Page 69 of Diamonds in the Mud

“Okay.” He held up his hands as if he were surrendering. “Maybe it will cheer you up to know there are donuts in the break room.” He quickly turned away.

I smiled as I took a large chocolate-covered, cream-filled donut. I usually never got anything more than a stupid glazed one when someone brought them in.

I poured myself a mug of fresh coffee, balanced my donut on top of my mug, and headed back to my office.

The scent of freshly brewed coffee and the sugary aroma of a giant donut instantly lifted my spirits. It was going to be one of those days fueled by caffeine and carbs, and I was ready to dive headfirst into the case that had kept me tossing and turning last night.

With a satisfied sigh, I settled into my chair and waited for my computer to boot up. The stack of files on my desk beckoned, each one representing a piece of the puzzle in the mysterious death of Sharon Taylor.

I was no further on that case than I had been the day I’d discovered her, which just really pissed me off. For now, I needed to set that aside.

First things first. I needed to dig into the autopsy reports for Evelyn. I pulled up the documents on my computer screen, my fingers flying over the keyboard as I scanned the details. It didn’t take long for the pieces to start falling into place. Based on the severity of her injuries, Evelyn had been struck by a large vehicle. Time of death was just before three in the morning, which meant she’d lain there for less than half an hour before I’d discovered her.

Just as I was about to delve deeper into the evidence, a knock on my office door interrupted my concentration. I looked up to see Quincy standing in the doorway with a curious expression.

“Hey.” His voice was casual but with an underlying tension that set my senses on edge. “Got a minute?”

“Sure thing,” I replied, gesturing for him to come in as I tapped my keyboard and set my computer to sleep. “What’s on your mind?” I leaned back and took a sip of my now lukewarm coffee.

Quincy stepped into my office, his eyes darting around the room before returning to me. “I was just wondering if you’d made any progress on the mayor’s murder case,” he said, his tone carefully neutral.

I felt a prickle of suspicion at his question, but I brushed it aside, chalking it up to the usual curiosity among colleagues. “I’m following a few leads,” I said, deciding to keep my response vague.

Quincy nodded, but there was something in his gaze that made me uneasy. Was it just my imagination or was there a hint of fear behind his eyes?

We’d only officially been an item for a few weeks, maybe a month, but I liked to think I knew the man. This behavior was different than I’d seen from him before. He looked on edge for some reason.

“Didn’t you have today off?” he asked, suddenly.

“Evelyn is mine,” I told him firmly. He slowly nodded.

“What’s the word on that?” he asked.

“I just started.”

This wasn’t the first time he’d poked his head in my door. Actually, I think it was one of the reasons we’d gotten together in the first place. That and he was my type.

But since I didn’t do cheaters, he was now off that list forever.

“Anything else?” I asked.

He took one more glance around and shook his head. “Just, uh…” He glanced around and then stepped inside my office and shut my door. “There’s a new rumor going around about you and that Reaper. I thought we talked about this.” There, there was the old Quincy. The man who thought he could tell me what to do because we’d spent a few heated nights together.

I rolled my eyes and tried to blow him off. “Since when are you into gossip?”

“So it’s not true?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Quincy,” I warned, “you gave away all your rights to know what is and isn’t going on in my sex life when you cheated.”

He sighed and then nodded. “Fine, but at least let me warn you.”

I held up my hand. “Step down,” I warned him.

He threw his hands up. “As a friend,” he started again, but stopped when I cocked my head.

“I hear you’re seeing Clara,” I countered. From the look on his face, I could tell that I’d hit a nerve. No one in the office, and I do mean no one, knew that I’d seen Clara and Quincy heading into the file room together. “I thought she was with Wyatt Taylor?” I countered.

Thankfully, Quincy turned and stormed out of my office without another word. There, I’d put him in his place at last.