Sunset Beach(38)

“Hey!” a man’s soft voice called from the beach. She walked over and saw Corey, her new friend. He’d changed into walking shorts and a white tee and was holding a package in his hand. “I brought you something. But I can come back another time if I’m disturbing you.”

“No, no,” Drue replied. “Come on up. I was just getting ready to turn off the lights and head to bed.”

His footsteps shook the weathered deck boards. When he grew closer, she saw he was holding a roll of some kind of tape.

“This is K-tape,” he said. “Kinesiology tape. We use it in the clinic to stabilize joints. I’ve always got rolls of it in my car and at the condo. Tools of the trade. I thought, if you want, I could show you how to tape your knee. The knee brace would be better, but I get that it’s hot and unwieldy.”

“Oh yeah,” Drue said, gesturing for him to come into the house. “I’ve used K-tape before, when I banged up my shoulder.” She slapped her forehead. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“If you’d gone to a therapist, they would have suggested it,” Corey said. He pointed to the kitchen chair she’d just vacated. “Want to sit down and I’ll show you how it’s done?”

He knelt on the floor before her. His fingers were long and tapered and cool on her skin as he smoothed the tape in strips around her ruined knee. She wondered if this was his way of coming on to her. And what she would do if he actually was coming on to her.

But the moment passed. He stood and smiled. “And that’s how it’s done.” He produced a business card from the pocket of his navy shorts. “Here. I put my cell phone number on it. Seriously now, call me if you want to take me up on my offer for a bike ride or to go swimming. You need to start working that knee right away.”

She picked up the roll of tape and walked him out onto the dunes, watching him disappear in the moonlight.





16


After an uneventful Monday, on Tuesday Drue rushed into the bullpen at exactly 9:55 A.M. She donned her sweater and headset and sat at her desk for a minute, trying to catch her breath.

Her phone dinged. An incoming text from Ben, whose cubicle was right next to hers.

Car trouble again?

She looked over the divider. He was on the phone, listening but not typing, and looked up at her.

She nodded, sat back down and replied.

Literally driving me crazy. Every other day, OJ refuses to start. I had to LYFT to work.

“Hey.” Ben stood looking over the divider, his headset around his neck. “Want me to take a look? I’m pretty good with cars.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? I took it to a mechanic last week, but he says I need a new starter, and I just don’t have the money for something like that.”

“Replacing a starter’s a piece of cake. I can pick one up at a wrecking yard.”

“Not to rush you or anything, but when can you do it?” Drue asked.

“I just need to get to the wrecking yard and pull one, then it’s like an hour or so. I could probably get it done on Saturday.”

“And I will owe you big-time,” Drue said. The phone on her desk lit up, so she sat down and went back to work bringing justice to the people.





17


Brice’s office door was ajar. Drue knocked lightly then pushed it open the rest of the way.

Her father was leaning back in his desk chair, chatting with the firm’s in-house investigator, Jimmy Zilowicz.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t realize you were busy,” she said, starting to back out.

“Come on in,” Brice said expansively. “Zee and I were just shooting the shit.” He gestured at his guest. “You two have met, right?”

Zee lumbered to his feet. “Have we met? I was at the hospital the night this kid was born.” He took the hand Drue extended, drawing her closer for a hug.

“You remember your uncle Zee, don’t ya?” he asked, releasing her.

“Hell, Zee, she was just a little kid when her mom and I split up and they moved away. You’re not all that memorable,” Brice joked.

“I remember you and my dad taking me for doughnuts, and letting me ride in the front seat of your police cruiser, and letting me turn on the lights and sirens,” Drue said haltingly. “And I remember you making me promise not to tell my mom.”

“Yeah, seems like I was always on Sherri’s shit list,” Zee said. “For good cause, of course. Hey, I’ve been meaning to tell you, I’m sorry about your mom. We all had a lot of good times together, back in the day.” He brightened a moment. “But I’m tickled you’ve joined the firm.”

“Thank you,” Drue said.

“I’ll let you two get down to business,” Zee said. He hitched up his black trousers and nodded at his former partner before leaving.

Brice stood up too. “I’m glad you came by. Wendy’s got her book club tonight, so I’m batching it. How about you let me buy you dinner? There’s a little place over on Central Avenue I like, we can get a pizza and split it, if that’s okay with you,” Brice said. “Parking’s tight over there, but it’s only a couple blocks.”

“Okay,” Drue said. They met at the lobby door a few minutes later, and she followed him out onto the street.