“Of course you are, but that’s a discussion for another time and a couple bottles of wine. Right now, I need you and yourpartnerto get your butts down to the lab.”
She knows about me and Eric? But how? We’ve been so careful. If she knows, that means other people might...
“Riley?” Maggie’s sharp tone broke through her inner thoughts. “Did you hear what I just said? You need to come to the lab. Now.”
For the first time since answering the phone, Riley realized her friend sounded off. Mags was the bubbly one. Always smiling and finding the silver lining in even the worst situations.
Something Riley had never understood, given the woman’s macabre profession.
But her voice wasn’t bubbly just then. It was serious. Almost...scared?
“Mags, is something wrong? Does this have to do with the case we caught this morning? I thought you said you wouldn’t get to our vic until tomorrow.”
“My other case didn’t take as long as I expected, so I thought I’d go ahead and start on...” Maggie exhaled loudly. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I just need you here. Now.” Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “But have Eric pick you up, first.”
Riley’s brows pushed together again. “That doesn’t make any sense. He lives clear across town. I’ll just have him meet us—”
“No!” The woman’s harsh voice had Riley flinching. “He needs to come and get you.”
What the hell was going on?
“Okay Mags. You’re starting to scare me a little bit. What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to frighten you, I just think it’s best if you two ride together. You’ll understand once you see...” Maggie stopped herself short. “I’ll explain everything once you get here. Just...please, Riley. Call Eric and have him pick you up.”
She sounded almost panicked, now, which put Riley even more on edge.
“O-okay. I’ll call him. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Good.” Her friend’s breath of relief filled the phone’s speaker. “I’ll see you soon.”
Maggie ended the call first, leaving Riley standing in her bathroom, stark naked and wondering what the hell was going on.
Grabbing her phone, she hit the top contact name in her Favorites list and waited for Eric to pick up. When he did, he didn’t bother saying hello.
“Didn’t expect to hear from you tonight.” Her partner’s lazy drawl told her he was relaxed. “Figured you’d take a hot shower and crash.”
He knows me so well.
Sounds from his T.V. filled the background, and she could picture him lounging on his black leather couch. The same couch she’d imagined riding him on while he buried himself deep inside her.
They hadn’t had sex there yet. But soon...
“Riles? You there?”
Riley shook her head, remembering why she was calling him in the first place. Now that she had him on the phone, she was beginning to regret agreeing to Maggie’s condition that she and Eric ride together.
“Yeah. Sorry.” She went into her bedroom to dress while they spoke. “Maggie just called.”
“And?”
“Apparently, she was able to start processing Kennedy’s body tonight, after all, and she wants us to come down to the lab.”
“Now?” He sounded as thrilled about the idea as she felt.
“Yeah.”
“What so important it can’t wait until morning?”
