An Ice-Cold Seven-Up

Bernadette Becker walked briskly off the plane, exiting the security checkpoint into the General Mitchell
Airport’s main terminal. The dimly-lit Starbucks, just beyond the Summerfest store, called its siren song, but the line of people snaked all the way to the information booth—not surprising for nine in the morning.

She looked around and tried to casually wipe a bead of sweat from her temple. Bernadette welcomed the chill of the air conditioning in this part of the terminal; three months had made a huge difference from the snowy, chilly March days of her first investigation here—when she’d been introduced to Lamar.

Two weeks after her investigation concluded, she’d come back to Milwaukee for a weekend in April. Lamar had been waiting at the top of the escalator that led down to baggage claim, a mixed bouquet of flowers in his hand and an offer to take her overnight case.

Now, Bernadette took a few steps tothe side of the terminal—in front of a Spanx store, she noticed—propped up her roll-aboard, and dug for her phone in her purse. There was a text.

Meet you outside door 2

She hadn’t had a long-distance relationship since college, and the sting of her recent separation put her on uncertain footing anyway. Yes, two weeks ago, they’d had a romantic week in Miami, but left things a little weird when Bernadette had to leave a day early to fly off to another investigation. They’d texted and had a couple of video calls, but Bernadette had been swamped with other investigations. She’d thought
that since Lamar was a cop, he’d understand the demands of her job more than a civilian might—but maybe she was wrong.

Bernadette grabbed the handle of her roll-aboard, strode to the escalator, past the spot where Lamar had been standing only...Read More