Page 23 of Detectives in Love

I shoot Xavier a quick glance, silently reminding him that we told them we were working for Willand. But, as always, he doesn’t miss a beat.

“Actually, we’re withPartners-in-Crime, a private detective agency. Willand brought us in for an outside perspective.”

“We step in when the police hit a wall,” I say smoothly.

“Which is pretty much always,” Xavier adds.

“Alright,” Katie says, glancing between us. “So you two are the partners?”

I nod.

“Newt, didn’t you want to be a CSI tech back in school?” she asks, curiosity edging into her voice.

“Oh yes, do tell, Newty,” Xavier echoes, clearly entertained.

I ignore him and keep my focus on Katie. “That’s a story for another time.”

Before she can press further, a lab-coated man approaches, pulling her attention away. I take the chance to shoot Xavier a pointed look.

“You good?” I whisper, heavy on sarcasm.

“Never better.”

“Great. Mind hitting pause on the whole asshole Sherlock act for a sec?”

Xavier scowls but bites back a retort—he hates the Sherlock comparison. Then his eyes narrow slightly.

“Funny she doesn’t call you ‘Newty.’ Thought you two were high school buddies?”

“What are you—”

The lab assistant walks off, and Katie turns back to us.

“Alright, gentlemen, I’ll show you the lab. Penny, you can go.”

Penelope nods to us and leaves. Katie leads us past towering marble columns toward the elevators.

“How many floors does this building have?” Xavier asks as we stop.

“Seven, Mr. Ormond.”

“Is there a basement level?”

“Yes.”

“What’s down there?”

Katie blinks, then offers a small smile. “I’m not sure. Storage, probably.”

The elevator doors slide open, and we all step inside.

“Tell me about Henry Wakefield,” Xavier says as Katie presses the button for the fourth floor. The doors close, and the elevator hums to life, carrying us upward.

“Henry was a senior cryogenics researcher, Mr. Ormond.”

“What exactly was he working on?” I ask.

She gives me a faint, knowing smirk. “Same as the rest of us, Newt—studying how different materials behave at extremely low temperatures.”