A Hope City Duet

by Kris Michaels

  “Nothing, man. It’s just good to see you happy. Domesticated… but happy.”

  He hefted his shoulders in a shrug. “There’s nothing wrong with being domesticated with the right woman.”

  “So, Harper is it for you?”

  Rubbing his chin, Sean nodded slowly. “Yeah. The more we’re together, the more I’m sure that she’s the person I want to be with.”

  “Like I said, I’m happy for you, man.”

  They had spent the afternoon poring over the lab results from Shamika, comparing them to some of the notes that Harper had provided from John. After several more hours, their day was coming to an end and Jonas straightened his desk, getting ready to leave.

  Sean looked over and said, “Harper’s working late tonight, so I think I’ll get a little bit more work done.” He said goodbye to Jonas, and soon the other detectives left the room as well. When Todd left his office, he waved toward Sean, leaving him alone in the large room.

  An hour later, he glanced at the window and saw that darkness had already fallen outside. He had accomplished all he could for the evening and stood after straightening the papers on his desk. Cracking his neck back and forth, he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and walked to the doorway, flipping the lights off, plunging the room into dark shadows.

  With a final glance backward, he startled at the sight of lights glowing from the map board where they had marked the arsonist’s strikes. Stunned, he flipped the light switch back on, and the room looked as it was. Flipping the light off again, he realized the pushpins that Beth had brought from home were glow-in-the-dark.

  He grinned at the ridiculousness of the pushpins, glad that she had not brought the ones shaped like unicorns. He started to turn back toward the door when an idea niggled from the recesses of his mind. Leaving the lights off, he turned slowly and stared at the lighted pattern on the board on the far side of the room.

  He methodically tried to create a pattern, similar to what he had done with the original pushpins in the daylight. The problem was they did not fall into a regular geometric shape. The spots of light continued to hold his attention for several minutes, but he was unable to discern a pattern. With a final shake of his head, he turned and walked out of the room.

  Driving home, he decided to detour by his parents’ house. Once there, he found his mom and Tara sitting in the den.

  Sharon looked up and exclaimed, “Sean, how nice to see you, Son. Is Harper with you?”

  Kissing his mother on the cheek, he smiled at her warmly before replying. “No, she had a meeting tonight, so I worked late and then thought I’d stop by here on my way home.”

  Moving to the kitchen, she offered, “Let me fix you a sandwich.”

  He knew better than to protest and simply thanked her before walking into the den. “Where’s Dad?”

  Tara smiled and inclined her head toward the back yard. “He’s in the back with Colleen and Erin. He brought his telescope out and is excited to show the stars to Colleen.”

  A sense of peace settled over him and he grinned. “How many hours did we spend in the back with Dad talking, showing us his findings in the telescope?”

  Tara laughed, her face softening as she nodded. “Between he and Chauncey, all of us kids were well versed in the heavens!” They were quiet for just a moment before she added, “I have to confess that it’s really cool for Colleen to get to do the same thing.”

  “You’re a wonderful mother, Tara.” The only time he ever saw his self-assured sister have doubts cross her face was when she was thinking about her daughter. “Look, what happened with Calvin was not your fault.”

  “I know, but even after all these years, every time Colleen does something new or special, I think about what he chose to miss.”

  “You said it right there, Sis. He chose to miss these things with his own daughter. He didn’t want that responsibility and walked away from his child and his wife. You could have wallowed in self-pity or gone so far as to cast blame upon your innocent child. But instead, you forged ahead, giving her the best mother and extended family.”

  Tara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, holding Sean’s gaze. “You’re a pretty awesome big brother, you know that?”

  He waved off her praise, but it pleased him, nonetheless. Glancing out the back window, he asked, “How’s Erin?”

  “I’ve talked to her. I’m glad you said something to me, but I think it’s been obvious to all of us that something hasn’t been quite right.”

  He waited to see if she was going to say something else, but she remained silent. Lifting his chin slightly, he cocked his head to the side. “Is that all?”

  Tara sighed slightly. “She’ll talk to everybody when she’s ready. There were definitely some things that happened overseas on her last tour and she’s having to deal with them.”

  Sharon plopped into the seat next to Sean, setting a plate with a large sandwich and chips on it next to him. “I wish she would talk to me.”

  Sean watched as his sister’s face softened again. “Mom, she needs a little time. Coming back home has been more of a struggle for her than she thought it would be.”

  Sean jumped in before his mother questioned further. “Tara, I’m glad she has you. You’re a good sister and a good counselor.”

  Shrugging, Tara said, “I think it helped for Erin to talk out a few things that were bothering her, and as she becomes more comfortable with being back home, she’ll talk more.”

  Further conversation was thwarted as the back door opened and Colleen rushed in, a blast of cold air coming with her as she was followed by Erin and Colm.

  “Mom! It was great!” Colleen’s cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright as she exuded, “Grandpa showed me so much, and I got to see the stars and everything up there. They were so big!”

  Tara gathered her daughter in her arms, giving her a hug and kissing the top of her head. Looking up, she smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

  Erin walked in and greeted Sean, and as he finished his sandwich he continued to listen to his dad explain more about the stars they had seen. Glancing at his watch, he realized that it was almost time for Harper to leave her meeting. Giving a round of hugs, he said his goodbyes and headed back out into the evening.

  Lying in Sean’s king-sized bed that night, Harper rested her head on his chest, comforted by the sound of his steady heartbeat. With their limbs still wrapped around each other from their lovemaking, she breathed in the heady scent of the combination of his woodsy cologne and pure Sean. She was almost asleep when his voice cut through the night, rumbling against her head.

  “Do you think Smokey would like my house?”

  She blinked several times, uncertain if what she heard was what he actually said. He did not repeat himself, so Harper lifted her head and peered down at him, his features mostly hidden in the shadows but fully memorized by her. “I’m sorry, did you ask what Smokey would think about your house?” By the faint moonlight coming in through the window, she could tell that he smiled.

  “I just wondered if cats had a hard time adjusting to a new place.”

  Now, she was even more confused. “Are you asking about cats in general? Are you thinking about getting a cat?”

  “No, I’m not thinking about getting a cat. I was wondering about Smokey.”

  “You’re wondering if Smokey likes moving?” When he did not reply, she said, “Most animals adapt to their surroundings.” She now wondered if perhaps he was thinking of the difference between cats and dogs. “When I first moved into my apartment, Smokey spent the day skulking around, sniffing all the surfaces, but I just had to make sure he knew where his litter box, food, and water dish were. I’d say it took him about two days to get used to everything.” She held his gaze. “Why are you asking about Smokey?”

  He sighed, his chest heaving up and down, and she went with him, considering she was still propped on him. “I’m not doing a very good job of this, am I?”

  His voice was filled
with uncertainty, a trait he rarely exhibited. Tilting her head to the side, she decided to wait and see what it was he really wanted to say.

  He shifted so that they were lying side-by-side, and with his free hand brushed her hair from her face. “What I’m really asking is what would you think about moving here with me?”

  Her breath caught in her throat as her heart pounded, barely able to hold back her smile. “You’re asking me to move in? To move in with you?”

  His smile widened. “Yeah, sweetheart, I am. We spend every night together, and I don’t know about you, but it’s getting a little old trying to figure out which place we’re going to be at. We’re constantly running back and forth. I know you love your apartment, but this place has so much more room—”

  “Oh, Sean, there’s no comparison! Sure, I love my apartment, but your house is so much more of everything. More room, more personality, a bigger kitchen… not to mention this amazing bed!”

  “You can do anything you want to it,” he promised. “If you want to paint, we’ll paint. You can bring all your furniture and we’ll find a place for it, or if you don’t want anything, we can get rid of it. I just want you with me.”

  Wondering if it was possible for a heart to burst from joy, she hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and regret that you asked me tonight.”

  He rolled again, this time pinning her underneath him. His hips nestled between her legs and his weight was held off her chest by his forearms. His fingers sifted through her hair as his thumb smoothed over her cheeks. “Don’t you know me well enough to know that I don’t make snap decisions, Harper? You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman and so much more than I ever hoped for. I wouldn’t have asked for us to take this next step if I didn’t think it was right.”

  She closed the whisper of a distance between their mouths, sealing their lips and their futures. She thought she was tired, but now, with his erection pressing against her core, she arched her body tightly against his, renewed energy flowing through her. This time their lovemaking was slow, filled with whispered words of love.

  Once again lying tangled in each other’s arms, her face buried in his neck, she asked, “So, how soon were you thinking for me and Smokey to make the move?”

  He kissed her brow, his nose gliding over her forehead. “As far as I’m concerned, sweetheart, you can move in tomorrow.”

  She leaned back, her giggle erupting. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”

  “When you know it’s right, it’s right. I don’t see any reason to fuck around.”

  She nibbled on her lip for a moment, considering the logistics. “Since I’ve been in my apartment for over two years, I only have to give them a month’s notice.”

  “Then give them your notice, babe, and start moving things over. You know my kitchen stuff is kind of crap, so bring your things. Personal items and clothes.”

  “Smokey?”

  His chuckle rumbled throughout his chest, and he nodded. “Absolutely. Smokey’s welcome anytime.”

  “Daniel will probably be glad to not have kitty-duty anymore.” Sighing in pleasure, she snuggled then, her head on his shoulder and her fingertips splayed over his heart. Not bothering to stifle her yawn, she murmured, “I’ll start tomorrow.”

  Hours later, Sean woke with a start, his limbs jerking. Glancing to the side to make sure he had not woken Harper, he eased away from her. Sitting up in bed, he rubbed his temples, wondering what had jolted him from his sleep.

  Closing his eyes, a flash of the arson board from his office with the glowing, star-shaped location pins hit his mind, and he knew why it seemed familiar.

  Constellation! The pattern created a fucking constellation.

  30

  Sean hurried into headquarters the next morning, hating how he had had to rush out on Harper. She had wanted to fix him breakfast, and he was as excited as she to plan when she would start moving in, but his mind was firmly on the case and wanted to see the map again. Not wanting to divulge any information about the case until he knew more of what he was talking about, he simply told her that he had woken with an idea he needed to pursue.

  In typical Harper fashion, she had smiled, offered him a hug, and sent him on his way with a travel mug of coffee and a hastily prepared breakfast biscuit to take with him. He gave her a key to his house, knowing it was a monumental occasion, and yet barely able to hold back from rushing out the door.

  Harper had laughed, kissed him goodbye, and promised to be there that evening.

  While his mind was firmly settled on the case, it did not escape his attention that she was perfect for him. No jealousy over the time his career would take from them. No pouts when his attention was diverted from her to a case.

  Parking in the parking garage, he hurried in, glad to see Jonas falling into step with him.

  “Got your message this morning,” Jonas said. “I can’t wait to see what you’re talking about. A constellation? I can’t even begin to imagine that.”

  Going through security at the same time, Sean looked over his shoulder. “Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe today it won’t look anything like I remembered. In fact, even if it does, I don’t know what that means. But if it is, then that’s got to be some kind of message.” Continuing down the hall past security to the elevators, he sighed. “Or maybe this is just one big total mind fuck.”

  Jonas clapped him on the shoulder as they entered the elevator. “Sean, we haven’t had a break in a while on these cases. Anything… even a clue we can’t interpret right now is better than nothing.”

  Getting off on their floor, they stalked down the hall. The night cleaners had been through and the lights were already on in the room as well as the window blinds open. Beth and Terrence were not there yet, but Sean was not surprised since he and Jonas were early.

  “We’re going to need to make the room as dark as we can,” Sean said. “Damn, if I had realized this last night, I could’ve taken a picture or drawing.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, man. We can make this work now.” Jonas walked over to the window at the end of the room and pulled the blinds. It did not plunge the room into darkness but knocked out the direct sunlight.

  Flipping off the light switch, Sean felt his anticipation ratchet up, not realizing he was holding his breath. The star pushpins were faint but definitely as he remembered. He pulled out his phone, walking toward the board when the light suddenly came back on. Jerking around, he saw Captain James standing by the light switch, his brow knit in confusion.

  Beth was just walking down the hall and stopped behind their Captain. “Is everything all right?”

  “I don’t know,” Todd replied. “I’m trying to figure out why Sean and Jonas are standing in the dark.”

  “I’m sorry, Sir,” Sean said. “I need you to turn the lights back off, please.” Glad that Todd trusted him enough to not question what he was doing, the lights flipped off again and he turned back to look at the board. Pulling out his phone, he had only snapped one picture when he heard Terrence stepping into the room.

  “What the hell is everyone doing in the dark?” Terrance asked.

  Frustrated, Sean could not help but shake his head as Jonas laughed, then looked at him. “Why don’t you explain everything, and then we can get these fucking lights off and see what we’re looking at.”

  Turning to the others, he nodded for the lights to come back on. “It was dark when I left last night, and as I flipped off the lights I realized that the pushpins that Beth brought in from her daughter were actually glow-in-the-dark. I stared for a moment, but nothing made any more sense than it had been. No shape or pattern that I could discern. I won’t go into the particulars except to say when I was growing up my dad used to have us look at the stars and constellations through a telescope. It was a hobby of his. I literally woke up in the middle of the night and realized that the pattern that I had seen of our arsonist’s hit sites seemed familiar. It may be a lark. It may be nothing but
bullshit. But I wanted to come in this morning and see if my theory has any substance.”

  Once again, his Captain did not question him at all. Instead, with a flip of his hand, the lights went off one more time. Turning back to the board, he made several pictures with his cell phone. Todd came up close behind him, as had Terrence and Jonas. Calling out to Beth, he indicated she could turn the lights on.

  “I don’t know anything about constellations, but this doesn’t look like much.” Jonas stared at the board. Turning toward Sean, he shrugged. “But if you know about these things, what does it look like to you?”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at constellations. I don’t mind doing the digging to see what it could be, though.”

  “If I were you, I’d ask your dad,” Todd suggested.

  Fuck, he’s right. “There’s a good chance my dad would recognize it right away if it was a constellation.”

  With a chin dip, Todd looked at the board. “Good work.”

  Beth laughed, and the others turned toward her in question. “I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t bring in the pushpins that look like unicorn heads.”

  The others chuckled along with her as Sean sat down at his desk, pulling out his phone.

  “Dad? I’m going to send you a picture through text. Tell me if it’s a constellation that you recognize.” He forwarded the picture, waited to make sure his dad had received it, and said, “Dad, take as much time as you need to look at it. I know you may have to study it, and turn it all sorts of ways, and look up information. That’s fine, you can just get back with me whenever you—”

  “Hell, son, I can tell you right now what it is.”

  Blinking, he jolted. “You already know?” He looked over, seeing Jonas’ gaze pinned on him. Catching movement to the side, he saw that Beth and Terrence and Todd had moved in closer. Grabbing a pen, he began scribbling down what his dad said.

  “Okay, I’ve got it. Yeah, I’ll start looking right now. Dad, you’ve saved me a shit ton of work. I don’t know if it means anything right now, but I’ll let you know.”