by Mimi Barbour
“Hey, it just dawned on me. How did you get in here so late? You just get off shift?”
“Had a few things to follow up on, and decided to sneak in and check you out. The nurses looked the other way as soon as I flashed the badge.”
“Comes in handy, doesn’t it?” Debbie’s grin said it all.
“Holding this little guy was worth the effort. He’s a real treasure.”
“I know, and I get to take him home tomorrow. I was scheduled to leave tonight, but Cory phoned and put it off one more day. He told the hospital administration he wants to take me home himself and wouldn’t be able to get here until late. Now I know why, the drunken bum!” Affection spiraled through her mock-mad tone.
Aurora looked up to see if her friend had any inkling of what had gone down in the hospital that night. The calm expression of a doting mama covered her face, and no hint of worry showed in her eyes.
“Funny thing, the staff seemed perplexed and said they were under the misapprehension that a driver had been assigned to pick me and the little one up. Never mind. Aurora, you look beat. Why don’t you get some shut-eye? I can tell it’s been a wicked day even if you haven’t said anything.”
“Bloody awful.” Aurora handed the precious sleeper over to his mama’s eager arms.
“You know what?” Debbie whispered. “For the first time since I left the department, I don’t even want to know. That dark world seems so far away now, as if it can’t touch me anymore. It feels good.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Aurora arrived early the next morning with a tray of three fancy coffees, and set it down in front of Detectives Hampton and Kai. “Ham, I meant to ask you about that doctor whose office got busted into. Did she have anything interesting to add? Any patients who matched our list of victims?”
“Nah! It took a bit of convincing, but she eventually agreed to check her clients against our list, and there was nothing.”
A monitor in the corner flickered, and Aurora looked at Kai with a questioning stare that didn’t necessitate words.
“They sent over the hospital videos,” he said.
All three settled in to watch. The tapes showed Rhondo walking into the nursery, as if he owned the world.
“That… that putz is strutting. There’s no other word for it.” Kai bit back far worse expletives because he didn’t want to make a fool of himself. With his hands wrapped behind his neck, he stalked to the other end of the room. Exercising control, he breathed deeply and blinked to clear his eyes. No way was he going to let the others see how he felt at the sight of that fucker walking around as a free man.
“There’s Aurora joining him.” Kai saw Ham look his way, then reach to stop the tape.
“I’m fine. Keep it going.” He went back to the screen and continued to watch as his exhausted looking partner entered the area. She’d stopped when she’d spied the other person, holding back to give a stranger space. The gesture moved him. Pure Aurora, kind without any fanfare—a good-hearted person. He cleared his throat. “Has Cory seen this?”
“I showed him earlier. To be on the safe side, he put an extra guard on Wayne’s ward and another to protect Darlene’s apartment. After reading Kai’s report about Rhondo’s gloating, he didn’t figure to take any chances.” The others ignored Ham’s habit of nodding when he spoke.
His words seized Aurora’s attention. “Which report? What gloating?”
Kai shot a glare at Ham, who reddened and fidgeted before he answered.
“How Rhondo got off on playing his games right under our noses. The boss seems to think that might be a draw for him. Figures he followed us to the hospital to mess with the boy again and stick it to us at the same time.” Ham first looked at Kai apologetically but continued, “You in particular, Aurora.”
Her head shot up, and she wore a happy face. “He said he wanted me? Oh, baby, I want you too!” Her hands rubbed together, and Kai had to laugh.
“Back off, chick. He’s mine.” He blocked the rest of the words that hovered behind clamped lips. Instead, he stared at her with his ownership message and couldn’t believe the balls of the babe when she stared right back at him with as much attitude. He read it in her eyes, and then heard it in her words.
“We’ll see about that.”
No one heard the lieutenant enter the room. “Enough with that kind of talk! This isn’t a high-school football game. I want that sucker as much as the rest of you, but we’ll do it by the book. Carry on a full-scale investigation, leaving nothing to chance. Got it? We’ll put Mr. Rhondo away for the rest of his life, and we’ll do that by working together. Now, about him having a particular grudge with Aurora—”
“Tell me.” Aurora silently dared the others to ignore her demand.
Ham stepped up. “The kid waited to tell Kai when they were on the way to the hospital about Rhondo’s bragging. He didn’t want to scare you. Said Rhondo had repeated how he’d like to uh… get into your pants—his words, not mine.”
Cory captured his eye, and Kai knew his friend read the rage he’d tried to hide. They shared a moment of complete agreement where two men who care about one sassy woman unite as protectors. “Not gonna happen! She’s never alone. You hear me?”
Aurora cut in. “Christ, Cory! The pedestrians on the street heard you. I’m an experienced detective and don’t need you chauvinists turning all macho on me. I can take care of myself.”
Kai heard the frustration in her voice and saw the way her hands hit her hips, as if she had to do something with them or else she’d be strangling a lieutenant.
“Fine, just so you know.” His voice had returned to its normal pitch. Back to being well groomed in a lightweight suit that spoke bucks, the tall man took command. “I want everyone here working this case putting it first. We’ve got to get Rhondo into custody. The sheriff’s been onto me since early this morning. The tourists are starting to make noise, and the media are having a slow day. You know what that means. We’re hitting the front page.”
Ham spoke, his disgust evident. “I read some of those reports. They’re giving El Shmucko way too much front-page space. He must be loving it.”
“Yeah, well that puts the onus on this department. The faster we get Rhondo off the streets, the better it will be for all of us. The asshole has taken up enough of our time and finances. So, let’s get him off the docket.”
Kai watched Cory stomp from the room. They were all aware that he carried the worst burden. Poor sucker had a new baby and couldn’t afford to stay away from the office.
Aurora interrupted his musings. “Let’s brainstorm and see what we can come up with. We’re missing something, I just know it.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
After a frustrating day following empty leads, talking to victims who hated cops, and getting nowhere fast, Aurora decided to pay another visit to Luke. See if he’d come up with anything. He’d left a message for her earlier, but she been out of the office. When she’d tried to return the call, there was no answer. Not unusual, since he’d be catching up on his sleep and had most likely called before he’d hit the sack.
Slipping away from Kai had taken some ingenuity. He’d begun acting like they were crazy-glued at the hips. Thankfully, his mom had called, and rather than interrupt his call, she’d waved and left.
Suspicion appeared on his features for a minute until he realized that she’d left her usual lightweight jacket hanging over her chair, her gun in the drawer, and had picked up her favorite Coyotes coffee mug.
She felt weird leaving him behind, after all he was her partner, but a snitch was personal. Too many people aware of his status, and it could be dangerous for his cover. The fewer people who knew about him the better. And other than Ham and Debbie, it would stay that way until this crisis had ended.
As she drove, loving the air-conditioning that kept the inside of her vehicle bearable, she enjoyed the twilight on the desert scenery that bespoke of a paradise for tourists and a hellhole for residents. Temperatures
that day had soared to well over a hundred, and the sleeveless top she’d yanked from her drawer this morning still clung to the sweaty areas.
A speeder, who didn’t know how lucky he was that she was on a mission, cut her off. She radioed in the licence number and hoped he’d get his in the next few blocks. Someone was sure to pick him up.
Once at Luke’s building, an annoying tune began in her head, starting low, but with each floor reached, the recognized sound amplified. “Christ, no!”
With her feet racing as fast as her heart, she soon arrived at his apartment. When the normally locked door gave way, a sickening reaction started in the pit of her stomach. Reaching for the back-up gun in her ankle holster, she pushed slowly inward. With both hands hugging the pistol, she cleared the hallway and then the kitchen, working her way toward the living room and then the bedroom. Prayers churned in her mind. Please Lord…let him be sleeping peacefully.
A thud following by a muffled sound warned her that her instincts and the loud ding-dong in her ears had a point. Something wasn’t right. She hesitated, but affection for her guy drove her on. Two more steps and she’d almost cleared the bedroom doorway. A groan warned her just in time as a knife appeared in her peripheral vision. Instinct drove her gun-carrying hand upward to connect with a face, and her booted heel backwards to clip the knee.
A big male body stumbled into her space. Swivelling, her empty hand aimed upwards between his legs, to give unbridled pain to the stupid bastard who thought muscle would win over training.
His knife dropped, and the scream almost deafened, but still she held on. She even lowered her own body, as his knees gave way. Maybe she became too cocky. She didn’t see the fist that hit her on the side of her head. Nor did she react when Rhondo crawled toward his knife. But she did react when he started toward her.
The gun, steady in her hand, was aimed right between his eyes. “Please keep coming. Pretty, please!” Her tone begged.
Rhondo froze. Still prone, Aurora’s body felt like weights hung from every limb. It was all she could do to pull her knees under her and try to gain her feet.
During the ruckus, she’d instinctively turned to protect the victim. Luke, tied in a chair with gray duct tape, had some safety, thanks to Aurora’s being between him and the maniac, whose nose turned up in disgust while hatred poured from his narrowed eyes.
Knowing Rhonda was judging his chances of fight or flight by the quick looks in every direction, nervous gestures and growling sounds, she inched backwards.
“Time’s up.” She spit out the words in a no-nonsense tone. “Knife on the floor, slowly. Then get down on the ground, hands on your head.”
The stare he threw at her meant to intimidate and would have weakened a lesser opponent. Perhaps if she hadn’t grown up seeing that look most days of her young life, she might have been affected.
“Make no mistake; I really want to shoot you, Earl.” She used his name on purpose to make it more personal. “Please! Give me cause.”
The mean smile turned meaner. “Not today sweetheart. Another time.” He dropped the knife. Then just as he began to stretch out, a noise from the hallway caught their attention.
Aurora shouted to stay back, but Ray’s frizzy-head appeared as he ambled into the room. “Hey, the door…”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kai was pissed off. No other word for it. Partners either trusted each other, or they didn’t work together. Mad as hell, he stomped to the other end of the building and burst into Cory’s office.
“She’s taken off again.”
Cory’s hand automatically covered the mouthpiece on the phone, and he waved Kai to the chair in front of his desk, which Kai ignored. Instead he chose to walk over to the window. Hands gripping the sill, he leaned forward, ground his teeth, and waited.
The activity below caught his eye. Uniforms rushed to their squads, while others were returning. Laughter and sarcastic quips being thrown back and forth were emphasized by the stillness of the evening. Hustle and bustle, the vision soothed his ruffled feathers. He stopped gasping breath through his clenched teeth. His neck relaxed, and the pain in the knotted muscles eased.
Cory’s soft laughter warned him he’d interrupted a personal call. A few seconds later, he heard the receiver being replaced, and he looked sideways to gauge his friend’s mood.
A silly grin still lingered. Good, he’d get away with breaking and entering. Shit, Kai wished his temper wouldn’t overrule his common sense. He’d put it down to lack of sleep. Never used to happen. Not until he’d given up ‘normal’ to become a bounty hunter, exchanged regular courtesy for meanness, and traded basic politeness for his thirst for revenge.
He broke the silence. “Are Debbie and the baby home?” Cory made him wait while he straightened papers on his desk, sat back in his chair, and crossed his arms.
Not a good sign at all. He rubbed his neck and tried to look innocent of acting like a dick. It didn’t work, and he heard himself utter the apology he didn’t really mean. Or at least he didn’t think he meant it until the words left his lips, and he heard them echo back.
“Really, boss. I’m sorry. I presumed on our friendship. Can’t get used to you in the big-boy’s chair. I’m still thinking we’re equals.” That was all the sorry Cory was going to get. The wall of hardness began rebuilding.
“Your choice, Kai. You’ve been asked many times to take on a leadership role. It’s your own stubborn want to stay on the streets that’s kept your status at the sergeant level, not the systems.”
“I like working the streets. But I like working with a partner I can trust; or better yet, I’d really like to work alone.”
“Forget it. What’s she done this time?” Cory’s grin finally appeared.
“Took off! And after you told her No. In L.A., partners don’t just leave. We work together to solve cases. Co-operate with each other.”
The harsh laugh caught Kai unaware and made him flinch. “Christ,” Cory said, “look who’s talking. You’ve been angry about been saddled with her since the beginning. Now you’re mad because she’s leaving you out of the loop? By the way, she wouldn’t do that. What she finds out, she’ll share. You gotta trust her. Did you check with Hampton as to her whereabouts? She’d have left word with him—office rules. No one goes anywhere without letting the team know where, and with whom.”
Kai rubbed his face to hide the blush that warmed his cheeks. Dammit that woman drove him crazier than a shit-house rat. Made him look like some fool babysitter who’d lost track of his charge, instead of a professional.
“Kai, she’s a good girl. Here in the office, we all understand her ways. You’re the new guy. The woman is smart. I don’t mean intelligent, though she is, I mean people smart. She’s a natural profiler, can pick out a phoney in an instant, and a bullshitter even quicker. But she’s got a soft core that she covers with a mass of hard grit. You hurt her, and you’ll have the whole dam department biting at your ankles—”
Kai interrupted. “Hurt her? Why the hell would I hurt her? I’m trying to keep her from getting herself killed.” His voice rose with the same speed as Cory’s eyebrows.
“Hey! Stand down, and remember who you’re talking to. You came begging to me remember? Play by our rules and fit into our ways. This isn’t L.A., hotshot. This is my world.”
Kai plunked down in the nearby chair. “Yeah! Well it was you who said you didn’t want her left alone.” Voiced at a much lower octave, he held onto his snit.
“I always say that, and she always ignores it. Says she knows what she’s doing, and I have to agree. Look, she’s either checking out her snitch, a kid she’s taken under her wing like a mother hen, or she’s finally playing it smart and headed home. Ham, or one of the team will know for sure.”
Feeling slightly better, Kai got up to leave.
“And Kai, the answer to your earlier question is no. Debbie just called from the hospital to say she’s gotten a small infection in her… uh lower stomach area, an
d they want to keep her there at least until I can leave the office tonight. They’re starting a round of antibiotics, says it should be cleared up within a few hours.” Worry hid behind the words, and Kai stopped.
“Should you be concerned?”
“She’s says it’s no big deal, and common for lots of women. With the proper medication, it should be gone by tomorrow.”
His partial acceptance registered. Cory used to talk about being a husband and a father when they were rookies. He’d always said there’d only be one woman for him, and once he found her, he’d make sure that his priorities were healthy. Babies, a nice house, he’d have it all. After seeing him and Debbie together, Kai couldn’t imagine what he’d do if anything happened to her. Or to his new son.
***
“She didn’t tell you?” Kai began to freak.
Ham’s cranky look also appeared until he checked the pad near the front of his desk. Then his expression calmed. “It’s okay. Lassie’s gone to see her snitch.”
Kai glanced over and saw the message ‘Star Wars’ with a big swirling ‘A’ underneath the scrawled words.
“Star Wars?” It had to be some kind of code.
“Her kid named himself Luke. He’s a star war’s freak. Calls in sometime and always starts the call with ‘May the force be with you’. If you don’t give him the code, boyo hangs up.” The gray-haired cop in the short-sleeved white shirt and half undone tie leaned back in his office chair. He looked at home in his surroundings of bulging filing cabinets with excess files placed everywhere on the floor. His desk was covered in ledgers and his monitor sat on a few more.
Kai found himself drawn to this old-timer. Respect for the wisdom that shone from his customary twinkling eyes had him willing to give Detective John Hampton the time of day. “Are you going to tell me the code?”
“Can’t you guess?”
Re-thinking the words, Kai knew at once. “And with you.”
Ham nodded and added. “If you don’t play his game, he’ll hang up. The skinny little eejit, he’s a bold one, he is.”
