“No kissing, really?”
“None. She doesn’t like it. And it’s not just me. She claims she barely ever kissed any of her old boyfriends. She’s okay with anything else, but no lip locking. I barely got her to agree to kiss at our wedding.”
“What? That’s messed up. That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.” She gave another laugh and then gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it really is.”
Lizzy’s face was bright red with laughter, and her eyes sparkled even more as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “Maybe you should create an app for that?”
“Very funny. I just might.” He settled down a bit, and the laughter died. “Don’t you miss the companionship part at least?” It was hard for him to believe anyone would like to be alone all the time.
“No.” Suddenly, her smile faded, and he saw her lip quiver a bit as emotion filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s not my husband. It’s just, I was with someone before him who I loved very much. I miss his company.”
“Oh, you had a bad break up?”
“No, he’s gone. He was much older than me. Like a father.” She gave a little half-hearted smile and then continued to eat her salad.
“I guess I should be thankful for what I have.” He was thankful that he had Lizzy’s friendship, and that they were getting along. He would focus on the sisterly part of their relationship, and he hoped it would help him stop his wild imagination. He needed to hold onto Megan for all he was worth. Even if the idea of losing her to a divorce didn’t hurt his heart the way he thought it would.
“What we have is a case to discuss,” Lizzy said. “As I said, I know what it’s like to have gut feelings, to know when something just isn’t right. I’ll keep that in mind as we move forward. The truth is, with this guy missing, we have no idea what’s going on, and as much as I want to think the evidence is pointing to him, he could have just been in the room. I know that.”
“What if he’s dead?” Darek didn’t even want to think about that, but they needed to face the possibility.
“I doubt it. I know anything is possible, Darek, but all signs point to him running off, and until I get a better reason to think otherwise, I’m going to believe that. So, can we at least agree to do that?”
“Sure. I like it better when we’re getting along, anyway.” He took another sip of his drink, and she smiled.
“I like that better, too.”
16
Lizzy
Having dinner with Darek had been a nice way to round out what had been an underwhelming day. With the entire department now focused on finding Victor Barnes, she had her work cut out for her. She drove home and thought hard about the case, but her mind kept drifting back to Darek and his sad story.
She had considered offering him a kiss and throwing the poor bastard a bone, but she knew better than to fall for him. He was a gorgeous man, tall and built, but not overly bulky. Just the right amount of firm muscle beneath the flesh. He had strong arms, powerful shoulders, and the nicest ass she’d seen on a man in ages. He was the perfect accessory to his beauty queen wife, and what a fucking waste that was.
She doubted the woman would ever truly appreciate him or value him, but it wasn’t her problem. She had bigger issues, and this case was a top priority.
She made it out of the city and to her apartment complex in record time. It wasn’t a palace, but it was in a nice area. The building was newer and had great security at the front gate. She had taken an upstairs unit, which was fine for her. Climbing the stairs every day would keep her limber. She unlocked her door and went inside, carefully checking to see if anything wasn’t the way she’d left it. A single lady living alone couldn’t be too careful, and she knew all too well the kind of monsters there were lurking about. She dealt with those animals on a daily basis, but better at work and not at home.
She kicked off her shoes and went to the radio where she turned on some music to fuel her mood. She took her time gloving up and then worked over the punching bag for a good hour, which was her usual destressing routine after a hard day. She got in a few kicks, a couple of knee shots, and then headed for the shower where she sank to the floor after making quick work of washing the sweat from her body and hair. Another half hour inside her mind, and she stood up and shut off the water.
She dried off and dressed in yoga pants and a soft cotton tank. Her favorite fuzzy socks completed her look, and then she went to work drying her hair.
She didn’t watch TV, and reading was something she did to learn, so she fixed herself a cup of coffee and settled into her favorite chair with her laptop.
She searched for the word Zodiac, and the first thing that came up told her it’s meaning: a circle of little animals. It wasn’t new to her. She’d been over the evidence a hundred times and knew the Zodiac and all of the signs and their meanings like the back of her hand. Cases did that to her. They made her an expert on shit she never cared about before. She settled in for another night of reading, hoping something would come to her. She had to make sure the evidence was solid, that all of the t’s were crossed, and the i’s were dotted. She was certain she’d been thorough.
Another page lit her screen, and she sipped her coffee as she read, but then her mind drifted back to dinner and how sentimental it had become. She wasn’t a sentimental person usually and had very few weak spots. Robert was one of them.
The old man had been special to her, and if she had to say she’d ever truly loved someone, it was him. He’d taken her in when she was just seventeen, and even though she would have done anything he’d wanted to stay with him, he’d never taken advantage of her.
As a retired detective, they shared the same interests, and he understood her passion more than anyone else had. So much, in fact, that he’d encouraged her to go to the academy and had even paid for her ride.
They had an agreement. She’d be his companion, and he’d see to it she never wanted for anything. He’d held up his promise, as had she, until his dying day.
Their time hadn’t been long enough, and her one regret was that he’d never seen her reach her goal of becoming an agent but he’d left her in the best hands possible. Sam and Robert had been great friends, and although no one had known her better than Robert, Sam knew enough.
It was a wonder she’d trusted her life with men, but she knew the difference between a good man and animal, like her father. She pictured herself cowering in the corner, his belt lashing at her fingers, stinging to the bone as she covered her face and head.