Adele smiled,studying the Sergeant. “Thanks for making the drive.”
Her dad noddedonce, scratching his chin. He looked as he always did—straight-backed, straight-nosed.A bit of a belly. If anyone could claim the title Sergeant, it was a man wholooked like this. He was even wearing his uniform, pressed, clean. He smelledof soap, not unlike Sophie Paige.
The thoughtalarmed Adele. She sat in the corner booth of the café, a mile from theairport, watching her father. The smell of cheap coffee and even cheaper foodfloated on the air.
“They send youon your own?” her father asked, adjusting some of the silverware beneath anapkin.
Adele shook herhead. “No, my partner is out in the car waiting. Plane doesn’t leave for a bitthough; we’re fine.”
Her fatherraised an eyebrow. “Tell your partner to come in. I’m sure she doesn’t want tosit out in the cold.”
Adele shifteduncomfortably. “I’m sure he’s fine. How are you?”
Her dad sighedand then waved over the waitress. A woman in a pink apron with red polka-dotsapproached, smiling. “Can I help you, sir?” she asked. Adele’s father pointedwithout speaking toward the coffee on the menu.
The woman noddedonce. “Cream?”
“Course not,”her dad snapped.
The womanshifted a little bit, her smiled turning down a few watts. She looked at Adele,her friendly expression seeming rather fixed all of a sudden. “And you?” sheasked.
Adele shook herhead. “I’m fine, sorry.”
The smiledcompletely faded now as the waitress turned away, grumbling to herself abouttourists as she headed to get the Sergeant’s coffee.
“Doing goodwork,” her dad said with a nod. “I don’t know the extent of it, but from what’scoming across my desk, you had your hand in a nice series of arrests.”
Adele shrugged.She and John had spent the night in a hotel following the bust—separate rooms.They had waited on instructions from the DGSI and sat through interviews withthe BKA. By all accounts except for Adele’s, it had all been a huge success.The trafficking ring had been shut down. Evidence suggested that Interpol wouldhave many more busts to make in other countries. John was confident the Parismurderer would be among them.
But Adeleshifted uncomfortably, twisting a napkin beneath her fingers and tearing it offa piece at a time and watching the fragments fall to the table. She didn’tthink it would be so easy.
“What is it?”her father asked, studying her.
She looked up. “Nothing.Just something about the case. It’s not a big deal.”
Her fathershifted. “Right. Okay then. Well, it’s good seeing you.”
Adele smiled. “Goodto see you too. You’re looking healthy.”
Her fatherbrushed the front of his uniform and nodded. “Thanks. You too.”
“How are—”
Before she couldfinish, her father blurted out, “You’re not dating your partner, are you? Isthat why you don’t want him to see me?”
Adele slumped,trying not to rub her eyes in frustration. “Dad, I’m not dating my partner. Idon’t want him to see you because he’s an ass.”
Her fatherscowled.
“Sorry forswearing. Look, let’s talk about something else.”
They driftedinto silence again, and the woman in the pink apron came over, depositing thecoffee, black, in front of Adele’s father. Adele tried to smile sweetly afterthe woman, but the waitress stormed away, still muttering about tourists.
The sound ofairplanes taking off and landing could be heard in the distance.
“Well,” herfather said, “you’ve been talking a lot about your mother’s murder. You saidyou had a lead.”
Adele tried notto let her exhaustion show as she shook her head. “Look, we don’t have to talkabout work. How’s life? Are you seeing anyone? Have you made any good souprecently?”
“Soup is fine.”Another pause. “You shouldn’t go after him,” her dad said.
“Dad,” Adelesaid, “just let it go.”
The Sergeantnodded as if he saw the sense in this. Another pause. “It’s not safe, Sharp.You shouldn’t.”
Adele frowned.She wanted to look away out the window toward the parking lot where John waitedin their loaner, preparing to take them to the airport before their flight.
But her fatherhad a look in his eyes that gave pause. A haunted, heavy look.
He was staringat his hands, his eyes vacant as he shook his head, murmuring, “Not safe. It’snot safe.”
Adele watched theSergeant for a moment, realizing it was almost as if he wasn’t even speaking toher. For the briefest moment, it seemed as if he didn’t realize she was there.He kept repeating, “Not safe, it’s just not safe.”
Adele felt aprickle across her skin as she watched her father. She had often thought hermother’s death didn’t bother him. But now, as she watched him, she felt theunease spreading, now prickling up her spine and down to the tips of herfingers.
“Dad, are youokay?”
Her voice seemedto jolt the Sergeant from whatever had come over him. For a moment, hisexpression softened, and she thought she saw tears forming in his eyes as helooked at her. But then his face turned stony, and he said, “You can’t solveyour mother’s murder. Don’t go after him. There’s no point. I forbid you!”
Adele glared ather dad. “You forbid me? What do you think I am, six?”
Her dad shookhis finger at her and began to raise his voice, but Adele pushed away from thetable, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you,” she snapped. “Could we have anice visit, just once?”
She tossed a ten-euronote on the table and said, “Goodbye, Dad; I have to catch my plane. Thanks forcoming.”
The Sergeant wasstill scowling after her as she pushed out the café door and stomped over totheir waiting vehicle. She didn’t return his look as John glanced over at her,opened his mouth to likely make some sort of snarky comment, but then seemed tothink better of it, and gunned the engine.
“You okay?” Johnsaid, quietly.
Adele scowled atthe dashboard. “Just drive,” she snapped.
John held up onehand over the steering wheel. He turned out of the parking lot and onto thestreet. For a brief moment, Adele felt a sudden flash of guilt.
“Wait, hang on,”she said. “Turn back…”
John raised aneyebrow at her. He put on his blinker and began to turn, but just as quicklyAdele changed her mind. “Wait, no, never mind. Keep going. It’s fine.”
John mutteredbeneath his breath but turned off the blinker and directed the vehicle towardthe airport.
Adele wasn’tpaying attention to her partner. She had wanted to go back… to
