Page 5 of Three for a Girl

“Blood and red. Cut and scalpel. Drop and fall. Work and relief. Detective and impact. Romeo and Juliet.” Keeley lifted her eyebrow. “Press and bastards, very true.”

“That opinion isn’t going to change.”

“Last one. Monster and savior.”

Keeley’s eyes burned into him. Chad fought to keep his hand perfectly still. Heat filled his face. Keeley wanted an explanation. Chad exhaled a slow breath.

“Romeo was a monster, but he saved me.”

“You being saved wasn’t his intention. It was a by-product. He set his sights on five victims, Marc encroached on that goal. Romeo’s ego demanded he find and kill Marc. You were found unconscious in a separate room to Marc.”

“He killed Marc before Marc killed me.”

“He killed Marc before Marc claimed his final victim. You’re drawing a link between the two, and maybe once you sever that link, you’ll be able to move on.”

Chad nodded. “Maybe.”

Keeley grinned and closed her notebook. “You’ve been working with the traffic cops for the last few weeks?”

Chad nodded. “To get me familiar with the area.”

“How have you found it?”

The silence in the car had been crushing, the two officers were tiptoeing around him the whole time. He could tell they wanted to ask him about Romeo and Marc, but thankfully they didn’t. Not to his face at least. He’d definitely heard them whispering about him in the staff room.

“It was fine.”

“Why not stay in that area?”

“No.” Chad shaking his head. “I can’t. I’m a detective, I piece together cases, that’s what I’m good at.”

“What does being a detective mean to you?”

“Everything. I worked so hard to get there, and now I’m working hard to get back. I feel like I make a difference, I do some good.”

Chad smiled, expelling a shaky breath.

“That’s the first time you’ve looked happy this entire session.”

“Everyone tells me to put the pieces of my life back together, move on, but then they put roadblocks in my way, make me jump hurdles. I’ve spent two weeks on reception, four weeks with the traffic cops, gritted my teeth and accepted it, but now I just want to be a detective again in homicide.”

“Everyone is ensuring you’re ready. The last thing we want to do is hinder your recovery.”

“I understand. But I feel ready.”

“Do you?”

Hooks tugged at Chad’s guts. “Yes.”

Keeley gave him a small smile. “I’ll call your DI later, tell him I’ve okayed you to start on Monday.”

“In homicide?”

“In homicide.”

“Thank you.” Chad got to his feet.

Keeley offered her hand, and Chad eagerly shook it. He stiffened when he remembered his palms, like the rest of him, were drenched in sweat.

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