“I won’t be long,” Seth promised.
Once his mom disappeared, Tony relaxed. “I didn’t know you were here. I heard through the grapevine that you’d moved to California.”
“I did. Los Angeles. Just here for a few days.”
“SoCal, huh? I can’t picture you there. You were always a New Yorker, through and through. But I gotta admit, that tan looks good on you. You like the West Coast?”
“Mostly. It’s an acquired taste. Weather’s great. Traffic sucks.” Seth shrugged. “It’s definitely different. But I’ve got some good friends out there. And…a girl.”
“Yeah?” Tony clapped him on the shoulder. “Good for you. Is it serious?”
“She’s the reason I moved out there.” He and Tony had been tight once. Back in the day, he might have said more about Heavenly, maybe even fessed up about sharing her with Beck. But now? Tony still knew some of the same people his mom talked to. He couldn’t risk that information getting back to Grace.
“Wow, good for you, man.” Tony smiled.
His former partner hadn’t liked Autumn much. He’d called her whiny and clingy. At the time, Seth had been pissed off. He and Tony had exchanged words. In retrospect, his friend had been right.
“You still in the PI business?” Tony asked. “I know your brother Matt took over here.”
“Yeah. I put out my shingle in Cali. You still at the Two-Four?” He scanned Tony’s passable off-the-rack suit. “Looks like you made detective.”
Tony’s expression darkened. “Yeah, but the precinct isn’t what it used to be. Politics and bullshit. Trust me, be glad you got out when you did.”
Seth had sensed the tone shift at the precinct even before he’d left. “You still single?”
“Not for long. I met a girl online. Crazy, right? Her name is Megan, and we’re getting married in March.”
“Congratulations! That’s fantastic.” Seth glanced at his watch. “Hey… I hate to run. I’ve got an appointment in Yonkers, so I’ve got to get going.” Not that he was looking forward to getting fitted for a tux with his mother’s fiancé, whom he barely knew. “But it was great seeing you, man.”
“If you’ve got time later, I’d love to grab a beer. Maybe hear more about how you made the successful switch from homicide detective to PI?”
Because Tony was thinking about doing the same?
“Maybe next time? I’m only in town for a few days, but I’m back next month. It would be great to shoot the shit.” Seth wanted to hear more about the change in the precinct, especially if it was making Tony re-think his direction in life.
“You got it. Take care of yourself out in La-La Land.” He clapped Seth’s shoulder.
After they parted ways, Seth headed for Grace’s car and found his mom waiting patiently. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the old days, mixed with relief that he’d left when he had. Some chapters in life were meant to close.
The drive home was quiet after the somber ceremony. It wasn’t until they were sitting in traffic that Grace spoke again.
“Do you ever miss police work?”
“Sometimes. But not enough to re-join the force.”
“California really is your home now, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Because that’s where Heavenly and Beck were.
After dropping Grace off at the house, Seth arrived at the formal wear shop to find Carl Mahoney waiting. He was a bear of a man with reddish-brown hair and a matching beard tinged with gray, weathered hands that spoke of years in construction, and gentle eyes.
The tailor bustled around them with measuring tape and pins. In the awkward silence, Seth found himself searching for something to say.
“So, Mom says you’re in construction,” Seth offered. “What kind?”
“Commercial mostly. Office buildings, a few residential developments. Been doing it for thirty years.” Carl shifted as the tailor adjusted his collar. “Grace tells me you’re doing well with your PI business out in California.”
“Can’t complain. It’s steady work, even if the hours sometimes suck, and I get tired of cheating spouses.”
