The investigation into Carter Delaney's death was round the clock. Ridge felt the pressure from both the top and bottom. Every lead had to be checked and double-checked. Even the usual crackpots and assholes flooding the department lines with so-called tips and sightings of potential suspects couldn't be ignored.
Not this time.
The last thing this city in so-called paradise needed was an unsolved case involving a man who some almost worshipped for his successful prosecutorial days and even greater success in the business world. Between the press hounding them and concerned citizens demanding that an arrest be made, Ridge was starting to believe that if they didn't have a bona fide suspect in custody soon, they may well have a damned near riot on their hands.
Fortunately, Ridge got along well with Henry Kawakami, who was currently shuffling some papers at his desk. He doubted they would ever be best buddies, but they respected each other and, more importantly, knew their temporary partnership could make or break them insofar as career advancement.
Kawakami told Ridge about his one date with Skye before Carter Delaney ever came into the picture. He said it fell apart after that and Ridge never asked why. What happened in Skye's romantic past was none of his business, unless she wanted it to be.
Except where it concerned Carter Delaney, now that he had met his maker. He had resurfaced in Skye's life, and Ridge had perhaps rather foolishly encouraged it. Consequently, they both had to see this through, even if it put a definite and unavoidable strain on their relationship.
Ridge blamed himself for that. He was under orders to avoid talking to Skye about the case as far as anything useful, in spite of the fact that she had a right to know where things stood in the investigation if for no other reason than Carter Delaney was still unofficially her client. Until satisfied that her case had no bearing on his death, Skye would keep digging till she could draw her own conclusions.
Ridge feared that this could only end up putting her in danger. He didn't believe for one second that she couldn't take care of herself just as well as any male private eye with a background in police work. But that didn't stop him from being worried about her. He couldn't rest while a killer who knew where she lived was out there.
Maybe when this was over, he and Skye could escape to one of the other islands or Las Vegas for some romantic time together.
Right now, any such vacation seemed a long way off, Ridge thought. Especially when there were more pressing matters to keep him awake at night.