You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 349

There was a pause before someone finally asked, “Did you ever find her?”

Jackson kicked back, crossing his legs with that lazy kind of confidence. “Never even tried.”

“Why not?”

“What’s the point? For all I know, she’s got a new life now, maybe even a new family. Me showing up would only mess things up for her. I’m good where I am.”

That’s the thing about being adults. Sometimes, you just have to let each other keep a little dignity.

At five o’clock, Patricia stepped outside into the falling snow. Just to be safe, she swapped out her car for one with rear-wheel drive before heading out.

Traffic was a nightmare. By the time she finally pulled up to the police station, it was already a little past six.

Inside, Brandon was running on fumes after several sleepless nights spent interrogating suspects. He just wanted to close the case, but the main witness was old and frail, passing out every so often, which made everything drag on.

When a coworker mentioned the snow, Brandon grabbed his cigarettes and stepped out under the awning for a quick smoke and a breath of fresh air.

He had just pulled the door open when a man walked up, holding a fancy food box.

“Detective Lantz, my boss asked me to bring you some dinner.”

“My boss?” Brandon was caught off guard.

The man said, “Patricia.”

Brandon’s hand froze midair, cigarette dangling. “That’s not really appropriate.”

The guy just smiled. “Miss Patricia figured you’d say that, so she stayed in the car. It’s just some homemade food, nothing weird or special—definitely not poisoned. She wanted to thank you for believing her and backing her up the other day.”

“I was just doing my job.”

Brandon’s voice floated back through the falling snow. “Not tonight. I’d like to avoid dying on the job, thanks!”

Back in the warmth of the car, Patricia leaned against the window, absently twisting a strand of hair as her brows stayed knit in thought.

Aiden, hands on the wheel, kept sneaking glances at her, looking like he was dying to say something.

Patricia let out a frustrated sigh. “Just spit it out if you’ve got something to say.”

“Sir’s gonna be mad if he finds out,” Aiden thought, but out loud all he said was, “Who would be okay with their wife driving through a snowstorm just to bring food to a cop?”

“If I don’t show up and check in, how will he know what’s happening with the case?”

Aiden frowned, not getting it. “What are you talking about?”

Suddenly, Jackson reached over and flicked Aiden on the head. “Seriously, how thick can you be? There was something important in what she just said. Think about it.”