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Two place settings sat on the dining room table, with one plate practically licked clean and the other with sreen beans still on it Wine glasses--both empty--sat behind the plates Two candles with blackened wicks sat on the middle of the table The food looked like it had been there since the night before: crusty, but with no sign of mold

Sudden pressure on my chest suffocated me and perspiration coveredin her life She would never leave dirty dishes lying around I wiped a sweaty palm on my jeans and moved slowly toward her bedroom

I almost turned and walked ahen the subtle s in backup wouldn’t make me less of a cop I was only human--well, mostly But if she weren’t behind the door, I’d never live it down I tried to tellroohtmare waited for me, I couldn’t turn away I didn’t want to remember her hoould almost certainly find her behind that door I needed to remember her for her dry sense of humor, her tireless devotion to duty, her loyalty to her friends and fellow cops, and her willingness to befriend a half-assednorun as the door creaked open

A off the foot of the bed so she stared at the door Her li the carpet Lipstick still colored hera scream, I turned from her and went to call it in

My partner was dead

Chapter Four

I hadn’t felt the urge to screa time Not because any vision of death struck htmare I wanted to yell and curse and screaht of how pissed Amanda would be if I broke the s in her new house prevented , I sat on a chair next to the door in her bedroom and waited for everyone to arrive I didn’t touch her The cloudiness in her still-open eyes kept ht still be alive She would be cold I didn’t want to reency personnel circulated through and ained some semblance of control Lieutenant Vasquez stared down at ht, and his rim line

"Let’s go talk in the kitchen" His tone brooked no argu for s protest My backside was nulanced one last time at Amanda, and then walked out to her kitchen

The lieutenant stood, arms crossed, next to the sink A frown creased his face It was as close to upset as his expression ever got

I pulled one of the chairs frorief that had pressed on one, and the realization that one of the only people I’d thought of as a friend was now dead remained distant I was numb On some level, I realizedmy eet ahold of her since Monday night, at the Rebecca Anderson murder scene She leftto be out of touch for a bit When you told me you hadn’t heard from her either…" I waited for the rebuke, for hi, not come over here by ht I broke in the back door She hadn’t had tiet any other info yet on the earlier victiotten the Aidan I wouldn’t mention the OWEA’s involvement to anyone Oh, well--not like I could keep that to myself noay A dead cop upped the stakes for Lieutenant Vasquez A for h"

A flicker of emotion flashed across his face Annoyance, maybe But before I could identify it, the expression disappeared "What’s the agent’s name?"

"Byrne Aidan Byrne"

He jotted the na else I need to know?"

"I’ve told you everything, Lieutenant"

"Good" He nodded, and then hesitated before he said, "Can you get yourself ho ho hole ate at the middle of my chest I could either cry in front of my lieutenant or be pissed off at hiry over sad

"Of course you’re going home Your partner was murdered for Christ’s sake" He crossed his arhtly daft