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“Too early for lunch,” Jack said, washing his hands in the kitchen sink.
“I was just thinking that,” I said. “It feels like we put a full day in already. We can always do brunch.”
“I like the way you think,” he said, leaning down to give me a quick kiss.
Before either of us could come up with a suggestion on where we should eat, Jack’s phone rang. I could tell by the look on his face it was dispatch.
“Lawson,” he said, listening for several seconds before saying, “No, she’s here with me. I’ll put you on speaker.”
He put his phone down on the bar and hit the speaker button. “Go ahead, dispatch.”
“I’ve had three calls come in the last five minutes,” Barbara said. “All of them doozies. I’ve got a guy who was doused in gasoline and set on fire, an old guy who kicked the bucket during sex, and a body that washed up in Gambo Creek.”
“You got three dead bodies in the last five minutes?” Jack asked.
“It’s a full moon tonight,” Barbara said. “And Friday the thirteenth. What do you expect? I’ve got crosses and Virgin Marys all over my console. I don’t want any of that demon stuff coming here.”
Jack sighed.
“Besides,” she went on. “There’s only two official bodies. The guy that got set on fire isn’t dead. Yet.”
“Give Martinez death by sex,” Jack said. “He just left the Hargrove scene. Call in Cole for burning man. And Jaye and I will take the body in Gambo Creek. Send me the location on my phone.”
“10-4,” Barbara said.
I could tell she was ramping up to say more, but Jack disconnected before any words came out.
“Gonna be a busy day,” he said, rubbing his hand over his head. “No time for a haircut.”
“It’s gonna be a busy several days,” I said. “I’ve got at least three autopsies waiting for me. Four if burning man doesn’t make it. I picked a bad day to throw away my donuts.”
Jack was feeling merciful, so he drove through a chain coffee shop on our way to Gambo Creek. I was pretty sure he needed the caffeine kick too, so it wasn’t completely sacrificial.
The rain had steadily increased, so on top of the service calls we were making, Jack was also having to coordinate officers so they could shut down the roads that were flooding. This area had a lot of creeks and rivers, some of them flowing into the Potomac, but many of them didn’t have a natural drainage system so bridges frequently washed out when the rain got too bad.
Jack didn’t have an easy job, but he made it look effortless. As sheriff, he was always working and always on call. And while I knew this in my head, Jack did a great job of making me feel like it was just us when we were home. His responsibility was great.
Gambo Creek ran through Bloody Mary and King George Proper, and it widened the closer it got to the Potomac River before they merged. The address Barbara had sent us was in King George, but there was no telling where the body had been dumped, especially with the water rising.
We took Jack’s 4x4 truck to the crime scene, and we were going at a snail’s pace over the Raddock Bridge. The water had risen and it wouldn’t be long until the bridge was closed completely.
“We’re going to have to make this quick,” I said. “The last thing we want is to be trapped on the wrong side of the river.”
“We’ve got time yet,” Jack said. “Though you’ll probably need the EMTs to transport. I doubt Lily will have time to get out here with the Suburban.”
“She’s going to be occupied for a bit,” I said. “She and Cole seem to be in a good place. I think she’s all but moved in with him. I don’t remember the last time she didn’t leave work to head to his place.”
“You seem surprised,” Jack said.
“I am. This is the longest relationship Cole’s ever had. It’s a good thing.”
“The right woman has a tendency to have that effect on a man,” Jack said. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” I asked, knowing exactly what he was referring to.
He kept his eyes on the road, but I felt the air go out of him. “I saw the pregnancy test in the trash can.”
I shrugged, hiding my face behind my to-go cup and scalding my tongue for my troubles. “It’s not the first I’ve taken,” I said. “I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
