“Oh! So the end-food today!” She looks up at me again, less grumpy in her scowl. “Okay.” Then, “Daddy? Do you fink you should marry Minka?”
Jesus take the wheel.I try not to choke a second time.
I would, sweetums, but Doctor Delicious said no, and Uncle Arch has dibs.
“Careful now.” I slow at the end of the block and hold Mia’s hand a little tighter when she seems intent on plowing into traffic. “Don’t forget to look before you cross, Moo.”
Yes, pumpkin. Listen to Doctor Dimples. She’s the smartest woman I’ve ever met.
“Can I talk to Daddy now?” I lead Mia across the road and reach out to take the device. “Please?”
“Here you go.” She shoves it toward me and repositions her monkey in her arms.
When I bring the phone to my ear, all I hear is Fletch’s filthy old-man chuckle. “I like it when you call me Daddy, Doc. Turns me on a little bit.”
“There’s something seriously wrong with you. But did you hear that bit aboutmarriage?” I hiss the last word. “She needs someone to explain things to her, because clearly, you aren’t.”
“Or,” he counters tauntingly. “Ya know how children and horses know if someone is good or bad as soon as they meet? Maybe she knows you’re my soulmate. Maybe she’s not confused at all, and in fact,youare.”
“Is Archer within hearing distance right now?”
He laughs. “Absolutely not. Which is why I’m shooting my shot.”
“It’s a no from me, Detective. Get her a friend to chat to. Did you get your bulletin ready for Tiffany Hewitt?”
“Oh, the things Archer says when sharing a pillow,” he murmurs solemnly. “I didn’t realize I’d have to order my best friend to shut the fuck up when he’s hanging with his floozy.”
I scoff. “Only one of us is a floozy, Fletch. Did you get it sorted?”
“Yeah. We have our face, and Tiffany’s going on at six. She agreed to blast it every hour until we tell her to stop. Hopefully, we’ll have a name for Jane within an hour, and then we’ll go make the notification.”
“Good. And just to clarify, have you had special cuddles with the unfortunate Miss Hewitt yet?”
He sniggers. “Working on it.”
In the background of his call, voices shout and others bark orders. Fletch’s attention goes to the noise for a moment, then comes back to me.
“I gotta go, Delicious, but you know how to contact me.”
“I do. Mia and I are heading to the restaurant across from the George Stanley to get eggs, then I’ll bring her to the station and check her in. I’ve got it under control.”
“Thanks.”
For just a moment, in one of those rare instances for Fletch, his tone turns serious. “I won’t ever forget that you helped me during this time, Delicious. It means a lot to me.”
“It’s fine.” I lower my voice a little. “I’m happy to help. I’ll catch you later, okay?”
“Alright. Tell Moo that Daddy loves her very much and I’ll see her this afternoon.”
“Got it. See ya.”
Hanging up, I glance up in time to catch all fifteen floors of the George Stanley building stabbing toward the sky, and right across from it, the little restaurant sitting in its single story, sandwiched between other buildings.
“Daddy says he loves you very much, and he’ll pick you up from daycare this afternoon. Are you ready to eat yet?”
“Starving.” She turns her word into a growl and rubs her stomach. “Don’t forget to ask if they have the hotdog on a stick.”
“I won’t.” I roll my eyes skyward, because she has a serious obsession with the fried hotdog, the way her father is obsessed with flirting, and her mother is obsessed with… well, it’s safe to say this bloodline comes with intense addictions.