Page 50 of Solid as Steele
He planted his hands on his knees. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
Mackenzie admired his conviction and desire to continue to do the job that she’d left behind. She was grateful for men and women who kept at it even after seeing the terrible things Ryleigh mentioned.
“That’s where we differ,” Mackenzie said. “I wanted to move on.”
“I’ll bet you were good at it, though,” he said. “At least from what I’ve seen.”
“I was pretty good.” She patted herself on the back and laughed.
Ryleigh looked in the mirror. “Are you married? A family?”
“Very much single,” Owen said emphatically. “No time for relationships. You done interrogating me now?”
“What?” Ryleigh glanced up at the mirror.
“Don’t worry.” He cracked a half smile. “It’s a law enforcement habit that we don’t even know we’re doing.”
Ryleigh shared a sheepish look with Mackenzie.
“Don’t look at me,” Mackenzie said to her sister. “I’m not the one grilling him.”
“Okay, fine, I was, but I wanted to find out a little bit about the guy who caused my sister to nearly break down in tears when she told me about him. And the looks between you…”
“I didn’t—”
Ryleigh flashed up a hand. “Save it. You were completely emotional, and you know it. You might be a philosophizer and free thinker in your own world a lot of the time, but you don’t usually wear your heart on your sleeve.”
Mackenzie’s first impulse was to argue, but why? Owen’s situation tugged at her heartstrings, and she couldn’t deny that. But she also wouldn’t discuss her connection to Owen with her sister in front of him. Wouldn’t discuss it at all. So she leaned back on the headrest and closed her eyes for the drive.
“Nice place,” Owen said.
Mackenzie opened her eyes to see their big Victorian house in a sought-after Portland neighborhood come into view. “My sisters, cousins, and I bought the house a few years back. We all live here.”
Ryleigh pulled to the curb and shifted into park. “Anything else you need?”
Mackenzie shook her head. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
They all got out, and Owen looked at Ryleigh. “Mind if I drive your car?”
“Not at all. Just no high-speed chases.” She laughed and headed up their walkway toward the house recently painted white with black shutters. Mackenzie always thought the house looked warm and inviting at night with the perfectly maintained landscaping highlighted with low voltage lighting.
Owen looked at her. “Do you mind if I drive? Figure since I know the destination and a few shortcuts it will be quicker. I know I don’t have my license on me, but I promise to obey all the laws and not get pulled over.”
A stickler for rules, she wanted to say no, but she didn’t have the heart to disappoint him.
“Have at it.” She slid back into the passenger seat and closed the door.
The Volvo had seemed roomy with Ryleigh behind the wheel, but Owen took up far more room. Both physically and with his commanding presence.
He set off, still seeming pensive. At this time of night, the drive to Vancouver should take twenty to thirty minutes. Depending on where his parents lived. So what should she do? Try to engage him in conversation or remain quiet? He had to be thinking ahead to his visit. She’d done many death notification calls, and they’d been the hardest part of the job. Even harder than autopsies. In the death call, with one quick knock on a door, she irreparably changed lives. That was hard, and she’d never had to tell a loved one.
But she’d witnessed the deep grief in her aunt and uncle after Thomas died. It was still in their eyes. They tried to hide it and put on a good face, but she often caught the lingering sadness at family gatherings. Not just in them. Everyone had a moment of remembering Thomas and mourning his absence.
Decision made. She wouldn’t bother Owen with meaningless chatter. She sat back until he drove into a suburban neighborhood of newer homes. He pulled into the driveway of a two-story gray house with black shutters.
He shifted into park but left the car running and looked at her. “Thanks for the ride. What time do you want to meet in the morning?”
“You don’t want me to come in with you?” she asked.
