Page 43

Linsey
The factthat I’d prepared a meal and was now cleaning up rather than having made something quick was just proof of how much this case was bugging me. I was used to being hyper-focused when I really got into research mode, and sometimes I over-identified with the victims or their families, wanting to do whatever it took to get them found, if possible, and justice either way.
This was different. I’d never hoped that a possible suspect was innocent because I cared about someone in their family.
This was beyond that, though. I was actually thinking about dropping the case and picking out a different one. That would’ve been a first. I always followed through. This wasn’t a stolen car or something like that. This was a missing woman.
“Dammit.” I shut the cabinet above the sink and leaned against the counter.
I didn’t know what to do.
The sound of my phone ringing was a welcome distraction. Kasey had said she didn’t need me to come in or bring her dinner, but she could have changed her mind, or something could’ve come up to make her need me. Right now, I’d take either one in exchange for clarity about what to do. Maybe she could help me figure it out.
Except that wasn’t Kasey’s ringtone, I realized as I picked it up. I didn’t recognize the number, but when I answered it, I only needed to hear my name to know who was on the other end.
“Linsey.”
“Davin.” I smiled. Here was a good distraction. He’d called to set up our plans for a date this weekend like he’d said yesterday.
“Are you at K’s Phoenix right now? I don’t want to bother you while you’re at work.”
“I’m not. Just doing some computer work at home.” I sat down on the couch. “My schedule’s flexible, so whenever you want to go out this weekend, I can move things around to accommodate.”
Even as I said it, I wanted to take it back. I hated how needy it made me sound. Like I had nothing better to do than plan my life around a man.
“What about tonight?”
I frowned. “What?”
“Do you want to come to Euphoria with me?”
Something was wrong. His voice didn’t sound right. He was abrupt, talking about going to Euphoria tonight instead of the two of us going on a regular date like we’d planned. I didn’t know him that well, but it didn’t take a genius to know he was a planner and a hard worker. For him to want to impulsively go to a club when he had to work tomorrow meant something was off.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Just a lot on my mind,” he said. “It’d be nice to have something else to think about. Someone else to think about.”
I was glad that he called me instead of going there to be with someone else. Even if we weren’t a couple, I didn’t like the idea of him being with another woman. If he was going to let someone capture his attention, I wanted that someone to be me. Even if that’s all it was.
“When do you want to go?” I asked.
This was a bad idea.
“Can you be ready in an hour?”
“I can.”
Areallybad idea.
“I’ll pick you up.”
“See you soon.”
As soon as I ended the call, my head thudded against the back of the couch. This was fine. I’d been looking forward to our date, and now I didn’t have to wait. Plus, I didn’t have to worry about him taking me to some fancy restaurant where I’d be out of place.
He’d found a good one before, but could I count on him to do that more than once? Or what if he didn’t want to eat for our date? What if he wanted to do something like go to an art museum or the ballet or opera? I didn’t dislike the idea of doing any of those things, but I’d look completely mismatched at any of those places with him.
“Let it go. It’s fine.” I leaned forward and put my head in my hands. “Stop. Thinking.”
I always thought too much. It’s why I kept things surface with people. Kasey was one of the few people who’d managed to get close, but she was such a straight-forward person that I never had to guess what she was thinking or doing. I didn’t have all these questions going around in my brain when it came to her.
Not like I did with Davin.
Except…when I was actually with him, the questions stopped. And I supposed that was what I did for him too. When he was stressed, when he needed to quiet his own chaotic thoughts, I did that for him.
Tonight, we could do it for each other.
I stood up. I needed to get ready. I might not have had fancy clothes, but I could still make myself look good. First, I needed a shower. Then, I’d put together something that would knock Davin on his ass.
Maybe, at some point, we’d figure out if there was even a point in trying to do something that didn’t involve sex.