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She turned to her work and settled in, finally focusing on her tasks, and getting involved with her analysis. It wasn’t until she noticed it was unnaturally quiet that she realized she was completely alone in the office. She vaguely remembered people talking on their way by, but when she got involved in her work, she tended to hyper focus.
The muscles in her lower back protested as she stood up and twisted from side to side. A couple of vertebrae snapped as she bent down to touch her toes. Finally, she grabbed her hat and her keys and left the building, stopping at the phone lockers to grab her cell and wallet. It was dark as she walked to her car. The world was quiet, and the parking lot was sparsely populated with the skeleton crew that was the swing shift.
The phone in her hand beeped a few times as she closed and locked her door. Four messages from Antony. She read them in order and punched the little phone icon next to his name. Best to call and explain this one.
The phone rang one time. “Thought you might be ignoring me,” he said.
She smiled to herself. “Of course not. I got involved in something and lost track of time.”
“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Antony said. “I just left the office half an hour ago.”
“Guess it’s a good thing we weren’t meeting until tomorrow. We’d both be late.”
“True. You still on post?” he asked.
“I am. Why?”
“We could meet for dinner,” he said.
“Much as I’d love that,” she sighed, “I can’t.”
“You’re set for dinner with Oliver and Melanie,” Antony finished. “I forgot.”
“Yeah. We’ll just have to wait.”
She set up her Bluetooth and talked to Antony on her drive home. He shared his frustrations about the case and how slowly it had been going. She knew he was concerned. If this happened to his friend, who, from all his stories, was a take-no-shit badass, it could happen to anyone. She briefly thought about letting him know about Smith bothering her, but with his work stress, she kept it to herself. If the kid bothered her again, she’d say something.
Lesley got home and lay down on the couch, trying to clear her mind from the events of the day. Talking with Ant had made her feel better. Smith’s motivations weren’t clear, outside of antagonizing her, but to what end? She didn’t think he had a crush on her or anything—his expressions and behaviour weren’t that of someone interested in a relationship.
She stretched. The kid was trouble, and now she had to watch out for him. Her phone alarm beeped. She changed into some comfortable clothes and walked up to the back door of her brother’s house.
Her sister-in-law looked up from the kitchen island and waved her in.
“So, tell me about him,” Melanie said.
“Hello to you, too.” Before she could sit down, arms reached around her waist. Lesley grabbed the wrists and tugged her niece in. “Hey, kiddo.”
The lanky teen moved around her and smiled. “I’m out.” She scooted around the kitchen island and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I know. Back by ten. Be careful. Phone’s on and charged.”
“And have fun!” Melanie said as the front door closed. “Basketball game. Her boyfriend is playing.”
“Oh, young love.”
“Speaking of.” Melanie waved the knife at Lesley. “Spill.”
Lesley pulled out the seat at the bar and reached out to snag a tomato as she sat down.
“What did my brother tell you?”
Melanie looked up and rolled her eyes. “Pfft. He said, ‘Lesley met someone I’ve worked with before. He’s interested in her.’” She scooped up a handful of herbs and tossed them into the pot on the stove. “So, if I want details, I need to get them from the source. Start at the beginning.”
Lesley quickly filled her in on the club and how they met.
“Hmmm. And you’ve been on a date. I saw a car pull up the other night.”
Lesley nodded. “He took me to a little Mexican place in Bisbee.”
“Rudy’s or Santiago’s?”
