Broken Toy [Suncoast Society] (Siren Publishing Sensations) (5 page)

Rob nearly lost one burger but got it flipped over. “Any experience in the lifestyle, if you mind me asking?”

Bill ignored the all too familiar pang that pierced his soul. “My wife and I…not like you and Laura, apparently. But we weren’t strictly vanilla.”

Rob nodded without taking his attention from the burgers he was trying to not drop onto Doogie’s head—or into the dog’s mouth. “Okay. You don’t need to tell me all the details if you don’t want to. I just wasn’t sure if you were a total newb or more experienced.” He finished flipping the last burger and took his beer back. “You know, next Saturday, Seth and Leah are teaching a beginner shibari class. Rope bondage. They already have a big class list. It’d be a good place to get to meet new people. I can get you in even if it’s full.”

Bill thought about it. “Beginners, huh?”

“Yep. It’s a four-week class. It’s fun, and a lot of people who aren’t into heavier play enjoy the artistic aspect of shibari.”

He considered it. “Okay.”

“Great. We’ll talk to Seth and Leah about it tomorrow at dinner.” Rob looked down at the dog, who lifted his head and stared hopefully up at him. “You aren’t getting a hamburger.”

The Lab’s tail thumped once against the deck before he settled his head down again.

* * * *

Bill gave Laura credit for pausing only the briefest of moments after Rob told her the plan.

“Oh. That’s great. We’d be happy to have you join us at dinner.”

“Let me guess,” Bill said as they all settled into chairs at the table. “You wouldn’t have expected it of me.”

She’d started fixing her burger. “No, actually, we know a few people in law enforcement who are into the lifestyle.”

He froze. “Locally?”

“Tampa and Orlando, mostly. They come down to Sarasota. Less risk of running into coworkers that way.”

He relaxed. “Oh. Okay.”

A beaming grin broke out across Laura’s face. “Sir,” she said to Rob, “does this mean I can call Leah and sic her on Bill?”

Rob burst out laughing. “Yes, I guess her matchmaking skills would be appreciated in this instance.”

“Oh, goodie.”

“Should I be afraid?” Bill asked.

“No, she just likes to see her friends happy.”

“That’s good, I suppose.”

By the time Bill headed home a little after nine that evening, he didn’t feel quite so lonely. He’d had a nice time chatting with the couple.

Whatever happened the next evening, he’d do his best to keep an open mind about it.

Friday morning, Gabe awoke feeling a little disoriented until she spotted Lil Lobo sitting on the bedside table next to her.

Sarasota. Got it.

Looking at her cell phone, she realized it was also just a little after five in the morning. No matter how she tried, she was an early riser. If she tried to go back to sleep, if she succeeded, she’d end up with a killer headache.

Maria had taken care of any late-rising tendencies she might have had. At least it had made her four years in the military a little easier to deal with.

Hell, four years in the army had been a luxury spa vacation compared to her upbringing.

She got out of bed, used the bathroom, and turned on the TV in the living room on her way to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. It would be the first of at least two pots she’d finish by herself today.

As the aroma filled the condo, she watched the local ABC affiliate’s morning newscast. There was something about the city of Sarasota cracking down on the homeless and triggering outcries from various civil liberties organizations. News about turmoil in the county administration.

No murders.

Hmm.
It was rare that a Miami news report didn’t lead with a story of a homicide, or serious injury from a shooting or stabbing, or gang violence.

She knew the bucolic Sarasota area was famous for retirees, a film festival, and being a former winter home to a circus. Beyond that, she’d readily admit her knowledge about this part of her adopted home state was woefully lacking.

When she walked over to the sliding glass doors that looked out onto the patio, she realized her assumption the evening before had been correct. The condo overlooked a narrow wooded section that opened into a golf course. In the grey light of early morning, it looked peaceful.

Then she spotted the headlights on a golf cart toodling down a path.

At least it’ll be quiet here.

Her condo in Kendall wasn’t in the best neighborhood in the world, but she wasn’t in the worst, either. She had a mix of neighbors, most around her age and older, including a population heavy on retirees.

I could go for a run.

She waffled on that point. In Miami, she didn’t jog. Not outside, at least. Not unless she was chasing down a suspect on foot.

Which, fortunately, she didn’t have to do very often. She had a gym membership and forced herself to go three times a week despite hating every minute of it. She’d put on a little weight over the years, developing a pear shape from too much time sitting in front of a computer at her desk, but her size eighteen, five-seven frame hadn’t tipped over the edge into the unhealthy range.

Yet.

She could still pass the yearly physical, still meet minimum job requirements for running and everything else, even though she wasn’t in nearly as good of shape as she’d been in her early army days.

It’d be better to scope the area out first.
No sense getting herself in trouble hitting a bad neighborhood by accident.

You should fire up your work laptop and check your e-mail. You should be working.

That mental nagging bore too many hints of Maria’s tone. Gabe shoved it away.

For now.

She knew it would come back at some point.

It always did.

* * * *

After three cups of coffee, reading her online newspapers, and eating yogurt and a banana for breakfast, she opted to take a walk around the complex. With a loose, unbuttoned short-sleeved shirt over her tank top and shorts, which helped conceal the holster holding the .380 along the back of her waist, she got her bearings and explored. The pool and hot tub area were nice, clean, and well maintained, like the rest of the complex. She found the mailboxes and for the hell of it decided to check the one for her unit.

Nothing.

Still, it was nice to know where it was. She rarely received any mail anyway. All her bills were handled electronically, and the few people who wanted to get in touch with her outside of work either did so via e-mail or called her.

Well, except for one cousin, Jennifer. They’d connected via Facebook while Gabe was in college after the army. She was one of only twenty-seven friends Gabe had on the social networking site. They had an understanding that Jennifer never mentioned her grandmother’s sister—Gabe’s grandmother Maria—or revealed to anyone else Gabe’s mailing address.

At least I have one person in the world besides my boss who might miss me if I drop off the planet.

Not that she felt sorry for herself over it. She’d learned to eschew self-pity in her childhood.

Maria had done an excellent job of beating that out of her as well.

* * * *

After returning to the condo, Gabe was deciding on her next action when Walker called her on her personal cell. “So? Do you like it?”

“Yes, it’s nice. Who’s the photographer?”

“Huh?”

“On the walls in the living room. Who took the pictures?”

“Uh, me. Why?”

“You have prints matching the ones in your office. I figured it was probably you or your wife. They’re very nice. I like them.”

“Excellent, Sherlock. And thank you. It still doesn’t get you off the hook.”

“Look, I’m here. I’ll stay out of the office for twenty-one days. I said I would.” Having a little time to reflect upon her actions, she did feel badly that she’d acted unprofessional and put the case, as well as other cases, at risk. “I’m taking time off.”

She also couldn’t deny she’d felt more than a little satisfaction watching the rivulet of blood drip down Martinez’s face.

“I think I actually believe you, Gabe.”

“Is there a reason for this call other than wanting to gloat and bust my balls?”

Walker’s tone turned serious. “I’m not gloating, and I’m not busting your balls. You have to trust me. You’ve worked for me long enough to know I don’t usually give ultimatums like this.”

He was right. “I know,” she mumbled.

“So please trust me when I say this was the only recourse. I also want you to understand the level of trust I have in you that I sent you there in the first place. You are probably the only person I would have handed the keys and alarm code to like that.”

“I’m honored.”

“Damn well should be.” He laughed. “And yes, I saw you took files and your laptop. No, I’m not sadistic enough to forbid you to do any work outside of the office. I know that would be stretching the limits of your sanity.” His tone turned solicitous again. “I’m simply asking while you’re gone that you please strike a healthy balance. All right?”

She felt a little of the weight roll off her shoulders. Yes, she should have known he would have paid attention to that. That he hadn’t said anything the day before surprised her and had made her wonder if he was slipping. “Thank you. I will.”

“Good. Now go have fun. I’ll e-mail you some great local restaurants in a little bit.”

“Thanks.” She hung up the phone and stared at her work and personal laptops sitting side by side on the eat-in counter. She was itching to get back to work, to run down information on some of her active investigations.

If Walker can make concessions, so can I.
She decided she’d like to take a drive through the downtown area. And now that she knew what the condo had in the way of kitchen equipment, she did need to go shopping.

She headed for the bathroom to grab a shower and make her mental lists.

* * * *

She opted for a little cruising first, driving to the downtown area and getting her bearings. She wouldn’t call it sightseeing, it was more reconnoitering. She now had an idea of neighborhoods to avoid, where the condo was in relation to those areas, and the relative safety of the area she was in.

Fortunately, she didn’t spot any bars on windows of houses in the neighborhoods surrounding the condo complex. In fact, it looked like a gated community of upscale homes surrounded the golf course. Well-manicured lawns and expensive cars were the norm.

It all put her twelve-year-old Honda to shame, but she refused to think about trading in the car despite being able to afford something newer and better. It still ran great, was cosmetically in decent shape, and had been paid off years earlier.

It would be wasteful to buy a new car when hers was perfectly fine.

She didn’t fail to recognize the irony that some of her condo neighbors might be a little suspicious of her because of her car, and yet she was law enforcement.

It was well after noon when she returned home with groceries, several bags of the fiber stuffing she used to fill her amigurumis, and a bag full of yarn from a shop she stumbled across during her explorations. And Walker had e-mailed her.

You’ll love these places. Definitely give Ballentine’s a shot. Excellent prime rib.

She thumbed through the rest of the message. Not only had he sent restaurant recommendations, but places to go see, like Mote Marine and the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

This was the most non-work-related contact she’d had with her boss in several years. She wasn’t so emotionally dead she couldn’t recognize that he felt concerned about her and was trying make amends for sending her away in the only ways he could.

The only ways she’d let him.

Hey, my boss
is
telling me to go do “fun” stuff. Maybe it’s time I start to listen.

Maria’s voice tried to argue, but very faintly.

Screw it.

She sent back a quick e-mail from her phone.
Thanks, I’ll try Ballentine’s on Sunday. I don’t want to go out on a Friday or Saturday night when it’s too busy.

She hoped that made him happy that she was trying, too.

After putting away the groceries and making a sandwich for lunch, she forced herself to look away from the laptops. She’d left the bag of yarn on the coffee table.

There’s something soothing.

Even though the yarn shop had offered to ball the skeins for her with their machine, she preferred to do it by hand. She turned on the TV and, one by one, began unwinding each skein and transformed it into a ball. As she worked her way through them, she ran through the list in her mind. She had the patterns committed to memory that she made all the time. Newborn hats, mittens, and booties. Lap robes. Shawls. Adult hats, which were mostly used by the elderly since south Florida sported very few days cold enough to need a heavy coat, much less a warm hat. Fingerless gloves, also more popular with the elderly.