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12 Ocak 2024, 21:59
Author's Note: The author does not condone unsafe sexual practices and their use here should not be construed otherwise. As the saying goes, "Cover the stump before you hump."
*
Dana Wartenburg had been a cop for twenty years but scenes like this never got easier. She was standing in a heavily wooded area of Sundem's Nature Preserve gazing at the decomposed body of a teen-aged girl. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to turn away and get sick to her stomach. The scene would bother most people but was even worse for her because, despite the condition of the body, she 'knew' it was Jennifer Butler, a girl who'd been missing for several months.
She remembered being called out to investigate the girl's disappearance back at the end of summer break. Jen had gone out on her bicycle one Saturday morning and never returned. Though Dana never admitted it to anyone other than her diary, she knew from the outset that they'd never find the girl alive. She never claimed to be psychic but after all these years, she had learned to listen to that inner voice when it spoke to her. Even 'knowing' what she did, she still worked the case vigilantly. In the end, it was a pair of hikers who found Jen's naked body, dumped in the woods.
"Dana."
The voice came from behind her to the left. She turned and noticed her partner, Shawn, standing with a gentleman she'd never seen before.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"This is Dr. Darryl Johnson. He's a forensic entomologist from the university."
Out of habit she extended her right hand to him in a greeting.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Johnson. I'm Dana Wartenburg," she said, taking a long, appraising look at him.
He appeared to be in early 50's with fairly short brown hair and inquisitive brown eyes that he hid behind fashionable glasses. She guessed him to be about 5'11" tall and figured he'd probably weigh in at a trim 175 pounds. He was certainly dressed appropriately for tramping out in the woods. Well-worn hiking boots encased his feet and his jeans bore the evidence of kneeling at length. He wore a jersey knit turtleneck under a plaid flannel shirt and a khaki vest with many pockets over that.
"Oh, please call me Darryl."
"Okay, Darryl, I've never met a forensic entomologist before so I have no clue why you're here."
"Well, I'm here because the Commissioner asked me to come and help out."
His voice was serious but she detected a slight twinkle in his eye.
"And how do you do that?"
"I study the insect life in the area to help determine the time of death as well as other factors that could lead you to your killer."
Her eyebrows shot up in amazement. The case still hadn't been officially labeled a homicide and yet this man assumed that the victim had been murdered.
"Killer?"
"This isn't my first case, detective."
"Well," Shawn said, "Now that you two have finished sniffing each other."
She shot him a look that she hoped would quiet him.
"Okay, Darryl," she said pointing in the direction of a tall dark haired woman who was wearing a blue baseball cap, "That's Amy Eisenhour, who is heading up our forensics investigation. She's the one you need to talk to."
Someone else called her name and she excused herself before wandering off to learn that the press was waiting for her statement. Even though the nature preserve was over seventy-five miles away from the last place Jen had been seen, the speculation was high that the body they'd found was hers. She spent five minutes giving half answers to questions about who and what they'd found. The media assumed that since she was there and that she was the lead investigator in the disappearance of this college sophomore, the police had to have found her. She assured them that as soon as they were able to make a positive identification, they'd release the name of the victim but at the present time they just didn't know enough to say for certain. She had done this enough that she generally didn't get caught off-guard by questions but one reporter managed it that day.
"Detective Wartenburg, why is Dr. Johnson here?"
"Who?" she asked, momentarily unable to figure out why anyone would be asking about him.
"Dr. Johnson, the bug expert."
"He's here at the request of the Commissioner Carradine and we welcome his expertise."
Fortunately, at that moment, she saw Shawn waving his arms wildly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm needed elsewhere now. We'll keep you updated with any information we discover," she announced and then walked away.
That night Dana sat in her office and stared at her computer. She'd just finished writing up all her notes and there was one final thing she had to do before going home. She started her investigation of Dr. Johnson and was mildly surprised by what she found. Degrees from Auburn and Louisiana State Universities were somewhat surprising, as he bore no trace of a southern accent when he spoke. She poked around some more and finally discovered the real reason why the commissioner had called him.
Four years ago a developer had discovered the body of an elderly woman buried in a shallow grave on land that was slated to become a housing addition in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Johnson was teaching at North Carolina State University at that time and he helped in the investigation. "Bug Doc Solves Murder Mystery" was the headline of the article from the Charlotte Observer.
She sat back in her chair and recalled the stains on Darryl's jeans. She knew when she saw them that they hadn't been acquired locally. Then she remembered a friend who lived near Charlotte talking about the red clay soil they had out there and the pieces of the puzzle all fell together.
"Okay, Dana," she said to herself, "Maybe you can cut this guy some slack since he obviously knows what he's doing."
A few days later dental records confirmed her gut instinct that they'd found Jen and the autopsy revealed some gruesome facts about the case that led the police to rethink a lot of the assumptions they'd made which had her feeling like she was back to square one. Just when she was ready to bang her head against the wall of her office one morning the phone rang.
"Wartenburg,"
"Detective, this is Darryl. Do you have some free time this afternoon?"
"What's up?"
"I've found something you'll want to see."
She glanced at her watch and saw it was almost noon.
"Sure thing. I'm going to grab lunch on the way over. Can I bring you anything?"
"No thanks."
This wasn't the first time she'd spoken with Darryl since their initial meeting in the woods. He had been very good about keeping her apprised of his progress, or lack thereof and every conversation they had seemed to get a little friendlier. One night they even found themselves having supper at the same diner and decided to share a table.
They talked about North Carolina and his work at the university. She wasn't surprised to hear he knew her uncle who had been a Chemistry professor there for many years, but he seemed surprised that she was related to Hal even though she didn't think he should have been. In addition to sharing a last name, both of them had the ability to get completely wrapped up in a project to the exclusion of everything else. He commented that he had seen that trait as she doggedly worked to find out who had killed Jen.
They were both surprised to find that a long time had passed while they talked about how they'd gotten to their respective positions in their careers. She admitted that her single-mindedness had cost her marriage since her husband had wanted a more traditional wife. The way in which he indicated his sympathy indicated that his own marriage wasn't exactly rock-solid at the moment though he didn't mention specifically that this was the case.
They sat for several minutes not saying a word, just sipping their drinks and trying not to admit that there was a cloud of unresolved sexual tension swirling around them. She finally suggested that they'd better leave before the cook threw them out. As she walked out of the diner, she was surprised to see Darryl follow right behind her all the way to her car. She supposed he was just being chivalrous though she thought it was a bit unnecessary as the well-lit parking lot was virtually empty and she was an experienced police officer.
"Thanks for the dinner company," she offered, not knowing what else to say.
"It was my pleasure, Dana."
She was further surprised when he leaned in and kissed her cheek very gently. Thoughts of returning the gesture crossed her mind but in an instant he pulled away and walked across the lot to his car. She started the engine and sat in the driver's seat for several minutes, waiting for the heater to finally do its job. From across the pavement, she watched him get into his vehicle and moments later, he pulled out.
An hour after he called her, Dana was in his laboratory at the university and staring into a microscope while the professor informed her that she was looking at the larval form of some insect she'd never heard of. When she expressed her ignorance she found out there was good reason for it. That particular insect was unheard of this far west of the Appalachian Mountains.
She was so excited by the news that she completely lost all professionalism and grabbed Darryl in a tight embrace before planting an enthusiastic kiss on his lips.
"I owe you big time for this!" she exclaimed as she rushed out the door of the laboratory.
Darryl had given her the evidence she needed to further investigate Jen's ex-boyfriend. He had seemed like a credible suspect initially but his family said he'd been so upset by the break-up that he'd taken the summer off to hike the Appalachian Trail. The fact that this bug had come from the eastern mountains put him back at the top of the suspect list.
Several months later, Ronald Goodman, Jen's ex-boyfriend was convicted of her murder. The prosecutor did an excellent job of presenting the case and he said Darryl was amazing on the witness stand. Dana wasn't surprised to hear that. The few times they had talked about insects, his explanations were always very clear without sounding condescending or overly technical. If he'd been able to maintain that attitude in front of the jury, she sure they would have understood him.
As happy as she was that Goodman was convicted, she was a little saddened when she realized that she would no longer have an excuse to see or talk to Darryl. Even in that seemingly eternal stretch between the arrest and the conviction they'd managed to stay in touch. Yes, they would still be working in the same city, more or less, but there would be no reason to call or drop in to see him; or for him to see her either. She didn't realize until that moment just how much she had grown to enjoy his company. It didn't matter if they were talking about bugs, North Carolina or even the price of bananas in Russia; it was always a great time.
A few days after the trial ended she called to see if he'd let her take him out to lunch as a way of thanking him for all his hard work. Sadly, she hadn't counted on the fact that the university was on spring break. By the end of the week she was knee deep in another case and when she finally had the opportunity to call him again, she assumed it was too late and tried to put him out of her mind.
It was a few months later that she found herself back at the diner where she'd once had supper with Darryl. It had been a really long day of running around and constantly coming up against dead-ends. She sat in a booth and stared at the newspaper she'd brought in with her without actually reading anything. Even though she'd come here to escape work, she found she couldn't leave it behind and her brain was in a state of constant spin.
Her concentration was broken by the arrival of her dinner. She didn't even look up as the plate was plunked on the table in front of her.
"Can I get you anything else ma'am?"
"No, thanks I'm fine," she answered automatically before realizing that the voice didn't belong to her waitress. In fact, it didn't belong to any of the waitresses, as this was a soft but definitely masculine voice. She wasn't sure why but tears sprung to her eyes as she looked up and saw Darryl standing next to her table.
"I was going to ask if you minded if I joined you but you look as though you'd rather be left alone."
"Don't you dare," she insisted as she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Join me, please."
He slipped into the seat across from her and it was only then that she realized the waitress was right behind him.
"I'll have what she's having," he ordered.
She looked at her plate of turkey Manhattan. "You need comfort food too?"
"I'll take comfort in any form I can get it but food seemed like the best idea right now."
His eyes were heavily shadowed and his shoulders drooped as if he were carrying the weight of the world. When he had been helping with the Butler case, there were times when it was apparent that he was very tired but she never imagined she would see him in this state of exhaustion.
"You look like I feel," she commented.
He simply shot her a look that could have meant anything
"Bad day?" she asked.
Still no answer.
"Week?" she pressed.
He grunted.
"Month?" she asked with some astonishment.
"Would you mind if we didn't talk about it?"
"Sure," she responded before digging into her food.
"So where did you disappear to?" he asked.
"Disappear? I haven't gone anywhere. I haven't even gone on vacation. You're the one who went AWOL."
"I suppose you're right."
"But it is nice to see you again," she reassured him with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Dana."
"You're welcome."
His smile was sincere but weak and she couldn't imagine what could be making him look so tired. Graduation had been two weeks ago so she knew classes were over for the semester. She didn't know what he did during the summer but couldn't imagine it would be so stressful as to exhaust him.
"And as usual," she continued, "I'm up to my armpits in work plus trying to help co-ordinate the annual State Police Young Explorers Camp."
"Sounds like you're keeping busy."
"So what about you? Are you teaching this summer?"
"No, not this summer. I had originally planned to do some traveling, visit the old haunts and all that."
"But plans have changed?"
"Looks like it."
His dinner arrived and she let him eat a few bites while she tried to carefully craft her next question.
"So these changed plans, are they what's keeping you up at night?"
He shot her a look that dripped of daggers and she knew she was on thin ice but she continued.
"I know you said you didn't want to talk about it but it's obvious that something's bothering you. And I was hoping that you'd have enough faith in me to know I'd keep your confidence."
He stopped eating for a moment and reached across the table. She was surprised to see him gently squeeze her hand for a moment. When she looked up, she saw he was looking directly at her, his brown eyes shining with unspoken emotion.
"Dana, I appreciate your concern," he began.
"But it's none of my business so butt out?"
"It's not that. I just don't want to burden you with the details."
"Burdens are easier when they're shared."
"I don't see you sharing your burdens."
"I take it you've never talked to Shawn," she laughed, acknowledging that her partner was also her confidant more often than not
"No, I can't say that I've spent much time with him."
"Well, I do share."
"I'll take your word for it."
"Seriously, Darryl," she began, putting her other hand over his, "I'm not saying that I can necessarily help you. I probably won't have any magical advice that will instantly solve everything. However, if you just want to unload, sometimes that can help a lot."
"I know it can. I just don't think it's fair to unload on you when you've obviously got so much on your plate already. And besides, what I really need, you're not likely to give me."
"What's that?"
His answer was a long slow appraising gaze of her body. At first Dana didn't understand what he was getting at but the longer he stared at her, the clearer the picture became. There was a hunger in his eyes that had nothing to do with the plate of food before him.
"You mean you and me and..."
She let her words trail off, not entirely sure she was interpreting him correctly. Though it was apparent he was looking for some kind of lusty adventure, she had a hard time believing that she was the one he wanted to share it with. It was true that they seemed to connect on many different levels and there was that kiss he'd given her the last time they'd met up here. Still it was a fairly innocent peck on the cheek, not a hot and heavy, passionate dance of the tongues.
"That's exactly what I mean."
"Okay, just so I'm certain I understand this. You want to have carnal knowledge of me?"
"Dana, why are you making this so difficult?"
"I'm sorry, Darryl. I just find this a little hard to believe."
"So would you?"
"Would I what?"
"Be interested in spending some time with me in pursuit of sensual delights?"
So many questions swirled through her head but the first one to pop out of her mouth was also the least expected.
"When?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Darryl, I've got to work."
"Call in. Tell them you're sick and you've got to go see the doctor."
"What am I going to say is wrong with me?"
He grinned broadly and she should have seen where he was going with this.
"Tell them you've got a bug you need to get checked out."
She groaned at his pun.
"Well, who better to check on a bug than me?"
She thought it over for a moment. She hadn't used any sick days in over a year and with the hours she'd been putting in lately, it was a miracle that she hadn't succumbed to any number of ailments. Would anyone truly begrudge her one-day to recharge her batteries before she became completely exhausted?
"Okay," I agreed. "What time and where?"
"Let's get an early start. Say 8:00 at my office?"
"I'll be there."
True to her word, she was there standing at the door of his office promptly at 8:00. She'd called her lieutenant early that morning and told him that she was riding the ragged edge of exhaustion. It wasn't far from the truth. She had passed up the opportunity to take a vacation after the Goodman trial and now it was catching up with her. She knew she wouldn't actually be spending the day in bed, as she'd told Lt. Hendrix, but she also knew that she'd be restoring her spirit in a way that a week's worth of bed rest couldn't match. At least, she hoped she would be.
While she was attracted to Darryl, she was also aware that attraction didn't necessarily translate into good sex. What if he turned out to be a completely inept lover? She could very well end up adding frustration to her exhaustion. Dana told herself these were not the kinds of thoughts she should be engaging in as her hand raised to knock at his office door. Then she took a deep breath to calm her nerves and went through with her plan.
The door opened as if Darryl had been waiting on her. She stepped inside taking another deep breath as she walked. No sooner was she in the room than he gathered her up into a passionate hug, squeezing her so tightly that she was afraid her ribs would crack.
"Thank you for coming," he said in greeting.
"Did you think I would back out?"
"I considered it as a possibility."
"I'm a woman of my word."
"I can see that."
He led her back to a spot at the side of the room that had a black leather sofa and indicated she should sit down. She settled in and waited for further instructions. He sat next to her so she turned to look at him.
"Look, I know I was pretty insistent last night, so if you don't want to go through with this, I'll understand."
*
Dana Wartenburg had been a cop for twenty years but scenes like this never got easier. She was standing in a heavily wooded area of Sundem's Nature Preserve gazing at the decomposed body of a teen-aged girl. It took every ounce of self-control she had not to turn away and get sick to her stomach. The scene would bother most people but was even worse for her because, despite the condition of the body, she 'knew' it was Jennifer Butler, a girl who'd been missing for several months.
She remembered being called out to investigate the girl's disappearance back at the end of summer break. Jen had gone out on her bicycle one Saturday morning and never returned. Though Dana never admitted it to anyone other than her diary, she knew from the outset that they'd never find the girl alive. She never claimed to be psychic but after all these years, she had learned to listen to that inner voice when it spoke to her. Even 'knowing' what she did, she still worked the case vigilantly. In the end, it was a pair of hikers who found Jen's naked body, dumped in the woods.
"Dana."
The voice came from behind her to the left. She turned and noticed her partner, Shawn, standing with a gentleman she'd never seen before.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"This is Dr. Darryl Johnson. He's a forensic entomologist from the university."
Out of habit she extended her right hand to him in a greeting.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Johnson. I'm Dana Wartenburg," she said, taking a long, appraising look at him.
He appeared to be in early 50's with fairly short brown hair and inquisitive brown eyes that he hid behind fashionable glasses. She guessed him to be about 5'11" tall and figured he'd probably weigh in at a trim 175 pounds. He was certainly dressed appropriately for tramping out in the woods. Well-worn hiking boots encased his feet and his jeans bore the evidence of kneeling at length. He wore a jersey knit turtleneck under a plaid flannel shirt and a khaki vest with many pockets over that.
"Oh, please call me Darryl."
"Okay, Darryl, I've never met a forensic entomologist before so I have no clue why you're here."
"Well, I'm here because the Commissioner asked me to come and help out."
His voice was serious but she detected a slight twinkle in his eye.
"And how do you do that?"
"I study the insect life in the area to help determine the time of death as well as other factors that could lead you to your killer."
Her eyebrows shot up in amazement. The case still hadn't been officially labeled a homicide and yet this man assumed that the victim had been murdered.
"Killer?"
"This isn't my first case, detective."
"Well," Shawn said, "Now that you two have finished sniffing each other."
She shot him a look that she hoped would quiet him.
"Okay, Darryl," she said pointing in the direction of a tall dark haired woman who was wearing a blue baseball cap, "That's Amy Eisenhour, who is heading up our forensics investigation. She's the one you need to talk to."
Someone else called her name and she excused herself before wandering off to learn that the press was waiting for her statement. Even though the nature preserve was over seventy-five miles away from the last place Jen had been seen, the speculation was high that the body they'd found was hers. She spent five minutes giving half answers to questions about who and what they'd found. The media assumed that since she was there and that she was the lead investigator in the disappearance of this college sophomore, the police had to have found her. She assured them that as soon as they were able to make a positive identification, they'd release the name of the victim but at the present time they just didn't know enough to say for certain. She had done this enough that she generally didn't get caught off-guard by questions but one reporter managed it that day.
"Detective Wartenburg, why is Dr. Johnson here?"
"Who?" she asked, momentarily unable to figure out why anyone would be asking about him.
"Dr. Johnson, the bug expert."
"He's here at the request of the Commissioner Carradine and we welcome his expertise."
Fortunately, at that moment, she saw Shawn waving his arms wildly.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm needed elsewhere now. We'll keep you updated with any information we discover," she announced and then walked away.
That night Dana sat in her office and stared at her computer. She'd just finished writing up all her notes and there was one final thing she had to do before going home. She started her investigation of Dr. Johnson and was mildly surprised by what she found. Degrees from Auburn and Louisiana State Universities were somewhat surprising, as he bore no trace of a southern accent when he spoke. She poked around some more and finally discovered the real reason why the commissioner had called him.
Four years ago a developer had discovered the body of an elderly woman buried in a shallow grave on land that was slated to become a housing addition in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Johnson was teaching at North Carolina State University at that time and he helped in the investigation. "Bug Doc Solves Murder Mystery" was the headline of the article from the Charlotte Observer.
She sat back in her chair and recalled the stains on Darryl's jeans. She knew when she saw them that they hadn't been acquired locally. Then she remembered a friend who lived near Charlotte talking about the red clay soil they had out there and the pieces of the puzzle all fell together.
"Okay, Dana," she said to herself, "Maybe you can cut this guy some slack since he obviously knows what he's doing."
A few days later dental records confirmed her gut instinct that they'd found Jen and the autopsy revealed some gruesome facts about the case that led the police to rethink a lot of the assumptions they'd made which had her feeling like she was back to square one. Just when she was ready to bang her head against the wall of her office one morning the phone rang.
"Wartenburg,"
"Detective, this is Darryl. Do you have some free time this afternoon?"
"What's up?"
"I've found something you'll want to see."
She glanced at her watch and saw it was almost noon.
"Sure thing. I'm going to grab lunch on the way over. Can I bring you anything?"
"No thanks."
This wasn't the first time she'd spoken with Darryl since their initial meeting in the woods. He had been very good about keeping her apprised of his progress, or lack thereof and every conversation they had seemed to get a little friendlier. One night they even found themselves having supper at the same diner and decided to share a table.
They talked about North Carolina and his work at the university. She wasn't surprised to hear he knew her uncle who had been a Chemistry professor there for many years, but he seemed surprised that she was related to Hal even though she didn't think he should have been. In addition to sharing a last name, both of them had the ability to get completely wrapped up in a project to the exclusion of everything else. He commented that he had seen that trait as she doggedly worked to find out who had killed Jen.
They were both surprised to find that a long time had passed while they talked about how they'd gotten to their respective positions in their careers. She admitted that her single-mindedness had cost her marriage since her husband had wanted a more traditional wife. The way in which he indicated his sympathy indicated that his own marriage wasn't exactly rock-solid at the moment though he didn't mention specifically that this was the case.
They sat for several minutes not saying a word, just sipping their drinks and trying not to admit that there was a cloud of unresolved sexual tension swirling around them. She finally suggested that they'd better leave before the cook threw them out. As she walked out of the diner, she was surprised to see Darryl follow right behind her all the way to her car. She supposed he was just being chivalrous though she thought it was a bit unnecessary as the well-lit parking lot was virtually empty and she was an experienced police officer.
"Thanks for the dinner company," she offered, not knowing what else to say.
"It was my pleasure, Dana."
She was further surprised when he leaned in and kissed her cheek very gently. Thoughts of returning the gesture crossed her mind but in an instant he pulled away and walked across the lot to his car. She started the engine and sat in the driver's seat for several minutes, waiting for the heater to finally do its job. From across the pavement, she watched him get into his vehicle and moments later, he pulled out.
An hour after he called her, Dana was in his laboratory at the university and staring into a microscope while the professor informed her that she was looking at the larval form of some insect she'd never heard of. When she expressed her ignorance she found out there was good reason for it. That particular insect was unheard of this far west of the Appalachian Mountains.
She was so excited by the news that she completely lost all professionalism and grabbed Darryl in a tight embrace before planting an enthusiastic kiss on his lips.
"I owe you big time for this!" she exclaimed as she rushed out the door of the laboratory.
Darryl had given her the evidence she needed to further investigate Jen's ex-boyfriend. He had seemed like a credible suspect initially but his family said he'd been so upset by the break-up that he'd taken the summer off to hike the Appalachian Trail. The fact that this bug had come from the eastern mountains put him back at the top of the suspect list.
Several months later, Ronald Goodman, Jen's ex-boyfriend was convicted of her murder. The prosecutor did an excellent job of presenting the case and he said Darryl was amazing on the witness stand. Dana wasn't surprised to hear that. The few times they had talked about insects, his explanations were always very clear without sounding condescending or overly technical. If he'd been able to maintain that attitude in front of the jury, she sure they would have understood him.
As happy as she was that Goodman was convicted, she was a little saddened when she realized that she would no longer have an excuse to see or talk to Darryl. Even in that seemingly eternal stretch between the arrest and the conviction they'd managed to stay in touch. Yes, they would still be working in the same city, more or less, but there would be no reason to call or drop in to see him; or for him to see her either. She didn't realize until that moment just how much she had grown to enjoy his company. It didn't matter if they were talking about bugs, North Carolina or even the price of bananas in Russia; it was always a great time.
A few days after the trial ended she called to see if he'd let her take him out to lunch as a way of thanking him for all his hard work. Sadly, she hadn't counted on the fact that the university was on spring break. By the end of the week she was knee deep in another case and when she finally had the opportunity to call him again, she assumed it was too late and tried to put him out of her mind.
It was a few months later that she found herself back at the diner where she'd once had supper with Darryl. It had been a really long day of running around and constantly coming up against dead-ends. She sat in a booth and stared at the newspaper she'd brought in with her without actually reading anything. Even though she'd come here to escape work, she found she couldn't leave it behind and her brain was in a state of constant spin.
Her concentration was broken by the arrival of her dinner. She didn't even look up as the plate was plunked on the table in front of her.
"Can I get you anything else ma'am?"
"No, thanks I'm fine," she answered automatically before realizing that the voice didn't belong to her waitress. In fact, it didn't belong to any of the waitresses, as this was a soft but definitely masculine voice. She wasn't sure why but tears sprung to her eyes as she looked up and saw Darryl standing next to her table.
"I was going to ask if you minded if I joined you but you look as though you'd rather be left alone."
"Don't you dare," she insisted as she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Join me, please."
He slipped into the seat across from her and it was only then that she realized the waitress was right behind him.
"I'll have what she's having," he ordered.
She looked at her plate of turkey Manhattan. "You need comfort food too?"
"I'll take comfort in any form I can get it but food seemed like the best idea right now."
His eyes were heavily shadowed and his shoulders drooped as if he were carrying the weight of the world. When he had been helping with the Butler case, there were times when it was apparent that he was very tired but she never imagined she would see him in this state of exhaustion.
"You look like I feel," she commented.
He simply shot her a look that could have meant anything
"Bad day?" she asked.
Still no answer.
"Week?" she pressed.
He grunted.
"Month?" she asked with some astonishment.
"Would you mind if we didn't talk about it?"
"Sure," she responded before digging into her food.
"So where did you disappear to?" he asked.
"Disappear? I haven't gone anywhere. I haven't even gone on vacation. You're the one who went AWOL."
"I suppose you're right."
"But it is nice to see you again," she reassured him with a warm smile.
"Thank you, Dana."
"You're welcome."
His smile was sincere but weak and she couldn't imagine what could be making him look so tired. Graduation had been two weeks ago so she knew classes were over for the semester. She didn't know what he did during the summer but couldn't imagine it would be so stressful as to exhaust him.
"And as usual," she continued, "I'm up to my armpits in work plus trying to help co-ordinate the annual State Police Young Explorers Camp."
"Sounds like you're keeping busy."
"So what about you? Are you teaching this summer?"
"No, not this summer. I had originally planned to do some traveling, visit the old haunts and all that."
"But plans have changed?"
"Looks like it."
His dinner arrived and she let him eat a few bites while she tried to carefully craft her next question.
"So these changed plans, are they what's keeping you up at night?"
He shot her a look that dripped of daggers and she knew she was on thin ice but she continued.
"I know you said you didn't want to talk about it but it's obvious that something's bothering you. And I was hoping that you'd have enough faith in me to know I'd keep your confidence."
He stopped eating for a moment and reached across the table. She was surprised to see him gently squeeze her hand for a moment. When she looked up, she saw he was looking directly at her, his brown eyes shining with unspoken emotion.
"Dana, I appreciate your concern," he began.
"But it's none of my business so butt out?"
"It's not that. I just don't want to burden you with the details."
"Burdens are easier when they're shared."
"I don't see you sharing your burdens."
"I take it you've never talked to Shawn," she laughed, acknowledging that her partner was also her confidant more often than not
"No, I can't say that I've spent much time with him."
"Well, I do share."
"I'll take your word for it."
"Seriously, Darryl," she began, putting her other hand over his, "I'm not saying that I can necessarily help you. I probably won't have any magical advice that will instantly solve everything. However, if you just want to unload, sometimes that can help a lot."
"I know it can. I just don't think it's fair to unload on you when you've obviously got so much on your plate already. And besides, what I really need, you're not likely to give me."
"What's that?"
His answer was a long slow appraising gaze of her body. At first Dana didn't understand what he was getting at but the longer he stared at her, the clearer the picture became. There was a hunger in his eyes that had nothing to do with the plate of food before him.
"You mean you and me and..."
She let her words trail off, not entirely sure she was interpreting him correctly. Though it was apparent he was looking for some kind of lusty adventure, she had a hard time believing that she was the one he wanted to share it with. It was true that they seemed to connect on many different levels and there was that kiss he'd given her the last time they'd met up here. Still it was a fairly innocent peck on the cheek, not a hot and heavy, passionate dance of the tongues.
"That's exactly what I mean."
"Okay, just so I'm certain I understand this. You want to have carnal knowledge of me?"
"Dana, why are you making this so difficult?"
"I'm sorry, Darryl. I just find this a little hard to believe."
"So would you?"
"Would I what?"
"Be interested in spending some time with me in pursuit of sensual delights?"
So many questions swirled through her head but the first one to pop out of her mouth was also the least expected.
"When?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Darryl, I've got to work."
"Call in. Tell them you're sick and you've got to go see the doctor."
"What am I going to say is wrong with me?"
He grinned broadly and she should have seen where he was going with this.
"Tell them you've got a bug you need to get checked out."
She groaned at his pun.
"Well, who better to check on a bug than me?"
She thought it over for a moment. She hadn't used any sick days in over a year and with the hours she'd been putting in lately, it was a miracle that she hadn't succumbed to any number of ailments. Would anyone truly begrudge her one-day to recharge her batteries before she became completely exhausted?
"Okay," I agreed. "What time and where?"
"Let's get an early start. Say 8:00 at my office?"
"I'll be there."
True to her word, she was there standing at the door of his office promptly at 8:00. She'd called her lieutenant early that morning and told him that she was riding the ragged edge of exhaustion. It wasn't far from the truth. She had passed up the opportunity to take a vacation after the Goodman trial and now it was catching up with her. She knew she wouldn't actually be spending the day in bed, as she'd told Lt. Hendrix, but she also knew that she'd be restoring her spirit in a way that a week's worth of bed rest couldn't match. At least, she hoped she would be.
While she was attracted to Darryl, she was also aware that attraction didn't necessarily translate into good sex. What if he turned out to be a completely inept lover? She could very well end up adding frustration to her exhaustion. Dana told herself these were not the kinds of thoughts she should be engaging in as her hand raised to knock at his office door. Then she took a deep breath to calm her nerves and went through with her plan.
The door opened as if Darryl had been waiting on her. She stepped inside taking another deep breath as she walked. No sooner was she in the room than he gathered her up into a passionate hug, squeezing her so tightly that she was afraid her ribs would crack.
"Thank you for coming," he said in greeting.
"Did you think I would back out?"
"I considered it as a possibility."
"I'm a woman of my word."
"I can see that."
He led her back to a spot at the side of the room that had a black leather sofa and indicated she should sit down. She settled in and waited for further instructions. He sat next to her so she turned to look at him.
"Look, I know I was pretty insistent last night, so if you don't want to go through with this, I'll understand."