Detective Sawyer arched an eyebrow, as if she didn’t believe me even for a second. She did ease back, however, giving me room to breathe more freely. “Come on now, Hayes. If you want this whole friendship thing to work, you’ll have to learn how to be more honest.”
“I am being honest, Detective. A relationship isn’t something I’m interested in at the moment.” Ironically, this was one of the few times when I wasn’t lying straight through my teeth.
She held my gaze, seemingly weighing my words. Once she seemed satisfied with whatever assessment she’d reached, she pulled out the chair across from me and sat down. Her elbows came to rest on the table, fingers lacing together.
“And why not?”
There was actual interest in her voice, which took me by surprise. It seemed that after our talk at the bar, she’d begun to warm up to me.
Well…warm upmight be a strong word.
Beguilingly toleratedwould be far more accurate.
Still, it was a progress.
“I can’t imagine I’d make a very good partner right now, with work and everything else going on in my life,” I said, which was putting it mildly. It couldn’t be helped, however, considering that my version of ‘everything else’didn’t belong in politeconversation.
“Well, aren’t you considerate?” Detective Sawyer said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. She had a way of making even the simplest of statements sound like mockery, except this time, there was no real edge to it, only a light, teasing lilt.
I shook my head, but the corners of my mouth twitched despite myself. “And what about you, Detective? Is there anyone special in your life?”
“Sure. If you count my pet cactus.”
I wasn’t sure I heard it right. “Cactus?”
She shrugged. “It’s loyal, low-maintenance, and impossible to kill. What more could I ask for?”
“Does it have a name?” I asked, more curious than I’d care to admit. It wasn’t often the detective talked about herself. She tended to take control of every conversation, so the opportunity to learn something personal—no matter how trivial—was too good to pass up.
“…Roger.”
She said it so quietly that I almost missed it completely.
When I remained silent, she let out a sigh, the kind that carried the weight of instant regret. “It’s a bunny ear cactus, hence the name. You know—Who framed Roger Rabbit?Never mind…”
And just like that, I had the pleasure of witnessing the rarest of sights.
Detective Sawyer—flustered.
This moment deserved to be marked down in history.
I grinned. “You named your cactus after a cartoon bunny. That’s adorable.”
The look she leveled at me could have cut glass. “It’s arabbit. I swear that if you tell anyone aboutthis—”
“Oh no, Detective. This is staying with me. Forever.”
Detective Shay Sawyer—ruthless interrogator, walking lie detector, the reason hardened criminals lost sleep at night… and a proud owner of a tiny, defenseless houseplant named Roger.
Who would even believe me?
Although I had to admit, as amusing as the image was, something about her coming home after a long day at work to a lone, resilient cactus waiting on the windowsill felt… strangely fitting.
It seemed that the detective was human after all.
One had begun to wonder.
Detective Sawyer, regrettably, offered no other reaction and instead asked, “So, since you’re apparently not here to creep on women, what exactly are you up to?”
