A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1) - Darynda Jones Page 0,101
know his schedule by heart.
She saw him standing with a group of upperclassmen and gathered her courage. Taking it one step at a time, she walked right up to him, but he only spared her the briefest of glances before looking away. As though he didn’t see her. As though she were nothing to him.
She stopped mid-stride, humiliation rushing over her like a wildfire. He hadn’t remembered. Or, worse, he remembered and was hardly impressed.
From that moment on, she did everything in her power to avoid him, both her heart and her confidence shattered.
But that was a long time ago. In the two years after the kiss and before her abduction, they’d adopted somewhat of an antagonistic attitude toward each other. Hers was a classic defense mechanism. His was much simpler. A complete and utter lack of interest.
Shaking off her feelings for him, she walked into the station with a text from Royce Womack. She could only hope he’d have news on the nervous Book Babe, Darlene Tapia, and why she was behaving as though she were trading government secrets for knitting yarn. She was just about to call Royce when Quincy walked into her office.
He leaned against the desk she sat behind. “You know, we’ve talked almost every day for the past fifteen years, and yet we’ve never talked about . . . it. About what happened.”
She put her bag in a desk drawer and turned to him. “And that’s why we’ve talked almost every day for the past fifteen years.”
“Good to know. So, no hits on the partial print.”
“Damn. Any tips at all?”
“Just the usual BS. Poor Anita is fielding most of them. Price was helping, but he got called out to a possible break-in.”
“Where?”
“Well, they’ve mostly been taking the calls in dispatch, but they get up and walk around every once in a while. Get some coffee. Hit the head.” When her expression changed from deadpan to an even deader pan, he said, “Out near the Hudson’s on Route 4.”
“See? Was that so hard?”
“How’s the sprout?”
Sun leaned back in her chair. “I think she’s going to be okay. You?”
“I’m good. Thanks.”
She blinked, letting the fact that she was not impressed shine through in stunning Technicolor.
He got the message. “I agree. I think she’s handled all this really well, all things considered. So,” he said, blatantly hedging, “Levi Ravinder. Didn’t see that one coming.”
“Me neither. Not in my wildest dreams.”
“Did you find out why he never said anything?”
“He said I never tell him anything, so why should he tell me?”
Quincy stood and strode to the window. “That’s a great reason. I should arrest his ass.”
“On what charges?”
“On the charge of being an asshole.”
She chewed on a fingernail, letting everything she knew thus far simmer. “I feel like there’s something else going on.”
“Okay, an asshole and a prick.”
“Like, maybe he really cares for her.”
“Then why keep something like that from you?”
“I don’t know, Quince, but right now, we have to find Sybil. I shouldn’t have spent half the day on anything else.” After scanning the station, she asked, “Anita is awfully young. Are you sure she’s experienced enough to be fielding calls?”
“Nope. She’s just writing everything down and giving it all to Price.”
“Well, that’s good. What about his connections in Chicago? Anything strange about the St. Aubins I should know about?”
“You aren’t going to believe this.” He sat across from her and leaned in. “They are squeakier than the front wheel on a rusted tricycle.”
“That clean, huh? You talk to the father yet?”
“Forest St. Aubin is so racked with guilt for not listening to his daughter all these years, he’s like the weave in a basket case. The governor has called twice, wants you to call him back.”
“You probably should have led with that.”
“They sent a couple of staties to help out Fields.”
“Probably a good idea. Two heads and all.”
She leaned back in her chair again, frustration coursing through her. “I’m missing something.” She took her copy of Sybil’s letter and read it for the hundredth time. “Oh, how’s the sweep of the shed at Estrella Pond going?”
“Good. They’re almost finished. And then all of that is going to have to be processed.”
“Yep.”
“Were you still looking into it?”
“What?”
“Your case. Your abduction.”
“Nah. What was the point? There were no leads.”
“Until now.”
“Until now,” she echoed.
He got up to leave but stopped at the door and said, “So, the no-more-secrets thing doesn’t apply to me?”
She looked up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not stupid, Sunny. One of these days, you’ll figure