Near Miss

Chapter Twenty-Six: Reasoning

"Jameson? What are you doing here?" Sylvie said indignantly.

"This is my house!" Redmond shot back. "Why, is there something wrong?"

"You- you were supposed to be investigating Magdalen! The carbon monoxide! Didn't Maddox tell you to do that?" Sylvie stammered. "Why aren't you working?"

"It's my daughter's birthday." Redmond frowned. "Officer Rodrique is filling in for me right now, but that's not the point."

"That is the point!" Sylvie insisted. "You're Acting Detective Redmond, you're supposed to detect!"

"So are you," Redmond snapped. "I know you've been talking to Maddox, I know you've posted your friends all over the hospital to keep watch over Hawk. She has protection, Rodrique and Steele are on the investigation, Durand is at the door, what else do you want me to do? It's Rorie's birthday! And- look at this- I'm here."

"Dad?" Rorie's voice wafted out of a nearby room, infused with deep confusion. "Is that you?"

"Yeah..." Redmond said cautiously.

Striding footsteps announced Rorie's arrival, neatly prefacing the familiar question she asked next: "Why are you here?"

Redmond huffed. "It's your birthday, of course! I had to come." He reached forward to ruffle her hair.

"Well, yeah, but..." Rorie frowned. "Why aren't you at work? Aren't you supposed to be on the Hawk case?"

"I'm not," Redmond answered simply. "I'm not on the Hawk case. I'm here. Okay?"

Neither Rorie nor Sylvie responded. Furrowing their brows, they shot each other curious looks.

Redmond held out his hands. "Look, Rorie, I chose to be here for you. It's your seventeenth birthday, okay? I wanted to be here, with you."

Obligingly, Rorie leaned forward, and they embraced.

Sylvie shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, not sure how to interrupt. She desperately wanted to talk to Rorie about the case, but her father's presence wasn't exactly helpful. Sylvie doubted Redmond would be comfortable with her disclosing such sensitive information. In short, he needed to leave.

Redmond released Rorie's shoulders, and she stepped away from the hug. "Thank you, Dad, really. Thank you for coming. It means a lot."

"Yeah, of course," Redmond said gruffly. "I-"

"But Dad." Rorie's tone was earnest. "Sylvie's right. Magdalen Hawk needs you more than I do. You should go to work."

Redmond sighed. "Okay, okay, you're right," he conceded. "I'll be home later, okay?"

"Of course!"

Shooting Sylvie one last wink, Redmond turned his back and strode out the front door, Rorie and Sylvie staring after him with a kind of distracted disinterest.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," Rorie commented.

"It was!" Sylvie agreed. "I thought he'd insist."

"Well, it is my birthday," Rorie remarked.

The two of them stared after Redmond for another few moments before turning away.

"Anyway, there must be new evidence," Rorie grinned. "You're hinting like you found something interesting."

"Eh, there's not much," Sylvie sighed. "I'm sure you heard about the carbon monoxide. I don't think anyone's found anything out, though."

"You're focusing on opportunity, aren't you?" Rorie said shrewdly. "Not motive. You're trying to look at who could have done it, not who wanted to. Why are you looking outside the family?"