Scott remembered the story that Prin told him of his life.
“I’m not sure about that,” Scott said. “There’s history there.”
“Another case for Inspector Fitzgerald?” Tyler asked.
“Oh I think so.”
The next morning and Scott was in the office super early. Unlike Saturday, a few people were dotted around.
It was quiet enough for Scott to build a case against Elliott without anyone accidentally seeing what he was doing.
Before he would raise anything with Carla, he wanted to check if the footage from Saturday had been tampered with. It would be the perfect final piece of the jigsaw.
He also had another reason for waiting.
At eleven o’clock the night before, he’d had the brainwave of requesting an interview with Prin. It would give him a chance to talk to him in private about what had happened. Scott hadn’t been joking when he’d said that Prin could have him sacked. Not that he would. Something in his bones told him that wouldn’t bethe last kiss with Prin Lum. The thought made his legs tingle as well as other places.
Scott had chosen a desk that gave him a full view of the office. He watched the main door like a hawk.
“You seem a little jittery today,” Carla said. “Good weekend or shouldn’t I ask?”
She sat down at a desk across from him.
“I’m on the home straight with the dildo theft,” Scott whispered. “You might find another incident is reported today.”
“What? Who is it?”
Scott rubbed his eyes. He didn’t do well on no sleep and ever since Saturday, he’d been running on about an hour’s worth. His mother always said he was cranky when he got overtired.
“I’ve got one more thing to do before I tell you,” he said. “Brace yourself. It’s big.”
“Oh fuck.”
She stared closely at him.
“You look tired out,” she said. “I presume you met someone at the weekend. Your fast has been broken, has it not?”
“My fast is intact, thank you very much,” Scott replied. “We don’t all have a gorgeous husband in our beds.”
Carla grinned. “Poor baby. And when I think what I was doing this time yesterday. Darren loves Sunday mornings.”
“That’s more than enough. Gross.”
After taking a sip from her artisan coffee that a stand outside charged an extortionate amount for, she stared hard at him.
“Something is going on with you,” she said. “Want to talk?”
Scott sighed. “Not really. As usual, I’m a dick and let my need for love get in the way of rational thought.”
She stopped fiddling with her laptop. “Scott. One day you’re going to meet someone who will love you like we all do.”
“You sound like my mother now. And Eddie. And Tyler. And bloody Barry,” Scott said. “And I love you all for it. The problem is no one else seems to think like you.”
“We can’t all be wrong,” Carla said. “You’ve had your fair share of heartbreak. I believe it will happen. Calm it down a little and let things come to you. There’s nothing a man finds sexier than someone being unavailable.”
Little did she know Scott had made his intentions perfectly clear now. Subtle had never been his strongest suit.
“How the hell would you know that?” Scott replied. “I think I’ll probably end up with a beach house and three dogs. That doesn’t sound so bad either.”
