Threads of Suspicion(118)
Rob smiled. “The world is indeed a very small place.”
“You’ll like David when you meet him.”
“He’s the one who came back from New York to join the team?”
“Yes. Maggie’s moving back to Chicago, which is why he made the shift.”
“Anything you need me to watch out for tonight?”
“Security has a photo of the local fan and will keep track of her movements. I don’t have a photo of the guy, so he would have to do something to attract attention, make him stand out in the crowd. I don’t expect anything like that to happen tonight, I’m just aware it could.”
Rob glanced over and looked her up and down. “I don’t think that little bag is spacious enough for a badge and gun, and those shoes definitely aren’t up for a foot chase.”
She laughed. “The place will be full of security, uniform and plainclothes cops, given the mayor and so many political types will be present. If something needs attention, I plan to yell police, let someone else handle matters. I’m truly off duty for a change,” she said, smiling her contentment.
“I’m noting this date, as that rarely happens,” Rob replied with good humor. “And if you do yell for the police, I’ll pretend I’ve never seen you before.”
They laughed together, and Evie looked at the time. The program was beginning. “I’m truly sorry we’re late again—”
“Don’t worry about it. I can’t imagine the day I care about that more than I do about you, Evie.” He reached over to squeeze her hand. “I used to be punctual to everything, good manners and all that. Then I met you and saw what it’s like for Dispatch to call you in the middle of dinner, urgently send you to the other end of the state. Or realized while I was waiting at a restaurant you were trying to disengage from a mother whose son had been murdered that afternoon. You don’t control very much of your time, Evie. You try with care and kindness to carve out pieces of your life for me. So while you have your particular job, that’s reality, and it’s an adjustment I choose to make for us. I tell people who ask us to come to an event, a party, that we would be glad to come, but we may be arriving late, and they should start the meal or program without us. If we arrive on time, they are thrilled, and if we arrive midway through the evening, they feel honored we came by.” Rob chuckled. “Without intending to, you’ve actually raised my stature simply by the fact I’m occasionally late to gatherings of important people. It harkens back to when only kings and queens dared be late.”
“I wish there was a better reason for this delay. Interviews simply produced more leads than I had anticipated, and those conversations ran long.”
“So you’re making progress finding your missing student?”
“Good progress. Right now it’s this big mix of competing theories and possibilities, but a few days of churn like this generally gets to that moment when a name rises to the surface and it’s solved.”
“I’m glad, Evie. This case matters, but it’s also got to be a good step in the right direction to be that successful on a first case with the task force.”
“Yes, for good press coverage and to give the governor political points for what could seem a personally motivated decision for this endeavor. We need cases solved to justify the investment.”
“Well, I’m glad the governor chose you to serve on it. You’re good at this work.”
As it turned out, they weren’t all that late. Rob let the hotel’s valet park the car and pulled her arm through his as they made their way toward the hotel entrance. Evie was vividly aware of those behind the rope line straining to see each new vehicle’s occupants emerging, hoping to see someone famous. She almost laughed at their disappointment when they recognized neither her nor her escort. She did a quick search of their faces but didn’t see Lynne. Maggie should be backstage by this time, so her absence wasn’t a surprise.
Evie tried to ignore the attention her red dress captured as they entered the ballroom. Or more likely it’s Rob, she thought with a little smile at him. A hostess discreetly led them to the front of the packed room. They were getting extra attention, both because of their late arrival and all the guests who knew Rob. Evie stopped counting after several dozen raised a glass or said hello to him. She spotted David talking with a security official in the front of the room.
The round tables seated eight, and Rob’s parents sat beside a state senator and his wife. Four empty chairs formed the other half circle, Evie’s and Rob’s names at two of them.