work hours. What if you can’t ignore the sexual chemistry?”
“We had to deal with it today, Joy, and it wasn’t easy. We will just have to continue to work at it.”
“What if Drew gives you some sign that he cares for you more than he’s letting on?”
“What kind of sign?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. You know him, so I think you’d recognize one. Like he might act jealous if you start dating.”
Toni rolled her eyes. “I just arrived in town, Joy, and I’m already involved in a murder case. A young woman, my own age, was needlessly killed. And I intend to find the person who did it. I won’t have time for a social life.”
“But if you eventually find the time and Drew seemed jealous, how would you handle it?”
Toni drew in a deep breath. “If I honestly thought he was jealous, that would give me hope. If there was a chance Drew actually cared more for me than what I assumed, then I would…”
“You would what, Toni?”
“I would consider letting him know how I feel. Not all at once, but it would be something I could build into something more.”
“Now you’re talking sense, girlfriend.”
Toni shook her head, grinning. “And you’re talking about a scenario that won’t be happening, Joy.”
“You never know. If anyone would have told me five years ago that my ex-fiancé would be out of my life, and I would be married to a man who’s his complete opposite, I would not have believed them.”
Joy paused a moment. “For years you’ve been afraid to love someone, Toni. Now that the fear is gone, it’s time to take a leap of faith and claim the man you love.”
AS THEY LEFT THE building and headed toward the cruiser, Toni said, “I can’t believe how nice everyone is.” She’d been sitting at her desk, drinking a cup of coffee and eating a breakfast sandwich while going over yesterday’s investigative notes, when Drew had arrived to work.
She’d never known until today that he wasn’t a morning person. During their ten months together, she’d given him a reason to wake up in a good mood. Obviously, Natalie wasn’t doing her job.
It shouldn’t matter to her who Drew was sleeping with. She wasn’t there to rekindle an affair but to do a job. But then she remembered Joy’s words...
“I told you they were nice,” Drew said, intruding in on her thoughts. “I was lucky to get a job here.”
She glanced over at him as they continued walking toward the police cruiser. “Anyone know you were once in prison?”
“Yes. But they also know I was exonerated, which would typically wipe the slate clean. That wasn’t the case with me because of my extensive juvenile-delinquent record. But they don’t know that part. They also don’t know my connections to help get me on the force. I never mentioned it to anyone. Not even Norm.”
Yet he had mentioned them to her, Toni thought. “I won’t say anything, Drew,” she said, opening the car door and getting inside.
He didn’t respond as he snapped his own seatbelt and started the ignition. It was only then that he smoothly changed the subject by saying, “We’re on our way to visit Johnnie Underwood’s girlfriend, Jamia Roundtree, to confirm his alibi. You’ll soon get your first look at Commodore Lane—where the well-to-do people live.”
She nodded, remembering their interviews with Jennifer Evans and her two friends yesterday. “I wonder if Ms. Roundtree’s interview will be as interesting as the one yesterday with Jennifer Evans.”
“I wouldn’t doubt it.” Then he asked. “Did you sleep well last night?”
She glanced over at Drew wondering why he’d asked. She quickly figured he was merely making conversation to pass the time.
“Yes, thanks. I talked to my grandparents before leaving for work this morning, to assure them I was fine and to let them know how my first day went.”
“And how are they doing?”
“They are fine.” He’d always done that, asked about her grandparents although he’d never met them. She had been so determined not to develop a real relationship with him that she’d deliberately not introduced them. Now she realized it had been a mistake.
Then again, had it? He hadn’t been any more forthcoming with her. He didn’t have any family, but he’d never gone out of his way to introduce her to his friends. At no time had Drew ever indicated he’d wanted more from her than what he was getting.
He’d been completely satisfied with how their relationship had been going. Besides, had she introduced him