Unlucky 13 (Women's Murder Club 13)

She said, “Yuki Castellano is on line five. Wants to speak to both of you. She said, and I quote: ‘If you don’t put them on the phone, you’ll be sorry you came to work today.’ Unquote. She was kidding, right, Dr. Washburn?”

“Was she laughing?” Claire asked.

“Well, yeah. The cutest laugh I ever heard.”

Although Yuki was our resident bad news bear, she’d been quite merry lately. She’d won a couple of cases and was getting along well with her big hunk of burning love boyfriend.

Tasha shot a look at me. “Doctor, all of your friends try to walk right over me.”

Claire said, “That’s them teaching you to push back. Thank you, Tasha.” Then she stabbed a button, putting Yuki on speaker.

Yuki chirped, “I knew you two were together, goofing off, eating doughnuts, drinking coffee, livin’ la vida loca.”

“Are you high, sweetie?” Claire asked.

“You bet I am. Love makes me a little goofy.”

“Tell us something we don’t know,” I said.

“Okay, how’s this? Brady and I are getting married.”

Yuki let loose one of her trademark delightful merry-bells chortles. There was a long pause as Claire and I stared at each other across Claire’s desk, just trying to comprehend what Yuki had said.

Claire recovered first.

“Did I hear you right, Yuki?” she said. “You’re not fooling with us, are you?”

“I’m at the bridal shop. Right this minute.”

I had just gotten used to Yuki dating my boss—now she was marrying him? Well, never mind the kink their relationship had put in the chain of command. Yuki was getting married.

“Oh. My. God,” I said, “Did you expect this? Or were you surprised by what could be the best news of the year?”

“Sur-prised!” she shrieked. “Brady’s divorce came through. So he just hangs up with his lawyer, rolls over in bed, and he says to me, ‘Nothing to stop us now.’”

Yuki treated us to another round of happy-over-the-moon laughter, then took a breath and chirped, “We’re saying the I do’s on Saturday.”

I said into the speaker phone, “Saturday? What Saturday? This Saturday?”

“Yes. So listen, I hired this great wedding planner, and all you girls have to do is put on the dresses and show up. Details to follow.”

“We’re wearing bridesmaids’ dresses?” I asked, totally horrified.

“Of course. Pink ones. Off the shoulder. Big skirt.”

Well, Cindy and Claire would look good in pink. I would look like a half-baked ham.

“Don’t worry, Linds,” Yuki said. “You can use it after the wedding. It’s a nice little cocktail dress.”

“And I was just sitting here wishing I had an off-the-shoulder pink cocktail dress,” I said, laughing in order to keep the terror out of my voice. “Can I get a tiara to go with that?”

Yuki laughed and said, “I’m kidding about the dresses, girls. I’m not having any

maids of honor, none of that. Having a judge. Having vows. Having food. Having dancing. Sound okay?”

“Brilliant,” Claire said. “We’re throwing your engagement party. For four. Tonight.”

Right after we said good-bye to Yuki, I left Claire’s office, jogged through the breezeway, and entered the back door to the lobby of the Hall of Justice, with its super-size ceilings and garnet-colored marble walls. I took the stairs to Homicide and after passing through the squad’s outer office went through the little swinging gate and into the bullpen.