Murders & Romance: A Psychic Detective Romantic Mystery (Isaac Taylor Mysteries Book 5) by Lashell Collins (ready player one ebook .TXT) 📗

jotted down the particulars of the job listing in the notes app of her cellphone. Then she headed for the stairs and went up to the fourth floor.

She’d feared that stepping into the detectives pit would be as difficult as it had the last time she was here, right after Curt’s death. But somehow all she felt was welcome. A familiar sense of comfort and belonging wrapped around her like a warm shawl.

She stepped further in, staring at her desk and trying not to envision Curt sitting at the adjoining one. Before her emotions could get the best of her, she heard her name.

“Hey, Miller! You back?”

Gerri looked up to see Keisha Harris, one of her fellow female homicide detectives, coming toward her with a big smile.

“Harris! Hey, how are you?”

She gave her friend a hug and spotted a few other familiar faces now turned their way. One she didn’t see though was Keisha’s partner, Gary Barker.

“I’m good.”

“Where’s Barker?”

“In the hospital with a bleeding ulcer.”

“What? No!”

“Yeah. He’d lost so much blood they had to give him a transfusion that first night. A lot of us went down and donated blood in support.”

“Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve donated.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We all know you’ve been dealing with a lot. Besides, it’s been crazy around here the last few weeks. Barker’s ulcer, Wheeler had hernia surgery, so he’s out too.”

“He is?”

“Yeah.”

Across the pit, Gavin Hayes stepped out of his office and spoke to another detective, handing him a file. He looked surprised to see her, and he smiled and started walking toward them, but Gerri wasn’t able to return his smile.

“Wait. So you guys are down four detectives right now?”

“Well, yeah.”

Gerri bit her bottom lip and glanced around the pit. Why hadn’t Gavin told her they were so short handed? Why had he listened to her go on and on about quitting or transferring when they obviously needed her to get back to work as soon as possible?

Breaths suddenly didn’t come so easy when guilt sat on her chest like a ten-ton elephant.

“Now you look familiar. Hey, didn’t you used to work here?”

The voice came from behind her, and Gerri turned to see Pete Vega smiling at her. Ike Taylor came up the stairs right behind him.

“Hey, Vega!”

She gave him a hug.

“You look good.”

“Thanks.”

She turned and hugged Taylor too.

“Whoa!”

He jumped and froze.

The surprise of it caused Gerri to jump in turn, and her cheek brushed against his.

“Swoo!”

He inhaled a sharp breath and hunched up, as if in pain.

“Oh, my God, Ike! I’m so sorry. I completely forgot. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. It’s good to see you.”

Even as he smiled at her he shot a heated look over at Gavin, who’d joined them just in time to see her blunder in touching Ike. Gavin’s grin slid off his face, and Gerri wondered what that weirdness was all about.

“Pete’s right. You’re looking good, Miller,” Ike said to her. “How you feeling?”

“Oh, I’m okay. Getting there, anyway, according to Dr. Newman. I just came from an appointment with him. He’s not ready to clear me just yet, but he says I’m making good progress.”

“That’s all we can ask for then,” Ike said.

“I guess. I’m really sorry you guys are so short handed right now though. I had no idea.” She looked right at Gavin when she said it. He met her gaze, but looked away quickly, glancing once again at Ike.

“Aw, we’ll get through it,” Pete said.

“Yeah. Well, I should get going and let you all get back to work. Maybe I’ll swing by the hospital and say hey to Barker. Is he okay to have visits?”

“Oh, yeah. Cleveland Clinic, room 213. Tell him I’ll be by after my shift.” Keisha gave her arm a pat. “I’ve been relieving Becky each evening so that she can go home and have dinner with their girls and put them to bed.”

“That’s sweet of you.”

“That’s what partners are for, right? It was good to see you.”

“You, too. It was good to see all of you.”

“See you later, Gerri,” Pete said.

“Take care of yourself,” Ike said.

She waved at them all and then headed for the stairs. She glanced back in Gavin’s direction, and her stomach fluttered when she saw him watching her. Then she went down the stairs and headed out.

When Gerri was gone, Isaac looked at Gavin.

Gavin stared back at him for a moment, the air around them crackling with tension. Then without a word, he turned and walked back to his office.

Pete walked away, oblivious to anything wrong.

Isaac huffed out a soft breath and shook his head, then he followed Pete to their desks, wondering what the hell he’d just seen.

He sat down and began to look over the notes he’d taken during their latest round of interviews.

They’d spent the afternoon speaking to the family members of each of their three castrated victims, as well as a few students from both campuses who’d been close to the vics. None of what they’d learned sparked any hints, clues, or breakthroughs in their case. It was clear they needed to regroup and come at this case in a different way, but for the moment, Isaac was at a loss.

A loss made more confusing by the flash he’d just seen when Gerri Miller’s cheek had briefly brushed against his own when she’d hugged him. The good part was that Gerri was a decent person, so the pain had been minimal. But the flash. Well, that was another story.

What the hell had he seen exactly?

How long had it been going on?

And most importantly, what were they thinking?

Unable to concentrate on the work before him, he got up and headed for Lieutenant Hayes’ office.

The door was open. He stepped inside and closed it behind him, then he stood in front of the desk and stared at his boss.

Gavin never looked up, his attention focused on the paperwork he was filling out.

“We should talk,