Page 22 of Detectives in Love
“Sex has nothing to do with this!”
I don’t realize how loud I sound until the words are already out.
Xavier tilts his head slightly. “Then what does?”
“People can be connected by more than just sex,” I bite out.
“If you say so.” His voice stays flat, his gaze steady on me.
“Xavier, it’s been a week since his death, and her eyes are still red and puffy,” I say, softer now.
“You think that’s proof of ‘true love’?” His lips curl into a joyless smile. “Crying over someone?”
“I don’t know how it works on your planet, Xavier, but here on Earth—yeah, it’s one of the signs,” I shoot back.
Xavier doesn’t reply. Instead, he turns and strides toward the entrance without another word. I sigh and follow.
Inside, the lobby is spacious—marble floors, a high ceiling, the kind of cold, corporate grandeur meant to impress. Penelope McKinley is already waiting, standing beside a tall, dark-haired woman in a white coat.
“Mr. Ormond and Mr. Doherty,” Penelope says, introducing us without meeting our eyes. “This is Katie Fairfax, head of the cryo-center.”
The dark-haired woman shakes Xavier’s hand, but when she turns to me, her eyes widen in surprise. And that’s when it clicks—I was right. SheisKatie Fairfax. My high school girlfriend, now a scientist.
“Newt?”
“Katie…”
For a moment, we just stand there, caught in awkward hesitation—then we step forward and hug.
“We’re old friends,” I explain with a small smile, catching Penelope’s puzzled look. Katie smiles too.
She looks almost exactly the same—silky chestnut hair pulled into a ponytail, big blue eyes framed by long lashes.
“Friends,” Xavier muses, his tone mild, though I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes.
“We went to high school together,” Katie explains.
“It was a long time ago,” I say.
For a moment, I just look at her, trying to process how she still looks exactly the same. Not just young—almost untouched by time. She meets my gaze, and for a second, it’s like no time has passed. Like we’re seventeen again, standing in the school hallway.
“You’re a detective, Newt?” she asks, surprise flickering in her voice.
“Yeah.” I nod, quickly steering the conversation before she can ask questions I’d rather avoid. “When did we last see each other? Fifteen years ago? You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Neither have you.”
We stand there, smiling at each other for a beat.
“Well, that’s the second time this week!” Xavier cuts in, his voice dripping with mock enthusiasm. “Feels like a class reunion! Should we trade heartwarming stories, or head straight to the crime scene?” He flashes me one of his fake smiles. “What do you think, Newty?”
There’s an edge in his voice, a little dig aimed squarely at me. I shoot him a warning look, but he ignores it.
“You want to examine the lab, Mr. Ormond?” Katie asks, frowning. “May I ask why? Chief Willand and the other detectives already went over everything.”
Xavier shrugs. “You know how it is with SCPD—not exactly Mensa material. Always safer to give it a second look after they’re done.”
Katie’s frown deepens. “I thought youwereSCPD?”
