“I bought you red velvet cupcakes,” I said.
“You did?” she said meekly.
“Yeah, four of them.” I held up the bakery box. “We can eat them all when we get home.”
“That was really thoughtful.”
“I know they’re your favorite.”
I heard her sniffle and turned around in time to see her dissolve into tears.
“They’re not your favorite?” I asked.
She laughed through the waterworks. “Yes, they’re my favorite. But I can’t even think about eating. I’m just so sad, and worried, and I don’t know what’s going to happen next. But I’m so glad you’re with me. I’m just so… thankful that you’re hanging with me.”
“Hey, you’re my best bud,” I said, reaching back to grab her hand. “That’s what we do. Right?”
“That’s right.” She sat up, sniffed, and wiped away her tears with her sleeve. “I’m trying to stop crying, but hearing about those cupcakes put me right over the edge.”
“I know. They do that to me, too.”
Her smile was watery. “You’re so easy when it comes to food.”
“I’m sure that’s a compliment.”
“Of course.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I love you, Brooklyn.”
Now it was my turn to tear up. “Oh, honey, I love you, too. We’ll get you through this. You won’t be alone, I promise. I’m not going to leave you to deal with anything on your own.”
Right then, Derek opened the driver’s-side door and slid onto the smooth leather seat. His jaw was clenched so tightly that Robin and I exchanged worried looks.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her eyes growing wider.
As he started the engine, he gave me a somber glance meant to silence me, but we both knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“Derek,” I said, “what happened? What did Inspector Lee say?”
As he pulled away from the curb, he said, “She didn’t get a chance to say much of anything. Before we could begin to talk, Inspector Jaglom received a phone call from police headquarters that caused them both to go ballistic.”
Robin sat forward. “Why?”
He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “They couldn’t find any identification in Alex’s clothing, but they saw the Russian labels. And from everything you told them about him, the cops are afraid this might become an international incident.”
“That sounds ominous,” I said.
“It is. Inspector Jaglom is afraid your Department of Homeland Security will be intrigued enough by your Ukrainian friend to take over the case.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” I asked.
“It could be. Nate told me the feds in this area have a tendency to shoot first and ask questions later.”
“And what exactly does that mean?”
“It means that in an overabundance of caution, the feds might throw Robin in jail.”
Chapter 5
Once we were back at my place, I started water boiling for tea. I didn’t drink tea very often, but I found it comforting when I was feeling blue. Today qualified.
Derek walked into the kitchen, put his arms around me, and spoke quietly. “It might be a good idea if I checked into a hotel tonight. That way, you and Robin can spend time with each other without my interference.”
“I heard that.” Robin came rushing over to the bar that separated the kitchen from the living and dining areas. “Don’t you dare leave on my account. I won’t let you.”
Derek turned. “I thought it would be preferable if-”
“No,” she insisted, “it’s not. I’d rather you stayed. I’ll feel much safer if you’re here. Oh, but…” She pressed her hand to her mouth as though she’d misspoken.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She walked into the kitchen, ignored me, and glared at Derek. “Unless you’d rather stay at your hotel.”
He shook his head. “That’s not-”
“It’s your decision, of course,” Robin went on. “But why are you so anxious to leave? Do you know how lucky you are to have Brooklyn to curl up with every night?”
“I’m astonishingly lucky,” he said, winking at me.
“Hey,” I said, embarrassed now and reaching for the bag of double-fudge Milanos on the counter. “Let’s have some cookies.”
“That’s right,” Robin said, ignoring me as she shook her finger at Derek. “Why would you want to stay anywhere else?”
“Why, indeed?” Derek said nonchalantly.
“Exactly!”
“Um, Robin-”
“Sorry, Brooklyn,” Robin cried, and grabbed me in a tight hug. “But I don’t want to be the excuse he uses to leave you.”
I looked at Derek. “Please stay.”
“Don’t beg,” Robin whispered. “If he hasn’t figured out you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him, it’s his problem.”
I stared at the ceiling. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Derek laughed. He seemed delighted with the entire conversation. “I’ll stay here tonight, if you don’t mind.”
Robin beamed. “Wonderful.”
“Sounds good to me.” Still slightly baffled by what had just transpired, I held out the bag. “Cookie, anyone?”
Robin grabbed hold of both our arms and pulled us closer, then looked back and forth from Derek to me. “I’m a little nutso right now, so thank you for tolerating me. I owe you both so much for coming to my rescue today. I’m not sure I can ever repay you, but I love you for it. Thank you.”
“It’s what friends do,” Derek said.
“Well put,” she said, and kissed him smack-dab on the lips. Then she turned and did the same to me.
I laughed and gave her a tight hug. “You really are crazy-you know that? But I love you, too.”
She looked at Derek. “So it’s settled.”
“It’s settled,” he said with a nod.
“Guess we’re having a sleepover,” I said, still not sure what they’d settled, but glad about it.
“So what’s for dinner?” she asked, grabbing the bag of cookies.
“I’ve recently developed quite a taste for pad thai noodles,” Derek offered.
“My favorite.” Robin clapped her hands, then turned to me. “Do we have wine?”
“Oh, hell, yes.” I quickly pulled a bottle out of the wine rack and grabbed the corkscrew. It was better than tea any day of the week.
Later that evening, as we watched reruns of Nash Bridges and nibbled on red velvet cupcakes, Derek’s cell phone rang. I paused the show, because Derek had never seen it, and despite his best intentions, he was starting to get into it.
He mostly listened on his end, and the call was over in less than two minutes. Turning to Robin, he said, “That was Inspector Lee. They did find traces of Rohypnol in your system.”
“I knew it,” I said. “That bastard.” I whipped around and grabbed Robin’s hand. “Sorry. But really, what a jerk.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” She seemed a little dazed by the reality of what had been done to her.
“The inspector will call you tomorrow morning to set up a time to come by so she can discuss things in detail with you.”
“Why did she call you?” Robin wondered aloud. “She could’ve called me and cut out the middleman.”
“She probably thinks you took a Valium and went to bed,” I said.
She sank back into the couch. “Oh, what a good idea.”
I looked at Derek. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”
“Yes, but I’ll arrange to be here when she comes.”
“Thank you, Derek,” Robin said. “Again.”
He waved away her thanks. “I’m just being meddlesome. I want to hear what the police are up to.”
I chuckled. “Me, too.”
“No,” Robin said. “You’re being heroic and protective, and I appreciate it.”
I nudged her with my elbow. “You don’t have to keep saying thank-you. You would do the same for us.”
“I know, but… it’s weird.” She laid her head back on the couch.