A Glimpse of Evil (8 page)

I smiled. If she only knew just how much he was reconsidering it and thinking about taking it in a whole new direction. “So you want to know what my radar has to say?”

Candice reached for the glass of water that a busboy set down for us. “Yes,” she said softly. “And please tell me the truth. I can take it.”

“I think there might be a few changes ahead for you guys. And at first those changes may cause some issues between you, but eventually it feels more like you’ll end up moving forward as a team, not as individuals going in your separate directions.”

Candice’s eyes watered again. “Really?” she asked in a squeaky whisper.

“If there is one thing I know with absolute certainty, Candice, it’s that Brice Harrison is head over heels in love with you.”

Candice took another sip of water and worked to collect herself. Our waitress came back then and we rushed to look at our menus and order just so she’d leave us alone for five seconds. After she’d gone away again, Candice said, “I trust you, but I swear to God there’s been a shift in his demeanor.”

We were starting to get into dicey territory here. If she kept probing, I had no doubt that I’d probably slip and tell her what Brice was up to, so I worked to put an end to her insecurities. “I know you like him more than you’ve ever liked any guy,” I began.

“No, Abby,” she said quickly. “I love him! I mean, I know that sounds crazy. I’ve only known Brice for what? Four months? But I love him. I mean, it’s like there’s this deep connection we have, and I don’t know what I’d do if he left me.”

I looked her dead in the eyes. “He’s not leaving you.”

Candice closed her lids and another set of fresh tears leaked its way down her cheeks. “God, I hope you’re right.”

The moment I got back to the office, I marched straight into Harrison’s office and shut the door. “
What
are you waiting for?” I demanded.

“Please come in, Ms. Cooper,” he said drolly.

“I’m serious,” I said, crossing my arms and tapping my toe impatiently. “Do you know that I just spent the last hour with my heartsick friend, trying to reassure her that you aren’t as dumb as you look?”

Harrison’s brow furrowed. “Have you been drinking?”

I sat angrily down in a chair. “Ha-ha,” I said drily, and was shocked to see he didn’t seem to be kidding. “I’m completely sober!”

Harrison just stared at me and blinked. He looked like he might be on the verge of calling Dutch in for backup.

“I’m not joking,” I said evenly. “You have to do something!”

Harrison tossed his hands in the air. “I have no idea what or whom you’re talking about.”

I took a deep breath and tried again. “Candice has noticed a change in your demeanor. She thinks you’re having second thoughts about the two of you and she’s really worried that you might be getting ready to break up with her.”

“You need to pop the question, and you need to do it pronto, because the last guy Candice suspected was about to break it off with her was dumped before he ever had a chance to say, ‘I think we should talk.’ ”

The color drained out of Harrison’s face. “She’s going to break up with
me
? Just because she thinks I might be ready to break up with
her
?”

“Yep.”

“But . . . but . . . ,” he stammered. “I’ve just been waiting for the right time!”

I made a big show of tapping my wristwatch. “I’d say that time is riiiight about now, sir.”

Harrison sat back in his chair and stared at his desk. Finally, looking up at me, he said, “Okay.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

He nodded. “I’ll do it tonight.”

“You look a little pale,” I remarked. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I mean, I’ve never asked anyone before.”

“You haven’t?” That surprised me. Harrison was in his late thirties. I was sure he’d had at least one proposal in his life, if not a walk down that aisle. “Really? No one?”

Harrison shook his head and let out an uncomfortable laugh. “I don’t even know what to say,” he admitted. “Should I put the ring in some champagne? Or take her out to dinner? Maybe I should rent a sailboat and take her out on the lake?”

I made a face. “Dude,” I said. “Candice doesn’t need any of that. She’s pretty simple. Just sit her down, tell her she’s the one, and show her the ring.” I then had another thought. “You
do
have a ring, right?”

The color returned to Harrison’s cheeks and he blushed. “Yes.”

I sat forward eagerly. “Can I see it?”

Harrison considered that for a second before he reached into his drawer and pulled out a small black box. With great care he opened the lid and held it out for me to see, and at that moment, Rodriguez opened the door and stuck his head in. “Oh!” he said, seeing Harrison and me with the ring between us. “I . . . uh . . . I didn’t mean to interrupt. I can see you’re busy.”

He quickly closed the door and I fell into a fit of giggles. “Ahh,” I said as Harrison put the ring quickly away with a mortified look on his face. “I can’t
wait
to hear what rumors start swirling around the office after that!”

It turned out that the reason Rodriguez had come into Harrison’s office was that our boss had told him to. What Harrison hadn’t had a chance to tell me was that because there had been such a stink raised about using me to determine which cases to reopen, Harrison had decided to send me with Rodriguez to help locate the car that had hit the census worker.

“It’s the only way to prove to these guys that they should take you seriously,” Harrison argued after telling me his decision. “If you lead Rodriguez right to that car, then there’s no way he or anyone else on the squad can doubt you. Especially since the previous investigators did such a thorough search of the area.”

“You want us to go today?” I asked, looking again at my watch. It was already one thirty, and I needed to collect my thoughts before the lecture I was planning on giving to the agents later that afternoon.

“That’s for the two of you to work out,” Harrison said. “But you’re right. It is a little late to make the trip up to Waco. If you want to wait until tomorrow morning, that’s fine with me.”

I brightened. Here I’d thought I’d be stuck in the office for the next month doing the taxing work of sorting through case files all day. “Okay,” I agreed. “I’d love a chance to play bloodhound.”

“Excellent. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he said, clearing his throat, “I have a speech to prepare.”

I shook my head and got up to leave. “Keep it simple, Brice. Just stick to those four little words and you’ll be good to go.”

I opened the door then, but Brice stopped me. “What four words?”

I turned back to him and smiled before answering. “Will you marry me?”

“
Excuse
me?” said a deep baritone right behind me.

I think I jumped a foot. “Dutch!” I gasped, glancing over my shoulder to see his rather stunned expression. Lowering my voice, I explained, “I was just helping Brice for an important discussion he’s having later.”

Dutch crossed his arms and that something that I’d noticed earlier flashed again in his eyes. “Uh-huh,” he said, and I was surprised to see him looking irritated.

I forced a smile and pointed to my desk. “Better get back to work.” I bolted then for the other end of the room.

An hour and a half later I was in the conference room waiting nervously for my class. I’d sent a general e- mail out to the group that we’d be meeting at three o’clock and the lecture wouldn’t go longer than an hour. Dutch and Brice had already let me know that they wouldn’t be able to attend this first lecture because of a conference call they had with D.C., but that if their call ended early, they’d pop in.

I watched the clock on the wall and kept telling myself that it was okay if the agents showed up late, as long as they showed up. But by three ten, when no one came through the door, I knew I’d been stood up. “Crap,” I said after sticking my head out of the conference room and seeing all the empty desks.

Katie walked by at that moment carrying several shopping bags filled with office supplies. “Hi, Abby,” she said as she passed.

“Do you know where everyone is?”

Katie set one of her bundles down and turned to look at the empty room. “Out working the cases you gave them, I believe.”

My eyes bugged. “All of them?”

“Except Rodriguez,” she said. “He stepped outside to take a personal call.”

I sighed heavily. “Great. Just great.”

Katie gave me a sympathetic smile. “Don’t let them get to you. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about your abilities, and I’m sure you’re every bit as gifted as they say.”

I eyed her skeptically. “You’ve heard about me?”

Katie smiled. “I was Bill Gaston’s administrative assistant when he first came to the bureau, before my husband was later relocated to Round Rock. We’ve kept in touch over the years, and when he heard that the CCS was going to be located here in Austin, and that you’d agreed to join the team, he contacted me directly and made me apply for the office- management position. He raves about you, you know.”

Hearing about Bill Gaston’s faith in me lifted my spirits and I was able to put the fact that I’d been summarily dissed by the other agents in perspective. “I’m a big fan of Gaston’s,” I told her.

“He’s a good man,” Katie agreed. “And when he says someone’s the real deal, I tend to believe it. Give it time, Abby. These guys’ll come around.”

I hoped Katie was right, but it felt like a kick in the gut as I packed up all my supplies and notes from the conference room and headed back to my desk. By now I was really tired and I didn’t know how I was going to get through the last hour of the day having to tune in on files. My radar felt weak and thready, and that headache had never really gone away even though I’d popped a few Excedrin.

As it happened, I was saved when Dutch stuck his head out of Harrison’s office and asked, “Is the lecture over?”

“It never started.”

Dutch eyed the room and sighed. “Give them time, Abs,” he said, coming fully out of the office to walk to my desk.

I nodded but didn’t say anything else. Dutch looked down at me with sympathy. “Why don’t you head home?”

I eyed the clock. “But it’s only three thirty.”

“Weren’t you here at six?”

“Umm . . . more or less.”

“That’s still a full day,” he said, moving a lock of my hair behind my ear. “Go. You look beat. I’ll be home by six and I’ll bring some dinner.”

I glanced around at the empty room and its lack of prying eyes and ears and kissed him. “Have I told you lately that I rilly, rilly love you?”

Dutch smiled. “No. You rilly haven’t.”

“Well, then, consider your cute butt notified.”

Someone cleared his throat from behind me again.

“Oh, sheep!” I whispered. “We’ve been caught again, haven’t we?” I sneaked a look over my shoulder and Rodriguez was standing there with a disapproving look on his face. I knew he wouldn’t say anything directly to Dutch—who was his superior—but I could only imagine the earful Harrison was going to get the moment I left.

“Good night, Ms. Cooper,” Dutch said formally as I backed quickly away. “Drive safe.”

 

The next morning when I walked into the office, I found Harrison snoring on the small leather couch in his office. I knocked loudly on his door and he sat up with a start. “Morning,” I said as he blinked blearily.

“Morning,” he said, his voice croaky. “What time is it?”

“A little after seven. What time did you get here?” I figured he had come in really early, got tired, and was taking a catnap before the squad showed up.

Harrison stood, stretched, and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Midnight.”

“Midnight? What brought you back here at midnight?”

He gave me a crooked smile. “Your friend Candice.”

“Huh?”

“She kicked me out.”

“She
what
?”

“She needs time,” he said dramatically.

“Time for what?”

“Time to think.” Harrison was now pacing his office and I could see that whatever had gone on between him and Candice the night before was still bugging him.

I held up my hand. “Hold on a sec. Can we back up? What happened between you two?”

Harrison sat down on the couch with a heavy sigh. “I took your advice, and it backfired.”

I thought back through the advice I might have given him and remembered the conversation we’d had about the proposal. “So, you asked her to marry you?”

“Yeah.”

“And she kicked you out?” None of this was making sense. Especially given how broken up Candice had been about the thought of Brice leaving her.

“The kicking-out part came later.”

I came all the way into Harrison’s office then and pulled a chair up to the couch. I then handed him my Starbucks coffee and ordered him to drink it. “Maybe after you wake up a little, you’ll start making sense.”

He smiled ruefully, took the cup and a big swig of java. “When I got home last night, I found Candice crying on the balcony. At first she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong, so I thought I’d just give her some space and go hang out in the bedroom. But then she accused me of walking away, so I went back to try and find out what was wrong. I finally managed to get it out of her that she thought I was having second thoughts and wanted out of our relationship.

“I tried to tell her she was crazy, but somehow we got into an argument and I sort of shouted the proposal at her, only I realized that I’d left the stupid ring here. And of course she then accused me of only proposing to her because she was upset, which I vehemently denied and I swore to her that I’d been planning this for a while but forgot the ring at work. She didn’t believe me and kicked me out.”