Err on the Side of Violence: Terribly Acronymed Detective Club Series (Book 3)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Joe, Summer, 2009

DiTomaso Construction benefited from Rachel's attentions in the weeks she worked there, in more ways than one. As soon as she entered their head office in Burnaby, she brightened the place up. Joe was astonished to see the change in her when she had meaningful work to do. The haunted woman he saw at Mrs. Anderson's memorial seemed to have moulted, and from the discarded skin stepped a new creature, gleaming and slick with afterbirth. She assessed the system they had in place for accounts payable and receivable, payroll and bookkeeping, and got to work almost immediately, even finding more efficient ways of workflow from the one instituted by the company they currently used.

Johnny was smitten with her as soon as he stopped in to pick up equipment and review plans for the day. "I can't believe it," he said in astonishment. "You're that dirty kid who lived on our street and picked beans with us because her dad was too poor to pay the rent?"

"That was me," Rachel said stiffly. Joe noticed she wasn't blushing like she used to when she was younger. Johnny no longer had the hair or body of his basketball star teenage years. "Glad I made such an impression on you."

Johnny laughed at her sarcasm. "Well, you cleaned up nice," he said creepily, and Joe was a little embarrassed for him. "So, how did you and Joe reconnect?"

"We all reunited at the memorial service for Mrs. Anderson," Joe said. "Why weren't you there, Johnny? She was a great friend to the family."

Johnny blushed, and Rachel looked amused at how Joe had put him in his place, and that made Joe feel good for reasons he didn't want to examine too closely. Happy Rachel was suddenly beautiful Rachel, and he found he liked making her smile.

"Vic had a soccer tournament on the Island," Johnny said stiffly. "Val thought it would be a good idea if we all took a family weekend over there."

Joe shook his head at how easily Johnny had thrown Val under the bus, as if he hadn't wanted to avoid the memorial at any cost.

"Oh! Is Val your wife?" Rachel asked politely, but also, Joe suspected, to remind Johnny he was already taken, and to stop checking her out, because he'd been doing it as soon as he saw her.

"Yeah. Her full name is Valeria. We have two sons, Ludovico and Attilio, they go by Vic and Tilly." Johnny cleared his throat and said, "Well, it's nice meeting you again, and we appreciate your helping us with this paperwork."

She gave him a luminous smile and offered her hand. "Thank you for the opportunity, and for your trust."

Johnny shook it, pleased but also a little confused. Joe had never explained the circumstances that brought her to their door. Johnny might have been a little more hesitant to hire her if he knew about the scandal that had made her radioactive to potential employers. "Will we be seeing you often?" he asked hopefully.

Rachel shrugged and said, "As often as you need me."

"Great! And hey, if Joe ever invites you over for get-togethers, maybe you can meet the family."

"I'd like that," she said, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Johnny must have seen he'd worn out his welcome, because he left soon after. Joe said, "Sorry about that."

"About what?" she asked.

"Johnny. He's a lech. It's a good thing you moved away when you did; a couple more years and he would have been hitting on you, girlfriend or no girlfriend."

Now Rachel blushed. "If I'd stuck around a couple more years, I might have let him. He was my first crush. What the hell happened to him?"

Joe chuckled. "Marriage and two kids."