Linda woke up Saturday morning with Amenadiel next to her. She was disoriented for a moment, until the memories of last night came back in a rush.
The party. The singing. Chloe's beautiful engagement ring. Ella's almost-right-but-really-not-that-close conclusion. Talking about Azrael. Arriving home to a somewhat cross sitter, who had then received a really large tip for her trouble.
And then … Amenadiel.
They'd just looked at each other and she'd known.
They might not have a word for friends who made a baby together but then stopped having sex, but Linda was quite sure there was a word for friends who made a baby together and then started having sex again. She just couldn't put her finger on it at the moment.
And speaking of fingers … she let her fingers drift slowly down Amenadiel's sleeping body, until his eyes opened suddenly and he turned to her …
#
Later he made breakfast for them as she fed Charlie. She was loath to destroy the mood, but the therapist in her felt compelled to discuss feelings and relationships.
"Amenadiel—" she started. But he interrupted her.
"Linda," he said. "Last night was wonderful. But what does last night mean for … us? For our relationship?"
She laughed. "I was just going to ask you the same thing."
"Do you remember when I asked you to marry me, and you said 'no'?"
"Yes, I remember."
"The offer is still open, if you'd like to reconsider."
She chose her words carefully. She didn't want to hurt him. "Amenadiel, my answer is still the same. It's not you! You are wonderful and caring and everything that a woman could want in a man." She paused to make sure he would understand. "But I was married before. To a man I loved. And it was great for a while, but then it wasn't. I felt trapped and I couldn't find any way to escape."
"I think I understand."
"Do you? Because I want you in my life, just not in that way. I want us to be together, but I don't want to be your wife and I don't want you to be my husband. Can't we just be together?"
"Like boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Yes! I mean, that sounds so high school, right? But like that. I want you to move in here with me and live with me and Charlie. I want what we had last night … every night. I want a relationship without the shackles attached. I want security but I want freedom, as well. Do you see?"
She could see that Amenadiel was considering her words carefully. The he said, "What about love? What about love, Linda? You've never said those words; I've never said those words to you. What does that mean … for us?"
"You big dope! Of course I love you! I mean, it's not all all-consuming passion right now. Mostly because I'm not that kind of person. I'm not Ella or even Chloe. I'm me. Analytical me who looks at feelings from a distance. Can you understand that?"
"I think I can. I'm not sure if what I feel for you is love, but I know I care for you deeply and I want you to be happy."
"Then that's enough. That's enough to start a relationship, if you want it to be."
"I believe I do."
They sealed their deal with a kiss.
#
Later that morning, Linda called Chloe—only to learn that Chloe was on her way to Malibu in order to spend some time with Trixie. She tried Ella next, but Ella went right to voice mail. Hmm. That wasn't like her.
Maybe Ella was still dealing with last night? Linda felt that was possible, even probable. Ella had a lot to process. Learning that your friends all knew your "imaginary" friend as a real person was going to be a traumatic experience for anybody.
She decided to take Charlie for a walk. "Want to come, Amenadiel," she asked her … what should she call him? Not "boyfriend," certainly. "Significant other" sounded so sterile. "Lover" seemed to be focused only on the physical side of their relationship. She needed to think about this one a bit. How could their relationship be described? She needed a word, a descriptor.
"Give me a minute to finish the dishes," he said.
Linda went upstairs, changed and dressed Charlie. He looked so cute! Looking at her infant son, her heart was filled with love. She would do anything for her little baby.
She carried him back downstairs and had just put him in the stroller when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," she called to Amenadiel, who was still in the kitchen.
She opened the door to see Detective … Dutton? … again.
"Hello, Detective," she said. "I'm surprised to see you again."
"Good morning, Doctor Martin," he replied. "I'm sorry to bother you, but this is official police business, I'm afraid. I have a warrant here to obtain all your patient records on Mr. Charles Pearson. It is my expectation that those records will confirm that he was having an affair with the decedent, Ms. Jacobsen—which will provide motive."
"Ah. Well yes. I see. Come on in. My records are upstairs in my office."
Amenadiel poked his head out from the kitchen. "What's going on?"
"This Detective—Detective Dutton—has a warrant for some of my patient records. Charlie's in the stroller, ready to go when you are. Watch him while I'm upstairs, please?"
He nodded, and dried his hands with a towel. He would watch Charlie.
As they ascended the stairs, Linda tried to learn more without being too obvious. "So … I'm surprised you got a Judge to sign-off on the warrant. I thought you needed more to go on."
"I did. But then I received a tip early this morning, which was enough for the Judge."
"A tip?"
"Yes, a tip. We get lots of tips, all the time. This one was very specific, though. Pearson was having an affair with Jacobsen and Pearson was going to tell the wife. That was enough for the warrant."
"Okay. I see."
Linda wondered if that tip had come from Chloe, after their conversation of last night. But she had been careful not to be overly specific about Chuck's affairs. Chloe wouldn't have gone from "affairs" to "having an affair with the victim of a homicide." Although Chloe's intuition could make amazing leaps, that kind of jump just wasn't like her.
She unlocked her file cabinet and found her Pearson files. She handed them over to Dutton. "I must say, I don't believe you're going to find what you're looking for in these files," she said. "You may also want to check with Doctor Corden. She may have more current files."
He nodded and patted his jacket pocket. "That's my next stop. She's meeting me at her office in a couple of hours." He took the files and said, "Thank you, Doctor Martin. If this goes the way I think it will, you should expect to be a witness in the trial."
She nodded back at Dutton, and sighed. "It won't be my first time."
As he left, she let Amenadiel escort her and Charlie to the park.
#
After the walk in the park, Linda called her friends again. Chloe still didn't answer but, this time, Ella picked up.
"Hi Ella," Linda said. "Just thought I'd check in after … last night."
She heard Ella yawn. "Uh, yeah," Ella replied. "Last night … last night was a long one. I'm kind of exhausted right now, actually. Thinking of taking a long nap."
Linda was surprised, because Ella's energy typically knew no bounds. "Ella, I know hearing about … your friend … last night was a lot to take in. If you want to talk about it—or anything else, really—you know I'm here for you, right?"
"Uh, right. Yes. I mean—for sure! I know you're there for me, Linda. You're always there for me, and I appreciate that." Ella yawned again.
"Ella, what happened after we left the party last night? Did you go see Jerry at Lux?"
Ella paused for so long that Linda began to become a bit concerned. Then she said, "Uh, yeah. I did. Chloe and Lucifer gave me a ride to Lux, and then Chloe and I listened to Lucifer play and sing for about an hour or so."
"That sounds nice. So it was a late night for you, then?"
"Right. Uh, a very late night, actually." She yawned again. "Look, Linda, I really need to get off the phone and get some sleep right now. I'm wiped!"
Linda's eyebrows arched up and then came back down as her eyes squinted in sudden suspicion. She had to ask! "Ella, did you and Jerry … go home together?"
She heard Ella sigh. "Are you asking as my friend … or as my therapist?"
"Bit of both, actually."
"Then … yes."
"Okay. I understand you don't want to talk about last night over the phone. But Ella—you need to talk about last night. With Chloe, with me, it doesn't matter who you talk with. Just talk to somebody. Promise me you will!"
Ella sighed again. "Yes, I promise."
Linda smiled and said slyly, "Woman to woman: how was he?"
"Woman to woman: oh my God!"
"That good, huh?"
"Oh, yeah. That's why I need a nap now. No sleep last night. None. Totally worth it, though."
"I'm happy for you! But before I let you go, I need to talk about something else."
"Okay, shoot."
"I had a visit from Detective Dutton, this morning. He had a warrant for Chuck's patient records."
"Oh, really? Wonder how he got that?"
"Apparently, somebody phoned in a tip that Chuck and the victim—what's her name again?—were having an affair."
"Her name was Kathryn Jacobsen," Ella said quietly. "Age 23."
"Yes, Jacobsen," Linda said. "Anyway, Detective Dutton said he had received a tip and that was enough for a Judge to sign-off on a warrant for my records. So he has them now, for whatever they'll be worth to him."
"You don't think they'll help him much, do you?"
"No, I don't. There was no connection between Chuck and Jacobsen in my records, because he never mentioned any of his lovers by name. And that's about all I'll say about that over the phone."
"I totally understand, Linda," Ella said. "But still, isn't it an interesting coincidence that we've had two huge phone tips on this case? The first was the initial report of the body, the day after the big boring bachelor party, and now the second. Both anonymous. But both obviously from somebody or somebodies with insider knowledge. Somebody or somebodies who also want to help the investigation. Isn't that interesting?"
"It is an interesting coincidence, Ella," Linda replied. "I wonder what Chloe would make of it?"
"I don't know. Have you told her yet?"
"I tried, but she's in Malibu with Trixie, I think. I heard her say last night that they were going to take a walk on the beach together today. Maybe she turned her phone off, I don't know."
"Right. That's probably where she is right now." Ella yawned again. "I need to crash right now. If you get a chance, will you update Chloe? I don't think I'm going to be conscious for a least six hours."
Linda smiled. "Sure, Ella. Will do!" She paused. "And enjoy your nap. Sounds like you earned it!"
Ella laughed. "I sure did. I hope he's got enough energy left to study today. Big test for him on Monday."
Linda chuckled. "I hope so, too. And Ella—remember what I said. You have a lot of changes going on right now, a lot of stuff to process. Reach out—please."
"Will do. Goodnight now."
"Sleep well, my friend."