Page 70 of Making Home with You
“Do you know where I can find her?”I ask, desperate, my words coming out in a breathy rush.
“No, sorry, I don’t.Maybe check with the front desk.”
She looks back at her computer screen and says nothing more to me despite the fact that I stand in her office for an uncomfortably long few seconds.
The front desk admin is no help either, but like hell if I’m giving up now.There are other ways to find her.
I do just that until I walk out the door at five-thirty.
Chapter Twenty
Finn
I must watch the video a dozen times by the time I finally stop for lunch.Not because I’m somehow getting off on watching a secret movie of me fucking my girlfriend, but because I’m trying to figure out if I can prove who it’s from and whether it’s something I want to report.
Even though I know it has to have come from Carla, there’s no way I can prove it.It’s a blocked number and the video itself has no sound and gives no clue as to who’s standing on the other side of the camera.
And while I know the BCI has the resources to investigate this, I’m not really sure I want Detective Greenwood or any of the other people investigating these allegations to see it.In fact, I know I fucking don’t.How could I possibly be okay with strangers seeing my girlfriend like this?This sort of thing is private and while I couldn’t care less about me, I definitely don’t want to expose Sarah to all the shit that could come from people seeing her like this.
But I can’t keep it and do my own investigation into where it came from either.For one thing, I’m off the case.For another, because it’s an unknown number, I’d have to submit a formal request in order to access the records.And a formal request means I’m interfering, which likely means I get my ass kicked, possibly suspended, for not staying out of the investigation like I was told to.
I should just report it to Detective Greenwood, I know that.But I can’t.I can’t do that to her.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter as I grab my jacket and walk out of my office.“I’m taking lunch,” I call to Mavis as I walk past the reception.“I’ll be back in an hour.”
I don’t catch whatever she says in return as the station door closes behind me.I don’t bother with my car, instead walking down Main Street toward the only safe haven it feels like I have left in this town.Christ, not even my own house is private anymore.
I walk into O’Loughlin’s and take a seat at our usual spot while Beck finishes serving some customers before wandering over.
“Hey,” he says.“You okay, you look a bit stressed out?”
I shrug.“Pissed off more like it,” I admit.“Can you get me a coke, please?”
“Sure,” Beck replies.“Shot of bourbon in it?”
“Fuck, I wish,” I say, scrubbing a hand down my face.I could definitely use a drink right now.
Beck grabs me my coke and walks over, putting it in front of me before asking, “You want the usual for lunch?”I nod and watch as he wanders back to place my order.After he’s done, he comes back, leans against the bar, arms crossed over his chest and says, “Okay, talk to me.”
I take a long sip of coke, replacing the glass on the counter before looking up at him.“I had a minor run-in with Carla last night,” I start, even knowing that’s the least of my worries right now.
“Shit.Where?What happened?”he asks, straightening a little.
“At the grocery store,” I say.“She saw me, came running over and then proceeded to act as though nothing was going on between us.Like she hadn’t filed a report or made any of these bullshit allegations or anything.”
“Fuck,” Beck says, letting out a long exhale.“What the fuck is wrong with that woman?”
I shrug.“I don’t know.I mean, I always found it weird that she was so strangely obsessed with me, but to make up these lies?To file an actual police report and then act like nothing has happened?It’s fucking crazy.”
“Ah, yeah,” Beck says.“Just like she is.God, she probably drew that cock on the side of her restaurant herself, just so she could get you investigating it.”
I nod once.“Yeah, the thought crossed my mind too,” I admit.
“What are you going to do?”Beck asks.“I’m assuming you’ll tell Greenwood about it?”
“Yeah,” I reply, scrubbing a hand through my hair.“I will.There’s more though, and it’s worse.”
Beck doesn’t say anything at first, instead calling out to one of the other staff members, asking them to take care of things for a bit before he moves around the bar and takes a seat on the stool next to me.
