Lumen doesn't plan to stay over on Monday night. She has an early start at work and both of us sense that it's too much like moving right in together if she stays every night. There's a part of me that doesn't see the problem with her moving right in, apart from the fact that I just don't have the space. But I know it's not what people do, so I don't say anything.
Instead she gives me a long, lingering kiss which makes me wish she was coming home with me anyway. Even though my body's getting more attention in the last few days than it has for months, it just makes me hungry for more. Reluctantly, I press the button for the elevator and let go of her waist. She waves me goodbye.
So Monday night passes pretty uneventfully. I spend some time, once the kids are all asleep, checking out Joseph Greco on the internet. He's blazed quite a trail across the country it seems. Never quite getting caught but always on the outskirts of some child abuse ring, named in a paedophile scandal but nothing sticks to him. A series of wronged, but loyal, women follow his trail of broken lives. I sit for a moment; sipping a beer and feeling the light sea breeze ruffle the collar of my shirt and think about men like Greco. How do they do it? Where does this charisma come from? How can someone be so essentially loathsome and yet still find love?
The train of thought brings me back to Lumen; she doesn't think I'm loathsome. Quite the opposite actually, she sees what I do as I source of goodness. Even though she knows the urges were there before the Code she still sees that I have used those urges for good.
"But it's not just that is it, Dexter?" Harry leans on the rail and looks down into the moonlight pool below. I look over at him. "The Code doesn't just serve society, it protects you from capture. Killing monsters means no one looks for you." I drink my beer and bite the side of my lip.
"Well, that hasn't been one hundred percent successful has it?" He looks at me, an eyebrow raised in question. "Bay Harbour Butcher? Trinity? I've not exactly been under the radar have I, Harry?"
"No, I guess not, son. I couldn't foresee some of the things that were going to happen to you when I made the Code." He sighs and nods to me, acquiescing the point. I tip my bottle neck in his direction as a gesture that I accept the apology.
I go back to my musing, thinking now about Masuka and the mysterious, sword wielding Su Lin. She sounds like my kind of girl, if it wasn't for the jealousy factor. A little too Lila for my liking. That's another good thing about Lumen; she seems to know that I mean it when I say I only want her. I've no reason to lie. After being married to Rita, dating Lila, or whatever I was doing with Lila, it seems strange to be able to be so honest. Women always seemed so complicated before. I never thought, after Biney, that I'd be able to share all of me with anyone.
I hear a car pulling up in the parking lot. It's late for visitors and no one in my building is much of a clubber, so it arouses my interest. Instinctively, I pull back from the railing and into the shadows. There are light footsteps on the stairs and I move along the balcony to the top of the stairs. I realise I am taking the fight to the newcomer, away from the apartment and the sleeping children. Without realising it, I am on the alert.
The sound of the footsteps comes closer; it's someone light on their feet. They turn at the top of the stairs and the overhead light floods their head with gold. It's Lumen. She looks up suddenly at me, startled, making a small frightened noise in her throat and then she relaxes. It gives me the most wonderful sensation to see her recognise me and just relax like that. It's like a thrilling reversal of the first time my victim looks up from that plastic wrapped table.
"Oh, hi. You scared me!" she whispers, smiling now. I step out of the shadows and put out my hand, she takes it instantly.
"Is everything ok? Is something wrong?" I look into her face, searching for some clue as to why she is here in the middle of the night. She shakes her head and looks me in the eye.
"No, well, yes. Something was wrong," she says and I frown, clutch her hand tighter. "It was wrong that I was in bed and you weren't there next to me. So I came here. Is that ok?" She doesn't wait for an answer. "I was just thinking it looked bad if we stayed together every night but then I figured I don't actually care what looks bad. Hey, I'm a killer." She grins a crooked grin and I laugh.
"You are," I nod and she nods too, mockingly, like it's something serious, which really it should be, but it isn't. I take her hand and we walk along the balcony to the apartment.
"It's very liberating you know, being a killer," she looks at me sideways and I frown. "It is, because how can I be bothered about all the normal stuff when I kill people too?" I look at her, I've never thought of it this way, all those years of caring what people think in case I get caught and here she is, liberated by what we do. I must look surprised because she laughs.
"I might even dye my hair, I've wanted to do it for years but people are so funny about blondes dyeing their hair. I might just do it now, though." I shake my head; I love how her mind works. From killing to hair dye in 60 seconds. I look at her as she passes under another overhead light, the gold and silver in her hair catches the beams, she has a halo.
"Don't dye it. I like it like that," I say, being honest, saying just what I'm thinking because I can. She smiles at me sideways.
"Ok, I won't," she holds my hand tighter.
We step over the sleeping kids and brush our teeth quietly, both of us smiling at this picture of domesticity that we thought we'd never have. Harrison moans in his sleep and Lumen strokes the hair from his forehead and speaks softly to him and he drifts off again.
I'm already in bed when she comes into the bedroom. I pull the duvet back for her and she slips in beside me, curling herself into the crook of my arm. I lie back, arm under the pillow, and listen to the assorted night noises of my family as they sleep peacefully under one, small roof. It's too small, but it feels good right now.
"So, we're bowling tonight and you're with Sonja, ok?" I point the spatula at Cody and then Astor and they nod solemnly and then grin.
"Are you any good at bowling?" Cody asks Lumen who shrugs.
"I don't know," she admits chewing her first pancake of breakfast, "I've never tried."
"Never tried? What were your parents thinking? That's abuse right, kids?" I act outraged and Cody nods vigorously, Astor passes Lumen the phone. Lumen looks at the handset.
"What's this for?" she asks blankly.
"Call a crisis line; get your parents locked up. No bowling?" Astor grins incredulously and Lumen laughs and hangs the phone back on the wall. I grin at Cody who nods his approval for Astor's joke.
"Well, it's a good job I met you guys then, phew!" Lumen runs her hand across her forehead dramatically and we laugh, even Harrison who has no idea what we're laughing about.
I dish out some more pancakes and sit down to finish my own. I love cooking but I hate how you have to eat last if you make breakfast for four people.
"Thanks for not minding about the early morning," Lumen says looking at her watch and finishing her last pancake. "I have to be at work extra early today to open up for some moms who are on first shifts at the hospital." Cody looks at the clock as though he hasn't noticed the time and then he frowns.
"Were you here when I went to sleep? I don't remember." He looks at Astor for confirmation. Astor's face is a sly smile.
"I don't think so Cody, maybe Lumen came over later?" She looks at me and I nod.
"I just didn't want to miss breakfast with you guys," Lumen says kissing Cody's head and then Harrison's. I bend for a kiss and she laughs, kisses me and puts her hand on Astor's. I notice Astor doesn't pull away, she just smiles. So quickly we've all bonded together, we're a survival story.
Lumen gets her jacket and her purse. I stand up but she points back to the stool I was sitting on. I sit down dutifully.
"I'll get a cab; the roads will be clear at this time. What time are you picking me up?"
"Is seven ok? We start at half eight but Deb wants us to grab some food first." I finish my last mouthful and pour some more coffee. Lumen nods.
"Ok, see you guys later!" She waves.
"Yeah, see you tonight," grins Astor and Lumen smiles and looks at me, I shrug.
Masuka isn't at the precinct and the rumour is that he's hiding from Su Lin. I spend the day matching the blood samples I took yesterday to the ones found outside the nightclub. It's odd being in our tiny lab without his crude comments and personal questions. I look up from my microscope to see Angel crossing the floor to my desk.
"Hey, Dex, find anything that can tell us it wasn't this Su Lin, ninja chick?" He sits on Masuka's chair and spins slowly from side to side. I shake my head.
"We've no more evidence really. These blood matches are all the victim's, the blade must have still been dripping across the parking lot until she wiped it with this cloth." I hold up the red stained piece of fabric. Who carries a blood stained samurai sword across a nightclub lot without getting noticed? Miami is a town of surprises.
"She? Amigo, are you saying you think it really was Vince's warrior ex who did this?" Angel, screws up his face.
"No, no I'm not saying it was her, but the height of the blow and the size of the cubicle do indicate that the killer is someone of a small height for a man. A woman could have done this, if she knew how to handle a sword." I shrug; to be honest it was a slip of the tongue, women with blades are on my mind for some reason.
"Well, let's try to talk Vince out of throwing tonight's bowling match, eh? I need to get out of the house if you know what I mean, compadre?" He looks over at LaGuerta's office where I can see Maria leaning on her desk, angry and scolding. She stands and puts her hands on her hips. It doesn't look good for someone but I can't see who, because of the potted plant on the filing cabinet in the corner. I wince, Angel nods and stands up, stretching his arms.
"Yes, I really need to get out of the house. What with the missing paperwork thing and this new beheading, Maria is a bomb waiting to go off." He quirks his head and twists his lips and I nod sympathetically. He leans to my desk. "I think maybe she has 'la regla'?" He winks and I nod again. He doesn't know if his wife has her period? No wonder he's so interested in my sex life.
"Well, I'll do my best!" I say perkily, keen to have the conversation over so that I can go back to looking at samples and day dreaming about Lumen. She's in all my thoughts. My clothes smell of her, I found a blonde long hair on my shirt today and I find myself deliberately remembering how she says my name when she comes, all desperate and fierce. Angel pats me on the shoulder and wanders off to make coffee, moving quickly when he sees the door to Maria's office open. I look up as Maria's victim crosses the floor to their desk, it's Deb. She comes straight for me.
"Bro, we are so going out for lunch. Get your wallet," she says, grabbing my arm and hoisting me out of my chair. I pull back to grab my bag but she's still moving towards the elevator.
Once we're inside and alone, Deb lets rip.
"That fucking bitch! Jesus, we need to get Angel to get her laid before she comes to work! She's a fucking hazard!" I look at Deb, she's usually this expressive but today it seems more than just bark, this anger has bite too.
"What happened in there? Are you in trouble?" Deb shakes her head and puts her hand on her hip. Then she does a frightening impression of Lt Maria LaGuerta; Latina accent, head tossing, the works.
"Detective Morgan, if I don't see some results about this South Beach Beheading, then I'm going to be suggesting to the chief that some people in this team get a move to somewhere else in the building, have I made myself clear?" I smile and start to laugh but then Deb looks at me and it's clear this is angry mocking, not comedy.
"What? She's pinning it all on you? What are you supposed to do?" Deb shrugs and I can see the rage coming off her in waves. It's a good job I'm the serial killing Morgan. I don't think Miami could withstand the sort of bloodbath which might assuage Deb in a mood like this. At least I'm doing it one at a time.
We walk out into the parking lot and Deb strides over the road to the outside snack place we like to get our pork sandwiches. She orders for both of us, even though I get out my wallet she just looks at me until I put it away, and then she makes for a table a long way from company. She bites the sandwich, drinks her coffee and sighs.
"Ok, that's better. Sorry, Dex, but I swear one day I will just pistol-whip that bitch. And, have you seen those earrings she has on today? Cherubs! Gold, fucking cherubs big enough to be on the side of a fucking church! What is her damage?" She shakes her head and then deliberately blows out a breath. She smiles suddenly. I start to panic, that smile means she has something she wants me to do or she wants me to talk.
"What?" I say through my mouthful of sandwich. She grins wider.
"So, how's it going with Lumen? You guys seemed happy when we saw you on Sunday and Angel says you were 'cansado de tanto meterla'," I look at her blankly; I know our Spanish doesn't stretch that far. She grins, "I looked it up online, it means 'tired from fucking'." Deb raises her eyebrows and smiles at me innocently; I nearly choke on my coffee.
"Oh, he did? Right, thanks, yeah, thanks for discussing my personal life with everyone, Deb." I look at the table.
"Look, fucktard, if you don't tell us something people will make this shit up, you know? It's what friends do. We're only teasin' ya, bro. Lighten up." She bites her sandwich, still grinning. "You don't have to tell me, I'll just ask Lumen later. Girls talk about all sorts of shit you men don't know about." She nods like it's a big, female secret she's letting me in on. Would Lumen do that? I honestly don't know. I don't know what normal people do about things like this.
"Ok," I make a decision, "well, it was good. We had sex pretty much straight away, on the sofa. I didn't even get chance to take my pants off because..." Deb holds up her hand.
"Oh fuck me sideways, Dexter! I didn't want the porno movie version of my brother's sex life! Dude!" She shakes her head, swallows some coffee like it's stopping her vomiting her sandwich right back onto the table. I frown, wasn't that what she wanted? "Jesus. Eww," she mutters and looks away across the street and I drink my coffee, this is confusing. She turns back to me.
"Ok, no, that's good. It's good that you're sharing. And it's good that you guys are... getting it on. That's all good. Good." She pats my hand, it seems like she's trying to convince herself more than convince me.
"I think I'm happy," I say and, as the words leave my mouth, I realise that they are true. That I have just done the same thing with Deb that I have been doing with Lumen, saying what I am actually thinking, not disguising my feelings in a cloak of normality. Deb's face is alight; it's touching how much this simple fact makes her happy. I smile despite myself.
"That's fucking amazing, Dexter, it really is." She nods to herself and finishes her sandwich. "So, have you actually spent the night apart yet?" I shake my head and she grins madly.
"We were supposed to, last night, but then Lumen just showed up at the apartment. She said it was wrong, not sleeping in the same bed as me." I know that this will make Deb happy and, though it seems a little personal, I can almost hear Harry cheering as I divulge this nugget of truth.
"Wow." Deb shakes her head. "That is just so romantic. Oh I love you two, I really do. Do you think it's time to look for a bigger place, Dex? I could help you scope some places out? Or have the kids while you and Lumen look?" I finish my sandwich and look at my sister's happy face. It's amazing how happiness filters through a person and touches everyone around them. It's that ripple effect again.
"No, I think we should take the kids with us, it'll be their home too, if they want it to be," I add, realising we've not spoken to Astor about Cody's idea of moving back to Miami.
"I think Astor wants to come home too, Dex." Deb puts on her sunglasses, there seems to be something wrong with her eyes. "I'm so proud of you. Home is where Dexter is. Who'd a thunk it?"
Ok, I have four chapters in hand here at home and am trying to stay ahead so that, if something happens and I have no time, then I won't let anyone down. Thanks so much for all your kindness so far. It's nice to know people are enjoying this season. Please let me know what you thought of this one. Thanks to Lostie17 for the translartions and VB for being a comma aficionado and a gem. cx