Page 101 of The Wrong Side of the Law

Chapter Thirty-Two

Gabriel

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Emily says when she gets to the office, still looking pale and drawn. “I think I’ve learned my lesson about getting food at a gas station, though. Ugh.”

“No, it’s okay.” I hope my smile reassures her. “You gotta take care of yourself. You sure you feel better today? It’s not illegal to take a sick day, y’know.”

“I’ll be fine,” she says, but still pulls a plastic-lined trash can a little closer to her desk.

“I missed you last night,” I say. The door is closed, but I keep my voice low, anyway. Karin’s still out there… for now. Barbara emailed me this morning that she has the termination paperwork ready to go, but we’re going to wait until the end of the workday before firing her ass.

“I’m sure you did.” Emily shakes her head. “I wasn’t in any condition to, y’know…”

“No, no. It’s not that. Or, notjustthat. It’s…” Where even to begin. “It’s… I missedyou. Your presence, more than anything else. It really hit me last night. You were off by yourself, sick, and I was there by myself, when… I mean, I don’t know what I could have done, exactly. Held your hair back, maybe? But I wanted to do something. I missedyou.”

Emily doesn’t say anything, but a small, tentative smile starts to spread across her lips.

“I know you’re working hard to keep everything together with your own home, but…” I take a deep breath. “Look, you spend enough time at mine that it’s just silly for you to have to go someplace else to get clothes and brush your teeth and stuff. If you want, I’ll move things around in my closet. When you’re not there? My place, Em, it just doesn’t feel like home anymore.”

“You’re so sweet,” she says. “I think I’d like that.”

As soon as the words are out of her mouth, Emily closes her eyes and reaches for the trash bin, turning the chair so that her back is to me. I watch, anxiously, but she doesn’t seem to be throwing up. Not yet, anyway. I wish there was something I could do.

I stand up, taking the first tentative steps over to her. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I want to provide some sort of comfort, at least. No, notwant. Ineedto comfort her somehow.

The ringing phone drags me back to my desk.

“Cooper,” I answer.

“Mister Whitehall is on line one for you,” Karin says.

I wince as she pops her gum loudly into the microphone but ignore it. I can afford to be kind: after all, it’s only a few more hours and then I’m rid of her forever.

“Thank you, Karin.” Those few hours can’t pass quickly enough. I stab the button with a finger. “This is Cooper. What can I do for you, sir?”

“You can get your ass in my office and explain yourself, Cooper,” the State Attorney says without preamble. “Now.”

“Yessir. I’m on my way.”

Whitehall doesn’t say anything else, but a barely audibleclickfollowed by dead air lets me know that he’s hung up the phone on his end.

What the hell is this all about? I can’t think of anything I’ve screwed up recently. Whatever. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to explain it to me, using small words and at high volume.

I stand up again, pulling on my jacket and straightening my tie.

“Emily? Babe? I have to go see what Whitehall wants,” I say. “You going to be okay for a bit?”

Emily nods weakly.

“I’ll be fine,” she says, without looking at me.

“I love you, Em.”

“I love you too.”

On the walk to the boss’ office, I wrack my brain looking for a reason to get called on the carpet. The only thing I can possibly come up with is yesterday’s conversation with that prick from theHerald, but I have a hard time imagining that he’d be pissed about me telling him to get the fuck out of my office. I have an equally hard time believing that Whitehall wouldn’t hang up the phone before Cove even had a chance to tell him about Emily.

Although, who knows. If Whitehall thinks I’m a big enough threat, and if I pissed off Cove enough… well, common enemies make strange bedfellows, after all.

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