"Dad's gone," my cousin's voice was barely above a whisper. "You must come home for the Evaluations," she uttered and the phone line went dead.
*****
After Keri's Uncle - the Alpha of the Silver Bullets pack - loses his battle with cancer, the young...
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Clutching my purse, I walked through Woodville's streets, reciting my errands in my head, all of them being entering one shop or another and coming out with a certain purchase. I'd even made a list, just to make sure I didn't forget any of the items. I was passing by a young couple, the man and woman each holding the hand of the small child between them, when I felt it.
The electric current, buzzed through the cold early March air, making me look to the sidewalk across the street in time to see the all too familiar brown coat and fedora hat in the same color.
Callum was coming out of an electronics store, a square box under his armpit and a scowl on his face. He was walking away from me with brisk, heavy steps, but I wouldn't let him get away.
Not after my conversation with Horace last Saturday - had it only been a couple of days? - and the conclusion I'd reached during it.
I crossed the street and ran after him.
"Hey!"
My greeting startled him and he almost did a double take.
"Keri?" He said almost surprised and I allowed myself to smile. No more Miss Greer from him.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, the two of us standing still. He grunted and unwrapped his arm from the box, bringing the square object forward so I could see it better.
"The new toaster I bought was shit. It's only been two weeks and it already broke down on me."
"They gave you a new one?"
"Yeah, but it's the same model so I'm not getting my hopes up."
"Want to go for coffee?"
He gaped at me. I'd startled him for a second time today. Or maybe just surprised him?
"Okay," he replied and I nodded for him to follow me.
Five minutes later, we were seated at the tiny table of a small café - Callum with his boxed toaster on a chair beside him, me opposite the Detective with my purse on the chair to my left - and the waitress was jotting 'two large coffees, cream, no sugar' in her notepad.
"Did you want to talk to me about something?" Callum asked as soon as the woman went away.
"Nothing in particular," I said and almost chuckled at the confusion on his face. True that we usually only spoke about work. Except that time at the cop-frequented pub. And when he cut himself in my living room. And during dinner at Kelly's. And... Was that all of the times when we hadn't been all business?
"Why are you frowning?" My companion asked.
"I'm trying to remember a time when we've just sat down and chatted. We've known each other for a few years, but there aren't many occasions like that."
"There have been more of them recently," he said slowly. Thoughtfully.
I watched as his forehead creased, his finger drumming over the polished surface of our table until the waitress returned with two steaming mugs and placed them down with a couple of consecutive thuds.
