“So, he was out of town, huh?” Oliver gave me a smug look. “Funny. I heard a rumor saying the same thing. I guess he’s been busy.”
“He wasn’t happy about it. He lost the coin toss, though. It was between him and Redmond. He really didn’t want to go.” Cormack slid his gaze to me, but I refused to meet his somber orbs. “I think he had something else he wanted to do here. He’s back now, though, so don’t be surprised if he drops in.”
“Oh, I won’t be surprised.” Oliver grinned. “I’m looking forward to seeing him again. You are, too, right?” He looked to me for confirmation but I refused to answer the question.
“If something else pops up, I’ll call you,” I said to Cormack. “Until then ... I don’t know what else to do.”
“That makes two of us.”
Three
“What about this one?” Hours later, as I sorted through the files Cormack had emailed, I pulled up information on a woman who worked at the main office. It was almost time to call it a day, but I thought I should at least feign interest in hiring someone after Cormack’s admonishment.
Oliver slid his gaze from the screen he was watching and looked at the photograph I pulled up. He immediately cringed, which caused me to shift in my chair. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I ... nothing.” He focused on his computer. “The Grimlocks sent their missing load from last night. I’m guessing Cormack got on Braden.”
Mention of Braden’s name made me grit my teeth. I knew exactly what he was doing ... and I didn’t like it. “That’s good. What’s wrong with this chick? Her name is Annemarie. That’s one word. I love it when something that’s supposed to be two words is turned into one word. That means she’s efficient.”
Oliver scowled. “I think you should keep looking.”
“Why?”
“Because ... well, actually, I don’t want to influence your decision. If you want to hire her, it’s completely up to you.”
“Really?” He didn’t say anything, so I read further into the file. “It says here she’s been in the reaper office for ten years. That means she has experience and is probably unlikely to panic under fire. Although ... .” I trailed off as I kept reading.
“Do you think Braden will call you or will he arrange some accidental meet-up so he can romance you that way?” Oliver queried.
I pretended I didn’t hear him. “I’m somewhat concerned that she’s had six positions in the main office in ten years. That probably indicates she has personality issues, wouldn’t you say?”
“You know who has personality issues but still manages to be charming?” Oliver challenged. “Braden Grimlock. I mean ... that guy is all sorts of morose, and yet he makes you smile. I kind of like him.”
That did it. I lost my temper and slammed my hand on the desk. “Stop bringing up Braden!”
Oliver’s smirk was sly. “I was simply trying to carry on a conversation. Obviously you’re not comfortable with that conversation. I apologize. It’s hell when a conversation is uncomfortable, isn’t it?”
Oh, I had his number. “This is about me questioning you regarding my parents, right?”
“Did I say that?”
“No, but I’m not an idiot.”
“You’re very far from an idiot,” he agreed. “I like that about you. Even as a child you were smart. In fact, one day your father was having a meltdown because there was a computer glitch and you told him to chill out and fixed it within about two minutes. You were five at the time.”
I turned to him, surprised. “I did?”
He nodded. “You were always a smart cookie. You were also a pusher. You demanded what you wanted out of life even at a young age. Sometimes it’s best to wait.”
“I have waited. It’s been twenty years. I was taken from this place right after it happened ... and I don’t remember. There are flashes here and there, and I know something horrible went down that night, but I can’t remember. Do you know how horrible that is?”
Oliver opened his mouth to answer, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond.
“I love my grandfather,” I continued. “I really do. He was good to me ... and taught me things ... and loved me. It’s not the same life I would’ve lived with my parents, though, and that hurts.”
Oliver sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “I’m not trying to hide them from you. It’s just ... I don’t know that dwelling on the past is good for you. They’re your parents and I’m sure your grandfather has filled you with fond memories of them. What if I say something that ruins those memories?”
I knit my eyebrows. “Do you know something that could ruin those memories?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to be the person who somehow screws up what you do remember. I mean ... we spent a lot of time together when you were little. Like ... a lot. You don’t remember me. For some reason, you’ve blocked out that part of your life. I have to believe you’ve done it for a reason.”
I watched him for a long beat. “I need to know the truth. Don’t you understand that? There’s a hole in my heart where they should be and I want to fill it.”
“Is that why you’re hiding from Braden? Are you afraid he’ll fill it before you get your answers?”
The question frustrated me. “Why are you so fixated on Braden?”
“Because you are.”
“I am not.” My response came out shriller than I expected and I struggled to adjust my tone. “Seriously, he’s just a man. We worked together on one case. It’s behind me. Nothing happened. I’ve moved on. I don’t see why you can’t do the same.”
“First, you haven’t moved on.” Oliver leaned back in his chair, laced his fingers and put them behind his head as he met my challenging gaze. “You like him. You can admit it. It’s weird for me because I knew you as a child, but I’m familiar with the Grimlocks. Braden was always the most annoying of the group, but he’s matured. I think he might be good for you.”
I absolutely hated this conversation. “I didn’t come here to get involved with someone. I came here for answers.”
“Fair enough.” He held his hands up. “The thing is, I believe that you can do more than one thing while you’re here. You might not have come for him, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have him all the same.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“You know what I find interesting about that statement? You didn’t say I was wrong. You said you didn’t think it was a good idea. That means you’ve considered it.”
“I haven’t.”
“I think you’re lying.”
“Yeah, well ... I don’t really care what you think.” Suddenly antsy, I hopped to my feet. “I’m done for the day. I’m going to run upstairs and make sure the police crew and medical examiner’s team cleared out and didn’t leave anything behind. You can be done, too.”