Chapter 10
AJ/Trask held out his hand to the detective, "Hello, I am Chuck Trask, won't you come in out of the dust and racket?" Steve stepped into the trailer and Trask offered, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Sure", Jenkins said, "I never turn down coffee."
After pouring two cups and offering him a seat, Trask asked, "So, what is this about bodies on my site?"
"Oh, we had a crazy report about something suspicious happening out there last night."
"I see, and did you find anything?"
"No, but then I didn't really think I would either."
"Well, that's good, wouldn't want work to stop unless there was something serious going on."
"I am sure that there will be no more trouble, but when we have a report like that we have to check it out."
"Oh I understand completely! It was no trouble at all."
"Okay, I'll be on my way. Thank you for the coffee," Steve said, shaking the man's hand and leaving.
Re-entering Ms. Rose's shop, Steve/Garret yelled up the stairs, "Yo, Cavanaugh, there were no bodies there. You done 'getting her statement' yet?"
Max/Woody gave a sigh of relief and put down the cup of tea that had just been pushed into his hands. "Okay, Ma'am, I gotta go," he said as he turned and left.
Clara went down the stairs on the heels of Detective Cavanaugh.
Steve/Garret stepped aside shaking his head with a grin as the naive young detective hurried past and towards the door.
"Oh, Detective," Clara/Lily giggled with glee.
To everyone in the bar's stunned surprise, Lily grabbed Garret by the lapels and planted a kiss firmly on his lips. She was unprepared to find Garrets lips open in surprise under hers and found herself melting in the sudden release of the feelings for him she had kept pent up for so long.
Slightly off balance from being pulled forward, Garret placed his hand on her shoulder to balance himself. Feeling the touch of his hand Lily cuddled closer into the kiss. Swept up in the moment Garret found himself returning the kiss.
Across the table with raised eyebrows, Nigel gave Bug a knowing look as he jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow.
Jordan seeing this reaction to what should have been a private moment gave a discreet cough.
Startled at the realization of what they had just done in front of everyone, the two of them jumped apart, and Lily's chair toppled over backwards.
AJ, reacting quickly, caught Lily to keep her from falling to the ground, pulling her into his lap in the process.
Meredith shot the two of them a jealous glare.
Max just smirked at his sister.
Bug and Nigel were both trying to keep from laughing.
Jordan smacked Bug and shot Nigel an evil look.
Woody, ever the Boy Scout, jumped to his feet and put Lily's chair upright then offered his hand to help her back into it.
Finally snapping out of his shock, Garret exclaimed, "Why did you kiss me?"
Sputtering in her own defense, "I didn't kiss you…um…Clara kissed Steve!"
"What! Then why did Clara kiss Steve?" Garret demanded.
"It said in the notes he was under the mistletoe!"
"But it was MAY!" Garret shouted.
Max, coming to Lily's aid, "When I asked the same question all those years ago, Miss Rose explained that she kept it up all year round. Now, let's get back to the case."
"I don't get it, dad," Jordan said. "Where do I come into all this?"
"I was just going to tell you that," Max answered in a clipped tone. "It involves the second case. Later that day there was a report of a missing man. Even back then I suspected the cases were connected, but my partner thought I was grasping at straws."
"Well, okay then, are the two of you going to come and talk to me next?" Jordan asked.
"Before we get started on that case, how about a fresh round of drinks and some food, Max?" his sister asked. Meredith was becoming a bit bored at this point and she wanted something to do.
"Sure," he said, "Go ahead and get everyone what they want Merry."
When that had been done and everyone was ready to settle down to the case files again, Jordan took a moment to get into her character and Woody/Max and Garret/Steve prepared to pay LaVon Travis a visit.
To be continued….