“He can’t very well say much to you,” his eyebrows rose, “now can he?”
“Yeah, but things are different now that he’s the boss.”
“So does this mean, romance is on your mind, after all?”
She poked him in the side. The second cabbie pulled up to where they stood. Zach opened the car door for her.
“My, my,” She said, her eyebrows rose in surprise, “and he’s a gentleman too.”
“Why? Don’t you deserve to be treated like a lady?”
“I absolutely do, and thank you for recognizing that.”
He made his way around to his side of the vehicle, slid across the seat next to her and gave the driver the address.
“So,” she teased, “does this mean you’ll start being gallant during work hours too?”
“Hey, when we’re working, you’re one of the guys. Isn’t that how you want me to treat you?” He glanced her way.
“That’s exactly what I want.” She leaned over and squeezed his arm. “Thank you, Gerard. It’s nice to be treated like a lady.”
Zach patted her hand and changed the subject. He wanted her to know his gestures were genuine and not some lame excuse to get her into the sack. Although . . . he wouldn’t have minded that either.
When the taxi pulled away from the curb, deep in the darkness, a figure lurked in the far corner of the building and watched.
“We’ll just see about that, bitch. By the time I’m done with you, you won’t need to worry about the boss making any demands on you.”
The cab stopped in front of Wolfgang Puck’s Steakhouse. Exiting the vehicle, Jessie ran her hands down the front of her slacks to smooth any newly acquired wrinkles when she looked up and noticed Zach giving her an approving glance. He smiled when he realized she’d caught him and her heart skipped a beat. God, he was gorgeous. Jessie couldn’t recall the last time anyone had complimented her. The truth was, she’d forgotten how good it felt yet she reminded herself not to read too much into it. He was a player. Even so, she couldn’t help but let the internal giddiness linger a little longer.
She watched him from the corner of her eye. The lights from passing cars illuminated his handsome face like a neon light. Falling for him would be so easy, but so wrong. Once a playboy, always a playboy came to mind. And then there was that thing about getting involved with her partner.
“What?” tripped off the tip of his tongue. “You’re staring at me.”
The heat of a blush colored her cheeks and caused her stomach to do a flip-flop. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was staring.”
“But, you had a smile on your face.” He gave her a playful jab with his elbow. “You were thinking about us, weren’t you?”
“I hate to disappoint you,” she lied, “there was no ‘us’ on my mind.”
“I think you’re lying.”
“And, I think you’re a little too confident.”
“Never hurts to try.”
Inside the entry of the restaurant, large groups of people sat on benches waiting for a table. The low carved ceilings with stone arches gave the place a warm and friendly atmosphere, but did nothing to buffer the loud noise of clanking dishes and over zealous conversations. Jessie waited while Zach gave his name to the receptionist. Seeing the large trays of hot steaming food being delivered to nearby tables had her salivating.
“Mmm, it smells way too good in here. And now, I’m starving.”
He crinkled his nose, “I’m afraid we’re in for a long wait. We could go somewhere else.”
“Not a chance. After luring me into having a steak with you, there’s no way I’m leaving this place without one.”
He winked. “Ooh, baby, I like the way you think.” He latched onto her elbow and steered her toward the lounge to a newly vacated table. He quickly eased into the seat before anyone else could take it.
“Are you ready to order?” the cocktail waitress asked while setting down a dish of nuts.
“What’ll you have, Jessie James?” He popped a nut into his mouth.
“I’ll have a double martini on the rocks.”
“And I’ll have a beer on draft,” Zach said and reaching for another handful of nuts.
“Thank you. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” The waitress walked away.
“Let’s talk about Jane Doe’s disappearance,” Jessie said.
“No, Jess,” he said forcefully, “we’re here to discuss the notes.”
“I’d much rather discuss our case.”
“And, I’d much rather discuss the notes.”
“Okay, okay.” She flung her hand in the air. “Go ahead. Let’s put this to rest before I scream.”
“Finally, we’re getting somewhere.” He cleared his throat. “Tonight, when you heard footsteps behind us, you were afraid. Now you can pretend all you want. You can tell me till you’re blue in the face that you’re not scared, but tonight’s panicked look when Harwell came up behind us told me otherwise.”
“Oh, stop already.”
He shot her a stern look. “Start talking.”
“The footsteps startled me, that’s all. No need to read anything into it.” He arched his brow. “What?” she said. “You never get startled?”
“On occasion, but even you have to admit that kind of reaction is pretty unusual for you. Shit like that never bothered you before these notes started.”
“Okay,” she admitted, “so maybe I am a little shook up. Once I find out which one of the guys is doing this, it’ll all be over and we can get back to life as we know it.”
“Like I said earlier, how do you know it’s the guys at work?”
“Bradshaw all but confirmed my suspicions tonight.”
“Oh, like he’s the authority on the scuttlebutt in the precinct?” he gave her a weary look. “So what exactly did he say?”
“He told me they resented me, and added he didn’t care who I’d dated, then or now. That’s enough of a lead for me to feel better about suspecting them. The only other proof I need is to actually catch the person in the act.”
“Okay, then tomorrow morning I’m going to take care of this matter.”
“Oh, no you’re not. I’m not a damsel in distress waiting for my prince charming to rescue me. I don’t need you or anyone else taking care of anything. I’m a big girl now, and this is my problem, not yours.”
The waitress returned and placed Jessie’s martini down in front of her. She took a sip.
“Yeah, so you’ve said.” He took a swig of beer. “So tell me again how the notes started.”
“Look, I appreciate your concern, but really, I’ll be fine.”
He rubbed a smudge of mascara off her cheek. “Jessie, how did you receive the three notes?”
The tone of his voice told her he wasn’t kidding. “On the windshield of my car in the parking garage.”
“You don’t drive to work. How did your car get into the garage?”
“I drive when I come to the precinct during sleepless nights.” A chill skittered down her spine as she remembered her initial reaction to receiving that first note; the cut out letters pasted to a note card spelling out the words that she’d better watch out. She remembered shaking so vigorously, the note slipped from her hands and fell to the cement floor. Before stooping down to retrieve it, she’d done a quick scan of the area, her hand firmly planted on her Glock, ready to draw it if necessary.
“Hellooo,” Zach said, waving his hand in front of her eyes, “Where are you, Jessie?”
“I was just trying to remember the first time.”
“You were scared, weren’t you?”
“Sure, a little. But it’s old hat to me now.”
“Old hat, huh?” He leaned back against the leather seat, his eyes never leaving her face. “How often do you go back to the office late at night?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe, once, twice a week.” She sipped her martini.
“And what time do you usually leave?”
“Two, mayb
e three o’clock in the morning.” She shrugged, “sometimes later.”
“You go out at that hour . . . by yourself?” he asked, surprised. “Are you crazy?”
“Well what should I do when I can’t sleep? Twiddle my thumbs? Besides, there are plenty of people working the night shift, so I’m not alone at the precinct, and I do carry a gun.”
“So you’ve reminded me a few hundred times.” He closed his eyes and inhaled. “Have all the notes appeared during these late night returns to the precinct?”
“Two did.”
“And, where did the third one show up?”
“I found it in my inbox when we returned to the precinct after meeting Tony and Lenny for a status report.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Okay. Maybe you are right about it being someone in the precinct. Have you watched the footage from the garage surveillance footage on those days?”
“Yes.”
“And?” his hand gestured impatiently, “What did you see?”
“Nothing except the usual people going in an out. Let’s face it, everyone of us knows where the hidden cameras are.”
“That’s right. We do.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Those sons of bitches. We’ll get to the bottom of this. And so help me God,” he raised his hand, “when I find out who’s doing this, I’ll kill the bastard.”
“Ah ha! So then you do agree with me?”
“In theory, but not in practice. I don’t think we can rule out the possibility of a former criminal trying to get even. Nor can we rule out the scumbag’s family. There’s always the possibility there’s someone on the inside who’s pissed at you for being the boss’s former girlfriend, and he’s fronting for the criminal.” He paused when she rolled her eyes. “Look, I know you want me to believe you’re tough as nails, and you can handle this all by yourself, but I’m not letting you go through this alone, and I don’t care what you say.”
She smiled, warmed by his concern, yet she felt a tinge of guilt for not having trusted her partner enough to tell him.
“I’d like to know which one of those assholes is stupid enough to pull crap like this.” His face formed into a concerned frown. “I want you to promise me you’ll stop going to the precinct in the middle of the night. If you can’t sleep, read a book, buy yourself a computer and play a game, but please, don’t go back to the precinct. You’re setting yourself up—especially with a stalker on the loose.”
“Gerard, that’s all well and good, but how am I supposed to find out who’s doing this?”
“Whoever this is, he’s bound to mess up sooner or later. If it is someone in the department, you can be sure he’s not going to kill you. His mission is most likely to scare the crap out of you. But I still think you need to take every precaution not to rule out the other more logical questions. Since the note was found in your inbox, it takes the heat off of an outsider doing it . . . but only for the time being.”
“Thanks, Gerard. I appreciate your compassion.” A tender moment passed between them, and her heart rate surged. He was so hot. Jumping into the sack with him would be way too easy. She reached for her drink and tilted the glass to her lips, spilling the last few swallows of her drink in her lap. The effect was like taking a cold shower, snapping her back to reality. “Oh damn,” she said, and grabbed the napkin from the table, blotting the liquid. “Gerard, I’ve made a mess.”
“I see that.”
“I need club soda.”
He motioned for the waitress. “Can you give us a glass of club soda and an extra napkin for my date?”
The waitress nodded.
“Since when did this become a date?”
“Well, you know what I mean. It’s not, but I see no reason to explain it to the waitress.”
“Fair enough.”
When the waitress returned with the club soda, Jessie excused herself. “I’ll be back.” On her way to the restroom, she convinced herself that her mental thoughts of becoming intimate with him were definitely the byproduct of ambiance and alcohol—mostly the alcohol. When she returned ten minutes later, he picked up the conversation right where they’d left off.
“So, are you going to promise me you’ll stay away from the precinct in the wee hours of the morning?”
“I’ll consider it. Now, please stop worrying.”
“Well, someone has to worry. You’re certainly not.”
Jessie swallowed hard. She wanted to believe it was the guys in the department, but what if it wasn’t? She couldn’t let Zach know she’d questioned herself. It would make her look weak.
Fingers snapped in front of her eyes. “Hello, Jessie. You keep drifting off into la-la land. What’s going on?”
“I think the alcohol has gone to my head. I need food.”
“Then it’s a good thing the waitress is on her way over here to take us to our table. No more alcohol for you.” They stood and followed the waitress. “Tell me you won’t go to the precinct again in the middle of the night.”
“You don’t give up, do you?”
“I should think after three years of partnering, you’d know better than anyone that I don’t give up easily. So, does that mean you’ll promise?”
“I swear, I promise I won’t do it again.” She held her hand up. “I’ll buy a computer and play games, read gossip columns, and let my ass get as big as a house. Now will you please stop.”
“I’ll check with the guys tomorrow.”
“Gerard, no, dammit. I don’t need protecting. I can handle this.”
“You mean, like you already have?”
“Whoa, that’s a low blow,” she tapped a balled fist against her heart.
“I’m sorry, but even the lieutenant has noticed something is wrong.”
“How do you know that? Did he say something to you?”
“No, but he’s already told you to get some sleep. He can see you have something on your mind.”
“Are you going to spend the rest of your life joined at my hip?”
“Hmm, now that wouldn’t be such a bad idea.” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
She rolled her eyes. “Get serious, Gerard.”
“I am serious.” He reached over and grasped her hand. Surprised, she jerked it back.
“Whoa . . . excuse me.”
“I’m not your type of woman.”
“Type? I have a type?” he chuckled. “Geez, you make it sound like I’m a playboy.”
“Well?” Her brows arched, daring him to deny it.
He jerked his head back. “Hey, I can’t help it if the women chase after me.”
“Careful, your ego is showing.”
“I don’t have an ego.”
“Yeah, right,” she snorted.
“I’m so misunderstood.” He threw his hands in the air and shrugged. “Okay, just one more question.”
“What now?”
He stared at her straight on. “Are you and Harwell still involved?”
She smacked her hands against her thighs. “I can’t believe you asked me that again. Absolutely not—and you know me better than that. I answered this question before. Didn’t you believe me?”
“Relax. I just wanted to be sure I’m not treading on anyone else’s turf. I’m sorry.” He gave her a weak smile, and reached for her hand again. This time, she didn’t pull back and enjoyed the pleasure of his thumb caressing her knuckles. “I believe you.” He stopped and leaned back in his chair, but his eyes remained steady on her face.
“What?” she asked. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I just had a wonderful thought about how great it would be to do this on a regular basis . . . like make it more of a permanent relationship.” Her hand shot up like a stop sign. “And this comes as a shock?” He scratched his head.
“Oh Gerard, I can’t risk it again.”
“Does that mean you’ve considered it?”
“I’d be a liar if I told you I hadn’t, but it’s never going to happen and you know it.”
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He leaned forward and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Her heart revved up. She bit her lip to stop herself from letting him see the pleasure it brought her.
“I’ll be careful about not letting anyone see us,” he whispered, “I’ll even leave the department.”
She shook her head. “Stop being silly. You love working in the two-one.”
“But not enough to keep us apart.”
“It’s never going to happen.” Her mouth was saying no, but her heart was saying yes. “For the three years we’ve worked together, I can’t remember a time when we’ve run into each other off duty that you didn’t have some gorgeous creature hanging off your arm.” She swallowed hard, stunned she’d vocalized that she’d noticed.
His face softened into a smile. “Did that make you jealous?”
Damn right it made her jealous. “Good Lord, no,” she lied, and took another sip of water. “You’re . . . you’re having too much fun playing the field.” There. It was out. Now he knew the long line of beauties he’d been seen with bothered her. A tinge of remorse attacked her stomach and it tightened into a knot. She shouldn’t have revealed so much to him. Damn the alcohol. She shouldn’t have had anything to drink because she didn’t know enough to keep her mouth shut. But it was too late, he was already grinning like a schoolboy from his first crush. God, he was gorgeous.
“What if I told you I don’t want any other woman but you?”
Jessie’s fingers ached to reach over and pull him forward and kiss him. But she stopped herself and instead grabbed her glass of water and gulped it down. “I’d say you were full of it.”
His eyes filled with determination. “Did Harwell hurt you so badly that you won’t allow yourself the pleasure of a relationship with me? Is that what this is all about? Or are you punishing yourself like you think the guys are for having a relationship with someone who’s now our boss?”
“That’s ludicrous.” She took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Harwell wasn’t married when I dated him.” The mention of Harwell’s name caused her lighthearted mood to fade.
“Is that why he came to our precinct—to make up for the pain he caused you?”
“My God, you’re just making up your own story as you go along.”
Killer Romances Page 211
