High Noon

to his sidearm, his fingers danced over it, and Phoebe saw something in his eyes that told her he was more than just an arrogant son of a bitch.
    The quick rap on the door had her fighting not to jolt. Sykes poked his head in. “Sorry to interrupt. I need a minute, Lieutenant, when you’ve got one.”
    “I’ve got one. Officer Meeks? I gave you an order.”
    He unclipped his weapon, tossed it and his badge onto her desk. When he turned and stalked out, Phoebe allowed herself one shuddering breath.
    “You okay, LT?”
    “Yes. Yes. What do you need?”
    “Nothing. Things looked a little heated in here, that’s all.”
    “Okay. Yeah. Thanks.” She wanted to sink down in her chair, made herself stand. “Detective? You’ve been around here a long time.”
    “Twelve years.”
    “Hear a lot of the gossip, the buzz?”
    “Sure.”
    “Detective, is it common belief that Captain Mc Vee and I have a sexual relationship?”
    He looked so stunned that her stomach instantly smoothed. “Jesus, Lieutenant, no.” Sykes closed the door behind him. “Did that asshole say that?”
    “Yeah. Let’s leave it inside here, please. Let’s leave the whole thing inside this office.”
    “If that’s what you want.” Sykes nodded down at Arnie’s badge and gun. “I’ll say one more thing I’d like to stay in this office. It doesn’t break my heart to see that. You interested in my opinion, between you and me?”
    “I am. Yeah, I’m interested.”
    “He’d never have had those in the first place without family connections. Guy’s a loose cannon, boss. You watch your back.”
    “I’ll be doing just that. Thank you. Thanks, Bull.”
    Sykes twinkled a little at her use of his nickname. He started for the door, stopped with his hand on the knob. “I guess some of us think of you as the captain’s favorite niece. There were grumbles when you came in from the feds and took over here. Some of them were mine. Grumbling stopped pretty quick, from most. You’re a good boss, Lieutenant. That’s what counts around here.”
    “Thanks.”
    When he went out, she let herself sit. Let herself shake.

5
    What didn’t suck, Phoebe decided, was to come home after a viciously bad day and find two dozen stargazer lilies waiting for her. Essie had arranged them into quite a show in Cousin Bess’s big Waterford vase, culling out a trio from the field for Phoebe’s bedroom.
    “You can have the whole lot up in your room, of course, but I thought—”
    “No, this is fine. This is lovely.” Phoebe leaned over for a sniff of them where they stood elegant and splashy on the piecrust table in the family parlor. “We can all enjoy them here.”
    “I didn’t read the note.” Essie handed it over. “And I have to admit, it was a bitter war of conscience and curiosity. Even though I know who sent them.”
    “I suppose he did. Well.” Phoebe tapped the little envelope on her palm.
    “Oh, for God’s sake, Phoebe, read it!” Ava stood behind Carly, rubbing the girl’s shoulders. “We’re dying here. I considered wrestling your mama to the ground for that note.”
    Phoebe supposed when a man sent flowers to a house with four females, he sent them to all. She opened the envelope, and read.
    “‘See you Saturday. Duncan.’”
    “That’s it?” Disappointment dragged through Ava’s voice. “Not much of a poet, is he?”
    “I’d say he’s letting the flowers speak for themselves,” Essie corrected. “That’s poetical enough.”
    “Mama, is he your boyfriend?”
    “He’s just someone I’m going to have dinner with tomorrow,” Phoebe told Carly.
    “’Cause Sherrilynn’s big sister has a boyfriend, and he makes her cry all the time. She lays across the bed in her room and cries all the time, Sherrilynn says.”
    “And I bet Sherrilynn’s big sister enjoys every minute of it.” Phoebe reached down to cup Carly’s face. “I’m not much of a crier myself.”
    “You cried when you called Roy last time.”
    A mother could never hide tears from a child, and a mother who thought she could was delusional. “Not so very much. I’m going to go up and change. I heard a rumor it’s pizza night around here.”
    “And DVD and popcorn night!”
    “I heard that, too. I want to go take off my work, and put on my play.”
    Upstairs, Phoebe sat on the side of the bed. Could a mother ever really protect her child from her mistakes, or the ripples from them that spread all through a life?
    Weren’t they in this house