First to Die

Chapter87

AFTER THE LAST NEWS CONFERENCE had ended, after the last flashbulb had dimmed, after I had rehashed for what seemed the hundredth time how we had narrowed in on Jenks, after a beaming Chief Mercer had been chauffeured away, I hugged Claire, Cindy, and Jill. I then passed on a celebratory beer and wandered back to the Hall of Justice. It was well past eight, and only the prattle of the night shift interrupted my being alone. I sat at my desk, in the well-earned silence of the squad room, and tried to remember the last time I felt this good. Tomorrow we would begin meticulously compiling the case against Nicholas Jenks: interrogating him, accumulating more evidence, filling out report after report. But we had done it. We had caught him just as I had hoped we eventually would. I had fulfilled the promise I made to Melanie Brandt that horrible night in the Mandarin Suite at the Grand Hyatt. I felt proud of myself. Whatever happened with Negli's, even if I never made lieutenant, no one could take this away. I got up, stepped over to the freestanding blackboard that listed the cases we were working on. Under "Open Cases," somewhere near the top, was her name: Melanie Brandt. I took the eraser and rubbed her name, then her husband's, until they disappeared, until the blue smear of chalk was no more. "I bet you that feels good," Raleigh's voice sounded behind me. I turned. He was there, looking smug. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "So late." "Thought I'd straighten up Roth's desk, steal a few brownie points," he said. "What do you think, Lindsay? I came to find you." We were in a corner of the squad room, and there was no one around. He never had to move. I went to him. Nothing in the way. No reason to deny this. I kissed him. Not like before. Not just to let Chris know I was interested. I kissed him the way I had wanted him to kiss me that night in Cleveland. I wanted to steal the breath right out of him. I wanted to say, I wanted to do this from the first time I saw you. When we finally pulled apart, he repeated with a smile, "Like I said, I bet that feels good." It did feel good. Right now, it all felt good. It also felt unavoidable. "What're your plans?" I smiled at him. "How loosely are we talking?" "Specifically, right now. Tonight. The next several hours, at least." "I thought I would come back, straighten Cheery's desk, and see if you wanted me to take you home." "Let me get my purse."