AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Keep me updated, okay?” There was a strain to his voice. “And be careful.”
“I will,” she said, though it wasn’t really a promise she could make. “I’ll text you once we know anything new.”
After Cassie hung up, she took a moment to breathe. Somewhere over the course of the conversation, her anxiety had ratcheted up, threatening to constrict her throat and lungs against her will. The heat of the museum didn’t help matters, and with great abandon, she wound her way back toward the entrance and picked up her duffel bag at the luggage storage area. She hadn’t gone home before heading to Chicago, so she was wearing all the clothes she’d had in New Orleans. In other words, she wasn’t prepared for winter in Chicago, and had stopped to buy a heavy winter coat she’d never use back home. But it’d be worth it to ensure she didn’t lose any limbs to frostbite.
Stepping outside, she relished how the cold pierced her skin and shocked her body into forgetting about the burden she carried. Turning left, Cassie strolled down the street toward a tiered fountain at the end of the road. Hooking left again, she meandered along a path lined with bare trees. The city had seen
its first snow a month ago, and the frozen ground made sure it couldn’t melt away. The end of December was approaching, and unlike Savannah, Chicago rarely went without a white Christmas.
As Cassie neared a crossroads, a figure rounded the corner and stopped in the middle of the path. Even from a distance, Cassie recognized Harris’s telltale silhouette, complete with a slicked-back ponytail and a pair of aviators. A long wool coat covered most of her outfit, but Cassie could tell Harris had given up her pantsuit for a pair of jeans. The Timberlands on her feet were in stark contrast to the glossy sheen of the pavement.
Cassie looked past Harris and out across the expanse of Lincoln Park. She felt the spirits more than she saw them, and she wondered how she could navigate a city so full of tragedy without being pulled under the waves. At one time, she would’ve been happy to lean on Harris for support, but these days, Cassie couldn’t trust the detective wouldn’t risk her drowning just to get a few answers.
It was too late to turn back now, and when Harris raised her hand in greeting, Cassie returned the gesture, plastering a smile on her face and praying to God that the Windy City wouldn’t blow them off course.
3
Cassie waited until she was within earshot of Harris. “Hey, how are you?”
Harris pursed her mouth. “Don’t say it like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re worried about me.”
“What’s wrong with being worried about you?”
“How would you feel if I asked you like that?” Harris placed a hand on Cassie’s shoulder and stared straight into her eyes. “How are you?”
“I would be grateful.”
“You’d be offended.”
“Fine.” Cassie rolled her eyes. “I’ll pretend like I don’t care.”
“You’re not supposed to worry about me,” Harris amended. “I’m supposed to worry about you.”
“Okay, now I am offended.”
A smile broke across her face. “Good.”
“Seriously, though.” Cassie didn’t want to press the subject, but they couldn’t avoid it forever. “After you dragging me to Chicago on a whim, I’m allowed to check in.”
“It wasn’t a whim, and I didn’t drag you here,” Harris said. “And yes, I’m fine. All things considered.”
All things considered. Cassie let the phrase roll around her head. It tasted bitter. The thing they were considering was David’s death. Putting her best friend’s murder aside, she’d say she was fine, too. But how could she not think about him? He took up every inch of her brain space. She couldn’t get away from it if she tried. And she’d tried.
“Whim or no whim,” Cassie said, “I can’t stay here long. People are asking questions at work and I can’t miss many more days.”
Harris’s playful air vanished. “We’re talking about figuring out what happened to David. David,” she said, as if Cassie had forgotten. “Let them ask questions.”
“I can’t lose my job, Adelaide.”
Harris took a big breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling through her mouth. “I know. I’m sorry.” She looked like she meant it, but frustration still coated her words. “Believe me, I appreciate you coming out here with me. The dead of winter isn’t the best time to be in Chicago.”
As if on cue, an icy breeze tore through the park. Cassie pulled her jacket up around her neck. “I miss Savannah.”
Harris spread her arms wide. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Chicago. It reminds me of Montana.” She cut a glance sideways. “But I can’t deny that in Georgia you’re less likely to lose a couple appendages to frostbite.”
