TRACE - CSI Reilly Steel #5 (Forensic novel Police Procedural Series) by Casey Hill Page A
Authors: Casey Hill
Ads: Link
early.’
Chapter 7
Despite what his colleagues thought, Chris Delaney did not mind being alone. For years, he had enjoyed his own company. He had built up a cosy life for himself. He had good friends, and was godfather to Rachel, his best friend Matt’s daughter. And he had his work. If he ever watched the relationships of Kennedy and Josie or Matt and Emma and felt jealous, that was a feeling that could usually be worked out of his system at the gym. He often turned to a rigorous workout to cure all ills, and it had worked for a long time. Although a more recent ongoing ill had to be cured in different way, but that was another story.
Lately however, he was finding it harder and harder to stay satisfied with solitary life. Given the nature of his work and his past relationship issues, he had always believed that he would be better off single. He couldn’t bring the complexities and the sheer harshness of his work life home with him. But recently he thought that perhaps he had a duty to seek out and create any warmth he could, as a kind of rebellion against the darkness and cruelty he encountered every day. He imagined teaching his children about right and wrong; ensuring they grew up to be good people. He imagined coming home to someone who loved him, someone who understood what he faced every day.
Chris sighed and pushed the weight bar out parallel with his chest. It was an impossible dream, he knew. You couldn’t teach children to be good people. Procreation was a game of Russian roulette: he had seen many good families be devastated by an evil seed in their midst. People sometimes were just bad; there was no real reason for it. Of course, that wasn’t to say he had seen many potentially good kids ruined by terrible upbringings. It was risky all round, having children.
As for the relationship business, that was just a pipe dream. One after the other of his past romances had been ruined by his work and the effect it sometimes had on him. It was hard to believe in love when you knew what people would do in the name of it, never mind that that was a sick, twisted kind of love. More about possession than anything else.
He pushed the weights harder and faster, until his biceps, shoulders and chest muscles strained. It’s no good thinking about Reilly the way he had been lately, either, he told himself. Reilly didn't think that way about colleagues and certainly not about him. He wondered who she did think that way about though, and suspected that something had changed in her since her return from the US.
Had something happened there? Not with Forrest, he guessed, for starters she viewed the guy as a second father and for another he was way older.
Yet something had happened though, Chris reckoned. And Reilly was only human after all.
Me: Hi there.
Her: Hi yourself.
Me: You’ll have to forgive me for being a little overwhelmed. I don’t usually speak to women who look as good as you.
Her: This isn’t really speaking LOL. Wait until you meet me in person. I’m used to that kind of response.
Me: I’ll bet. You’re a very impressive woman. How is it that you’re single, if you don’t mind me asking?
Her: I haven’t really focused on love. There’s been more important things for me. There still are more important things LOL. I guess you better know that straight up. I don’t want to waste your time.
Me: I don’t think I am.
Her: I think we’ll get on just fine then, LOL. Just as long as everyone knows we’re they’re at.
It starts like this. Lies and flattery will get you where you need to be.
Only I need to caution myself: slowly, slowly. To rush is to scare your prey.
To rush is to lose, and you no longer lose.
The detectives interviewed Blair Burke early the next morning.
It was 8am, and Reilly’s hair was still slightly wet and fragrant from her post gym shower. She wanted to sit in on this interview and get a sense of him as a potential subject and it
Chapter 7
Despite what his colleagues thought, Chris Delaney did not mind being alone. For years, he had enjoyed his own company. He had built up a cosy life for himself. He had good friends, and was godfather to Rachel, his best friend Matt’s daughter. And he had his work. If he ever watched the relationships of Kennedy and Josie or Matt and Emma and felt jealous, that was a feeling that could usually be worked out of his system at the gym. He often turned to a rigorous workout to cure all ills, and it had worked for a long time. Although a more recent ongoing ill had to be cured in different way, but that was another story.
Lately however, he was finding it harder and harder to stay satisfied with solitary life. Given the nature of his work and his past relationship issues, he had always believed that he would be better off single. He couldn’t bring the complexities and the sheer harshness of his work life home with him. But recently he thought that perhaps he had a duty to seek out and create any warmth he could, as a kind of rebellion against the darkness and cruelty he encountered every day. He imagined teaching his children about right and wrong; ensuring they grew up to be good people. He imagined coming home to someone who loved him, someone who understood what he faced every day.
Chris sighed and pushed the weight bar out parallel with his chest. It was an impossible dream, he knew. You couldn’t teach children to be good people. Procreation was a game of Russian roulette: he had seen many good families be devastated by an evil seed in their midst. People sometimes were just bad; there was no real reason for it. Of course, that wasn’t to say he had seen many potentially good kids ruined by terrible upbringings. It was risky all round, having children.
As for the relationship business, that was just a pipe dream. One after the other of his past romances had been ruined by his work and the effect it sometimes had on him. It was hard to believe in love when you knew what people would do in the name of it, never mind that that was a sick, twisted kind of love. More about possession than anything else.
He pushed the weights harder and faster, until his biceps, shoulders and chest muscles strained. It’s no good thinking about Reilly the way he had been lately, either, he told himself. Reilly didn't think that way about colleagues and certainly not about him. He wondered who she did think that way about though, and suspected that something had changed in her since her return from the US.
Had something happened there? Not with Forrest, he guessed, for starters she viewed the guy as a second father and for another he was way older.
Yet something had happened though, Chris reckoned. And Reilly was only human after all.
Me: Hi there.
Her: Hi yourself.
Me: You’ll have to forgive me for being a little overwhelmed. I don’t usually speak to women who look as good as you.
Her: This isn’t really speaking LOL. Wait until you meet me in person. I’m used to that kind of response.
Me: I’ll bet. You’re a very impressive woman. How is it that you’re single, if you don’t mind me asking?
Her: I haven’t really focused on love. There’s been more important things for me. There still are more important things LOL. I guess you better know that straight up. I don’t want to waste your time.
Me: I don’t think I am.
Her: I think we’ll get on just fine then, LOL. Just as long as everyone knows we’re they’re at.
It starts like this. Lies and flattery will get you where you need to be.
Only I need to caution myself: slowly, slowly. To rush is to scare your prey.
To rush is to lose, and you no longer lose.
The detectives interviewed Blair Burke early the next morning.
It was 8am, and Reilly’s hair was still slightly wet and fragrant from her post gym shower. She wanted to sit in on this interview and get a sense of him as a potential subject and it
Similar Books
