Wake of the Storm - The Mason Storm Series Book One

Chapter 24

I exit the Chief 's office, and it feels like everyone's evaporated from around me. There's no noise; no movement, like all the clocks have stopped. My hands are damp. I ram them down into the bottoms of pockets as I go through plausible things to say to make Mia understand me.

Bev is to my right and I hear a hiss of disgust escape her lips. She knows something is out of sorts between Mia and me, and couldn't be more pleased about it. I avoid eye contact at all costs. The stare of a basilisk turns a man to stone, but Bev's voice . . .

I catch a glimpse of Mia down the hall picking up speed like she's trying to outpace rain. She rounds the corner. I follow a couple of seconds later and hear the lock engage on the woman's bathroom door at the end of the hall, out of sight. I decide to wait a minute or two, still gathering my thoughts, before knocking.

Ten minutes pass before she opens the door. I never did manage to gather those thoughts and knock, but I was still waiting there. Her eyes are red and puffy. The look on her face slaps me hard. I do my best to give her a look that begs forgiveness, but she just walks past me. I follow her to her office and close the door behind us (never quite sure when Bev's nose could come poking around). The folder from the Pennington file is on her desk, bulging in the middle, and it's clear she's been burning the midnight oil. All the more reason she'd feel like she's been conned.

I take a seat across her and wait. I wish she'd just scream at me. Punch me. Anything that might make her feel better, but nothing. She just sits there, brooding in silence. I'm sure she wants an explanation. On the other hand, maybe the silence means she's had enough. The straw that broke the camel's back.

I still haven't figured out what it is I want to tell her, but I stumble my way through another, "I'm sorry", explaining I didn't mean to break the news in front of the Chief like that.

"I'd planned to tell you in private, Mia," I say. "I didn't expect to walk in and be personally escorted right to the Chief's office."

She just looks at me, like I have an extra foot coming out of my forehead, so I try again. "I would've told you, but after your message telling me to read today's paper, and then reading the article, I just didn't feel like talking about it. If I had asked you to come along, I would've been forced to talk about it, and you again, would be stuck holding up my pain."

"I'm a big girl, Mason! I can decide for myself what pain I want or don't want to bear. You embarrassed me in there! We're supposed to be partners, and you going out sneaking around, having clandestine meetings with the spouse of someone you suspect might be murdering people, isn't fair. You could've at least mentioned it in your message."

She's one hundred percent right. I've never been good at these things. My eyes find the tips of my shoes and I whisper one more "I'm sorry", hoping it finds its place.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take, Mason. I watch you every day sink a little deeper in on yourself. It's like watching your best friend die in little chunks. I know it's been tough but you have to move on, or you'll have to find a new partner. You're killing both of us."

I wasn't expecting this kind of response and a sinking feeling lands in my chest. The only sound in the room is the ticking clock above her desk.

I try lightening the mood with, "Well, at least you didn't hit me!"

She smiles without answering and walks around to the front side of the desk to backhand me across the shoulder, smirking.

"C'mon, you inconsiderate oaf. Davis is waiting for us, and we have a ten-thirty appointment with the ME."