Page 13 of Daddy Detectives: Episode 1

Hearing Ingrid call me by my married name makes me smile.

“I promise you, Tyler will be thrilled that you want to stay home with the kids.”

“But it means he’ll have to do all the PI work by himself.”

“He won’t mind. When he was with the police force, he often worked alone. Trust me, he’s going to be pleased you want to stay home with the babies.”

I want to believe her, but my stomach is in knots.

“You need to tell him, Ian. Get this off your chest. The sooner you tell him, the sooner you’ll realize he’s fine with you staying home.”

The baby monitor on the kitchen counter crackles before we hear a faint squawk.

“That’s Will,” I say. I glance at the kitchen clock. “He’s hungry. They’ll both want to eat soon.”

Ingrid stands. “Do you mind if I get him?”

“Please do. I’ll get their bottles ready. Then you can help me feed them.”

Once I have the bottles ready, Ingrid and I end up on the living room sofa, each of us holding a baby, as we feed them. I have Lizzie, and she has Will. I don’t know what’s more precious—my babies or the look on Ingrid’s face as she can’t keep her eyes off them.

She nods to Lizzie. “I burst into tears when Tyler told me you two had named your daughter Elizabeth, after her Auntie Beth. And naming your son after Tyler’s dad—I can’t imagine anything more perfect. William would be so honored, so happy to know his son is married and has children of his own.” She gives me a tender smile. “You be sure to tell Tyler tonight, okay? Tell him how you feel. Get that off your chest so you can stop worrying.”

I nod. “I’ll tell him.”

“Tonight,” she insists. “Promise me.”

“Yes, tonight.”

Chapter 6 – Tyler

The primary suspect slams his apartment door in my face, and as I’m about to kick it open, I hear the chain lock slide free. Then the door opens part way.

Terry Kramer stands half hidden behind the door, looking haggard and hungover. He’s dressed in a pair of raggedy blue jean shorts and a badly stained Chicago Cubs T-shirt.

“Yeah, she’s here,” he says, his voice rough. He steps back and motions me inside. “I’ve been asking her to leave all morning. I even offered to pay for a taxi or even drive her home myself, but she refuses to get out of bed. Maybe you can talk some sense into her.”

I feel an immediate rush of relief, simply knowing Dina’s alive. In my career as a homicide detective, I saw more dead bodies than I can count. I admit, I was expecting the worst. “Take me to her, please.”

Terry heads down the hallway and pauses in front of an open bedroom door. “She’s in here.”

I step inside a room that reeks of pot and sex. It’s so dark in here, I can barely make out the sight of a body huddled beneath the bedding. “Dina?”

I hear a faint rustle of bedding, followed by an anguished moan.

My heart rate kicks up a notch as I wonder if perhaps she’s not all right after all. “Dina, I’m turning on the light.” I flip the light switch, which turns on a lamp on a bedside table.

The blonde lying in bed screeches as she pulls the covers over her head.

Now that the light is on, I can see the room clearly. The carpeted floor is littered with empty food wrappers, crushedbeer cans, and empty liquor bottles. The furniture is old, scarred, and mismatched. Now I can easily make out the lump hiding beneath a tan bedspread.

“Dina?” I walk over to the bed. “Are you okay? My name’s Tyler Jamison. Kimi asked me to—”

“I know who you are,” Dina mutters from beneath the covers. “Kimi talks about you all the time.” She lowers the blanket to her neck and peers up at me. Her brown eyes are bloodshot, and her shoulder-length hair is a tangled mess.

“You scared the daylights out of your roommate when you didn’t come home last night,” I say. “Can you tell me what happened?” I’m still not entirely sure that Terry Kramer has nothing to answer for.

Dina glances past me at Terry, then at the disheveled bedroom. “Oh, God.” She moans as she covers her eyes. “This place is a pigsty.”

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