Cascade by Claudia Hall Christian Page A

days later
    Wednesday morning — 7:45
A.M.
     
    Sweaty from their workout, Aden and Sandy
walked hand in hand toward his car. Yesterday, their heat and the
privacy of his sedan’s tinted windows led to a fast, hot
indiscriminate romp outside Sandy’s condo.
    “ But not today,” Sandy
said.
    “ Why not?” Aden said.
    “ I’m bruised from the steering
wheel.” Sandy laughed.
    “ We could always…”
    Aden stopped talking. Sandy’s Godfather Seth
O’Malley was leaning against the trunk of his car.
    “ Detective O’Malley.” Aden shook
the Denver Police Detective’s hand.
    “ Sorry to interrupt,” Seth said.
“I need to speak with Sandy. I waited outside her condo yesterday
morning…”
    Blushing, Sandy laughed.
    “ I figured I’d meet you here
before anything started,” Seth said. “You have a home with a
private bedroom…”
    “ Sir,” Aden said. “We…”
    “ It’s all right, son,” Seth said.
“It happens. I’ll take her home.”
    Aden gave Sandy a chaste kiss on the cheek
then got in his Saab sedan.
    “ I’ll call you later,” Aden said.
“I have Nash’s conference today.”
    Sandy nodded. Standing to the side, she
watched Aden drive out of the parking lot. They walked to Seth’s
dark blue Chevy sedan.
    “ How about a donut?” Seth said.
“LaMar’s is close.”
    “ Seth O’Malley! Those donuts will
kill you! You know what the doctor said about your insulin level
and cholesterol.”
    “ So you want a donut?” Seth
shrugged.
    “ Sure,” Sandy laughed.
    They drove to LaMar’s in silence. Seth was not
one for idle chit chat. Still happy from her hour with Aden, Sandy
enjoyed her post-workout glow in peace and quiet. Seth pulled into
the parking lot and got out to open Sandy’s door.
    “ You’ve been working a lot,” Seth
said.
    “ Always this time of year,” Sandy
said. “I twiddle my thumbs every January.”
    Out of things to say, Seth nodded. He held the
door for her. She ordered a cup of coffee and a cinnamon cake
donut. The counter girl knew Seth by name. She prepared what
appeared to be Seth’s usual order – two glazed chocolate donuts and
a chocolate glazed twist. They had their usual argument over
payment. Not wanting to spoil her good mood, Sandy let him pay. She
picked up their coffee and was sitting at a table when he gestured
that they should leave.
    “ I need to speak with you,” Seth
said. “I don’t want to do it there.”
    “ What’s going on?” Sandy
asked.
    Leaning into her, he said into her ear, “It’s
about your father.”
    Sandy’s face flushed. She nodded. Her great
mood evaporated with the mere mention of her biological father.
While Seth waved to the women behind the counter, Sandy withdrew in
her mind. He held the door for her then opened her car
door.
    Dazed, Sandy watched the sidewalks fly past
her window. Sixth Avenue became Santa Fe. Tiny art studios and
authentic Mexican food restaurants zoomed by. Santa Fe became Ninth
Avenue. Sagging Victorians turned to well loved homes. He stopped
the car on the bend across from the First Mennonite Church next to
Sunken Garden Park. Seeing the trees, Sandy’s mind began to return
to the car. He left the car idling to keep them warm.
    “ Donut?” Seth offered Sandy his
donuts. She shook her head.
    “ It looks cold today.” Sandy broke
her silence with the obvious. “Aden was going to teach me how to
ski this winter.”
    “ Was?”
    “ We’re on a cool off period,”
Sandy said.
    Seth laughed.
    “ We are!”
    Seth laughed harder. Sandy laughed. Taking a
drink of his coffee, Seth’s mood changed. Instinctively, Sandy
pulled her coat closer.
    “ There’s an international task
force looking into… you know…” Seth blew out a breath. “I guess
there was a situation with the UN peacekeepers. This group has been
tasked to look at anyone who’s selling…”
    “ Child pornography.”
    “ Right,” Seth said. “Your
Dad…”
    “ Don’t call him that,” Sandy said.
“I only