“I know you’re married to her, and this might be inappropriate, but can I ask you something?”
He lifted an eyebrow.
“You can ask, but I don’t know if I’ll answer, due to the appropriateness factor. What do you want to know?”
He went there.
“She said she was going to let us join your team if we impressed her. It’s weird to ask her husband, but can you tell us how to impress her?”
Chris relaxed.
That didn’t go where he thought it would go. That they didn’t try to get‘dirt’made him more willing to help them. By them, he meant both detectives.
The female one was listening intently.
“I know it’s a big ask, but…”
It really wasn’t, and Chris knew it.
Most people asked about their open marriage. That this man didn’t, and he wasn’t gossiping, that was already a big step in impressing all of them.
Especially Elizabeth.
She surrounded herself with people that she could trust.
In their world, there was very little anonymity.
It was clear the man was worried.
“What if we can’t find something huge to dazzle her?” he asked. “I’m worried about my partner. Our police captain is a dick. He treats her like shit, and I want to make sure she gets out of here. If Elizabeth can only take one of us, I’d give up being a fed for Tora. I don’t like how he treats her.”
Chris smiled.
Oh, someone was more than a partner. Chris would bet Elizabeth’s boots he had a crush on her. His wife wasn’t the only Cupid on the team.
Chris had been around cops his whole career, and he could see the ties between the two.
Because the detective was being genuine, Chris shared what he could with the man.
“Just do your job. Cover all your bases, and don’t be lazy about research. Even if you don’t find the case-solving clue, if you show her that you’re smart enough to run a case, you’re in. Elizabeth must have sensed you’re both good detectives, and decent people already, or she wouldn’t have given you the heads-up that she wanted to hire you. Did she give you a heads-up?”
He nodded.
“Well, then, my suggestion is, stay calm, and do your job. As long as you can work as part of a team, and you’re not the killer, you should be good,” he said, laughing. “We haven’t had that happen yet, but we still have a good fifteen years left in our careers,” he joked.
The man relaxed.
“Oh, thank God. We’ll work hard to make this happen. It’s difficult with the homicide captain. I just want to keep us both safe. That’s all. I’m going to go grab some lunch for us, quickly, and be right back. Would you like anything, Doctor?” he asked.
Chris thanked him.
“No, I’m good. I travel with a medical kit packed full of chocolates. My wife takes care of me. At some point, food will appear,” he joked. “But definitely take care of yourself and Tora. Elizabeth won’t mind if you get food. She’d insist. You can’t do your job if you are starving.”
He smiled.
“Thanks, Doctor.”
Chris nodded.
