The Quickie - James Patterson [64]
Chapter 91
I WAS COMING OUT of the shower Monday morning of the following week when I found Paul waiting for me. He held my morning coffee in one hand and my fluffy bathrobe in the other. “What service,” I said, beaming a smile at him. “I almost can’t stand it. Almost.”
“Least I could do, considering what a big day this is,” he said, planting a kiss on my dripping nose.
It was a big day, I thought as I was royally assisted into my robe. I took a sip of the coffee and wiped the steam off the mirror with my sleeve and looked at myself.
My first day back to work.
And the last of my career.
I’d decided to take my partner Mike’s lead. I was going to hand in my resignation today, finally get out. It would be a change for me, I knew. It was going to be incredibly hard to get used to not being a cop.
But given what had happened over the past several weeks, I had to admit that it was high time for me to make the move.
Twenty minutes later, my face and badge polished, Paul gave me another kiss at the garage door.
He was dressed for work as well, looking great, handsome as ever. His concussion, like the doctors had thought, had only been minor, thank God. Except for twenty or so stitches at the back of his head, he was as good as new.
He, too, was wrapping things up at work. It was all arranged now. We’d gotten the paperwork from the relocation company on Friday. Both closings were set. Paul’s new Connecticut job and our new Connecticut lives would start in six weeks.
If we could get through the next eight hours.
Not exactly a sure thing, considering our recent history. I crossed my fingers as I raised my travel mug to his.
“The family that quits the rat race together . . . ,” I said.
“Stays together,” Paul said as the clink of stainless steel echoed off the walls of the garage.
Chapter 92
I CAUGHT LIEUTENANT KEANE in his office when I came into the squad room. He only looked up from his Post sudoku puzzle after I closed his door.
Then his sharp blue eyes scanned my face. Suddenly, he slapped his paper and pen onto his desk.
“Please,” he said. “Not you, too. Don’t tell me you’re leaving. You can’t. How does that make sense, Lauren? We lose one cop, and now two more are gone?”
“It’s not like that, LT. You’re reading this wrong.”
“Please. Do I look stupid? If it’s IAB you’re worried about, I have hooks and —”
“I’m pregnant, Pete,” I said.
Keane stared at me as if I’d shot a round into the ceiling. He rubbed at his eyes with his fingertips. Finally, reluctantly, he smiled. Then he stood and walked around his desk and gave me a fatherly hug. The first, I believe, he’d ever given me. Probably the last, too.
“Well, young lady, even though I don’t remember giving you permission to get pregnant, congratulations to you and Paul. I’m happy for you both.”
“I appreciate it, boss man.”
“You had some trouble, too, if I remember. Ann and I did, too — before the twins. That’s just terrific for you guys. You have to be ecstatic. I’m sickened by the fact you’re completely screwing me by leaving, but I’ll get used to it, I suppose. I’m sure as hell going to miss you. I guess going out and tying one on is out of the question. How can we celebrate? How about some breakfast?”
My boss ordered in from the precinct’s local bodega, and we sat for half the morning, telling old stories as we ate scrambled egg quesadillas and drank coffee.
“Hey, if I’d known it was going to be this much fun,” I said, wiping hot sauce off my cheek, “I would have retired years ago.”
Keane’s desk phone rang as we were finishing our coffee.
“Yeah?” he called into it.
“That’s weird. That’s very strange. Okay, send her up, I guess.”
“Send up who?” I asked, an edge creeping into my voice.
“The witness in Scott’s case. What’s her name? The old schoolmarm?”
My heart and stomach did a simultaneous stutter step.
Amelia Phelps!
What now?
“What does she want?” I asked.
Keane pointed his sharp chin out at the rail of the squad room stairs, where Amelia