Page 66 of Off the Hook

“If you want good loving,” I said, tossing the tissue to the nightstand, “I assure you it’s even better without the break up.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she giggled, rolling to her side to face me as I laid down beside her.

“I promise you, I will not disappoint.”

She settled into my arms. “I know you won’t. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on breaking up with you to test that theory.”

“That’s a relief because I was hoping you’d be my date to Trouble’s wedding. And if I RSVP with a plus one, it’ll be really awkward if I have to go alone.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You want to take me to your brother’s wedding?”

“Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?” I tightened my arms around her when I felt her grow tense under them.

“I don’t know,” she said, stroking my chest. “ It’s just…that’s quite a statement. I mean, it’s an extremely significant event.”

“So are you. I want you to be part of all my important memories.”

“We already have First Murder Investigation under our belts,” she said with a giggle. I suppose we’re ready for a wedding– as long as it’s someone else’s.”

Rubbing her arm, I replied, “Yeah, ours will have to wait till after the second murder investigation.”

“Don’t go killing someone just to get me to marry you,” Faith said sleepily.

“I’m not a psycho,” I said with a chuckle. But if anyone dared to try to take her from me, I might be tempted.

Her eyelids looked heavy, drifting closed as she muttered, “Now that you know how to make cafe con leche, you can wake me up with a steaming mug in the morning.”

“Deal,” I said, kissing her nose. I’d wake her with coffee every day into eternity if she’d let me.

CHAPTER 32

FAITH

Oscar bounced into the station with a smile on his face, setting a familiar styrofoam cup on my desk. “Half sugar, just like you like it,” he said, catching sight of an identical cup beside my computer. “Shit, You beat me to it,” he grimaced, “Guess you won’t be needing this then.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” I grinned, snatching the coffee gift from his hands. Coulter and I stayed up so late at his house last night that there was no time for coffee this morning before his charter. “Thanks, partner.”

“Any leads on that truck and boat theft from last night? I saw the APB.”

I picked up a print out of the toll records. “The Sunpass last pinged at the Cutler Bay toll station, which either means they finally had the sense to take down the toll device, or they got off the turnpike there and disappeared into South Miami.”

“Not likely these guys had much sense,” Oscar chuckled. “Otherwise it wouldn’t have pinged at all.”

“I called the owners, who are extremely annoyed since they had the boat hitched up and ready to head out early this morning for a weekend in Key West.”

“Well I guess they'll learn not to hitch up ahead of time from now on.” Oscar shook his head. “Miami criminals got the memo that Keys people don’t expect anything bad to happen, so they’re easy marks.”

I shook my head, scowling. Stats showed that theft had been on a steady rise for the past three years. The Miami hate had a basis, I couldn’t deny. “Kind of sad that they need to be more careful now though, isn’t it?”

Oscar shrugged. “We’re trained to expect the worst. It’s hard for me to relate.”

I felt what he said deep in my soul. Except for me, it was the opposite. I was happy to finally let my guard down in more ways than one. While the two weeks after Kylie’s case was closed had reminded me how sleepy our island town was most of the time, the relief I felt that Coulter was in the clear, and that we could finally be together, more than made up for being back to solving mostly nonviolent crimes. “Well I, for one, am happy not to have a murder to investigate.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Oscar scoffed. “I assume you’ve contacted Miami PD?”

“They’re on it. But you know as well as I do that the truck is probably in a chop shop, and the 32-foot Contender is on the way to the Bahamas.”

“No doubt,” Oscar chuckled. “On the bright side, insurance will likely cover it.”

---