Julia imagined him breaking through her bedroom door like Rambo. “Kicking ass and taking names?”
“Pretty much. I like Brenthill but it’s all drunk and disorderly, theft and domestic violence. Gets hard to stomach arresting the same people for the same things, knowing they’re never going to change.”
Julia avoided his eyes. How well did she know that story? Her mum and whatever dropkick she currently called her boyfriend arguing, their voices getting louder until hey presto the police were at the door. Different cops, the same blank faces.Mrs. Bennett, we had a call about a domestic disturbance at this address.Max was the solution she was born into the problem, another reason why it would never work between them. Aside from all the other reasons, the foremost being he was married and not interested.
“Something the matter?” Max studied her with a shrewd expression Julia didn’t like one bit.
She unclenched her jaw. “Just wondering what’ll happen to the skate park once you leave. Who’s going to stop people from making out on the ramps?”
Max grimaced. “Funnily enough, I didn’t join the police service to cock-block. The kids can go all the way on those ramps for all I care.”
“That’s a relief. I do some of my best work at that skate park.”
“That right?”
“Yeah, it’s where all the hot guys hang out.”
The corners of Max’s eyes crinkled. “And these guys are how old exactly?”
“Old enough. They have their own boards and everything.”
Max pressed his head back against the evidence rack and laughed, turning Julia’s insides to brownie batter.
“Hey, you never answered my question before. Are you still designing games?”
Hello, dangerous waters. What a lot of sharks you have today.Julia thought about denying it but decided to proceed with caution instead. “I gave up the idea of being a full-time developer. The industry is so competitive I never stood a chance.”
“So you’re not working on anything?”
“I can’t…nothing serious.”
Max prodded her foot. “Come on. We’re gonna be in here for ages, you can’t clam up every time I ask you something.”
“I’m not clamming! It’s…embarrassing for me to talk about my work.”
“More embarrassing than a cop locking himself in a police station?”
“I thought we agreed that was Henrietta’s fault?”
“Oh yeah. Well, either way, tell me about your thing. I’m starving my ass off and I need a distraction.”
Clearly Max wasn’t going to drop this. Maybe she could throw him a few crumbs and he’d be satisfied. “My friend Tiff and I are trying to get an indie game made. A first person shooter.”
Max looked impressed. “What’s it about?”
“It’s…uh, set in post-apocalyptic future. The main character is a nurse called Claire. She and three other nurses are making their way through a nuclear fallout.”
“What’s the objective?”
Julia squirmed under Max’s too-interested gaze. This didn’t feel like a few crumbs but what the hell could she do? Make an excuse and leave?
“Nearly every female on earth has been wiped out in a virus and these gangs are holding women in a breeding facility. Claire and her gang are trying to free them.” There was also a side quest to rescue Claire’s boyfriend from a biker gang but Max didn’t need to know about Eli. Ever.
“Sounds cool. What’s the name?”
Lie, Lie, Lie.
“Scarlet Woman,” Julia said instinctively.Shit.