Carolyn Arnold - McKinley 01 - The Day Job is Murder by Carolyn Arnold

 
     

     
    The Day Job
     
    SEAN WENT TO WORK EVERY day, trying to forget the one issue he had with his job. It wasn’t the fact the cases never got brighter. It wasn’t the limited stretch of political tape and budgets governing every move. He was in love with his partner, Sara Cain, ever since she joined Albany PD Homicide two years ago.
    He drove while Sara rode shotgun. He split his attention between the road and glancing over at her. Her birthday was in two days and he still had no idea what he was getting her for a gift, but between driving and his thoughts of that, he appreciated her good looks.
    Unlike many of her female counterparts, who seemed to forget they were women once the uniform went on, Sara took care of herself. Her long dark hair was in a loose ponytail, but after shift, she let it fall in soft curls over her shoulders. Her eyes were shadowed in tans and browns and her lipstick was a subtle pink that matched her nails.
    Her slender fingers hugged a to-go cup of coffee, and she tipped it back for a sip.   
    Sean gestured to her cup. “How many is that so far today?”
    “Number three, and don’t get on my case about it.” She glanced over and smiled.
    He laughed. “And it’s only ten in the morning. Should I be proud of you?”
    “Sean, it’s my body, my choice.”
    “So it is, for now anyway.” He winked at her.
    “Now cut that out.” Her words said one thing, but her softened facial features and the brush of her hand in the air said the opposite—she loved him too. As she had laid it out to him, if they controlled their feelings they could spend every day together without the complications of a romantic relationship. So here they were, years later, still friends but he never stopped wishing for something more.
    “How are things going with whatshername anyhow?”
    “Whatshername? You can’t hide your jealousy at all, can you? Your memory is flawless.”
    “Fine. Nancy.”
    “Nancy who?”
    She shifted in her seat. “You dumped another one?”
    “You make it sound like I have a lot of affairs.”
    “No, I didn’t mean it like that. You put up a wall like you’re afraid of commitment, but I don’t think you are. I think you’re looking for Mrs. Right.”
    “I’ve already found her.”
    The words slipped out before he thought them through.
    “Friends, remember?”
    “Yes, I know.” He hated the word. A few years ago, it would have been a different story, but now, having it come up in regards to the confined parameters of their relationship made his heart ache.
    She took another draw on her coffee. “What did this one do, anyway?”
    “She’s a little attached to her cat, who she named Binkie.”
    “And for that you’re not going to see her again?”
    “I think that’s a valid reason.”
    “All right. So it’s on to the next. You know what it is? I think you’re fussy.”
    “Well, that’s my prerogative isn’t it?”
    “Yeah, I guess it is.” Sara turned to look out the window.
    With the ending of the conversation, Sean’s mind settled on the case they were investigating. The victim, Mr. Cunningham, took a bullet to his chest. Crime Scene Investigators had discovered evidence that he had been tapping into his neighbor’s cable, and racking up huge bills in pay-per-view movies and events. That made his neighbor, Colin Burton, the man they headed for now, their prime suspect.

     
    Sean held up his badge to the receptionist, a petite lady in her mid-thirties. “We’re looking for Colin Burton.”
    Sara noted how the woman smiled at Sean, and jealousy spiked through her system. He could have any woman he wanted, and she had to stop entertaining the notion it would ever be her. She had seen to that, hadn’t she?
    “I’ll page him to the front immediately.” The receptionist had a whimsical expression etched into her face and her jaw slid askew as her eyes went over Sean.
    Sara glanced at him. He wasn’t even six feet tall, but he was solid and muscular. He