Locked in Temptation

by Brenda Jackson

  That was his thing about women detectives. He swore they got too emotional to do their jobs effectively. She moved around her desk, refusing to engage in conversation with him any longer. “Goodbye, Darrin. It was good seeing you again.”

  And then she left, leaving him standing there.

  * * *

  “THOSE FILES NEED to be destroyed, Kelly,” Anderson said through the phone. “I suggest you shred them, but not at your office. Use one of those off-site facilities. I’ve come up with a plan to protect you if the shit hits the fan.”

  Kelly drew in a deep breath. She knew why he would want those documents destroyed. Could she have been wrong about him? Could he care for her more than she realized?

  “There’s one of those shredding facilities not far from here,” she said.

  “Good. Make sure you do it today. Then return to your office and wait on my call for instructions on the next step.”

  Kelly lifted a brow. “The next step?”

  “Yes. It’s all part of my plan to protect you, sweetheart. I care deeply for you, and it was never my intent to get you this involved in the organization, Kelly.”

  She tried not to feel all gushy inside. “I appreciate that, Anderson.”

  “Now let me get back to my meeting. And remember to go back to your office. I should be calling around eight.”

  “That late?”

  “Yes. Remember that I’m in a different time zone here. Surely you can find something in your office to do while waiting on my call.”

  Yes, she could find something to do, but it was a Friday night, and she had certain television shows she liked being home to watch. But she knew what she had to do was important. Otherwise, she would be risking jail time. “Okay, I’ll wait on your call.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  JOY WALKED DOWN the long hall to Chief Harkins’s office. She wanted to laugh at the thought of how she’d left Darrin standing there slack-jawed. Did he really think she would go out with him? He had stood there as if he’d expected something. He was still so full of himself, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d assumed she would give him a goodbye kiss or something. The thought nearly made her skin crawl.

  But then there was another man who’d definitely gotten a goodbye kiss from her the last time she’d seen him. And she’d planted it on him pretty damn good.

  One date and the man had already gotten her to the point where she was always eager to get his calls at night or his text messages during the day. But although she thought of him often, even while at work, she still managed to keep her mind focused on her cases.

  She entered the small lobby where Margaret sat. It probably would have looked drab and boring with the white walls and all the metal filing cabinets if Margaret hadn’t spruced up the area with several potted plants, a huge throw rug and several art pieces on the wall.

  “Hi, Margaret.”

  “Hello, Detective Ingram. He’s on the phone, but you can go right on in since he’s expecting you. He’ll be ending his call in a minute.”

  “Thanks.” The chief’s office door was slightly ajar so she didn’t knock. Chief Harkins was leaning back in his chair while he talked on the phone. She couldn’t help wondering why he wanted to see her. Was Sunnie Clay making trouble? She thought that she and Sanchez had assured the woman they would do all they could to find the person responsible for her sister’s death, and she’d seemed satisfied with that. Had she decided to go back to her diva mode?

  “Have a seat, Detective.”

  She glanced over at Chief Harkins. She hadn’t been aware he’d ended the call. “Yes, sir,” she said, taking the seat across from his desk.

  “First of all, I want to commend you for the way you handled Sunnie Clay. She likes you.”

  Joy raised a brow. “What gave you that impression?”

  “She told me. I talked to her this morning. She called—believe it or not—to apologize for her behavior yesterday...before seeing her sister’s body. I think seeing her sister gave her a reality check. Reality TV is not actual reality. Probably seeing her dead sister was.”

  Joy had to agree with him. The woman seemed shaken during their interview with her yesterday. “If you need an update on how the investigation is going, I can go grab my file and—”

  “No, that’s not why I wanted to talk to you, Detective. The reason I called you into my office is to let you know that Mayor Greene has decided to bring back the lieutenant position here in the department.”

  Joy’s brow lifted in surprise. She knew the story—close to twenty-years ago, right before Chief Harkins was hired as chief of police, the last lieutenant had resigned under a scandal of corruption. The man had eventually gone to jail when it was proved that several cops and detectives, including the lieutenant, had not only framed one of their own when he’d been about to blow the whistle on them for a number of illegal activities, but had even gone so far as to kill the man’s wife, brother and sister-in-law. That man was Stonewall’s boss, Roland Summers. And Roland’s half brother and his wife had been Margo’s parents. After that scandal, the department had decided not to fill the vacancy of lieutenant.

  “Detective Ingram?”

  Joy blinked. “Yes? Sorry, sir. I was trying to wrap my mind around what you just said. I understand it’s been years since there has been a lieutenant here.”

  “That’s right, and I’m sure you’ve heard why.”

  “Yes, sir. It was sad.”

  “Yes, and a dark time for this department that men given the task to protect could murder so senselessly for greed. I was hired to clean house, so to speak. It’s been a long time since this department has had a lieutenant. Over the years, I thought it best to keep the position vacant, but now I agree with the mayor that it should be filled. I never thought anyone would be a good fit for the position...until now. I have the approval of Mayor Greene, and I am ready to move forward.”

  She knew the usual protocol. Each detective would be called in individually to be told who had been selected for a promotion so there wouldn’t be any surprises when the announcement was made. A sudden thought flared in her mind. Darrin said he was in town for a wedding. Was that true? Or had he been called back to town because Chief Harkins had chosen him for lieutenant? Although Darrin was already a lieutenant in Ohio, there was no doubt in her mind that the offer of a higher salary would lure him back. The thought had nerves dancing in her stomach, her skin crawling. Darrin was a male chauvinist pig.

  She took a deep breath against the panic she felt. “I assume I’m here so you can tell me who that person is, right?”

  He leaned forward in his chair. “Yes, that’s right. You, Detective Ingram, are the person I’ve selected. Congratulations.”

  * * *

  “BEAUTIFUL CREATIONS.”

  “Cathy, this is Oliver. How are things going at the office?”

  “Things are wonderful, Mr. Effington. The Martins were at the hospital for the delivery of Baby Jessica yesterday and were able to take her home with them today. I spoke with both the Turners and the Bristols today, and their babies are doing fine.”

  “That’s great!” Oliver Effington prided himself on the fact that his agency stayed in touch with the new parents for the first four months. Most of them returned as clients when decisions were made to increase the size of their families. “Well, I just wanted to check in before I—”

  “Oh, and the police were here.”

  Oliver tightened his hand on his mobile phone. “What did you say?”

  “I said the police was here. A Detective Ingram and Detective Sanchez, and they were asking questions.”

  Oliver swallowed deeply. “About what?”

  “About that young woman who froze to death almost five months ago.”

  Oliver dropped down on his bed, plac
ing his tennis racket aside. “What woman?”

  “Her photo was in the paper a few days ago. It seems she was on Epinnine when she died, so they’re checking out all the surrogacy agencies in the area. To see if anyone recognized her. They showed me her photo.”

  Nervous tension swept through Oliver. “And?”

  “And of course she’s not one of our regulars.”

  Hairs on the backs of his arms rose. “Why would they consider her a regular?”

  “Because it’s been determined she had one surrogate pregnancy and her body was being prepared for another. I told them I didn’t recognize her but didn’t know if you might. They left their business card for you. They want you to contact them when you return to town.”

  His heart began pounding. “That won’t be a problem. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Effington. And guess what else?”

  There was more? “What else, Cathy?”

  “The dead woman is Sunnie Clay’s sister.”

  “Who?”

  “Sunnie Clay. You know—the celebrity.”

  No, he didn’t know. “The dead woman’s sister is a celebrity?”

  “Yes. A very popular one on Real Housemates of San Diego. I noticed the resemblance right away and told those two detectives that. I bet they only decided to dig further after I told them. You would think they would give me credit or something.”

  “Yes, you would think. Look, Cathy, I need to go. I will talk to you later.”

  “Alright, Mr. Effington.”

  As soon as Oliver ended the call, he immediately placed another and nervously tapped his fingers on the nightstand until the person he needed to talk to came on the phone.

  “What the hell is going on, Anderson? Cops showed up at Beautiful Creations asking questions. Mandy Clay’s sister is some celebrity.”

  “Don’t lose your cool, Oliver. They won’t find out anything. I have everything under control. There is only one person who can connect us to Mandy Clay, and I’m taking care of her.”

  “Who?”

  “Dr. Langley.”

  “Damn, Anderson. I warned you about getting involved with that woman, and to keep things business only.”

  “Yes, but we needed more couples and she has a strong clientele. And like I said, I’m taking care of her.”

  “Make sure that you do. And what about the surrogate impostors?”

  In cases where the couples wanted to meet the surrogate before making their final decision, they had women on their payroll who played the part. They would charm the couple into thinking they just wanted to help them fulfill their dreams of having a child. If the couple wanted to meet with the surrogate again during the pregnancy to make sure everything was going okay, they would have the pretend surrogate wear a fake pregnancy belly. So far no one had figured out they were being scammed.

  “I’m not worried about them. They are being paid good money not to squeal.”

  “I hope so. The cops want to talk to me when I return to town.”

  “Let them. Just keep your cool and remember they have nothing on you.”

  Oliver hoped so, because panic was a new sensation for him. He’d always been a man in control.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  IT TOOK A lot of Joy’s willpower to keep her jaw from dropping while at the same time feeling all bubbly inside. She stared at Chief Harkins, knowing her eyes were probably wide like saucers. “Me?”

  “Yes, you, Detective Ingram. I don’t know of any other detective who deserves it more. You’ve done a great job for this department. From your first day, you rolled up your sleeves and dug in. I selected you to work with me on the Erickson case for a reason. I knew you would be a good fit for the team. You have a sharp mind, and I knew you would be an asset.”

  Joy sat there, not knowing what to say. But she knew the first words she had to say. “Thank you for your confidence in me, sir.”

  “It was confidence that was earned. The day I interviewed you for detective I was very impressed with the credentials you were bringing to the table, and none of them had anything to do with Tate Ingram being your father. Although I’m sure you were always being compared to him, being accused of getting ahead because of him or just being a chip off the old block. Whatever the reason, you made a point to excel, this department has benefited from it and will continue to do so with you as lieutenant.”

  “Thank you.” Joy never considered herself to be the emotional person Darrin accused her of being. But at that moment she was fighting back strong emotions of happiness. From the time she’d made the decision to follow in her father’s footsteps and go into law enforcement, she’d known being Tate Ingram’s daughter would be a handicap. She was proud of all her father’s accomplishments but knew others would hold them against her.

  She had refused to let that stop her from being a good detective. She’d known that meant she would have to work harder to prove she was her own person even while standing in her father’s shadow.

  “There’s another thing I need to be up front about. There will be some who question my decision, some who will assert that you got the promotion because of your father. Others who will resent you getting it because you’re a woman, regardless of your qualifications. There is nothing I can do to change their thought processes. I will advise you not to let their erroneous assumptions bother you. Just continue to do the excellent work you’ve been doing and you’ll do fine.”

  Joy didn’t say anything. She knew he was right on point. She’d left the biggest offender standing at her desk just minutes ago. Although Darrin no longer worked here in the department, he had friends who did. He still had ties and once he heard about it, he would let his opinions be known. There were others who felt the same way he did. Some of them were still pissed that she’d been chosen instead of them for the special task force working with the Feds on the Murphy Erickson case. It had been a high-profile case and it had placed her front and center while representing the department.

  “I understand, sir.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure you do. Just like I’m sure you know it will be up to you to show them how wrong they are. Note I said ‘show them’ and not ‘prove to them.’ There’s a difference. You don’t have to prove a damn thing to them since they need to earn their paycheck just like you do. Showing them means being a role model, letting them see that the right way to do things pays off. Actions and not lip service get the job done.”

  Chief Harkins paused for a moment, then said, “And another thing, Detective Ingram.”

  “Yes?”

  “Get a life. You hang around here too much and you don’t have to do that. Personally, I don’t want the people you will supervise to assume they need to do that, either. You have a smart brain. It doesn’t take you hanging around here 24/7 for it to work. Besides, it needs downtime every once in a while. I expect you to find it. A good cop is a well-rested cop, not an overworked one.”

  He picked up a paper clip off his desk and then tossed it back down. “And how is Stonewall Courson doing?”

  Joy had been looking down at her hands but jerked her head up. “Stonewall Courson?”

  “Yes. I assume the two of you got something going on.”

  She swallowed. “What would make you think that, and how do you know Stonewall?”

  “I know Mr. Courson because he works for Roland.”

  Joy swallowed. “You know Roland? Personally?”

  He nodded his head. “I know him well enough and over the years have developed a good relationship with him. After I was hired I went to meet him, introduce myself to him and apologize for what the department I’d been hired to lead had done to him. Not only had he been framed but he’d lost a wife who he’d loved very much. And then most recently, it was discovered those same cops were the ones
responsible for the fire death of his brother and sister-in-law.”

  She nodded. “But why would you think something is going on between me and Stonewall Courson?”

  “First of all, I saw your reaction that night when he ran into that burning cabin to save his friend Striker Jennings. Fear had gripped all of us, but yours had been different. You tried to hide it, and I’m certain no one else noticed it. I probably would have missed it had I not happened to look over at you to say something at that moment.”

  Joy didn’t respond. She would inwardly admit to still having nightmares of that night. Of arriving at the cabin and finding the assassin that Erickson had hired on the ground dead and watching in horror as both Stonewall and Quasar raced inside a burning cabin to save Striker and Margo. She figured there was no way the four of them would survive. But they had. She hadn’t released her breath until all four of them had run out.

  She swallowed hard. Why had Chief Harkins brought up Stonewall? Did he suspect she had shared information with him during the Erickson case that she should not have? She would admit she and Stonewall had talked a lot. She had felt comfortable with him. A special connection to him. He had been someone she could talk to and confide in. And because of it she told him stuff on what she thought of as a need-to-know basis. But never had there been a conflict of interest. At least, in her mind there hadn’t been. It wasn’t like he was a member of the media and she’d divulged departmental classified information. But did the chief see things differently?

  “Sir, during the Erickson investigation I didn’t share anything with Stonewall Courson that I feel I should not have.”

  The chief waved off her words. “That’s not why I brought him up. And as for you telling him anything, I’m sure you used common sense and discretion. As a fellow cop, Joy, I know there are times you need to talk to others not in our profession, just to get things off your chest or to make sure you’re in your right mind. A confidant, so to speak. My wife is that person for me. I won’t hold it against you if, at the time, Mr. Courson was that person for you.”