Much to Chase’s relief, it looked like his first impression of Alix had been right. As she took his hand in a friendly greeting, he could already feel his previous tenseness start to melt away. He’d been hoping for a laidback partner, one he could get along with easily, like Jake. Now that he knew she wasn’t just some overbearing workaholic, he was confident that he was going to fit into the agency a lot faster than he’d thought. To a socialite like him, coworkers were one of the most important factors of getting a new job, after all.

To make things even better, it seemed that Alix had a sense of humor. At her comment about the woman down at reception, he laughed. “Really? I’ll keep that in mind next time.” He could tell he was going to like working with this detective. However, her age did throw him off. When he was told he’d be partnered with someone who’d been at the agency for a while, he had expected a woman in her mid-thirties at the very least, but this girl couldn’t have been older than he was.

As an added twist, it sounded like the twenty-something detective was in the middle of getting a divorce. Chase eyed her curiously as she and the chief spoke. Even though they were close in age, she seemed to have experienced a lot more of life than he had. Already a seasoned member of the agency and leaving a serious relationship to boot? He only had a roommate and a couple ex-girlfriends who hadn’t lasted more than a few months—and he hadn’t had the best luck when it came to dating either. It wasn’t really his fault though. Working long hours at the police station made it hard to meet people.

Paying attention to the conversation, he discovered he already had a task to do on his first day. He felt a thrill of excitement. A visit to the morgue had to mean he’d been assigned to a case. It also meant no hazing or coffee runs for the newbie. He was glad Chief Martinez and his new partner seemed to trust him enough to get his feet wet right away instead of making him run errands around at the office to start.

“If I couldn’t handle the morgue, I wouldn’t be here,” Chase grinned, deciding to return a little banter with Alix now that he knew she was the type to enjoy it.

He turned to follow the other detective out of the chief’s office, only looking back once when Martinez wished him luck. “Thanks,” he said appreciatively before he stepped into the hallway.

Although he had been nervous before, all his inhibitions were gone after the meeting had gone so well. His new boss seemed like a kind and fair man, and his partner was exactly the type of person he had been hoping to be paired up to. With the addition of the promotion he’d received to get here, it was looking like this career had everything he’d wanted.

“So,” Chase started as he fell in step beside Alix. With the whole length of a walk to the morgue, now was as good a time as any to get to know her better. “I’ve gotta admit, you’re not as old as I was expecting. How long have you been working here?” He turned to her with interest. It was the biggest question on his mind. He’d thought he was young to start working as a detective, but she seemed to have been in the field for a while already. At least, long enough to take on a novice like him as a partner.

In the next moment, another thought crossed his mind. “Oh, and do you mind showing me where my desk is before we hit the morgue?” He held up the briefcase he’d brought along. “I’d rather not drag this around all day if I don’t have to.”