Page 92 of Meant to Be
“I’ve got a lot on my plate, plus, I’m a personal friend of Jenny’s. I’m not sure I can stay objective.”
“Rumor is you’re personal friends with Doctor Preston too.”
Mitch ground his teeth. “No. Do you want the case or not?”
“Yeah, sure, if it’s okay with the sarg.”
“I’ll clear it.”
Mitch wasn’t sure how he made it through the day. He wasn’t able to hide his pisser of a mood, so fortunately, most people stayed away from him. It gave him time to focus and figure out who had broken into the local corner store to steal beer, chips, and condoms. Slapping the cuffs on Pee Wee Slater gave him a moment of satisfaction. He was with his girlfriend, and Mitch hoped Pee Wee had been using the stolen condoms because he had no business breeding.
He’d gotten a couple of calls from his mom and Lexie but ignored them, not even checking voice mail. The only reason he could think they’d be calling was to ask about the rumors about him and Sydney. And the rumors were wrong. There was no reason to talk about it.
At the end of his shift, he drove home, not realizing his route until he passed Sydney’s apartment. He swore at himself but looked to make sure her car was there. It was parked in the lot, but he didn’t see George. Odds were someone at the police station had decided Sydney didn’t need 24/7 guarding. He tried to push away the niggle of fear that Sydney’s stalker had easier access to her but called George just in case.
“Oh, hey, Mitch.”
“George. Everything okay with Doctor Preston?”
“Ah, yeah, well…”
The hesitation put Mitch on edge. “What?”
“Well, she asked me to take her to pick up her car at your place, but then she went home. I followed her and parked outside, but then she packed up and told me she was going to visit her family in New York. She was going to call a cab, but I went ahead and drove her to the airport.”
“She’s gone to New York.” Twin feelings vied for attention: Annoyance that she bailed, as she had the last time. Relief that he wouldn’t run into her.
“That’s right. She was mighty upset but didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Did she say how long she’d be gone?”
“I got the impression it was just for the weekend.”
“Great. Thanks, George.” When he ended the call, Mitch decided he should let Detective Fletcher know Sydney was in his area. Not that he’d do anything, but it would give Mitch an excuse to let him know he wasn’t on the case anymore. Detective Kripke was good. If there was a way to solve the case, he’d figure it out. Plus, he wasn’t personally involved with any of the victims or people of interest.
By the time Mitch had pulled up to his house, he was ready to be home, in his sanctuary. He’d have some of Mema’s home cooking, probably overdo it with the alcohol, and do all he could to get his life back on track.
But when he stepped in the door, there was no relief. No feeling of being home or in a safe haven. Sydney was everywhere. Her floral scent hung in the air. The candles she’d decorated with during the power outage sat on the hearth. Unless she’d broken into his home that afternoon, her personal items would be in the guest room, her toiletries in the bathroom.
Mitch groaned as he shut the door and searched his mind for an alternative. He could go stay somewhere else, but that would mean Sydney had run him out of his house. Instead, he’d clean and pack up her stuff and douse the house with a hefty amount of scented air freshener.
It didn’t work.
Giving up, he decided to spend the evening on his couch, watching whatever sports event happened to be on the TV while he ate dinner. He’d just sat down when there was a knock on his door. Swearing, he stood and looked out the window to see who was invading his pity party.
Lexie.Crap.He shook his head and considered pretending to not be home, but she wouldn’t buy it. So he opened the door.
“What’s up, buttercup?” He worked on his best big brother smile and prayed she’d buy it.
“Why haven’t you called me or mom back?”
“I’m busy.”
One brow rose, her head leaning forward to see who he was busy with. Last night, it would have been Sydney. Tonight, he was back to being a confirmed bachelor.
“Is Doctor Preston here? I wanted to thank her for the advice she gave Drake and me.”
“No.”
