“Yes?”
“Good work. I’m proud of you and Detective Hayes. The entire city is.”
With this reluctant and meager praise ringing in his head, George marched back to his own desk.
AN HOURlater he was on his way to Andi’s house, to check on his partner and hopefully pick him up for the interrogation of Castain and the other suspects. When he parked in the driveway, he thought he detected movement through the window next to the door, which sent a spike of satisfaction through his veins. If Andi was up, he couldn’t be in too bad shape. It also meant his own call to take his partner home to rest had been the right decision. George left his car, unconsciously patting for the keys to Andi’s house he had taken with him. There was no need for that, though, because the door opened before he reached the porch.
Andi looked a lot better than when George had tucked him into bed, the ever-present dark circles under his eyes a lot less glaring, his skin color almost as one would expect of a human being. Even his lips twisted briefly into something akin to a smile.
“Hi, Andi, ready to go to the precinct with me?”
“Yes.” Andi motioned for George to come into the house. “Just let me get my jacket and shoes. Do you want something to drink? You look exhausted.”
“A water would be fine, thanks. And yes, I am exhausted. The adrenaline and caffeine are starting to wear off, but we need to nail those assholes, especially Castain. We can’t give them more time than they already had to come up with possible excuses.”
“No, we can’t do that.” Andi went into the kitchen to get the water for George. When he came back and handed it to him, his gaze was serious. “Thank you for bringing me home. I needed the rest.”
Andi being so open with him did strange things to George’s heart, things he didn’t want to examine too closely. He took the water bottle.
“That’s what good partners are for. We look out for each other.” He unscrewed the cap to take a long, refreshing swig. “Speaking of which, the chief summoned me while you were at home.”
A dark expression flitted over Andi’s face. No, he definitely wasn’t a fan of the woman. “What did she want?”
“Well, she did congratulate us, especially you, on solving the case. She wasn’t all roses and champagne, but I guess that’s to be expected when you find out that not only the detective you want to get rid of was right from the start but also that a pillar of the community and close acquaintance of the mayor is behind one of the most abhorrent crimes in the city’s history.”
Andi raised a brow. “Do these monster sentences come naturally to you, or do you prepare them at night in your bed?”
“It’s a talent.” George shrugged, trying his best to appear modest. Andi shoved him out the door, so he probably hadn’t been too successful.
After Andi closed the door, they went to George’s car. Once they were inside and their seat belts on, Andi turned to him. “What else did she want? Asking for my head on a silver platter?”
“Something like that. I assured her your methods are perfectly legal and that a huge part of your success is based on your extensive network of informants.”
Silence hung in the car until George reached the street. Then Andi spoke. “I’m not sure if I should applaud your genius phrasing or sock you for it.”
“I’d say applause and awe are the appropriate reactions, partner. I didn’t lie to her.”
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t tell her anything either. Fine, it’s genius.” Andi sounded grumpy, as if admitting such a thing was against his very nature. For all George knew, this was the first time his partner had to do it. Since they were already talking sensitive topics, he decided to bite the bullet.
“I also asked her to make us permanent partners.”
This time the silence stretched until they were almost at the precinct. When Andi finally opened his mouth, George realized he was actually afraid of his reaction.
“You’d really want to be burdened with somebody like me?”
It wasn’t what George had expected, so it took him a moment to react. “Are you kidding me? Working with you may not be as easy as with another partner, I admit that, but the things I can learn from you? The cases we might be able to crack because of yourgeschenk? That’s worth a lot of trouble. Besides—” He winked when he felt Andi’s stare at his face. “—you’ve kind of grown on me. Who needs a constantly perky partner? Plus, you’re low maintenance. Plain bagels and herbal tea are cheap.”
“I’m so glad there’s so many pros to working with me,” Andi snapped, reaching for the passenger door handle to open it.
George killed the engine and got ready to exit the car as well. “Don’t forget your sarcasm. I love it.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, let’s fuck with Jake Castain. Together.”
Andi closed the door with a little more force than strictly necessary. A predatory smile appeared on his lips.
“Yeah. Let’s do some fucking over.” He hesitated. “Together.”
