Chasing Justice (Gay Detective Romance Novella) Read online

  “Beth! Jesus,” he glanced around to be sure Chase or O’Leary weren’t in earshot. “What the hell?”

  “Try and deny it, Detective Everett. I know you. Now c’mon, give it up. What’s her name? Was it that woman you see walking her dog all the time? Or that lady who gives you the free bagel at the coffee cart on Eighteenth Street?”

  “No…uh, neither,” Luke said, unsure of where to take the conversation.

  How was he going to tell her he wasn’t sleeping with a woman at all? He had planned on telling her when the moment was right, but Beth was much better at reading people than he would ever be. She had a talent for knowing a suspect’s exact weakness and playing off of it. Now here he was being interrogated by one of the best detectives he knew.

  “It better not be someone from the precinct,” she said, scowling at him. “Don’t tell me it’s a beat cop! Luke, you know the fraternization rules—”

  “It’s not.”

  “Then give me a name.”

  Luke took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “Eddie.”

  “What, is that short for Edwina or something? Edna?”

  “No, it’s short for Edward.”

  “You…wait, what?”

  “Specifically, Deputy U.S. Marshal Edward Brock.”

  “That sexy guy I met in the elevator?” Beth practically squeaked. “The Marshal you partnered with to go after Thayer?”

  “Yeah, the one who talked to you for five minutes and had you spilling your guts about me,” Luke grumped at her. “He knew I kissed you!”

  “Well, he was flirting with me, being all charming and everything, and then…wait, wait a minute…” she said, shaking her head. “You’ve been sleeping with a man?”

  “Only once so far,” he admitted.

  “Is this some late-in-life coming out thing? You get separated from Kathy and decide to sow your oats?”

  “I’m not sure what it is. It’s all kind of new.”

  “Wow,” Beth breathed, sitting down in the chair next to him. “I…wow.”

  “I know. You’re not freaked out?”

  “Of the list of things that you possibly could have told me, that was definitely not on it. But no.”

  Beth seemed stunned into silence, and they both sat there staring at each other, neither of them saying a word.

  “Does he make you happy?” Beth eventually asked him.

  Luke thought about it, and then smiled. “We haven’t known each other that long, but I think he might be able to.”

  “Then you know I’ll support you no matter what,” Beth declared.

  “Thanks, Bethy.”

  “You know, when I said you would probably find someone cuter and blonder than me, I never thought you’d actually do it.”

  She got up from her chair and then ruffled his hair affectionately.

  “So…are we good?” Luke asked her.

  She nodded. “Always.”

  + + + + +

  “Luke? My office.”

  Chase and O’Flanery snickered at each other when Luke got up from his desk.

  “What’d you do now, Detective Cranky Pants?” Chase asked him.

  “Did you punch some old lady?” O’Flanery laughed.

  He shot them both a dirty look and followed Walton, shutting the door behind them.

  “Captain?”

  “Relax, Luke. Sit.”

  Luke did as he was told and waited while Walton sat on the edge of his desk.

  The captain held up a piece of pink paper.

  “What’s that, a bill?” Luke asked, squinting at the handwriting.

  “It is. For an automatic paper towel dispenser located in the men’s bathroom of somewhere called The Foxxx Trot.”

  “Oh.”

  “Didn’t I warn you not to come back trailing paperwork?”

  “I wouldn’t consider this paperwork.”

  “It’s still shit I have to clean up, Luke,” Walton said with a sigh. “Do I want to know how this happened?”

  “Eddie and I were in the middle of busting Thayer and Julio.”

  “He’s ‘Eddie’ to you now?”

  Luke shrugged.

  “He’s a good cop, Captain. We got along…better than I thought we would.”

  “I was hoping working with a Fed would keep you on a shortened leash.”

  “Captain, about that,” Luke said. “You know I’ve been having problems lately.”

  “Understatement.”

  “After talking with Elizabeth, and while working with Eddie, they both suggested I see the staff psychologist. And I think they’re right.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Captain Walton said, placing his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “It takes a strong man to admit when he needs help.”

  “Working with Eddie on the Thayer case made me see it more clearly.”

  “Well, his commanding officer had nothing but good words to say about you and Brock.”

  Walton slid a letter with a raised seal on it from its cardboard FedEx envelope. “This was sent overnight from Supervisory Deputy Galen Frazier of the U.S. Marshals L.A. Fugitive Task Force, officially thanking our squad for loaning out one Detective Luke Everett of the NYPD and his stellar police work in light of working with Deputy Marshal Eddie Brock, who, and I quote, ‘can bug the shit out of anybody in under ten minutes.’ Frazier also goes on to say that Thayer was indicted on first-degree murder, two charges of sexual assault with intent, and a laundry list of other charges. Looks like you can finally close that file in your head, Luke.”

  Luke nodded. “But we’ll never get him for the vic he did here.”

  “We’ll have to take what we can get, Detective. And when you see the staff shrink, you should absolutely tell her about this case. Thayer has been haunting you for two years now. It’s time to let him go.”

  “Thanks, Cap.”

  “Oh, and before I forget...” Walton reached to the side of his desk and came up with a small padded envelope. “This came along with Frazier’s letter from L.A. It’s marked Confidential.”

  Luke took the envelope, which had his name on it and the confidential warning. “Thanks, Captain.”

  “Luke...good work out there.”

  Luke smiled and let himself out of the office. Curious as to what could be in the envelope, Luke went back into the crib and sat on one of the cots to open it.

  He ripped the package open and was surprised to find his dark blue silk tie come cascading out.

  There was a note as well.

  “Luke,” it read, “this belongs to you. I forgot I stuffed it into the pocket of my jacket that night in the car. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you have something of mine too. The minute we see each other again, maybe I can get it back. It depends. It probably looks better on you. If you’re not working tonight, call me and let me know. Then maybe you can put on this tie and nothing else and we’ll video chat. Eddie.”

  Looking down at Eddie’s silver belt buckle he still wore, Luke smiled wistfully and folded the note carefully, placing it safely into his shirt pocket.

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  About the Author

  Corynn Crawford lives in Chicago with her partner and their two cats. If she had a house she would enjoy gardening, but looking at the flowers from her apartment balcony will have to do. She would love to travel more often, but who wants the back of someone’s airplane seat touching their knees for twelve hours? She’s interested in photography, but it’s mostly camera phone shots she sends to her mother with captions like, “Look at what the cat did today!” You know what she hates, though? Humidity. Who came up with that?

  Keep updated with Corynn’s sales, promotions, and new releases by joining her mailing list.

  Visit her Author Page on Amazon to view other gay romance titles.

  Follow Corynn on Twitter for tweets about the writing process and tidbits from new stories.