Chapter 90: Dinner Interrupted

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, keeping her eyes on the crowd. "Grant."

"Lieutenant, it’s Chen at the precinct," the voice said. "Forensics finished pulling the footage from that market robbery earlier. I just forwarded the stills to your phone."

"Got it, Chen. I’ll check them shortly."

Lola unlocked her screen and opened the attached images.

The frame showed a man in a dark charcoal suit catching the first suspect’s punch with an open palm. The profile was unmistakably Jude Lawson...

Lola looked up from her phone to the indentations left in the concrete pillar along Building 11.

The clerk hadn’t been imagining things; Jude was the one who had handled the two men at the deli.

By the ladder, Jude handed the boy to an FDNY paramedic.

10 feet away, neighbors had helped the mother back to her feet.

Seeing her son uninjured, she ran over, tears streaming down her face, thanking Jude repeatedly.

Jude supported her by the arm until she had her footing. "Keep an eye on the window locks next time."

Leaving her with the battalion chief, Jude walked over to the planter, grabbed his jacket, and walked toward Lola.

"Evening, Lola," Jude said, brushing masonry dust from his sleeve. "Didn’t expect the entire truck company to show up."

Lola put her phone away, her tone dry. "I didn’t realize you did high-altitude climbing in dress shoes."

"Just basic gym work," Jude said.

Lola gave a disbelieving laugh. "Right. Scaling 90 feet of brick and taking apart 2 armed suspects at a deli... just regular gym work."

Jude raised an eyebrow. "You saw the camera feed already?"

"Just now," she said.

Before she could ask more, Eleanor Grant and Mrs. Song walked over through the thinning crowd.

Lola stepped closer to Jude, dropping her voice. "My mother is right behind you. Keep the story straight."

Jude gave a faint nod. "Understood."

"Jude, let me see your hands," Eleanor said, stepping up to check his palms under the courtyard lights.

Finding no scrapes on his skin, she let out a relieved breath. "Not a scratch on you. Thank heavens."

Mrs. Song forced a smile, looking him over. "Lola, where did you meet him again? Driving a car like that and moving like that... what does your family do, Jude?"

"It’s a long story, Mrs. Song," Jude said smoothly. "We can save that for another time. Climbing up there worked up an appetite."

"He’s right, Aunt Margaret," Lola said, taking Jude’s hand and holding it firmly. "Dinner is waiting, and Jude needs to rest. You can close your matchmaking book."

Eleanor smiled broadly, taking in their linked hands. "Come on, let’s head up before the food gets cold."

They walked toward the entrance of Building 12. Mrs. Song stayed behind on the walkway, her expression souring as she watched them leave.

5 minutes later, inside the 3rd-floor apartment, Eleanor tied on an apron and pointed them toward the living room. "Sit down and make yourselves comfortable while I finish the roast."

"Need a hand in the kitchen, Eleanor?" Jude offered.

"Not at all. Guests don’t work in my kitchen," Eleanor said with a warm smile, waving him toward the couch. "Keep Lola company."

As the kitchen door closed, Jude sat back on the sofa.

Lola picked up the remote and turned on the news.

After a couple of minutes, Jude noticed Lola wasn’t looking at the screen. S

he was sitting turned toward him, resting her chin on her hand, studying his face with an amused look.

Jude glanced over. "Something on my face, Lola? Or are you running an interrogation?"

___________

Lola let out a laugh, a light flush touching her cheekbones. "Can’t an off-duty detective look at someone sitting in her own living room?"

Jude leaned an arm along the back of the sofa, watching her. "Careful, Lieutenant. This started as an arrangement to keep your mother off your case. Keep looking at me like that and I might think you’re taking it seriously."

Lola met his eyes directly. "And what if I am? Would that be an issue?"

"Not at all," Jude said evenly.

A faint smile touched Lola’s lips. She let the subject rest, leaning back into the cushions.

"Thanks for driving out to Queens tonight, Jude," she said.

"Consider it settling the account for the Hudson pier," Jude replied. "Your unit cleared the site in record time."

They sat talking as the smell of dinner drifted in from the kitchen.

When Lola brought up the deli robbery and asked how anyone could dent concrete columns and crush a weapon with bare hands, Jude used the same cover story he had given Sophie earlier... pointing to high-altitude conditioning and years of private instruction.

Lola listened, taking the explanation at face value.

10 minutes later, Eleanor brought out a platter of braised short ribs, roasted vegetables, and a bowl of bone broth.

Sitting around the table, the dinner felt natural.

After weeks of catered events and late meetings, Jude appreciated the home-cooked food, finishing his meal without standing on ceremony.

By the time they finished, night had fallen...

Clearing the plates, Eleanor looked out the window toward the courtyard. "Jude, it’s getting late to drive across town. Why not stay over? You two barely had time to talk today."

Jude stopped with his glass halfway to his mouth.

Beside him, Lola looked down, her face turning red. "Mom, please."

She glanced sideways at Jude, lowering her voice. "Unless you actually want to?"

"Are you asking?" Jude asked, amused.

"If you don’t mind the guest room..." she murmured.

Before Jude could answer, Lola’s work phone rang sharply from the sideboard.

Lola picked it up, her expression turning professional within seconds.

"Understood, Lieutenant," she said into the receiver. "Secure the 2-block radius. I’m 15 minutes out."

She hung up, grabbed her holster and badge from the hook by the door, and turned back to the room.

"Homicide downtown... task force call. I have to move. Jude, if you stay, take the room on the left."

She took her keys and hurried out the door, her steps fading down the stairwell.

Jude set his glass down with a quiet laugh.

Staying overnight with her mother while Lola worked a scene made little sense.

He thanked Eleanor for dinner, promised to visit again, and headed down to the courtyard...