Faux Vows, True Desires

Keith could feel the warm current of interest flowing from Darlene's gaze.

"You've shelled out a pretty penny to have the folks at Cipher Detectives hunt me down. Now that I've come to you tonight, why don't you claim back that hefty deposit? It's a serious chunk of change to just leave on the table."

"Should I get it back and give it to you?"

Darlene was silent.

She just wanted him to reclaim the deposit, cancel the job, and preserve the reputation of her detective agency.

She had no desire for the money.

"Keith, I helped you out, really, it was no big deal, I don't need a reward. That amount of money is too much."

Keith didn't even look back this time, his voice deep, "Forget it. Cipher Detectives took my case and my money, and they did put in the work for quite some time. The deposit can stay with them as payment for their efforts."

Darlene remained silent.

Her agency did take deposits, but they also had a policy in place the deposit would be returned to the client if the job couldn't be completed.

Keeping the deposit meant the agreement was still active, and they would continue to investigate for the client.

"Since you are so insistent, I'll gracefully accept, and the deposit is mine."

After washing the dishes, Keith stepped out of the kitchen and stood before Darlene.

Close contact brought them nearly nose to nose, and Keith picked up a faint scent from her, grateful for his keen sense of smell.

This soft fragrance, it was vaguely familiar.

Recalling his sister's suspicions that Darlene might be the mysterious masked lady he had encountered, he found it hard to reconcile the gentle Darlene with the spirited masked figure.

Aside from his mother and sister, the only other woman's scent he knew was Darlene's.

Cecilia never wore perfume; her natural scent was all there was, except maybe a whiff of shampoo after she washed her hair.

Cecilia, though skilled in some self-defense, was no match for a true fighter in Keith's eyes, so he had ruled her out from the start. That left only Darlene.

scoffed: Lucinda was spot

was typical of

me an account number. I'll have someone call Cipher Detectives to cancel the job, get the deposit back,

thing for cash.

"Alright, I'll get you the cash. Do you want to

you can drop the money off. I'll

frequented the place, it would be too easy for

her, though still safer than Skywatch. She'd just give him a random address, have him

Darlene, but this was the first time

"Deal," Keith agreed swiftly.

breathed a sigh of

my life the

expressed his

a great debt, let alone saving a life. If you ever face

Keith made a promise.

I said,

still, you saved

have lost. Calling me your lifesaver is an overstatement, though saying I

his lifesaver, dreading the possibility of him

most capable woman I've ever

for the pasta, it was delicious." Darlene was ready to take her leave, worried that if they continued talking,

but praise

"I'll walk you out."

Keith said this, he moved towards the window, assuming Darlene had entered that

reaching the window, Darlene had already gone out the

Keith was left baffled.

the front door, blatantly challenging the Blue family's security system! This woman, he admired her very,

into a guest room and out the window, evading Keith's night

well. The kind who had stolen from the world's rich and famous without ever

in her mentor's footsteps as a master thief, after all, theft is theft. So she chose the detective path,

but by the time he emerged

was filled