by Alex P. Berg
“You blame everything on budget cuts,” he said. “Steele? Congratulations. I always knew you’d be a boon to our department. Glad to see I was right.”
“Much appreciated, sir,” she said. “Thanks for taking a chance on me. And not kicking me out once you realized I wasn’t psychic.”
“Please,” he said. “Performance was all I ever cared about. I just wish I could’ve seen past your resume to your real potential. Daggers? Take good care of her, will you?”
“I’ve been doing my best, sir. But among the two of us, she’s the better caretaker by far.”
“Glad to hear it. I’m happy for you two. Keep up the good work.” The Captain spotted Rodgers and went to shake his hand. At the same time, Quinto descended on us. He clapped me on the shoulder, too hard as was his usual.
“So, Daggers. I guess it’s time for you to retire. I mean, you’re never going to top this.”
“I’d be fine with that if it means I never suffer through another assassination attempt, basilisk attack, or fight with a wind elemental atop a fifteen story skyscraper,” I said. “But you and I both know that’s not going to happen. It’s cute you think I have enough cash on hand to retire though.”
“Don’t you believe him,” said Steele. “He’s making a killing on his Sherman Industries stocks. He’ll be a cutting-edge technologies magnate in no time.”
“That’s me,” I said. “Part time homicide detective, part time venture capitalist. Although after today, I’m thinking my newest business venture should be endorsements. I don’t think I’ve ever had so many people clamoring for my attention.”
“And all of it’s well deserved, old friend,” said Quinto. “Anyway, Cairny and I are headed to the police gala. We’ll see you there?”
“You bet,” I said. “It’s probably time we get moving, too.”
Shay peered toward the street, which was still clogged with pedestrians. “The hardest part is going to be finding transportation.”
“Oh, ye of little faith,” I said. “Quinto? See you there. Follow me, Steele.”
I led my partner down the steps, weaving through a maze of congratulations and handshakes. When we reached street level, I turned left and headed a good hundred paces down the street. There, past a group of people trying to hail carts off the street, stood a lone rickshaw, its driver impervious to calls from those on the sidewalk.
He looked up as we approached. “Afternoon, Detective. Everything go as planned?”
“So far,” I said as I hopped into the back. “Thanks for waiting for us, Toby. You know where to go.”
As Shay and I settled into our seats, Toby took off at a run, leaving the mass of officers in the dust at the foot of the hall’s steps.
“Thinking ahead, were we?” said Steele with a smile.
“It’s the hallmark of our species,” I said. “I knew this would be a zoo, and it’s still hot enough that I wanted to get out of the sun as quickly as possible. Aren’t you glad you brought me along?”
“Kind of hard to leave you at the precinct, seeing as this was a ceremony to honor all of us, but yes, I am. I’m always glad to have you along.”
Our driver took a turn, our cart’s wheels clattering over the cobblestones. “You know… I wanted to talk to you. About Markeville, the kidnapping, the Winds of Change. All of it.”
“It seems unreal in retrospect, doesn’t it?” said Shay. “If not for the broken bones and scars, it almost could’ve passed for a bad dream. I’m glad it’s over. I just wish so many people, good and bad, hadn’t had to die. Sorry, I’m babbling. You wanted to discuss an aspect of the case? Don’t tell me you think we missed something.”
“No, nothing like that,” I said. “This isn’t like the Wyverns case. Markeville’s dead. The Winds of Change are done.”
“So what do you want to talk about?”
“You. Us,” I said. “In all the post-case discussions about Markeville’s psychological profile, his family background, the involvement of his lackeys, his connections to outside groups, smugglers and elemental shamans, I realized I never told you probably the most important thing I realized in this case. And that’s how incredibly proud I am of you. How you dealt with adversity, both before and after being kidnapped. How you fought alongside me, never wavering, never tiring. How you stood by me, no matter the risks. I’ve always known what loyalty was supposed to entail, but I don’t think I’ve ever experienced it in such a way. What I’m saying is, I’m incredibly honored to serve by your side, Shay. To be your partner, in more ways than one.”
Shay smiled and looked at me, her eyes soft and inviting. She leaned in and kissed me, a quick peck. “I couldn’t have expressed my own feelings any more eloquently, Jake. Everything you’ve told me, I feel the same for you. Even when it scared me, I understood your actions. Your motivations. And I’m so proud to have gotten through it with you. I hope to the gods we’re never faced with anything of that magnitude again, but if we are, I know I’ll be fine as long as you’re at my side.”
She looked down, her eyes suddenly concerned. “Are you okay? You’re trembling.”
“I am?” My left arm was shaking a little. I tried to make it stop. “Guess so. Sorry. It’s an emotional day. I never thought I’d be honored by the department in such a way. Then again, I never thought I would’ve done anything deserving of the honor in the first place.”
“You’re too hard on yourself, sometimes.”
Our cart slowed to a stop. Shay looked at the surrounding buildings, her body tensing. “Wait…this isn’t the gala. Daggers, careful.”
She made as if to jump out of the cart, but I caught her by the arm. “Shay, wait! It’s not a trap. I told Toby to bring us here.”
Shay put a hand to her heart. “Goodness, Daggers. You gave me a fright. With the kidnapping last week—”
I felt like an idiot. “I know. I’m sorry. I should’ve thought this through better.”
“Thought what through better?” She took another look around. “Branzino’s Restaurant? Why are we here? They’ll have food at the gala, you know? Besides, they look closed. The shades are all drawn.”
“They are closed,” I said. “At least to most people. Come on.”
I hopped down and extended a hand. Shay took it and followed me, but she eyed me with suspicion. “You’re kind of weirding me out right now, Jake.”
“Sorry about that. Just follow me, okay?”
I opened the door and ushered her in, closing the door behind us. We had to wait a moment as our eyes adjusted.
“Um…” said Shay.
With the restaurant's shades drawn and blackout curtains hung over them, not a single ray of afternoon sunlight crept in, but the space wasn’t completely dark. Far from it. Dozens upon dozens of candles flickered and danced, set upon tables, shelves, and booth backs, filling the room with a mellow golden glow, like a forest full of fireflies. Rose petals littered the floor, creating a path between the tables.
“Daggers… This is beautiful.”
I took her hand and led her along the path. We walked deeper into the room to a clearing of sorts, where one of the tables had been removed, replaced instead with a ring of rose petals that gleamed a dark purple in the candlelight.
“Shay,” I said, taking both of her hands in mine, feeling clumsy because of my cast but doing it anyway. “There’s more I wanted to talk to you about today beyond last week’s case. I am proud of you. So incredibly proud of how you dealt with every obstacle that came your way. You show a level of rationality and a calm, collected cool that belies your experience. It’s amazing to watch, and it makes me wonder how I ever managed to solve crimes before you came along. You’re a pleasure to work with, and my only regret is that I didn’t treat you with the respect and appreciation you deserved from the get-go. But we can’t change the past. All we can do is learn from it and grow. And I have grown, in large part because of you. I don’t know if you realize the influence you�
�ve had on me. It’s hard for me to think back to the days before you joined the force, and not only because of all the blows I’ve taken to the head.”
I smiled, and Shay snickered.
“No, it’s hard for me to look back to those days because I can hardly recognize who I was at the time. You probably remember it clearly. I was overweight, out of shape, slovenly dressed. My apartment was a pig sty. But it wasn’t the physical attributes I find hard to reconcile. It’s who I was on the inside. I’ve always maintained that I have a heart of gold, but for so long it was covered up, hidden behind layers of hurt and despair, years of emotional neglect, drowned in a bath of alcohol, and shielded with juvenile humor. But somehow you saw past that, and moreover you were able to pull back the rotten layers, to toss them aside like the rose petals around us.
“Shay, you were the one to help me through that transformation, and it wasn’t always easy, was it? For me, or for you. I didn’t always want to change. Even though my heart was in favor of it, the mind sometimes disagreed, or vice versa. But little by little, you chipped away at the hardest parts of me, sculpting me into something worthwhile. The best version of me that had always been inside.”
Shay gazed within me, her eyes deep and soulful and incredibly blue. My arm had started to shake, and my legs felt like they might give out at any moment, but I couldn’t stop now. I had to fight through it.
“Shay, you’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve already told you how much you impress me with your intellect, your tenacity, your bravery, your deductive wit. You’re a born leader even though you may not always see yourself as one. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’re funny—hell, even funnier than me! Not a day goes by that you don’t make me laugh and smile. You challenge me mentally and physically, though I don’t hold those forced workout classes against you. You always seem to know best. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and you manage to exude that beauty despite being the feistiest, most badass female detective the Fifth has ever seen!”
Shay lifted one of her hands to her heart, and she looked like she might be on the verge of tears. “Oh, Jake…”
My heart had started to beat out of my chest. I was sure Shay could hear it. “It’s true. Every last word. And when I think ahead to the future, I can’t bear the thought of you not being there, of you not being a part of it in some way. I love having you as my partner, but that’s not enough. Not for me. Because I don’t just love you some of the time. I love you every minute of every day. And I can’t imagine wanting to spend a moment of my life with anyone else.”
With shaking legs, I dropped to one knee. Shay gasped as I reached into my coat pocket and produced a small black box. I popped it open, revealing the ring inside.
“Shay Simone Steele…will you marry me?”
Tears streamed from Shay’s face, and she fanned herself with her free hand. “Oh gods, Jake. Yes! Absolutely, a hundred percent yes!”
I pulled the ring from its case and slipped it onto her finger. Shay pulled me to my feet and wrapped her arms around me, sobbing tears of joy.
I held her back as tight as I could. Time lost all meaning. I could’ve stood in her arms for a minute or an hour and I wouldn’t have known the difference. But I didn’t have to know any more, because forever more, until the ends of time, Shay would be with me.
And that made me the happiest man in the world.
A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you, my readers, for tagging along with me on this amazing journey through the lives of Daggers and Steele. It’s hard for me to believe how far they’ve come, Daggers especially. I always knew where I wanted them to end up, but I didn’t always know how they’d get there. I’m as glad as you are that they made it to the finish line safe, sound, and happy.
This isn’t necessarily the end for Daggers and Steele, but it is an end. I might come back one day to tell more of their story if I feel I can do it justice, but in the meantime, it’s off to other, new writing endeavors. I hope you’ll join me on those as well, when the time comes.
Thank you again for your support.
Sincerely,
Alex P. Berg
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I’m Alex P. Berg, a mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer and the author of Man of Steele. Daggers and Steele’s adventures may be over for now, but be sure to sign up for my new release mailing list for information on my next exciting series!
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Want more exciting adventures, head-scratching mysteries, and snarky dialogue? Check out two of my other series:
*The Tau Ceti Transmutation (Rich Weed #1): Follow private detective Rich Weed and his trusty android sidekick Carl in this pulp-inspired science fiction mystery set in the year 3330.
*The Black Mast Murder (Driftwood #1): Mystery and intrigue rule the high seas in this Pirates of the Caribbean-style adventure featuring constable John “Driftwood” Malarkey and his supernaturally-gifted wife, Gwen.
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Word of mouth is critical to my success. If you enjoyed this novel, please consider leaving a positive review on Amazon or on Kobo. Even if it’s only a line or two, it would be a huge help. Thanks!
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Want to connect? Visit me at www.alexpberg.com. You can also follow me on Twitter, interact with me on Facebook, or e-mail me at [email protected].
For a complete list of my books, please visit: www.alexpberg.com/books/.
