Building Empires (MidKnight Blue Book 1)

by Sherryl Hancock

  “Nah, I mean they called you right?”

  “Yes but maybe it was a mistake,” Randissi said.

  “No, Randissi,” Midnight said as she stood up and looked down at the girl, “I don’t make mistakes.” Randissi looked up at her, her eyes wide.

  “But how did you know my …”

  Midnight extended her hand to the younger girl. “I’m Lieutenant Midnight Chevalier,” she said, smiling at the girl. She thought the kid was going to faint. “Hey!” she said, touching her shoulder. “Relax, you did just fine.”

  Randissi stared at her in shock. “You mean that was the interview?”

  “As far as I’m concerned, yes, and since it’s my unit what I think goes.” She smiled again at the girl, and sat back down next to her, planting her feet firmly on the floor in front of her, staring straight ahead.

  “So when can you start?” she asked casually. Randissi had to think about what she had just said.

  “You mean I have the job?” Randissi asked incredulously.

  “That’s what I mean,” Midnight said, grinning.

  “Wow,” Randissi said, her teal colored eyes wide.

  Midnight laughed at her expression. “My second’s going to have a field day with you.”

  “Your second?” Randissi asked, confused now.

  “Oh that guy Sinclair. Sergeant Sinclair to be exact, he really is bad sometimes, but he’s also a hell of a guy, even if he comes across as an asshole sometimes. Oops there’s some of that cussing I said we do around here.”

  “It’s okay,” Randissi said, her smile a little wider. “I hear that around the house a lot too, with two brothers.”

  Midnight laughed again. “So, Randissi, can you start tomorrow?”

  “Sure,” she answered, still so surprised by the way Midnight had interviewed her. “Oh, and you can call me Randy … if you like. No one really uses my full name.”

  She was pleased by how the interview went, though she suspected that Midnight didn’t interview everyone like that; probably just girls that looked so shy that they might throw up right there at the interview.

  ****

  Fifteen miles away in south San Diego, Rick and Joe sat on a stake out; they were watching for a suspect named Robert Bondy to come home. They were going to bust him if they got the chance. A police entry team waited not too far away, but there had been no sign of Bondy or his associates. Joe looked over at Rick; he looked as tired as Midnight had that morning. Rick glanced at Joe and saw his friend watching him.

  “What?” Rick said, seeing a strange look in Joe’s eyes.

  “I heard you and Midnight got together,” Joe said evenly.

  Rick looked immediately chagrined, but when he spoke his voice was calm. “You did huh? You have a problem with it?” he asked, watching Joe carefully.

  Joe didn’t say anything for a minute, debating about how he wanted to answer that question. “I’m not really sure yet. But I’ve got no say in this; you and Midnight are both adults.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you don’t care for her, and if I’m stepping in where I don’t belong, man …” Rick’s voice trailed off as he looked over at Joe, concern written on his face.

  Their friendship meant a lot to Rick and he didn’t want anything to come between them.

  “No, man, it’s okay,” Joe said. “I guess it’s just a little weird, you know, having you here, and now having you and Midnight together.”

  “Well I don’t know that I’d classify us as together. We spent the night together, but something tells me that doesn’t make it a relationship with her.” Rick smiled knowingly.

  Joe chuckled, nodding his head at his friend. “Yeah, I do think I should warn you, she doesn’t get serious about many people, and almost never anyone she sleeps with.” Joe’s look was rueful.

  “Except you,” Rick said, finishing Joe’s sentence.

  “Well, yeah, but we’re friends. She’s my backup, no matter what. Probably seems kind of crazy.”

  “Not crazy,” Rick said, “probably the perfect relationship.”

  Joe laughed ruefully.

  “Not quite,” Joe said seriously. “I want you to be careful with her, okay? Both for her sake and yours.”

  Rick stared at his friend for a long moment, a half grin on his face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I mean,” Joe said, looking very serious, “be careful. Midnight isn’t anything like the girls you’ve been with before. She’s probably nothing like anyone you’ve ever met. She’ll rip your heart out, man, and you’ll let her. While it’s happening you’ll think you’re enjoying it, and she won’t even know she’s doing it.”

  “What do you mean, she won’t know she’s doing it?” Rick asked, taken back.

  Midnight didn’t seem that cruel. What was Joe talking about?

  “Rick, that girl is trouble for just about every man that gets near her, especially if he gets his heart involved. She has no idea how beautiful she is; she has no idea that with just a look she can drop a man to his knees. She hates to get involved with men. She says that we’re all self-centered, self-serving assholes. I’m an exception for her, but she won’t even totally commit to me, and don’t think I haven’t wanted her to a couple of times. But she won’t. That’s what I’m trying to tell you, man, just be careful. I don’t want you hurt, or her.”

  Rick was surprised by what Joe was telling him, but he knew that some of it was true. Midnight definitely had no idea of the effect she had on men, that was obvious. But he also felt that Joe was worried for nothing, because his heart wasn’t involved here. At least he didn’t think so.

  ****

  Daniel stared down at the man who lay bleeding on the floor in front of him. The people around them stared in shock. Daniel raised his head, looking at each of them.

  “That,” he growled, jabbing a finger toward the man on the floor, “is what happens if you cross me. You got that?”

  Everyone around Robbins nodded vehemently.

  “Get the body out of here,” Robbins said to no one in particular, “and clean up the floor.” With that, Daniel walked out of the room.

  Tim Bollings rushed to clean the floor after the body was removed. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing there. His brother, David, had gotten them into the gang, telling him they could score some big cash. Tim wasn’t so sure. What he did know was that he’d just watched Robbins knife a guy for no apparent reason. He’d practically gutted him. This was getting too dangerous.

  Chapter 4

  The day after she’d gotten the job with FORS, Randy’s older brother dropped her off at the office. They didn’t have enough money for two cars in the family, but Randy was hoping that this job would allow her to get one for herself. Neither spoke much on the drive to the station. Darrell was still angry with her for taking this job; he didn’t like the idea of her working with cops.

  Darrell had blond hair like his little sisters, but his was cropped short in a flattop style. His eyes were brown, and he was twice the size of his sister. He worked in construction, so his bulk was completely muscle. His arms and face were very tanned and weathered from the years spent in the sun. His hands were rough, and sometimes his manner was too, but he loved his sister and their little brother, Donovan, dearly. It had been just them for about six years, and Darrell had borne the burden of raising his sister and brother during those years. He had watched as his sister had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, but he had always been very protective of her. Many of his friends had been noticing her over the last couple of years and had been talking about her amongst themselves. Darrell had gotten into a fight with one of the guys for saying the wrong thing within earshot of him.

  Now he sat admiring his grown-up little sister in her work attire. She looked very nice in her long straight black skirt, black flat shoes, and teal colored sweater. The sweater’s color made her eyes even more noticeable. Then again, Darrell thought to himself, maybe she looked too nice. He knew what c
ops were like and he didn’t want his sister exposed to that type, but she hadn’t asked him about applying for this job, nor had she listened to him when he told her she couldn’t take it. At twenty, she was developing a will of her own and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

  “Okay, so, you call me at lunchtime if you don’t like it and want to leave,” Darrell said hopefully.

  Randy looked at her brother for a moment, then she smiled at him. She was glad that he wasn’t going to yell at her anymore this morning.

  “Okay,” she told him. But she knew she was going to like working for someone like Midnight Chevalier, who had been nice enough to do what she had done to keep her from having to go into the interview.

  She wasn’t so sure about this man Sinclair, though. From what Midnight had indicated, he seemed pretty hard to deal with, but what Randy had told Midnight had been true, Darrell was pretty hard to deal with too. Randy kissed Darrell on the cheek and then got out of the car. She stood on the curb and watched as the beat up 1969 Camaro drove away. Taking a deep breath, she turned and went into the building. She went up in the elevator and walked out into what she would find out was the usual chaos in the office. She made her way to Midnight’s office, seeing the lettering for Lieutenant Chevalier on her door. Midnight was at her desk, wearing sapphire-blue shirt, and her hair was loose and shaggy as usual. She looked up at Randy and smiled.

  “You made it,” Midnight said, gesturing to the chaos in the office. “Close the door.”

  Randy turned to Midnight, and her eyes went to the walls behind the blond leader of FORS. The walls were littered with awards and certificates.

  “Go ahead,” Midnight said, leaning back in her chair, glancing up at the wall, “take a look. Some of it is actually interesting reading.”

  Randy stepped around the chair in front of the desk and got closer to the wall. There were certificates from the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, or POST as they read. There were POST basic, management, and supervisory certificates and a certificate from the Supervisory Leadership Institute from POST. Looking further Randy saw an award for Officer of the Year from San Diego PD. In fact, there were two different ones there. She’d won it a couple of times. There was a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, San Diego and a degree in criminal law from Western Law University. There were awards from the California Peace Officers Association and from the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation, and from the Women’s Peace Officers Association for most outstanding achievement for female law enforcement officer.

  There were many other plaques and certificates, but Randy decided to save those for another day. She didn’t want to seem like she wasn’t ready to get to work. She was however, now more impressed with her new boss. This woman had achieved a lot. Randy had never had a good female role model, not even when her mother was around. She turned back to Midnight, who was watching her. Randy’s eyes were full of respect and awe. Midnight glanced at the wall, and then back at Randy and shrugged, like none of that meant anything to her. The boss certainly doesn’t seem to have a big ego, Randy thought.

  “Things are going to be a little on the hectic side today,” Midnight said, glancing outside her office again. “We had a bust go south last night, and everyone’s scrambling to try to catch up now. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to kind of pick some stuff up as you go today, but you seem pretty quick so I’m not worried. I do, however, need you to fill some paperwork out. I want you to read everything carefully first, to make sure you understand it. If you don’t understand anything, ask me, I can explain it, okay?” She looked at Randy, whose eyes had grown wider at the extent of the paperwork she had to fill out. Midnight smiled at her. “Relax it’s not as bad as it looks. Go ahead and have a seat over there.” She pointed to a chair in the corner next to a small table. “And yell if you need anything, okay?”

  “Okay,” Randy said quietly.

  Midnight decided that the younger woman was just overwhelmed with all that was happening. She was still very glad that she’d hired her.

  Joe Sinclair walked off the elevators and headed directly for Midnight’s office; he was in a foul mood. Not only had he lost a collar the night before, but Robert Bondy had also cut him across his left cheek in the bargain. As if that weren’t insult enough, that morning on his way down Interstate 5, he had been stopped by a San Diego PD patrol car for speeding. “Christ,” he had muttered to himself. Obviously, this guy was new on this particular stretch of highway, because all the other guys recognized his car and his “SINCLAIR” license plate. Midnight had given it to him the year before for Christmas. “For the man who has everything,” she had said.

  When the officer had approached the car, he leaned down imperiously, looking in at Joe. “You rich people seem to think that because you have more money that it means you own the whole damn road,” the officer said to him, his tone condescending. “Well let me tell you something, this badge doesn’t see colors, black, white, or green, you get the picture? Let me see your license and registration,”

  Joe had looked up at the guy for a minute, wanting to tell him to get fucked, but instead he had pulled out his police identification with the sergeant’s badge displayed prominently on the other half of the ID wallet. The officer had gulped noticeably. “Sorry, sir, I didn’t realize,” he had said, his eyes widening a little as he recognized that he had probably just made a fatal career mistake.

  “I certainly hope you don’t talk to all citizens that way Officer Johnson,” Joe had said, reading the officer’s name tag.

  “No, sir, I just … well … I,” the officer stammered.

  “Let your mouth run off with you, is what you did. Don’t let it happen again.” Joe’s voice was cold and authoritative.

  Joe had driven off then, leaving the officer standing in his dust, wondering if Sergeant Sinclair would report him to his Field Training Officer or not. For the final topper of the morning, Joe had driven into the PD lot and found that someone was parked in his designated parking space. Cussing and jamming the Porsche into reverse he had gone around to park in the lot across the street. His day was not off to an auspicious beginning.

  So when he walked into Midnight’s office he wasn’t paying attention to anything, least of all a little blond female sitting quietly in the very corner of Midnight’s office. Randy looked up as Joe sat down and she watched them quietly from the corner. Midnight gasped when she saw his face. She stood but he waved her off. He sat down in the chair in front of her desk, extending his long legs out in front of him casually.

  “Jesus, Joe,” Midnight breathed, referring to nasty cut on his cheek.

  Joe rolled his eyes. “Night, don’t start on me this morning,” he warned.

  “Yeah, I heard you got stopped by La Jolla patrol this morning,” Midnight said, laughing. “That Officer Johnson’s about shitting his pants. He mouth off to you or what?”

  “Yeah, gave me the ‘you rich people’ crap, I haven’t decided if I’m going to talk to his FTO or not yet,” Joe said.

  “Okay, so what the hell happened last night?” Midnight asked curiously. There was no accusation in the question.

  Joe was one of the best cops she’d ever worked with; he almost always got his man.

  Joe shook his head ruefully. “To tell the truth, I don’t know. He must’ve palmed his knife, ’cause when we hit the doors to the place, he put his hands on the bar immediately. I searched him. I looked away for two seconds and that’s when he got me.” Joe fingered the cut on his left cheek, his eyes narrowing as he thought of it. “Then before I could grab him he was out a back door.”

  “Where the hell was your backup?” Midnight said, raising her voice, but when Randy looked up in surprise, she saw that Midnight was smiling at Joe, and he was laughing. Obviously, this was some private joke between them.

  Randy hadn’t gotten a good look at Joe Sinclair. She hadn’t looked up at him until he was seated in the chair with his
back to her. She was surprised at his long hair; she expected that since he was a police officer, he’d have short hair. She was even more surprised at how casually he sat in front of Midnight, with a dirty boot resting on the end of Midnight’s desk.

  “Shut the hell up, Night!” Joe said

  Randy wondered if Midnight would get mad, but she saw by the look on Midnight’s face that she didn’t pay any attention to his comment.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, you don’t need backup, super-cop right?” she was saying, a smile still on her face, obviously enjoying the banter that they were engaging in.

  “Yeah,” Joe said sarcastically, with a wide smile, “that’s me.” Again, his hand touched the cut on his cheek.

  “Hey!” Midnight said, her look more concerned now. “Even the best miss one every now and then, you’ll catch up to him.” She didn’t like her partner beating himself up.

  “Oh!” Midnight said then, just realizing that Randy was still sitting in the room; she was so damned quiet she was easy to forget.

  Joe turned his head to look in the direction Midnight was looking and he saw the young blond woman sitting in the corner then. Had she been there the whole time? She looked shy, because when she looked up, she didn’t look him in the eye, she looked like a scared doe. She was very pretty; she had part of her blond hair pulled back from her face in a braid. Her face was very delicate, with just a touch of makeup. Her eyes were a fantastic turquoise color.

  Joe dropped his foot from the desk and turned his body around leaning both elbows on either knee. Randy was looking at both of them, unsure of what to say. She immediately felt intimidated by this man; he had such a strong presence, and the look he was giving her had her tongue tied instantly.

  “Joe,” Midnight said, “this is Randy. She’s going to be our secretary.”

  Joe continued to look at Randy who had now plucked up the courage to look him in the eye, though she still hadn’t said a word. Joe nodded his head, then glancing at Midnight he said, “When did this happen?”