Rourke is my partner in crime. Or should I say he’s my partner in crime detection.
As a Forensic Scientist with the Federal Police, my days are spent analysing evidence, proving suspects are guilty, or in some instances innocent. A regular day for us may be analysing semen, crime scenes, studying photographs, or working with cold corpses. You name it, we do it. We’ve just found a positive match to DNA that was retrieved from a dead body found in a lake.
There’s a monster out there who has taken five beautiful young women’s lives. Ironically, despite his clever scheming and cover-ups, the semen was eventually found on a tissue in the suspect’s garbage bin. I pat Rourke on the shoulder as I walk past him. “It doesn’t pay to wank in tissues, Rourke.”
“Sure doesn’t, that’s why I flush mine down the toilet.”
I smile as I take off my gloves and pick up the phone to dial downstairs. Taz answers on the first ring. “Hit me,” he says.
“We got him.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“Yep. A positive match.” I smile proudly.
“You beauty. We got the motherfucker!” he yells to the others in the office. The sound of them cheering blares through the phone and I laugh. We thought this guy was guilty for months, but we just couldn’t prove it. Undercover police have been going through his garbage in the middle of the night for months, and up until today we’ve been coming up empty-handed.
“Hey, do you still need a hand moving on Saturday?” Taz asks.
“Is that okay?” I wince. “I hate to impose.”
“Anything for our favourite nerd,” Taz replies.
I smile. The boys downstairs are like big brothers to me. I’ve worked here at the Federal Police quarters for three years and I love it. Every day is different, my work colleagues are some of the greatest people I know and solving crimes has become part of my blood. I’m addicted to the thrill of the chase. I never thought I would fall into forensics. Research was my original plan, but my brother Peter is a detective downstairs. He applied for the job on my behalf and, thankfully, I’ve ended up here and couldn’t be happier.
I’m moving at the weekend. My landlord rudely sold my apartment and I had no choice but to find a new home. My friends, Taz, Peter, and the police boys from downstairs are helping me move.
“We’ll have you moved in a couple of hours.”
“Thanks, I really do appreciate it.” I smile. “Now, go and arrest that motherfucker.”
“Will do, boss.” He hangs up and I turn back to Rourke, my trusty partner. The nerdy scientist with a heart of gold. “I think we deserve sushi for lunch.”
“I’m even getting spring rolls today.” He widens his eyes, exaggerating his excitement. “Splashing out.”
“Oh, you rebel. Living life in the fast lane.”
He throws his arm around my shoulder. “You have no idea how wild I can get, Tully Scott.”
The elevator doors open and Cole walks out. The two of us stop in our tracks. He’s the boss from downstairs, and lately he’s made it his mission to be in constant contact with the forensic team. It’s never been like that before, but I have to admit, it’s nice to have someone from management recognise what we do.
“I was just coming up to congratulate you guys,” he says as he shakes both of our hands. “A job well done. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” I smile. “Although it’s really the guys downstairs who deserve the accolades.”
“Not at all.” He smiles. “You’ve been working together for months on this, and I’m extremely happy with the outcome.”
Rourke and I exchange looks, and I hunch my shoulders up like an excited child. “Thank you, sir. It means a lot.”
“Where are you off to?” he asks.
“Lunch.” I frown, not wanting to be rude. “Do you want to come?” I ask.
He smiles. “No, I’m going to go and check in on the others. Are they in the lab?”
“I don’t think so.” I look to Rourke.
“That’s okay, I’ll check anyway. You kids have a nice lunch break, hey?” He slaps Rourke on the back. “Congratulations again.”
The elevator doors open, and Rourke and I practically float inside. I look over at him.
“Guess I’m getting the spring rolls, too.”
The bar is bustling tonight. Music is playing throughout the building, setting the right ambience with the help of the sporadically placed fire lanterns that line the outdoor perimeter. I smile at Callie from across the table. She’s my best friend and has been my partner-in-crime since we were the age of twelve.
Callie looks around at our surroundings. “I swear, I’m so horny I could fuck a tree right now.” She sighs.
I hold up my margarita in the air and she clinks her glass to mine.
“To not fucking trees,” I say, raising my brows as I take a sip. Callie laughs.
My phone beeps with a text. It’s from Taz.
TAZ: We just arrested him.
Well done, Tull.
“Yesssss,” I hiss. “They got him.”
Callie beams. “Oh wow, that’s amazing. Congratulations, babe.” She holds her drink up. “Another toast! To kicking ass in the lab.”
I giggle and clink our glasses again. My eyes widen as I remember my news. “Oh my God, I forgot to tell you.”
She licks the salt from her lips as she looks up and waits for me to continue.
“So…” I pause because this story seems so ridiculous that it couldn’t possibly be true. I mean, I hardly believe it myself. “I hooked up with a guy last night.”
“What? Where?”
“At the gym.”
Her mouth falls open. “At the gym? What do you mean at the gym?”
I put my hands over my eyes, letting the embarrassment win for a moment. “It happened in the bathroom.”
When I peek through my fingers, I see her eyes practically bulging from their sockets. “What the fuck? You hooked up with a guy in the gym bathroom?”
I laugh. “It’s ridiculous, I know.”
“How the hell did this come about?”
I shrug. “Well…” I think for a moment. “He was there, and I was there…”
She frowns as she sips her drink, listening intently.
“We started chatting a bit. He was so gorgeous.”
“How gorgeous are we talking?”
“Like, fucking gorgeous-stupid hot. He starts showing off in front of me, acting all caveman, and I was pretending I hadn’t even noticed him.”
“Damn it.” She bangs her hand onto the table in front of us. “Why don’t hot guys ever show off for me?” She slaps her forehead. “I’m easily impressed. I could do with some showing off, for Christ’s sake.” She shakes her fist to the sky. “Is that too much to ask for, universe?” Her attention falls back to me. “Sorry. Go on.”
“This guy was on the rowing machine, going hell for leather fast, and I was running next to him on the treadmill. I was totally distracted by the muscles in his back.”
She frowns as she listens and continues to sip her drink.
“Then he pulled on the machine so hard that the cord broke and a piece flew off, landed in front of me and tripped me over.”
She cringes on my behalf. “Is this true or is this like a joke and the punch line is coming up?”
I laugh and cross my finger over my chest. “Cross my heart.”
She puffs air into her cheeks. “Okay, go on…”
“I skinned my knee really badly.”
“Are you all right?”
“Fine now,” I mutter. “I was so flustered, though, that I told him off for being a show off and stormed into the bathroom.
She frowns as she listens.
“That’s when he followed me in.”
“Where was the gym workers?”
“There was nobody else in the gym, just us. It’s a twenty-four-hour, unmanned gym.”
“This is the new gym you just joined?”
“Yes.” I hesitate as I try to remember all the details. “And it was definitely after 9:30 p. m. by this time.”
“Why so late?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I worked late and that’s what time I actually got there.”
“Okay, so this hot guy follows you into the bathroom and then what happens?” She’s sitting forward in her seat now, waiting for the rest of the story.
I shrug. “I don’t really know what happened next. He cleaned up my knee and there was all this sexual chemistry between us. I asked him what he was thinking about.”
“And?” She frowns.
“He said he was imagining what his cock would look like in my mouth.”
Her mouth falls open. “He did not.”