Part 17 (1/2)
As soon as they got upstairs, Dustin fired up his cell. ”This is Brandt. We're heading your way.”
Startled at his officious tone, Katrina angled her body toward him. ”Please tell me there's not a whole team watching me.”
”There's not a whole team watching you.”
His delivery left Katrina feeling unconvinced. ”Really?”
He shrugged. ”We take care of our own, Trina. You're Legato's sister and Rossetti's sub. That makes you doubly ours.”
Did that mean her interaction with Starr had been witnessed? She wasn't ready for Keith to know that, not until she had all the details behind his sister's case.
Before she could say anything more, she heard someone calling to her. Aaron hailed her from across the lobby. He hustled toward her, a stack of files tucked under his arm.
”Katrina. Glad I caught you. I was packing up for the day when I noticed you'd left some files on your desk again.” He handed over a stack of folders.
She hadn't left them on her desk-she'd made it a point to check-and they weren't the kinds of things she would normally take home anyway. For the most part, she kept everything she needed on her laptop because it was much easier to transport and access. But she didn't want to rain on Aaron's inept thoughtfulness.
”Thanks.” She took the files and shoved them into her already bulging briefcase. As she did, she noticed that many of them weren't relevant to her current caseload. The situation was puzzling, but a waiting Keith came first. ”Got any big plans this weekend?”
Aaron usually packed his weekends full of activities. He was an avid hiker. He also liked to camp, and he was known to travel great distances just for a concert or two. He grimaced. ”I promised I'd help my mom clean out her bas.e.m.e.nt. She's calling in the favor, so I'm going to be trapped in a h.o.a.rder's paradise for two days. Actually, I'm going to get a head start tonight. As long as she doesn't throw a fit when I try to toss out garbage, it shouldn't be too bad.”
Katrina laid a sympathetic hand on his arm. ”Rent a Dumpster. They haul it away for you.”
He laughed, the pathetic sound of a man who knew he was about to embark on a useless endeavor, and then he greeted Dustin. ”Agent Brandt, how are you?”
Dustin nodded a polite greeting. ”Can't complain, especially not now that I know what you're doing this weekend. Good luck with that.”
A few stragglers rushed through the lobby, confirming the lateness of the afternoon. The strange pull in her gut signaled a need for Keith. It had been too long since she'd seen him.
Aaron scratched at a spot on his forehead. ”Thanks. I need to get going. I'd offer to walk you to the parking garage, but I can see you're already well guarded.”
As he walked away, she debated steering Dustin toward the elevators so she could return the files, but she reasoned that Aaron would notice that she wasn't bringing them back the next morning, and that might hurt his feelings. He'd gone out of his way to bring them to her. ”Are you finished for the day?” Dustin's question held no judgment or warning to hurry. ”Did you get what you needed from downstairs?”
Across the empty lobby, she spied Jordan speaking on his cell phone. He nodded at her and Dustin but made no move to join them. After several seconds, the elevators opened. He ended his call and stepped inside. Katrina didn't envy him or whomever he had to meet after the end of a long workday.
She didn't want to be the cause of Dustin having to pull a later night at work. ”Yes and sort of. I can dig a little deeper tomorrow.”
They turned toward the exit nearest the parking garage. As she did, her heavier briefcase slipped from her hand. It hit the floor with a dull thud, and the files fanned out across the s.h.i.+ny terrazzo tiles.
”c.r.a.p.” The last thing she needed was another delay. Keith was probably waiting for her at home.
Dustin knelt down and helped her gather the files. He read the name of the nearest one. ”Snyder. I didn't think you were still on that case.”
Katrina shook her head. She'd been removed from that case months ago. Chief Alder had cited the personal nature of her a.s.sociation with several witnesses. She'd meant that her relations.h.i.+ps with Malcolm and Darcy could present a conflict of interest. ”Aaron means well, but most of these aren't even tangentially related to cases I'm working. I worry for him.”
Picking up the next file, Dustin frowned. ”Friedman. I thought that case was eyes-only right now. It's an active investigation.”
As far as Katrina knew, Dustin was correct. It was on the tip of her tongue to suggest returning the files, but visions of Keith beckoned. ”I'll keep hold of them and return them in the morning.”
She needed to seriously consider whether to inform the chief of this development. It could mean grave repercussions for somebody, and that gave her pause. What if they'd ended up on her desk as part of an honest mistake? She had no idea how that might have happened, but at least they were safe in her custody.
Dustin made small talk with her until they reached the row where her car was parked. Though she could only make out his outline in the dim structure, she knew it was Keith leaning against her car with one foot propped on the rear b.u.mper.
”He looks angry.”
If Dustin heard the worry in her tone, he didn't react to it. ”You made him wait.”
That knot of longing drawing her to him turned into apprehension. The text she'd sent him hadn't been detailed, nor had it included a time that he should expect her. ”He didn't have to wait.”
Dustin snorted. ”Seriously, Trina? You think he'd just leave you here?”
”You're here.” According to him, she'd had a tail the whole day. It wasn't like Keith was part of the detail a.s.signed to her case. n.o.body was. As she went through the arguments in her head, she knew none of them would hold up.
So did Dustin. He didn't bother to reply.
They stopped behind her car. Keith's hard stare had her dropping her gaze to fasten it on the concrete floor.
”She had her face buried in the visitor sheets at the county jail.”
From the periphery of her vision, she saw Keith nod. He held out his hand, and the two men shook. ”Thanks. I'll take it from here.”
She felt a little like a prisoner being transferred from state to federal custody. Should she thank Dustin for the escort, or would that only get her in trouble for speaking when she wasn't supposed to? She glanced up, looking to Keith for any kind of signal as to what she should do.
Dustin took care of the problem. He pulled her in for a big hug and a brotherly kiss on the cheek. ”Take care, Trina. Hopefully tomorrow isn't a day where you have to spend a lot of time sitting.”
With that inspiring comment, Dustin left her alone with Keith.
She returned her gaze to the floor and tried to remain as still as possible. Defensive arguments ran through her head. Arming herself intellectually against anything he might say only made her tenser.
Finally she could stand it no longer. ”I'm sorry. I should have let you know how long I'd be.”
He crushed her in his arms, holding her so tight she thought she'd suffocate. ”I know there are days when you'll have to work late, and there will be plenty of times I won't be able to meet you like this to make sure you're safe.”
It was amazing that he'd been able to do it four days in a row. Malcolm was never this consistent, and his lateness was always due to work. Keith must have pulled a lot of strings to be able to watch her this closely.
”But I could at least let you know where I am and when I expect to be done.” She wasn't sure how much he understood with her face buried in his chest. The white s.h.i.+rt he wore would likely bear some imprint of what was left of her makeup after this long day.
”That would be thoughtful.” He released her a little. She inhaled fresh, oxygenated air.
”Have I earned a punishment?”
The pensiveness of his stare made her feel funny. She was afraid he would refuse to punish her and nervous that he would. Sometime in the past week, she'd come to need that certainty. A simple spanking had the ability to turn her on and chase away her guilt.
For so many years, she'd carried around guilt for deeds great and small. When she said something that somebody took wrong, even though she apologized, she would feel bad about it for weeks afterward. If she disappointed someone or if she pa.s.sed up a chance to do something thoughtful for another person, the moment would replay in her mind, haunting her at those times when she was most vulnerable, like when she was about to fall asleep.
Certainly she'd messed up with Keith. It wasn't possible to know every single expectation or custom until they'd been together for a while. They'd been friends for years, but not like this.