Deadly Row, A - By Casey Mayes Page 0,31
your toes in the water, now’s the time to jump in and try one yourself.
That might mollify my die-hard fans, and still be enough of a nudge to get others to try a puzzle themselves. Either way, I was finished for the day, and I could see what Zach was up to, as soon as I faxed this to my editor. If I had time, I’d work on a harder one for tomorrow, but right now, all I cared about was seeing what my husband had come up with while I’d been playing with numbers.
“STEVE, HAVE YOU SEEN MY HUSBAND?”
The officer looked up at me as I walked into the hallway in front of the task force headquarters at the police station.
“He’s meeting with Davis,” he said. “The chief said to tell you if you showed up, to wait for him.”
“It must be odd having Zach back here. He was your boss a long time, and now you’re answering to someone else.”
“Davis is doing the best he can, but he can’t hold a match to your husband.” He realized how that must have sounded, because he quickly amended, “Not that I don’t respect my new boss, too.”
“Zach said you were up for the job yourself.”
He shrugged. “Sure, I took a stab at it, but I knew it was a long shot. I’m ten years younger than Davis, and he’s got more seniority on the force than me, too. My time will come.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said.
Steve’s face brightened as he asked, “Did you finish your puzzle?”
“How did you know I was doing one?”
“The chief mentioned it before he had his meeting. I’m a big fan, you know.”
“Of my husband? Of course, I understand that. I’m a big fan of his, too.”
“No, I mean of you. I do your puzzles every chance I get. Those puzzles are great. I’ve tried a few others, but I like yours the best.”
“Thanks. That’s always nice to hear.”
“What is?” my husband said as he walked into the hall.
“He was just complimenting me,” I said.
“Was he, now? What was the topic?”
“It wasn’t anything like that, Chief,” Steve said quickly. “I told her how much I liked her puzzles.”
Zach frowned for another second, and then laughed. “Relax, I’m just pulling your leg. Savannah’s a real wizard with numbers, isn’t she?”
“Just like you are with clues,” Steve said.
“Not that you could tell that so far.” Zach looked at me a second, then added, “Would you mind if we had lunch here again? I’m not fit to be around people today.”
“Hey, as long as I don’t have to get it, that’s fine with me.”
“Steve, would you mind?”
“You’ve got it, Chief. Do you need to see any menus from around here?”
“I haven’t been gone that long,” my husband said with a smile. “I’ll have a cheesesteak from Greg’s.”
“Make that two,” I said, remembering the way the cheese melted into the sandwich, and the way the peppers and onions had a smoky, grilled flavor.
“You can get something else, if you want.”
“I know, but why would anyone want anything else?”
He shrugged. “Beats me. Do you mind, Steve?”
“No, I’m on it. Be back in a flash.”
After he was gone, as Zach unlocked the door, I asked, “Is it that bad?”
“What? Steve’s doing just fine.”
“I’m not talking about that, and you know it.” I looked around the room, and noticed that since I’d been there yesterday, a large whiteboard leaned against one wall. It was already filled with my husband’s notes, and I knew it was a way he liked to think out loud. “I meant the case.”
“It’s no surprise Davis called me in,” Zach said. “I just had a meeting with him, and it’s pretty clear that Grady’s breathing down his neck. He wants results, and I’m not sure how fast I can give them to him.”
“Why the sudden urgency? We just got here yesterday.”
“This is all new to us, but they’ve been dealing with it for eight days. I don’t blame them. I just wish I had something for them.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll solve this.”
“Savannah, I wish I had your faith in me,” he said.
“You always were your worst critic.” Zach looked glum, and I had to do something to snap him out of it if I could.
“It’s a beautiful day. Why don’t we go outside and wait for Steve? When he brings us our sandwiches, we’ll have a picnic across the street.”
“I don’t know,” he said as he looked around the room. “There’s a lot of work I still need to do.”
“You