Connie laughed. “She’s right, Del. Pregnancy manual is right up my alley.”
The waitress appeared with a bottle of champagne and three glasses. “Can I have some seltzer water?” Gina asked. Then she turned to Connie and Delta. “Absolutely no alcohol during the pregnancy.”
Connie nodded before filling the two glasses with champagne. “Page one, Rule two.”
As Connie bent over to kiss Gina, Delta warmed all over. So many things were changing so fast for the three of them. Megan was away in the rain forest somewhere “finding herself.” Connie and Gina were preparing to embark on a major life-changing adventure of their own, and Delta was...just what was Delta doing? Waiting. Waiting for Megan to come home. Waiting for Carducci to be able to stand on his own. Waiting to see if she really did have room for anyone else in her life. The changes and the unknown were both exhilarating and frightening.
Raising her glass, Delta toasted. “To great friends, greater love, and the greatest miracle of all.” Clinking the glasses together, the three women tossed back their drinks.
“Tonight,” Connie said, reaching for the bottle, “Gina is the designated driver.”
Delta refilled her glass and gingerly sipped it. She wasn’t overly fond of champagne except when celebration filled the air, and then, it seemed to whisk down her throat before slamming into her head. “Then we’ll get a definite date of arrival tomorrow?”
Connie nodded. “We’re hoping so. Just think, Del. We’re going to have a little papoose running around. Won’t that be a kick?”
“Sounds great—until four in the morning, braces, principals, and homework. I’m glad it will be the two of you doing all the work while I stand on the sidelines and cheer.”
“Well, don’t put your sweats on yet, Punkin’ because if we decide to have a home delivery, we want you there with the camera rolling.”
Delta felt the blood drain from her face. “I hardly think so. No way. Uh-uh. Not me.”
“Not so fast, Storm,” Connie released Gina’s hand and laid her hand on Delta’s forearm. “You’ve been shot at, stabbed, punched, kicked, and spit on, yet you shy away from the most beautiful act in the world?”
“Not shy away, Con, but run as fast as I can. The very thought of seeing all that blood and...and stuff. ” Delta shuddered. “I’m sorry, Con, but this is one caper you’re going to have to do without me.”
Connie crossed her arms defiantly. “I think not. Whatever your hang-up, you have nine months to get over it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Delta was beginning to feel very warm. “In high school, I was the only one in the class who fainted during a film showing childbirth.”
“You fainted?”
Delta flushed. “Dead away. Woke up with the teacher waving smelling salts across my face. It was horrible.”
“The fainting or the film?”
“Both. Man, when I realized that was the head popping out, I thought I was going to die.”
“But you fainted instead.” Connie could barely contain herself.
“Honey, if Delta doesn’t want to be there—”
“Oh, it’s not that I don’t want to, Gene. I’d just die if I fainted on you two.”
Connie took Delta’s free hand. “At least consider being in there with us? I don’t want to experience the most important moment in my life without you.”
Delta gazed back into Connie’s penetrating brown eyes and knew that no matter what came, no matter how scared or grossed out she might be, she would never let Connie down; whether it was on the streets or in the delivery room.
“I’ll think about it.”
Just then, the waitress approached and handed Delta a fresh glass of champagne. “I didn’t order th—”
“No, you didn’t,” the waitress interrupted, motioning toward the door. “That blond woman with the gorgeous green eyes sent it over. She told me to tell you...let’s see...for you not to worry, that your paths will cross again, and it was a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Finally meet me?” Delta muttered more to herself than to the waitress.
“That’s what she said.”
Accepting the drink, Delta raised the glass in the air toward Green Eyes and nodded at her. Green Eyes smiled and blew Delta a kiss before disappearing out the door.
“Uh, Ms. Stevens,” Connie said, waving her hand in front of Delta’s face. “Is there something you should tell us?”
Delta grinned before bringing the glass to her mouth. “I’ll never tell.” As Delta took a sip, something sparkled up at her from the bottom of the glass. At first, she thought it was just a reflection of the bubbles, but when she held the glass up to the light, she knew exactly what it was.
“Goddamn it!” Delta cursed, jamming the glass in Connie’s hand. “Don’t lose that!” Pushing her chair over so hard that it tipped over and hit the ground, Delta shoved and excused her way through the growing crowd until she was standing outside. After looking in four directions, Delta stopped, closed her eyes, and listened to the sounds of the city. Surely, it was too cold for her to be on her motorcycle. When Delta did not hear the rumbling of a Harley, she ran into the parking lot and discovered the BMW was gone.
“Damn her to hell!” Delta shouted, kicking a half-full Coke can across the lot, splashing her shoes and pant leg. “Hello, you jerk. Is anyone home?” Staring out at the city lights, Delta felt the familiar pang of being truly had. “How could I be so stupid?” Shaking her head, Delta made her way back to the bar and found Gina and Connie waiting for her at the door.
“All right, pal, what gives? Who was that woman, and why in the hell were you running after her?”
Taking the glass from Connie, Delta tipped it, dipped two fingers into the bubbles, and fished out a very wet, very beautiful 1.5 carat diamond ring.
“I don’t believe it,” Connie said, covering her mouth.
“She gave you that ring?” Gina asked.
Delta shook her head. “No, Gene, she gave this ring back. The woman who sent that drink over is the jewel thief who is haunting my beat.”
Connie looked at the ring, looked at the door, and then focused intently on Delta. “Well, it would appear that our little thief has thrown down the gauntlet.”
Delta stared out the window, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of defeat. “So it appears.”
When Delta arrived at the station the next night, she pulled the ring from her pocket and set it in front of Connie.
“Well?” Connie asked, not taking her eyes from the computer.
Delta shrugged. “It’s the same ring, all right. There’s a bill of sale from Van Cleef & Arpels’s and I had the salesman examine it under the loop. It’s our ring.”
Connie paused the computer and rubbed her eyes with her fists. “I need glasses. So, what you’re saying is that she climbed into the house, stole this ring, followed you to the bar, and then gave it to you?”
Delta could only nod.
“She certainly put a great deal of energy into making sure the ring got to you. Odd.”
“Very.”
“Maybe she just has a crush and this is her way of meeting you. After all, you are somewhat of a celebrity.”
“Oh, shut up. It’s not like that.”
Connie cocked her head. “Oh? A woman steals a ring and then gives it to the cop from whose beat it was yanked, and you don’t think she might have a crush? Well, I can tell you what it isn’t. It isn’t greed, need, or revenge. That leaves...hmmm...passion.”
“Don’t make me kill you, Con.”
Connie grinned. She hadn’t heard Delta say that in years. “All right, then, how about the thrill of the hunt?”
Delta nodded. “That’s possible. The hunt and the chase.” “She’s enjoying this.”
Delta shook her head slowly. “Damn, Con, she literally slipped through my fingers. She was right there.” Delta reached out for an imaginary Green Eyes. “Right there, and I missed her. She w
as all over me, and I watched her walk. Am I losing my touch, or what?”
Laying her hand on Delta’s shoulder, Connie shook her head. “Of course not. But give credit where credit is due. She’s good. Very good. And she wants you to know just how good.”
Delta stared at the sparkling ring still sitting on the desk. It was huge. “Well, she was good enough to get in and out of my grasp before I knew what hit me. I’m so mad at myself, I could scream.”
“How were you to know? How many lesbians have you busted in your career?”
“One.”
“Exactly. You were in familiar and comfortable surroundings, around women you know and trust. How were you to suspect that a woman flirting with you was the jewel thief you’ve been looking for? Give yourself a break here.”
Delta shrugged. She wasn’t feeling any better. “Still...”
“Still, shmill. Delta, you may have lost her momentarily, but you got the most important clue she left.”
Delta’s eyebrows knitted together. “The ring?”
“No, goofball. The motive, her motive. Don’t you get it? She’s enjoying playing with you.”
Delta thought back to the previous evening. “You know, she did say something about me being the most fun she’d had in a long time.”
Connie grinned. “Exactly. Now, let’s take a look at the big picture.” Connie pulled out a clipboard and pen and flipped the page over. “Okay, in the first break-in, she went through the second story without setting off the alarm, only to chuck a rock through the window before leaving.”
“You don’t know she was the one who threw the rock.”
“Yes, I do. And so do you. She threw that rock in order to bring you to that house.”
Delta shook her head. “Con you have absolutely nothing to go on there.”
“Maybe not as it stands by itself, but let’s look at break-ins number two and three. She breaks in and exits through the front door, leaving it ajar so the people, who don’t have an alarm system, will know they’ve been robbed. Furthermore, she leaves the empty jewelry box in plain view so they know exactly what she stole.”
Delta paced across the room. “It’s way too much supposition, Con.”
Connie slammed her fist on the table. “What’s with you, anyway? You’ve busted a lot of people on a hell of a lot less.”
“I just think you’re jumping the gun, that’s all. She’s hardly a computer madman like Elson Zuckerman, you know.”
Connie bristled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that she isn’t out to get me or anything. She’s just a thief. Period. Everything you have here is just conjecture.”
Connie’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? Then you take a look.” Handing the clipboard to Delta, Connie folded her arms across her chest and waited.
“Okay,” Delta started as she looked at the notes. “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that she started the alarm after she took the ring.”
“And?”
“And she purposely left the front door open.”
“Keep going.”
“And she left a note on the window of my patrol car.”
“And she waved to you, Del. Don’t you see? Each time, she came closer and closer until finally, at the bar, she actually made physical contact with you. Come on, Del, she’s playing you like a violin. Why is it so hard for you to see that?”
“Maybe I don’t want to.”
“Don’t want to what? See it, or admit it?”
Delta shrugged. “Both. Neither. I don’t know.”
Connie gently took the clipboard from Delta and set it on her monitor. “What’s eating at you?”
Delta sat down and sighed. “I don’t know. The last thing I need right now is some perp trying to get the better of me.”
“Some perp?”
“All right, this particular perp. I feel burned. Set up. I hate that.”
Connie smiled softly. “Does this thief’s particular gender have any-thing to do with the temperature level of your blood?”
“I hardly think that’s an issue.”
“Delta—”
“All right, all right. Maybe. A little. Damn it, Con, this...this...”
“Woman?”
Delta closed her mouth and frowned. “Yes. This woman is making a fool out of me.”
Unfolding her arms, Connie placed her hands on Delta’s shoulders. “That’s it, then, isn’t it? She’s a woman who’s as good at what she does as you are at what you do.” Connie stepped closer. “And you’re caught between wanting to bust her and wanting to admire her tenacity.”
Delta couldn’t look at Connie. “You make it sound so—”
“True? I know you, Delta Stevens, and I’ll bet that the burr up your butt is about your true feelings towards this woman. Who could help but admire her moxie? The woman’s got guts.”
“Guts? Geez, Con, she pawed all over me, gave me a good look at her face, and engaged me in conversation. I’d say she possesses more than just moxie.”
Connie grinned. “Yes, and no matter what you say right now, I know that you admire that in a woman, even if she is breaking the law.”
Delta looked up at Connie’s grin and shook her head. “She’s still a criminal.”
“Pshaw. Your criminal is willing to take chances and enjoys unnecessary risks. And because of this little fact...” Connie opened her desk drawer. “I’ve had a psychological profile done on her.”
Delta quickly rose. “You had a psych done on a thief?”
Nodding, Connie pulled out a folder and opened it to the first page. “Someone owed me a favor, and I had nothing better to do, so I asked if she wouldn’t take a look at our little gem collector. Want to hear?”
Delta sat back down. “Do I have a choice?”
“No.” Sitting down, Connie inched closer. “She was just a jewel thief until last night, but crossing the boundary into your life has changed things dramatically. She may be bright, sexy, and articulate, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous. After all, she did follow you. She did have you alone in the parking lot. And if you’re not going to recognize her as a possible threat, then I will.”
Delta bowed her head in defeat. “What did you find?”
“Well, I am happy to say that she isn’t psychotic. According to the report, she’s between twenty-five and thirty-five, lives alone, was probably raised by an older sibling or a relative other than her parents. She exhibits compulsive behavior as well as impulsive tendencies. She’s meticulous and well-educated, but probably wasn’t focused enough to complete college with a degree. She’s single, has been burglarizing for quite some time, probably since her youth, and has kleptomaniacal characteristics.”
“Does that mean she has to steal?”
Connie shook her head. “It means she wants to. My buddy thinks she enjoys the thrill, and given the fact that she gave the ring back, her actions pretty much support that line of thinking.”
Delta nodded. So far, there was little she could disagree with. “Anything else?”
“She’s a loner. Crossing the physical boundaries in the bar doesn’t necessarily mean she’s a lesbian. It actually shows more of an obsessive behavior than anything sexual.”
The light went on in Delta’s attic. “It’s that obsessive part that worries you.”
“Yep. Del, she either tailed you from home, bugged your phone, or has been following you for some time.”
“Either way—”
“That makes her dangerous.”
“Anything in the report about other pathologies?”
Connie set the file down and shook her head. “None. She isn’t likely to respond violently if cornered, but that still doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous.” Connie reached out and touched Delta’s arm. “If she wanted to, she could have taken you out right there in the parking lot.”
“But that wasn’t what she was after.”
“No, it wasn’t. She’s into head games. Your head in particular.”
“A beautiful woman.”
“Okay, a beautiful woman. You really think I’d let some beautiful woman mess with my head? That right is reserved for Megan.”
Connie tried not to smile, but failed. “I just want you to be aware of all the possibilities. Take her as seriously as you would a male thief, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Gently pulling away from Connie’s grasp, Delta tapped the folder. “Gee, Con, a little worried about me, or what?”
“I’ve seen that look, Storm. I had just cause. There’s more to this case than simply jewel thieving, and you know it. It’s my job to make sure you’re armed with all the facts before you go out into the cold, cruel world.”
“I read you loud and clear.”
Connie’s smile broadened. “Good. I want my child to have plenty of memories with her special Tía.”
“Aunt?” The idea aunt hadn’t ever really sunk in until now.
Patting Delta’s shoulder, Connie winked at her. “Get used to it. In nine months, you’ll be Auntie Storm for the rest of your days.”
“Auntie Storm, eh?” Delta rubbed her chin in a theatrical pose. “I like it.”
“Me, too. And I want you to live long enough to watch her grandchildren graduate from college.”
“I have to live that long?”
Connie smiled and nodded. “I insist. And until then, you keep your head on straight.”
“Will do.”
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Try to remember that you already have a beautiful woman in your life, okay?”
Delta nodded. Just because Megan was away didn’t mean she couldn’t look.
Did it?
“Stevens, the captain wants to see you when you’re through.” Delta turned from Connie and cast a disparaging glance at the captain’s office. God, how she tired of being summoned to the “principal’s office” every time she turned around. Ever since the Zuckerman case, every little thing she did outside the standard rules and regs was scrutinized under a microscope, brought to her attention, pounded into stone, and then handed to her like one of the Ten Commandments. And it had begun to bother her.
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