He shook his head. “Hunter didn’t know Carpenter. At least she said she didn’t. There’s something going on there, but I couldn’t say what. You don’t still think she’s guilty do you?”
Lin smiled at him, finally. “No, I don’t and I’m happy to say it. You like her. Once this is done I hope you can go on a date with her. One where you don’t have to pay her for her services.”
Dirk stared at her, speechless.
Lin slapped him on the shoulder. “You deserve it.” Her smile dropped. “But there’s something about this Carpenter guy that doesn’t sit right with me. That confession from Kent was too damn easy. What spooked him so bad?”
“You think Carpenter threatened him?”
She nodded. “Something. I want to go over to the hospital and ask Ms. Hunter some questions.” She paused and gave Dirk a mischievious grin. “Unless you want to do it?”
He blinked. “I, um, well, yeah, sure. Someone should speak to her. I don’t think she’ll remember much though.”
Lin shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. You should at least try and if she doesn’t remember, offer to buy her dinner sometime after she’s recovered. Maybe she’ll remember after a few glasses of wine.”
She stopped at her car and turned her back to Dirk. He stared at the back of her head, confused. Just that morning, his partner couldn’t be spared two kind words about Adelaide Hunter. Now, she was shoving Dirk towards the woman.
“What gives?” he said.
Lin turned and gave him a hard look. “I was wrong about her, okay? She confronted a nutjob and came away with little more than a gunshot. Maybe I appreciate her spirit a little more. I’m not saying you two should get married and set up shop somewhere, but I do think you haven’t been laid in a while and she just might be appreciative of the police detective that helped her out.”
“That’s a bit cold,” he said.
“Not really, if you think about it,” said Lin. “She needs some comfort and you need to get this out of your system. If you fuck her and it’s still there, then you’ll know it wasn’t junior doing the thinking for you and there’s really something between the two of you. Just don’t get your hopes up, Dirk. She sleeps with billionaires for a living. There’s not a whole lot you can offer her.”
“There’s always my winning personality,” he said.
Lin rolled her eyes and shooed him away. “Go, lover boy, get the girl before you make me vomit. Just remember to wear a rubber. Even high class hookers get dirty.” She got in her car, slammed the door and backed out of the parking spot.
Dirk just shook his head and smirked. After three years together, he was still learning things about his partner. But Lin was right about one thing.
It had been forever since he’s been laid or even tried to date a woman. He suddenly didn’t have the courage to talk to Adelaide that way.
So he would keep it professional. Just ask her about the attack. Keep it black and white. Let her make the first move. If she made the first move. If she didn’t, well, maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. The girl had been through a lot in the past twenty-four hours and he certainly wasn’t going to push her.
He got in his car and drove over to the hospital and tried not to think about it. Instead, he focused on Kent’s testimony and what he would ask Adelaide. He got to the hospital parking garage and went up the floor the uniforms said she was on. He was so deep in thought, he almost ran straight into Joshua Carpenter.
“I’m terribly sorry,” he started to say until he looked up and saw who it was. His face dropped to a frown.
“No worries,” said Carpenter. “You look like a man with a lot on your mind.”
“What are you doing here?” Dirk asked.
Carpenter thinned his lips. “I’m looking after my client.”
“She’s no longer a suspect,” said Dirk
Carpenter tilted his head and blinked. For a moment, he reminded Dirk of a bird considering its prey. “I wasn’t aware.”
“I’m sure you are,” said Dirk. “Kent confessed to everything. His confessions matches what you told me.” A troubling thought occurred to him. “You didn’t coach Kent, did you?”
Astonishment came over Carpenter’s face. “I’m shocked you would suggest such a thing, Detective. I did no such thing. He’s mad.”
“It’s interesting you knew so much about his confession,” said Dirk.
Carpenter clasped his hands in front of him. “He was ranting and screaming quite badly when your officers showed up. Even without a confession, his guilt would have been obvious.”
“Of course,” said Dirk. “We may need to ask you some more questions later on. Is there a way I can reach you?”
Carpenter extended a card. Dirk didn’t even see him reach into a pocket.
“Day or night,” said Carpenter. “Have a nice chat with Adelaide. She really is a lovely girl.”
“Why do you assume I’m talking to Adelaide?”
Carpenter smiled. “You have your murderer, but I suspect you have more questions, yes? It would be foolish to assume otherwise. And, if I may say, it’s obvious you like her.”
“That’s not why I’m here.”
“Of course not, Detective,” said Carpenter. “Just doing your due diligence, naturally. I am sure we will speak again soon,” He turned to leave and paused, facing Dirk one more time. “Once thing, Detective. Be careful around Adelaide. She’s not exactly stable right now. She may be a tad…unpredictable.”
“I think I can handle myself,” said Dirk.
“Oh, I know you think you can,” said Carpenter. “All the same, watch yourself.”
Carpenter moved again to leave, but Dirk put a hand on his shoulder. “There’s one thing I’d like to ask you now, off the record, if you don’t mind.”
Carpenter turned slowly and gave Dirk a sad smile. He took Dirk’s hand off his shoulder and clasped his own hands in front of him. “Ask your question.”
“A human didn’t kill Bruce Madison,” said Dirk.
Carpenter raised an eyebrow. “That’s not a question.”
“I think you know what killed him. What was it?” said Dirk.
“I haven’t the foggiest,” said Carpenter, “but I believe you will find Thomas Kent kept several illegal wild animals.”
“And you would know that how, exactly?” said Dirk.
“I know a great many things about Mrs. Devais and her clients,” said Carpenter.
Dirk let out an exhasperated breath and shook his head. “You have all the answers, don’t you? A solution for everything.”
“You better hope that I continue to do so, Detective Gregory, for your sake.” He gave a quick nod and walked to the elevator.
“I don’t like threats, Mr. Carpenter,” said Dirk.
“Good evening, Detective,” said Carpenter, his back to him. The elevator arrived and he exited the corridor without another word.
Dirk watched him leave. He wanted to say something to the prick, bash his face in and make him tell the truth. But, in the end, at least for now, Carpenter was protecting Adelaide. And for Dirk, that’s what mattered.
“Detective Gregory?” a familiar voice said. “Is that you?”
He looked away from the elevator and saw Adelaide in the hallway, holding on to her IV drip dressed in a hospital gown, robe and slippers. Even disheveled, tired, and pale from blood loss, he thought she was beautiful.
But instead of telling her that, he said, “You should be in bed.”
She smiled. “I’m fine. The doctors said I could move around a little. Now that the sedatives have worn off, I can’t sleep. I heard your voice so I came out to see.”
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. Were you arguing with Joshua?”
So it was Joshua now? He thinned his lips. “I suppose we were.”
“You d
on’t like him,” she said.
He sighed. “No, I guess I don’t, but you do, and that’s important.”
Her eyes went wide. “Not like that.” She waved her free hand. “He’s just not what you think, but there are times when he really scares me.”
“He hasn’t hurt you?” said Dirk.
“What? No,” she said. “Not at all. Not scare like that. He knows things, understands things. Sometimes, it’s a bit spooky, but he has my best interests at heart.”
“But why?” said Dirk.
Her face softened and she gave him a small smile. “Walk me back to my room.”
He put his arm through her free one and waited for her to move. Up close, he expected her to smell like the hospital, but she smelled sweet and floral, like orange blossoms and that same musky scent from before. She took slow, careful steps down the hallway, clutching at the IV stand.
“You didn’t come here to ask me about Joshua Carpenter,” she said.
He looked at her and smiled. “No, I didn’t.”
She nodded, not looking at him. “I don’t remember much of the past twenty-four hours, Detective Gregory. It’s all flashes and images, but nothing solid. I remember the gunshot and Kent screaming. I had a nightmare about Bruce Madison, but I couldn’t tell you what actually happened there either. I’m sorry I’m not much help.”
“You’re the one who called the police, right?” he said.
She nodded again. “Yeah, I was a bit freaked out. I didn’t know what else to do, and I couldn’t stay there. I couldn’t remember what happened, and for all I knew, the freak was coming back.”
“You took time to take a shower,” he said.
“I had to get the blood off me,” she said. “I know I ruined evidence, but I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“I think I understand,” he said.
She stopped and looked at him. She narrowed her eyes and examined his face. “I think you might. Just tell me this. Am I still a suspect?”
He smiled. “No, you’re not.”
The tension visibly left her body and her face brightened. “I think that’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “Would you like to join me for dinner some time?” The words tumbled out before he could stop them, and for a moment, he was horrified he said them.
Adelaide stared at him for a moment and smiled. “Okay, second best thing. That was the best.”
~~~~~
Joshua Carpenter watched as Detective Gregory left the hospital. He could see the swirls of energy massing around the young man, smell the pheromones. She had chosen well, whether she knew it or not, but he worried for her, worried for them both. Would it be enough to save her? To stay her hand when the bloodlust took hold?
Or would she kill the one man who had fought so hard for her?
~~~~~
Amanda McCarter lives in Tulsa, OK with her boyfriend. They share their living space with two dogs, two cats, and two snakes and try to keep the peace. When not dreaming of distant futures and far away lands, she spends her time knitting, reading, and playing video games.
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Blog: https://amandamccarter.wordpress.com
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