When the crosswalk signal changed, Ethan took off at a sprint. Luckily, it was the last real obstacle between him and the train station. Unluckily, Ethan only had five minutes before the train was supposed to depart, and ten minutes left to the walk at a normal pace. He dodged through the crowd on the sidewalk, moving at his fastest speed. As he entered the front door of the train station, he heard the final call for boarding. He might still make it, but barely. Ethan wondered how many bad impressions he was going to give Cassidy.
His stride didn’t break with his negative thoughts. He kept running, and was relieved to see Cassidy standing just inside the door to one of the closer cars on the train they were supposed to be catching. She waved at him. “Ethan! Over here! Hurry up!”
Cassidy dodged out of the way as Ethan barreled into the train, just barely making it on board before the doors closed. She raised her left eyebrow at him. “Cutting it a little close?”
It took Ethan a moment to answer. Despite being in good shape, sprinting several blocks left him panting. Ethan took the excuse to observe his partner. Her eyes were closer to a honey brown today, with an edge of grey. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a spiky bun, and he couldn’t help wondering if that was an intentional choice or not. She wore a similar blazer to the one she wore the day before, only in slate grey. She had swapped the sensible work pants for dark wash jeans. Her badge still dangled around her neck in front of a bright red t-shirt. She carried the same canvas bag she had the day before, so if she had any other luggage, she had stowed it before he arrived.
“I am so sorry,” Ethan said as soon as he caught his breath. “I swear I planned to be here early.”
The train started rolling, and while Ethan almost lost his footing for a moment, Cassidy bent her knees slightly and rolled with the train, keeping her balance with ease. “Given that you beat me to the office yesterday, I believe you. Follow me. I grabbed us a couple of seats.”
Ethan stowed his duffel bag in the overhead compartment next to a simple black backpack he assumed was Cassidy’s. She waited for him to sit, giving him the window. They both watched the scenery roll by until they traded tall buildings for shrubbery, at which point Cassidy turned her attention to her partner. “So, do you want to tell me what happened?”
“Oh, just some bad luck.” Ethan scratched the back of his neck. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks. “This little old woman who lives across from me, Mrs. Sylvester, needed help taking her trash out.”
“And you couldn’t say no.” Cassidy’s tone wasn’t incredulous, or vaguely mocking, which were both responses Ethan was used to getting. Instead, she sounded maybe almost fond or pleased. Ethan couldn’t quite put his finger on what her tone conveyed. All he could tell was that it didn’t make him feel bad.
“No,” he admitted, “but I got a bag of the best cookies you will ever taste out of the deal, and I will share when we get to the inn.”
“Given that you made the train, I’d say that’s a fair deal.”
The new partners lapsed into silence after that. When a few moments passed with no conversation, they both turned to their own forms of entertainment. Ethan pulled out his phone and clicked a few buttons, pulling up a larger holographic screen about the size of a paperback book. Cassidy went into her canvas bag and pulled out an old school paper sketchbook, a number two pencil, and a big white eraser. She opened to a blank page and, after glancing around the train, started on a new sketch.
Ethan finished his chapter and clicked the lock screen button on the top of his phone, dispelling the hologram. He put his arms above his head and stretched. Then he glanced out the window, still processing the scene he just read. He glanced to the seat next to him, and noticed Cassidy drawing. For a moment, he was conflicted. He didn’t want to look over her shoulder and spy. It was private. He was curious, though. Ethan looked very purposefully ahead. Then he looked out of the corner of his eye, not looking at the sketch itself, but at his partner. Cassidy’s brow was furrowed in concentration, and her upper lip was on the receiving end of what seemed to be a pretty decent gnawing. The tip of her tongue just barely peeked out.
When he gave into his curiosity, Ethan chose to be decent about it. “Can I ask what you’re drawing?”
For a moment, Ethan wasn’t sure Cassidy heard him. There was the slightest pause in the scratching of her pencil, a hesitation Ethan could tell himself was imagined, before her drawing continued undisturbed. It only lasted a few moments, though, punctuated by a quick scrub of an eraser. Cassidy looked up at Ethan. “Sorry, what?”
Ethan’s eyes crinkled up at the corners. “I asked what you were drawing.”
“Oh.” Cassidy’s cheeks dusted lightly pink, but that was the only hint that she might not be entirely comfortable with the line of questioning. Her expression remained carefully neutral. “I’m drawing that woman, four rows up on the left. The redhead.”
“Can I see?”
For a moment, Cassidy hesitated in a real and noticeable way. Then, she passed the sketchbook over to Ethan. “Sure. Just do me a favor and don’t go flipping through.”
“Of course not!” Ethan was mildly affronted by the implication that he might. Any indignation he felt, however, was quickly forgotten when he looked down at the paper in front of him. “Oh. Oh, wow. This is really good.” The entirely greyscale picture, though somewhat simplified, was very recognizably the woman in the car. “Did you take lessons?”
“No more than anyone else,” Cassidy told him, referring to basic art classes through grade school. “It’s just a hobby.”
“Well, you could’ve fooled me.” He handed the sketchbook back to her with a smile that made the fluorescent lights in the train seem a little warmer. “Thanks for showing me.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Yeah, no problem.” Cassidy’s returning smile was a little more brittle, but no less genuine. “So, what are you reading?”
“Oh.” It was Ethan’s turn to be embarrassed, but instead of being well-concealed, the expression could be read in every inch of him. “It’s nothing. Just some silly, light reading.”
Cassidy’s eyes practically glowed with interest, Ethan’s body language far more intriguing than his spoken answer. “What kind of silly, light reading?”
“It’s a romcom,” Ethan admitted in a voice barely above a whisper. “Hey, do you want to play I Spy?”
“Sure,” Cassidy agreed, letting him take the out, at least for the moment.
The game kept them occupied for a while. The train was moving fast, so they had to keep their observations to objects and people inside of the train car. With two relatively detail-oriented people, they both managed to find small, barely noticeable objects others might not think to include in such a game, like an old man’s pearl earring, or a barely-there coffee stain on the carpet near the exit to the car. Eventually though, even with their combined best efforts, the limited scope of their environment left them without any decent plays to make.
“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” Cassidy lamented briefly, before lighting up at the next idea. “Want to play truth or dare?”
“Truth or dare?” Ethan asked, a bit confused. “Did I hear you right?”
“Seems like it.”
“Are we teenagers at a slumber party?”
“If those are the only people who are allowed to have fun, I say we pretend to be.”
Ethan chuckled, much quieter than the booming laugh he had let out at work the previous day. It was less amused and more bemused. “Sure. Why not? Truth or dare?”
“Not so fast!” Cassidy kept her voice low, knowing better than to let anyone else in on the game. Still, her excitement was building. “We have to set the stakes!”
“What stakes?” Ethan was already beginning to regret agreeing.
“The game ends when one of us refuses to answer a truth or perform a dare,” Cassidy answered confidently, with the energy of someone who had done this before and would do it again. “The person who refuses loses. Loser buys the first meal on this trip.”
That wasn’t as bad as Ethan feared it might be. He would be happy to buy them both dinner that night even if he didn’t lose a game, and having the out made the idea of it less intimidating. It could be a good icebreaker, help him get to know his new partner. “Okay, deal. Truth or dare?”
“Truth,” Cassidy decided.
Over the next half-hour, things remained tame. They were learning the answers to questions that could have been gleaned over a peaceful dinner. Ethan’s favorite color was yellow, while Cassidy’s was a dark, almost black shade of red. Cassidy had one brother, older, while Ethan was a middle child sandwiched between two sisters. Cassidy had always wanted to be an investigator. Ethan had originally planned to be a pediatrician. The questions were all tame, but the game gave them an excuse to ask.
“I’m glad you suggested this,” Ethan admitted.
“I’m glad you feel that way.” Cassidy hoped Ethan hadn’t learned her well enough yet on the train ride to notice how sly her smile became. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.” So far, neither of them had picked dare.
“What’s that book you’re reading?”
“Really?” Ethan asked. He tried to play it off as boredom with the question, but he didn’t have a great poker face in the first place and Cassidy had a sharp eye for people.
They both knew he was embarrassed, and that made Cassidy want to know the answer even more. “Really.”
“It’s called Garlic Bites,” he admitted quietly, as if afraid to be overheard. “It’s a romantic comedy about a vampire who falls in love with the son of vampire hunters. Neither of them know he’s the son of vampire hunters, and now they’re both trying to survive meeting the family.”
“Ooooh, that sounds good.” Cassidy may have relished the fun of dragging the answer out of him, but she didn’t actually want to embarrass him about his interests. “I usually prefer mysteries or high fantasy, but maybe you can loan me that when you’re done?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.” A teasing glint entered Ethan’s eyes, and Cassidy was glad to see it. “Mysteries, huh? You really did always want to be a detective.”
“My older brother used to read me Sherlock Holmes at bedtime when we were kids.”
“And that one didn’t even cost me a question!”
“Speaking of, your turn.”
“Alright, truth or dare.”
“Dare,” Cassidy decided. She was a little bored now that her original objective was achieved, and she wanted to stretch her legs.
Ethan took a moment to look around the train car, trying to think of something that would be interesting and challenge his partner without disturbing the other occupants of the car. “Alright. I dare you to give that woman a few rows up the picture you drew of her earlier.”
Cassidy’s eyes widened, a combination of reluctance, shock, and a hint of annoyed admiration. “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I’m very serious.” Ethan’s smile was too wide and bright and boyscout-y for someone who had just asked her to do what he just asked her to do. “I think you’ll make her day. You’re very good at drawing.”
“Trying to get back on my good side with compliments that work,” Cassidy grumbled, earning a slightly louder laugh than Ethan meant to let loose on the train.
Cassidy dug out her sketch book. She took a deep breath before flipping to the appropriate page, carefully folding along the perforated edge and tearing it out. For a moment, Cassidy looked between the paper in her hands and the subject, comparing every line and shading choice. Cassidy had already gotten what she wanted out of this game, and she wasn’t overly concerned about paying for dinner. If the drawing didn’t meet her standards, she would fold. But, Cassidy had to admit, it wasn’t bad. She stood up, squared her shoulders, and walked over to the woman.
Ethan watched happily as Cassidy introduced herself, then held the drawing out to the other woman, who immediately lit up. “Oh my goodness! That is so good!”
“Thank you.” Cassidy’s blush was deep. “You can keep it, if you want.”
“Ohmygosh, are you sure? That is so nice! Thank you so much!”
“No problem.” Cassidy walked back over to her seat and dropped down, letting out a very big very held breath. “Okay. Truth or dare.”
“Truth.” Ethan’s answer did not change, even with Cassidy’s petulant glare.
“Fine.” She took a moment, thinking. “What’s your secret talent?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, I draw. What’s a thing that you do?”
“Oh. I crochet. I make my sisters stuffed animals for Christmas every year.”
“Okay, that’s really cool,” Cassidy complimented. “Can I see a picture?”
“Sure.” Ethan pulled out his phone and scrolled through the photo app for a while before showing Cassidy a picture of a crochet alligator next to a crochet butterfly.
“Those are amazing!”
“Thanks. They took hours. Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“So obviously you’ve always been into the detective thing with the mysteries, but was there another reason you wanted to do what we do?”
Immediately, Ethan knew he said something wrong. There was a change to the air, a tension. Cassidy kept smiling, but it stopped reaching her eyes. Her nose, which scrunched up when she smiled truly, tilted back down, and the little crinkles next to her eyes disappeared. “Guess dinner’s on me.”
“Oh.” Ethan really hadn’t expected that to be the question that ended the game. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have-“
Cassidy waved him off, though there was still tension in her shoulders. “No, it’s fine. No way for you to know. That’s why we have an out. Besides, the ride’s not much longer, anyway. We should review our case notes before we get there.”
Ethan at least pretended to work alongside his new partner, but her lack of response weighed on his mind for the rest of the ride.