Page 24 of It Starts With A No

The detectives arrived while Seth was helping Clary load the dishwasher.

Seth put the last fork in, then straightened. “I got it.”

She laughed softly. “I can still open doors, you know.”

He paused and shrugged. “But thankfully, I’m here to rescue you from that—for now.”

For now. It was fun chatting with Seth. Maybe because she hadn’t really had anyone she could converse with since she came to San Francisco. She missed getting to the office and chatting up a storm with her friends and colleagues before starting work.

Grandma Moretti didn’t think her colleagues were her friends. Colleagues are colleagues. You don’t have to make your whole life about work. But her life was about work, and who else would understand the heartbreak and anger she went through with her cases better than her colleagues?

And also, her colleagues had no clue about her connection to the Eolenfelds. So for the first time in a really long time, she didn’t have to question if they were only being nice to her because of that connection.

She didn’t have to do that with Seth Anderson, either. She didn’t have to second-guess his motives.

Because he’d made it clear. He was here because of that connection. There wasn’t any ambiguity about that.

Which was a shame, because it felt like they could be friends.

With her glass of water, she strode back out to the dining area, just as Seth was returning with the detectives in tow.

A burly detective in a dark gray suit strode ahead of a female officer. She wasn’t petite, but next to the bigger detective, she looked that way. She was also dressed a lot more casually. Her hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and she wore a black suit jacket over a cotton round-neck T-shirt and dark blue jeans.

“Good morning, Miss Fiore. I’m sorry if we’re imposing.” As he stepped closer, the burly detective with short gray hair extended his hand toward her. “Detective Murphy.”

“Her hand’s injured,” Seth said as she was extending her hand.

The detective’s hand instantly dropped back to his side, leaving her hand in mid-air. He flashed a sympathetic smile that made his plump face look even rounder.

She smiled and dropped her hand while the female detective stepped forward. “Detective Andrea Lowe.”

Detective Lowe appeared a lot younger than her partner. While Detective Murphy was standing with his back straight and hands politely in front of him, Detective Lowe’s weight was on one leg while her scrutinizing gaze gave Clary a head-to-toe scan.

“Please have a seat.” Clary gestured to the dining table. “Can I get you detectives anything? Have you had breakfast?”

Seth rolled his eyes. “They’re on duty. Not here to eat.” Though the words were meant for her, he glared at the detectives, as if he was daring them to say otherwise.

“We’ve had breakfast.” Detective Murphy pulled out a chair for his female partner.

Detective Lowe hesitated before sitting.

“Water?”

Detective Lowe shook her head. “We’re good.”

Detective Murphy pulled out the chair next to Detective Lowe. “The police commissioner wants you to know that we’re taking this case seriously.”

That explained Detective Murphy’s demeanor.

“A police patrol will come by at least once an hour,” the burly detective continued.

“Mr. Eolenfeld made some calls, didn’t he?” Clary asked.

Detective Murphy glanced over at Detective Lowe.

“We’re not sure,” Detective Lowe said. “That’s above our pay grade.”

Detective Murphy laughed softly, then held his hands up in peace when his partner glared at him.

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