“That she is.” He looked back toward the house, and the woman who stood in the back doorway to wave them off.
“You should get some sleep,” he said to her when they were settled on the shuttle.
“Don’t start poking at me, pal. You’re the one who looks like he’s been on a week’s bender.”
“Might stem from the fact that I’ve consumed more whiskey in the past two days than I have in the past two years, altogether. Why don’t we both stretch out for a bit?”
She jiggled her foot, checked the time, did the math. “Too early to call Central and check in. I’ll be back in a couple hours anyway, won’t even have missed any time.”
“Just missed sleep.” He engaged the mechanism that turned the wide sofa into a wide bed.
“Too revved to sleep.”
“Is that so?” Some of the light she loved was back in his eyes. “Well, what can we do to pass the time, help you relax? Cribbage, perhaps?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Cribbage? Is that some perverted sexual activity?”
He laughed, and grabbing her, tossed her onto the bed. “Why not?”
But he was gentle, and so was she. Tender, as she was. They watched each other as they touched. So she could see the shadows that had haunted him these last days lift away, and leave that deep and vivid blue clear again.
Love, she thought, the act of it, could chase away ghosts for a while, tuck the dead away. Here was life, with him filling her, life as she surrounded the hard length of him, and their fingers linked, their mouths meeting.
Life, he thought, while she rose to him so he could only sink into her. Their life.
She was definitely relaxed, and not particularly sleepy when they arrived at the transport dock in New York. Then again, she figured, if a woman wasn’t relaxed after an energetic session of cribbage with Roarke, something was wrong with her.
She let him take the wheel of the city vehicle she’d left in his personal parking slot for the drive home so she could use her energies to alert Central she was back, and on duty.
“No point in mentioning you could have taken a couple of hours personal time before diving back in.”
“I’ve had more than my quota of personal time. I’m fine.” She looked over at him. “We’re fine now
.”
He closed a hand over hers as he maneuvered through the early morning traffic. “We are, yes. My head’s clearer than it’s been in days. I guess I’m a bit anxious to get back to things myself.”
“Good deal. So before we both get back to things, is there anything else you should tell me?”
He thought of Grogin, and how close he’d come to crossing a line. Eve’s line. “No. Oh wait, there is one thing. It turns out I’m a year younger than I thought I was.”
“No kidding. Huh. Does it feel weird?”
“A bit, actually.”
“I guess you’ll get used to it.” She snuck a look at the time. “Listen, I’ll dump you home, then head straight downtown to . . . Damn.” Her communicator signaled.
DISPATCH, DALLAS, LIEUTENANT EVE.
“Dallas, acknowledged.”
REPORT EAST SIDE HEALTH CENTER, SECOND LEVEL UNDERGROUND PARKING FACILITY. HOMICIDE VERIFIED BY FEENEY, CAPTAIN RYAN, ON SCENE.
“On my way. Dallas out. Goddamn it, goddamn it. I thought I had more time. I have to dump you now, Roarke.”
“I’ll take you. Let me do this,” he said before she could object. “Let me do whatever I can.”
Chapter 19