Page 120 of Callahan

I heard him press two buttons, then he put the call on speaker when it rang.

She answered right away.

“Hey, Bri. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, Adam and I are finishing up and were going to grab something to bring home for dinner. Adam suggested we ask you what you want.”

“You know I love pizza and a cookie.”

“Pizza and a cookie—got it. What do you want on it?”

“Pepperoni okay?”

“Sure. What kind of cookie?”

“You know, I haven’t had their chocolate chip in a while. That sounds good.”

“You got it. We’ll be home soon.”

He hung up, then immediately called Pizza and More to place our order.

When he finished with them, he told me, “We’ve got twenty minutes, why don’t we make a few more rounds through town?”

“It’s not my gas,” I quipped as I made a right turn—the opposite direction of the pizza place.

The town was quiet, which I expected at this time on a Monday night. There were a few couples out for an evening stroll, several people walking dogs, and even a few kids out riding their bikes. Typical life in a small-town kind of stuff.

All of them waved and smiled as we drove by.

“You’re really considerate when it comes to Lainey,” Brian observed as I crawled the patrol car along the neighborhood streets.

“I guess. I mean, we did live together for a week. And we sort of shared a traumatic experience. If you think about it, she’s the reason I ended up staying here.”

“Yeah, I know. Are you sure there’s nothing going on between you two?”

“I wouldn’t do that to Shawn.”

“Shawn’s dead, Adam. She’s not. And neither are you. You wouldn’t bedoinganything to him.”

“Weren’t you his best friend growing up?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, shouldn’t you want to punch me in the face if I got with his girl?”

“No, just the opposite, actually. Lainey and Conor deserve someone trustworthy to take care of them.”

Despite what Lainey said, I knew Brian wouldn’t think that someone was me if he knew I was the reason Shawn had been killed.

“I can’t imagine Lainey would like the idea of someone taking care of her.”

“Probably not. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen. And frankly, it seems like you already are.”

“Being considerate and taking care of her and Conor are two different things. Besides, don’t you think the town would have a field day withthatgossip? Christ, we’re already the talk of the town.”

“Oh no doubt. But who the fuck cares?”

“I guess I do. I wouldn’t want to dishonor Shawn’s memory like that.”

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