"How did you know Jude had crimson on him?" Alex asked much later as we left the custody suite. A hint of admiration was shining in his eyes.
I shrugged. "I didn't. I just mentioned searching him to monitor his reaction. Then I knew he had some on him. I'm starting to wish he hadn't, actually. Arrests mean paperwork, and I'm so hungry now that I think I'm going to collapse."
"You can't. You're coming to The Diamond with me tonight, and there's no getting out of it."
I groaned, and he smiled, putting his arm around my waist.
We stopped off at the cafeteria to buy some very late lunch, and then we went back to our office to check all the alibis we'd been given throughout the day. Over the tabphone, Petr Fitzroy confirmed that Nora had been at the flat with him between five and seven, and Jude's friend confirmed that Jude had been at his party on Thursday night. A flatmate said that he'd also been in his dorm on Sunday evening.
Only Janet Temple and Riannon Sotello's alibis could not be confirmed.
We gave the names of the people we suspected had been at the party with Jude to the drugs squad, and then we spent what little time we had left filling out more paperwork. For once, I found myself looking at my tabphone and wishing that five o'clock would stay away.
But it didn't, and Alex was quick to pull me to my feet when the shift change started in the main office next door. He was wearing a mischievous smile. "Come on. It's time to get ready for dinner."
I sighed. "How is this going to work? Are we going our separate ways to get ready and then meeting up again, or are you staying dressed like that?"
He glanced down at his dark suit, and his smile turned sheepish. "There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing."
"I don't even know why I asked the question. Only one percent of your wardrobe isn't full of work clothes."
"I don't complain about your work clothes." He looked at my jeans.
I folded my arms. "What's wrong with mine?"
***
Once we'd handed our equipment back to Sten, we went to my flat. Alex offered to feed Mitzy while I showered, so I left them to bond.
When I emerged from the bathroom, he was sitting on the edge of my bed. Colour was still returning to his cheeks after another long day in his video contacts, and the knot that had been starting to form in my stomach tightened. We had another body on our hands and still no prime suspect. How long could Alex bear the headaches and dizziness? Long enough?
Would we even have long enough to catch the murderer before we failed the Trials?
I padded over to the wardrobe with a sigh. Alex's gaze followed me, and I realised that my bathrobe was starting to fall open and display my lingerie. I ignored it. "The Diamond is one of the poshest hotels in the city. Will your parents be dressed up?"
No response.
I turned to the side. Alex averted his darkened eyes and stood. "I don't know."
"Do they usually dress up?"
He peered into my wardrobe. "I suppose they'll have made an effort. But they're not posh, Amber. Anything aside from your jeans will be fine."
"Anything?" I fingered a horrific skirt I couldn't even remember buying. "I don't think so. Just sit down and tell me yes or no when I hold something up, okay?"
"Okay."
I pulled out a lacy black dress and held it up against me. "They say you can never go wrong with a little black dress."
"Yes."
I turned to the mirror and examined the damp, dark hair that fell to my shoulders. "No, I'll look too Gothic." I delved back into my wardrobe and found a floaty top and skirt. "What about this?"
"Yes."
I examined myself in the mirror. "No. It's too casual."
And so on we went.
After another three outfits, I dropped the latest dress I'd disqualified and raked a hand through my hair. "Why are you saying yes to everything?"
Alex frowned. "Because you'd look beautiful in all of them."
"That's not the point!"
His expression melted into confusion.
I smiled. "I appreciate the compliment, but it has to be appropriate for two things: dinner with your parents at The Diamond Hotel. And nothing is."
"You're thinking about it too much."
I turned back to the wardrobe with a dubious mumble and rifled through what I had left. Maybe I could just wear a blouse and some smart trousers -- I was sure I had a pair somewhere --
My fingers brushed over one final dress hidden at the end of the wardrobe. I pulled it out and held it up against me. "What do you think?"
It was high-necked, the skirt asymmetrical and the fabric forest green. Alex's gaze skimmed over it appreciatively. "Yes."
I consulted the mirror and worried my lip. "Are you sure?"
"Why don't you see what you think when it's on? You might be surprised."
"You just want me to hurry up and choose something." I untied my bathrobe.
"Maybe." His tone was light. "But I would really like to see you wear that."
I let my bathrobe fall to the floor and tugged the dress over my head, wondering if it would still fit me. To my relief, it did.
As Alex stood up and approached me, I swept my hair over one shoulder and frowned at the mirror. "Do you think it will be okay? Maybe it's a bit too --"
He reached my side, and suddenly his mouth was on mine.
A flame sparked deep in my core. When his tongue swept across mine and his hands slipped over my curves, the feeling tunnelled down my body with his fingers. His hands reached the hem of my skirt and lingered there.
He pulled back, his eyes dark. "We need to go."
I stared at him, my brain scrambled.
"Have you decided what you're wearing?" His voice was husky.
"Oh..." A smile blossomed on my lips, and I pressed my fingers against them. "I think this dress is perfect."
***
Situated on Diamond Lane, The Diamond Hotel towered above its dark neighbours. Almost as prestigious as any five-star New London establishment, its location in this grotty neighbourhood had always been a little strange. But, despite its surroundings, it had once been very popular -- until the murders of Kristina Nixon and Brady Haywood, and the subsequent arrest of the owner.
In the lobby, Alex consulted a red robot standing behind the counter where Kristina Nixon's skull had been bashed in. The robot led us to a lift at the end of the L-shaped room and left us there.
My stomach was so tied up in knots that I felt sick, and I looked to Alex for comfort as we entered the car. He smiled, and my heart turned into a puddle.
"Just relax." He linked our fingers again and ran his thumb across the back of my hand.
My brain joined my heart in the pile of mush, eradicating some of my nerves -- and all of my conversation skills.
We rose up, and the lift doors opened to a grand corridor of grey stone walls adorned with ancient paintings from the surface. I'd seen Jasper's penthouse of antiques, but not much of the hotel, and the effect was of stepping into an old story with a safer tune. I took a deep breath as we approached the doors to the restaurant.
Alex pushed them open, and I followed him in. Pillars swirled up to the ceiling, where crystal chandeliers hung over guests in tailored suits and body-hugging dresses. They sat at round tables beside full-length windows that framed the rooftops of the neighbourhood, talking in soft tones over the clink of silverware.
A dark-haired couple were in the corner, who I recognised instantly from Alex's family photos. His father was closest to the window, staring out across the city. His mother was looking towards the doors, and she spotted us quickly. She tapped her husband on the shoulder. By the time we reached the table, they were both watching me.
Alex broke into a smile. "Mom, Dad, this is Amber."
For a second, his parents carried on staring at me. His mother's hair was short, framing a round face so open and friendly that she reminded me of an older Nina. His father's natural expression was more reserved, but he had wise eyes. I started to sweat beneath them.
The next thing I knew, both parents were smiling, and Alex was pushing me into a chair. I licked my lips and tried to find some words. "Hi."
His mother leaned forward. "Hi, Amber. I'm Lilly, and this is Jozeph. I hope you don't mind eating here, but we know that you arrested someone in the hotel just before you decided to do the Trials, so I thought it would be sentimental. Then again, Jozeph tells me that I find everything sentimental, especially if it's going to lighten his wallet."
I blinked. "Oh, no, this is really nice. I've never eaten here before. I've just...looked at dead bodies and arrested people."
"And fallen down stairs," Alex said dryly.
Lilly's face softened. "Oh, yes, Alex told us about that, although he told us precious little else. How is your ankle? Obviously, you're not on crutches now, but did the recovery take a long time?"
"Lilly, you talk too much," Jozeph said quietly. "You've only just been introduced. You're overwhelming her."
"You talk too little, so I have to make up for it. Besides, Alex doesn't tell us anything about his cases, and I find it all so interesting. I once wanted to be on the police force, Amber, but I didn't think I was quite brave enough and so I somehow ended up becoming a real estate agent instead. But I think I would have actually made an excellent police officer in your department -- what's it called?"
"The Criminal Investigation Department," Alex said.
"Yes, that. I'm a brilliant armchair detective, and I've read almost every crime novel on the market. I'm always so interested in the inquiries you're working, but I have to get my information from Xplora articles." She shot Alex a pointed look.
He sighed. "I'm sure you're supposed to worry about me, not hound me for gossip."
"I do worry! But perhaps I don't worry as much as some mothers because I don't get told anything about the things you do."
I sat back in my chair. "So...what do you already know about The Diamond murder inquiry?"
She outlined the basic facts that had been published in the articles she'd read, and then I filled in the gaps with as much detail as I felt I was allowed to give. Somewhere along the way, as my muscles unwound, the case started merging with the personal matters that had happened outside the station. Our trip to the vets with Mitzy and our unconventional Valentine's Day lunch and dinner tumbled into the tale.
"You delivered Amber's injured cat like a Valentine's Day present?" Lilly looked at Alex. "I'm sure we must have taught you better than that."
"And I bought her flowers," he protested.
Lilly turned back to me. "Are you allowed to tell me much about your current investigation?"
Not wanting to offend her, I looked at Alex. He shook his head. "No. Sorry."
"Well, when you can --" Lilly leaned forward and put her hand on my arm "-- you'll have to ring me and tell me all about it."
"Deal," I said with a smile.
A waiter arrived to take our order, and I realised that we'd all been so carried away that we hadn't even glanced at the menu. We woke the touchglass table up so that we could consult it. I requested a fillet of lamb while focusing most of my attention on the dessert menu. Nina had been right -- they did sell chocolate cake. My spirits lifted.
Once the waiter had gone, Lilly carried on. "Are you at least allowed to tell me how you think the Trial is going?"
Again, I looked at Alex. He clearly hadn't told them about his side effects, which left me unable to explain any of my fears. When he said nothing, I shrugged. "I don't know. I'd like us to be closer to solving the case than we are."
And I didn't know how picky Sten Grey would be about the little arguments that were mounting up.
"You'll be fine," Lilly said firmly. "You know, when Alex first moved here, I was worried that he'd get homesick. We're such a close family, and he didn't know a single person in this city. But he barely remembered to even call me! Of course, now I know why." She winked at me.
I shared a look with Alex, and we both smiled.
"You're going to start embarrassing them in a minute," Jozeph said.
"I'm allowed to -- if it all goes well, they'll be getting married." Lilly grinned. "Embarrassing them is my new job!"
We laughed at her, even though fear was rearing its ugly head again. Would it all go well? Would we get married?
Alex asked his father about his work, and I remembered that he repaired electronic gadgets for a living. As he and Alex delved into the final details, my sergeant's eyes brightened. The conversation left me feeling very confused, and from the look on Lilly's face, I wasn't the only one. But I enjoyed watching Alex talking so animatedly.
As they quietened, I chipped in. "I admire you for being able to fix that stuff, Jozeph."
"Alex has mentioned that you don't get along very well with technology." Jozeph's tone lightened. "I thought he'd have solved that problem by now."
Alex's lips twitched. "I'm trying to teach her, but it's harder than it seems. Everything malfunctions when Amber touches it."
I blushed, and they laughed at me.
Our drinks arrived, and our food came not long after. Alex and Jozeph slipped back into the world of electronics, while Lilly coaxed me into another conversation about some of our older cases. She was particularly interested in the first murder inquiry Alex and I had worked together, and so I went through it in detail.
Eventually, the two threads of our conversation came back together again, and I listened to Jozeph and Lilly talk about the rest of their family with interest. I realised that I could get used to meals with the in-laws.
If they became my in-laws.
They impressed me further still when I discovered that they weren't the sort of people who said no to dessert. I ordered a slice of chocolate cake, much to Alex's amusement. When it arrived, my chocoholic instincts took over and shut his teasing out.
Before I knew it, my plate was empty and it was time to go.
As we all stood up to leave, Lilly embraced me. "Good luck. Don't let Alex work himself too hard, okay? Sometimes he doesn't know when to stop."
I tried not to catch my sergeant's eye, because I knew that I'd smile. We were only as bad as each other. "I'll try."
"I'm looking forward to receiving my invitation to the wedding," she added. "Although I'd quite like to help you choose what they'll look like."
What they'll look like?
Jozeph sighed. "Don't take any mind. It's much too early. And what do the invitations matter, anyway, as long as the right people get them?"
Lilly rolled her eyes. "Men. They're just no good with aesthetics."
She and Jozeph generously insisted on settling the very expensive bill, so after another round of goodbyes, Alex and I left them behind to do that.
As we entered the lift outside the restaurant, my sergeant swept his gaze over my dress again. "You look so beautiful tonight. Especially now that you're smiling."
"I didn't expect your parents to like me so much," I admitted. "They're lovely."
"I think Mom's been choosing wedding hats since the day we announced that we're doing the Trials. She's very excited."
"I can tell." I took a deep breath, nerves creeping in again. "So I hope we can make it."
The lift doors slid open. Alex took my hand and walked me through the lobby. "Remember our vow of confidence in the shower?"
My cheeks heated. "What I remember more clearly is the recent business you started in my bedroom and left unfinished. Your place or mine?"
He flashed me a sexy smile. "I think we'd better finish that business where it began."
The hotel doors opened as we reached them, and we stepped outside. The lights in the concrete sky were starting to dim. Without speaking, Alex upped our walking pace and slid his arm around my waist.
My tabphone rang.
I slowed my stride and rooted around in my bag. When I saw who was calling, I answered with a curse. "Cassia? Are you all right?"
On screen, my sister frowned. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be? It's you who hasn't been answering her tabphone all evening."
Whoops. "Sorry, I'm out. What's so urgent?"
"The results of Frankie Jarsdel's post-mortem. I was wrong in the lift shaft -- her neck was broken after she died."
"After she died?" My legs stopped moving. "Then what killed her?"
"Cardiac arrest. While she was being suffocated."