Nathan felt a brief moment of guilt as he recalled that Foxx had lost her own family to an accident many years before, had been through something every bit as traumatic as he had done, and at a much younger age too.
‘I’ll try,’ Nathan said, and caught the brief expression of doubt on her face. ‘I’ll try,’ he repeated, ‘I promise.’
Foxx finally smiled properly, and for the most fleeting of instances Nathan felt a warmth inside of him, something that he had not felt for many long months, a sense of belonging and of hope that he thought might never return.
A gentle alarm sounded and Nathan saw Vasquez and Allen standing outside the apartment door.
‘Access granted,’ Nathan called out, ‘although I don’t know why.’
Vasquez and Allen strolled into the apartment, both of them lighting up with smiles as they saw him.
‘Hey, Ironside, you’re still outta jail!’ Vasquez greeted him. ‘What monumental screw up let that happen?’
Nathan shook the former Marine’s hand as he looked at Allen. The detective nodded once, and his voice was quiet as he spoke.
‘I owe you, man.’
Nathan clapped the detective’s shoulder. ‘You bet you do.’
‘Me too,’ Vasquez said. ‘You hadn’t saved this tenderfoot’s delicate little life during that riot, I wouldn’t have had anybody to moan at. We’re going to celebrate like it’s 2599 before dinner. There’s a bar called Macy’s on the corner of Twelfth and Arandale; sweet beer, cocktails, bar staff to die for. You in, old timer?’
Nathan hesitated, unsure if he felt like hitting the town in a city he didn’t yet fully understand let alone know.
‘I’m in,’ Foxx said as she grabbed her jacket and joined the detectives, then turned and waited expectantly with them.
‘You bet the hell he’s in!’ yelled a voice from the corridor outside the apartment. Betty Buzz Luther poked her head inside and waved at him. ‘Don’t worry honey, you’ll be well looked after. I’m driving!’
Vasquez and Allen closed their eyes in horror, and Foxx nudged them into motion. ‘Come on boys, the faster we drink the smoother the ride will seem.’
The three of them hesitated again, each awaiting Nathan. Nathan glanced at the lens on the table nearby, and he picked it up. He caught the look of disappointment on Foxx’s elfin features, but then he grinned at her.
‘I’d better put this somewhere safe,’ he said, ‘in case I come back drunk and sit on it.’
Vasquez and Allen grinned and turned for the door as Foxx slipped one hand in her pants pocket and stuck her elbow out for him. Nathan tossed the lens into a drawer and slid his arm through hers as she led him out of the apartment.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dean Crawford is the author of twenty novels, including the internationally published series of thrillers featuring Ethan Warner, a former United States Marine now employed by a government agency tasked with investigating unusual scientific phenomena. The novels have been Sunday Times paperback best-sellers and have gained the interest of major Hollywood production studios. He is also the enthusiastic author of many independently published Science Fiction novels.
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