TITLE: Temporary Girlfriend (7/20)
PAIRING: Lindsay/Cindy
DISCLAIMER: Women’s Murder Club does not belong to me. The characters do not belong to me. They are the property of James Patterson, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC. I have no problems with that as long as I can borrow them for short bursts and use them in pursuit of my own enjoyment. I am not trying to infringe. Though, I don’t know why anyone has a problem with fan fic. After all, it really is a compliment. If anyone wants to write fan fiction about my book, feel free. 

(Lindsay’s POV)

“Who’s up for volleyball?”

“Ooh. We are,” Cindy said, sitting forward on the pool chair, clearly raring to go.

“Oh my God,” Lindsay uttered, shaking her head. “You are a special kind of hyperactive.”

“I am not.”

Lindsay stared at Cindy through her dark sunglasses long enough that Cindy started to fidget.

“I’m trying to remember if there’s been a time I’ve seen you sit still for more than ten minutes.”

“Papa Joe’s,” Cindy returned instantly.

“You’re always eating or writing,” Lindsay responded just as quickly.

“I do when I’m at work.”

“The only time I’ve seen you at work, you couldn’t wait for the opportunity to bounce up out of your chair.”

“Let me guess,” Cindy sighed. “You can’t work from the pool?”

“I can’t exactly monitor the situation if I’m playing volleyball,” Lindsay agreed.

“That’s too bad. Your height would give you a distinct advantage.”

“Cindy, go play. Please.”

Cindy gave her one last pout before getting up to join the growing crowd of participants. Lindsay watched her go without moving. Spending the night dancing… Relaxing by the pool in the sun… Every assignment should be just like this. But, of course, then police officer would suddenly become a highly in-demand profession. Everyone would want her job. While there were days when Lindsay would gladly give it to them, today wasn’t one of them. She just wasn’t sure exactly how much watching Cindy hop down into the pool in her light blue and brown patterned bikini had to do with her attachment to her current profession.

As diminutive as Cindy was next to some of the other women, she still seemed genuinely surprised that she wasn’t chosen as a starter and was relegated to the side of the pool with some fellow benchwarmers to watch their teammates play. Typical Cindy, she chose to make the best of the situation by putting her arms back on the edge of the pool and kicking her legs up to float just beneath the surface of the water. Lindsay covetously glanced around to see how much attention the pool’s other patrons were paying.

“Ow. Easy,” a voice said from right next to her.

Lindsay looked over at the couple. One woman was examining the other’s back and shoulders with visible concern.

“I just don’t know how you got so burned. We’ve only been out here for half an hour.”

“Yeah, I know. And it hurts like hell.”

Even through her glasses, Lindsay could see the very pink tinge to the woman’s skin. It was hot and it was sunny, but it wasn’t that hot and sunny. For summer in San Francisco, it was actually relatively mild. Lindsay pulled off her sunglasses, looking more closely at the woman, not caring much if she was being completely obvious. There was something decidedly un-sunburn-like about the blisters she could see forming on the woman’s skin.

She looked around the pool at the other women who had fled when the game began. The apparent sunburns were widespread, even on women with complexions like hers. And she wasn’t exactly prone to burning.

“Son of a bitch,” she muttered to herself, jumping up. “Everyone get out of the pool!”

The game halted, but other than that, Lindsay was greeted with more confusion than action.

“Out of the water,” she shouted, running down the length of the pool. “Get out.”

Lindsay almost ran right into a staff member who was rushing up to her, she could only assume in an effort to calm her hysterics.

“Miss, is there a problem?”

Lindsay pulled her badge from the pocket of her shorts, flashing it discretely at him.

“Get everyone out of the pool.”

He glanced at the badge and didn’t argue with her, instead taking over her position at the pool’s edge and yelling for everyone to vacate. Lindsay paused only long enough to make sure that people were actually following the orders before turning to find Cindy.

But Cindy was already coming after her.

“What’s going on?” she asked as she walked up.

Lindsay watched water drip from Cindy’s skin onto the cement at her feet.

“Go upstairs, take off everything and rinse in cold water. Don’t use any soap.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Cindy asked, looking understandably nervous.

“Just go. Please,” Lindsay responded, willing Cindy not to fight her.

Surprisingly, Cindy didn’t. She just walked over to their chairs, grabbed her towel and clothes and headed toward the hotel as asked.

Lindsay recruited the employee to help her tell everyone who had been in the water to go rinse off, then pulled out her cell to make the call for a hefty troop of paramedics. By the time she was off the phone, the daytime manager was heading in her direction.

“What happened?” the woman asked.

“Who has access to the filter system for the pool?”

Lindsay watched the alarm sink in on the woman’s face.

“A few employees. It’s kept locked. There are only a few keys.”

“Where is it?” Lindsay asked her.

“Over here,” the woman motioned, and Lindsay followed her toward a little shed sitting not far from the area.

Lindsay tugged on the still secure lock.

“Do you have a key?”

The woman took out a set of keys and let Lindsay in. She flipped on the light, and Lindsay immediately saw the timer device hooked to the filtration system.

“Is that a bomb?” the manager asked, panicked.

“No. I’m guessing it was used to release whatever is in the pool at a certain time. Someone must have had a key. I need to talk to all the employees who have one.”

“Yes. Of course,” the manager responded. “Including those who aren’t working today?”

“All of them,” Lindsay answered.

The woman nodded and Lindsay followed her back out.

“I’ll take you to a conference room and bring the employees in there,” the woman suggested.

“No. I have to go check…” Lindsay trailed off, her jaw clenching. She couldn’t stop thinking about Cindy alone upstairs in their room. “Get someone to guard this door. Don’t let anyone in. Then, take the employees into a room. I’ll be back,” she said, not waiting for any questions that might cause further delay.