“Maya!” he called after her, but when he stepped into the lab he found she was already gone.Thatreally made his eyes water. “Shit,” he muttered, pulling on his lab coat.
Drifting over to the analyser, he watched as the counter ticked away and the guilt turned to nervous anticipation. “Maya?” he called again, certain she would want to see the results.
When no response came, he flicked on the monitor and stared at the West Newton Constabularylogo flickering acrossthe screen. He was elbow deep in passwords when Maya finally re-entered the lab holding a stack of papers and test kits.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, letting out a breath and resting the items on the table next to his elbow. “I was a bitch just then.”
“N-no, you—” The sheer relief made Pember’s legs turn to jelly. “You weren’t.”
“I was.” She patted his shoulder and wound her braid into a bun at the back of her head. “I was kinda jealous, to be honest. With you, Wallace and Duncan working the murder, I was… feeling left out, I guess. You’re only doing your job.”
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t forget about the rape victim, I just—you’re right, my mind has been elsewhere.”
Maya grinned and turned on the computer next to his. “So youareshagging the sergeant?”
Pember went bright red at that. “What? No! Oh my God, no! Is that what people think?”
Maya smirked and sucked her teeth. “Yeah, kinda. It’s common knowledge around the nick that he split up with his wife last year. Rumour has it he was cucked by some bloke from a different police force. Shacked up with his baby and everything.”
Pember waved both hands in front of her face, almost clamping them across her mouth. “Please, May, don’t tell me anything else. It’s none of my business, and to be honest, it’s none of yours either.”
Maya let out a sharp laugh. “No? Alright, if you insist.”
He had a mind to spill his coffee down Maya’s lab coat. He wouldn’t, of course, but he wanted to. Maya must have sensed his annoyance as she glanced between him and the computer screen. He only looked up when Wallace and Duncan came bustling into the lab.
“Good morning, my favourite colleagues!” Duncan said, takeaway cup in one hand, the other clapping Pember across the shoulder.
Maya scoffed. “You’re exceptionally chipper this morning. Did someone get their dick wet last night?”
Duncan stretched his arms above his head. “Better. Spurs won,andI ate a whole camembert without feeling like shit this morning.” He patted his stomach and sauntered into the kitchen. “A happy tummy is a happy Dunny.”
“Morning, both,” Wallace said, gaze drifting to their screens. “Processed already?”
Pember nodded. “Yeah. Is it okay if I start formatting the report? I’ll obviously get you to check it afterwards.”
“Sure,” Wallace replied, his eyes crinkling beneath his white eyebrows.
“And you, May? You’re focusing on the rape case, yes?” Maya nodded but didn’t look up from the screen. “Lovely. Well, Pem, call me when the data’s pulled across and we’ll have a look.”
“Okay.” He nodded, trying not to sound too enthusiastic in Maya’s presence.
She must have picked up on it, because she suddenly straightened and jostled his shoulder. “Up for a drink this weekend?” she said, her face hovering close to his. “Me and a few other omegas are going out in town. Strictlynomates allowed, and we’ll avoid all the shitty places.”
“You mean like, adrinkdrink? For social purposes?” Pember replied.
Her brows knitted together, but the expression quickly melted away as her eyes went wide. “Oh, oh God, sorry, Pem. You probably don’t want to after everything with that alpha-hole last year. Forget I said anything, we’ll try another time. Go bowling or something?”
Pember chuckled and waved the comment away. “No, a drink sounds nice, actually. It’ll be good to get to know a few people.”
She clapped and jostled his shoulders again. “Amazing! Honestly, I think you’ll get on really well with my friends. They’re nice. No one’s a twat, and we all look out for each other.”
Just then, Pember’s computer beeped and the chart he had open on the screen began to populate. “Wallace?” he called, staring at the numbers. “Wallace, it’s processing!”
“Oi! Wally!” Maya called. “Get your arse in here!”
Wallace appeared in the doorway, and he quickly pulled on his lab coat and pushed a pair of small, round glasses over his nose. “Right then,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “What’ve we got?”
Pember’s eyes skipped across the screen, falling on the three highest spikes in the data. “Luxuriadioxypyrovalerone, benzodiazepines and cocaine,” he said, letting out a breath. “Stimulants and anti-anxiety medication. Odd combination.”
