“I’m sorry…? What!” Flack exclaimed.
“Just lie down on the floor,” Lindsay pressed.
Taylor closed her eyes. There was that much blood rushing to her face she was sure that she could heat the city for the rest of the week. She could hear Flack grumbling, as he lay down on the floor.
“Right, now, Taylor, I want you to climb on top of him.”
That was it. What she had been expecting and dreading Lindsay to say. “Why me?” Taylor squeaked, peaking her eyes open to look at Lindsay.
Lindsay rolled her eyes, “Well Flack is obviously the same size and height as the vic, and you’re the closest match to Lucinda. And that makes it a fairer test then it would to use me. Now quit complaining and get on top of Flack.”
Taylor let out a reluctant sigh and did as requested, easing herself slowly onto Flack’s stomach.
“Well, what happened between you two last night?” Danny drawled from the doorway.
If looks could have killed, Taylor would have been standing trial for murdering Danny at that moment. “Is there something we can help you with, Messer?” she growled.
Danny smirked at her. “I came to ask Montana where she put the Rowher file, but I think I’ll just watch whatever it is you two are up to.”
“Trying to prove our suspect wrong,” explained Lindsay as she filled Danny in, a smile playing across her face. Taylor shut her eyes, trying to look anywhere other than in front of her.
Danny laughed, “I don’t know how you two normally have sex, but I’m pretty certain the angles are all wrong there.”
Taylor could feel Flack shift uncomfortably beneath her. “Shut it, Messer,” he told him.
“Can we just hurry this up,” Taylor muttered.
“Don’t tell me you have something better to do than sit on Flack all day, Tay?” Danny joked.
“Alright!” exclaimed Taylor as she started to get to her feet. “Forget it.”
“Hey, hey, I was just joking,” said Danny, holding his hands out.
“Come on, Taylor,” Flack muttered beneath her, grabbing her hand, “Danny’s just being Danny.
Taylor sighed, not wanting to tell him that the real reason she wanted to get off him was she was having really… naughty… mental images, thanks to the look-a-like. Instead she just settled back down. “Fine. What do you want me to do?”
Lindsay handed her a small inflatable ring. “Smother him.” Flack and Taylor both stared at her. “Well, obviously don’t smother smother him. Just try. And Flack, you try and push her off. We’re using a ring so that you can actually breathe.”
“You know, this isn’t what I had in mind when I agreed to this,” Flack told her.
Taylor knew as soon as the look was shared between Lindsay and Danny that she wasn’t going to like it.
“Well,” said Lindsay, “If you really want to, you can role play the before, if you want?”
That was it: Taylor was now on trial for a double homicide.
“What are you talking about?”Flack asked. And then he realised exactly what Lindsay had been talking about. “Funny, Linds. How about we let you and Danny do that?”
Taylor shot Flack a glare as Lindsay and Danny shifted uncomfortably.
“How about you just hurry up and smother Flack,” Danny told her.
Taylor shrugged and placed the ring over Flack so that his mouth and nose weren’t covered. She tried hard to keep the ring in place, but before she knew it, he had knocked the ring out of her hands and flipped her over, pinning her underneath him.
Taylor stared up into his eyes, which had turned a darker shade of blue, and fought with herself, unsuccessfully, to not turn red.
Behind them, Danny cleared his throat and the two of them turned to face him. Danny was just standing there, grinning like a Cheshire cat, as Flack suddenly leapt up off her. “I think she’s telling the truth,” he said.
Lindsay sighed. “It does look like an accidental death.”
“What if he was drunk?” Taylor asked, still lying on the floor. “As in plastered.”
“Well, I suppose if he was really drunk, she could have pulled it off, no problem,” Lindsay mused.
“Well, it turns out he was,” said Marty, appearing in the room holding a folder. He looked down at Taylor. “Any reason why you’re down there?”
“Lost a battle with gravity,” she shrugged, causing Marty to grin at her.
“Toxicology report is back. Scott was nearly four times the legal limit.”
“Drunk enough to be unconscious,” smiled Taylor.
“How did you know that?” Lindsay asked her.
‘Scott showed me?” Taylor offered.
“Taylor,” Lindsay groaned.
“Just lie down on the floor,” Lindsay pressed.
Taylor closed her eyes. There was that much blood rushing to her face she was sure that she could heat the city for the rest of the week. She could hear Flack grumbling, as he lay down on the floor.
“Right, now, Taylor, I want you to climb on top of him.”
That was it. What she had been expecting and dreading Lindsay to say. “Why me?” Taylor squeaked, peaking her eyes open to look at Lindsay.
Lindsay rolled her eyes, “Well Flack is obviously the same size and height as the vic, and you’re the closest match to Lucinda. And that makes it a fairer test then it would to use me. Now quit complaining and get on top of Flack.”
Taylor let out a reluctant sigh and did as requested, easing herself slowly onto Flack’s stomach.
“Well, what happened between you two last night?” Danny drawled from the doorway.
If looks could have killed, Taylor would have been standing trial for murdering Danny at that moment. “Is there something we can help you with, Messer?” she growled.
Danny smirked at her. “I came to ask Montana where she put the Rowher file, but I think I’ll just watch whatever it is you two are up to.”
“Trying to prove our suspect wrong,” explained Lindsay as she filled Danny in, a smile playing across her face. Taylor shut her eyes, trying to look anywhere other than in front of her.
Danny laughed, “I don’t know how you two normally have sex, but I’m pretty certain the angles are all wrong there.”
Taylor could feel Flack shift uncomfortably beneath her. “Shut it, Messer,” he told him.
“Can we just hurry this up,” Taylor muttered.
“Don’t tell me you have something better to do than sit on Flack all day, Tay?” Danny joked.
“Alright!” exclaimed Taylor as she started to get to her feet. “Forget it.”
“Hey, hey, I was just joking,” said Danny, holding his hands out.
“Come on, Taylor,” Flack muttered beneath her, grabbing her hand, “Danny’s just being Danny.
Taylor sighed, not wanting to tell him that the real reason she wanted to get off him was she was having really… naughty… mental images, thanks to the look-a-like. Instead she just settled back down. “Fine. What do you want me to do?”
Lindsay handed her a small inflatable ring. “Smother him.” Flack and Taylor both stared at her. “Well, obviously don’t smother smother him. Just try. And Flack, you try and push her off. We’re using a ring so that you can actually breathe.”
“You know, this isn’t what I had in mind when I agreed to this,” Flack told her.
Taylor knew as soon as the look was shared between Lindsay and Danny that she wasn’t going to like it.
“Well,” said Lindsay, “If you really want to, you can role play the before, if you want?”
That was it: Taylor was now on trial for a double homicide.
“What are you talking about?”Flack asked. And then he realised exactly what Lindsay had been talking about. “Funny, Linds. How about we let you and Danny do that?”
Taylor shot Flack a glare as Lindsay and Danny shifted uncomfortably.
“How about you just hurry up and smother Flack,” Danny told her.
Taylor shrugged and placed the ring over Flack so that his mouth and nose weren’t covered. She tried hard to keep the ring in place, but before she knew it, he had knocked the ring out of her hands and flipped her over, pinning her underneath him.
Taylor stared up into his eyes, which had turned a darker shade of blue, and fought with herself, unsuccessfully, to not turn red.
Behind them, Danny cleared his throat and the two of them turned to face him. Danny was just standing there, grinning like a Cheshire cat, as Flack suddenly leapt up off her. “I think she’s telling the truth,” he said.
Lindsay sighed. “It does look like an accidental death.”
“What if he was drunk?” Taylor asked, still lying on the floor. “As in plastered.”
“Well, I suppose if he was really drunk, she could have pulled it off, no problem,” Lindsay mused.
“Well, it turns out he was,” said Marty, appearing in the room holding a folder. He looked down at Taylor. “Any reason why you’re down there?”
“Lost a battle with gravity,” she shrugged, causing Marty to grin at her.
“Toxicology report is back. Scott was nearly four times the legal limit.”
“Drunk enough to be unconscious,” smiled Taylor.
“How did you know that?” Lindsay asked her.
‘Scott showed me?” Taylor offered.
“Taylor,” Lindsay groaned.
* * *
“Taylor?” Mac called from behind her.
She had been following Lindsay and Flack to the interview room to watch them arrest Lucinda, when Mac had popped his head around the door to his office, calling down the corridor. All three of them stopped and turned, “Yes?” Taylor called back.
“Phone.”
Taylor frowned, “What? Where?”
Mac looked at her. “Captain Turner?”
Taylor paled. “What’s dad doing calling here? Is everything all right?”
Mac nodded,. “I think so. He seems a little angry though.”
“What have I done?” she muttered to herself as she hurried over to Mac’s office, letting Lindsay and Flack carry on without her. She hurried over to the phone.
“I’ll leave you alone, Mac told her as he left, shutting the door behind him.
Taylor picked up the phone, “Dad? Is everything all right?”
“You tell me? Why on earth are you at a crime lab?”
“I kind of help here,” Taylor admitted, shrugging.
“Taylor, I have been trying to get hold of you all afternoon. Why aren’t you answering your cell phone? And furthermore, what do you mean you help out with the crime lab? It was my understanding that you were a journalist and that didn’t involve any reporting or undercover work.”
Taylor sighed, “I… it helps me with my column, dad.”
“Taylor, if I find out that you’ve gotten yourself into any trouble-”
“Dad, I’m fine. I’m sorry about my cell. The battery must have died, or something. Why did you want me in the first place?”
“I was calling to finalise the plans for this weekend. Are you still available to meet?” he asked her.
Taylor nodded, and then realised that he couldn’t see her. “Yes, sir.”
“0900 hours on the 29th. There will be a presentation being put on for the children by the marines. I will meet you by that.”
“Yes, sir,” Taylor agreed, happily.
“And we will finish this conversation off then.”
The smile fell from Taylor’s face. “Yes, sir. I love you, daddy.”
“I love you too, sweetheart”
Taylor listened to the click before she hung up herself and leant back in Mac’s chair with a sigh. As she glanced around his office, looking at the various pictures and memorabilia from his days as a marine, her attention was caught by some pictures attached to one of his glass walls.
She got up and made her way over. They were of cold cases, by the looks of things. Cold cases of unsolved rapes. Clearly the attorney from this morning had stuck a cord with Mac. She was busy noting how there was a lack of evidence in the cases when Mac walked back in.
“Unsolved rape cases,” Mac told her.
Taylor nodded. “What made you look into them?”
“Mac sighed. “If I can’t solve a case, it goes onto a pile on my desk,” he told her, indicating to the corner of his desk, where, sure enough, there were about ten or so eggshell files. “One of those was a rape case from a year ago.”
“I this anything to do with the attorney who was hassling you this morning?” Taylor asked, carefully, not wanting to upset him.
Mac nodded. “His client is a suspect in that case.”
“Mac, if you don’t mind me asking, why is this case so important to you?” Taylor continued.
“I made a promise, and I want to keep it.” He frowned, but continued. “This case here,” he pointed to a woman in one of the photos. “This made its way to my desk two days ago.”
“You think it’s that Pratt guy?”
Mac nodded, “I do. I just don’t have any substantial evidence to prove it.”
Behind them, there was a knock on the door. It was Adam, carrying a stack of files. “These are the DNA results from all the open rape cases in the city. None of them come back to DJ Pratt, but there are five cases where the evidence was either degraded or nonexistent. One has a similar MO.”
Mac frowned. “Maybe Pratt, but maybe not. You can leave those, thanks, Adam,” he told him, pointing to his desk. “Good night.”
Adam turned to leave, but paused in the doorway. “You’re going to catch this guy – I know it. Good night.”
“Goodnight,” Taylor and Mac called as he left.
Taylor laid her hand on Mac’s shoulder. “He’s right, you know. You’ll get him. I know you will.”
“Thank you, Taylor.”
Taylor smiled, “I mean it.”
“I know you do. Good night.”
“Night, Mac. Don’t stay up all night.”
She had been following Lindsay and Flack to the interview room to watch them arrest Lucinda, when Mac had popped his head around the door to his office, calling down the corridor. All three of them stopped and turned, “Yes?” Taylor called back.
“Phone.”
Taylor frowned, “What? Where?”
Mac looked at her. “Captain Turner?”
Taylor paled. “What’s dad doing calling here? Is everything all right?”
Mac nodded,. “I think so. He seems a little angry though.”
“What have I done?” she muttered to herself as she hurried over to Mac’s office, letting Lindsay and Flack carry on without her. She hurried over to the phone.
“I’ll leave you alone, Mac told her as he left, shutting the door behind him.
Taylor picked up the phone, “Dad? Is everything all right?”
“You tell me? Why on earth are you at a crime lab?”
“I kind of help here,” Taylor admitted, shrugging.
“Taylor, I have been trying to get hold of you all afternoon. Why aren’t you answering your cell phone? And furthermore, what do you mean you help out with the crime lab? It was my understanding that you were a journalist and that didn’t involve any reporting or undercover work.”
Taylor sighed, “I… it helps me with my column, dad.”
“Taylor, if I find out that you’ve gotten yourself into any trouble-”
“Dad, I’m fine. I’m sorry about my cell. The battery must have died, or something. Why did you want me in the first place?”
“I was calling to finalise the plans for this weekend. Are you still available to meet?” he asked her.
Taylor nodded, and then realised that he couldn’t see her. “Yes, sir.”
“0900 hours on the 29th. There will be a presentation being put on for the children by the marines. I will meet you by that.”
“Yes, sir,” Taylor agreed, happily.
“And we will finish this conversation off then.”
The smile fell from Taylor’s face. “Yes, sir. I love you, daddy.”
“I love you too, sweetheart”
Taylor listened to the click before she hung up herself and leant back in Mac’s chair with a sigh. As she glanced around his office, looking at the various pictures and memorabilia from his days as a marine, her attention was caught by some pictures attached to one of his glass walls.
She got up and made her way over. They were of cold cases, by the looks of things. Cold cases of unsolved rapes. Clearly the attorney from this morning had stuck a cord with Mac. She was busy noting how there was a lack of evidence in the cases when Mac walked back in.
“Unsolved rape cases,” Mac told her.
Taylor nodded. “What made you look into them?”
“Mac sighed. “If I can’t solve a case, it goes onto a pile on my desk,” he told her, indicating to the corner of his desk, where, sure enough, there were about ten or so eggshell files. “One of those was a rape case from a year ago.”
“I this anything to do with the attorney who was hassling you this morning?” Taylor asked, carefully, not wanting to upset him.
Mac nodded. “His client is a suspect in that case.”
“Mac, if you don’t mind me asking, why is this case so important to you?” Taylor continued.
“I made a promise, and I want to keep it.” He frowned, but continued. “This case here,” he pointed to a woman in one of the photos. “This made its way to my desk two days ago.”
“You think it’s that Pratt guy?”
Mac nodded, “I do. I just don’t have any substantial evidence to prove it.”
Behind them, there was a knock on the door. It was Adam, carrying a stack of files. “These are the DNA results from all the open rape cases in the city. None of them come back to DJ Pratt, but there are five cases where the evidence was either degraded or nonexistent. One has a similar MO.”
Mac frowned. “Maybe Pratt, but maybe not. You can leave those, thanks, Adam,” he told him, pointing to his desk. “Good night.”
Adam turned to leave, but paused in the doorway. “You’re going to catch this guy – I know it. Good night.”
“Goodnight,” Taylor and Mac called as he left.
Taylor laid her hand on Mac’s shoulder. “He’s right, you know. You’ll get him. I know you will.”
“Thank you, Taylor.”
Taylor smiled, “I mean it.”
“I know you do. Good night.”
“Night, Mac. Don’t stay up all night.”
* * *
Taylor was at her locker, grabbing her things, when Maddy and Scott made an appearance. This time, thankfully, Scott was fully dressed in white. “Thanks,” he told her. “And, um, sorry.”
Taylor blushed, “It’s not your fault. People don’t die fully clothed all the time.”
“That’s true,” Scott agreed, “But it couldn’t have helped when I looked like the guy you like.”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “Who said I liked him?” Scott jabbed a thumb in Maddy’s direction. “If you weren’t dead-” Taylor growled at her friend.
“I would be having words with Detective Flack, so don’t give me that,” Maddy shot back.
“However, that’s not why I was apologising,” Scott interrupted.
Taylor looked suspiciously at him, but before she could ask him what he was talking about, he had received a nasty jab in the side from Maddy.
“And on that note, we’re leaving,” said Maddy hurriedly.
“Wait, what do you mean by that?” But it was too late – they were gone. Taylor sighed – she was certain life wasn’t about to get any easier any time soon. She shut her locker, when she heard her cell phone ringing. She opened the door back up and found it in the bottom of the locker, complete with several missed calls – so that was why she hadn’t heard it ringing.
She glanced down at the caller ID and frowned – it was Flack. “Hello.”
“Hi Taylor… it’s Flack… Don… Flack.”
“Hello Flack Don Flack.” The frown was in no hurry to leave her face – what was wrong with him? He was acting weird.
“Uh, it’s Flack.”
“Yeah, we established that,” Taylor nodded. “What’s the matter?”
“Um, I was wondering, could you come and meet me?”
“Why?” she asked, suspiciously.
“I, uh… can you just come to the diner on the corner of 62nd?” Taylor shrugged, even though Flack couldn’t see it, but before she could either agree or disagree, he had hung up on her.
Taylor stared at the phone and headed out, calling her voicemail on the way to the diner to listen to the numerous, none-too-happy messages left by her father.
Taylor blushed, “It’s not your fault. People don’t die fully clothed all the time.”
“That’s true,” Scott agreed, “But it couldn’t have helped when I looked like the guy you like.”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “Who said I liked him?” Scott jabbed a thumb in Maddy’s direction. “If you weren’t dead-” Taylor growled at her friend.
“I would be having words with Detective Flack, so don’t give me that,” Maddy shot back.
“However, that’s not why I was apologising,” Scott interrupted.
Taylor looked suspiciously at him, but before she could ask him what he was talking about, he had received a nasty jab in the side from Maddy.
“And on that note, we’re leaving,” said Maddy hurriedly.
“Wait, what do you mean by that?” But it was too late – they were gone. Taylor sighed – she was certain life wasn’t about to get any easier any time soon. She shut her locker, when she heard her cell phone ringing. She opened the door back up and found it in the bottom of the locker, complete with several missed calls – so that was why she hadn’t heard it ringing.
She glanced down at the caller ID and frowned – it was Flack. “Hello.”
“Hi Taylor… it’s Flack… Don… Flack.”
“Hello Flack Don Flack.” The frown was in no hurry to leave her face – what was wrong with him? He was acting weird.
“Uh, it’s Flack.”
“Yeah, we established that,” Taylor nodded. “What’s the matter?”
“Um, I was wondering, could you come and meet me?”
“Why?” she asked, suspiciously.
“I, uh… can you just come to the diner on the corner of 62nd?” Taylor shrugged, even though Flack couldn’t see it, but before she could either agree or disagree, he had hung up on her.
Taylor stared at the phone and headed out, calling her voicemail on the way to the diner to listen to the numerous, none-too-happy messages left by her father.
* * *
Taylor walked into the diner. Flack wasn’t hard to find, and that wasn’t because of his height. He was the only person in there with the exception of the waitress. Taylor walked over to his booth and slid in opposite. “Hi, Flack Don Flack,” she greeted him, dumping her purse on the table.
Flack looked at it, and pushed it to one side, before sliding a slice of pie in front of her. “Want some pie?”
Taylor picked up a fork. “My father called,” she told him stabbing at the pie venomously.
“You want anything to eat, sweetie?” asked the waitress as she came over to fill up Flack’s mug of coffee.
“Pepsi, no ice, a piece of pie, and a cheeseburger with no relish with fries.”
“Hungry?” Flack asked her as the waitress left.
“I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” She paused, “I didn’t eat breakfast. I haven’t eaten since, oh I don’t know.” She sighed, “Dad’s mad at me. He wants me to quit and get a job-”
“Where you’re less likely to get into trouble, shot, stabbed or strangled,” Flack finished, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
“Don’t tell me he managed to find your number as well as Mac’s?” Taylor asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“No, but I kind of agree with him.” Taylor stared at him. “You have this inane ability to wind up getting hurt, and one of these days, it will be serious.”
Taylor dropped the fork. “You know, this was stupid. I’m sorry I called you and dragged you down here,” she told him, as she started to leave the booth.
Flack reached over and grabbed her arm, “I asked you here.”
“Yeah, why did you ask me here?” she asked as she sat back down and glared at him. “You wanted to tell me I’m a hazard and I should quit my job?”
“Look at me and tell me what you see.” Flack told her looking down at the mashed up pie.
“Huh?” Taylor blinked.
“Notice anything different?”
Taylor frowned and surveyed the detective sat in front of her. “Hair cut, some new products in it, clean suit, new tie?” She leant over and looked at his shoes, “Whoa, uber shiny shoes. Oh,” she said, a look of understanding washing over her, “You’re here on a date.” She looked around the empty diner. “Why have you bought me here to meet your date? Do you need a female’s approval? Speaking of, is she in the bathroom?” Flack shook his head. “Then where is… oh… I’m your date?” She realized as Flack finally brought his eyes up to meet hers.
“I was kinda hoping so, yeah,” he told her, looking at her hopefully.
Taylor sighed and opened her mouth to say something, when her cell phone rang. “Hold that thought,” she told him, pulling her phone out and flicking it open, “Hello?”
“Taylor… it’s Danny.”
Taylor knew as soon as he said her name something was wrong. “Danny?”
“Its Louie, he’s… the doctors…”
“Danny, calm down. I’ll be right there.” She hung up and got to her feet. “That was Danny,” she told Flack. “There’s something wrong with Louie.”
Flack once again reached out and grabbed her arm, “I’ll give you a ride.” Taylor nodded and followed him out to his car. “You know,” said Flack, after driving for several minutes in silence. “You didn’t answer the question.”
Taylor leant back with a frown. “What question?”
Flack sighed. “Alright, I didn’t actually ask you a question, but I… the date?” Trying to find something to do, he turned his washers on, cleaning the already clean windshield. “I like you, Taylor. It’s taken me a while to admit it, but I do. And I think you like me too, if the kiss the other night was anything to go by.”
Taylor bit her lip and stared at him. She had been hoping that the subject of the kiss wouldn’t have to be brought up.
“Well, now would be a good time to say something,” he told her, shifting uncomfortably.
“I don’t think it would work,” she told him quietly.
Flack shifted again. “That wasn’t the response I was expecting,” he frowned, “How can you say that when you haven’t given it a chance? Don’t you like me?”
Taylor sighed, “I’m not saying that. I do like you – although I never thought you liked me. But it wouldn’t work.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because you can’t build a relationship without trust.”
Flack frowned, “You don’t trust me?”
“I guess not,” Taylor admitted miserably as she stared out of the window. “But you don’t trust me, either.”
Flack came to an unnecessarily abrupt stop in a parking spot outside of the hospital. “What do you mean?” he demanded.
“You can’t have a relationship when there’s no trust,” she repeated. “And you can’t trust someone you think is crazy, like you can’t trust someone who thinks you are crazy.”
“I don’t think you are crazy,” Flack quickly told her.
Taylor arched an eyebrow at him. “So you believe I can see ghosts?” she asked him, directly.
Flack sighed. “No, but-”
“There are no buts, Flack. You either trust me on that, or you don’t. And you don’t,” she sighed back at him. “Look, I do like you, and maybe we could have some fun, but I’m not after fun. And for there to be anything serious, there has to be that trust.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. “I’m sorry, Flack… Don… and I really hope that one day you’ll believe me, regardless of our… feelings for each other.”
She got out of his car and hurried into the hospital before he could see the tears in her eyes. That had been a lot more painful than she had been anticipating.
Flack looked at it, and pushed it to one side, before sliding a slice of pie in front of her. “Want some pie?”
Taylor picked up a fork. “My father called,” she told him stabbing at the pie venomously.
“You want anything to eat, sweetie?” asked the waitress as she came over to fill up Flack’s mug of coffee.
“Pepsi, no ice, a piece of pie, and a cheeseburger with no relish with fries.”
“Hungry?” Flack asked her as the waitress left.
“I haven’t eaten since breakfast.” She paused, “I didn’t eat breakfast. I haven’t eaten since, oh I don’t know.” She sighed, “Dad’s mad at me. He wants me to quit and get a job-”
“Where you’re less likely to get into trouble, shot, stabbed or strangled,” Flack finished, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
“Don’t tell me he managed to find your number as well as Mac’s?” Taylor asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
“No, but I kind of agree with him.” Taylor stared at him. “You have this inane ability to wind up getting hurt, and one of these days, it will be serious.”
Taylor dropped the fork. “You know, this was stupid. I’m sorry I called you and dragged you down here,” she told him, as she started to leave the booth.
Flack reached over and grabbed her arm, “I asked you here.”
“Yeah, why did you ask me here?” she asked as she sat back down and glared at him. “You wanted to tell me I’m a hazard and I should quit my job?”
“Look at me and tell me what you see.” Flack told her looking down at the mashed up pie.
“Huh?” Taylor blinked.
“Notice anything different?”
Taylor frowned and surveyed the detective sat in front of her. “Hair cut, some new products in it, clean suit, new tie?” She leant over and looked at his shoes, “Whoa, uber shiny shoes. Oh,” she said, a look of understanding washing over her, “You’re here on a date.” She looked around the empty diner. “Why have you bought me here to meet your date? Do you need a female’s approval? Speaking of, is she in the bathroom?” Flack shook his head. “Then where is… oh… I’m your date?” She realized as Flack finally brought his eyes up to meet hers.
“I was kinda hoping so, yeah,” he told her, looking at her hopefully.
Taylor sighed and opened her mouth to say something, when her cell phone rang. “Hold that thought,” she told him, pulling her phone out and flicking it open, “Hello?”
“Taylor… it’s Danny.”
Taylor knew as soon as he said her name something was wrong. “Danny?”
“Its Louie, he’s… the doctors…”
“Danny, calm down. I’ll be right there.” She hung up and got to her feet. “That was Danny,” she told Flack. “There’s something wrong with Louie.”
Flack once again reached out and grabbed her arm, “I’ll give you a ride.” Taylor nodded and followed him out to his car. “You know,” said Flack, after driving for several minutes in silence. “You didn’t answer the question.”
Taylor leant back with a frown. “What question?”
Flack sighed. “Alright, I didn’t actually ask you a question, but I… the date?” Trying to find something to do, he turned his washers on, cleaning the already clean windshield. “I like you, Taylor. It’s taken me a while to admit it, but I do. And I think you like me too, if the kiss the other night was anything to go by.”
Taylor bit her lip and stared at him. She had been hoping that the subject of the kiss wouldn’t have to be brought up.
“Well, now would be a good time to say something,” he told her, shifting uncomfortably.
“I don’t think it would work,” she told him quietly.
Flack shifted again. “That wasn’t the response I was expecting,” he frowned, “How can you say that when you haven’t given it a chance? Don’t you like me?”
Taylor sighed, “I’m not saying that. I do like you – although I never thought you liked me. But it wouldn’t work.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because you can’t build a relationship without trust.”
Flack frowned, “You don’t trust me?”
“I guess not,” Taylor admitted miserably as she stared out of the window. “But you don’t trust me, either.”
Flack came to an unnecessarily abrupt stop in a parking spot outside of the hospital. “What do you mean?” he demanded.
“You can’t have a relationship when there’s no trust,” she repeated. “And you can’t trust someone you think is crazy, like you can’t trust someone who thinks you are crazy.”
“I don’t think you are crazy,” Flack quickly told her.
Taylor arched an eyebrow at him. “So you believe I can see ghosts?” she asked him, directly.
Flack sighed. “No, but-”
“There are no buts, Flack. You either trust me on that, or you don’t. And you don’t,” she sighed back at him. “Look, I do like you, and maybe we could have some fun, but I’m not after fun. And for there to be anything serious, there has to be that trust.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. “I’m sorry, Flack… Don… and I really hope that one day you’ll believe me, regardless of our… feelings for each other.”
She got out of his car and hurried into the hospital before he could see the tears in her eyes. That had been a lot more painful than she had been anticipating.
Originally posted 16/07/2006