Chapter 39

The Linger headed across the dome.

Carmel and Simon were let out at the Obama Tower. This building housed one of the premier hotels in Gamma on the top fifteen floors. The lower and middle forty-five floors being offices and some private residences.

A famous restaurant, the Obama Oasis, was on the second to the top floor. We got inside in time to see Carmel enter a block of elevators. That wouldn’t have helped much if we were ordinary detectives since the elevator they chose, accessed the Hotel and restaurant section of the building.

I told the boys to go talk to the receptionist, then get some dinner before they waited down here for us. Justin and I would try to follow her.

The boys looked at me, and Ymir said, “You go do your thing Danny, we will wait.”

Justin looked at me in the elevator, “What did he mean?”

I chuckled, “He thinks I have a tracker on Carmel.”

Justin looked at me, surprised, “Do you?”

“Of course, I put a spell on her when we were in the Sigma Dome. I always know where Carmel is, Simon too.”

“You didn’t think it was worth telling me this,” he said a bit peeved.

I looked at him in surprise, “Sweetie, how else did you think I always knew where they were before the boys did?”

“So why did you bother to get Bindy to track the Linger?” he asked.

“To cover our arses and create a trail of evidence,” I replied.

“Of course, silly me,” Justin said and then chuckled. “You are always ten steps ahead of me, aren’t you, my darlin’?”

“No, I walk right beside you. Admittedly, my mind might be a step or two ahead, but yours often takes a different road, and when we hit crossroads, you always steer me back on track. You are what makes me a good detective Justin, we are a team.”

That earnt me an exceptional, skin-prickling and panty-wetting kiss. We separated when the doors opened at the top floor restaurant.

The maître de smiled at us, “Let me guess, newly-weds?” the striking brunette said.

Justin beamed at her, “Yes, the only thing is, I forgot to make a booking, I was kinda hoping you could find us a table. Colonel Darcy told us this was an exceptional restaurant as she comes here often. We are celebrating that it has been one year since I first saw my lovely wife and asked her out.”

I looked at Justin in surprise, “Oh my, so it is. How did you remember that?”

The maître de’s eyes flicked up and down Justin’s body, and she offered, “I’d remember.”

We both chuckled and hugged.

She cleared her throat and said, “Colonel Darcy is in one of our private rooms with her friends Mr Smith and Major Schneider, so I can’t put you near their table. Perhaps you wish the other private room, although the walls aren’t that thick?”

“That would be brilliant,” Justin beamed at her. We both knew she shouldn’t have told us what she did, but she hadn’t missed our distinctive suits. In a more conspirator’s voice, he then said, “But don’t bother the Colonel, she thinks we are working hard on a case.”

“Not a problem, Sir, please come this way. I shall send Francine to attend you, and she will inform you when the Colonel leaves, so you don’t accidentally bump into her,” she told us and signalled a woman to join us.

We were soon seated so that we sat at ninety degrees to each other, and we waited until the champagne was delivered. They had even moved the fourth chair and pushed the table closer to the wall for us.

Francine informed us it would be about fifteen minutes until the entrees turned up, and she would knock and wait a moment before entering.

She gave us a wink and left.

Justin chuckled at my frown, “So we can make sure we are decent before she comes in.”

I actually blushed. I had noticed the room also had a small seating area consisting of two two-person couches facing each other and a long coffee table between them. Our rectangular, four-person table was near the adjoining wall to the other private room.

Justin flicked the top of my suit open and slid his hand in to cup my breast and gently run his thumb over my nipple while he kissed me. I was glad the suit had built-in moisture catchers, or I’d have been sitting in a puddle. I was still shivering with desire when he pulled back and closed the suit.