Stone shrugged. "I thought you'd be pleased, progress is finally being made. This thing might see a courtroom before the end of the year, after all."
Pierce pushed back from his chair and took his empty coffee mug to the sink.
"Well, that's one thing," he agreed, and I watched stunned as Stone's shoulders relaxed. Just a smidgeon. I only noticed because my eyes hadn't left the man once. But that simple, barely there movement, let me know how much he needed a return to their previous - I was guessing, easy-going - relationship. He was relieved to have the Pierce he knew back.
In that moment I realised this man cared for Pierce, and that was probably why his reaction earlier was so over the top.
"But there's no need for you to stick around," Ryan said, turning back to look at Stone. "ASI's got Marie and her daughter covered for now."
"So you being here was just a coincidence?" Stone asked, and although his tone was light, it didn't hide the pertinence of his question.
Pierce let out a huff of air; a semi-laugh. "Yeah, coincidence," he agreed.
Stone's gaze shifted to my face and the jovial exterior of second's before dropped. "Well, maybe a change of scene is called for, then. Too many coincidences cannot be a good thing, I'm thinking."
He held my gaze for a few moments and then stood from the table, leaving his untouched coffee cup where I'd placed it.
"I'll catch you at the station afterwards," he directed to Pierce.
"I may be tied up with the Prosecutor for the rest of the day."
"Then I'll catch you for a beer later," Stone persisted, and I got the distinct impression the man was trying to make sure Pierce didn't return here.
"Yeah, all right," Pierce agreed, but I was thinking he only did it because there was no arguing with Stone right now.
"Good," the other detective said, walking to the back door. "Mrs Costello," he added, nodding to me and then he was gone.
Both Pierce and I waited for his car to start out in the driveway, and the roll of the tyres to reach us, as he reversed down the side of the house.
"Mrs Costello," I said under my breath, once the vehicle was certain to be gone. Detective Stone had not been won over at all.
"I'd better let Nick know what's happening," Pierce said quietly, eyes on the backyard, determinedly not looking in my direction.
I wanted to ask if he was still with me, still on the same page. But his refusal to meet my eyes made the words stick in my throat, swamp my tongue. Until even breathing became a little difficult.
"There'll be no retrieval of the ledger tonight," he added after a pause.
"OK," I said, my eyes willing him to turn around and face me, face this cloud that hung above us and threatened to darken whatever it had been that we'd shared.
"OK," he repeated back, but his tone meant something else entirely.
A second. Two. Then he sucked in a deep breath and simply walked from the room. Not even glancing in my direction once.
Chapter 18
I Guess I'd Just Been Told, Hadn't I?
"Tequila," Kelly announced into the silence that had met my description of Stone's, Pierce's and my kitchen showdown.
"That's your answer to everything, "Abi offered.
"And a damn fine one it is," Kelly shot back.
"I can't drink tequila," Gen pointed out. "But I'd settle for a large tub of chocolate chip ice-cream instead."
"Tequila and chocolate chip ice-cream then," Kelly suggested. "Or better yet, tequila flavoured ice-cream. Now there's a fan-fucking-tastic idea!"
"Amen, sister," Abi agreed, offering a hand up for Kelly to high five.
"I'd just settle for this to all be over," I supplied, from my corner of the room.
We were in the lounge, spread out on every surface. Eva had left Daisy with Adam in the garage, fixing up something of Ben's she'd said, and sat on the armchair, cowgirl hat pushed back, eyes closed as she listened in our conversation. Or maybe hummed a tune in her head. Abi and Kelly sat on the two seater, side by side like terrible twins. And Gen stretched out on the recliner, rubbing her slightly rounded belly affectionately while everyone talked, or just gawked at me as I relayed Stone's hard faced insinuations, my devious ploy to misdirect, and Ryan's total shut-down in the end.
Yeah, over would be a good thing. No more 'case'. No more tattooed freak chasing us down. No more danger. Then maybe Pierce wouldn't feel the need to run as soon as his co-worker butted his sandy blond haired head into our business.
"I thought he'd stand up to him," I admitted out of nowhere.
"But didn't you want Ryan to play along?" Gen asked softly.
"He was following your lead," Abi offered, again gently, as though they all thought I was about to self-combust.