I walked out of the lift with Juliet and Maddy, then held one of the glass front doors open. Once outside, cold air coasted over our faces. I’d been glad of the fresh breeze skimming inland over the summer but was settling into months of being a little too cold at all times.
‘You sure we can’t convince you to come out for a drink?’ I asked Juliet.
She looked across the road at the pub most often frequented by our co-workers. ‘Not this time.’
‘Did you see that, Gabe?’ Maddy linked her arm through mine. ‘She very almost might have hesitated for a second.’
‘Progress.’ I nodded at Juliet. ‘See you tomorrow.’
‘Bright and early,’ she said.
I looked over my shoulder as Maddy dragged me towards the pub. Juliet’s head was bowed, her face lit by her phone. One day, she might agree to come for a drink, to becoming more than a friendly colleague. No matter what my plans were, I’d drop everything to have a personal conversation with her. I suspected Juliet had a lot she needed to talk about.
Heat blasted us as we walked into the pub, along with a roar of noise. I squinted into the dim interior, flinching when arms wrapped around my neck.
‘We did it,’ Alice squealed, clinging on while other officers patted my back and echoed her congratulations. She untangled herself and stood beaming, her glee fuelled by the victory she was celebrating and a couple of glasses of wine.
‘What did we do?’ I asked, after the crowd of well-wishers moved away.
‘Don’t be modest. We know the warehouse tip was from you.’
I huffed out a breath. ‘You do?’
‘We are the dream team,’ Alice half shouted. ‘Do you want to come sit with us?’
‘You go.’ A quick scan of the pub revealed Paul on one of the high stools by the bar. ‘I’m not going to be here for long, and I need to talk to someone.’
Maddy squeezed my hand before she and Alice bounced off to join their friends. I fought through the crowd and hopped onto the stool beside Paul.
‘Evening.’
He straightened. ‘You may have caught me before I fell asleep there.’
‘Happy to oblige.’ I nodded when a bartender held up a pint glass. ‘Do you want another?’
‘I shouldn’t.’
I grinned and held up two fingers. Paul downed the rest of his beer and was ready for the next when it was placed in front of him.
‘Jodie’s going to be disgusted when I rock up in an Uber instead of driving.’
Paul’s wife was the most patient woman I’d ever encountered. ‘She won’t mind.’ I took a sip of my beer. ‘I can’t decide whether to be annoyed at you or not.’
Paul studied me. ‘I’d go with not.’
I side-eyed him. ‘Why’d you tell everyone about the tip?’
‘Because it was a good one,’ Paul said without a hint of shame. ‘You deserve the credit.’
I watched the long streams of bubbles racing towards the top of my drink. ‘I got lucky. On both cases.’
‘Luck or judgement; we caught them.’ Paul lifted his glass and clinked it against mine. ‘You have to be incredibly lucky and intelligent to get away with killing someone. We weren’t dealing with anyone like that.’
‘True.’ Karl had been manipulative and misleading, but he wasn’t clever enough to frame Dunlow. I had to accept there was a mixture of chance and hard work that went into catching a killer. I’d do everything I could on the next case to make sure I didn’t get in the way.
‘I hear we’re all working together from tomorrow,’ I said, willing to drop Paul’s breach of trust.
‘Like a big, happy family.’ He took a long gulp. ‘Honestly, we could do with the ice queen’s help. It’s a tough one, from the snippets that have come through so far.’
I sipped the frothy head off my beer. I hated these moments. I’d known Paul for a long time, he’d always been my superior, and he was technically giving Juliet a compliment. But I’d have preferred he didn’t call her names behind her back.
He saved me the effort of finding an appropriate response. ‘The press had gotten bored. Then this comes in.’
‘You can make us do the press conferences if you like.’
Paul choked. ‘And let Juliet loose on them? She’s worse than me.’
Beer sloshed over my hand as a warm body slammed into my side, jolting my sore arm. I shook droplets off my fingers but Maddy and Alice continued crowding in.
‘You mustn’t look.’ Maddy reached over the bar to grab a napkin and dabbed at my sleeve. ‘The most beautiful man in existence has just walked in.’
‘Man?’ I asked.
Maddy rolled her eyes. ‘He’s objectively hotter than the sun.’
I twisted in my seat, while Alice hissed, ‘She told you not to look.’
Ollie waved, lifting a thumb at the door. His hair fell in messy waves, his jumper sleeves rolled up to reveal several mismatched tattoos.
‘That’s Ollie.’
Maddy gripped my arm. Over her shoulder, Paul chuckled into his pint.
‘Who’s Ollie?’ Alice asked.
‘He’s my boyfriend.’ I slid off the stool. ‘We’re going for dinner.’
Alice and Maddy gaped between me and Ollie, but Paul saluted as he commandeered the rest of my beer. ‘Have a good evening.’
‘I will.’ I mimed closing my mouth at Maddy and Alice, then walked over to Ollie.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ I whispered in his ear.
His smile was eager as he ushered me outside. ‘I’ve booked us a table at an actual restaurant.’
My hand tingled as our fingers entwined. ‘Sounds perfect.’