Page 29 of Mission: Possible

"Don't remind me."

"Or when we solved the murder of a pop princess?"

"I try to never think about that." Solomon took a bite of his burger before putting it down and wiping his mouth with the napkin. There was really no need. I would have happily licked his face. "It's almost impossible to solve and maybe that’s why the case creates so much intrigue. That, and the FBI’s appearance tell me it's something much bigger than Charlie is letting on. I have to admit, my curiosity is getting the better of me." His eyes narrowed.

"And?" I prompted, wondering what he wasn't admitting, although I could guess.

"And those thieves could have hurt you," he said, looking out the window but not before I saw the flash of pain on his face. "What if you were the one that got shot?"

"I didn't." When Solomon didn't reply, I reached for his hand, squeezing it. "Hey," I said softly. "I didn't get hurt. I'm fine and now I can provide more critical assistance as a primary witness."

"Which is why I assigned you to the case," said Solomon. "Also, stop stealing my fries with your other hand."

"When you find the perpetrators, what will you do?" I asked, withdrawing four fries and hastily eating them.

Solomon shrugged. "Hand them over."

"The fries? Too late."

"The thieves," he clarified.

"Straight away?"

Solomon returned his gaze to me. "Eventually," he said, his voice thick with anger.

"No vigilante justice," I said. "I wasn't hurt, remember? Whomever these guys are, they will not have just a book, but a whole library thrown at them for shooting a cop. They'll never see the light of day again from their prison cells."

"That worries me."

"Why? It's a good thing."

"No, not justice. The robbers will almost certainly go to any lengths now to keep from getting caught. We don't have long to find this crew. We're already a day behind so we can’t afford to lose anymore time. There will be long hours. We'll be starting early, and working late."

"What about my case?" I asked. Solomon frowned. "Austen Takahashi," I prompted. "I told you on the phone."

"Can you push it back at all? Next week perhaps?"

"No, I thought about that on the way over but the time factor is also critical for that. What he asked me to look into might turn out to be the attempted murder of his wife." I reached for Solomon's fries again and when he didn't stop me, I dived in for a second handful. Salty, crispy, and utterly delicious. For a brief moment, the taste transported me back to the days when Lily and I used to eat at O'Grady's before she opened her own bar.

"What's your take on the Takahashis?"

"It wasn't him, if that's what you're asking."

"I was. Most femicides are committed by a male that is already known to the victim, especially in domestic cases."

"I think we can rule that out here. Austen wasn't anywhere near the scene and didn't even go to their house, which is where it happened, until after she was taken to the hospital. Their contractor found her. Plus, Austen wants me to find out what, exactly, happened to her."

"I don't know if it's possible to handle two big cases. Do you want me to find someone else to hand it off to?"

"Like whom?" I asked. "You distributed our workload already and I assume all the available investigators are already working on the bank case with you. Besides, I don't want to hand it off. I will help you wherever I can. I know how to manage my time effectively," I said, feeling more decisive and confident than I ever did before after making such a statement. If only my former bosses could hear me now!

"If you do become overwhelmed, you'll tell me?"

"Of course."

"Then go right ahead. Perhaps it's better for you not to get involved with the bank case."

"I appreciate the show of faith and I agree. You said you heard of Austen Takahashi? What else can you tell me about him?"