"This has been a crazy case," said Maddox. "I'm glad you called me for help. It makes my case load look easy."
"You still have open cases? I hope we didn't distract you too much."
"No, not even a little bit. Besides, I'm all done for now."
"So what's next? Another case?" I asked.
"Something better. I'm going to Paris." He clapped his hands together and grinned, looking happy.
"For a vacation? Sounds great!"
"A case actually. I applied for a confidential position a while back and I got it. I leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? Wait... what? I thought the FBI wasn't for you."
"It isn't with the FBI. You could call it a loan of sorts. I can't tell you a lot about it, sorry."
I raised my eyebrows. I suspected the answer already, but it didn't stop me from asking. "Classified?"
"One hundred percent. What I can tell you is it might take me back to my roots. I hoped the FBI would be the pinnacle of my career, one step from being a detective, but it isn't what I expected. Perhaps, this will change things. I'll be investigating a very interesting case." Maddox checked his watch. "I have to get back now. Let's catch up when I'm home again."
"Sounds good."
"Say bye to Lily from me."
"I will." I got up as Maddox stood and we embraced briefly. "Send me a postcard?"
"You bet."
I sat down again, watching Maddox leave, wondering what his top secret case might be that it would take him to Paris. He hinted that it wasn't with the FBI, but I knew better than to press him about the recruitment source. If he wanted me to know, he would have told me, and he clearly didn't. I was still staring as he turned at the corner, raised a hand, and waved before he disappeared.
"Hey, where'd everybody go?" asked Lily. "I didn't take that long! It's just like the wedding! I almost missed that too when you were getting patched up. Can you believe Juliet and Rob actually got married after all of that? Their fake wedding turned into the real deal."
"They said it seemed like the best thing to do under the circumstances."
"How are they holding up?"
"I spoke to Juliet yesterday. She said Robbie is upset, but he's settling into life with them; and they found him a therapist so he can discuss his mom and his feelings. I don't think he really understands what's going on. Rob said he told him he was so excited about having a new little brother or sister that he talked non-stop about it to Penelope."
"Do you think that's why she finally flipped out big time?"
"I don't know. I hope not."
"Poor kid."
"Yeah. Poor kid. Juliet's taking some time off work to look after Robbie; and she even got Jane to be her personal assistant."
"Jane?"
"Her former assistant. The one who Penelope pretended Juliet fired," I reminded her.
Lily sighed and pushed away her tea. "This is one messed-up case."
"Tell me about it. Hey, Maddox said to say bye. He had to get back to the office. Speaking of office, I need to meet Solomon at his."
"You're taking the job?"
"Yes, I am." I'd decided the night before. The agency was where I wanted to be and I planned on telling Solomon as soon as I got there. Just like Maddox, a job move had seemed like a good idea but it wasn't what I thought it would be.
"Does Solomon know?"
"No."
"He'll be thrilled. You know what will thrill him even more?"
"Naked time?"
"Hey, you sound like me! Actually, he'd probably like an answer to his other question. The whole moving in together thing. You can't keep him dangling, Lexi."
"I have an answer to that too."
"Are you going to tell me?"
"Not until I tell Solomon."
"Can you call me while you tell him so I can listen?"
"No!"
"I'll be quiet!"
"No!"
"Okay." Lily pulled a face.
I grabbed my purse. "C'mon. I'll take you back to the bar on the way."
~
It had been quite a while since I last set foot inside the Solomon Detective Agency. I parked in the lot and took the stairs up, without anyone questioning why I was there. Stepping into the PI office, I looked around. Not a lot had changed. There was a new plant in the corner, and the printer whirred, kicking out sheets of paper. Delgado looked up briefly and nodded. Flaherty smiled. Fletcher's desk was empty. Solomon was in his office with his back to me, but I was pretty sure he knew I was there the moment I walked in. He had an uncanny ability with things like that.
I walked forwards, smiling as I saw my desk. It hadn't been touched! Everything was exactly as I left it, like Solomon expected me to return. Walking past it, my fingers trailed over the surface and I knew I was home.
I knocked at the door. "Hey."
Solomon spun slowly around, dropping the open file he held onto his desk. "Hey," he said, how eyes running over my long dress. "Come in and close the door."
I walked inside, shutting the door behind me and stepping forward.
"Come here," he said, holding a hand out to me. Taking it, he guided me around the desk and pulled me into his lap.
"This is very unprofessional," I told him, as I encircled his neck with my arms.
Solomon pulled me against him, pressing his lips against mine. "Deeply," he murmured. "If you worked for me you could file a complaint."
"About that..."
"Mmm?"
"If the offer is still open, I'd like to come back."
"The job's yours."
"One other thing..."
"If it's about who to file a complaint with..."
"It's more about your suggestion of where we sleep at night. Where we both sleep."
Solomon pulled back, his eyes appraising. "What about it?"
"My answer is yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes, let's live together. I don't know where yet, or how, or what we need to do for living together to work, but I'd like to try."
"I don't know if I want to live together in sin."
It was my turn to appraise him as my eyebrows knitted together in surprise. "It never bothered you before."
"I've been thinking about that."
"You changed your mind about living together?"
"No. I decided such a step required something more binding." Solomon shifted me on his lap as he reached into his pocket. The small box he placed in my palm was blue. "Open it."
"What is it?"
"It's not a Kevlar vest."
I toyed with the box. "I can see that. I already have one anyway." Pulling in a deep lungful of air, my heart thumping, I opened the box.
"Lexi Graves, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
My mouth went dry, and I blinked. The sapphire and diamond ring nestled in the box glimmered against the plain interior. I opened my mouth and found I was, for once, stunned speechless. A thousand thoughts flashed through my mind and then… there were none. All that was left were Solomon, me, a gorgeous ring, and a lifetime together.
"Lexi?" prompted Solomon softly, expectantly.
"Yes," I replied. "Yes!"
Lexi Graves returns in
A Few Good Women
Coming soon!
About the author
Author and journalist Camilla Chafer writes for newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the world. Along with the Lexi Graves Mysteries, she is the author of the Stella Mayweather urban fantasy series as well as author/ editor of several non-fiction books. She lives in London, UK.
Visit Camilla online at www.camillachafer.com to sign up to her newsletter, find out more about her, plus news on upcoming books and fun stuff including an exclusive short story, deleted scenes and giveaways.
You can also find Camilla on Twitter @camillawrites and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CamillaChafer.
Other books:
Lexi Graves Mysteries:
Armed & Fabulous
W
ho Glares Wins
Command Indecision
Shock and Awesome
Weapons of Mass Distraction
Laugh or Death
Kissing in Action
Trigger Snappy
Stella Mayweather Series (Urban Fantasy)
Illicit Magic
Unruly Magic
Devious Magic
Magic Rising
Arcane Magic
Endless Magic
08 Trigger Snappy Page 25