Page 59 of Mann Hunt
Gwen stared at him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Charlie shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing.”
“Then why are your eyes red?” she said as she came around the corner of the counter.
“Allergies,” he said to the floor.
Gwen put her hand under his chin and raised his head until he was looking her in the eyes. “You know, you can always talk to me if you’re having problems,” she said.
“I’m good.”
Gwen patted him on the shoulder. “All right. How about a latte?”
Charlie smiled. “Please. And an Americano for Declan.”
“You got it.”
He thanked her for the coffees, then left the store, pushing the door open with his back. He was surprised to find an attractive young man trying unsuccessfully to open the street-level office door. The man was well-built and stood a little taller than Charlie. He wore an immaculately tailored light-grey suit and expensive Italian leather shoes.
“May I help you?” Charlie asked.
The man seemed a little flustered. “Uh… do you work here?” he said, pointing to the locked door.
“I most certainly do.”
“Are you Declan Hunt?”
Charlie laughed. The young man seemed hurt. His face flushed. “Oh, don’t worry. If you saw him you’d understand. Do you have an appointment?”
“No. No I don’t. I’m sorry—I knew he wanted to speak to me. I was in the area and thought I could get this over with.”
Get it over with?
“Come on up. I’ll see if he’s free.”
Charlie’s hands were full. “Would you mind…” Charlie said, handing him one of the coffees. Charlie unlocked the door, opened it and asked the nervous young man to follow. At the top of the stairs, he unlocked the office door and held it open.
“After you,” Charlie said, plucking the coffee cup from the fellow’s hand as he passed. If he wanted one, he’d have to put up with one that Charlie had made. He might have been young and cute, but that coffee was for Declan.
“So, may I have your name?”
“Michael Taylor.”
The name more than rang a bell.
“If you’d please take a seat, I’ll be right back.” Charlie walked quickly to Declan’s office, which was empty. He looked at the green door behind the desk. He walked up to it and knocked.
He opened the door and called up, “Declan? You decent?”
There was no response.
He snuck up the stairs, hoping to catch his boss in a compromising situation. There was no one there…
When the door to the bathroom opened, Charlie jumped. Back-lit by the light pouring from the window stood Declan, just out of the shower. The way he held the towel covered the one thing Charlie wanted to see more of.
“Yes?” the detective asked.
