Partners in Crime

Chapter forty-four

"So what are you planning on doing for his birthday?" Tammy asks as she takes a sip of her coffee.

I shrug and check my watch to make sure I'm not the reason she's late back from lunch. "I haven't decided, but Theo took a huge risk for me. I want to show him I'm thankful for everything he's done."

"Speaking of the fact that our two best agents are gone, Clares been in the worst mood ever since. Not to mention she's had to pass up the most brilliant opportunities because the rest of us couldn't solve the case."

"We're not that special."

"Believe me, you are. Yes we all had the same training but none of the partners clocked like you two."

I let out an ironic breathy laugh. "Look where that got us."

"Clares not stupid-"

"Questionable."

Tammy laughs before continuing. "The reason she's so pissed is because she didn't realise she'd lose two of you, she thought she'd still have one amazing agent."

We chat casually for another few minutes, my mind still throwing ideas around of what I could get Theo for his birthday. "There's this really cute photo I went to all the effort of sticking my phone to the roof for, I could get that printed as a big photo and frame it?"

"That's cute." Tammy nods. "You guys also like snapping pictures of each other right?" I nod. "You could print them all out, make a photo album."

I nod. "I'll call into the printers today, maybe get him a watch too. We could try for a surprise party but he'll probably guess."

Tammy grins. "Look at you being a hopeless romantic."

I laugh. "Who knew, I guess when you find your person it brings it out in you."

Tammy and I finish our coffees before going our separate ways. While Tammy is going back to work, I decide to go to the printing shop to get the photos for putting in the album. It's not Theo's twenty-third birthday for another week but I prefer to get things organised early. I drop my purchases home and spend a little over an hour at the gym.

I press the answer button on my steering wheel when the phone call I'm receiving connects to Bluetooth. "Hello?"

"Hello? No hi babe, best I've ever had or hot stuff?"

I laugh as I stop at a traffic light. "What's up?"

"I just got an email from Clare, asking for a meeting with us."

I sigh. "She's so hot and cold, what does she even have left to say to us?"

"Beats me." Theo sounds just as fed up as me. "I grabbed some lunch at the diner today though and Mary-Lee was sympathising with how awful Clares actions were and that Evergreen was rooting for us. Her words, not mine."

"Oh no, we've become topic of Friday nights bingo club."

Theo laughs from his end of the phone. "That's not all, they even started a petition."

"Wow. Gracie wasn't joking when she said Evergreen rallied around when someone needed it."

"It's fun when it doesn't mean you're this weeks gossip central."

"I guess we have been hanging around town a lot lately. Not exactly being subtle about our relationship."

I can hear Theo's smirk in his next statement. "I suppose your story of me last night didn't exactly spell friendship."

"Oh come on, the single ladies of Evergreen and New York had to know they couldn't keep fawning after you."

"Possessive, I like it."