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I nod. “I know. I’ll be careful and leave Nora here, since we have the room until Monday.”
“Extend through Tuesday or Wednesday if you want, on the agency’s dime,” Al says, surprising me. “You wrap this up by tomorrow afternoon and you’ll deserve a little vacation with your girlfriend.”
I almost correct him, almost explain that she isn’t my girlfriend, but stop myself before the words can pass my lips. Nora’s not my girlfriend now, but maybe by Monday morning…
Or even by tomorrow afternoon, if I can get out of my own way and trust the certainty growing in my gut that I don’t have to leave home to find what I’ve been missing.
“Thanks, Al,” I say, touched. “I appreciate that.”
“Consider it your retirement present from me,” he says. “But only if you tie this up with a pretty bow for me this weekend. I have four other shit shows in progress and would like to get at least one off of my plate before December. I have a fuck ton of presents to buy. Ten nieces and nephews and Hanukkah comes early this year.”
My lips curve. “Got it. I’ll do my best.”
“You do that,” he says. “And Matty?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t worry about what comes after. You’ll be fine. Some guys don’t thrive in the civilian life, but I doubt that will be the case for you. If anything, you should have left sooner. You were never cut out for keeping this many secrets. You’ve got too many siblings and people who love you up in your business, which, if you ask me, is a great problem to have. I don’t regret leaving surveillance duty when I did, that’s for damned sure. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have sealed the deal with my wife or be the kind of uncle my nieces and nephews know they can count on, no matter what. Sometimes the best way to save the world is just to be there for the people we love.”
It’s the longest speech Al’s ever given me, not to mention the kindest and most vulnerable. And it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. “Thanks,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “I needed that.”
“No shit, Sherlock,” he says, back to his old cantankerous self. “I know when my officers need a pep talk. Now, you’ve had it, so go make things happen. I’ll be in touch if there are any new developments on our side and shoot you the number for my FBI contact in a few minutes.”
I thank him again and end the call, heading into the bedroom to see Bear perched awkwardly on the foot of the bed, watching the silenced television. When he sees me, he lifts a hand. “Hey. Nora’s changing.” He motions toward the closet beside the bureau. “And Clyde’s in there. I’m only letting myself check on her every eight minutes.” He taps his smart watch. “I have a timer on. I think I was stressing her out, hovering over the box.”
“That makes sense. I’m sure she was happy to see you, though.”
He smiles, relaxing a little as he nods. “Yeah. She was. She tried to climb into my lap, but she was in too much pain.” He sighs. “I don’t know how women do it. My mom had four kids.”
“Mine had eight,” I say, making his brows shoot up. I laugh. “Yeah. She and Dad took the ‘be fruitful and multiply’ thing a little too seriously.” I motion back toward the front room. “So, I talked to my boss, and he has an FBI contact I can connect you with once we’re done chatting. They’ll be in charge of this case since it’s a domestic issue that’s crossed state lines. We don’t have to talk now if you’d rather wait.” I glance toward the closet before shifting my gaze back to Bear. “But it might make the time go by faster while we’re waiting.”
“I think a talk sounds good.” Nora emerges from the bathroom, looking gorgeous in a pair of jeans and the same sweater from this morning. She’s pulled her hair into a high ponytail and applied just enough makeup to make her blue eyes pop and her lips look glossy and highly kissable. “And not to be nosy, but well, I am nosy, and I’m dying to know what Rex has been saying to you. My gut is that he’s a huge, hairy liar who’s been lying to everyone and isn’t actually trapped at his compound today.” She points a finger my way as she hops up to sit on the wide windowsill in front of the rain-streaked glass. “You owe me a Coke if I’m right.”
I incline my head, granting her the Coke as I ask Bear, “So, what do you think?”
“Yeah, sure,” he says with a sigh. “Though I don’t know how much time this is going to kill. It’s a pretty short story. Five days ago, someone broke into my apartment in Chicago and stole Clyde. They disabled my main security system, but I did get some footage of them inside the living room as they passed through. For some reason that camera kept working, while the others went out. They were wearing masks, like you wear when you have a cold, so I couldn’t get a great look at their faces, but one was a massive guy with thinning brown hair. The other was shorter, but strong looking, with a blond ponytail. He seemed to be the one in charge.” Bear’s tone grows disgusted as he adds, “He’s the one who stole my hatchet on the way out.”
Nora cocks her head. “Hatchet?”
Bear nods. “It was a gift from my dad. He was a blacksmith and made all his kids something special like that the day they turned eighteen. He died four years ago so…it’s not something that can be replaced. Still not as important as Clyde, not even close, but it added insult to injury.”
“We’ll get it back for you,” Nora says passionately, before glancing my way with a more sheepish look. “Or we’ll at least try. Wewilltry, right? That just makes my heart hurt. I want Bear to have his hatchet and his cat.”
“Thanks.” Bear’s smile is warmer this time. He’s clearly as charmed by Nora as everyone else who meets her. She’s just that kind of person, the kind who makes you feel like you’ve known her—and loved her—your entire life.
“We’ll give it our best shot,” I say. “And I bet the FBI will help, too. But I’m sure they’ll want to coordinate with your local police. I assume you reported the theft?”
Bear’s lips shift guiltily to one side of his broad face. “I didn’t, actually. I just went straight to social media and offered a reward myself. Chicago cops are busy with real crimes. I seriously doubt they would have wasted many man hours on a catnapping.”
“You could be right,” I concede. “But the FBI will know this is part of a much bigger criminal conspiracy and will take it seriously. I promise. So, when did the man you’ve been speaking to on the phone first contact you?”
“Only yesterday,” he said. “He warned me to quit trying to find him, almost like he knew I was tracking Clyde.” Bear’s eyes darken. “He said he would hurt Clyde if I didn’t. But I knew he wouldn’t. He won’t get the toys he wants if he gives up his leverage. I called his bluff, and he backed down. He said he would give me a chance to see Clyde, but that he’d be ‘on my ass like green on grass’ after.” His lips twist. “Direct quote.”
“Because he wants you to sign over control of the rest of your belching kitten doll supply, right?” Nora asks.
Bear nods. “Yeah. But I only have five hundred left in storage. The rest are already on their way to Target stores across the country. I signed a deal with them the day before Clyde was taken. This jerk doesn’t want to believe that’s all I have, though. He’s insisting I take him to the warehouse.” He smiles. “But I won’t be taking that fucker anywhere, because I found Clyde on my own, just like I told him I would.” He lifts a hand Nora’s way. “Pardon my French.”
She flutters her fingers. “Don’t worry about it. I speak French, too, when I’m mad at all the fucking assholes in the world.”
