We Find What Is Lost: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 1)

Chapter Nineteen: Rachel, Tuesday and Wednesday

Rachel was sure that the dog had lifted his leg on the pearly gates a long time ago, but the paw-shaped imprint he'd left on her heart had never faded. That was why she always remembered the first official commission of the LSDC.

She would also remember the first official commission of the newly reunited, once diasporic Lawrence Street Detective Club, because she was the client, and she wasn't sure she was comfortable with that.

She appreciated the work Lauren, Joe and Sunny sent her way, however. It was nice to have some money coming in again and stave off foreclosure. She even liked Skytraining out to New Westminster to meet the staff at Sunny's law firm, none of whom seemed to have any idea who she was or why it might not be the best idea to give her access to their books. Hopefully she would have the same warm reception at Lauren's and Joe's workplaces, in Vancouver and Burnaby respectively, when she visited them later in the week.

As soon as Sunny introduced her to everyone, most notably his paralegal Tori Ramos, he led her down to his office. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat behind his desk. She sat facing him and smiled. His turban was a deep red today, perhaps a conservative colour more appropriate for work than the pink one he'd worn at the memorial.

"Before you begin," he said, "I told you I would give you Mrs. Anderson's effects, and the client's wishes come first." He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a set of keys attached to a plastic fob. "House keys."

"Ah. Right. Thanks." She took them and placed them in her purse.

He pulled an accordion file up from the side of his desk and placed it in front of her. "A copy of the will and the financials. These will be waiting for you here when you're done for the day."

"Right. I'm on the clock." She stood and took a deep breath. "Let me at it."

She didn't think about the keys or the accordion file for the rest of the day as she took her assigned desk and sank into the old familiar rhythm of numbers and columns and rows.

At the end of the day she had the firm caught up, and though it was relatively simple work for someone with her experience, she felt accomplished for the first time in months.

Sunny offered his hand, and she took it. "Thanks for today," she said. "It means a lot to be trusted again."

"There was never any question," he said. "As soon as I saw what happened to you I knew it was a frame-up. The LSDC never cheated anybody."

"Well, we did make that girl believe another dog was hers."

He shook his head emphatically. "You gave her her dog back. That was the opposite of a cheat. In her eyes you were a hero."

To her embarrassment, her eyes welled up. "I loved that damned dog."

"I know. I still remember how much it hurt you to let him go. Do you understand now why we all want to help you, Rachel? Because of that moment when you did the right thing even when it hurt. That's why I could never believe you were a crook. We believe in you."

"Shit," she said, wiping her eyes. "I forgot what it was like to have friends like you guys."

"Yeah," he croaked, looking down at his feet. He cleared his throat and looked up. "Well, anyway. Be sure to send us an invoice for your time, and we'll need to bring you in soon to do payroll."

"Will do. Anytime," she said. "Talk to you soon."

On the Skytrain home, she sat with the accordion file in her lap. Sam stood against the plexiglass barrier between the doors and the nearest seats. Oddly enough, she hadn't seen him the whole day, but now he scrutinized her from where he stood.