Sound of Darkness

He had his own mind to keep up steady arguments and suppositions.

And yet he found himself wondering about their new partner.

She was the real deal. And he had to question himself, wondering why he had assumed someone young and new wouldn’t be exceptionally talented and right for the case.

Exceptional. In many ways.

Tomorrow might well bring more. If Colleen believed in her sister...

Well, she was probably exceptional too.

He found himself doubting anyone could be quite as exceptional as Colleen.

Then he was angry with himself.

Because he realized while he’d always recognized she was an exceptionally attractive woman, he hadn’t thought her appearance meant anything to him.

And maybe it hadn’t.

But now he realized he was coming to appreciate the way she smiled, the sound of her voice, and the way she moved. And there was no denying the fact he admired her integrity—and the desire she had to work for the innocent, to possibly save lives, and find justice.

Okay, okay...he liked her.

He turned the news back on.

Better than his own thoughts.

But even then, his thoughts wouldn’t turn off.

They were careful to live real lives. Many Krewe members had families now. They went to kids’ birthday parties and worried about home and schoolwork and what to eat for dinner.

It was important, Jackson always stressed, that they have lives.

And so, his thoughts switched between the case, and wondering what it would be like not to be seeking a horrific killer with Colleen, to maybe instead be having dinner. Outside, near the ocean, on a sandy shore, with a soft breeze blowing...

He groaned with such aggravation Red jumped up from his dog bed in the hall and raced into the room, ready to do battle for him.

He groaned again, but softly.

“Sorry, boy. It won’t happen again,” he vowed.

He turned the TV off again, then punched his pillow and willed himself to sleep.

But still...

It was probably another hour before he slept.