by Mia Dymond
Marnie frowned. “Should we knock?”
She shrugged and then spotted a rectangular white button beside the window. She gave it a push and several seconds later, a man appeared behind the glass.
“State your business.”
Dara stared open-mouthed at the portly man in blue who slid open the window and barked the order. Perhaps someone needed some sleep.
“Um, Detective Turner is expecting us.”
She wrinkled her nose at the smell of incredibly over-brewed coffee that floated out the window while he shuffled several stacks of paper and lifted a mug to his mouth.
“I’ll let him know you’re here,” he said finally, still not pleasant. “Take a seat.”
She flinched when the window slammed closed. “Protect and serve, my a—”
“Mine too.” Marnie grabbed her elbow and led her to a bench.
Dara wrinkled her nose again. “Nuh-uh. Don’t sit there. Way too many germs.”
She and Marnie both leaned back against the tiled wall – not that it wasn’t also contaminated, but she managed to push that worry to the side. Her toe tap-danced as they continued to wait.
“Relax, Dara, we’ll be out of here in no time. Detective Turner just needs the facts so he can figure out who is responsible for the uh ... you know, the surprise in your living room.”
“The corpse, Marnie. A dead body. And not just any deceased person, the woman who published a scathing review of a novel that I happened to write.” She snorted. “No, he wants a confession.”
“Your artistic imagination truly impresses me,” her best friend drawled. “My sixth graders would eat this up.”
“Being arrested for murder?”
“No! Being questioned by a cop.”
Dara swallowed hard and attempted to distract her nerves with humor. “You should’ve planned a field trip,” she mumbled.
“Where the heck is Alex?”
“Late, as usual.” She sighed. “If I’m not supposed to panic, why do I need a lawyer?”
“Humor her. She lives for this stuff.”
Dara glanced at the set of double doors next to the window, willing them to open so she could put this nightmare behind her. That, and catch a glimpse of the sexy detective. She frowned. The same man who quite possibly thought her guilty of murder. Cripes, where was Alex?
A sharp jab in the ribs pulled her attention back to Marnie. “This is not how I pictured this place.”
“This is just the waiting area. The prisoners are brought in and booked through a back door. The detectives’ offices and interrogation rooms are just through the doors.”
Marnie’s brow wrinkled. “Did you forget to tell me you’ve been arrested?”
“No.” Dara smirked. “Remember Arresting Hearts?”
“Do I ever. That cop was so hot my fingers sweat every time I turned a page!”
“I did some research here.”
“Well actually, Detective Too-Cool would make a perfect romance hero.”
“Who?”
“You know who.”
Yeah, she did. Detective Mace Turner was exactly the type of man romance novels embraced. And although she wanted to convince herself otherwise, his six foot, four inch stature coupled with his deep, mysteriously blue eyes proved the man had sex appeal in spades.
“So, Dara.” Marnie studied her nails. “I’m thinking you know Detective Turner outside his professional capacity.”
“I do.” She sighed. No sense ignoring the obvious. “I told you, I met him when Bri consulted on one of his cases.”
Marnie’s eyes widened. “That Detective Turner is this Detective Turner? Oh geez! Why didn’t you say something?”
“I did. This is not a big deal. Especially since he’s only interested in the you-know-what in my condo.”
“Uh-huh. This Detective Turner you call Mace. He’s not after your corpse, Dara.”
She rested her head back against the germy wall, having only seconds to worry about what might actually crawl into her hair before footsteps distracted her.
“Dara!”
She raised her head, relieved to see a tiny redhead barrel down the hallway and envelope her into a tight hug.
“Thank God you’re okay!”
“I’m fine, Bri.” She extracted herself from the other woman’s grip and smirked as she took in her friend’s short shorts and barely there bra top – an outfit she knew Bri only wore for undercover work. “Did you come straight off the pole?”
“Jake’s going to blow a gasket.” Bri’s cheeks reddened. “I told him I’d cover up before I came down here but I couldn’t wait.” She grabbed Marnie’s hand. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine too. Thanks, Bri.”
“I must’ve missed a heck of a DRAMA meeting. What happened?”
Dara sighed. “You might not believe it when you hear it.”
“Try me.”
“Okay, but hold on to what’s left of your shorts.”
After the few minutes it took for Dara to relay the night’s events, Bri’s eyes were as wide as saucers and her mouth hung open. “You guys really discussed the, uh, well, method?” Dara didn’t miss the goosebumps now decorating her friend’s arms.
“Mine was the best,” Marnie grumbled.
Bri glanced at Marnie and blinked several times in succession, a trait Dara knew she used to disguise extreme shock. “Which idea was yours?”
“Don’t ask,” Dara warned.
“I’d really like to know.”
When Marnie opened her mouth, Dara shot out an arm to cover the other woman’s mouth with a hand. “Wait! Before she answers, do we need to sign a treatment contract?”
Bri released an obnoxious giggle. “You two didn’t murder anyone, Dara. I’m just curious.”
“Ow!” Dara yanked her hand back from Marnie’s mouth and scowled. “No need to bite. I was going to let you answer.”
Marnie simply grinned. “The Columbian necktie.”
“Wow.” Bri blinked several more times. “Well, don’t fret. I’m sure Mace has everything under control.”
“Of course,” Dara mumbled.
Bri stood and glanced at the still-empty window. “I’d better get out of here before someone rats me out to Jake.” Dara didn’t miss her sly smile. “Again.”
“Sorry about that,” Dara groaned while she rested her head back against the wall. Screw infestation.
Bri just giggled and headed back down the hallway.
“You ratted on her?” Dara winced as Marnie slapped her on the thigh. “Shame on you!”
“Only because she insisted on baiting a lunatic kidnapper with her half-naked body!”
“Oh.” Her friend bit her lip. “Then I take it back.”
Desperate to shake the madness of the evening from her mind, Dara rolled the back of her head across the brick surface. Columbian necktie or not, the reviewer lay dead and they were still suspects at this point. What a girls’ night out.
She took a long, deep breath and released it, amazingly grateful when Alex click-clacked toward them, dressed in a fresh suit, her hair perfectly pinned, and her makeup flawless.
“Good grief, Alex,” Marnie groaned, “couldn’t you at least look like you’ve spent the night engaged in wild monkey sex?”
Dara glanced down at her own wrinkled blouse and reached to tuck a piece of fly-away hair behind one ear while she silently agreed. Yet, Alex’s failure to immediately respond caused her to move her gaze to the other woman and raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Normally, Alex wouldn’t hesitate to issue a catty response with claws bared – this time, however, silence echoed in the unsterile hallway.
She couldn’t stop the grin that split her lips. “Well, well, well.”
“Oh my God! I was right!” Marnie squealed.
“Relax, both of you.” Alex waved one hand in dismissal. “It was an experience I won’t repeat.”
“Bummer,” Marnie mumbled. “Judge Bowman?”
Alex smirked. “I plea
d the Fifth. Now, brief me on the reason the two of you need an attorney.”
Dara frowned at Marnie. “You didn’t tell her?”
“I told you, she was busy. I just asked her to meet us here.”
“Oh, nothing much.” She folded her arms across her chest and pinned Alex with a stare. “We just happened on a corpse in my living room.”
“A corpse?” Alex dropped her briefcase. “Who?”
“The Rogue Reviewer.”
“Seriously?” Alex-the-iceberg seemed to melt as she hustled them both into a nearby corner. “Neither of you have given a statement yet, have you?”
“No freaking way,” Marnie grumbled.
“This can’t be good, Alex.” Dara’s stomach churned. “Just hours ago —”
“Ssshhh!!” Alex squeezed her forearm. “Don’t say a word. I’ve got it all under control.”
Marnie cleared her throat. “Uh, there’s more, Alex.”
Alex tilted her head to one side, obviously waiting for an explanation. Dara obliged.
“One of my kitchen knives was trapped beneath her.”
“Did they lift your prints off of it?”
“I have no idea but I’m thinking that’s a moot point because it’s my knife!”
Alex tapped her bottom lip with her index finger. “Whose idea was that anyway?”
“Alex!”
“No one’s,” Marnie chimed in, “unless you count the Columbian necktie.”
“Ssshhh!” Dara’s head swam. “And don’t act so smug. We all know that was your idea, Marnie.”
Apparently not too bothered by the overwhelming evidence of murder, Alex stepped to the sliding glass window and knocked. When no one answered, she crossed her ankles and leaned one shoulder against the white button, filling the hallway with a continuous, obnoxious buzz. Seconds later, the window slid open.
“Good evening, Officer Bohanan,” she drawled without even looking up, “would you please ask Detective —” She paused and glanced at Dara.
“Turner.”
“Turner,” Alex continued, still pressed against the button, “to get the lead out? I’ve got a hearing at eight thirty in the morning and he interrupted my beauty sleep.”
Dara wasn’t surprised when the officer didn’t offer an argument and left the window. Not too much later, a door opened and she moved her gaze slightly to the right and onto the sexy mountain of male standing there. Ironic that the same man had the ability to lock her good and tight in his handcuffs. Oooh. Yeah.
“Dara.” He gave a small nod while her gaze traveled the length of his hard body. Even his wrinkled white dress shirt couldn’t hide the well-defined muscles of his biceps. She worked hard to force herself not to drool. “You’re first?”
“Wait a minute,” Alex stepped back from the buzzer and prevented any agreement. “You two are on a first name basis?”
“Uh, yes.” Dara purposely avoided looking at Alex. Besides, prying her gaze from the sexy detective was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. Just the thought of those muscled forearms wrapped around her body broke out her skin in deliciously-arousing goosebumps.
“As soon as you two stop undressing each other we can get this over with.”
Dara tore her concentration from Mace and glared at Alex.
The other woman simply shrugged. “C’mon Marnie, I have a feeling this won’t take long.”
“Miss Carpenter can wait in the conference room while we question Dara.” Mace waved them into the inner office.
Alex paused just inside. “We?”
“Detective Stewart and myself.”
“Jackson Stewart?”
“Yeah. You know him?”
“I do.”
She caught a slight twitch of Alex’s lips, almost as if her friend fought back a smile at the discovery of Detective Stewart. Yet, Mace’s abrupt turn of his back to them gave her the impression there would be no more discussion. She glanced at Alex who only shrugged.
“What about Detective Rawlings?” she asked Mace as they followed behind him down a hallway until he stopped outside a door labeled interrogation.
“He’s wrapping up Bri’s case.” He reached to loosen the buttons at his cuffs and roll his sleeves to the middle of his forearms. Dara swallowed hard, not out of fear, but because her thoughts had suddenly turned a totally different direction, As long as she were allowed to concentrate on his bare skin, interrogation at Detective Turner’s hand might not be so bad.
He turned the knob and gestured them inside. “Have a seat. I’ll get my partner.”
The door clicked shut before Alex spoke. “Please tell me you don’t know Detective Stewart intimately.”
“Alex!” she hissed. “You know as well as I do that we’re being videotaped.”
“So? Do you? I need to know.”
“No! Nor do I know Detective Turner intimately.”
“I’m willing to bet he knows his way around a woman’s body.”
“Oh, Alex,” she groaned.
“What, Dara? You write romance novels for Pete’s sake!”
“Yes, but not based on my own experience! I have no idea if Mace is some sort of sexual dynamo or not.”
But I’d be willing to find out. In the name of research, of course.
Dara gave her head a shake to clear her wayward thoughts. “Alex,” she said instead, “I’m being questioned about murder. Could we please focus on that unfortunate circumstance?”
“Relax, this won’t take long.” Her friend patted her shoulder as she stood and stepped toward the glass windows in the longest wall. She gave the glass a rap with her knuckles. “Okay Detectives, let’s get this party started.”
Seconds later, both men entered the room and took two empty seats across the table from them.
“Detective Stewart is here for observation,” Mace explained. “I’ll do the questioning.” He reached toward the recording device in the middle of the table and glanced at Alex. “Counselor, are there any questions before we begin?”
“Just one.”
Mace raised an eyebrow.
“Can you prevent your emotions from clouding your interrogation of my client?”
For three seconds – she knew because she held her breath while she counted – Dara waited, incredibly curious to hear his response. In all reality, they had only spent a short amount of time together. How much emotion could there possibly be between them? Sexual tension, however, was a whole different animal.
She moved her gaze to Detective Stewart who appeared just as interested in his partner’s answer. Although, his eyes never moved from Alex.
“Absolutely certain.” Mace’s deep, husky voice slid over her body like warm, smooth syrup and caused her to look back into his smoky bedroom eyes. She fought hard to keep from panting. Whether he knew it or not, she had a fairly good idea that the detective had lied through his teeth. Emotion, pure and simple stared back at her. Lust to be exact, the one emotion he couldn’t disguise or control even if he wanted to.
Alex cleared her throat. “Proceed.”
Mace pushed a black button on the device and spoke. “What type of books do you write, Dara?”
“You already have that information,” she answered.
His face reddened. “I, uh, have to get it on record.”
“Contemporary romance, usually mysteries.”
“And how exactly would you describe the subject matter?”
“Hot,” Alex answered for her.
Both detectives appeared intrigued, but as promised, Mace continued the questioning. “Can you elaborate?”
Warmth invaded her cheeks, not due to embarrassment – she’d written numerous novels and was way beyond that reaction. Instead, the heat had everything to do with the man who sat across the table from her and the erotic images that tickled her brain. Several times she already mentally unbuttoned that starched white shirt and pressed her lips against the skin underneath.
“For the record, my novels contain scenes of a se
xual nature, Detective.”
“Nicely put.” Alex grinned. “Almost as good as the real thing in my opinion.”
“Alex...” She growled a warning but the other woman only picked up steam.
“In fact, Dara probably has an extra copy. She could even autograph it for you.”
Detective Stewart unsuccessfully attempted to hide a smile and then shot Alex a wink across the table. Dara wasn’t really surprised – Alex attracted men on a daily basis. Mace, though, surprised her when a slow grin creased his lips and she didn’t know exactly how to interpret the reaction. All she knew for sure is that grin would look better if he were naked.
“Let’s get back on subject, Ladies.” Mace cleared his throat. “What time did each of you arrive at Hannigan’s?”
“Marnie and I rode together,” Dara told him. “We arrived at seven o’clock p.m. Annie and Reagan were already there. Alex was late, as usual.”
“You mentioned a DRAMA meeting. Is this something you attend on a regular basis?”
“Every Thursday.”
“Why Thursday?”
“It’s the most convenient day for all of us.”
“Does anyone else know about this meeting?”
“I can’t say for sure but I would guess any of the regulars at Hannigan’s have noticed by now.”
“And you know the owner personally?”
“Yes. Chad and I go way back.”
“How well do you know him?”
“Don’t answer, Dara.” Alex raised both eyebrows at Mace. “That’s irrelevant, Detective, unless you have a personal interest.”
Detective Stewart mirrored Alex’s gesture and steepled his fingers, obviously waiting for his partner’s answer. Dara fought the urge to giggle hysterically at her attorney’s reprimand.
Mace frowned, obviously bothered by the interruption. “I’m trying to determine if he is credible to give her an alibi.”
“Oh.” Dara nodded her head in exaggerated sincerity. “He’s very credible.”
“What did you discuss during the evening?”
“Sex.” She pinned him with a challenging glare as the little white lie escaped her lips. “Do you need specifics?”
“No ma’am. Anything else?”
“We read my fan mail.”
“Do you receive much correspondence?”