Page 81 of Jagged

"I know. It's the crash after that kills me."

Tati nodded then saluted me when I moved toward the door. "Be safe. We gotta pick your kid up tomorrow so you better be alive."

I chuckled, nodding my agreement. "Can't wait. Miss her."

"She doesn't even speak in English to me on the phone anymore." Tati smiled, leaning into the sofa with a faraway look in her eye.

"It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"It is. But my kid is growing up."

"In the best way." I blew her a kiss then headed out into the afternoon.

I met Sali and Maggie downtown at the crime lab as expected. It wasn't as rainy today, and the sky appeared on the brighter side, casting the buildings in shimmering light. I shielded my eyes when the peaking sun joined the fray, and cursed myself for forgetting my sunglasses.

"'Bout damn time," mumbled Sali.

"It's been twenty minutes. Calm down." I frowned at her then stopped short when a mini-me version of Sali stepped out from behind Maggie.

The girl, probably twelve or so, glanced at me while holding Maggie's hand. Her black hair hung to her waist, and she wore a full-length white linen skirt and a boho top to match. Although her blue eyes and freckles matched Sali's, her outfit did not.

"Uh…"

"Well, don't look so stunned there, Roth."

"You have a kid?"

"I'm not a kid," said the kid, in what sounded like fragments of an English accent.

"Uh…"

"You say uh a lot," she said, though not once did she look at me. Instead, she seemed to be inspecting my shoes. "Are you a skateboarder?"

Maggie smiled when I glanced at her, and I noticed she gave the girl's hand a squeeze.

"I am… How did you know?"

"Aunt Sali's shoes are smooth near the toe like that, too." She pointed at my foot then looked up to Maggie. "Where's Caroline?"

"She's coming." Maggie nodded toward the building. "Want to look around?"

The girl nodded, and the two of them headed inside.

Sali waited until they were out of earshot to address me again. "Ride-along."

"Didn't know you had a kid… Who talks like she was born in London."

"Not my kid." Sali smirked and glanced over her shoulder.

"Could've fooled me. Why the ride-along?"

"She wanted to see the lab." Sali shrugged. "Let's go."

I followed her into the building I'd only visited a few times on occasion over the years. Agent Donovan eventually joined us, and the quartet traipsed through the seemingly endless halls. On a Sunday, there wasn't much bustling about, but a few key workers seemed to man their posts. The tiled floors, bright halls, and overwhelming lights wrapped me in an uncomfortable glaze. For the most part, I managed to tune it out when the technology grabbed my attention. It far surpassed that of the precinct I was used to, and more aligned with Clementine's equipment. State of the art, robotic, and space-agey seemed like the right adjectives to describe it.

"Roth," called Donovan.

"Yeah?"

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