Dirt Nap

by Carolyn Elizabeth

  “Yeah, well, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Where are you going?” Corey called when Thayer immediately disappeared down the hall into the bedroom after they got back from seeing her grandmother. They had explained what happened and assured her they were okay and not to worry if she heard anything on the news.

  “Getting ready for work,” Thayer called back. “I’ve got the dreaded two to midnight swing shift this week. I really hate this shift. It’s so hard to adjust to these hours.”

  “Work?” She leaned against the doorframe as Thayer kicked out of her clothes. “You’re not going to work.”

  Thayer’s eyes met hers. “I beg your pardon?”

  She cleared her throat. “I mean, you need to give yourself some time, Thayer.”

  Thayer smiled softly. “Corey, I love you and I understand better than anyone how worried you are, but please don’t tell me what I need.”

  “Thayer—”

  “I need to work, Corey.” Thayer scanned her closet pulling clothes off hangers. “I need to help people by doing what I’m good at. A job that empowers me, and most of the time fills me with confidence and a sense of self-worth,” she explained while getting dressed.

  Corey had no argument for that and was aware that any objection she could offer had more to do with her own fears than Thayer’s needs. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

  Thayer looked up at that. “For what, sweetheart?”

  “I don’t know.” Corey shrugged. “For not being more supportive. For feeling afraid when you’re so strong and—”

  “Hold it.” Thayer closed the distance between them. “You are allowed to feel whatever you need. Don’t you dare apologize for that—especially to me.” She waited for Corey’s nod of understanding. “And really I’m taking my cues from you and how you handled things two months ago.”

  Corey’s eyes widened in panic. “You’re sending me away?”

  “What?” Thayer looked puzzled. “No, sweetheart, of course not. I just asked you to move in with me.”

  “Oh.” She breathed. “Okay.”

  “I mean, I’m doing what I need and not catering to other people’s desires or perceptions of how I should feel or behave. Not even yours.”

  “But I was wrong then.”

  “I disagree. Everything that happened then led us to where we are today, and today, with a few notable exceptions, is pretty damn close to perfect. So how could I wish it had gone differently?”

  Corey sighed deeply. “I understand. You’re right.”

  Thayer leaned up to kiss her softly on the lips. “I usually am.”

  “What am I gonna do, then?”

  “Here’s a wacky thought,” Thayer called as she moved into the bathroom. “Wouldn’t it be weird if you worked at the hospital too, and went in to work, like one does on workdays? Then, if you were feeling anxious or edgy you could just pop up for a quick visit.”

  Corey laughed and flopped down on the bed on her back. “Two cars or one?”

  “Two unless you want to hang around until one in the morning.”

  For the first time since Thayer had been working at JCMH, there was no one waiting to be seen and she ducked into the doctors’ lounge. It was after eight and she regretted not taking a break earlier as she scanned the fridge to find it empty but for a half-eaten yogurt with the spoon sticking out, a sandwich with someone’s name tagged on it and a bottle of water. She grabbed the water and her bag of supplies from the locker room and sat on the sofa, laying everything out on the coffee table.

  It had been steady but not slammed. Still she felt wrung out and shaky. She dug in the bag for the small scissors, intending to treat her wrists and change the bandages. Her dexterity and strength were normal but her wrists burned like she had been holding them over a fire, and she wanted some more ointment to help with the pain and speed healing.

  Her hand shook as she tried to hold the scissors steady, her snips awkward and ineffectual causing her to sigh in frustration

  “It’s not a life-saving measure,” Watson Gregory said quietly from behind her, “but I can help you with that if you’d like, Dr. Reynolds.”

  Thayer jumped, startled, her head whipping around. “I didn’t realize you were on tonight.”

  “I’m picking up some hours I owe back in trade.”

  She nodded. “Thank you, but I can manage.” She tried again with the scissors and failed.

  “Here.” He moved around and scooted the table back to sit on it in front of her. “Let me.”

  She sighed, resting her forearms on her knees. “Thank you.”

  He quickly snipped through the gauze wrapping and scanned the thin, angry abrasions, gently turning her hands over to see the extent.

  “What? No crack about how I like it rough?” Thayer said bitingly.

  “What? No, um, I’m—”

  “I’m sorry,” Thayer replied wearily. “That was a shitty thing to say.”

  He was quiet a long time. “It’s okay. I deserve that.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  He studied her injuries again as he uncapped the topical analgesia. “What happened?”

  “You don’t know?” she asked, surprised. Collier had told them he kept their names out of the press but she hadn’t really believed him.

  “I got the impression there was some new hot gossip but no one talks to me.”

  She smiled grimly. “There was a big arrest out at Rankins Lake—”

  “That I know.” He cut her off while gently dabbing ointment around her wrists. “It was all over the news. The police busted the bait shop for selling meth and arrested the supplier when he assaulted a woman who lived—” He stilled, looking up slowly. “That was you?”

  “Yes.”

  He studied her hard, and he appeared to focus on her split lip and the dusky bruise across her cheek not quite covered with concealer. He frowned and looked back at her wrists brushing his fingers lightly over the abrasions. “I’m sorry that happened to you. Should you be working? I can pick up some of your shifts.”

  “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “I’m okay.”

  “You’re shaking.”

  “I haven’t eaten and the fridge is pretty bare.”

  “Oh. Wait.” He pulled a sandwich still wrapped in cellophane from his coat pocket. It looked like it had seen better days. “It’s from today, I swear. I grabbed it earlier but ended up sneaking away to the caf for hamburger mac ‘n’ cheese Monday.” He offered an embarrassed smile. “I can’t remember if it’s tuna or egg salad,” he babbled as he unwrapped it and set it on the table. “But, um, you’re welcome to it.”

  Thayer eyed the misshapen sandwich but something about his childlike generosity tugged at her. That and she was really hungry. “Thank you.” She picked up half and started on it as he rebandaged the wrist he was working on. It was egg salad.

  “How did it happen?” He began on the other wrist and Thayer switched hands to eat the other half of the sandwich.

  “Um, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess. Which is particularly distressing because I was at my own house.”

  Dr. Gregory assessed her face again. “He hit you?”

  “No. I was running away and he knocked my feet out from under me and I fell on the deck. Then he said some really articulate and conversational yet threatening and terrifying things while he tied me up with fishing line.”

  He sucked in a sharp breath, her battered wrist in his hand. “Jesus Christ.”

  “It wasn’t for long,” she went on. “The police and Corey were already on the way. I was on the phone with her when it happened, and the connection was still active so she knew I was in trouble. They got there pretty quick.”

  “You seem pretty casual about it for someone who was just terrorized in their own home.”

  She drew a deep breath. “I guess I hope the more I talk about it the easier it will be to accept and deal with.”


  “Well, shit,” he said as he taped off the gauze around her wrist. “You’re a stronger woman than I am.” He immediately blushed and cleared his throat.

  “Yes, well, I imagine I’m more of a woman than you in pretty much all ways.” She crammed the last of the sandwich in her mouth as she gathered up her things. “Thank you for your help Dr. Gregory—and for the sandwich.”

  “Um, Dr. Reynolds? Did you mean what you said to me the other night?”

  Thayer turned and arched a brow at him. “Every word.”

  “I mean the part about believing I could be a good doctor.”

  “I meant every word, Dr. Gregory.”

  Corey straightened from the wall as the door banged open. They hadn’t heard her when she cracked the door a few minutes ago, and while her first instinct was to go in guns blazing when she saw them together, she was glad she chose to slip back out and hover by the door.

  Watson Gregory stiffened visibly when he saw her and she tried to keep herself relaxed offering what she hoped was, if not an open, at least not openly hostile expression.

  He stared at her a moment before giving a brief nod and hurrying away.

  Good enough. Corey pushed the door open to the lounge just as Thayer emerged from the locker room.

  “Hi.” Thayer smiled, her eyes lighting up.

  “Hey.” Corey looked her over. “You okay?”

  “I am, yes.” She cocked her head. “Are you just leaving now?”

  “Yeah.” She ran her hands through her hair. “The morgue is a shit show of paperwork fuck-ups and a pileup of undisposed amputated limbs. There’s a body that should have been out of there days ago, and at least two death certificates that have bounced back from vital records. Fucking amateurs.”

  Thayer laughed and slipped her hands around Corey’s waist. “That’s why you make the big bucks.”

  “That’s the last time I let Webster let someone else loose down there.”

  “Where are you going to be?” Thayer asked, looking up at her.

  “I’m going to pack up some stuff in my truck from my condo.”

  Thayer’s eyes flashed. “So, I’ll see you back at my place?”

  “No.” Corey grinned crookedly. “I’ll see you at home.”

  Epilogue

  “What time is the party?” Thayer called from the bathroom.

  “Uh, I think it started at seven and goes until whenever.” Corey slipped into her dark jeans and buckled her belt.

  “So, we’re already an hour late is what you’re saying?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Her voice was muffled as she pulled her shirt on. “It’s at a cop bar. There will be people in and out all night long. No one will notice or care what time we get there.” She finger-combed her still damp hair and debated gelling it slightly to get it to behave but decided not to interrupt Thayer in the bathroom.

  “What’s this place like that we’re going?”

  “I’ve never been,” Corey answered. “It’s a bar called the Black Oak, a block from the station, so naturally, cop bar.”

  “So, casual?”

  “Did you miss the part where I said cop bar?” Corey laced up her boots.

  “I just don’t want to stand out.”

  “Ha! That’s funny.” Corey spoke to the closed bathroom door. “Hate to break it to you, babe, but the only way you’re not standing out is if we don’t go at all.”

  She checked herself in the mirror one last time. She was fine in dark jeans and a burgundy, fitted, V-neck shirt. “When in doubt go black. That’s all I got.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. Is this okay?” Thayer asked from behind her.

  Corey spun and took in Thayer’s calf-length, black, long-sleeved shirtdress. On the rack or anyone else it would be modest and casual, but Thayer looked as glamorous as she would in a ball gown and twice as sexy. Her auburn hair was down in careless curls around her face. She accentuated her look with simple gold earrings and thin choker. “Wow.” Corey looked her over from head to toe and back again, a slow smile lighting her face. “You look fantastic.”

  Thayer returned her smile and her gaze as she crossed the room to smooth her hands down Corey’s chest and across her belly, slipping her hands beneath her shirt to feel her tight abs flex at her touch. “You look pretty hot yourself.”

  She sucked in a breath. “Don’t do that unless you don’t want to go,” she warned and gripped Thayer’s wrists to still her explorations.

  Thayer smiled slyly and removed her hands. “Sorry.”

  “No you’re not.”

  “You’re right.” She grabbed her purse and headed to the door. “We better leave before I change my mind.”

  Corey patted her pockets to make sure she had everything and followed.

  The bar was full and loud and getting fuller and louder by the minute by the time Corey and Thayer got there. It was dim and swarming with off-duty and uniformed police officers making it moderately intimidating.

  “Holy shit. There you two are,” Rachel blurted, appearing in front of them from the crowd. “Thought you were going to leave me hanging. I don’t know anyone here.”

  “Rachel?” Corey frowned. “What are you doing here?”

  “Are you kidding?” Rachel frowned back at her. “Collier and Steph come into the shop like twice a week now. She was in the day she opened her promotion letter. I probably was the first one to know.” She leaned over to a bemused Thayer and kissed her on the cheek. “Hi, gorgeous. You look sensational.”

  Rachel was rarely seen in anything but workout clothes and her work uniform of cargo shorts or pants and T-shirt. Tonight she had on black jeans, gray T-shirt, and dark gray, fitted blazer with the sleeves pushed up displaying a handful of tattoos crisscrossed with the thin, pink scars from the glass injuries. Her hair was artfully punked out and she was wearing silver hoop earrings.

  Thayer looked her over and gave her a sultry smile. “So do you, Rachel.”

  “Hey.” Corey scowled at their flirting glance. “Standing right here.”

  “Anyway, don’t you and Collier ever talk?” Rachel asked.

  “You mean like on the phone?” Corey snorted. “I don’t even talk to you on the phone. No, we don’t talk unless there’s a case between us and it’s been quiet.” Corey shrugged and glanced to Thayer. “I haven’t seen him since, you know, everything.”

  “Well, he asks about you all the time and it’s starting to creep me out.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “He bugged me all week about whether you were coming tonight, so you better make time to talk to him.”

  “Sure.” Corey was puzzled. “I mean, I was going to.”

  “All right, enough about you.” Rachel dismissed Corey and grabbed Thayer by the hand, pulling her farther into the bar. “In hopeful anticipation of your impending arrival, I ordered drinks and scored us a table.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Thayer followed.

  “Not you, dude.” Rachel nodded at Corey as she made to follow them. “I totally drank your beer while I was waiting. Can you go to the bar for another round?”

  Corey glared at her, in jest. “You suck.”

  Corey fought her way to the bar, using her elbows and height until she was belly up but both bartenders were down at the opposite end. “Shit.” She scowled at how many people with money out were between her and her beer.

  “I got it,” Collier said from behind her and let out a sharp whistle, grabbing the attention of one of the bartenders and a bouncy, busty young woman came right over. “Hey, Gina. Sorry about the whistle.”

  “It’s cool, but only ’cause it’s you, Jimmy.” She snapped her gum in his direction and flashed him a smile. “Whaddaya need?”

  He nodded toward Corey. “Whatever my friend, Curtis, here wants. Just put it on my tab.”

  Corey arched an amused brow at him and placed her order for as many beers and glasses of wine she thought she could carry.

  He scowled at her. “Jesus, how many people did you br
ing?”

  “I don’t want to have to hassle at the bar every time.” Corey grinned. “It’s called economy of motion.”

  Gina piled up her drinks and Corey used every finger on both hands collecting them. “Thanks, Collier, you’re a peach.”

  “Wait. Are you coming back?”

  “I can do it all in one trip.”

  “I mean.” He cleared his throat. “Will you come back?”

  She paused at his expectant expression. “Yeah, sure.” She nodded and disappeared across the room.

  By the time Corey wended her way through the bar, greeting a few people she knew, their table was full with Thayer, Rachel, Kelly Warren and Steph. Lieutenant Williams was setting down a tray of shots in front of them. There was barely enough room now for the drinks Corey brought. “Looks like we’re taking a cab.”

  Steph jumped from her chair and pulled Corey into a hug as soon as her hands were free. “Corey.” She grinned. “I’m so glad you could come. It’s good to see you.”

  Corey returned her hug. “Congratulations, Detective Austin.” Corey picked up two of the shots and handed one to Steph. “Allow me to buy you a drink.” She threw Charlene Williams a cheeky wink, which was rewarded with a laugh.

  Steph clinked their glasses together and they tossed them back in unison. Corey sucked in a breath and nodded in appreciation to Lieutenant Williams for buying the good stuff.

  “Only the best for the detectives in my division.” She smiled. “It’s good to see you two looking well,” she added with a glance at Thayer.

  “Thank you,” Corey said. “Thanks to Collier and Detective Austin.” She punched Steph in the arm gently. “Narcotics, man, that’s great.”

  Steph nodded and snatched two beers off the table handing Corey one. “It was my first choice. I think this isn’t the first or last time we’ll see drugs running through JC like that, and I want to be on the front lines.”

  Corey took a long pull of her beer. “Was it your work on the Crandall case that finally got your promotion?”

  “That and a glowing recommendation from the sergeant.”

  “Oh, really?” Corey arched a brow. “Now you won’t be riding with him or in his chain of command, right?”