Embarrassed that the woman had guessed what Kate had been doing for most of the night, she quickly hurried outside and raced to the station. She found a nearby vendor with pretzels again, and she quickly paid for one and took it into the station, as she walked in right beside Rodney.
He took a look at the pretzel. “Damn, they always look so good.”
“Couldn’t resist it this morning. I haven’t had a chance to get any shopping done. I’ve got to pick up some groceries tonight.”
He nodded. “Cases are like that. Some more than others, of course, but they can dominate your world, until you can’t think of anything else.”
“That’s for sure.”
He smiled. “You’ll get there.”
“I’llget there?” she asked, with a laugh. “It’swe, isn’t it? As in,we’llget there.”
“Yep, that’s what I meant to say,” he said, but he flushed.
“But you aren’t feeling like it’s awe, are you?” She frowned.
“Of course it is,” he immediately backtracked.
She thought about that and then shook her head. “No, I think your wording was deliberate. What’s going on, Rodney?”
“Nothing,” he said.
She frowned and would not let it go. “Am I taking too much of the case?”
He looked at her in surprise. “Don’t you ever hide your light or try to not do as much because you’re afraid of how other people will view it?”
“No. I don’t really think about how others perceive my work. I’m in competition with myself.” She shrugged. “I just know that it seemed like, for the longest time, that I couldn’t do anything right, and that was really bothersome. I feel much more in my element here.”
“And that’s a good thing. You’re really good for the team, and you’ve got a hell of a brain on you.”
She looked at him, pleased. “And that is another odd thing for you to say.” She frowned. “So I’m not sure what’s going on, but are you okay? I mean it. Are you?”
“I’m okay. I’m just in one of thoserethinks.”
“You’re not thinking about quitting, are you?” she said in alarm.
“No, no, not thinking about that,” he said, with a smile. “Just, you know, life.”
“I get it. Life can be a bitch sometimes.”
“That’s for sure.”
She worried about him throughout the day, as she collated all the statements they’d taken. She started to organize an investigation on anything and everything she could, while she waited for the video camera footage to show up on the university death. And, of course, there was the autopsy. When they didn’t get any word this morning on the uni victim’s autopsy report, Kate phoned and heard it wasn’t even on schedule for the day. But she did get a bit of information. She groaned, sat back, and looked at Rodney. “Her name is Sally Hardgens. She was only twenty-one and a full-time biochemistry student at the university. If the coroner can’t get to the autopsy today, we’ll be walking blind on this one.”
“I think we already are. Not a whole lot to go on.”
“There’s always something though,” she said.
“Yeah, always something, but I’m not seeing a whole lot yet.”
“Forensics would be nice,” she grumbled.
“Forensics would always be nice,” he pointed out. “But it doesn’t change the fact that it always takes time to get it.”
She nodded. “I still don’t like it.”
He burst out laughing. “Get some more coffee. It’s time for the staff meeting anyway.”