Hidden in the Blood: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 5)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Agnes, Tuesday

Agnes cleared her throat and braced herself. Al's wife seemed to be looking for a fight, and Agnes surmised her attitude had developed before her arrival, and that it had something to do with her walking in on Rachel and Lauren kissing, which had nearly floored her. She knew it. She knew something else was going on with Al, his wife, and this other woman who was their friend. Just the way they all looked at each other, she knew. It wasn't her business, though, and frankly she didn't care, except to remark that Al had grown a little more experimental since the last time she'd seen him, and that she'd never be able to find an opening with him if there were in fact two other women in his life.

She purposefully didn't look at Rachel, choosing to focus on Lauren instead; she at least didn't look angry to see her. "I just came to see how Al was doing," she said. 

"We just finished walking him around the room," Lauren said.

"Oh, that's wonderful!"

"It is," Al said. "I want to get out of here as soon as I can."

Rachel was still glaring at her, so she turned to her and asked, "What did you want to chat about?"  

"Have you decided on our place, yet?" Rachel asked.

"I'm sorry, no."

"Agnes," Al said, "I thought you needed a place to hide."

"I know, but Patrick's already here, and I've already seen him."

"What?!" all three of them exclaimed together.

She sighed and said, "Yeah." She looked to Lauren and said, "I heard you were watching him yesterday."

"I was. When did you see him?"

"Today."

They all looked at her, expecting her to say more.

What could she say without looking like a spineless jellyfish? She shrugged and said, "He showed up at the house before I left for my shift. He had to work later, he said, but he wanted to see the kids. I had to remind him they were in school. He acted like it was perfectly normal that I'd pulled up stakes and moved home. He didn't even seem angry at me. Maybe it was all a show for my parents, who'd greeted him with more than a little suspicion. Then he asked if we could talk in private, so how could I refuse? We talked outside the house, in his truck."

"You went with him?" Rachel asked. "I guess it must have gone all right, because you're here."

She nodded. "He told me he put the house in Kelowna on the market, and that he was looking for property in Queensborough. He didn't say anything about why I left or why he followed me. I think he's just pretending his problems don't exist. One thing he didn't say was that he expected me to return to the fold once he found a house, but he did say there would be room for the kids."

"You think he won't contest the divorce?"

"I don't know. Maybe he hopes I'll come back but he won't push me."

"Or maybe," Al said, to her surprise, "he already has someone else lined up."

Agnes felt her stomach drop. Rachel and Lauren turned to him. "What are you talking about?" Rachel asked.

"Joanie," Al said. He looked at Agnes and said, "She's RCMP as well, also at the Langley detachment."

"Fuck, of course it's another partner," Agnes groaned.

"Oh, shit," Lauren said. "Joanie did mention she was interested in him. But how do you know, Al?"

"Joanie told me she was thinking about dating this new transfer at her detachment." He cleared his throat and said, "You know, while she was venting about her... choices in men."