Devil's Whisper Chapter 83: Between The Lines

Kate pushed open the door of the Seward Police Station, the faint hum of the overhead fluorescent lights buzzing in her ears. The place smelled faintly of coffee and old paper, and for a moment, she paused, taking a deep breath before heading toward Jason's desk.

She found Jason where he always was—hunched over his computer, a Styrofoam cup of coffee within arm's reach, and a pen tucked behind his ear. The flicker of the ancient monitor cast a bluish glow across his face, highlighting the stubble that betrayed his own sleepless nights.

"Morning, Jason," she greeted, her tone even, though the exhaustion of the past few days sat heavy in her voice.

Jason glanced up, his eyebrows lifting as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He took her in—the slight slump of her shoulders, the dark circles under her eyes, and yet, to him, she still looked perfect. The morning light filtering through the station's dusty blinds caught the copper highlights in her dark hair, reminding him of autumn leaves.

"Morning, Kate. You look like you've been busy."

"Busy would be an understatement." She set her bag down on the edge of his desk and crossed her arms, cutting straight to the point. A takeout container from Maggie's Diner tumbled out—untouched, he noted—along with a jumble of case notes scribbled on whatever scraps of paper had been available when inspiration or suspicion struck. "Any update on the forensic report from Sasha's crime scene? I need to know if we've got anything… anything at all."

Jason leaned back in his chair, his hands lacing together behind his head as he studied her for a beat longer than necessary, memorizing the determined crease in her brow, the way her mouth pressed into that firm line. The chair creaked in protest, a sound as familiar to the station as the coffee maker's gurgle or the ancient fax machine's whine.

He'd always admired how driven she was, how she threw herself into every case without holding back. He wished she knew how much he noticed these little things about her, but he kept those thoughts locked up tight where they belonged. Although a part of him wanted to talk about the kiss last night, but he also knew that their partnership now was too valuable, too essential to both of them, to risk complicating it with feelings he'd carried silently for years.

"Not yet," he admitted, shaking his head as though he regretted the words.

A stack of manila folders teetered precariously on the corner of his desk, each one representing another case that demanded attention, another victim waiting for justice. "We're still waiting on the lab to send the official report. You know how slow they can be sometimes. Budget cuts, short staff… same old story."

Kate exhaled sharply through her nose, frustration flashing in her eyes. Jason caught it immediately—the tiny twitch in her jaw, the faint downward curve of her lips.

God, he hated seeing her like this, worn out and disappointed, but there was nothing he could do to fix it… not yet, anyway. The weight of Sasha's unsolved murder pressed down on both of them, but he could see Kate carrying the heavier burden, taking it personally. She sank into the chair across from his desk, running a hand through her hair.

"Great. Just what I needed to hear," she muttered. Without thinking, she reached for a nearby file on the edge of Jason's desk, flipping it open as if reading might distract her from the frustration bubbling inside her.

Jason watched her, his gaze softening. He wanted to say something reassuring, something that might take the edge off her bad morning, but his throat tightened around the words. Instead, he let the quiet linger for a moment.

The movement released the subtle scent of her shampoo—something herbal and clean that contrasted with the station's stale air. Outside, the sounds of Seward waking up filtered through: a car horn, the distant call of gulls from the harbor, the rumble of the early morning tour buses headed toward the glacier. Life went on, oblivious to their struggle, to the fact that somewhere in this picturesque town, a killer walked free.

"You look distracted," he finally said, his tone casual but his eyes searching. "Something else on your mind?"

Kate glanced up briefly, then back down at the file. Her voice was too light, too indifferent. "Samuel's leaving for Germany tonight. Work thing. He told me this morning."

Jason's heart gave an involuntary lurch—a small, unexpected burst of happiness that he fought to shove down before it betrayed him. He didn't move a muscle, didn't let his face betray a single ounce of the satisfaction that warmed his chest. Instead, he reached for his coffee cup, taking a slow sip to cover himself. Germany, he thought, the word echoing like a small victory. Far away. Really far away.

"Germany, huh? That's… far," he said, forcing his voice into something that sounded just the right level of indifferent.

"Yeah, far," Kate murmured, still absorbed in the file in her hands. She didn't notice the flicker of relief that crossed his face, the way his shoulders relaxed just slightly. For the first time in days, Jason felt like he could actually breathe.

He shouldn't have felt so happy about Samuel's departure—he knew that. It wasn't fair to Kate, or even to Samuel, but deep down, Jason couldn't help but feel like he'd just been handed a small reprieve. For however long Samuel was gone, the thought of him wouldn't be lurking in the back of Jason's mind like a shadow.

He took another long sip of coffee, buying himself a few seconds before speaking again.

"When's he coming back?"

Kate shrugged, flipping another page in the file. "Not sure. Could be weeks. Could be longer. He didn't have a return date yet."

Jason let her words settle in his mind, savoring the implication.

Weeks. Maybe longer.

He kept his face carefully neutral, nodding like the information didn't matter. But inside, his thoughts raced. He wasn't a fool; he knew nothing would change between him and Kate just because Samuel was out of the picture for a while. She wasn't his to begin with. But still, the idea that Samuel would be half a world away, out of reach… well, it gave him something he hadn't had in a long time: hope.

"Huh," Jason replied, setting his cup down.

He was quiet for a moment, his gaze lingering on her as she skimmed through the report. She seemed completely unaware of his relief—the way his heart felt just a little lighter now—and he intended to keep it that way. If she ever knew how he felt, it would ruin everything. He'd rather stay in the background, hidden in plain sight, than risk losing the small piece of her world he got to be a part of.

"Anything interesting in that file, or are you just pretending to look busy?" he teased, hoping to shift the mood back to something lighter.

Kate smirked, though her eyes never left the papers. "It's your case notes, Jason. I'm seeing if you actually did your homework or if I'm picking up your slack again."

"Rude," Jason shot back, though he grinned. There it was again—that spark of banter that always seemed to come so easily between them. It was one of the things he loved most about their friendship, even if he wanted more.

Kate shut the file with a soft thud and looked at him expectantly.

"So, about that report. You said we'd hear from the lab soon? Like how soon?"

Jason glanced toward the clock on the wall, as though the answer was hidden somewhere in its ticking hands. "Soon. Could be today, could be tomorrow. They've been swamped. I called them this morning to light a fire under their ass, so hopefully that speeds things up."

"Good," Kate muttered, pushing herself to her feet. "I'll take any progress we can get at this point. If Sasha's still alive—" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "I just want answers. We need something solid to work with."

"We'll get it, Kate. Don't lose faith," Jason said softly, his voice steadier now. He meant it, too. For her sake, he'd work twice as hard if he had to.

Kate offered him a faint, tired smile, grabbing her bag from his desk. "Let's hope so. I'll be in my office if you hear anything. Don't keep me waiting."

"You'll be the first to know," Jason replied, watching as she walked away. Once she was out of earshot, he leaned back in his chair with a quiet exhale, a small, smug smile tugging at his lips.

Germany.

He took another sip of his coffee, his gaze flickering toward Kate's empty seat. The thought of Samuel packing his bags, boarding a plane, and flying across the Atlantic felt like a small miracle. Jason didn't say the words aloud, but in the privacy of his own thoughts, they rang clear.

"Good luck over there, Samuel," he muttered under his breath, the hint of a grin lingering.

Take your time.