The Hero Next Time: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 4)

Chapter Forty: Lauren, Saturday

Lauren hadn't expected to be bidding on art today, but she found she rather liked the process. There were some pretty pieces in the silent auction, and she found herself in playful competition with Al and Sunny to purchase impressionistic renderings of various New Westminster landmarks: the Pattullo Bridge; the River Market at the Quay and the World's Tallest Tin Soldier standing sentry over it; the Victorian houses in the Queen's Park neighbourhood just on the other side of First Street from where they were standing; even the Queensborough Bridge and Poplar Island. They all bid aggressively on that one. 

"I should get it," Sunny said. "I'm the one who actually lives here."

"Are you saying you have to still live in New West to love New West?" Lauren asked. "Besides, you get to look at the real thing every day."

"Hey, I actually need these," Al protested. "I have wall space to cover."

That was true. They were moving into a new townhouse soon, and they had very little to move and a lot of space to fill. Rachel had thought it was a good idea for one of them to be here to try to snag a painting or two for the new place, and as she was still tired from Wednesday's events (and probably Tuesday's unexpected exertions with Joe,) she'd asked Al to go this time while she rested at home with Emma, who needed to shower and change as soon as she got home, having soiled her clothes in the bush earlier. To Al's delight, there were a lot of colourful candidates, and he might have bid on more than he'd bargained for; if he won all of them, the Highlander's trunk space might be full at the end of the night.

Some careful negotiating followed their investigation of the ravine, after they reemerged in the parking lot next to the amenities centre. Sunny's suggestion of hiding the device in a safe place where they could leave it and find it later was a good one, and as he had to come to this event, they decided to find a spot somewhere in the vicinity of Centennial Lodge that was accessible and could hide the device from unwanted eyes. 

That left the question of who would accompany Sunny and his family to the event to keep an eye on them and an eye out for any suspicious characters turning up, looking for who might have moved the device. That was assuming anyone was even tracing the device, which wasn't a foregone conclusion. There was also Naira to look out for; she'd never responded to Sunny's text, but that didn't mean she wouldn't poke around.

Lauren insisted on going, and most of them agreed that was a good idea, as she was the professional at surveillance. Joe worried about her safety, naturally, and insisted she be accompanied. The only problem with that was that it couldn't be Joe who accompanied her, as they were the two drivers, and now Joe had to drive the others home. He also had limited room in his truck; luckily he had a rear seat, but it was small, and only the kids could fit comfortably back there. That was when Rachel suggested either she or Al went with Lauren, so that only one adult needed to sit in the front with Joe. 

That was where things got awkward, for all four of them. If Al went home with the kids, he'd have to sit with Joe the whole way back, and none of them could envision that as an option. That was when Rachel suggested Al go with Lauren, making the excuse that she was tired and wanted to get Emma home to shower and change. More likely it was to make the drive easier on Joe. The problem for Lauren was that Rachel would now be alone with her husband, with Emma and the kids, of course, but Lauren couldn't forget the two of them had sex in front of her on Tuesday, and there would still be a charge between them.

If she was worried about Rachel, then Joe was definitely worried about Al being alone with her in the car, so they agreed at least one of the kids should accompany them to the event to discourage any adulterous behaviour, as if there would have been any time to engage in such, but Lauren understood her husband's concerns; if he was coming home, he deserved for her to at least make a show of being good. When they put the call out for volunteers, Tosh raised his hand, and Lauren wasn't surprised; the boy appreciated art, and this event would be right up his alley, and he proved it by asking his mother to put bids on items she herself wouldn't necessarily have bid on, but had appealed to him in some aesthetic way.