Page 85 of Rookie Days

“Never.” Quinn grinned. “But I am assigning an officer to you as well.”

“No,” Janet said sternly.

“YES,” the two cops grunted at the same time.

“Look, that’s not necessary. I’m well aware of the situation, fully alert, and paying attention. Also, I have Ellie.”

“Uh, yes… But I can’t be with you 24/7.”

“I’m safe at work and I’m on shift now for the next forty-eight hours,” Janet insisted. “Anyway, I thought you two might want to use me in other ways.”

“What do you mean?” Quinn frowned.

“Don’t pretend the idea hasn’t crossed your mind already,” Janet added with a shrug. “I know how your mind works too, Quinn. Your guy, whoever he is, has to be pissed off now, right? Things didn’t go as planned with his last victim. Frustration will lead him to make more mistakes.”

“What are you now, a profiler?”

“Just saying. And you can stop smirking. If you wanted to tempt him out into the open with an easy target, I could—”

“No.” Ellie interrupted quietly, but with a sharp edge to her voice. “We are not going to use you as bait to catch a killer, Janet. That’s it, end of discussion.”

“Very well said, Detective,” Quinn approved. “We’re going to pick up Hayes and sit him in Interrogation for a bit. Let him stew and see what he has to say. And I am putting a uniform on you whether you like it or not, Dr Fox.”

Janet was no longer officially protesting when she answered that she much preferred officers in plainclothes, and as she shot a heated glance toward Ellie. She enjoyed watching her reaction; an instinctive smile, quickly suppressed, and a faint rush of color across her cheeks. With a cheeky wink, she added;

“You know what, Lieutenant? I already have a cop all over me.”

“Wonderful.” Quinn rolled her eyes and shrugged as Ellie flushed harder. “Now you’ll get two for the price of one.”

On that, she stepped out to make a call. Janet knew her too well to presume that this was to give her and Ellie a moment on their own. Her friend probably just wanted to prevent further arguing. Whatever the case, Janet did take full advantage of the opportunity. With two quick steps, she moved to stand in front of her lover and locked her arms around her neck.

“Hey, girlfriend.”

“Hey, yourself,” Ellie smiled in return.

“It’s hard to be in the same room with you and not at least hold your hand, Detective.”

Janet watched her eyes glisten and all the apparently easy countenance that Ellie always displayed wash away on a wave of emotion.

“I’d be happy if you never let go.”

“You are so damn beautiful.”

Janet took her mouth in a sensual kiss, equal parts soothing and demanding. Ellie surrendered to it with a muffled groan of pleasure which had to be the sexiest thing Janet had heard... At least since the previous night. She had taken her girlfriend home, indeed. Made mad, sweet love to her for two hours straight, and slept all curled up around her in a protective spoon. Waking up together and sharing a quiet cup of coffee before work was bliss. Ellie evoked the craziest impulses in her. In bed, Janet often just wanted to demolish her. It was fun to do, and just as nice when Ellie returned the favor. Outside the bedroom, she ached to hold her hand, take her on beach walks, and share lazy moments in quirky cafes with her. Now whenever Janet fantasized about her Italian voyage, Ellie was with her in her imagination.

“I’m falling in love with you,” she murmured.

“Me too,” Ellie answered softly.

“Wow.” Janet fixed her with a dreamy smile. “We’re really doing this thing, uh?”

“Yes, we are.”

chapter 28

Twenty-four hours went by, during which their prime suspect remained at large. Ellie obtained a warrant to search Robert Hayes’s south-Lewiston apartment, and was not too surprised to discover that he seemed to have left in a hurry. A laptop was clearly missing from its docking station. Milk had started to go bad in the fridge, and the closet door had been left open in the bedroom, as if someone had snatched a bunch of clothes before disappearing. Hayes had also failed to show up for work at the pharmacy where he was employed as a part-time assistant.

“Must be where he stole the drugs to slip into O’Connell’s drink at the club,” she reflected. “And now, he’s pissed-off and on the run. Goddammit!”

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