Rude Awakenings: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 2)

Chapter Forty-Seven: Lauren, Wednesday

Lauren walked into Justiciar headquarters with a feeling of trepidation. She had no real excuse to stay away from work anymore, now that Joe was where she could find him. The kids needed to go to school, and she would have just sat around the house all day if she wasn't at Joe's bedside. However, she was also cognisant of the fact that many of the coworkers who greeted her with warm wishes and consolation about Joe's injuries had also witnessed her being lewd with someone who wasn't Joe, and she couldn't help wondering what they were thinking as they welcomed her back.

"Good to see you back, kid," Ralph said, enfolding her in a hug she didn't ask for.

"Thanks." She quickly got out of the hug and turned to address everyone, who hovered around the two of them. "Listen, everybody. Those of you who were at the party, and witnessed something inappropriate between me and my good friend... I want you to know that it was inappropriate, and I will own up to it. I will also own up to the fact that it hurt my husband and it hurt Rachel, who is recovering at home today but should be back soon. I will also let you know that since they've returned, we've discussed the incident at length and have all agreed that it was a one-time, impulsive thing that in no way reflects anything going on in our respective marriages, and that it will never happen again."

She'd rehearsed this speech over and over again as she drove into work in the Nissan Versa. Most of it was true. She had discussed it at length with Rachel last night. She had yet to discuss it with Joe. That conversation was going to be long and hard, and she also had the added burden of bringing Joanie into it. She was going to have to be very, very careful.

She didn't mention the drugging, because it would have made her seem like she wasn't taking responsibility for her actions. Her coworkers knew her to be a calm, capable and proactive person, never prone to self-pity, and without any evidence of wrongdoing she would have looked like a crazy conspiracy theorist too. She also didn't want to let on to anyone that she was suspicious one of them had drugged her and Al's drinks, because if one of them felt threatened they might do something dangerous.

Ralph.

Rachel had so casually thrown out that he was the one who'd done it, and Lauren had been so shocked that Rachel had known about it at all and that Al had confessed to what had happened between them, that she hadn't taken the time to unpack what Rachel's statement meant. She'd made the accusation without any evidence, by taking the fact that she'd left them under Ralph's supervision, and the fact that Ralph had been gone when they'd woken up, and adding them up to a felony. Had Rachel had any idea what she'd been doing making that accusation? And why had she been so casual about it? Wouldn't the idea of Ralph being a creep and a dirtbag scare her, make her angry? Lauren herself didn't know how to feel about it; she'd known Ralph for years, and he'd never come across as creepy, although Rachel had once told her Ralph had been overly attentive to her on occasion. Maybe he had some kind of crush on her? Still, that was no justification for spiking his own partner's drink.

No. She had no evidence yet. She couldn't let on to Ralph that she suspected him, and she couldn't let herself feel anything but professional toward him, for the sake of the continued operation of the company. She'd already been gone two days, and that must have already put a dent in the rota. Starting an intra-office war would tank them, especially if there was nothing to it.

"Well, we're all glad you're back," Ralph said, and there was not a hint of any ill intent in his eyes.

He placed his hand on Lauren's shoulder, and Lauren noticed the scratches on the back of it. "Do you have a cat, Ralph?" she asked.

His brow furrowed. "No, why?"

"I used to have one, and that scratch on your hand reminded me of the ones I used to get when Neko wasn't having any of my affection." She took his hand and examined it. "Geez, something got you good, it must have bled a little. You should put some ointment on it."