Rude Awakenings: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Al, Tuesday

Lauren got the kids to bed with surprising efficiency for someone on the verge of collapse. "Feel free to have a shower in the downstairs bathroom, Al," she said, "we both got a bit muddy. There are towels in the linen closet right next to it."

He took a shower because he did need one, and to have something to do while Lauren was busy, but he was uncomfortably aware that he hadn't brought a change of clothes with him, and he didn't know what he was going to put on when he was finished. He was also cognizant of the fact that this was the bathroom Lauren used when she was watching Al and Rachel over Skype, and treating them to her own show in the process. When he smelled the shower gel he was using, he realized this was the scent on Lauren's skin he'd smelled on Sunday morning, and to his embarrassment he felt himself swelling. He turned the water to its coldest setting to cool himself down.

He did find a robe hanging on the hook inside the bathroom door. An enormous robe. Yikes. It was Joe's. Still, it smelled clean, and he really didn't want to put his crusty jeans back on.

He sat perfectly still on the couch in the living room, feeling like he was naked inside a tent. It was dark, with only a few lights on in the kitchen. It was quiet. He was tired, but he felt like he might spring off the couch at the slightest noise.

Eventually Lauren crept downstairs. She was in a kimono Al had seen before in her own shows, and Al swallowed hard because she'd also had a shower; her hair was wet, and when she sat next to him he could feel the moist heat off her skin and smell the body wash she'd used, the very same he'd just used, with its pleasant fruity scent, and images of her in the shower filled his head.

"Nice robe," she said with a smirk. "Or should I say awning?"

"I forgot I didn't have anything to wear," he said sheepishly. "You might want to wash this tomorrow so Joe doesn't smell me on it."

Her smile fell away, and she nodded sadly, and he felt sorry for her.

"They passed out pretty much when their heads hit the pillows," she said. "I didn't even get to read Tosh The Runaway Bunny like I promised him I would this morning."

"I love that book," Al said. "It always makes me cry, and I'm not even a parent yet."

"Maybe you'll get to read it to a foster child if they're young enough," she said.

"Maybe." He sighed. "When I moved in with Rachel, I didn't take into account that she only had one bedroom, and that we'd need at least another if we were to foster."

"Oh, yeah."

They both stared into the darkness for a while, and Al wondered what was going on here. If he was going to go to sleep, they should say good night and get to it. She should go back upstairs.

"Funny how Naomi mentioned Joe's cop friend," Lauren said.

"Yes, that was funny," Al said. "Did you know he had a cop friend?"

"I did not."

They were silent again, and the tension was killing him. It was almost like she wanted him to say something, but he didn't know what it was.

"We recently met a cop with red hair," he said.

"We did." Her voice was very flat.

"Coincidence?" he asked.

"I don't know."

More silence. Al couldn't make himself look at her. His heart might break if he did.

"Well," he said. "Maybe things will look better in the morning. Maybe the police will find a new lead. The car tracking... maybe they'll find where they went, aside from where we suspect they did."