Page 31 of Love Undecided
“You don’t have the kids on the list,” Brad says.
“What kids?” Bauer asks.
“Well, if you are listing out the commonalities with each of the four families affected, they all have a twelve-year-old girl. And each of the bathrooms the guy picked were the ones the little girls used.”
“That’s got to be it!” I say.
“What’s got to be it?” Bauer asks.
“What Brad said, it’s about the girls.”
“How?” Bauer asks.
“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to be figuring out?” Brad asks Bauer.
Bauer’s eyes close and he takes a deep breath, letting it back out slowly. Brad has what can only be described as a smirk on his face.
“That is what the entire task force is trying to figure out, yes,” Bauer says, his mouth tight.
“Task force? That sounds like a lot of people working on one thing,” Brad says.
“Because one guy can put out a fire?” Bauer asks.
Brad looks at Bauer.
Bauer looks at Brad.
I look between them both.
“Hey, so,” I say, “an amnesiac walks into a bar. He asks, ‘Do I come here often?’.”
I'm the only one who laughs.
Brad's phone rings. He pulls it from his pocket, I see on the screen that it's Stacy.
His girlfriend.
"You should get that," I say, turning my back toward him. I hear him sigh as he stands and walks to the other side of the room, answering his phone along the way. I can't hear much of what he's saying, just little snippets. But I find myself leaning toward that side of the room anyway, to try and hear more.
"Glad you’re home... working... happy to... of course."
Bauer looks at me, one eyebrow raised.
Man, I wish I could do that. Almost as much as I wish I could wink.
"It's his girlfriend," I say loudly. Brad turns back toward us as he's finishing his conversation. "... See you soon,” he says and hangs up the phone. He obviously heard me tell Bauer who was on the phone.
"You have to go, I take it?" I ask when he hangs up, hating that my voice sounds so bitchy, but still unable to control it.
"Don't stay on our account," Bauer adds. “If yourgirlfriendneeds you."
"Stacy is an elementary school teacher," Brad says. This, I already knew so he must be saying it for Bauer's benefit. "She was out of town and just returned to work today. A little girl was kidnapped the other day, turns out it was one of her students," he says. “She wants me to come talk to the other kids in the class and reassure them. They are all a bit freaked out, understandably."
"How nice," I say. Clearly still in bitch mode if the tone of my voice is any indication.
"What's a fireman going to say about kidnapping?" Bauer asks snidely.
Apparently, we are giving Brad the 1-2 punch. I like that Bauer is on my side.
