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“Here’s the thing,” she replied. “In my experience, only two kind of people ever can say for definite that a person has been murdered. Either a witness to the crime, or the perpetrator. Ms. Reed, I need to know. Which one are you?”

???

By the time Lia wrapped up with Wakefield, Quinn was still not back from her run. Not worried, but definitely a bit concerned, she grabbed her keys, jumped in the car, and headed straight to the beach. The weather was great; blue sky, not too much wind, temperature in the mid-seventies. As a result, even on a week evening, the area was busy. Plenty of joggers, dog walkers, and surfers out there. Kids running around, playing ball or frisbee. A few couples were out for a stroll, holding hands. Lia parked up, and she scanned the beach. It did not take her long to spot her. Quinn sat on her own not far from the currentlyclosed Lifeguard station. Something else was unusual about this. The high-energy woman would struggle to be still for even five minutes. She was always busy and on the move and did not come to the beach to sit and gaze at nothing. Lia kicked off her shoes and jogged over to her.

“Quinn. Hey.”

Relief, mixed with a tiny flicker of reluctance, flashed in her eyes as Quinn looked up. She sat with her knees bent and her arms resting on them, fingers linked. Distracted, Lia reflected.Also not the norm.

“Hi,” Quinn murmured and moved to allow her in. “Work all done?”

“All done.” Lia knelt between her legs and framed her face in both hands. “How was your run, darling?”

“Ah… Fine. Just a couple miles.”

“Not in the mood?”

“Nah, not really.”

Lia ran her fingers through her hair, bringing her close for a gentle kiss.

“It’s okay.”

She lingered into the kiss, every sense keenly attuned to the woman she held. Relishing the feel of her wife’s lips caressing her own, the intimate swirl of dancing tongues, the sweet heat of the moment... Kissing Quinn was never the same, yet always reassuringly familiar. Part of the appeal for Lia was that she could never predict if it would end on a tender stroke or lead to more explosive stuff, and the sort of sex they both enjoyed: playful, daring, a little rough when the mood struck them and always beautifully tender. Not on the beach, of course, though Quinn held her when she started to move away. Surrendering to the pull of her arms, Lia wrapped hers around her neck. The kiss grew a little more intense, even surfing on the edge of frantic for a moment, until Lia felt her start to lose her breath. Not fromdesire, she was sure of it. Sensing a rising sob, she pulled back but kept a protective hand on the back of her neck.

“Breathe.” Catching these amazing blue eyes swimming in tears gave her a hell of a shock, and she stared in genuine alarm. “Jesus, Quinn... What’s the matter?”

The words came out on a sharp exhale. “I was suspended from the job today.”

“What?” Bewildered, Lia gasped.

“Wilson put me on admin leave until further notice. He had no choice.”

“What do you mean?”

“He acted on the mayor’s order.”

“But… Why?” Lia prompted, beyond baffled at the news. “What happened?”

Though Quinn wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, the misery in her gaze was not so easily dispelled. Seeing it broke Lia’s heart.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she insisted.

“Remember a few months ago, when Ellie almost beat that guy to death?”

“A suspect who was running from you both,” Lia corrected with a curt nod.

“Yes.”

“A child abuser.”

“Yes, yes. But the point is, she might have killed him if I’d not been there to stop her. Internal Affairs looked into it and cleared her of any wrongdoing. It helped that I did not mention her loss of control in my report.”

“Subjectiveloss of control,” Lia was also quick to recall. “He threatened her with abduction and sexual assault. Punched her, tried to strangle her, and slashed her with his knife. He would have killed her.”

“You’re right. But I—”

“You stood for her, darling, for all the right reasons,” Lia interrupted. “The suspect did not even press charges at the time, did he? Whatever his name was. Or has he done so now? Is that what this is about?”