CUFFED

Dirty Thirty

2019 - Miami, Florida - Danielle

I looked up at the clock when there was a knock at my door. I wasn't expecting anyone and it was almost ten-thirty at night. I decided to ignore it. Brutus began to bark as the knock came again. Apparently whoever it was isn't going away.

I pulled my standard-issue 9mm Glock out of its hiding place in my coffee table and made my way to the door. I got into a solid stance before reaching for the deadbolt.

"Danielle, It's me open up."

I sighed in annoyance and tucked my gun away into the back of my sleep shorts. After nudging Brutus away I flipped the lock and tugged open the door making sure to sear James with my glare.

He stood in the same clothes he wore on the boat earlier today. Except now he looked much more disheveled and... well apologetic. He stood with a bouquet of beautiful roses and lilies. It took everything in me to not react to them.

I kept my face stoic as he held them out to me.

"I wanted to get you something meaningful. So, I googled 'flowers that mean I'm sorry' and this is what came up."

He cleared his throat and placed them at my feet when I didn't take them.

"Look, I really messed up today," he said then sighed. "I just, I thought..."

He stopped and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, I could see the hurt he was trying to hide for just a moment.

"You've been really... distant. These last few months."

Yeah, no shit. I told him I loved him... even if he didn't understand it... then he goes and screws Miami Barbie. I tried to do the same, tried to get him out of my head but the second that lawyer leaned in to kiss me, I felt like puking.

Not a damn chance I was saying one word of that to him, though.

"I've been going to those therapy sessions even though you're not showing up."

Okay, that surprised me.

"She's really helped me through some tough shit I didn't think I would ever need therapy about. She was also the one who recommended I create a situation where you had no choice but to talk to me. And I figured out in the middle of the ocean would be perfect. You'd be able to scream at me then I could fix whatever I broke and we could fish."

I lifted an eyebrow and he chuckled.

"Okay, Dylan and I would fish. I'd probably have tried to teach you."

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a bored expression.

"You're really not going to talk to me?"

When I didn't respond he growled and continued, "Damn it, I'm sorry, Danielle! I don't know for what, but I'm sorry. Will you tell me what the hell I need to do to stop this cold shoulder shit?"

I tilted my head at the small show of his temper. I was getting much better at pretending I wasn't turned on. I hoped.

"Okay, what if I footed the bill for your birthday in a few months?"

My eyebrows raised in piqued interest.

"I'll plan the whole thing," he said quickly. "All you have to do is show up."

I reached my foot out and placed it on the other side of the flowers then scooted them into my apartment. I shrugged my shoulders at him then closed the door in his face.

I stooped down and picked up the roses and lilies and brought them to my nose. They smelt amazing. I have no idea where he got fresh flowers this time of night, but he did well.

I smiled as I heard, "stubborn fuckin woman," growled.

Straightening my face, I whipped the door back open. His shocked look almost made me crack up laughing.

"You're telling Natalia," was all I said before I slammed the door in his face again.

I giggled when he said, "Shit!" On the other side.

Oh, she was going to give him hell for this.

2019 - Miami, Florida - James

"She's just like the other four, detectives."

I sighed, that was not what I wanted to hear. Danielle and I were standing in the middle of the county medical examiner's office. On the table in front of us was a woman in her early twenties. To any other officer, she looked like another junkie who couldn't pay her dealer.

To us, she was the fifth female body in as many months. Each one of these women came from good families and had thriving lives. They were all from different cultures and had no similar characteristics.

The only thing tying them together was the barely healed track marks on their arms. The same ligature marks around their neck where they were strangled to death and the bruising on their upper thighs.

We officially had a serial killer in Miami.

"Please tell me this bastard screwed up and you found DNA," Danielle said.

Evan sighed and shook his head.

"Not even a stray dead skin cell," he said. "I fine-tooth combed her trying to get any evidence and got nothing."

"Fuck!" I yelled as I turned and punched at the air. I ran my hands through my hair making some of it fall loose from its gelled confines.

"Thanks, Evan. Let us know if anything pops up," Danielle said. She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of there.

"You've got to keep it together," she snapped at me once we were back inside my truck.

It's been two months since the boat incident and she been thawing out towards me. We're not back to where we were, but we're close.

"I know," I said with a sigh. "Sorry, this is just driving me crazy. We've been after this guy for five months now and the only thing we have to show for it is the brand of rope he uses."

"And we have every transaction being flagged for the purchase of it in the 100-mile radius," she reminded me.

I sighed then started the truck. I needed to think, and I did my best thinking when I was driving. There had to be signs that we were missing. Clues, something that leads us to this sick son of a bitch. He has one victim a month, and we've determined he doesn't keep them for the whole month.

We think he stalks them for the month. That or integrates himself into their lives somehow. According to toxicology reports the drugs are introduced about a week before their deaths.

"Hey!" Danielle yelled.

I hummed at her in response.

"Get out of your head for a minute," she said. "He's going to screw up. Now..."

I glanced over at her when she didn't finish her sentence. She was wearing a goofy grin and was practically jumping in her seat.

"Tomorrow is the big day!" she said.

"Yup," I said with a chuckle.

"So?" she questioned and poked my side. "You going to tell me what's going on for my birthday."

I smirked as I thought about the plans I had for her tomorrow.

"Dirty Thirty, Darlin'" was all I said.

She rolled her eyes. It's all I ever said to her when she asked.

"Will you at least tell me what to wear?"

"Whatever you wear to a beach," I answered with a smirk.

"Oh my God!" she squealed. "Did you rent a cabana?"

I just smiled at her and continued the drive back to the station.