Perfect Partners?

by C. J. Carmichael

  “The medics arrived at 10:45 a.m.,” Nathan added. “Does that seem right?”

  “About thirty minutes later? Yes, I think so.”

  “Why do you think you had that memory gap?” Lindsay asked.

  “I wish I knew.”

  She hated to press the older woman, who was clearly distraught, but this was important. “Have you experienced blackouts before?”

  “Never.”

  “Were you drinking?”

  “Alcohol? Of course not. It wasn’t even noon.”

  “Any history of mental illness—personally or in your family?” Lindsay pressed.

  “Not until now.” Audrey tried to smile, despite the tears forming in her eyes. “Sorry.” She dabbed at the corner of her eye with a white linen napkin. “I didn’t think this would be so hard.”

  “We need as much information as we can get if we’re going to help you.” Lindsay turned off the recorder and slipped it back into her bag.

  “I appreciate your intentions, but as I’ve said, there isn’t anyone who can help me now. My lawyer is hoping that with a good medical defense I’ll end up serving my time in a hospital rather than…well, you know.” She smiled bravely, then glanced at her watch. “I’m afraid I have another appointment in half an hour. My daughter should be here to pick me up soon.”

  No sooner were the words spoken, than Celia arrived, breezing into the room wearing a short white skirt with a navy top cut on the diagonal to reveal one slim shoulder.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Celia said, after smiling at Nathan, “but I’m here to give Mom a ride to the psychologist.”

  “Daily sessions are one of the conditions of my bail,” Audrey admitted, rising from the sofa with a definite lack of enthusiasm.

  “Are the sessions helping?” Nathan offered a hand to Audrey, then went to say hello to Celia. Lindsay averted her gaze as they hugged.

  “I don’t think so.” Audrey sighed. “It’s very frustrating.”

  “You will get through this,” Celia promised her mother.

  “I hope so, sweetie. Wait a minute while I get my purse and then I’ll be ready to leave. Will you see our guests out?”

  “Sure, Mom.” Once Audrey left the room, Celia turned to Lindsay. “Now that you’ve met her, you must understand. My mother wouldn’t shoot anyone. Especially not my father.”

  “Audrey seems like a wonderful person. But divorce, especially when it’s unexpected, as it was for your mother, can be a brutal and devastating prospect. You can’t always predict how people will react.”

  “I know my mother.”

  “The facts are pretty incontrovertible. Even your mother doesn’t deny what happened.”

  “That’s because she’s confused. But I’m not. I only wish that I’d been there that weekend…”

  “Be glad that you weren’t,” Lindsay replied.

  Celia frowned and Lindsay realized she’d spoken too sharply. Nathan stepped forward to cover the awkward moment, asking Celia if she had contact information for her father.

  “I think it’s better if I set up the meeting for you. He’s not very happy that I’ve hired you.”

  Celia led them to the front door. Outside, waiting at the curb, was a yellow taxi and a black limo. Lindsay had no doubt which one of the two vehicles was intended for them. She slid into the backseat of the cab, leaving Nathan behind to say his farewells in private.

  She’d expected he would take a few minutes with Celia, but he was right behind her, giving instructions to the driver to take them back to the office.

  As the cab left the curb Lindsay glanced through the rear window at Celia. The young woman was staring after them, her posture slumped, the smile she’d worn bravely earlier, utterly absent now.

  Her determined avoidance of the facts made Lindsay wonder if it was the daughter, and not the mother, who needed psychiatric assistance. But there was one quality about Celia that Lindsay had to admire and that was her loyalty to her mother.

  NATHAN RELAXED INTO THE TAXI’S backseat, very aware of the woman sitting next to him. Working with Lindsay again had been a rush. Her energy and drive were addictive qualities and he had never been assigned a partner who could match her in either department.

  He realized once more, how much he’d missed working with her—professionally speaking, of course.

  Anything more, well, she’d made her opinion about that pretty clear last night. And she was right. They were no longer subject to the rules and regulations of the police force, but if they were going to forge a new partnership, on their own terms, they had to keep the focus on work.

  He glanced down as her thigh brushed against his. She quickly shifted away, but the slight contact was enough to make him aware of her. When they’d worked together as police officers, Lindsay had worn regulation trousers and shirts and had always kept her lovely hair tied back.

  He had to get used to this new Lindsay, who wore high heels and her hair long, framing her face. She’d replaced the old uniform with a new one—jeans worn with a T-shirt and a blazer—and the look suited her.

  Work, he reminded himself.

  “What was your impression of Audrey?” he asked.

  Lindsay had been looking out the side window. As she turned to face him, a strand of her pale blond hair fell in her eyes and she brushed it away impatiently.

  “She’s an impressive woman. Not only strong and capable, but also down-to-earth and practical. Not the sort of person one imagines being susceptible to states of automatism.”

  “So you think she’s lying?”

  “That’s the problem. I don’t. There doesn’t seem to be any rational explanation for what happened that morning.”

  “Which is why Celia hired us.”

  “More specifically you,” Lindsay reminded him. She regarded him through narrowed eyes. “I’m getting the feeling your relationship with Celia was more serious than you let on.”

  “There was a relationship. But it was never serious and it ended months ago.”

  Lindsay took a few seconds to think that over. “Months ago, huh? About the time you had the shootout with the rich lawyer’s kid?”

  He should have known she’d put the puzzle pieces together quickly. He made no comment, but she wouldn’t let the subject rest.

  “I can’t believe this. Celia dumped you when you were down. Then, once your good name was restored, she came running to you for help with her little ‘problem.’”

  “That’s a harsh way of putting it.”

  “Harsh—but essentially true?”

  Again he made no comment.

  “Nathan, there is such a thing as being too nice. Why should you help Celia after what she did?”

  “You didn’t read the stories that were printed about me. They made me sound like a coward and a bigot. I don’t blame Celia for having doubts.”

  “Well, you should. Anyone who had spent one hour with you would know you’re not that kind of man.”

  Her quick defense of him was more satisfying than it should have been. He remembered his dad telling him that it didn’t matter what others thought about you. A real man knew that the hardest person to please was yourself. If you could face yourself in the mirror and know you’d done the right thing, that was enough.

  Nathan had tried to hold on to the truism during the months he was under investigation, but it had been more difficult than he’d expected. He’d found himself excessively grateful to the few people who stood by him during that time.

  “I didn’t agree to handle this case for Celia’s sake,” he finally said. “Audrey’s a good person.”

  “She seems very fond of you. I think she wishes you and her daughter would patch things up.”

  Hell, Lindsay was making him squirm here. She was altogether too perceptive. Shortly after he and Celia had broken up, Audrey had called him. She’d mentioned that she was disappointed, that she’d thought he was good for Celia and had hoped the relationship would last.

  But she’d sa
id something else, too. Something he’d never forget. “Audrey’s one of the few people who called me when Internal Affairs was conducting their investigation. She told me to hold my head high. That the truth would eventually come out.”

  For some reason, Audrey Burchard had believed in him, when no one else—except his sister—had.

  BACK AT THE OFFICE, LINDSAY handed her tape recorder to Nadine and asked if she would transcribe the interview later that afternoon. In the meantime, she wanted to have a few words with her.

  Nadine looked as though she’d been dreading this “chat” and quickly followed her to the corner office, shutting the door, then sitting in one of the client chairs.

  Lindsay settled behind her desk and kicked off her heels. One of these days she had to start wearing sensible shoes again. She glanced over her desk at Nadine, but before she could say a word, Nadine was apologizing.

  “I’m sorry, Lindsay. I should have known you’d find out. I should have been honest from the start.”

  Oh, my Lord. Poor Nadine was really taking this miss-step to heart. “That’s okay, Nadine. It’s just a small thing.”

  “You’re not going to fire me?”

  “Of course not.” She’d originally planned to ask Nadine to get rid of the plant. But Nadine was so distraught, Lindsay decided she would offer a compromise. “You can keep the African violet as long as you promise not to buy any more plants.”

  Nadine blinked. “I can keep the African violet?”

  “Sure.”

  Nadine was quiet for a long moment. Then she started to babble. “Oh. Good. You know, I saw it when I was buying office supplies. It was on sale and looking so sad and lonely. I didn’t think you’d mind having just one little plant that was real.”

  “It’s going to need water.”

  “I’ll take care of it. I promise.”

  Lindsay sighed. Obviously Nadine hadn’t considered holidays—times like Christmas when no one would be in the office. Well, she would have to learn by experience.

  Nadine started to stand and Lindsay waved her back. “One other thing—Nathan tells me you gave him keys to the office.”

  “Was that wrong? But he’s working here, right?”

  “Yes, but you still should have checked with me, first. I was working late last night and he startled me. I thought it was a break-in. I actually pulled out my gun.”

  “Oh, Lord. I’m so sorry, Lindsay. Thank goodness you didn’t shoot him. I wasn’t thinking…”

  “That’s okay, Nadine.” Lindsay was learning she needed to be careful when correcting Nadine, because the young woman took every little mistake to heart. The fact that she was so conscientious, though, was in general a very good thing.

  Lindsay considered herself damn lucky that the woman she’d hired with a university degree, but absolutely no work experience, was turning out to be such a gem.

  CHAPTER SIX

  NATHAN HAD TO CALL CELIA in order to set up a meeting with Maurice Burchard, and that made him a little nervous. He was almost positive that Celia had hired him only because she wanted to help her mother, and not because she had a renewed interest in him romantically.

  Almost positive was not quite the same as convinced, however, and so he was anxious to keep their conversation short and to the point, without being rude.

  Nathan stood by the window of his new office. His view was a close-up of the building to the east. In other words—a brick wall. He dialed Celia’s cell number and caught her waiting for her mom to finish her therapy session.

  She promised to contact her father right away and ten minutes later he heard back from her.

  The meeting was set up for tomorrow, at ten o’clock, at the Fox agency offices.

  Nathan thanked Celia for her help, then cut the conversation short. When he’d first met Celia, at a charity auction supported by the police department, he’d been very drawn to her surfer-girl style of good looks and her sweet nature.

  But he’d tired of her company quickly and his attraction to her had fizzled almost as fast.

  Her mother was a different story. Audrey was a woman of strength and character. In that regard, she reminded him of Lindsay….

  And, thinking of Lindsay, he’d better tell her about the meeting with Maurice. Nathan went out to the hall and glanced in her office door, but the room—a disorganized mess—was empty.

  Nadine noticed him standing there. “She’s out for the afternoon doing her teddy bear run.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Lindsay volunteers for the local women’s shelter. She donates new stuffed animals for all the children—every couple of weeks the staff sends her a list with names and ages and color preferences.”

  “That’s nice.” He wasn’t surprised to discover that Lindsay had a soft side. He’d seen glimpses of it when they’d worked together. Unfortunately they had often run across situations where innocent kids were victims—not just of crime, but of abuse and neglect.

  Every cop dealt with these scenarios in their own way. In Lindsay’s case, she’d used anger as a shield.

  He was glad to discover she’d found a more productive coping mechanism.

  “She can be a real sweetheart sometimes,” Nadine said. “Even though she doesn’t like to admit it. If you want to reach her about something, you’d better call her on her BlackBerry.”

  “I need to tell her about a meeting I’ve set up with Maurice Burchard. It’s here, tomorrow at ten.”

  As Nadine wrote the details down on her calendar, Nathan dialed Lindsay’s number. Almost immediately he heard a ringing in her office. Following the sound, he traced it to a stack of files on the corner of her desk.

  Under the files, was her BlackBerry. He showed it to Nadine.

  “Oh, darn. She’ll be annoyed when she realizes she forgot that.”

  “I’ll take it to her. Do you know where she went to buy those teddy bears?”

  “The store is called Wonderland and it’s on Columbus. Only a few blocks from here. I know Lindsay would really appreciate having her phone if you’re sure you don’t mind. I’d go, but I really shouldn’t leave during office hours.”

  “It’s not a problem,” he assured her. He grabbed his jacket, locked up his files, then hurried out to catch Lindsay before she’d finished her shopping.

  Nadine’s directions were accurate and he found the toy store on the west side of Columbus. The whimsical window display was geared to entice any passing child—and probably most adults, too.

  A bell tinkled as he opened the door, and right away he spotted Lindsay standing by a display of stuffed animals. She seemed to be debating the merits of one plush toy over another.

  “I like the fox,” he said, coming up from behind her.

  She started. Then sighed. “How did you find me here?”

  “Nadine. Here. I thought you’d want this.” He handed her the phone.

  “Thanks. I can’t believe I left the office without it.” She checked the display for missed calls, then slipped it into her leather bag.

  “You had it buried under a pretty good sized pile of papers. I see you haven’t gotten any tidier since you left the department.”

  “True. I keep promising myself I’ll clean up my desk as soon as I solve the next case, but there always seems to be something more important to do.” She selected a unicorn, a pink bunny and a classic brown bear from the display, added them to her shopping basket, then headed for the cashier.

  He picked up the bear, too, and also the fox, then followed her.

  He’d bet most kids who ended up at emergency shelters were used to secondhand. Their parents couldn’t afford new items—especially not of the nonessential variety. But then, for a kid, who said a stuffed toy wasn’t an essential?

  As they left the shop with their bags of stuffed animals, he said to her, “This is a good thing you’re doing.”

  “It’s just a token, really.” She shrugged. “But you do what you can do.”

  NATHAN MADE PLANS
TO MEET Lindsay for drinks later to discuss their meeting with Maurice the next morning. He had some errands to run, then made a pit stop home for dinner, delighting his nephew with the unexpected teddy bear.

  He didn’t make it to the Stool Pigeon until shortly after seven. Lindsay was ensconced at the same booth as before. From what he knew of her lifestyle—the fatty diet, sleepless nights, regular drinking—she had no right to look the way she did. There wasn’t a blemish on her pale skin, and her long, lean body looked strong and toned.

  She was chatting with Wendy when he arrived, but her watchful blue gaze soon landed on him. As soon as they made eye contact, her expression grew guarded.

  He got the message. She still wasn’t sure about him and wasn’t sold on this whole partnership deal.

  He wasn’t surprised. Lindsay was a woman of action, but when it came to her own emotions, she was reserved and cautious. It had taken him a long time to earn her respect and trust when they’d been partners and he knew it would take her a while to come around to the idea that they could work together again.

  He was still kind of in shock about it, himself.

  Three months ago he’d had his life mapped out. A career with the police department. Eventually, marriage and a couple of kids. It had been a simple template—not that different from the kind of life his parents had led.

  Not once had he considered the possibility that he would be the focus of an Internal Affairs investigation, that he would end up quitting the force and living, not with his own wife and kids, but with his sister and nephew.

  Since the shooting last spring, nothing much in his life had made sense. He was a man without a plan, making decisions based on pure instinct.

  Like answering Lindsay’s ad and taking on Celia Burchard as a client. Usually he mulled decisions over carefully. He hadn’t done that in either one of those cases.

  Time would tell if he’d done the right thing.

  “I hope you ate without me.” He slid into the seat across from Lindsay’s, noting a plate with greasy remnants. “Mineral water, please,” he said to Wendy, who nodded then moved on.