I pivoted to Winston. “I’d like your help interrogating Peyton’s neighbor. He strikes me as odd.”
“Sure. When?”
I liked that I didn’t have to justify myself to the former FBI special agent. “This morning. I’ll give you a call. I’m taking Peyton to work, and I’m wondering if we have his prints in the condo.”
He raised a finger in salute. “You got it. Just let me know.”
I changed quickly in the locker room and then checked my messages on the way down to my car.
MOM: You need to get back here. I thought you were guarding your girl.
It wasn’t worth correcting her again that Peyton wasn’t my girl.
ME: A colleague is outside on guard duty until I get back. His name is Duke.
MOM: I’m going to cook pancakes for you and her, so get your behind back here.
ME: On the way. Make enough for Duke too.
I left a note for Jordy and headed home, hoping to hell that Mom hadn’t scared off Peyton.My girl. I liked the sound of that.
On the drive, I chanced waking up Constance.
“What do you want?” she answered groggily. “I finished the condo and cleaned up only a few hours ago. Lucas has my report.” She hung up.
Laughing, I dialed again.
“What do you want now? I was sleeping.” Her mood hadn’t improved.
I stuck with Jordy’s warning from before about invading Peyton’s privacy. “Only run the print set we think doesn’t belong and not the three we think are the occupants.”
“Okaaaaaaaaaay,” she groaned, and the line went dead again.
Since I had enough time, I dialed the contact I’d set up for just such an instance, but only used once before.
“Rosie’s Roses,” a chipper voice answered.
“Hi, Rosie. Zane March. I need a delivery first thing this morning of a dozen white roses to Constance Collier at Hawk Security.” I gave them the address. “Put it on my account.”
“What would you like the card to say?”
I took the final corner to get back home. “Thank you. No name.”
“You’re a scoundrel, you know that?”
“Maybe.” Wasscoundrelreally that bad a term? I wouldn’t have minded being a pirate in a prior century. “Hey, Rosie. Add a second dozen and send them to Peyton Smith at SpaceMasters. Same address as last time.”
“You like this girl.” Her intonation was statement, not question.
“Yeah,” I admitted.
I’d started out intrigued, but the way I’d felt when I saw those muggers after her was a clear signal that I’d gone beyond that. Then, the kiss had taken it up another notch, and I was definitely in like-a-lot territory.
“Flowers twice to the same woman deserves a card,” she prodded.
“Okay. No name, but put,We should have dinner. Nothing more than that.”
“If that’s your message, maybe you should up your game and go with red, instead of white.”
