That gets me another warning look but then Derek messes up his hair again and sighs. “Come to Banshee tonight. I’m havingcelebration drinks there for making Captain. I’ll let you know what I find.”
My chest unlocks. “Thank you, really.” I give him a soft smile. “And congratulations.”
Derek grunts. “Yeah, well, we’ll see if I’ve still got the job after I pull this little stunt for you.” He yanks open the door and stalks off.
I grimace. There’s a strong chance hanging out with Flynn is a bad influence on me because I think I just corrupted a cop.
Derek’s precincthas pretty much taken over Banshee for the evening and I’m regretting not taking Wright up on her offer to join me tonight.
Instead, she’s having dinner with her mom and stepdad and I’m sitting by myself at a corner table nursing a Coke. Derek’s been the center of attention, all his colleagues coming up to congratulate him and shoot the breeze. The music is blasting, drinks are flowing, and at this rate it’s going to be hours before things have quieted down enough for him to slip away and talk to me.
I’m debating whether I should just leave but if he’s found something on Claren, it’s not exactly the sort of information he can just send over text.
“You look about as happy to be here as I am.”
I glance up as Connor slides into the booth opposite me, the teak skin he gets from his Asian side looking a shade darker under low lighting.
“I didn’t know you were close with Derek,” I say.
Connor grimaces. “I’m not. Erica invited me.”
“Ah.” I’ve known Erica since I first started working at dispatch and if rumors are right, she was in the running for Captain. Honestly, as much as I think Derek’s a decent guy, I’d have put my money on Erica.
“How’s she coping?” I ask.
Connor glances over at the end of the bar where Erica is sitting, nursing her own drink. “Not great.”
“The job should have been hers.”
Connor’s smile is sad as his gaze shifts to Derek. “Yeah, but as Erica would say it’s hard to compete with all that straight white maleness.”
I sigh. It really is.
Erica downs another drink and Connor winces.
“She’ll be alright,” I say to him.
He grimaces. “I don’t know. I’ve known her for over a decade and nothing has ever hit her this hard.”
I frown. “I thought you only joined dispatch a few years ago.”
Connor’s smile is nostalgic. “We went to Washington State together. Same life drawing class if you’d believe it.”
I raise a brow because the idea of bad ass Erica with her box braids and leather jacket taking a life drawing class is laughable.
Connor shakes his head, his smile fading. “We bonded over having to work twice as hard to get half as far. I guess not much has changed.”
I glance over at Derek and the crowd of white men celebrating around him. “Maybe not,” I say, “but if I had to call 911, she’s who I’d want turning up.”
Connor smirks. “I’ll tell her that.”
My phone buzzes on the table and I turn it over.
Dexter
It’s late Lilac, you should be in bed.
Shit.I should have left my phone at home so Flynn couldn’t track me but going to a bar without it seemed like a bad idea.
