Page 15 of Daddy Detectives: Episode 1
You don’t mind?
I reply:
Of course not. Ask Jerry to answer the phones.
Then I text Ian to tell him I’ll be home after I drop Dina off at her apartment.
Dina finally comes out of the bedroom, looking forlorn and sheepish. Her orange dress is badly wrinkled. This is definitely going to be a walk of shame for her.
I open the apartment door. “Ready?”
She nods. “Yes.” She doesn’t bother to look at Terry as she heads for the door.
Terry watches her walk out of his apartment. He looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. She doesn’t even acknowledge his presence.
When we reach the curb, I open the front passenger door for Dina, and she slides in and buckles her seatbelt. She pulls downthe visor and stares at her reflection. Nervously, she fusses with her hair, trying to tame the tangles.
I get in and start the engine, wondering what to say to her. I don’t think there’s much I can say. Obviously, she made some bad decisions last night. But something does occur to me. “Did you use protection last night?”
Dina whips her head in my direction. “Protection?”
Oh, come on.Surely this girl wasn’t born yesterday. “Protection—condoms, birth control? Are you on the pill?”
She pales at the question. “No.”
“Did you use condoms last night?”
Another shake of her head. “I don’t know.” Her brow furrows as she tries to recall. “I don’t remember. Probably not. I mean, it happened so fast. I don’t see how he had time to get one on. Certainly not the first time. And after that, no. He didn’t use condoms.”
“You should always use protection, not only to prevent pregnancy, but to avoid contracting STDs as well.”
Dina turns to look out her side window, putting an end to my lecture on safe sex. She may be a bit disconcerted, but for me, this is a good outcome. Hell, it’s a great outcome. It could have been so much worse. I think back to all the cases I investigated as a homicide detective, all the times when young women went missing and all we found were their bodies.
When I pull up in front of Dina’s apartment, Kimi is already there, standing in front of the building. She runs out to the car and opens Dina’s door. “Thank God! I was so worried.”
“I’m sorry,” Dina murmurs to her roommate. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I passed out before I could think to call you. And then, this morning, I couldn’t face it.”
Kimi leans into the car, gazing past her friend to me, her eyes brimming with tears. “I can’t thank you enough, Mr. J.”
“No need to thank me, Kimi. I’m just glad she’s okay.”
After Dina gets out of the car, Kimi closes the door and walks her friend up the sidewalk to their building. She waves at me before they step inside.
I text Ian.
How’s it going, babe?
He texts me back a few minutes later.
Good. We’re napping.
That makes me smile. I love how easily Ian has taken to parenting. That really shouldn’t surprise me because he has such a big heart, and he’s such a softie for love and affection.
I send one last text.
I’m on my way home. Do you need me to pick up anything?
He texts me back immediately.
