“This looks fun,” Stuart, quips, walking over to Mariska and kissing her.
Cammie lifts her head and pats his face. “Scoot.”
“Yes!” Mariska coos to the little girl. “Stuart!”
I can’t help a laugh. “Sounds like she’s trying to get rid of you.”
He grins, and the way his eyes glow at the two of them, I’m surprised he hasn’t already proposed. He’s clearly ready to procreate.
“Did you look into transferring to Princeton like I asked you?” His voice is low, and Mariska’s brow lines.
“I told you, I’m not letting you pay for my college. It’s not your place.”
“How about I make it my place.” He catches her around the hips and pulls her to him, and I realize I’m not as recovered from the pain as I thought.
Leaning forward, I read Star’s list. Toe, roast, leaf, leap, leer... “Doing okay?” I ask, and she shakes her head, holding up a hand.
“I’ve got to win this time!”
“It’s Boggle.”
“Mariska’s won every time!”
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were playing for blood. I’m stepping across to my place,” I say, heading to the door.
Mariska looks over her shoulder. “We’re ordering Thai food tonight. You’ll come back and join us, okay?”
I give her a little wave, unsure what I’ll do tonight. Now that I’m outside my office, back in the world of couples and families, I remember the gaping hole in my life where mine should be. I head to my bedroom, slip off my shoes, and loosen my tie. The picture of Melissa and Dex is on the dresser, and I lift it, enduring the pain radiating through my midsection and focusing on my love for them.
“I’m not going anywhere, babe,” I say softly. “I’m waiting right here for you.”
My phone buzzes, and I see Patrick’s face. Touching the screen, I lower the picture. “Hey, man, what’s up?”
“Nothing,” he says, blowing air into my ear. “Abso-fuckin-lutely nothing. I swear, I feel like I’m beating my head against a brick wall. That fucker hid everything.”
“You’re talking about Sloan?” Stepping over to my closet, I hit speaker on the phone and put it on the end table.
“Who else? I’ve spent the last two days shaking every tree I can think of, and nothing falls out. That prick was tighter than Fort Knox.”
Nodding, I know he’s running into the same thing I faced back when I first tried to investigate Sloan Reynolds. I realize my frustration probably fueled the rage I felt at not being able to keep him from Melissa. It’s probably why I killed him. My legitimate options had run out.
“He was a piece of work,” I breathe, slipping into relaxed jeans and a navy tee. “Have you gotten anywhere with Star’s guy?”
“Until he makes another move, we’re just waiting. Since he went directly to her, I don’t have a lot of background. She tossed all the envelopes, so I have no postmarks, no DNA, no potential fingerprints...”
“Hang in there, partner. These assholes always screw up.” I scoop up my phone and head back to the kitchen. “They’re not as smart as they think they are.”
“Fucking Sloan Reynolds was one smart motherfucker.”
“He wasn’t so smart. He had money and great handlers.” Patrick and I’ve worked together a while, and I realize this is the first time I’ve seen him facing a dead end.
The line is silent a beat before he speaks again. “How are you doing?”
It’s a question I’m not ready to delve into. I take down the half-empty bottle of Belvedere from last night and grab a tumbler off the drying rack. “I’ve gone through everything I collected on him the last two years. Nothing stands out.”
“That’s not what I meant.” He pauses again. I know it wasn’t. “You going to be okay?”
I’ve got a nice full glass of vodka, and I take a long drink. Pausing to let the burn pass, I nod. “I’ll make it one more day.”