Chapter 2

A drink turned into several drinks which turned into dinner. They laughed, talked about nothing at all really. It was refreshing not to talk about crime or dead bodies. At the end of their meal, Alan walked Laura to a cab.

"Perhaps you'd like to do this again sometime."

Thinking about her encounter with Robbie earlier, she shook her head. "This was fun but…"

He nodded knowingly as he opened the door to the cab, "There's a Mr. Axe Murderer somewhere."

She laughed, "No, but the possibility."

He shook his head, "Timing, it's always been my downfall." Pulling a piece of paper from his pocket, "Here's my number. If the possible Mr. Axe Murderer turns out not to be everything you are looking for, give me a call."

For a moment, she considered not taking the piece of paper. Finally, she took the slip of paper. "Just in case."

Laura spent the weekend catching up on work, running errands, just generally keeping busy. Several times she thought about calling Robbie. Each time she changed her mind, he'd said he would call her. She could be patient for a few more days.

On Monday, she made a point of going through the station early in hopes of running into him. She didn't see him, wasn't sure if the few days Innocent had given him included Monday as well. Her morning was light, she could go by and check on him.

The drive to his flat was uneventful. Traffic was light, probably for the best, it didn't give her much time to change her mind. She parked, checked her make up in the vanity mirror. Meeting her eye in the mirror, she searched for a reason she could be stopping by. She was a doctor; his arm might need tending.

The walk to his door only took a few seconds. Before she could change her mind, she knocked on the door. Looking around, she didn't see his car. Maybe he'd decided to visit Lyn. This was foolish, turning to leave she was startled when the door opened.

A woman, taller than her, younger than her smiled. "Can I help you?"

Blinking quickly, Laura took a deep breath, "I must have the wrong place."

"Who were you looking for?"

"Robbie Lewis."

The woman smiled, nodding, "Yes, you've found the right place. He's not home right now. He went into the office to take care of a few things. He should be home soon. Would you like to come in and wait?" Nodding to the inside of the flat, "I was just about to make a cup of tea. Join me?"

The woman walked away, leaving no chance for argument. Who was this woman? More importantly, who was she to Robbie? After a moment's pause, she stepped across the threshold of the door, closing it behind her.

She watched the unknown woman move around the kitchen. Whoever she was, she seemed perfectly at ease in his kitchen. Seemed to know exactly where everything was. Laura's mind was spinning. The woman was beautiful, elegant. For the second time, some woman who knew Robbie made her feel frumpy.

"Sugar, milk?"

Laura shook the thoughts from her head, "Both."

The woman nodded toward the living room, "If you want to wait in there, I'll be through in just a few minutes."

Laura nodded, "Sure."

She walked into the living area, her eyes drawn instantly to the suitcases. It was too many for just one person. Her heart raced, brain searching for some answer.

"Go on, have a seat."

Laura turned, startled by the woman, "Is Robbie going somewhere?"

"Yes, Robbie and I are taking a holiday."

"You and Robbie?"

Katharine took a seat, began preparing two cups of tea. "Yes. We're headed to Greece for a couple of weeks. A client of mine has a home there. He's loaned it to us."

Laura took the offered cup, "How long have you two…"

Smiling easily, "We've known each other for years. We met while he was on attachment. We've stayed in touch over the years. I was in London for work and he came to visit me for the weekend." She shrugged nonchalantly, "My case settled early and I decided to go away. I convinced Robbie to come with me."

Laura looked up, tears burning her eyes. "Oh, I didn't realize he was seeing someone."

Smiling, "It's new but not new."

Laura set the cup on the tray, "I really need to get going. I just dropped by to check on Robbie." She motioned toward her arm, "See how his cut was healing?"

"Nicely, I've changed the dressing every day. The cut looks good. I even made sure to find a doctor in Greece to remove the stitches."

Laura smiled as she stood, "Well I can see he's in good hands. Have fun on your holiday."

The younger woman stood, following Laura toward the door, "Thanks, should I tell him you stopped by."

Laura shook her head, desperate to get away, "No, I'll see him when he gets back." She pulled open the door, practically running through it. She waved over her shoulder, afraid to look back, "Goodbye."