Kenzie stumbled as Patrick guided her somewhere with his hands over her eyes. He claimed that he had a surprise for her, which made her skip the nap she really wanted. They finally stopped. She could hear birds chirping in the trees and the sun beaming on her skin.
"You didn't bring me to the forest to kill me, did you?" Kenzie asked rhetorically.
"No," he replied. She smiled as she felt Patrick's breath against his ear. "Now, open your eyes."
She blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the bright sun. She didn't know what she was expecting. But it wasn't a house. A two-story house covered in white and blue paint.
"A house... You brought me to a house that's down the street from ours."
"A house that is now ours."
Kenzie scoffed. "No, it's not." She glanced at the sign standing on the lawn, reading "SOLD" instead of "FOR SALE". "What?"
"It's a house that I'm gonna renovate, make some additions. It won't be that big." Kenzie turned to him with her arms crossed over her chest. "We both knew things had to change. I-I couldn't make you quit, and I need something to do."
"So you're gonna renovate our house."
"That's right. And when I'm done, if nothing else, we have a place to live."
"So you're gonna work here, not–not at the FBI. You're quitting."
"Maybe. I-I don't know. I haven't decided yet." Kenzie just stared at him. "What?"
"I'm glad you got it. I mean, I wished that I'd known about it beforehand. But, Patrick... Lilly and I have needs."
"Like what?"
"We need to know that you're not gonna run away again."
"I won't."
"See, the thing is that you said that... and still did."
"That's what all of this is for." He pulled her closer, resting his hands on her waist. "I mean, I know you're not going to want to stay at the FBI forever."
Her face slightly fell into a pout. "Stupid mind reader," she muttered.
He rested his chin on the top of her head. "There's an opening at the high school for a drama teacher."
She pulled back with a soft smile. "You really did that for me?"
"Of course, I did. But, that's only if you want to."
Her phone started ringing. She slightly stepped back with Patrick's hands still on her waist, and answered. "What's up, boss?"
"Sorry, Kenz. I know you're on your way home. But I need you to turn around. We have another one."
They drove to the crime scene. Kenzie bent down at the dead body of a woman with a gunshot wound to her chest.
"The victim's name is Susan Herman," said Abbott. "Her husband reported her missing last night. Apparently, the killer snatched her off her porch."
"That's a change," noted Kenzie. "The pattern's the same otherwise— shot in the chest, one fingernail ripped off. He didn't bother hiding the body. Maybe he's getting bolder."
"Or more playful," said Patrick.
Kenzie turned to him, confused. "Playful?"
"Well, sure. He knows we're on to him. That's why he left her out for us to find. He's also done something else."
"What?" Abbott asked.
"I'm not sure." Patrick leaned in closer; his eyes narrowed at something on the woman's arm. "Uh, excuse me. That mark on her left arm– is that a puncture wound?"
YOU ARE READING
I Bet on Losing Dogs - Patrick Jane
Fanfiction"I bet on losing dogs, I know they're losing, and I'll pay for my place by the ring, Where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down, ...
