Brian Freeman - The Crooked Street

She disentangled herself without waking him. Shack snored at the foot of the sofa, and the cat didn’t move, either. She slipped away to the bathroom, where she showered and stood for the longest time simply letting the hot water pour over her body. When she was done, she went back to the other room and stared down at Frost. She was naked and aroused, and she thought about waking him up so that he could make love to her for the first time. He’d asked her to wake him before she left.

But she didn’t. It was easier this way.

She found clothes in her closet, and she got dressed silently. She opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. She sipped it and then found a pad of paper so that she could leave Frost a note.

She wrote,

Breakfast meeting with a client.

After a pause, she added beneath it,

I love you.

Tabby collected her wallet and keys and let herself out of the apartment and closed the door softly behind her. She took the steps slowly, as if dreading that she had to go into the world again. Outside, there was a faint pinkness in the sky, like the promise of another warm day. She was alone on Fillmore. She breathed in the air and studied the other buildings around her. There were only a few lights. Everyone else was sleeping. She watched the dark cars around her, the dark windows, the dark roofs. Her eyes went from one place to the next, all around her, with a strange unease. She listened to the rare silence, as if San Francisco were holding its breath.

It was the kind of morning where you never wanted to die, but if you did, you would die happy. Except happiness was inside with Frost, and this, she remembered, was the other world.

Tabby crossed the empty street. Her car was parked on the opposite side. She unlocked it and got inside and sat in the gloom. She slid in the key, but she didn’t turn on the motor or the radio. Not yet. Instead, she wrapped her arms around her chest and breathed in and out. She checked the mirror, which showed nothing behind her, and she studied her own green eyes as if they belonged to a stranger.

A minute passed.

Then two.

She couldn’t wait any longer. She had to do it.

Tabby reached under the front seat, took out a cell phone from its hiding place, and dialed the number.

“Identification,” the woman on the other end answered in a cool, alert voice, as if she’d been awake for hours.

“Van Ness,” Tabby said.

“Password.”

“35415.”

“Status.”

“Golden Gate.”

“Report,” the woman inquired.

“Tell Lombard I’m on the inside,” Tabby replied.

I work with a great team of people to bring you my Frost Easton novels.

Jessica Tribble at Thomas & Mercer led the way at every stage of making this book happen, from the initial proposal through the editorial work, production, and marketing strategies. She is what every author wants in an editor. It’s been a great pleasure working with Charlotte Herscher on all the Frost books. Charlotte has a special gift as a developmental editor for helping an author see exactly what works and what doesn’t in an early draft. Laura Petrella spots details as a copyeditor that no one else does. I’m a bit of a fanatic for turning in a clean book, but Laura always catches things I miss! The entire team at T & M are amazing professionals, and it’s a privilege to work with them.

My first reader on every book is my wife, Marcia. She is wonderful at challenging my preconceived notions about the characters and the story, and she makes sure that my vision for the book makes it onto the page. My other advance reader is Ann Sullivan, who adds her own extremely helpful perspective on the first draft. Marcia and Ann both play a huge role in shaping the books.

My agent in New York, Deborah Schneider, has been a determined ally and advocate for the last fifteen years. I’m always grateful to her and her colleagues for helping me navigate the world of publishing.

Of course, I am especially grateful to you , the readers, for coming along with me on this ride and for taking Frost Easton, Jonathan Stride, Cab Bolton, and my other characters into your hearts. Thank you!