Page 33 of Watch Me

“So, this is your Reagan?” Shawn asked as he slid into the passenger seat and turned to face her in the back seat of the unmarkedcar.

I grinned. “Yeah, this ismyReagan.” She had always been mine. Even when we were living our own lives, she’d held a place in my heart. And now that we were back together, I was never letting hergo.

“So, you talk about me?” Reaganteased.

“All the time,” Shawnstated.

“Bullshit.” Ilaughed.

“It’s okay if you do. You stalk me at my job,” Reaganjoked.

My gaze met hers through the rearview mirror. “I go to Judy’s for a nightcap. It’s only a bonus that the hottest bartender there is my girlfriend.”

Before she could respond, dispatch radioed a 10-31. They gave the address, and Shawn responded that we were en route. I looked at Reagan again through the rearview mirror.

“It’s your lucky night, Buttercup.”

Her emerald eyes brightened. “A dead body?”

“A dead body.”

We arrived at the location a few minutes later. I got out and opened the back door where Reagan was sitting. Leaning in, I said, “Stay by the car for now while we make sure the scene is secure, and then I’ll come and get you.”

She bobbed her head excitedly. “Okay. I want to watch CSU work.”

“Figured you might.” Iwinked.

The sun was starting to set, and the familiar red and blue lights helped light my path toward Officer Moore, the responding officer who was waiting outside of the duplex.

“What do we have?” Shawnasked.

“Another stabbing,” he replied as we started for the front door. Before we entered, we covered our shoes with shoe covers. “Vic appears to be in her early twenties. No signs of a break-in, and no signs of a struggle.”

The words echoed our unsolved case, and the moment I saw the body on the couch, I started sensing a pattern. She had been left naked, and had long brown hair that was soaked with blood. The amount of blood, the stab wounds, and the lack of disarray in the room, made me think it was the same perp.

After surveying the scene and making sure it was secure, I went back outside to grab Reagan, who was still in the back seat of the car but with the door open and watching everyone work.

“Ready?”

“I’m so excited,” sheexclaimed.

“Try to keep the excitement down while you’re in front of the neighbors.” I nudged my head in the direction of the crowdforming.

“Sorry,” shewhispered.

I reached out my hand for her to take to slide out of the car. “I get it.” She put shoe protectors on, and just before walking over the threshold, I turned to her. “You sure about this?”

She nodded her head. “If I can’t handle it, then I know to quit school.”

“Or do another form of investigating like crime scene reconstruction or something.”

“We’ll see.”

We walked inside, and Reagan followed me to the body. I looked over at her, gauging her reaction. Her beautiful green eyes were wide, and it seemed as though she wasn’t breathing.

“You okay?”

She swallowed. “Yeah. I just can’t believe I’m looking at a dead body.” She looked up at me. “It doesn’t smellthatbad.”