Page 15 of Win a Date with a Detective

“Oh, honey. You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you! So do you.”

Vanessa practically glows.

“We’re celebrating our engagement.”

She lifts her left hand.

And holy shit.

That’s a diamond.

A very large diamond.

Rachel gasps.

“Oh my God!”

Vanessa beams.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“It’s enormous!”

Her fiancé smiles.

“She deserves the best.”

Something about the way he says it strikes me as a little rehearsed.

But then again, I’ve spent enough years interviewing suspects that I occasionally forget normal people are allowed to sound awkward.

Rachel takes Vanessa’s hand.

“Can I see?”

“Of course!”

She holds out her hand.

Rachel examines the ring with the kind of enthusiasm she previously reserved for fictional murder weapons.

“It’s gorgeous.”

“Would you like to try it on?”

Rachel freezes.

“Oh, I couldn’t.”

“Nonsense!”

Vanessa slips the ring off her finger.

And before I can say anything, she’s handing it to my date.

Rachel looks at me.