Nate rolled his eyes. “It’s called being in love. You should try it sometime before you judge.”
“Tried. This girl I’m into won’t give me the time of day.”
“Maybe she doesn’t like made-up excuses.”
“I don’t know how many times I can tell her that I didn’t make it up. An icicle the size of a piano fell on my car and totalled it.”
Maybe I should have waited until this guy got in it.Back off, she’s clearly not interested.
“Well, either way. Maybe you should take the hint and try someone else. She’s not interested.”
Angry Icicle opened his mouth, but his partner jumped in.
“Anyway, we’ll get this guy off your hands. Are you okay to get home?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Nate. Tell Abby I’ll bring her some of my signature chocolate chip cookies next week.”
“Will do. Try to stay out of trouble until then so you don’t make me a liar.” He smiled as the two of them hauled the mugger to his feet.
“I’ll do my best. Have a good night, gentlemen.”
She waited until the lights turned off and the police car pulled out of the alley before she resumed her walk. I met her around the corner, she smiled when she saw me.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show.”
“And miss watching you take out muggers? Never.”
“Good to know.”
I held out my elbow, inviting her to link her arm through mine. She did with a soft smile.
“Shall we?”
“We shall.”
9
THE VOLUNTEER
I knewthis would happen sooner or later. I was walking a dangerous line with the captain of the ERT. But it wasn’t my fault he didn’t understand consent. I was surprised I didn’t get arrested the first time.
Whisper had visited 49thearlier today. Of everyone I’d met so far his power freaked me out the most. He could slip into your mind and suggest things. All of his victims either killedthemselves or ended up in a white padded cell. None of them ever recovered. But again, I looked past it because he wasfine—light skin, curly brown hair, golden brown eyes, lean build, six-foot-four.
This time, when the ERT tried to raid, I’d made a dig at the police chief. Apparently, the clip had already gone viral, and he didnotlike this. I mean, I couldn’t blame him. My exact words were: “I don’t give a flying fuck what the police chief ordered. If he doesn’t understand that no is a full sentence, maybe he should get re-educated. I don’t know about you, but I learned that shit when I was six. It’s just sad that the man in charge of protecting the city is dumber than a first grader.”
At the end of my day (8 p.m.), I was dragged out of the hospital in cuffs.
They left me sitting in the interrogation room for two hours before a man in his late fifties walked in with a woman closer to my age behind him. He was dressed in a black polo shirt, grey dress pants, and brown dress shoes. Interesting combo. She wore a beige blouse, black pencil skirt, and black flats. Sensible shoes; I loved that for her.
“Miss Hayes,” the man said as he leaned on the wall next to the one-way mirror. Typical male bully, trying to make himself seem important with an intimidating stance. “I’m Detective Chambers. This is my partner, Detective Williams. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Ah, so this was Candice’s father. She was a nurse from 49ththat I was casual friends with. She was always ranting about him. From what I’d heard, he was a shit person and an even shittier dad. Two seconds into meeting him, I could definitely see the distain. I couldn’t imagine living with this fucking dick.
“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied.
Detective Williams sat down in front of me and laid out her files. She pressed her lips together like she was trying not to laugh at my sarcasm.
“Do you know why we’ve invited you here?” he asked.
