The Opposite of Love

Ch 20

I was parked outside the Almswick courthouse, barely managing to keep myself awake. I had been rudely awakened with a last-minute half-shift at The Shoe Shoppe when Maria called in sick, so didn't get anywhere near enough sleep that morning. Well, really, over the past few days. I had caffeinated myself well beyond what many would consider "too much," but I could still feel my eyelids drooping as I watched the random people going into and out of the courthouse doors where Charlie would – hopefully soon – emerge.

I didn't think I would actually fall asleep, but one moment Charlie was nowhere in sight, and the next he was slamming my passenger door shut as he slid into the seat.

He had caught a ride to the courthouse with another deputy since we had agreed to take my car around this time, as he drove the whole way last time. It wasn't a gesture of kindness on my part or anything. It was just fair. But I now had a little more control, seeing as he couldn't go home until I drove him. I was hoping to enjoy this control as much as possible.

"A little tired?" he asked with a smile. I fought the urge to smile back, but his smiles seemed to have that effect on me. So much for control.

"You don't look all that alert yourself," I said, forcing my grin away as I noted his rumpled dress shirt and the mess he called hair on top of his head, not to mention the heavy bags under his eyes. I pulled up directions to the bank on my phone but left it on mute since I mostly knew where I was going already.

"One would think we would sleep forever after that long night at the inn," Charlie started explaining, "but we were – well, I was, anyway – much too preoccupied with the case to sleep."

"Did you come up with any new ideas?" I asked as I clicked my seatbelt back on. He did the same, and I started driving.

"Well... no. It's a difficult case." He paused, then added, "Kinda fun, though, yeah?" I didn't reply.

I had to admit, Charlie's presence was making the whole investigation a lot less of a chore. But in the end, we were looking into the death of my sister. Fun was not the word I would have used.

After neither of us said anything for a minute, he stretched loudly and stated, "I think we need some tunes."

That was actually a good idea. If there was music, then maybe he wouldn't talk so much.

I switched on the radio and adjusted the volume before making a left turn. While I was distracted, he switched channels. The twerp. As soon as I was going straight again, I switched it back and turned the volume up. He moved to change the channel again, but I caught him and swatted his hand away. A quick glance at his face told me he had been enjoying egging me on: his grin was broad. Once he saw that my expression was not nearly as gleeful, his smile lessened a bit.

After another turn, Charlie started humming. Soon, the hums morphed into quiet words, and the quiet words grew and grew until he was practically yelling, yet somehow still managing to make the song sound good.

Hs held out the invisible microphone to me, and I couldn't help myself. I started singing along with Charlie and the radio, laughing the whole way through. Once the song ended, he dropped the invisible mike dramatically and bowed – as much as one can while buckled into the seat of a car – to the invisible audience, who were apparently very pleased with our performances.

His grin was back, and wider than ever.

And, though I didn't want to, I liked it when he was happy.

I parked in the bank parking lot and turned to Charlie. "What's the plan?"

"Oh. Right. A plan."