Falling For Him

With his jet-black hair clipped short, the angular lines of his face seemed even more pronounced—regal, almost. They accentuated a strong jaw and square chin.

He towered over Claudia, and as he looked down at her, his mouth curved into a charismatic smile. But it was Monaghan’s eyes that riveted Claudia. They were absolutely penetrating, and every bit as dark as the brows that arched over them in an almost expectant expression. It was obvious he’d heard her last remark.

“Claudia, Gavin Monaghan,” Gunning introduced. “Gavin, this is our illustrious Detective Parrish. You can just ignore the foot in her mouth. And don’t let her give you any grief. If she does, I don’t wanna hear about it.”

Monaghan extended his hand in greeting. “It’s good to meet you, Claudia.”

She should have anticipated his smooth voice. It matched his looks, rich and seductive. The kind of voice that probably swept most women off their feet at the mere sound, Claudia decided, returning his firm handshake with one she hoped would make him flinch. He didn’t.

“Sergeant Gunning’s told me a lot about you.”

“Well, maybe you’ll get to hear my side of the story sometime,” she said quickly, wishing she could break her gaze from his. “But right now, I have…I mean, we have a homicide.”

“I’ll get our coats,” he offered, turning on the heel of one perfectly polished black wing-tip oxford. His stride was assured as he walked down the corridor. She watched him, unable to resist admiring the impressive outline of his body, his broad shoulders and tapered waist. The expensive suit looked good on him, she decided. Probably better than any monkey suit. Then again, with a body like that, Gavin Monaghan probably looked good in just about anything.

“He needs to get his feet wet,” Sarge said, as Claudia saw Gavin veer into the main office out of sight. “He’s put in his time with Homicide in D.C. In fact, I’m sure he could even teach you a few tricks, but I still want you to show him the ropes around here.”

As though foreseeing the impending argument, Tony mumbled something and made a hasty exit.

“Sarge—”

“No, Claudia.” He held up one thick hand. “No arguments. I’ve catered to your wishes long enough. You know this unit works on the premise of partnerships. I can’t exclude you from that any longer. It’s time. You gotta put the past behind you. You’re working with Monaghan.”

In his hard, gray-eyed stare, Claudia recognized that protest would get her nowhere. She took a deep breath and adjusted her suit jacket. “Fine. I’ll show Monaghan the ropes.”

Sergeant Gunning gave her a solemn nod. “I’m expecting you to make this partnership work,” he told her over his shoulder as he left for his office.

Optimism, Claudia thought as she watched Gavin Monaghan step into the corridor again. She’d give him the benefit of the doubt, and with any luck he’d prove to her that all his experience counted for something.

He held her trench coat in one hand and clipped his holster with the other as he joined her. “I’ve got the keys,” he said, heading for the elevators. “I’ll drive.”

AT FIVE IN THE MORNING, with minimal city traffic, it took only fifteen minutes to drive from Central to the Eastern District. Still those minutes seemed like an hour for Claudia. She wondered if she should apologize to Monaghan. He’d been silent during the entire drive, and no doubt he’d stay that way unless she spoke first.

She snatched another quick glance at him, as she had throughout the drive, then cleared her throat. “Listen, Gavin, about what I said back in the office…I should probably explain.”

“Hey, you don’t owe me an explanation.” He flashed her a look of apparent understanding. “I’ve been around long enough. I know no one likes being saddled with the new guy until he’s proved himself.”

Claudia felt another twinge of regret. “Actually, that’s not the real reason I objected. Honestly. I know you’re not a rookie. It’s just—”

“No, but you probably think I’m burned-out. Driving the commissioner’s car around for the past year doesn’t exactly give people a lot of confidence in my abilities.”

Studying his chiseled profile in the soft shadows of morning, Claudia had to admit she appreciated his candor.

Gavin slowed the white unmarked Lumina at a red light, double-checked for traffic and accelerated through the intersection. “Look, if it makes you feel better,” he said, “I promise you won’t be stuck picking up after me on this investigation. But there’s something else, right?”

He caught her quick glance this time.

“You can’t escape the rumors,” he continued. “I’m aware that you’ve refused to work with anyone else on the squad since your partner died.”

“You mean since my partner shot himself, don’t you?”

“I was trying to be tactful.”

“Well, if we’re going to be partners, you don’t need tact. Besides, I’ve dealt with it.”

She directed her gaze out the windshield and saw the sign for Boston Street zip past them. “You missed the street,” she said, and Gavin braked. “I guess the Commissioner never had much need to come out to this armpit of the city, hmm?”

She caught the enticing amusement in his glance before he turned the Lumina around. “All I’m saying is I respect the fact that you prefer working alone. It seems to me Gunning is determined to partner us up, but if you’re going to have a problem working with me, perhaps we should speak to him together. I can certainly handle a homicide on my own.”

“Oh right, and you actually believe you’ll get out of working with me that easily? I don’t think so. If you screw up, it’ll be me taking the grief from Sarge.” She wasn’t sure why she said it; she should have welcomed Gavin’s offer to work on his own, to relieve her of playing his shadow on every move in this investigation. Perhaps it was that honesty and candor of his, but for the first time in months, the idea of working with a partner—particularly Gavin Monaghan—was beginning to have appeal. Besides which, as Sarge said, it was time. And what better time to put Frank behind her than on the day of their anniversary. Not to mention the fact that maybe she could learn a thing or two from Gavin.

The north side of the five-hundred block of Boston Street was lined with aging row houses, some boarded up, others literally crumbling to the sidewalk. The south side of the seemingly deserted street was dominated by the old Marmack Bed & Mattress Company, a weather-beaten red-brick warehouse that had been converted, apparently unsuccessfully, into a series of offices. Parked outside the building’s main entrance were a couple of police cruisers, and Claudia realized that in the time it had taken her to argue with Sarge about Gavin, the crime-scene unit had got the jump on them.

Gavin pulled to the curb, and Claudia was out the door before he’d taken the key from the ignition. In moments he was at her side, his long stride keeping easy pace with hers as they headed down the sidewalk to the main doors. She directed another glance at him, half-expecting to find Frank at her side. It felt odd, she thought, responding to a scene with someone else.

And she wasn’t the only one who seemed to think so. The uniformed officer who greeted them at the door—a young rookie she recognized from previous scenes—gave her a quizzical look, obviously surprised to see her with someone.

“Detective Parrish.” His greeting had a questioning lilt.

“Hey, Marty. How’s it going?”

“Good.” He touched the brim of his cap and then eyed Gavin.

“This is Detective Monaghan. He’s in charge.”

“Oh.”

“Can you tell us what we’ve got? Or is it a surprise today?”

“Nah. No surprises. Looks like a shooting,” he said. “Maybe a burglary gone wrong. Who knows? That’s your job, Detective.”

“Do we have a name on our victim?”

“Early-morning cleaning staff found him. They verify it’s James Silver. Runs a PI business.” He pointed to the Silver Investigations sign in the only lit window on the first floor.

Claudia nodded slowly, muttering a thank-you, and started for the doors. James Silver. A numbness came over her. She struggled to cover the reaction, but it didn’t work.

Gavin put a hand on her arm, stopping her in the foyer. “What is it, Claudia? You okay?”

She straightened her shoulders. “Yeah. Of course. I’m fine.”

“Do you know this guy? James Silver?”

She looked down the hall to the sign over the PI’s door.

“Claudia?” he prompted her again.

“Yeah,” she said at last, and headed toward the open doorway. “Yeah, I know him.”

CHAPTER TWO

“CLAUDIA, WAIT.” Gavin put his hand on her shoulder and spun her around to face him.

Almost immediately he regretted doing so. The second she lifted her gaze to meet his, Gavin felt as though the corridor had suddenly become too narrow. She stood close enough that he caught the residual traces of her perfume. He’d smelled it in the car, as well—something seductively intimate, with the slightest hint of jasmine. But at least while driving, he hadn’t been challenged by the added allure of staring directly into those captivating gray-green eyes.

Those same eyes had caught him by surprise when she’d first looked at him, back at headquarters. Sure, he’d studied the photo in her file: he’d stared at it for the past five weeks—a newspaper clipping taken from the Baltimore Sun two years ago when she’d been presented with the Maryland Officer of the Year award.

The faded black-and-white photo hadn’t done justice to the vibrant golden highlights in her hair or the glow of her perfect skin. But in the picture, Claudia had been smiling, and in the weeks he had studied her file, Gavin had imagined seeing that lush smile in person. Instead, there was concern on her face; it furrowed lines across her forehead and tightened her mouth as she gazed up at him.

“What is it?” she asked.

“This guy Silver. You know him?”

“I told you, yes.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t be here then.”

“If it’s a conflict of interest you’re worried about, Gavin, forget it. I met the man a couple of times, but haven’t seen him since January. He was an acquaintance at best.”

Gavin wondered if the subtle twitch at the corner of her right eye indicated a lie. “You’re sure about this?”

“I’m sure. Now are you coming in or do I have to conduct your investigation?”

She slipped her arm from his grasp, and her trench coat whirled in the air behind her as she turned once more. Gavin watched her and wondered how it was that someone who stood barely five foot five in heels could command such presence.

It shouldn’t have surprised him though, he thought. After all, her file was chock-full of commendations and an endless stream of laudatory reviews from her sergeants, past and present. And besides the award, there had been the bronze star four years ago. Gavin had been impressed from the moment his lieutenant had handed him her file back in the Internal Affairs offices.

“Okay, guys, what have we got?” Claudia’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

He watched her pull a notepad and pen from her pocket and then just as quickly shove them back in, obviously remembering her role as the secondary detective on the scene.

“This is Detective Monaghan.” She gestured an introduction. “He’s the primary, so any details you’ve got go to him.”

She wasn’t liking this one bit, Gavin decided. It wasn’t her case, she wasn’t in control, and she hated that fact. Frustration appeared to stiffen her stance.

But when she stood over the victim, Claudia’s expression softened. In his years on patrol, then in Narcotics and finally Internal Affairs, Gavin had seen his share of violent deaths. It struck him now, however, that he’d never worked one with a woman. As Claudia studied the body of James Silver, a look of compassion seemed to wash over her face. It was a look rarely seen on the faces of seasoned detectives, and Gavin couldn’t help wondering if there was, in fact, more to her relationship with Silver than she’d admitted.

She hadn’t clarified the context in which she knew the private investigator. And then, as Gavin scanned the PI’s office, he saw the Baltimore Police cap on one bookshelf and the framed academy diploma on the wall.

He joined her, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Tell me how you know this guy.”

“This isn’t the time, Gavin.” Her response was barely audible, her focus never leaving the body crumpled in the corner amid a scattering of files.

“He was a cop. Did you work with him?”

She didn’t respond.

“Because if you worked with him, you know Sarge will have to take you off—”

She turned on him, a flare of impatience in her eyes as her whisper sharpened. “I told you, I hardly knew him. Now, are you going to take charge here, or do I have to?”

“Fine.” He withdrew his own notebook from his pocket, flipped to a fresh page and clicked his pen. “I want you to start by getting the report from the responding officer, and then arrange for an initial canvass of the area. After that, I need you to interview the custodial staff. Talk to whoever found him, see what they know about his hours, if they saw or heard anything. Do you think you can handle that, Detective Parrish?”

It was clear Claudia hadn’t expected him to take such swift authority. She stared at him for a moment, and Gavin wondered if it was a smile that tugged at the corner of her lips instead of the indignation he’d expected.

Then she gave him a subtle nod. “That’s more like it, Detective Monaghan.”

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER HAD removed Silver’s body at six o’clock, and by seven the crime-scene technicians appeared to have breakfast in mind as they hurried to wrap up their work. She and Gavin had been on the scene for close to two hours now, and throughout Claudia had watched him. She couldn’t deny that she was impressed.

Gavin’s command of the scene had been almost immediate. As Claudia had spoken to the responding officer and waited for him to write up his report, Gavin had stood over Silver’s body for the longest time, both hands buried deep in the pockets of his trench coat. At first, Claudia had wondered if perhaps he’d forgotten his past work. Then she’d seen how carefully his gaze scrutinized the area, locking on details, assessing the surroundings, studying the position and condition of the body, until he’d finally moved on to talk to the ME at length.

Obviously a one-year stint chauffeuring the brass around had not robbed him of his experience. The investigation was in capable hands. And yet, if there had been any way for her to take the case, Claudia would have jumped at the opportunity.

From the moment she’d heard James Silver’s name, she’d wanted this one. She hadn’t lied to Gavin about knowing James Silver, about meeting him. It had been only twice, but Silver had been more than the “acquaintance” she’d told Gavin he was. He’d been a good friend of Frank’s, and his partner on patrol years ago in the Eastern District. It had been a decade since Silver had worn a uniform, yet his friendship with Frank had remained loyal.

She knew enough about James Silver to know he’d been a good man, a good cop, and a good friend to Frank. So good, that he was the one person who may never have been convinced by the evidence indicating Frank’s suicide. She hadn’t spoken with Silver since three weeks after Frank’s death. It had been a brief phone call, and they’d done nothing but argue: Claudia explaining the evidence, and Silver determined to dispute it.

Seeing Silver now—shot dead in his own office, lying behind his desk, his chair toppled, and his files and drawers rifled through as though his death was only an inconsequential result of a burglary gone awry—Claudia regretted that last contact with the PI.

Maybe she should have listened to his theories. But at the time, she’d been attempting to resign herself to the truth and come to terms with her loss of Frank. Silver’s disbelief had been more than she’d been able to bear. Now she would always wonder what theories Silver had concerning Frank’s death. And she would wonder if he’d ever given up.

“How’s the canvass going?” Gavin came to her side, flipping his notebook closed and lifting a hand to loosen his tie a notch.

“Nothing yet. Half the row homes across the street are vacant. And with the few that aren’t, it’s not looking as if anyone heard anything. We’ve got officers still knocking on doors, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.”

He nodded to where Silver’s body had lain. “So what do you think?”

“I’m sorry, Detective, that’s not how this works. You’re the primary. What do you think?”

He contemplated the scene again before speaking. “Well, I’d have to say that he was most likely seated at his desk when his attacker arrived. Perpetrator came through the door, probably already had his gun out, and fired as soon as Silver looked up. One bullet caught him in the left shoulder, and the second took him in the chest as he started to stand. Considering Silver’s background as a cop, he either knew his assailant and was surprised, or the shots were fired rapidly, giving him no time to take cover or return fire. His own weapon is still in his desk drawer.

“As for the disarray of the office,” Gavin went on, “it has the appearance of a random burglary, but my gut feeling is that our perpetrator was looking for something specific. Then again, until I find out what kind of stickler Silver was for organization, I can’t rule out the fact that some of this might be the usual state of his office. It doesn’t help that he didn’t have a secretary. Even if something was missing, we’re not likely to know about it.”

“You got a real whodunit here, Detective Monaghan,” Claudia told him, scanning the office again, hoping she’d missed some obscure yet crucial clue. “Hardly the kind of case you’d want to start with, I’d say.”

“What are you suggesting? That I can’t handle it? That I should give this case over to you and wait for the next one?”

Claudia shrugged casually. If she appeared too eager to take over his investigation, he was sure to balk. “All I’m saying is that for your first homicide in this city—your first case on the board—you’re better off with one that’s going to go down. This…I don’t know. It could be a tough one. You’ve got a dead PI. A former cop. He probably has a list of enemies longer than your arm, not to mention the fact that you’ve got zero witnesses so far.”

She dared to glance up then. Was it amusement she saw sparkle in those dark eyes?

“You really want this case, don’t you?”

“Not necessarily,” she lied. “It’s just probably not the ideal case to get your feet wet.”

His smile broadened. “Well, why don’t you let me worry about my own feet, okay?”

“Claudia.” Lori Tobin called to her, and Claudia was grateful for the interruption. She wasn’t sure how long she would have been able to hold Gavin’s penetrating stare.

She turned as Lori crossed the office to join them. The younger woman snapped off a pair of latex gloves and wadded them into one hand. She tucked a stray wisp from her dark ponytail behind one ear.

“How are you doing, Claudia?” As usual with Lori, the question was more than simple courtesy. Her sincerity and concern was punctuated with a hand on Claudia’s arm. The gesture reminded Claudia of that night ten months ago.

Lori had guided Claudia from Frank’s bedroom to the living room and then consoled her. She had even phoned a couple of times to check on her afterward. In fact, Claudia had almost admitted the truth about her relationship with Frank to Lori. In the end, though, she’d remained silent.

“Looks like you’ve got an interesting one here,” Lori said. “So far we’re not coming up with anything useful. We’ll probably need another hour, but I didn’t know if you wanted us to box up all the files and paperwork, as well.”

“No, we’ll take a look at everything here before—”

Gavin cleared his throat behind her.

“Actually,” Claudia corrected, “since this is Detective Monaghan’s investigation, you should ask him. I doubt you two have met. Lori Tobin, Gavin Monaghan.”

Claudia watched the technician’s face brighten somewhat as she gazed past Claudia’s shoulder and up at Gavin.

“So you’ve finally got yourself a partner.”

“It would appear that way,” Claudia answered.

“Good to meet you,” Gavin offered in his smooth voice as he shook the technician’s hand. “And I think Detective Parrish’s suggestion is fine. We’ll look through the files here and submit the relevant material ourselves.”

“Very good.” Lori nodded, and Claudia couldn’t help noticing how the woman’s gaze lingered on Gavin for a moment before she turned back to her work.

“So what now?” Gavin asked.

“Now? Now I suggest we head down to Jimmy’s for coffee and a bite to eat. We’re only going to be in the way here, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to wade through any of this paperwork until I’ve had a good kick of caffeine. The techs will seal the office when they’re done, and then we can go through this mess and figure out just who might have wanted James Silver dead.”

JIMMY’S WAS CROWDED as usual. To Claudia, there seemed no rhyme nor reason behind the high demand for tables at the greasy spoon down on the waterfront in Fells Point, but without fail, seating was scarce. It had to be the coffee, she thought as she took another sip. It certainly couldn’t be the food.

Across the table of the window booth they shared, Gavin was finishing his own breakfast. Claudia watched him spear another piece of omelette and fought back the urge to reach across with her fork to sample some. She’d have done exactly that, a year ago, when it would’ve been Frank sitting with her. And, while she did that, he would have been stealing her last slice of bacon.

As usual, she tried to clamp down on the nostalgia.

“So you met James Silver only a couple times?” Gavin had asked the question already once after she’d explained Frank’s connection to the dead PI. Even so, a glimmer of suspicion wavered in his voice as he studied her over the rim of his juice glass.

“That’s right,” she assured him again. “What? You think I’d lie about something like that? Why would I?”

“Maybe so you could stay on the case?”

“Please. Give me a little credit for professionalism. I understand what conflict of interest is. If I had actually been friends with Silver, I’d remove myself from the case, all right?”

“All right.” The defensiveness in his voice attested to the bite she’d heard in her own, and immediately Claudia regretted her harshness.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap. It’s just…I’ve had a long twenty-four hours, you know?”

“Sure.”

Gavin reached across the table and snagged her last piece of bacon on the end of his fork. Speechless, she watched him take one bite and then pop the rest into his mouth. For ten months, she’d been returning to Jimmy’s for breakfast, and for ten months, she’d always left that last slice of bacon. Until this morning no one had touched it.

He must have seen her surprise because he said, “Oh, I’m sorry. Were you saving that?”

“Not at all.”

He nodded, finishing the bacon. “Look, you’re right. It’s been a long twenty-four hours for you. Maybe you should just call it a day. I can look through Silver’s files myself and—”

“No way.” She took another swig of coffee. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy. I’m still among the living. Another cup of coffee and I’m good to go. We’ll head back and check out Silver’s office, see if we can figure out what cases he’d been working on these past few days, who he’s been talking to, and who he may have ticked off.”

“Honestly, Claudia, I can handle it.”

“It’ll take us half the time working together. Besides, I have the next couple days off. After this, I’ve got a twelve-hour power nap scheduled, followed by a full-night’s sleep.” She flagged down the waitress for one more refill and the check. “Besides, I could use some work to help me forget yesterday.”