Ten's car isn't in the lot when I pull in a half hour late for my shift. I'd spent a good chunk of the morning staring blankly at possible sites for the wedding. After an hour or so, where I gave no more feedback than the occasional 'sure if that's what you want' answer, Tiffany snapped shut the laptop and left in a huff to have breakfast with her sister. I was certain my lack of interest in wedding details was going to be the main topic of conversation.

I climb off my motorcycle and pull off my helmet. Partner intuition tells me something is off. I knew Ten left angry yesterday, and she had every right to be mad. She was also not someone who held a grudge. I check my phone but she hasn't returned a text or replied to my voicemail.

It occurs to me on the way into the station that Brady or Brodie or whatever the fuck his name is might have dropped her off at work. She mentioned a movie date. Maybe she stayed overnight at his place and she didn't have her car. That scenario made my teeth grind against each other.

Activity is buzzing and booming as usual in the station as I push through the hallway to the central offices. I'm relieved to see that the excitement about the engagement announcement is over. No one mentions it or slaps me on the shoulder on the way through, which is good. A slap on the shoulder wasn't a good idea with the way I was feeling.

My gaze shoots straight to Ten's desk. It's empty. Even her usual clutter has been straightened into a semblance of a rational pile. I catch a glimpse of Clark heading into his office and pick up my stride.

"Hey, Clark." It seems he purposely ignores me and shuts the door behind him.

I stop and debate whether or not to just barge in. It wouldn't be the first time. Instead, I walk to my desk. Detective Rogers is sitting at her desk filling out paperwork. She and Ten are two of only three female detectives in the precinct. They take lunch break together whenever they are sick of their male counterparts.

"Hey, Rogers," I say as I drop down onto my chair. "Have you seen Ten?"

Rogers is nibbling on a rainbow sprinkle donut. She glances toward the captain's office before answering, like she needs a cue card or some kind of instructions to say the right thing. "Cap'n said she took a leave of absence. I thought you knew."

"Knew what?" I'm sitting up straighter now.

"That she took a leave of absence," she repeats unhelpfully. "I just assumed since she's your partner that she would have told you."

"So she told you?" I ask, sounding like a jealous sap.

Rogers shakes her head and her pale yellow ponytail swings side to side behind her. "She didn't tell me. I heard it from Captain Clark."

My chair rolls two feet across the tile floor as I get up and head to Clark's office. I knock once, hard, and don't wait for the damn invite. Clark picks up the phone in an obvious attempt to avoid talking to me.

"I'm just about to make an important call, Maddox. Come back later."

His laughable ploy doesn't stop me. I walk to his desk and sit down in the chair.

Clark puts the phone down. "Or have a seat," he mutters. "Nice work on the tainted heroin case. The guys in Texas just called me to let me know that Vinny's tip was right. They shut down the whole operation."

I'm never one to mince words. "Where's Tennyson?"

"Leave of absence." Clark's never one to mince words either. He doesn't usually avoid eye contact, but he's pretending to be interested in something on his desk. "Now get out so I can make my call."

"Why? Why the hell would she take a leave of absence, and why wouldn't she tell me?"

"Maybe she just needed a break from you. Like you needed from her."

I stare at him over the pile of work on his desk. The files for the billionaire murder cases are sitting under the file for the missing girls. "She's not answering her phone."

Clark's big round shoulders bob up and down. "See. That proves my theory that she needs a break from you." He reaches for his phone. There is just enough sweat on his upper lip to assure me he's lying. It's his Pinocchio's nose.

"Not leaving until you tell me where Ten is."

"You'll leave if I have you dragged out in fucking handcuffs." He picks up the phone. "Yeah, it's Clark. Tell Silvana to get his ass in here. His new partner is waiting." He hangs up and flinches when he sees my face.

"You are not partnering me with Silvana."

"Well, I can put you back on traffic patrol with Winston. Like the good ole days."

Silvana knocked weakly on the door. His jowly cheeks peered around the corner. "Hey, Cap'n, you wanted to see me."

"Yeah, come on in, Detective." Clark looks coldly my direction. He's a good captain, but he gets his trousers in a bunch when someone questions his authority. Something I do on a regular basis. His mouth is twisted tight signaling that I've pushed him to the edge. "Detective Maddox finds himself temporarily without a partner, so you're filling in for Tennyson."

Silvana has those big, bushy kind of eyebrows that make him look as if he's wearing permanent joke glasses only there are no glasses. They bunch up like fuzzy caterpillars as he casts me a wary look. "Maddox? Really?" I can't tell if he's fearful or excited, but I know exactly how I'm feeling.

"Yeah, really. Now both of you get out of my office. I'm busy."

I stand up and loom over his desk for a second. Clark doesn't look up.

"I'll get my stuff," Silvana says enthusiastically.

I turn to Silvana and stick up three fingers. "Three rules. You don't talk to me. You don't shoot that damn gun . . . ever. I don't want to end up like your last partner with a bullet in my ass. And if you fart, you're riding in the fucking trunk."

Silvana nods emphatically. "Right. But just to let you know, I've been working on my target practice. I'm like Sundance Kid these days, without the Redford good looks," he chuckles. "And the doctor gave me something for the—"

I point at him. "Not a good start, Silvana. You're already breaking rule number one."

"Right. Good point."

I yank open the office door hard enough that it swings open and smacks the adjacent wall. Silvana plods quickly out behind me.

"Hey, Maddox, how is this gonna work," Silvana sputters between breaths. "You know—partnering without talking?"

"Rule number one," I remind him but he continues.

"Just one thing so I know what's in store for the day. I hear you and Ten were working on some drug ring that was pushing tainted heroin. Is that what we're working on?"

"Sure," I say after a pause. "But first we're going to find Ten."