“Interesting, but nothing concrete.”
“But enough to make me think we’re moving in the right direction.”
Judson opened the white letter sized envelope that had been tucked inside the larger brown one Glen DeVito had given her yesterday. He removed several sheets of paper. “Take a look at these. What do you make of them?”
Sunny plucked the sheets from his fingers and scanned through them in quick succession then handed him the note left on her front seat with the picture.
Her jaw tightened as she recognized the simplistic lettering of each short sentence written on the papers. Although she was no handwriting expert, it was obvious that all the printing matched. Upper case straight lined letters were used to print each word, no curves or slants and the backside of the paper indented outward from the pressure of the writer’s black marker. It looked like something a child had written.
“The writing looks the same, but the newer notes were written with a shaky hand. Did Glen mention anything to you about including any letters with the envelope?”
“Not one word. Maybe he didn’t even know they were there.” Sunny glanced at the clock resting on the shelf across the room. “I’m going to call him and see if he can shed some light on this.”
Judson grabbed his cell phone from the table and Sunny shook her head. “I don’t get reception in the back of the house. I’m going to use the land line.”
Sunny took the letters Judson offered. “You coming?” She stopped to glance at him over her shoulder.
“No, go ahead. I want to check a few things on line.”
She returned several minutes later to find Judson surfing the internet on her laptop, copying and pasting information from archived newspapers regarding Karina’s murder. He turned in his chair when she entered the room questioning her with the raise of his brow.
“Glen said he’d forgotten all about those letters, he didn’t even remember keeping them.” Sunny pulled out the chair next to Judson and sat. “I told him about the two I received and he stated none of his had been mailed either. They were either left in his mailbox or on the front seat of his car, just like the ones left for me. He said he never received any pictures though.” Sunny leafed through the notes sent to Mr. DeVito. “There’s only six here, but Mr. DeVito believes he was sent at least double that amount, but he’s not sure what happened to the others.”
“Did he turn them into the detective working the case?”
“By the time he started receiving the notes the case had already been closed, nobody would listen. He thought Benny sent the letters to throw him off. At first I agreed, but now I think it was someone else. Benny’s more confrontational, he’d see no need to sneak around and send anonymous letters.”
“I don’t like the fact someone involved in this knows you’re working the case and where you live.” Judson took the papers from Sunny, folded them, and tucked them back inside the envelope.
“Someone wants us to solve this.”
“Or they’re giving just enough clues now to trap you later on.”
Sunny shook her head. “Somebody knows something and wants to help without getting too involved. Or maybe they think they won’t be believed.”
“You can’t be sure.” The vein in Judson’s neck pulsed.
“Yesterday I doubted my instincts, but not anymore. Plus, I still believe in woman’s intuition. And right now mine’s telling me this is legit.”
Judson threw the envelope on the table. “I don’t like this. Not one bit.”
“Look at the notes. The older letters and the newer ones all say the same thing, just in different ways. Then I get one that narrows it down further and tells me to look at his closest friend. Who does that point at?” Sunny picked up the envelope Judson had just tossed on the table and tapped it against her palm. “His closest friend is Slater. One of us can talk to him, and maybe he’ll reveal something.”
“I admit Slater is someone to look at, but this just seems too easy. Something doesn’t feel right.”
Sunny stood, tapping the envelope against her thigh as she strolled toward the dry erase board. “It could be that someone is trying to tell us not only does Slater know more about this, but maybe he killed Karina.” She spun around to face Judson, frowning as he shook his head before she even finished her theory. “Benny was in love with Karina, they were spending more and more time together. That had to drive Slater crazy, Benny is his only true friend. He even acts like a scorned lover when Benny is too busy at the bar to pay him much attention. Imagine what a threat Karina would be to their friendship, at least in Slater’s mind.” She stepped in Judson’s direction, tossing the envelope on the table. “Slater got jealous. Him and Karina had a heated exchange and things got out of control and he strangled his competition to get rid of her.”
Judson stood then placed his hands on her shoulders. “Sounds like an episode of Law and Order. Here’s another possibility. Benny grew tired of Karina, they fought while he tried to break it off with her, things got heated, out of control, and he strangled her.”
“No way. Benny loved Karina. He still loves her.”
“This isn’t based off some book. This is real life.” Judson shook his head. “You can’t romanticize everything, and you can’t possibly know he still loves her.”
“I do. We’ve talked and even after all these years he misses her. Her picture is framed in his office and he visits her grave to bring her flowers.”
“Hmm. Bet I can guess why.” His voice was filled with skepticism.
Sunny glared at him, chin raised. “I went through his filing cabinet and found a folder filled with love letters and pictures. There is no way a man would keep all of that sentimental stuff after all of these years if he didn’t love her.” She shrugged his hand from her shoulders.
“Or maybe he kept everything out of guilt.”
“I’ll ignore that.” Sunny grinned. “We need to find more information on Slater, talk to him, his friends, family.”
“I agree.”
“Even you have to admit Slater is the perfect suspect. He not only looks guilty, he gives me the creeps.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s guilty, it just means he’s creepy,” Judson said. “Weren’t you just the one accusing me of convicting someone before they were proven guilty?”
Sunny grabbed a notebook from the shelf to scribble down information she wanted to verify. “The next time I work I have some questions for Slater. I also want to see if I can get Benny to talk some more about Karina. I need to finish going through the file cabinet in his office, and I want to try and go through his desk.” She glanced at Judson, pressing her lips together before she continued her list. “He also has a locked drawer in his desk. I either need to pick the lock—”
“Well, before you do all of that I’m going to head home and clean up.” Judson ran his fingers across the stubble on his chin and chuckled. “Then I’ll make my way to the precinct and search the database for info on Slater. I want to go over his history, arrests, family, friends, past charges, all of it. If I can find someone that he wronged, they might be willing to dish some dirt.”
“Can you drop me off at my car on your way?”
“Not a problem.”
“I’m going to check in with my dad, tell him where we’re at in the investigation and see if he has any suggestions.”
“Let’s meet back here later to compare notes. Four good for you?”
Sunny nodded as she walked toward the office door. “I still haven’t forgotten about last night. So be ready for a chat.”
“Oh, I’m ready for it. Are you?”
Chapter Seven
Judson pulled in front of Sunny’s as she approached her front door. The soft swing of her hips hypnotized him. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand. This morning she’d been cute dressed in all of her mismatched clothes, but now she looked downright sexy.
Her faded jeans hugged her rounded rear like a second skin, and her long hair fl
owed down her back. The heavy curls swished from side to side with her every step. Sunny’s black heeled boots gave her height and her legs appeared to go on forever. He closed his eyes and pictured them wrapped around his waist.
This is my boss’s daughter.
He jerked forward in his seat and opened his eyes. After unlatching the door, he jumped from the vehicle as if it were on fire.
A loud muffler from a passing car caught Sunny’s attention. Judson paused, waiting for another car speeding by. Their gazes connected and she waited. The darkened clouds overhead spewed tiny droplets of water. He sprinted across the road before the sky released the downpour it promised.
“Well, did you find out anything useful?” she asked.
“A few things, let’s discuss them inside before the rain hits.”
He moved his hand to the small of her back as they stepped onto the porch. Mistake. The heat from her body singed his palm. He snatched it away. Sunny turned to look at him. Her eyebrows drew together as she glanced from his face to the hand he rubbed down the side of his jeans.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just thinking about the case,” he lied.
They entered her apartment and headed straight to her office. Judson flicked on the light when they walked through the door. Papers littered every available surface.
“What happened?” He walked toward a pile teetering on the edge of the file cabinet and pushed them into the center.
Sunny smiled. “Don’t worry, I know where everything is. After I talked with my dad, I came back here to sort through some papers, but I ended up doing more reading than organizing. So I went to the range to get my thoughts in order. Target practice is my stress reliever.”
“I heard you were a good shot.”
She grinned. “Better than most men.”
Sunny walked to the fax machine and lifted the papers Judson faxed from the precinct, skimming the contents. “I already have a lot of Slater’s demographics sorted into one of these piles.” She turned until she spotted the thin stack of papers and picked them up. “But it looks like you dug a little deeper.” She slid her thumb down the sides of the stack and they fluttered in her hand.
“That’s one of the perks of working with someone on the inside. I have access to all databases.” Judson moved several sheets of paper from the futon to sit. “I’ve read so much about Slater today that I could impersonate him on This is Your Life.”
Sunny rolled her eyes. “That show was before both of our times, but I’ve seen it.”
Judson chuckled. “I bet you have. Your dad is a huge fan and told me he has all the episodes on DVD. He’s constantly trying to push them on me.”
“Same here, I caved and watched one season to get him off my back.” Sunny’s cheeks turned a rosy hue from her soft chuckle, and he wished he could hear her laughter all night. “Anyway most of what I found out about Slater is current. Tell me what you learned.”
“He’s had a hard life. From past files, I found some great background information from one of his first arrests, even an interview with his mom. His dad took off when his mom was pregnant. She raised him alone working two, sometimes three jobs at a time.”
“And of course we both know his arrest record.” Sunny grimaced shaking her head. “It reads like the county jail is his home away from home.”
“Everything he was convicted of is minor stuff though. The hard core charges never held.”
Sunny slipped her glasses on and walked toward him. She scanned the papers in her hand. “I had no idea he was married. Vivian Carmichael, her parents owned the neighborhood grocery store where Slater and Benny grew up.”
Judson leaned forward on the futon, elbows on his knees, fingers locked together. “What’s more interesting is that Vivian dated Benny before he met Karina.”
Sunny’s eyes widened. “Where’d you get that from?” She hugged the sheets of paper to her chest.
“Several of his arrest records had interviews with his mom, friends, and neighbors. I’ve read some interesting facts about the young Slater.”
“So on the rebound Vivian hooked up with Slater.”
“And they were married within weeks of Karina’s murder.”
Sunny clucked her tongue. “Slater never mentions a wife, and she’s never with him.” Since the futon was covered with various piles of paper, she rested her hand on his knee for balance and slid to the floor beside him.
Judson tried to breathe steady and ignore the pressure of her palm. The heat of her touch was sure to leave an imprint on his skin. She lifted her hand to adjust her glasses. He shifted away from her.
“Slater’s mother is still alive and lives in the same building as they do, which is the one he grew up in. I couldn’t find anything showing Slater and Vivian had kids, or any other family. It says here Vivian’s father died in a car accident when she was a teenager. She was in the car with him. Her mom passed away three years ago.” Sunny skimmed through the papers in her stack sharing the pertinent details even though Judson knew the contents. He didn’t mind, it gave him the chance to watch her. Sunny’s pert nose tilted at the tip. There wasn’t even a hint of a freckle on her clear complexion. She glanced up at him, smiling. His breath caught in his throat at the contrast of her dark lashes framing her light colored eyes. Beautiful.
“I think we should pay a visit to Slater’s mom. You know how moms love to talk about their kids.” She tapped her chin with the tip of her finger, the well bitten fingernail reminded him of the night he’d met her. “We’ll have to come up with a plan to keep our cover.”
His impression of her had completely changed since that first night. Thinking she used her looks to get ahead in her investigations, that all of her information was handed to her on a platter by her brothers. She’d proven him wrong. Although she was still a little green and had things to learn, she worked hard. Not that he had changed his mind about women working as detectives or investigators, but she’d make a wonderful research assistant. If only she’d stay behind the scenes.
Her finger stopped and she clapped her hands together. “I know just the way to introduce myself to Slater’s mom. All moms love flowers.”
Her lips puckered when a tiny wisp of hair twirled around her mouth. He wanted to tuck it behind her ear. His body tensed and he sucked in a breath. Mistake number two. She smelled like exotic fruit, with a hint of vanilla.
He cleared his throat.
She glanced at him.
“You sure you’re okay?” Her glasses slid down to the tip of her nose. She regarded him from over the edge. “You seem distracted.”
“I haven’t eaten all day, I’m just hungry.” He fibbed again. She’d proven a distraction and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
“I’ll order a pizza. There’s a great place close by that delivers and we can put the finishing touches on our plan while we eat.” Her eyes shined, her lips slightly parted.
When her tongue snaked out to wet her lips, he groaned inwardly. He had to get away from her. Her hand floated to the stray hair by her mouth and she tucked it behind her ear, her movements graceful and mesmerizing.
He stood as she did and they bumped into each other. He knocked her off balance with the force of his weight. Sunny’s boots slipped on the wooden floor, and he tried to catch her by the arm to steady her, but ended up knocking her glasses off her nose. They flew across the small room hitting the file cabinet.
At the same time Judson stepped on a stray piece of paper on the floor, his boot slid, and he lost his own balance. Sunny grabbed for him. He caught her around the waist. His body hit the floor with a solid thump. A jolt of pain shot up his spine but he held it in.
His arms were wrapped around Sunny in a firm hold. She landed sideways across his legs. Her head bounced off his chin and hit his shoulder. She grimaced and reached to rub her head. He moved one of his hands to do the same. Their fingers touched and entwined.
Ragged breathing was the only sound in the room. Judson lo
osened his grip and she lifted her chin to look into his face, her body molding into his. The rapid rise and fall of her chest lured his gaze and he gulped in a breath of air. Mistake number three. His senses were already assaulted by not only her intoxicating smell, but her pliant body pressed up against him. He unclasped his hand from hers and cupped her chin inside his palm instead.
“You okay?”
When she licked her lips the tip of her tongue brushed the end of his thumb. Heat filled his limbs to replace the numbing pain in his back. Everything else was pushed to the back of his mind as he focused on Sunny. He wanted to kiss her, taste her.
The deliberate survey of his thumb glided over the pink velvet of her lips. Her dilated pupils hid the blue of her eyes and she lowered her lashes. His hand caught her warm breath when she sighed. The light from the single window shone on her curly blond tresses and her oval face glowed. Like an angel. The inviting curve of her parted mouth softened its fullness and begged for his kisses. He leaned toward her. His breath fanned her face and her eyelids danced like butterfly wings.
****
Sunny knew what was happening and she didn’t want to stop it. Her heart beat quickened. Her body trembled. From her lowered lashes she watched Judson move closer. The earth stopped spinning when she drew in a short breath.
A tickle of soft fur swept past her nose. Her eyes flew open. Papers launched off the futon and floated into the air. The pile from the filing cabinet fell with a bang to the floor. The stillness of the room amplified the noise like a broadcast from a loud speaker. Sunny sprang back, her heart in her throat. Chocolate hissed and jumped at Judson.
“Damn!” Judson pulled his hand away from Sunny’s chin to ward off the attack of the flying fur ball, but he was too late. Her cat already dragged his claws over the top of Judson’s hand and forearm with a surgeon’s precision.
“Chocolate!” Sunny screeched and dove for her pet. Her hand barely touched the tip of his tail before he was gone. His four paws skidded across the floor as he raced from the room sideways.
Some Like It in Handcuffs Page 9
