Page 29 of Love Undecided
Chapter 12
Kat
Bauer is already at the precinct when I get there. He's got coffee and a bagel waiting for me. I tell him I love him just a little bit for that, and he smiles his sexy smile back at me.
Down, girl. We already have one big bundle of testosterone that we can't handle. We don't need another.
We are working on developing a strategy for catching The Shower Stealer, the problem with that being neither of us really knows what his motivation is. His social media posts are just a collection of pictures and funny quips, no rantings of a crazy man, no manifesto, no inkling of motive. And, nothing is ever missing from the houses. It's like he really just wants to take a shower and waste water with no real reasoning or rationale behind it. And, let's face it, the worst kind of criminal to try and catch is the one with no rationale behind their crime.
"Let's go back through the files," he says. “And see if anything jumps out at us."
I groan. I'm really starting to hate these files.
"You know that I'm not really a detective, right? I'm a consultant. A really part-time consultant. Not some kind of lackey that you can force to sit here all day and play with files. This is your job."
"I can see where you might think that, but aren't you supposed to be having some crazy intuitive feelings that solve this whole thing anyway? And not that I'm trying to boss you around," he smiles. “But we're partners on this, Kat, and partners stick by one another and help each other out. They don't bail when the going gets tough."
"Partners stick together Kat, they don't bail when the going gets tough," I mimic his words back to him, feeling self-righteous and immature at the same time.
At some point I'm going to have to find a way to rid myself of these juvenile responses when he pays attention to me. Where's the grown woman who is cool, calm, and collected? The one that could freeze out an entire courtroom and focus only on getting her way and winning her case? She's not the one in the room with this guy, I can tell you that.
My phone beeps with a text from Brad in response to mine.
Brad: You know I will always help you. Anytime. You doing okay today? Need anything?
Me: I need a break in this stupid case we are working on.
Brad: Which case?
Me: Have you heard of the shower stealer?
Brad: Been to every scene as soon as it was called in.
Me: You’re kidding?!?
Me: Oh, duh, of course you have. Well that’s what we are working on.
Brad: You and Bates?
Me: Bauer. Yes.
Brad: I’ll come help.
Me: You can’t come help.
Brad: Why?
“You gonna sit there playing around on your phone all day, Cookie, or are you going to help me out here?” Bauer asks.
Brad: Hello?
Brad: You still there?
“God, just give me a second to think,” I say. I’m just not sure if it’s in response to Bauer’s question or to Brad’s text.
Bauer mumbles something under his breath in response that I don’t quite catch. Though I’m sure it was about me. And it wasn’t flattering.
Me: I’m here. Don’t you have to work?
