Dexter stepped out of his car and onto Toni Scott’s driveway. He couldn’t deny there was a certain buzz about the clandestine way in which they were doing this, but it also made him nervous as hell. There was a lot at stake — a lot on the line — and he couldn’t afford to mess this up.
He rang the doorbell, then took a few steps back, knowing that Kelly would peer out of her bedroom window the moment she heard the bell.
He didn’t look up — he didn’t want to spook her or alarm her. She had to do this on her own terms, in her own time.
A few moments later, he heard the muted thud of footsteps on the stairs inside the house. A couple of seconds later, the door opened.
‘Hi, Kelly,’ Dexter said, showing her a beaming smile. ‘Do you remember me?’
‘Yes, you’re the policeman,’ Kelly replied.
‘I am indeed. How would you like to come and have a tour of a real-life police station?’
Kelly’s face briefly flashed excitement, then settled itself. ‘I’d need to ask my mum. I’m not allowed to go out without her. I need to wait for her to get home.’
‘Don’t worry about that,’ Dexter said, smiling again. ‘I promise you we’ve got it all sorted out already.’ He held out his hand. ‘Are you excited?’
Kelly looked at his hand, then back up at him. ‘Yeah,’ she said as a smile broke out across her face. ‘Let’s go!’