The Dark Places

everyone and that everyone was watching every single move he made. He checked his watch again, sat back and waited, knowing he would never do anything to destroy their partnership.
Madison entered the bar and immediately noticed a number of heads turn in her direction. She smiled and tilted her gaze down shyly. Parker was sitting alone in a booth right up the back of the room. Perfect, she thought. Walking over towards him, she accentuated the natural swing of her hips and smiled coyly. “Detective Parker Rhodes,” she announced and sat down opposite him without waiting for an invitation. He looked divine, she noted. All rugged and masculine, mixed with that laid- back surfer hair. She revelled at the look of shock that crossed his face, followed by a tinge of anger. Oh, she thought, the sex is going to be amazing.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not happy to see me?” she pouted.
Parker leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “What do you want, Madison?” It was all he could do not to get up and walk out, the balls on this woman, he thought.
“Want? How about a beer with a new friend?” She smiled and moved her fingers slowly, so they subtly brushed against his. Parker pulled his hand back quickly as if she had set it on fire.
“Madison, you need to leave, I will not, now or ever, discuss any cases with you.” He sat back into the booth, shaking his head. “I am struggling to understand you, lady.”
She sat back as well and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling stupid.
“Understand what? Jesus, Parker, this is my job.” She turned her head, feeling unwanted tears well up in her eyes.
“You call me ‘Parker’ like I know you!” he retorted venomously. “We have spoken over a crime scene, what gives you the right to approach me and think that just because you’re beautiful, I’m going to spill my guts to you?” He was totally flabbergasted at the motives of this woman.
“You think I’m beautiful?” she asked quietly.
“On the outside,” he stated without emotion. “Surin is on her way, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let you aggravate her again today.” His voice grew dangerously quiet. “Whatever you came to get from me tonight, Madison, is not going to happen. I need to make this very clear. I will not let anything or anyone jeopardise my partnership or my cases.” He quickly looked at his watch again.
“I didn’t know he was her fiancé,” Madison muttered quietly. “I honestly didn’t know. Now it’s ruined my entire fucking career, which by the way is my entire fucking life.” She turned away from him to hide the emotion in her face.
“Be that as it may, I want no part of your games.” Parker sat back and gestured for her to leave.
“Games?” She stood and placed both hands on the table, leering at him, the embarrassment of his rejection morphing into anger.
Parker tried very hard not to look down the top at her ample cleavage as she spoke.
“You and Surin are the only ones playing games. Something is going on here, something about this murder. I’m not going to let it go, no matter how much you stonewall me. I will always find a way.” She bent down and grabbed her purse off the bench seat and turned to leave.
“Maybe you should try actually getting information the hard way,” Parker snapped. “Not on your back.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He really knew nothing about this woman. All the anger he had for her was actually on Surin’s behalf. He sighed. “Madison—” She turned and looked at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. “Fuck, I’m sorry, that was out of line.” He stood facing her, not sure what to do. “I don’t know you, just please understand I can’t have you interfering, professionally or personally, the job means too much to me, there is too much at stake.” He stopped, not sure why he was telling her this.
“You mean like Surin?” she sneered, anger suddenly ablaze in her blue eyes.
“Yeah, that’s part of it,” he replied honestly.
“I will never live that night down, will I? One stupid decision and poof,” she clicked her fingers in the air, “my life will never be the same.”
“Neither will Surin’s,” Parker stated simply.
Madison stared at him like she had never actually realised the damage that one night had done, not just to her and her career but to Surin and Grayson as well.
“It wasn’t my fault,” she added, knowing full well that sounded like an excuse from a whiney teenager. “I came tonight to talk to you, Detective, about the murder today, about other murders. I thought we could work together, share insights and yeah, maybe have a good time afterwards.” She put her hands on her hips and shook her hair out of her face, slowly regaining a small measure of confidence back.
“I already have a partner, Madison,” he sighed apologetically, “and she just walked in the front door.”
***
Surin had always loved Blarney’s. Being a second-generation police officer, following in the footsteps of her father, Michael Elliott, she felt very much at home here. Patrick, the owner of the place, signalled to her with a wave from behind the bar. A few other men and women she had worked with over the years nodded and said hello as she made her way over to him.
“My second favourite Detective Elliott.” Patrick smiled at her, his accent thick and Irish and probably the most comforting sound in the world to her. Patrick and her dad had worked together many a time in the past; he had frequented their house a lot during one particular case where a witness to a double homicide had been murdered. The witness, a twenty-two-year-old fresh-faced college girl, had been