Page 9 of Coming Home to You
I can’t even respond.A sick feeling takes over and the vomit rises in my throat.Beck’s face instantly comes to my mind.I wouldn’t be in this situation if he hadn’t left me.Jason wouldn’t exist in my world if Beck hadn’t chosen Boston and his job over me.
“Whoa, stop right there!Don’t you fucking dare blame this on Kelsey!”Erin shouts, pointing a finger at Finn.“Where the hell were you and your band of Mayberry losers?”
“Piss off.Why didn’t you shoot him when you had the chance, Annie Oakley?Do you even have a permit for that thing?”
Erin throws her hands in the air and lets out an exasperated sigh.I can’t take it any longer.I realize I brought this on myself, but there is no reason why I have to sit here and listen to them argue with each other.I’ve had a hell of a night and this is just adding to my anxiety.
“Get out!Both of you!Leave now!”I shout and it startles not only the two of them, but also Bella.
“What?”Erin asks, completely astonished.
“Yeah, you heard me.Leave.I can’t do this right now.”
She stares at me wide-eyed and confused.I know she thinks I shouldn’t be alone, but if she stays, if Finn stays, I’m going to feel the need to keep it together.I can’t let either of them see me falter any more than they already have.
“Fine,” they both respond in unison, but leave unwillingly as Finn tells me he’ll be parked outside whether I like it or not.
Just before stepping out the door, I run my fingers along my throat and feel the swollen ridges Jason’s fingers left.Finn’s eyes dart to my neck and he shakes his head.
I slam the door before either of them can see the tears.
Damn it, Beck.Maybe I do need you.
Chapter Four
Beck
“I think I have a lead.”
I look up as Ryan approaches my desk, one hand on his hip, the other waving a file in my direction in excitement.The now confirmed rape and murder of Jane Donovan last weekend has stumped us all for the past week.We’ve had no leads, no clues, nothing.Nobody has even come forward to report her missing.Her work colleagues barely knew her and short of a quick visit to her apartment in Brookline, nothing’s jumped out.It’s been frustrating as fuck and definitely something I don’t need hanging over my head.Especially when the captain is banging on with awe need to get these crime solving numbers up, rampage.
“Really?”I ask, looking up at him.
Ryan raises an eyebrow at me; something he does when he’s either pissed or thinks I’m being a smart ass.In this case, I’m going with the former.
“Really, Detective Asshole,” he says, sarcastically
I smile back.Yep, pissed.“Alright, spit it out then.”He throws the file on my desk, as though trying to make a point and I can’t help but ask, “Something bugging you, Ryan?”Falling into the chair on the other side of my desk, I grin at my friend as he leans back, hands behind his head and scowls at me.“You look as though you haven’t gotten laid in a week or something.”
“I haven’t,” he growls.“But that’s not what’s bugging me.”
“No?”
“No, smart ass,” he says, leaning forward.“What’s bugging me is the lack of information about this Jane Donovan.”
“I thought you said we had a lead?”
Ryan crosses one leg over his knee and stares at me.“No, I said,Ihave a lead.Big difference, dickhead.”
I roll my eyes.“Alright, just fucking spit it out already.”
Ryan sits up.“So, you know how no family has reported her missing?”he starts.I nod in response.“And that we haven’t been able to find any family either?”
“Yes, none of this is new here.”
This time it’s Ryan rolling his eyes at me.“Well, I started digging a little deeper, had the boys go back and look over her apartment again.”
“And?”I ask, just wishing he would get on with it.Ryan has a habit of being overly dramatic when he wants to prove a point.I get the feeling he’s been watching too many crime dramas and sometimes forgets he’s not actually on TV or in front of a camera.
