Page 29 of Burning Caine

I stared at the carpet as we walked, all its grays and browns and circles and swirls. It complimented the tall gray cubicle walls, while hideously clashing at the same time.

We walked in silence again for a moment until we made it into the storage room. It was thirty feet deep and twenty feet across. Old office equipment, computer peripherals, papers, and other junk were crammed into the back of the room. A thick layer of dust sat on those discarded piles. On a less dusty shelf on the right wall was a stack of briefcase-like boxes, the artwork transport cases.

“Thanks for showing me, Matt.” I started to the shelf, but he grabbed my arm to turn me back to him.

“I said I wanted to talk to you, and that wasn’t it.”

“What do you want?” My jaw hurt from how tight it was. The only other option was letting the emotions out, which wouldn’t happen.

“I know you’re avoiding me.”

“You said that already.”

He rubbed his arm and looked around the room, avoiding my gaze. “I’m sorry for what I did. We. Ty was your friend, too. I don’t know if it makes you feel better or worse, but he and I got married last year.”

Cass had broken the news to me after it happened, so it wasn’t a surprise. I’d spent a day in bed crying, then jumped out of a plane the next day. Five times. One for every year between our divorce and his remarriage.

“Are we done yet? Or do you need to get some more stuff off your chest?” Off his chest and right onto my back, ensuring I didn’t forget how shitty people could be if you let them in.

“I hope you find someone who cares about you the way I should have.”

I walked to the shelf. Lots of cases to choose from.

“And I have a message from Dad.”

The third case was the right size.

“He wanted me to tell you directly the Scott artwork claim needs to be closed within a month.”

I paused, hands frozen on the case. “What?”

“Bobby Scott was a friend of his. You know my dad. Family and friends are important, and he wants to take care of Olivia.”

Alarm bells went off in my head. Would Roger bend the rules for his friends? “I need to get it authenticated before we can authorize payment.”

“Yeah, and he wants it done quickly.”

I nodded slowly, all the irritation with him gone. My brain started churning on the present instead of the past. I grabbed the case and made my way back to him.

“You know Ty and I are always here for you, no matter how you feel right now.”

I stopped in front of him, taking in his slumped posture, his pinched face, his grimace. He missed me. Our friendship. He’d been the man I needed at the start of our relationship and I had to remember that. Putting the case down, I wrapped my arms around him. A few seconds later, I felt his muscles relax.

“Thanks, Matt.”

He pulled back, smiling. “Think you could put a little less effort into avoiding me going forward?”

“Maybe twenty percent less.” I grinned at him. “I need to get going, though. The police are releasing the Scott painting to me.”

I detoured on my way out. Knocking on the partition wall of the SIU office, Harry and Quinn looked up.

Roger and Bobby were friends, I mouthed.

She snapped her fingers and pointed at me. “I knew you’d figure it out.”

That was the fourth red flag the claim should have had, but the claims tracking system only had one. This claim should have gone directly to SIU, but even knowing that, they were leaving it in my hands. Was I ready for this?

Chapter 12