Keeper by Greg Rucka Read Free Book Online Page A

and I wasn’t ready for it.
    “Thanks,” I said hoarsely.
    Just as abruptly, Katie released me and followed her mother up the stairs. I went up after them onto the main floor, basically a large open cube that served as mostly living room, with couch, table, chairs, and television, and a little bit of kitchen, defined by a counter that jutted out from the wall perpendicular to the stairs. The living room was carpeted the same as the stairs, a lush green, the kitchen tiled white.
    Katie had finished hugging Natalie, and now moved to Dale, who looked damned silly with her clutching his thick waist. Dr. Romero thought so, too, and laughed, before saying to me, “I’m going to change. Give me ten minutes before you leave.”
    “Fine,” I told her.
    Rubin handed her the day’s mail, saying, “All yours.”
    She nodded and took it with her into the bedroom.
    Together, Katie and Dale moved to the couch in front of the television and sat down. Katie released him, quickly shifting her attention to the screen, then began talking, perhaps to Dale, about her day. I heard her mention David.
    I checked that the curtains were drawn tight over the sliding glass door that led to the patio. The patio overlooked Fulton Street. Through the fabric, I could make out the sparks of light that shone from apartments in the building across the way.
    Rubin was already packing up his art supplies, with Natalie’s assistance.
    “Where do you want to go?” he was asking her.
    “I don’t know, I was thinking seafood.”
    “Whoa, kids,” I said. “He’s off, you’re not. You work tonight.”
    “I worked last night,” Natalie said.
    “I know. But it’s you and Dale tonight, Natalie. You’re off tomorrow.”
    Rubin gave me the I’m-not-going-to-get-laid-tonight-and-it’s-your-fault look. I shrugged. He turned to look at Dale, making his ponytail whip around as he did so.
    Dale said, “Not on your fucking life, Rubin.”
    Without looking away from the television, Katie said, “Don’t swear it’s not nice, Dale. David, he swore, that’s bad.”
    Dale said, “Sorry, Katie.” He looked back at Rubin and shook his head.
    “It’s okay, it’s okay,” Katie told Dale.
    Rubin transferred his gaze to me.
    “I’ve got plans,” I said.
    “I hate you,” he said. “So I get the night off, and I don’t get to spend it with my sweetie?”
    “That’s right.”
    “You’re a cruel, cruel man, Mr. Kodiak,” Natalie said. She gave Rubin a brief kiss and murmured, “Later.”
    Rubin savored the kiss, then groaned when Natalie moved away to the kitchen to get herself something to drink. After a moment he opened his eyes and looked at me again. “I adore that woman. And I hate you,” he repeated.
    “Yeah, but it’s the good kind of hate, isn’t it?” I took a seat beside Katie on the couch. They were watching the news, and I came in on the tail end of a story about a body and an alley. Another pointless death. The police were saying it looked like a mugging, maybe for drug money. Dale switched the channel to MTV.
    “How was your day, Katie?” I asked.
    “It—it was fun, we had fun and we did drawings. And David helped and Rubin helped and we made pictures, good pictures. And we watched the—the Hulk and had fun, and did you have a good day?”
    “It was pretty good,” I said.
    “Melanie B died,” she said, her eyes on the set. “Nobody knows what happened to her, but she died and that’s sad.”
    Dr. Romero emerged from her bedroom, wearing denim shorts and a T-shirt and looking better for the change of clothes and the brief shower she’d grabbed. She lit a cigarette and went into the kitchenette, motioning me after her.
    “Who do I get tonight?”
    “Dale and Natalie. Rubin and I will be by tomorrow around seven, same as before.”
    Dr. Romero nodded, then began searching the freezer for something to defrost for dinner. “I’ll see you then,” she said. “Katie? You want enchiladas for