Hidden in the Blood: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 5)

Chapter Eight: Joe, Monday

Joe, Naomi, Tosh and Logan were just finishing dinner when Rachel, Lauren and Emma returned. Joe waited until they took off their coats and shoes and came to join them in the dining room before asking how the visit to Al went.

"It was anticlimactic," Rachel said, sounding disappointed. "He didn't open his eyes again. But there was one development we didn't expect."

"What's that?" Joe asked.

"Al had a visitor, well, aside from Sunny and Tej, who also showed up."

"Who was it?"

"An old girlfriend of his. Her name's Agnes Chu, and she's just returned home after living in the Okanagan for years. She's just separated from her husband and moved home with her kids. Sunny's offered her free legal advice."

Joe put his fork down and stared at them. "Are you serious?"

"Uncle Al had another girlfriend?" Naomi asked.

Emma answered Naomi's question a little more eagerly than she should have. "She's cute. The whole way home I wondered what they were like together."

Logan frowned at his sister. "Emma, Rachel's right there."

Rachel smiled and said, "Thanks, Logan. I have to admit I wondered the same thing. It's a whole chapter of his life I wasn't a part of."

"Hopefully you can ask him about it when he wakes up," Joe said.

"She can do more than that," Lauren said, hobbling to one of the dining room chairs and sitting herself down, leaning the crutches against the table. "She can call Agnes herself and ask her."

Joe turned to Rachel. "You got her number?" he asked incredulously.

"I gave her mine," Rachel answered. "I hope I won't regret it."

"You weren't jealous she was there?"

"Of course I was!" she said, throwing up her hands. "But what was I going to do, tell her to leave? Anyway, it's not like she's angling to get back together with him. At least, I don't think so."

Joe thought Rachel was right to have doubts. Her certainty about Al's complete devotion to her was shaken as soon as Lauren had her first threesome with them. It had certainly shaken Joe's own certainty about Lauren's devotion and nearly ruined his marriage, and it made him grind his teeth just thinking about it.

"So, how far did you get with the reno?" Lauren asked.

Joe looked to Logan and asked, "Do you want to show them?"

Logan brightened and plucked the sheet of paper from the table beside him. "We've taken all the measurements and planned it out," he said, pointing to the floor plan drawn on it. "Since we're just making bedrooms, it's mainly framing and drywalling, as long as we're okay with just one two-socket electrical outlet in each room, otherwise we'll need to bring in electricians to install more."

Rachel nodded, impressed. "Sounds like you're on top of it. Maybe you can show me how that layout looks in three dimensions downstairs, so I can visualize how the rooms will be set up. One outlet in each room might be a challenge, but with the right placement of furniture it might work."

"Sure!" Logan stood and almost left the table without clearing his dishes. Joe cleared his throat pointedly, and the boy realized his mistake and brought his dishes, and Naomi's and Tosh's as well, to the kitchen to load the dishwasher.

Joe finished his dinner while Rachel and Logan went downstairs and Naomi and Emma went to the living room to watch TV. Lauren cleared her own throat, and Joe looked up at her. "What's up? Do you need something?"