Page 54 of Zero Divergence
“Interesting,” Royce said, absorbing the information.
“We’ll interview as many club coworkers as possible to find out if he acted oddly this weekend, or disappeared for unexplainable stretches in time,” Sawyer added.
“Sounds good,” Mendoza replied. “Now get out of here and solve this case.”
Once outside his office, Sawyer glanced at his watch before grinning broadly. “Hungry?”
“Getting there,” Royce replied.
“I know a place that serves excellent wings.”
Royce narrowed his eyes. “You don’t say?”
Sawyer’s ornery smile and glittering dark gaze made him afraid. Very, very afraid.
Stopping at his desk, Sawyer turned to face Royce. “Before we head out for lunch, I want to make a few calls and get started on the warrant for Gross’s landline at home and also her cell phone.”
“I’ll go talk to Dottie and request the warrant. Do you have a particular judge you wish to send it to?” Royce asked him.
Sawyer had already narrowed it down to two judges in Mendoza’s office. “Andrew Reinhardt or Seth Hastings.” While he didn’t know either man personally, he knew their reputations well. They were tough on attorneys and wouldn’t just automatically dismiss the warrant without reviewing it thoroughly. “If we produce a well-written warrant that acknowledges the special circumstances and limitations, I think either man would sign off on it.”
Royce nodded. “I trust your instincts.” He lifted his hand like he was about to touch Sawyer, then jerked it back when he realized where they were. “Asshole,” Royce muttered under his breath when he walked away, leaving Sawyer to chuckle in the bullpen by himself. He loved being irresistible to Royce Locke.
Sawyer glanced over at his desk and noticed the large pastry box from his favorite cupcake bakery sitting on it beside a cluster of mylar balloons that read “welcome back” and “we missed you.” The thoughtful gesture had Kelsey’s name written all over it. It was another uncanny parallel to his first day on the force when Kels had surprised him with cupcakes and balloons after his mother revealed it was his birthday when she stopped by to take him to lunch. Sawyer almost expected Evangeline to sweep in at any moment. It was like a bizarre episode ofThe Twilight ZoneandGroundhog Dayall rolled into one. Was this some big universal do-over? He hoped not because he was deliriously happy with how their relationship had evolved, and he could go the rest of his life without seeing Royce get shot again or reliving the panic of getting trapped in a burning building.
Even though he was healing—physically and emotionally—recalling the final moments before Royce found him still had the power to send his pulse soaring and turn his legs to limp noodles. Grateful for a rare private moment in the bullpen, Sawyer pulled his chair away from his desk and flopped down in it. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the darkened computer monitor and barely resisted the urge to touch his mottled skin. Stop being a vain asshole.Breathe in. Hold. Release.
He forced his gaze away; his eyes landed on the cheerful pastry box. It wasn’t there when they’d arrived to meet with the chief, which meant Kelsey had stopped by when he was in Mendoza’s office. Sawyer removed his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Kels. The call went to voicemail, and he had to settle for hearing her recorded voice in her outgoing message.
“Kels, I’m sorry I missed you. Thanks so much for the cupcakes and balloons. You’re the best. Hopefully things settle down and we can hit up our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch later this week. I’ll drop by your office later to share the goodies. Love you.”
After he disconnected the call, Sawyer powered up his computer and searched the internet for articles on Humphries that included interviews with neighbors who seemed to support him.
“What are you doing?” Royce asked when he returned a few minutes later.
“Do you remember how media outlets blasted those images of Humphries with his long-haired Dachshunds all over the place?”
Royce’s brow furrowed as he sat down at the desk across from his. Sawyer’s fingers itched to smooth out his stress lines. “Yeah. Cute little pups.”
“I’ll be sure to tell Bones you feel that way,” Sawyer replied dryly.
Royce snorted. “I’ll call you a liar while slipping him a chunk of bread. We’ll see who he believes.”
“Who?” Ashcroft asked, sauntering up to their desks. “Welcome back, kid.”
“Thanks, Ashcroft,” Sawyer said, inwardly cringing at the nickname. Ashcroft couldn’t have been much older than him. The man was caustic and often rude, but he was a good detective. Rather than answer his question, Sawyer opened the pastry box and extended it to him. “We have cupcakes.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Ashcroft replied, helping himself to a mint chocolate chip cupcake as he plopped his ass on the corner of Sawyer’s desk. “No one tell Mindy about this. She’s put me on a diet again.” The Andy Sipowicz lookalike rubbed a hand over the round gut protruding over his belt and straining at his shirt buttons. Concerned one might pop loose and put out his eye, Sawyer discreetly scooted his chair over to give himself some more space. He propped his left ankle on his right knee, then leaned back in his chair to strike a conversational pose, hoping his distaste for Ashcroft’s inability to respect personal space wasn’t too obvious.
Royce raised up and stretched across the expanse of their desks, snagging a strawberry and cream cupcake for himself. “I think Mindy Ashcroft is as real as Santa Claus.”
“Shedoesexist,” Ashcroft dramatically said, sounding like the M&M’s in the commercial who faint when they discover Santa is real.
“Then why have none of us ever met her?” Royce countered. “I’ve met everyone else’s spouse or significant other besides yours. Why is that?”
Ashcroft tipped back his head and laughed heartily. “You have looked in the mirror, haven’t you?”
Royce looked at Ashcroft like he’d lost his mind, but Sawyer understood. Ashcroft wanted to keep his wife away from the hottest detective in the unit—one who’d had a reputation for being a manwhore. Ashcroft was smarter than he looked, and Sawyer had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.