Conflict of Interest

Chapter Nineteen

Kim

I'd been home for a full five minutes when I started feeling exhausted and restless at the same time. There was so much to be done, but so little I could do about it. I had about forty five billion open investigations to be working on, but only one of them affected me personally. And even if I wasn't allowed to touch it, it was all I could think about.

I thought I wanted a drink but decided I didn't feel like it. Besides, drinking my problems away would definitely send me down a slippery slope, and an alcoholic Kim Hayden had no chance in hell of closing forty five billion cases. I went for a coffee instead, even though it was about eight at night, and I'd finally sat down with it and made myself comfortable when my phone started ringing from across the room.

I threw my head back in agony, contemplating how awful my life was, before resolving to go get it. I decided I could handle whoever was calling, as long as it wasn't Carrie. If it was Carrie, I'd have picked it up, recited a list of every profanity I'd ever learned since junior high, then tossed the phone out the window and never picked it up again. That was roughly how happy I was with Carrie in that moment.

It was funny how in the past few days, we'd been coworkers, we'd been friends, we'd been fake lovers, we'd made out on her couch, she'd blocked the whole thing out, she'd gone back to stifling her problems, and now, I was busy hating her.

But that wasn't even the matter at hand. I picked up the phone, reading a number I didn't recognize. I considered that maybe it was Carver or something, calling from a payphone or hotel, and picked it up listlessly, in the most indifferent monotone I had.

"Yeah. Hayden."

"Oh, thank God."

I stiffened at the sound of the other voice, not knowing what to make of it. It was almost like talking to a ghost. That wasn't Carver. 

It was Grace.

"Grace?"

"Yeah, it's me. I don't have a long time."

"What are you...Where are..." I didn't even know where to begin questioning. I was just completely knocked off my feet. "Are you safe?"

"I think so. Look, I have about, less than thirty seconds to say everything I need to say, so listen."

"Okay," I said, just wanting answers. "Go."

"I didn't want to leave you," she said, her voice quavering slightly. "I love you, Kim. I do, I just...I've been so afraid that you thought I left because I didn't, and I don't want you to think..."

"That's okay," I assured her. "That's okay. Don't worry about that right now. Why did you go?"

"He said he would hurt you, if I didn't come with him."

"Who?"

"I don't know his name. I don't even know where I am. I don't have a lot of information for you, but you need to stay the hell away. Whoever he is, he has it out for you."

"Has he hurt you?"

"No. I'm okay. Don't worry about that."

"Don't worry about that? That's all I can worry about."

"I'm telling you, if you're going to worry about anyone, worry about you. This guy only wants me so you'll come find me."

"I know. That's why we have another detective on your case, okay? You just have to hang in there. We're going to get you out."

"But what about you? Are you safe?"

"I'm fine. I—"

"Kim, I have to go. Okay? I love you."