It had been pouring down rain all day. Fat, heavy raindrops hit the foggy windows of the police department. Linc sat at his desk and watched the beads gather and grow as they sailed down the glass. The trees down the street swayed and shook in the wind. Every now and again, a flash of white lightning cracked through the ominous gray clouds and lit the sky. Thunder grumbled in the distance and vibrated the walls. Miami was beautiful in blue skies and fluffy white clouds most of the time, but it had its days. This was one of them. It was a busy day at the police department, as the inclement weather caused traffic accidents and congestion all over town. They all had to stay abreast of the flooding potential, as well as possible power outages and property damage. Being situated squarely in a hurricane zone, the people of Miami were pretty well-versed in storm management, but that didn’t mean catastrophe was off the table.
The phones were ringing off the hook. Maria, the secretary, had every light blinking on her desk phone while she tried to loudly enunciate emergency instructions to someone who seemed to be standing in the middle of the storm.
“Ma’am, it’s very hard to hear what you’re saying,” Maria said, looking forlornly at the lights blinking on the machine, all lines on hold. “Is there somewhere you could go that’s a little quieter? The wind—”
The cop who sat at the desk diagonal from Lincoln looked equally frustrated with his line. “Sir, I strongly recommend that you reschedule your fishing trip. The water levels are bound to rise unpredictably, and your family… Yes. I understand the charter ticket is nonrefundable. But if you go out on the water in this weather, there likely won’t be a boat to return either,” he was explaining tersely.
Linc glanced out the window again as another shock of bright light split the sky. He wondered if Seth was okay out there. He had left that morning to run down leads in the building Miami Blues case. He was assigned to flush out witnesses, sniff out evidence, and help keep the investigation airtight, moving ahead. Their interview with Brian had been fruitful. They were so close now, and every moment was crucial.
“Officer Granger,” came a booming voice. Linc snapped back to reality and instinctively stood up at his desk in a gesture of respect as Lieutenant Pearce came lumbering over to him. The superior officer looked serious, his wiry eyebrows pushed together in the center.
“Lieutenant,” Linc replied.
Pearce motioned for him to follow. “Come with me to my office for a chat.”
Linc nodded and pushed his chair in. “Of course. Yes, sir.”
As they made their way to Pearce’s office, the lieutenant lowered his voice and said, “We have a few things to discuss, you and me.”
Linc frowned, hoping he wasn’t in trouble for something. His heart thumped at the thought of Gentry. Maybe someone had caught wind of their blossoming love affair. Perhaps he was in for a fierce lecture on propriety and professional conduct. What if Pearce took him off the case? What if he couldn’t be the one to solve it and save Gentry?
Pearce held the door open and they stepped into his office. The door closed and Pearce sunk into his big, leather swivel chair. Linc sat down across from him.
“Is there something I can do for you, Lieutenant?” Linc asked.
Pearce steepled his fingers on the desk and leaned in. “Things are progressing in the Miami Blues case. You and Officer Malone have made significant headway. You’ve put a spotlight on an issue that might have gone undetected for a lot longer without your astute observations,” he said appreciatively.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. Officer Malone and I were lucky to be in the right place at the right time that evening,” Linc said, always humble.
Pearce smiled. “The bachelor party, yes. I have to say I was a little surprised to find out that you attended an event like that. It’s not your usual scene, is it?”
Linc shifted in his seat, sensing that the conversation was moving toward more personal matters. He worried that the lieutenant was building to that inevitable lecture on propriety.
“No, not anymore. Not since… well, you know,” Linc answered quietly. “But I’m glad I was there, even if just to help me do my job better.”
Pearce sighed and gave Linc a meaningful, almost sympathetic look.
“You do your job perfectly, Lincoln,” he said. “That is not why I called you into my office today. I know you and Officer Malone have this case under control. I don’t doubt your professionalism or competency for a second. For ten years, you’ve gone above and beyond on every case, every day. You know what needs to be done next, and you’ll do it. But it’s what you’re not doing that concerns me.”
Linc tilted his head to one side and glowered. “Anything. Name it, I’ll fix it.”
“Living, man,” Pearce answered. “You’re all work, no play. It may not make you a dull boy, but it might make you a miserable old man one day.”
“I enjoy my off hours,” Linc said defensively.
Pearce smirked. “You’re off on Tuesdays, right? What did you do this Tuesday?”
Linc was hesitant, afraid he might slip up and say too much. Surely it was still taboo to spend romantic time with Gentry while she was still involved in an ongoing case.
“I, I went on a date,” he answered finally.
The lieutenant grinned, lighting up. He rapped his knuckles on the desk. “Well, that’s the best news I’ve heard in a minute.”
“Sir?” Linc prompted.
“I know why you’re so passionate about this case, Officer Granger,” he continued. “You and Malone. And if it were anybody else, I might be worried about it. But the two of you have never given me any reason to mistrust you. Lincoln, you do excellent police work. Same goes for your partner. But if I have to watch you two mourn and punish yourselves for another year, it just might break my heart.”
Linc was stunned. Even though he’d always enjoyed a somewhat father-son relationship with the lieutenant, he had never spoken so candidly. He felt a lump in his throat, something that never, ever happened to him. Pearce was talking about Tara. About the car accident that took away the one thing he and Seth had loved most in the world. Until now.