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Darby
Mark carried the backpack with my few belongings out the door.
We’d spent the last few hours sifting through my belongings, and I’d held it together as long as I could, but seeing that level of destruction had left me shredded.
“Why don’t I take you back to my place,” Mark said.
I took a deep breath. “No, I’d really rather try to get some work done.”
He looked at his watch. “It’s nearly end of shift.”
I started for our vehicle. “We have a woman in the morgue.”
Mark trailed close behind. He reached around me and opened the passenger door, took my elbow, and helped me ease into the seat. “No one would blame you if you wanted to call it quits. Might be good, in fact. Come to grips with everything. Have a beer or two, get a good night’s rest...”
I stared out the windscreen. “I’d blame me,” I said quietly. “It could mean the difference between bringing her back or not.”
“We’re not that close, Darb.”
“It’s still valuable time.”
He was silent for a moment. “Okay, yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”
He closed my door firmly, then scooted around the nose of the vehicle and climbed in.
We returned to headquarters, and I attempted to work, but couldn’t seem to do anything but stare at my screen.
A little after six, Lieutenant Douglass came in. She did a double-take when she saw us. “Darby...you shouldn’t be here.”
I could always tell when the lieutenant was tired: her Alabama drawl got thicker. Tonight was no different.
I shrugged. “Why not? I don’t exactly have a home right now.”
She looked to Mark. “Get her out of here. Take her home.”
“I don’t want to go with him,” I said without any vehemence behind it.
“Give us a second, Herman,” Douglass said.
He shrugged and stalked off.
“What’s going on with you, Shaw? You know you can’t stay at your apartment.”
“A lot’s happened today. I don’t want to be around him.”
“Did he...did he do something inappropriate?”
“Not exactly, no.” I looked away from my boss.
“But you don’t want to stay with him? Any particular reason?”
I shook my head and rubbed my thumb on a dent on the surface of my desk. It had been there when I got my spot in Homicide. “Nothing I want to discuss.”
“If he’s causing you problems, we need to know. I can shuffle my team around, get you put with a different detective.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want another partner.”
“Well, whatever it is you do want, you need to figure it out. The tension between you two is palpable, and almost everyone on the floor has taken notice. Maybe you both need some distance from each other. You’ve been spending a lot of time together, and not just during work hours.”
“Yeah, try telling him. Maybe he’ll let me stay with Genova tonight rather than forcing me to stay at his place.”
“I know why he’s doing it, and what’s more, you know it too.”
I hunched my shoulders. “I could stay with you. Or Celia.”
“I wish you could. But my mother-in-law is visiting. I’m glad I have an active case, or I’d be at home, entertaining her!”
I smiled because I felt it was expected. “Guess it’s lockup for me then, huh?”
“Darby...I know it’s frustrating, but he wants what is best for you. And,” she dropped her voice. “We both know he plays the field. Or he used to. In spite of it, he would never do anything you didn’t invite.”
I bit my lip. “What about something we’d regret?”
“That I can’t help you with. In the time I’ve been lieutenant over this department, I’ve met quite a few of his girlfriends, and had the opportunity to see a few after they call things off. He’s got their respect.”
“Oh, that’s what I need to reassure myself,” I said sarcastically. “The word of his exes?”
“Then take the word of his boss. If he does anything you don’t invite, you let me know about it and the captain and I will have a very long talk with him.” She paused. “But I doubt you have anything to worry about.”
I shifted my gaze to where Mark stood. He’d gone beyond the elevator bank behind my desk by about a dozen meters. The administration routinely put up artwork to add a bit of class, and he stood in front of the newest piece, staring.
Good God, he’s handsome.
Where had that little nugget come from?
You’re tired, Darby. But you’ve been thinking it a while now.
“You square now?” Douglass patted my shoulder.
I shrugged. “I guess. But I’m not happy.”
“I’d be surprised if you were. If you need me, don’t hesitate to call.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.”
“Now get out of here. I’d probably be kidding myself to think you’d stay away until roll call, but try not to drag him in here tomorrow before seven, okay? He’s awful grumpy if he doesn’t get his beauty sleep.”
A snort burst out, and laughing so hard I began to cry.
Douglass squeezed my shoulder. “We’ll all be looking for the son of a bitch who tore your apartment apart.”
I took a deep breath. “I know, and I appreciate it. Hopefully we find the S.O.B., and we’ll find the murderer in our case, too.”
“That’s a good thing to hope for. Get some rest, Detective.”
I watched Douglass retreat to her office. She paused to speak with Mark.
He was scowling when he rejoined me moments later. “Are you ready to go?”
“Sure.” I signed off and gathered the items I needed to take, which were a bit extra since I’d be lacking some things at Mark’s.
He kept his eyes on me as he shut off the board and his own computer. “You...you need to stop somewhere on the way home? I’m at your disposal.”
“I could take my own car. Then you could go without me.”
He winced. “I’d rather stick together, at least tonight. How do I know you won’t take off and not come to my place?”
I smiled wickedly. “You don’t.”
He put his hand on the back of my neck, pinching gently with his thumb and middle finger. “Darb, I’m not in a mood to deal with your teasing. I’m driving you.”
“I have things to do after shift tomorrow and Friday,” I objected, wresting myself away from the pinch and the growing electrical field.
“You stay at my place tonight, I’ll prove myself to you, and then tomorrow when I’m a bit more certain you’ll actually come back, you can drive your own damn car. Until then, you’d better pretend we’re cuffed together and don’t have a key.”
I raised an eyebrow. “That’s exactly the kind of comment that makes me disinclined to stay at your house.”
He reached behind him. “Maybe I need to do it.”
I rested my hand on his arm. “No, Mark.”
I sighed and thought back to what Lieutenant Douglass had said. “Let’s get out of here. You were right earlier. I need some down time.”
“Finally, you’re seeing reason.” He shifted as though he was about to put his arm around me, then apparently thought better of it, and headed for the lifts.