“Then again, the girl could be on a bus to L.A.”
“I’m not willing to risk that, are you?”
Rayne sighed.
“No, as much as I want this day to end, I’d feel like crap if anything happened that we could have prevented.”
“Mrs. Cole told me earlier that she works the middle shift at a department store. That leaves a lot of time for the boyfriend to visit Teresa, and I bet Andrea knows that.”
“Okay, let’s go stake out the house.”
“I’ll call Gail and have her alert any Caliber agencies along the bus’s route to check and see if Andrea is on the bus. They must take breaks along the way.”
“Good idea,” Rayne said, and then her phone rang.
Rayne made a cry of exasperation after looking at the caller ID. After answering the phone, she shouted into it.
“Pruitt! Let me make myself clear. I want nothing to do with you and I wouldn’t go on a date with you on a dare. Stop calling me!”
Velma had a smile on her lips as she drove toward the client’s home.
“I bet he calls again.”
“He’s relentless, he’s also a pig.”
“At least he’s available—Unlike Chris.”
“Can we not talk about Chris?”
“I just want to make sure that you stay away from him. I know you still want him.”
Rayne said nothing. Anything she said would only lead to an argument.
When she looked over at Velma, she saw that she was smirking.
“I hope Andrea isn’t planning to commit violence,” Velma said. “But I know firsthand what it’s like to find out you were cheated on.”
“Drop it, Velma. I won’t take the bait.”
“I was just saying. I understand the urge to strike back.”
“You had thoughts of hurting me?”
“Not really, but I understand the impulse to want to harm a rival.”
“So do I,” Rayne said, and was pleased to see the smirk leave Velma’s lips.
Chapter Seven
Chris smiled with delighted surprise at the unexpected visitor tapping on his car window.
It was Lauren, and she had brought along food with her.
He released the door locks and Lauren slid in beside him.
“What are you doing here?” Chris said. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Mr. Caliber let me go home early, and I figured I’d come here and see if I could help, since you don’t speak Spanish.”
“Thank you, Lauren. I appreciate the help, and what’s in that bag? It’s making my mouth water. I haven’t had much to eat today.”
“It’s just cheeseburgers and fries. I figured you hadn’t had dinner yet. There’s a chocolate shake too.”
“Bless you,” Chris said. “My stomach was beginning to growl, and that bodega down the block has terrible food.”
“I have an ulterior motive as well,” Lauren said.
Chris swallowed a fry, then asked, “What’s that?”
“Can I pick your brain sometime when I have a test? You’ve already passed the bar and I’m sure you’d be a big help to me.”
“No problem. I’d be glad to help.”
“Thank you,” Lauren said, while smiling, and Chris again thought about how stunningly beautiful she was.
In Forest Hills, Velma and Rayne were watching the Cole house.
A teenage boy had been greeted at the door with a kiss by the younger Cole daughter, Teresa, and Rayne and Velma assumed that he was the boyfriend, Mark.
That was twenty minutes earlier, but felt like an hour, as Rayne and Velma sat without speaking to each other.
That changed when Rayne spotted a hooded figure coming down the street. The figure was dressed like a man in a Dallas Cowboy’s hoodie, black sneakers, and black cargo pants, but the hips were wide, and the hands swinging free at the figure’s side were long and delicate.
“I’ll bet you that’s Andrea,” Rayne said.
Velma said, “No bet, I think you’re right,” as the figure went up the front steps of the Cole house. A moment more and the hooded figure was using a key to open the front door.
Rayne was sitting in the passenger seat, which was closer to the homes on that side of the street. She moved up the steps as fast as she could, while remaining quiet, and was pleased to find that the door wasn’t locked.
Velma followed her inside as they heard a voice cry out in surprise.
“Andrea!”
“You’re a little whore, Teresa. A little whore, and Mark’s a cheating asshole.”
Rayne and Velma turned a corner in the foyer and saw that Andrea was pointing a gun at her sister and ex-boyfriend.
“Andrea!” Velma called. She had taken out her gun but was praying she wouldn’t have to shoot the girl.
As Andrea turned at the sound of her name, Rayne threw herself at Andrea’s knees and tackled her to the floor. Andrea still held the gun, but Rayne applied pressure to a nerve cluster on her wrist and Andrea released the weapon while crying out in pain.
Velma got down on the floor with them, and they soon had Andrea cuffed.
All the fire left Andrea, and the teen rolled onto her side and cried. When her sister knelt beside her, Andrea flinched, then cried harder as Teresa kissed her on the cheek.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you by being with Mark, Andrea. I love you.”
“Who are you two?”
Rayne and Velma pulled their eyes away from the scene on the floor and looked at Mark. He was a gawky kid with acne scars and dull-looking eyes.
They stepped out of earshot and talked.
“I’m calling Gail,” Velma said. “But my guess is she’ll tell us to call the police.”
“We have to call the police. I don’t think she was just threatening them. Andrea needs help.”
“Yeah,” Velma said, but I’m calling Gail anyway. She’s friends with these people.”
Rayne had picked the gun up by using a tissue. The weapon was in such bad condition it had rust spots.
“This thing might have blown up in her hand.”
On the floor, the two sisters hugged and cried.
Shay O’Reilly tried to read her new partner’s face as Detective Kim Williams stared up at the body of Grant Moulton, who was hanging by his neck from a rope.
One end of the rope had been attached to the metal railing of the stairs above it.
To end his own life, Grant Moulton would have had to have tied the rope to the railing, placed the other end around his own neck, then leapt over the railing, to dangle in the space between the stairs.
“Suicide my ass,” Williams said, and Shay laughed.
“That was my reaction too.”
Williams turned and stared at her.
“Why is that, rookie?”
“The rope, where did he get it?”
“He could have found it while he was headed to the roof to jump off.”
“Maybe, but then there’s that bag of newspapers. It would be hard to tie a knot without that bag getting in the way, and why not just toss it aside?”
Williams nodded.
“So, you’re saying he was murdered?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you want to know who else is going to be murdered?”
Shay looked surprised.
“You think they’ll be another murder?”
“There will be if I get my hands on the cop who was assigned to check out the building. How the hell did they miss that body hanging there?”
“Laziness,” Shay said.
Williams grunted agreement.
“Call it in, O’Reilly, and get the meat wagon back here. And, O’Reilly?”
“Yeah?”
“You know you just made more work for us, right? I mean you could have ignored this and let the next shift handle it.”
“What?”
“I’m kidding, and good work, rookie.”
“Thanks,” Shay said, then she called dispatch as Will
iams stared up at the body while shaking her head in wonder.
Chris was laughing at something Lauren had said when he spotted Moises Sanchez in his rear view mirror. The forty-year-old Mexican was looking about nervously as he walked toward the homeless shelter.
“That’s Sanchez headed our way,” Chris said. “He’s wearing green work pants and a gray sweatshirt.”
“The man with the white streak in his hair?”
“That’s him,” Chris said.
As she stepped out of the car, Lauren called to Sanchez. The man froze in fright, but when he saw the lovely young lady smiling at him, he returned her smile with a grin of his own. That grin died when Chris came around the car and into his view.
Sanchez turned to head back the way he’d come, but Lauren spoke to him in Spanish and he stayed where he was and allowed them to come closer.
“Lauren, tell him his friend, Louis Ortega, sent me to find him and that Mr. Ortega is worried about him,” Chris said.
Lauren did as he asked, and Sanchez smiled, then spoke.
“He said that he misses his friend, but he didn’t want to bring trouble to his business.”
“Lauren, please tell him that Mr. Ortega hired me to protect him from Francisco Martinez.”
Lauren was relaying the message when Sanchez let out a cry of fright. A moment later, and a large man stepped out of the passing crowd and put an arm around Sanchez’s shoulders.
“I got you now, Moises, and this time you’re not getting away.”
Chris grabbed Lauren’s arm and urged her back toward the car.
“Get inside and lock the doors.”
Lauren looked up at the huge man gripping Sanchez. Francisco Martinez was a head taller than Chris and was packed with muscle.
“You’re going to fight him?”
“Lauren, please, get in the car now.”
Chris had turned to speak to Lauren, but in his peripheral vision he saw Francisco Martinez headed towards him while dragging Sanchez along.
Lauren cried, “Look out, Chris!” but Martinez was already reaching out to grab him.
Chapter Eight
Rayne and Velma had given their statements to the police and were in the car headed back to Caliber.
Teresa called her mother at work and explained what had happened. Although distraught by the horrible turn of events, Mrs. Cole relayed her thanks to Rayne and Velma for their help.
When the news came on and spoke of the heroics of Sammy Sloan, son of the famous Las Vegas private eye Sam Sloan, Velma pulled the car over to park in front of a hydrant and turned up the volume.
The brief news story gave scant details, but did mention that Sloan faced off against four armed men by himself.
When the story ended, Rayne looked over and saw that Velma looked stricken with worry.
“He could have died,” Velma said softly.
“That’s right, you used to work with Sammy Sloan,” Rayne said.
Velma cleared her throat.
“Yes, and he always was reckless.”
“Didn’t Jake say recently that the Sam Sloan agency closed down?”
“Yes, after his older brother died. Sammy has no head for business.”
“Maybe all he needed was a partner. His famous name would bring in the business.”
“His father’s dead and now his brother’s gone. I wonder how he’s doing.”
“It sounds like he’s a national hero. That story must be all over the news,” Rayne said.
“Four against one,” Velma murmured. “What was he thinking?”
Rayne hadn’t heard her, she was busy conjuring up ways to turn Sammy Sloan’s new notoriety to her own advantage.
Chris slapped aside Francisco Martinez’s huge hand before pressing his own palm against the man’s chest while hooking a foot behind the giant’s knee.
The move forced Martinez to fall backwards while releasing the terrified Sanchez, who had been held in Martinez’s grip.
Chris was moving in to strike Martinez in the throat when he saw the expression on the big man’s face.
Martinez looked confused, but there was also genuine hurt in the man’s eyes.
“Hey, why did you hit me? I was just putting up a hand to say that everything was cool.”
“What do you mean?” Chris said, as Lauren returned to his side.
“I’m going to stand up, okay?” Martinez said. “Don’t use that special forces judo shit on me again.”
Chris relaxed and offered Martinez a hand, to help him up. Once the man was on his feet again, he pointed at Sanchez.
“I’ve been looking for Moises so that I could thank him.”
“Thank him?” Chris said.
Martinez began speaking in Spanish to Sanchez. After several sentences, Chris saw the fear leave Sanchez’s face.
“What’s he saying?” Chris asked Lauren.
“He said he found God after joining an Alcoholics Anonymous group in prison. He’s also sorry for all the pain he put his wife through during their marriage.”
As Martinez continued to speak to Sanchez, Chris saw that the big man’s eyes were growing moist.
“Oh,” Lauren said. “He’s also had therapy, and has begun dealing with the physical abuse he received as a child. He says that he knows he can’t change the past, but that he hopes Mr. Sanchez can someday forgive him for all the bad things he ever said to him.”
Sanchez stared at Martinez with a look of wonder, but then the smaller man smiled and offered his hand. After the two men shook hands and talked a little more, Martinez spoke in English to Chris.
“Moises said that Mr. Ortega sent you here to look out for him.”
“He did.”
“Ortega is a good man, and you, for a little guy you can really handle yourself.”
“Thanks, I guess.”
Martinez gave Chris a playful punch on the shoulder, waved goodbye to Sanchez, and walked off into the passing crowd he’d appeared from.
“That ended well,” Chris said. “Lauren, please ask Mr. Sanchez if he’d like a ride to see Mr. Ortega.”
Sanchez begged off on the ride since the dealership was within walking distance.
As Chris held the car door open for Lauren, she stared at him.
“What?” Chris said.
“You took on that big man without even blinking. I was impressed.”
Chris stared back at her.
“Being a tough guy comes with the job, and my brother taught me a few self-defense tricks.”
Lauren looked away as she spoke again.
“I’ll come back to the office with you so I can file your report.”
“If you’d like.”
“I don’t have a class tonight, so I’ll have the time, and Chris?”
“Yes?”
“Congratulations on working your first solo case.”
“Thank you, but you did help me.”
“I had a selfish motive, remember? And don’t think I won’t come to you for help now and then.”
“I look forward to it,” Chris said, and realized it was true.
Chapter Nine
Rayne was glad to be finished with the case, and her mind was already on the future.
The story about Sammy Sloan had made her decide to alter her plans, but first, she had to cut ties with the Caliber Detective Agency.
“Velma, could you handle the paperwork on this one? I’ve something I need to do.”
“Fine, but you have to do the paperwork for the next two we catch.”
Rayne turned and smiled at her.
“I’ll even agree to do the next three cases we work together, how’s that?”
“It sounds good, and… you’re okay to work with.”
“So are you,” Rayne said, and meant it. Although, she had no intention of ever working with Velma again.
They had called in on the ride over and Gail told them that she would meet them in the old man’s office, so that they could tell her and Jake about the case
.
Rayne and Velma heard the laughter even before the elevator doors slid open. Once the doors slid apart, they saw Chris and Lauren seated together behind the reception desk, and the two of them were laughing together over something.
The sound of the elevator opening made them both look up, and their mirth dissipated.
“Velma,” Chris said, then he walked over and gave her a kiss.
As Velma and Chris spoke to each other softly, Rayne was watching Lauren as Lauren watched Chris with Velma. Rayne wasn’t quite certain, but she thought there might be the greenish gleam of envy in Lauren’s eyes. It was something she had seen in her own eyes on more than one occasion.
“Lauren,” Rayne called, and saw that she had startled the woman.
“Yes, hi, Miss Carver, how may I help you?”
“Are Gail and Mr. Caliber inside his office?”
“Yes, and they’re ready for you.”
“Ready for me?”
Lauren’s smile faltered, but she recovered quickly.
“I meant to say that they’re waiting for you and Velma.”
“I see, but why are you here? When we called in, Gail said that you had been allowed to go home early.”
“I was helping Christopher.”
“Is that so? In what way?”
“She was kind enough to use her skill with languages to help out on a case,” Chris said. “And it’s a good thing she did. I would have been lost without her.”
“How many languages do you speak, Lauren?” Velma asked.
“I’m fluent in three, and know enough to get by in a few others.”
“That’s good to know,” Velma said. “And we’ll see you on the way out.”
“Yes, Miss Parker, I’ll be here.”
“Call me Velma.”
Once they were inside the office, Rayne and Velma stood before the old man’s desk as they had earlier.
Rayne let Velma tell the story, and when she had finished and Gail and the old man made their remarks, Rayne dropped her bombshell.
“I’ll be leaving the agency. If you’d like two weeks’ notice I can do that, but since it’s been slow, I’m hoping I’ll simply be allowed to leave.”
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