Doreen had to admit that she’d been a little worried about Nan and Richie jumping on this whole issue as it was. Just because they wanted there to be a case didn’t mean there was a case. And none of that was helping her to solve the other case on Alan’s death. She pondered that for a moment. And then she sent Mack a text. I know who cleaned up the box of rat poison and where it came from.
When she got no immediate response, she wondered if he was tied up in a meeting or with a case or where he was. She frowned, as she sat here and waited. Finally, after a long enough wait with no response, she stated, “Fine, see if I care.”
She got up and headed back inside for her second cup of coffee. As she entered her kitchen, Mack was stealing the last cup of coffee from the pot. She stared at him, shaking her head, Mugs sitting at Mack’s feet, staring up at him with adoration. “He didn’t even let me know you were here,” she complained.
He shrugged. “You left the back door open. When he heard me, he just came running, not even barking.”
“Of course not,” she replied. “You’ve ruined my watchdog.”
Mack laughed. “Mugs was never a watchdog, but he’s a great companion.”
At that, Mugs woofed and looked over at her, as if to say, See? He appreciates me.
She sighed. “And why are you here now?” she asked.
“Well, I was heading over anyway. I wanted to pop in and to spend a moment or two, but then you sent me that text.” He narrowed his gaze at her. “What are you up to?” She opened her eyes wide, a picture of innocence, and he shook his head. “Oh no, you don’t,” he snapped. “I’m wise to that expression.”
“Sure you are,” she said, with an airy hand. “Besides, you don’t know anything.”
“No, but I keep hoping you’ll tell me,” he replied. “And then I won’t have to drag it outta you.”
She asked, “Can you do that?”
Such curiosity was in her voice that he burst out laughing. He shrugged. “I probably could because you’d feel guilty if you were to keep anything from me too long.” She chewed on her bottom lip, and he nodded. “See? You’re still one of the good guys,” he noted. “You might withhold information for a little bit, but you would feel bad about it, just in case it was something I needed.”
She sighed. “It’s not much fun being a Goody Two-Shoes, you know?”
His eyes twinkling, he nodded. “Nope, I wouldn’t know.”
Chapter 8
Doreen rolled her eyes at him and led the way back out to the deck. “I was down at the creek.”
“If you want, we can go down there.”
She nodded. “That would be nice. As long as the weather holds.”
“It should be really nice again soon,” he noted.
“It’s pretty early for fall weather. It’s just overcast and grayer than I was expecting today.”
“And maybe that’s your mood?” he asked, looking at her inquisitively.
She shrugged. “I guess it’s possible. Yet I don’t have any reason to be upset or depressed though.”
He nodded and didn’t say anything. When they got to the bench, he sat down beside her and sighed happily. “It’s a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy.”
“It is, indeed.”
As they sat here quietly enjoying the area, he looked over at her and asked, “Now you want to explain what it is that you’re up to?”
“How come I always have to explain?” she muttered.
His lips twitched. “Maybe ’cause you’re the one who’s always up to something.”
She glared at him. “You know you’re up to just as much.”
At that, he laughed out loud. “Maybe,” he agreed, “but what I’m up to is something I’m allowed to be up to.”
She shrugged. “I don’t see why I can’t go do things like you do.”
“If you want to become a cop and go through all that training, you can,” he stated easily.
She stopped and stared at him, as she pondered what that would look like in her life.
He waited, one eyebrow raised. “Would you really consider it?” he asked curiously.
“No, I don’t think so.” She paused, then frowned. “It’s not that I’m too old.” And she looked at him pointedly.
He shook his head. “It’s not that you’re too old, but you might find it a bit more rigorous than you were expecting.”
“Maybe,” she noted quietly. “It also won’t necessarily be fun.”
“No, probably not,” he agreed. “However, if it’s something that you want to do, then you should do it.”
She looked at him and then smiled. “See? You’re a pretty good cheerleader yourself.”
He rolled his eyes at that. “Can’t say I’m trying to be a cheerleader.”
“Nope, but it comes by you naturally.” And then she reached across, patted his knee, and added, “No, I’m not coming after your job.”
At that, he burst out laughing. “That’s good.” He nodded, with a smile. “Not that I was terribly worried about you coming after it though.”
“You should be,” she stated. “I would be good at it.”
“You would be,” he confirmed, his voice turning serious. “And you should consider that, if it’s something that you want to do. I don’t know what the requirements are right now to get into law enforcement, but we all know that you’re a natural for it.”
Pleased, she looked at him in delight. “Seriously?”
“Of course. I’m not sure that that’s what you want to do with your life though.”
“No, it isn’t,” she replied. “I mean, maybe if I were twenty years younger.”
He just rolled his eyes at that. “And here you just said it wasn’t about age.”
“I know. I mean, there’s no age limit,” she explained. “Well, there probably is, isn’t there?”
“It’s more about a heavy physical element required.”
At that, she shuddered. “I’m not so sure I could do that part.”
He chuckled. “It is a requirement though. You have to be physically fit for this job.”
“So no jokes about doughnuts and cops, huh?”
“We laugh about it, just as much as anyone. It’s a bit of a no-brainer in the movies,” he teased. “But, at the same time, you have to be there, ready and physically fit to do the job.”
She sighed, thought about it, and shook her head. “I wasn’t really thinking about becoming a cop. That’s not really where my heart lies.” She shrugged. “Solving crimes, yes, but, unless I could go into the cold cases section, I don’t know that much else would appeal.”
“Most divisions have a Cold Case Department. But a lot of people really don’t understand how that works.”
“Even if I did understand that,” she replied blithely, “I’d just ignore it.” He turned and fully faced her. She shrugged. “Sometimes you guys need things shaken up. So that you see how you used to do things isn’t always the best way to continue doing things.”