“Ah….” His eyes light up. “You know Boxy’s pet name.”
“Of course.” She laughs as I shove my hands into my pants. Seriously? She’s going to flirt with this guy in front of me. He’s almost twice her age. “Everyone in town knows that Boxy is your baby.”
A flush settles across his cheeks. “I guess that makes me sound a little shallow.”
“Not at all.” She rests her hand on his upper arm, and it takes everything inside of me not to grab her hand and remove it from him. Especially when he inches closer. The tow truck turns down the street.
“Are you going to Callahan’s this weekend?” He looks like an eager puppy ready to chase her around like a bouncing red rubber ball.
Everyone goes to Callahan’s Bar in the city because our dive bar is just that–a dive. Rusty Nail Tavern is okay to grab a beer on a hot summer night, but not a place you want to party. Or even hang out.
“No.” She drops her hand down to her side and frowns. “I don’t have time to go.”
“That’s too bad.” His voice is low as his eyes rake over her. I’m going to poke his eyes out.
“Elias, the tow truck is here.” He needs to get away from her before I lose my shit. “You’d better check in with Nate, or your car might end up at one of those chop shop places in the city.”
“Right.” The color in his face disappears as he eats up the ground between us and Nate who’s climbing out of his tow truck. The man’s T-shirt is smeared with grime from where he’s swiped his hands on his clothes after hooking up a vehicle.
“Did you have to flirt with him?” I growl low enough that no one else can hear me.
“I wasn’t flirting with him.” Her response is not nearly as quiet, causing Dale to turn his head toward us so he can better listen, while pretending to be in a conversation with Ben.
“You could’ve fooled me.”
“You’re a fine one to talk.” She crosses her arms over her chest.
“What?” I wrinkle my nose as I try and figure out what she means. I’ve not spoken to a female since she drove up.
“Never mind.” She turns on her heel.
I grab her arm and hold her in place. “What’re you talking about? I’ve not been flirting with anyone.”
Her eyes are shrouded as she turns her head away from me. “Forget I said anything. I didn’t mean anything by it. Now let go of my arm so I can get back to work. People are looking at us and wondering what’s going on.”
“We couldn’t have that, now, could we.” I drop my hand to my side. When’re you ever going to get it into your thick fucking skull? There’s no future between you and Emily.
Twenty Minutes Later
Once the accident scene is cleared, I drive the streets of Brookhaven in a grid pattern. Every day, we travel a different pattern based upon a randomizer. The worst thing a police department can do is be as predictable as a mailman.
We don’t have much crime in Brookhaven, and varied surveillance gives us an additional advantage over people who have fleeting thoughts about vandalizing or breaking into someone’s house.
I was supposed to switch out with Ramirez but begged off. The last thing I want to do is hang out at the station where I can see Emily coming in and out of the ambulance lot all day.
A young girl of about sixteen, dressed in a black pair of sweatpants and a matching T-shirt with a band emblem on the front, travels along Cedar Ridge with a couple of grocery bags in her hand.
When she glances up, she stops in mid-step. It’s Mackenzie, and I’m not her favorite person. Likely all police officers are not her favorite people. I pick up speed as she spins on her heel as if she’s going to retreat to where she came from.
But instead of fleeing, she squares her shoulders and stops on the sidewalk, slowly changing course. And waits.
I roll down the passenger window and shift the cruiser into park. “Hello, Mackenzie.”
“Officer Thompson.” Her jaw is tight as she surveys the block, scanning to see if anyone is watching her talk to me.
“Is everything okay?” The dark circles under her eyes are nearly bruises. Compared to the smudges under Emily’s eyes, these are the real thing.
“Yes, I’m fine. Once again, the baby isn’t mine, and I need to get going before my brother gets up.”
