The RunAway Model

XXXI. Life So Far

"Let's hope it is," Theo said dryly. "And I am hoping it will print the name of the killer because I can't have you running underground, questioning everyone you meet." He looked up to meet her stinging look. "What? It's a matter of time you'll get caught. People are starting to notice."

"Maybe I'm just too nosy," she said with a shrug. "Try to tell them that next time."

"It's not like someone mentioned it in a verbal manner," he murmured under his breath.

"I'm just doing what I think I should be doing while you and your brother do your own thing. You've been bent over the same files over and over again for months. It's time you two work on Jamaica's case seriously."

"We are, but we're doing it discreetly," he said with a look that meant she should do the same.

"I should have just packed my bags months ago and left," she said with a sigh a she waited for the rest of the papers.

Theo chuckled and she found it frustrating how genuine it sounded. "I've decided to stop counting how many times you said that line."

She fell silent.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

She heard him sigh and he reached out to take her hand and pull her toward him. "What the fuck is wrong now?"

She almost told him she was losing her will to go away. She wanted to tell him she looked forward to going back to her old life far lesser than she had six—four months ago. "I'm just thinking about Tatiana, that's all," she lied.

His eyebrow arched in question. "What about her?"

"You know what I am talking about, Theo." She rolled her eyes at him as she tried to brush off her innermost thoughts. "Her husband is nuts and she's miserable. I just know it."

"I don't hear her complaining."

"Men," Desiree muttered before turning away to face the printer again. She picked up the papers and flipped through them one by one. "I had my suspicions, but now I think I just confirmed it." She bit her lower lip in deep thought as she said it. Theo stood up from his chair and walked to stand beside her.

"What?"

"Jam was being spied on."

"Given, of course," he said with enough sarcasm.

She reached another page of photos and her eyes narrowed. "Do you know these men?"

He took the paper from her and studied the page. "I'll need a clearer view," he uttered and went back to his computer to find the same page. She watched as he looked at the photos closely.

"Fuck it, Jamaica," he cursed.

"Excuse me?"

Theo faced her, looking dumbfounded. "It's Jamaica."

She was getting impatient. "I know we're talking about her but about what?"

"She's...she'd been working with other clients behind our back."

"What?"

He turned his computer screen toward her. "Perhaps you remember our dear friend, Mr. Berkeley?"

*****

Marco stormed inside the chief's office without a warning. "What's the meaning of this?" He waived the paper in the air.

"It means that we are assigning you to a different case—" the old man started but Marco cut him off by saying, "With all due respect, sir, but I already have a case I am working on and—"