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The yellow flecks in her brown eyes are aglow as she looks up at me. “Provided you meet my requirements. A moonlit view of the sound, a bottle of red wine, and romantic music.”
“Done. Let’s go. Our security detail awaits.”
* * *
After a night of intense lovemaking, Julia and I sleep until nine o’clock on Friday morning. We’re standing at the stove together—both of us wearing my boxers and undershirts, as she scrambles eggs and I fry bacon—when Marlowe stops by with updates.
“You two look refreshed. You’re practically glowing,” he says with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Julia and I exchange a look. We know what he’s thinking, but we don’t care.
I glance back at Marlowe. His clothes are rumpled, and dark circles rim his eyes. “I wish I could say the same about you. Did you get any sleep?”
“Not a wink. The station is in chaos.”
I fork bacon out of the pan onto paper towel to drain. “Can I offer you some breakfast?”
Marlowe shakes his head. “Thanks. I already ate.” He eyes the Keurig. “I’d love some coffee though.”
“Help yourself. There’s an assortment of pods and some mugs in the upper cabinet.”
Once his coffee has brewed, Marlowe sits down opposite Julia and me at the breakfast table. “There’s so much to tell you, I’m not sure where to start.”
“Start with Beaumont,” I say shoveling a forkful of eggs into my mouth.
“He was arrested overnight, and he’s singing like a canary. His wife too. Apparently, she was heavily involved in his business dealings.”
“Humph. That doesn’t surprise me. She’s an old battle-ax.”
Marlowe chuckles. “According to Delilah’s source, Beaumont is whining about being too old to go to prison. He’s expected to turn state's witness against his cohorts in The Six in exchange for a plea deal. That could happen at any minute.”
“What about Rourke?” Julia asks as she crunches on a slice of bacon.
“There will be no plea deal for him. Thanks to you, the prosecutor has a rock-solid case against him. He’s taking others down with him. Chief Dorsey has been relieved of his duties. One of our senior officers, Wayne Romero, will take over as chief until a replacement can be found.”
“What about the dirty cops you mentioned?” I ask.
“Those two have also been fired,” Marlowe says. “The two who arrested you for the Striker incident.”
“Chrome Dome and Four Eyes. Good riddance. I’m surprised there weren’t more.”
Marlowe lifts a shoulder. “Only takes a few to rot the core of an organization.”
“What about Rourke’s sidekick, Cody Porter? What side of the fence was he on?” Julia asks.
A warm smile spreads across Marlowe’s lips at the mention of the young officer. “Cody is definitely one of the good guys. He’s been my informant these past few weeks.”
I nod. “He was kind to me when I was in jail. What about you, Brice? Did they offer you your job back?”
“They did. But I’m not sure I’m going to take it. When I leave here, I’m headed to Savannah to meet up with Delilah. I may try my hand at investigative journalism for a change.”
I offer him a high five across the table. “Good for you!”
Julia grins. “I thought I sensed some chemistry between you and Delilah.”
Marlowe blushes. “We’ll see. Truth be told, I’ve been itching for a change for some time. Jimmy Riley has certainly proven his worth. He deserves the promotion.”
Julia pushes her empty plate away and sits back in her seat. “Does this mean I can finally return to my cottage?”
