something ominously familiar about the driver that I couldn’t put my finger on. He looked normal, whistling loudly as he unloaded the truck. When he went inside the building, I silently berated myself for being paranoid and headed home.
It was getting late, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Michael’s car parked in front of the house. I realized I hadn’t talked to him all day. He had dinner waiting for me, with two lit candles on the table.
“Wow! What’s the occasion?” I tossed my coat and keys on a nearby stool.
“You and me together, and alone.” He smiled, but for an instant I saw something flicker in his eyes.
“That sounds wonderful! I know what’s for dessert.” I pulled him close to me by grabbing his belt buckle. “But what’s for dinner?”
“Your favorite: basil and shrimp pesto, Caesar salad, French bread, and tiramisu for dessert… one of the desserts! I also managed to get my hands on the best bottle of Pinot Noir in town.” He pulled me into a tight embrace, one that lingered just enough to make me suspicious.
“All right, mister.” I pulled away. “You better tell me what’s going on! Let me guess. You mistakenly drank a glass of water laced with LSD, and since you were out of your rational mind, you cheated on me with one of the Cleveland Browns cheerleaders,” I quipped, although I was a little scared of the answer.
He tilted his head back, laughing. “Oh, how your mind works. Baby, you put all of those girls to shame. Even the strongest LSD wouldn’t make me be unfaithful to you. C’mon, let’s eat.”
We managed to get through dinner before we wound up in the bedroom. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I’d get through the salad. The girls were back with us tomorrow, so we needed to utilize our time together. Lying in bed, our bodies intertwined, I remembered how fortunate I was.
“Why I deserve any of this, I’ll never understand,” I said softly.
“What do you mean by that?” Michael propped himself up on an elbow.
“You. The girls. Sean. All of this.” I waved my hands around. “I look back at things I’ve done in thepast and keep wondering when they’re going to catch up with me.”
“Cee.” Michael turned my face toward his. “I’ve been thinking. When Selina and Isabelle come back, why don’t you take them to Florida for a couple of weeks? I estimate, by the time you get back, I’ll have this case wrapped up and things will be normal again. Most important, I think you need the break.”
“As wonderful as it sounds, I’m in the middle of two homicides.” I groaned.
Michael sat up. “So what? You have fifteen detectives under you who are more than capable of handling it! Why do you have to be in the middle of every goddamn case? Don’t you think that there are more important things in life? Like me and the
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