The Cleaner (Professionals 9)

"Forgot what?"

"We have a meeting tomorrow night. Figured you missed the email, what with being out of town and all."

"What kind of meeting?"

"New team member," she said, shrugging.

"What? Who?"

"No idea. But he's a lawyer."

With that, she was gone again, this time for good.

The Lawyer.

Yeah, I guess it was about time for one of those.

Hell, maybe I would need his services one day.

At least today was not that day, though.

On that thought, I finished my truck, cleaned out the shampooer, then took myself upstairs for a shower, finding myself unexpectedly nervous as I cleaned off and got dressed.

I shouldn't have been surprised when the anxiety started. Of course I was anxious. I hadn't been with a woman in so long that I actually couldn't name the month, hell, the year that I had been. It was one of those things I figured I would learn to accept living without for the rest of my life.

But here I was.

With a woman who I wanted, who—and this was the unbelievable part—wanted me back.

Of course there were nerves.

But they sure as hell weren't going to hold me back.

Not from something I wanted as badly as I wanted Poppy.

So I got in my truck, and I made my way back to her house.

Crime Time with Poppy

"Hey, guys. You'll excuse the somber tone of this unexpected update. But I just got confirmation that the remains of Shelley Shannon have been discovered.

"This was not the ending that any of us wanted, but I am glad that the family will no longer have to wonder where Shelley went, and what happened to her.

"When it comes to the cause of death, the details are still only trickling in. Everything will likely be held back until an autopsy is completed.

"What does seem safe to assume at this point is this was no accident. Shelley didn't tumble off a hill near her home, or have a heart attack while running. Her remains were uncovered deep into the woods several miles from her home.

"If you guys recall, Shelley always promised her family she wouldn't venture into the woods alone. And I think we can all agree there was next to no reason she would have done so without her phone in case of an emergency.

"As the case stands, there don't seem to be any solid leads on a suspect. Shelley's previous sexual partners, including slimy, adultering Tyler, have all been cleared by investigators.

"Which leaves us back at square one.

"But we can hope that Shelley herself can shed some light on who selfishly stole her from her loving family.

"I will keep an eye on this case as it continues to unfold.

"I know none of us will be able to find closure until we know who did this, and we see them brought to justice.

"Keep an eye for updates. I will be sharing them as soon as I come across them. Until then, stay safe. And catch me on social media."

Chapter Ten

Poppy

Okay.

The man brought me coffee while I was handling a little social media after I uploaded the podcast and video. Not only did he bring me coffee, but he brought my coffee the way I liked it. I wasn't sure any guy I'd ever been with before ever gave a damn enough to notice such a small detail like that.

It was a major point in his favor.

People who noticed the little stuff were the kinds of people you wanted to have around. Right?

I'd never had someone to bring me a cup of coffee—if we weren't including my mom. It was nice.

It was nicer still that he didn't want anything from me in return. He just dropped off the coffee, and left me to finish with my work.

When I finally got up from my desk, and made my way back downstairs, I found him sitting with Yogurt on the back step. She required some coaxing to step out onto the grass. Finn seemed to sense and accept her anxiety, not trying to force it, but just waiting until she was comfortable enough to move.

"She likes you," I said, moving outside when Yogurt finally started to walk around my little backyard. I was hoping that once I got her comfortable with passing cars and kids on bikes, that I would be able to start taking her on walks.

"She feels understood," he said as I sat down beside him. "Dogs are a lot more perceptive than people give them credit for."

"Did you ever consider getting one?" I asked. "For your PTSD," I clarified, then immediately regretted the words, not knowing if it was PC to even bring it up.

"No," he told me, shrugging. "Travel and long work hours. I know those dogs are trained to accept any sort of lifestyle, but I would have felt bad. Besides, I function well enough. And the cleaning has been a good coping skill. My therapist was okay with that, so long as it didn't completely overtake my life, and make it hard to maintain friendships."