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“Truthfully, I don’t think you belong there, either. You’re nothing like the rest of those people.”
“Right. I felt conspicuous.” That was a straight answer. Almost everything else he’d said since coming through the front door had been an equivocation. Feeling guilty over that, he reached for her hand. “You do look great tonight. I still think that outfit is hot, even if you don’t like it.”
“What about the perfume?”
“Tough one. It’s a toss-up between it and the lasagna.”
Encouraged, she smiled. “Why don’t you relax and have a glass of that wonderful wine while I fix our dinner plates?”
It was an olive branch that he didn’t have the heart to reject. “Deal.”
While they ate, she talked about a plum investigative report she’d been assigned, then went on to describe a trip to Italy she wanted the two of them to take.
“I’ve been reading about this fabulous place, an ancient monastery or winery or something. Anyway, a nobleman from somewhere, who has tons of money, bought it and has converted it into a boutique hotel. I was thinking we could go after you wrap up the job in Seattle. How long do you think that will take?”
“I canceled it.”
She had passed on the lasagna and was eating only salad. With that unexpected announcement, she set her fork on her plate and looked at him with bewilderment. “When?”
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“Why?”
“The management was getting antsy for me to start. I couldn’t go to Seattle until I finished PT. I did what I felt was the honorable thing and gave them an easy out by advising they get someone else. I even recommended a few candidates.”
“Calder—”
Before she could say more, his cell phone rang. Seeing the name in the LED, he answered immediately. “Detective Compton?”
“Is this a good time?”
“Hold on. I’ll be right with you.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “Leave the dishes. I’ll clean up after I take this.”
Her expression hard-set, she reached for her glass of wine. “Don’t worry about it.”
Since his release from the hospital, he’d been camped in the guest bedroom. He went in and closed the door, sat down on the end of the bed, and put the phone to his ear. “I’m here. Do you have news?”
“I wish I could tell you that we have our suspect in custody, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Perkins and I would like to talk to you tomorrow.”
“About what?”
“I’d rather not go into it over the phone. Would four o’clock be a convenient time?”
“Same place as before?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be there.”
He was about to disconnect when she asked, “How are you getting along, Mr. Hudson?”
“I’m doing okay.”
She hesitated, as though knowing he was lying and was about to address that. Instead, she ended with a terse “See you tomorrow.”
The shower in the guest bath didn’t have all the directional showerheads and gewgaws as the one in the master, but he stayed in it for a long time.
From the shower, he went straight to bed and turned out the light. When Shauna tapped on the door and spoke his name, he didn’t answer, pretending to already be asleep.
