by Livia Quinn
“No. It has to be a prank.” He tried to sound as convinced as he wished he were.
She pulled away. “Remember me telling the kids one of the things I’m good at? Well, I’d bet my next days off you’re not being straight with me. Are you married, or involved with someone and not telling me?”
“No!” Luc pushed away from the car. “How could you think that?”
“I just met you a few days ago.” Her temper spiked.
“Yeah, but you got the benefit of a background check. I don’t know nearly as much about you, and I’m not giving you the third degree.”
“This is just the kind of thing a jealous lover would do, Luc, after discovering her boyfriend slept with someone.” She yanked open the door to her cruiser. “Think about filing a police report when you’re ready to come clean.”
“But—” His mouth dropped open as she pulled away and he thought about what she’d said. A jealous lover, or someone who wanted to be. “Damn. It.”
He didn’t want to ruin a good thing. He didn’t want Delilah to think he was keeping anything from her. And he wasn’t, really. It was just a stupid feeling. Right or wrong, he’d look like a weenie. A man should be able to handle harassment shouldn’t he? That’s all it was. And he still couldn’t believe Mercy could have done something as vicious—okay vicious, yes, but not as blatant as cutting his tires. She’d be one of those women who would call you in the middle of the night and breathe into the phone and keep you up all night, but she wouldn’t have the guts to do his tires…would she?
“Nah, she’s all wind and no storm; all queen and no court. All dust but no haboob.” He was thinking tired and the fight with Del had him dispirited.
He should at least explain to Delilah so she didn’t think he was holding out on her, like hiding another girlfriend or something, but tonight he had to get over to the tire center and square up with them. Tomorrow he had another shoot, but he’d call and make sure she came to the basketball game. Then, he’d file a police report and promise her everything he was “hiding”.
He smiled. Once she had a bit of time to cool off, think about Saturday night… she’d forgive him.
He hoped.
CHAPTER 13
That afternoon, Delilah pulled her cruiser up in front of the gym entrance. After advising the dispatcher of her location, she got out and walked toward the red Camaro parked behind Luc’s Expedition. Jed was about to be off-duty but she’d asked him to take a police report from Luc about the tire-slashing incident.
“Some reason you don’t want to take it yourself?” he’d inquired in their office downtown.
“I think you should take his statement without me skewing your judgment with any history.”
His eyes went comically wide. “You and Luc Larue already have a history? Is the barometer taking a dive or something?”
“Very funny. Can you just do it without any comments until later?”
“Yeah, yeah. Where is this going down?”
“LTF on Main St. If we get there by 0400 you’ll have until 5 to take the report and file it and leave for your date.” She breathed a sigh, “I appreciate this, Jed. I kind of lost my cool with him yesterday when I found out he didn’t file a report. I think there will be less chance of him holding back or anything sliding under the radar with you taking it.”
She’d just admitted to him that the relationship with Luc was important enough that her feelings might get in the way of thoroughly assessing the details. Something that had never happened before.
“Hey, all kidding aside, you need a favor? I’m your man. I’ll meet you there at four sharp.”
Jed had changed out of uniform for his date but his badge and shoulder holster were still visible beneath his LPD jacket. As they stepped through the front doors, he whistled.
“What?”
Jed spun on his heel, taking in the entire room. “This place has undergone a complete transformation.”
“Since when?” Del asked.
“Since the days of my misspent youth.” He smiled. “Somebody spent some serious bucks on it. I’d say there’s been a new gym floor, new roof—the place used to leak like Niagara. The gym floor was buckled in places. Impressive. You say Larue is running it now?”
“I actually don’t know what his official title is. He started an outreach program here for teens, involving some mentors and others in the community. He asked me to come Saturday to talk about why I became a co—” she stopped suddenly and Jed’s eyes swung in the direction of her gaze. A muscular man in a wheelchair was dribbling the basketball with one hand and spinning his chair with the other to avoid two players as they tried to get the ball away from him. The man laughed and slickly avoiding the outstretched arms of both guys, and lobbed the ball straight into the basket.
“Nuttin’ but net,” Del called and the wheelchair turned.
The man rolled over to Del and submitted to a fierce hug. “Hey, Sis.” He released her and leaned back in his chair looking over at Jed, then back at her, taking in her uniform. “You must be working. Luc said you were coming for the game.”
Jed broke in, noticing the white priest’s collar. “She’s bad about not introducing folks. I’m Jed Stern, Del’s partner.”
“Ah, Jed. Haven’t we met? I’m Tom Burke.” Tom leaned back in his chair. “Am I missing something here? You two came on business?”
Del caught sight of Luc tacking some flyers up on the opposite wall and said, “I’m here for the game, but I’m on call. Jed came to get a statement from Luc about something that happened yesterday. Are you playing tonight?”
Tom bounced his head forward, “Yep. Angel didn’t show so Luc called me.” Both index fingers pointed at his chest. He shrugged, “I hang around a lot on Tuesday nights anyway. We’ll chat later, gotta get back to practice. Nice to see you, Jed.”
Jed turned to Del. “I didn’t know your brother was Father Thomas.”
“You know him?”
“Of him, mostly,” Jed said. “We’ve met before, informally, but I didn’t know we had a common link. He’s done a lot for the parish.”
Del just looked at her partner. Another layer had just peeled away from her partner’s facade. Maybe she wasn’t giving Jed enough credit. She tried to see her partner with new eyes. The lack of body fat, the attractive yet rugged features other women seemed to find infinitely appealing. She’d never been attracted to Jed, which had been another reason their partnership had worked. Maybe Luc was on to something.
“Let’s walk over and talk to Larue.” It felt odd speaking about him in such a distant manner, as if he were just the subject of an investigation. Exactly why Jed needed to take his report.
Circumventing the gym floor they approached Luc who was leaning over listening to Monette. They both turned when Del and Jed came up beside them.
Monette waved. “Hey, Ms. Burke.” Luc’s eyebrow hiked when he spotted Jed.
“Del?—”
“I brought Jed in case you wanted to give him a report on the incident yesterday. That is why you called wasn’t it?”
“It was but …”
“I asked Jed to come because he will be unbiased.”
Luc looked at Del who had her cop face on, then at Jed who was running his tongue over his teeth in an effort to look like he didn’t know what was going on with his partner. Luc liked the ramifications of her decision. She cared. He couldn’t keep the smile from his eyes.
“Okay, Jed, but I want Del here as well.” He’d wait to bring up his suspicions when he talked with Delilah after the game. “Let’s do it in the office.”
Over his shoulder he said, “Guys, fifteen more minutes then take a break. I’ll be back shortly. Pappa T, you’re in charge.”
“You got it,” said Del’s brother.
“Pappa T?” asked Del as Luc shut the door to the office slash storeroom and offered them seats. They declined. Cop all the way.
“Okay, Mr. Larue—”
“Call me Luc, Jed.”
>
“All right, Luc. I understand you had an incident at your home yesterday. Why don’t you start from the beginning.”
“Not much to tell. I was headed to KPI for work…”
“That’s Knights Production, Inc. on Garnet?” Jed asked.
“Yes, I had a 8 a.m. shoot. I guess it was about 7:40 when I walked out and found my SUV with all four tires flat.”
Jed wrote in a small notebook. “Is that your Expedition out front with the US Navy tag?”
Luc answered him. “Yes.”
“I’ll get a complete description when I leave. So why didn’t you file a police report?”
“I didn’t realize at first that the tires had been punctured. I just figured some kids had come through and let the air out of them. I’d heard about the other incidents a couple weeks ago in the area. But late morning, the tire center called and said they’d been cut.”
Jed took the name of the tire center. “I’ll run by there in the morning and see if they still have the tires. It would have been better if you’d called yesterday. Sometimes they haul the tires away at the end of each day.”
Luc anticipated Jed’s next question.
“Have any idea who might have done this?” Jed studied him while Luc considered his answer.
He knows Del and I are involved and he’s wondering what I’m dragging her into, Luc thought. He answered honestly since he wasn’t willing to label Mercy a complete lunatic yet, “I really don’t.”
“Made any enemies lately? Kicked any kids out of the gym? Crawled out of your neighbor’s wife’s window? Anything like that?”
“Jed—” Del nearly punched her partner on the arm but Luc knew it was a tactic they used sometimes. Most people weren’t a hundred percent straight with cops for whatever reason. Present company included.
“Look, I really thought it was kids. You know hazing rituals or something.”
“Anything happen over the weekend that might have precipitated this?”
Luc looked at Delilah, who looked at Jed, who shook his head and snapped his notebook shut and let out a frustrated breath. “All right. Give me the number for your insurance agent and the guy you spoke to at the tire center and I’ll let you know what we find. Probably won’t do any good now, but I’m going to see if I can lift some fingerprints.” He nodded at Del. “She knows where to get me if you think of anything.” The door clicked shut behind him.
Luc and Del blew out a breath at the same time. Laughing, Del said, “I feel like I’ve been sneaking out and my big brother just caught me.”
Luc walked toward her, backing her up to the door. He was close enough to see the darker rim around her blue irises. She was so pretty. “Well, like they say, might as well be shot for the deed as accused of it.”
He kissed the corners of her eyes, her temples, heard her intake of breath as he settled his lips over hers, coaxing, tasting, then invading when she opened for him. His body melded to hers as he took her head between his hands gently holding it so he could savor the silk of her mouth. Rocking back on his heels he smoothed her hair back in place wondering at the intensity of his feelings. So quickly…I just about love you.
Twin bluebonnets searched his as if she didn’t quite know what to think. A smile slid up one side exposing a dimple. “Don’t you have a basketball game to get to?” she asked.
Luc stepped back, adjusting his jeans, “Yeah, and I’m gonna need a minute.”
She laughed. Put her hand on the doorknob.
“You’re staying for the game, aren’t you?”
Delilah’s expression showed none of the passion that had been there just minutes before. “I’m on call until eight but as long as I’m not needed, I’ll stick around. I haven’t seen my brother play basketball since…”
She didn’t have to finish. Then she looked up. “That’s why you never asked me about my family. You know Tommy.”
“That, and I figured you’d tell me about your family when you wanted to.”
Her eyes dragged from his face to the bulge behind his zipper. “Ready?” She flashed him a wide-eyed look.
“Quit.”
She laughed and opened the door.
CHAPTER 14
The Gators brought their best game beating the Bears by ten points. Tommy apparently added an extra dimension to the team since, Monette explained, they usually lost when Angel wasn’t there. Monette’s brightness seemed a bit dimmer and Del wondered if it had anything to do with Angel.
“Was Angel sick?” Del asked the girl.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since Saturday. I guess I said something stupid. Or embarrassed him, I don’t know.”
Del hugged her. “Aw, don’t let it get to you. Boys are funny at this age. They want you to care but they don’t want to be seen caring. When you see him again just pretend like nothing happened; you didn’t even notice he wasn’t here. Aloof, ya know?”
“You think so? I shouldn’t like, try to find him and apologize?”
“Absolutely not!” Delilah laughed. “That’ll just make it worse. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s our nature to try to nurture the people we care about. That’s all you did. And if he can’t handle it, he’s not the person you thought he could be.”
“I see what you mean. He needs to learn to appreciate his friends—me.”
“Now you got it.” Del looked around. “Hey, uh, you don’t happen to still have that romance novel in your bag that you showed me the other day, do you?”
Monette’s eyes lit up with mischief. “Sure. You want to borrow it?”
“Would you mind? Are you reading it?”
“Oh, no. The book wasn’t near as good as the cover, if you know what I mean?” She giggled and looked over at Luc. Del followed her gaze where Luc was leaning against the goal with his right hand above him, hip cocked while he used his left hand to illustrate the strategy he was laying out to his guys. Then he shifted his weight, making the taut muscles of his butt clench. Delilah and Monette looked at each other and grinned. Monette reached into her bag and handed the book over. “Enjoy.”
Del walked out to her car, stashed the book and checked in. It had been a rather quiet night. Tom’s wheelchair rolled through the front doors and down the street. Del called to him and jogged across the street. “Hey, bro.”
Thomas stopped his wheelchair and spun to face her, smiling. “How was that for a game?”
“You guys play hard. I was wondering, how come you never mentioned the teen center?” Del asked.
Tom frowned. “Well, it’s not that I haven’t mentioned it, but when the subject has come up you weren’t there.”
He was talking about family gatherings. Del grit her teeth. The pain that gripped her gut wasn’t indigestion; it was guilt, and the pain she should be over by now. Would she ever get over the feeling of being helpless while her brother struggled for his life? Or the regret that the life he could have had was gone, a world of options taken away from him?
His eyes locked on hers, giving no quarter, “You haven’t joined us at a family dinner since my accident, Del. Mom and Pop have been coming to the church for dinners and volunteer occasionally as well. ”
He was too kind to remind her about the last time he’d stopped by the precinct. It was a week before Christmas. She remembered every word…
“Why couldn’t you make Thanksgiving dinner, Del. Mom and Pop were very disappointed. I found Mom in the church kitchen crying after she heard you ‘had to’ work. We’re never together as a family anymore.”
Del had come back with, “that’s what happens when kids grow up.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when my sister lied to herself much less to me.” He’d kissed her and rolled away. How could she feel thankful when her brother had lost everything?
Every time Del thought about that exchange, her chest tightened. But she didn’t know how to fix it. Time and distance had just made it worse.
“You’re right, Tommy.”
He s
queezed her hand, “Why don’t we get together and plan something for Father’s Day, hmm?”
She loved him so much. “You know I don’t deserve you, big brother.”
“I know, but it’s the way the genes were doled out,” he grinned. “Have we got a deal?” Blue eyes that matched her own held hers until she bent to hug him and promised to call him and make plans. “Love you, Tommy. I’ll call you, soon.”
“Or I’ll call you,” he winked. “Love you, too, Sis.” He turned his chair and rolled away. Del pushed the door to the gym open and called Luc’s name. She’d started to leave but she found herself watching the doors of the gym for Luc. What was taking him so long?
“Luc.”
She heard his answer from the storeroom. “Be there in a minute.” The lights went out one by one and Luc appeared at her side. “Had a phone call, probably a telemarketer. She kept asking if the owner was in—right, at 10 p.m.” He leaned over and gave her a quick smack on the lips. “Hmmm, want more. I know, you’re on call. Got time for a cup of coffee?”
Delilah checked her watch. “Sure. I’ve checked in and by the time we get that cup, I can probably get off shift. Where?”
“How about my place?” He winked. “Just kidding, Twitchy’s?” Popular with the college crowd, Twitchy’s was open into the wee hours and served free mini-muffins with their coffee specialties.
“You know us cop types. We’re suckers for free sweets,” Del teased. “I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll be right along. Gotta check the back door and lock up.”
Del sat in her car waiting for Luc to exit. Turning her rear view mirror so she could see him at the door, she started the car. Remembering the shared moment with Monette, she looked over her shoulder. “Shit.” Flipping her lights on to stop the few approaching cars she made a U-turn, pulling up against the traffic in front of the gym screeching to a halt, angled to protect Luc who’d fallen, his legs stretched into the street. He was unconscious.