[Wednesday, March 3, 21:00]
The detective signed the last page of his report and tossed it into his outbox. Eyeing the rain outside, Flack grumbled. The forecast had promised no rain until nightfall, but the paperwork surrounding the LSD clown case had taken so long that the sun had set hours ago. He should be more like Lindsay, toting along a little collapsible umbrella if there was more than a 10% chance of rain within the next 24 hours. He gathered his things and made the brusque walk to his car and started down his usual route home. A figure on a cross street caught his eye as he sat at a red light. A tall woman with blonde hair. He shook his head at himself. His mind was definitely playing tricks on him. The light was still red, so he watched her mindlessly. Other people on the street hurried by, eager to find shelter. She didn't seem to mind, keeping a leisurely pace. The hood of her jacket was down, the rain slowly wetting her hair. He blinked. That was the same jacket Juliana had worn when she came down to the precinct. What were the ch-
BEEP BEEP.
Green light. The car behind him was honking at him to get moving. Don raised a hand in apology, then pulled out of his lane, cutting off at least two other cars to make it onto the cross street. A cacophony of honking followed in his wake. He pulled over and stepped out. "Juliana?"
The woman turned at the sound of her name. A smile replaced her melancholy expression she recognized him. "Hello, Don."
He hit the button to unlock the car's doors. "Where are you headed?" He tapped the roof of his car. "Hop in, I'll give you a ride."
"I wasn't going anywhere. Just out for a walk," she explained.
"In the rain?" he raised an eyebrow. He had only been standing in it for a minute, but he was already looking forward to returning to the shelter of his car.
Juliana looked down. "I like rain." She pushed some wet hair away from her face. "I like any kind of water. It... helps me think. I would usually go for a swim, but I am still not allowed." She grimaced, feeling the faint pull of the sutures in her back.
"There's plenty of water in the shower," he teased.
"There is not a lot of room for walking in the shower," she said absently.
Don shut off the engine and joined her on the sidewalk. "What's on your mind?" He could tell her attention was drifting away from their conversation.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you always seem to know?" she wondered. It was eerie. Even her own parents weren't this good at knowing what she was thinking. With a pang, she realized she hadn't seen her family for nearly a year.
"I've been reading people for a long time. And you have an expressive face." A very pretty, expressive face. She looked resigned, almost upset. "Want to talk about it?"
She closed her eyes and tilted her face up to the sky, feeling the cool splash of the raindrops. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No," she said finally. When she looked at him again, her pale blue eyes were tinged with sadness. "I know what I have to do. Even if I don't like it." Juliana suppressed a shiver. Now that she wasn't moving, the chill was catching up to her.
The man let the subject go. It seemed personal and it wasn't his place to pry. "If you're done thinking and getting soaked, let me take you home. Because last time I found you in the rain, you- well..." Maybe he shouldn't bring up that night.
"Nearly died? You can say it. I wasn't afraid of dying," Juliana smiled cheerlessly.
"Don't say that," he murmured, closing the space between them and taking her hand. "I'm glad you're alive. Grayson is too. Can't imagine how your little brother would feel if he got a call that you'd never be coming home."
He was right. Beertje would have been devastated. She looked down at their joined hands and gave his a squeeze. "Thank you."
Don put both his hands around hers and blew gently on her cold fingers. "You're freezing. C'mon, I'll drive you home."
"Alright," she agreed. The woman climbed in, trying in vain not to get the seat too wet. He asked how her recovery was going as they pulled away from the curb and the drive passed quickly. When they pulled up outside her apartment, she stayed in her seat, unmoving.
He shut off the engine, waiting patiently. If she had something to say, she would get to it in her own time.
Finally, she said quietly, "I know it was you." Almost inaudible over the drumming of the rain. "That night, in the alley. I recognized your voice when you and your partner came to get my statement at the hospital."
He chuckled. That explained it. "So you don't try to stare the wits out of everyone you meet."
"No," she laughed, shaking her head. "My mother always had to remind me to look at people when I spoke to them. I was very shy as a child. Even now, I am not so good at it."
The man turned in his seat to face her. "You should stare at people more often. Eyes like that, you'll get whatever you want."
Juliana turned away but knew it was useless. Her blush was obvious, even in the growing darkness. She gathered her nerve and turned back to face him, her gaze meeting his. "Coffee?" She held her breath, pulling at the cuffs of her jacket as she waited for him to answer.
With some effort, he unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth. "As if I needed any convincing." He couldn't hold back the grin on his face. "I'd love to."
"I didn't mean today, it's late. But um..." she wrestled with herself, was tomorrow was too soon? "Tomorrow around noon?" she suggested.
He sighed. "I have the long shift and I have to be in court. It's going to be even later than this when I get off." He wracked his brain, trying to remember the rest of his schedule. Juliana's proximity had a habit of making his brain turn off. "I'm free Saturday."
"Saturday at noon, then."
"I'll come pick you up. Got a place in mind?" If she didn't, he knew at least three places in the city that were great first date cafés.
"No. I drink tea so I don't know places with good coffee." She glanced down at the collar of his button-down shirt, visible under his trench coat. "But somewhere casual. No collars."