Some Like It in Handcuffs

by Warner, Christine

  Pursing her lips she resumed the examination of her fingernails. If only she had a nail file. “None of you would shut up long enough to hear what I had to say when I first mentioned working the DeVito case. So, since I didn’t see the need for a signed note from my daddy, or anyone else, I took it because I wanted to.”

  Derek towered over her. His needle sharp gaze targeted her with displeasure. “Wait one damn minute—”

  “No, you wait one damn minute.” Sunny pushed from her chair, balancing her weight on the balls of her feet to add height. “For twenty-six years Mr. DeVito has waited in limbo for the murderer of his daughter to be found then convicted. I’m going to help him. It’s about time someone did.”

  “Hell, the case is older than you are.” Derek chuckled.

  “And colder than you,” Sunny shot back.

  “Damn it, the case is closed.” Derek roared. “There’s a small issue of lack of evidence.”

  “That’s enough, son.” Ray Kennedy placed a firm hand on Derek’s shoulder, silencing the argument.

  Sunny turned toward her dad with gratitude. Despite coming to her defense, his expression was far from sympathetic. The hard set of his jaw, narrowed eyes and the way he rubbed his left temple spoke of his displeasure with what she was doing. She swallowed, and tilted her head to the side.

  “Daddy, the case was shelved too soon.” Her brothers rolled their eyes. They were well aware of the special tone she used to get past her father’s defenses. “You and Glen DeVito worked together as rookies. He’s running out of time. Don’t you want him to know what happened to Karina?”

  The hard lines on her father’s face disappeared. He stepped toward her. “We went over all of this before, Sunshine.” Sunny relaxed at the use of her pet name. She might just stand a chance to persuade him after all. “I know Glen’s convinced who’s responsible.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Unfortunately, there’s no proof.”

  “That’s where I come in, Daddy. Somebody knows something and after all of these years they might be ready to talk, and Benny’s is the perfect place to start.” She swung around to face her brothers. “And the evidence box, if the department gives me the green light to go through it and see what’s logged, maybe there’s something we can test against a suspects DNA. It’ll be a chance the police weren’t given twenty-five years ago since DNA testing wasn’t available.”

  “Glen was a highly respected officer. Although he’s retired, he should’ve known better than to get you involved in this. You don’t have experience with this type of investigation.” Her father nodded as Derek spoke.

  Her shoulders sank at the look on their faces, unbending like rods of steel. Unfortunately the men in her family didn’t share her confidence, and she was tired of always having to prove herself to them. Sunny loved them, but they needed to open their eyes and see her for the woman she’d become, not the little girl she used to be.

  “I want a challenge. I’m sick of hiding in the shadows and lying low in the front seat of a car taking pictures of cheating spouses.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I can do this. I’ve already proven myself. I have more job offers than I can handle.”

  “We all know you’re good at your job, but stick to what you know.” Derek approached her in a soothing, authoritative voice. Like that of a man talking down to a willful, out of control child. He would try and coax her into following his commands like she was ten years old all over again.

  She spun around in his direction and slammed the table top with her fist. The echo floated through the room and drew four pairs of wide eyes in her direction.

  “Don’t patronize me, Derek.” Sunny spoke through gritted teeth. Her palm stung, but she wouldn’t let her discomfort show.

  Brent put his hand in front of his brother to stop his guaranteed retort.

  “Nobody doubts your abilities. We worry about you,” Brent said.

  “You have a funny way of showing it.” She scowled and tossed a section of hair behind her shoulder with the flick of her wrist.

  “Both Benny and Slater have extensive criminal records.” Her father spoke. “Slater alone has been in and out of jail since his teens.”

  Brent added, “The pair are dangerous and we don’t want you mixed up with them. Working at that dive, around those two thugs, just because Glen thinks they know something about his daughter’s murder, is pure craziness.”

  “Your association with them puts you at risk. Have you thought about that?” Judson’s gravelly voice rubbed her the wrong way.

  Sunny spun on her heel and glared at him. “No comments from the peanut gallery.” With a proud tilt to her chin she blocked out Judson’s broad chest and tight jaw line to meet her brother’s stares. “Danger, risk, each of you should look in the mirror. Everyday I’m scared to death one of you will get hurt, but I don’t try and stop you from doing your jobs.” To hide the tremble of her hands she rested them on the back of the chair.

  “Don’t even start—” Derek stepped in her direction, but Brent waved him away.

  “I can help Mr. DeVito.” Sunny met her father’s face and she blinked several times. “Daddy, let me prove it.”

  She sank into the chair covering her face with her hands. Drained both physically and mentally, she doubted her own ability to make her family understand as she swallowed a sob. Her head ached as she acknowledged how little time Mr. DeVito had left. The doctors gave him less than sixth months before the cancer would take over completely.

  Her father rubbed her shoulders softly and leaned down toward her ear. “Shhh, Sunshine. I know you want to help Glen, but—”

  “But do you have to do it bartending in a disgusting strip joint wearing that ridiculous outfit?” Derek waved his hand toward her shaking his head.

  Sunny stiffened, lowering her hands to meet Derek’s hard expression. Her father stepped toward him shaking his head. “I’m wearing more clothes than most people wear to the beach. So get a straw and suck it up.”

  Derek’s hand fell to his side. His fists clenched and unclenched several times. Her dad gripped her brother around the back of the neck with the span of his palm. Derek spit out a breath then shoved his hands deep inside his front pockets. The motion probably helped him resist the urge to strangle her.

  “Be thankful I don’t have any rhythm, otherwise I’d be stripping.”

  The twinkle in Judson’s eyes gave her hope he might not only have a bod built for action, but a sense of humor. Her heart thudded against her ribs as their gazes connected. Heat covered her like a blanket. First to look away, she studied a small group of sequins on her shorts that formed a flower.

  From beneath her lashes she examined her brother’s reaction, reveling in the fact Derek’s face was a mask of red. The angry vein popping out on his neck knotted into a tight cord. Of all her siblings, she butted heads with him the most. She secretly enjoyed their confrontations, especially when she had one up on him.

  Derek snapped his head toward her and growled, “You don’t have to tend bar at that dive to work on this.”

  Sunny jerked her head to look at her brother with a half grin. Even though they were all stubborn, she had a wonderful family, but she knew him too well. He wanted her to work the case like he suggested; from behind a safe wall. Next he’d offer to help, and before she knew it he’d be calling the shots. Not a chance. This was her baby and she’d see it through to the end.

  “I can’t get the information I need doing it your way. You said so yourself, it’s not there. I have to stay in contact with Benny.” Sunny looked past Derek to include her father and Brent.

  “But, what about—”

  “Plus, I’ve only been at the bar a few weeks and Benny’s already confided in me. He trusts me.” Not that she was in the mood to share too much information, but someone had also left her a handwritten note attached to a picture of Benny and Karina on the front seat of her car. It didn’t thrill her someone knew what she was up to. But at the same time it gave her confidence that
if she played her cards right she could eventually have an ally who could supply the final information she needed to close this case.

  As for Benny, she wouldn’t reveal her suspicions yet, but she doubted his involvement in Karina’s death. Each night after they closed the bar they shared many long conversations while cleaning up. Sunny learned Benny’s most personal secret. Each week he visited Karina’s grave with flowers. He missed her and still loved her.

  “You don’t have any other choice than to work your case the way I’m suggesting since your cover was blown,” Derek aimed his arrogant grin straight at her and crooned, “or handing it off to another PI.”

  “Again, dear brother, you have it wrong. When the cuffs were snapped around my wrist there was no mention of who I was.” Gotcha! Her brother’s stance sagged.

  “Either way you’re not to go back there. That’s final.” Her father kneeled at her side. “I’ll talk to Glen and set him straight.”

  Sunny looked into the faded gingham blue of her father’s eyes. They were a replica of her own, the only feature from her dad she inherited. Everything else about her was her mother through and through.

  She released a long sigh when her father stood. She’d give anything to have one more day with her mother. After all of these years she still missed her.

  Her mother’s death was one of the driving forces in her desire to solve this for Glen DeVito. Sunny knew how her mother died, all the details. But Mr. DeVito only knew cold, hard facts of his daughter’s death. If Sunny could nail the murderer then he would hopefully learn the details he needed for his own closure.

  “Enough is enough. You’ll have to either work this from another angle, or drop it and tell Glen sorry.” Derek’s smile betrayed his smug attitude.

  Her brothers thought wrong if they felt a reprimand from Dad would change her mind. The only way to bring this conversation to an end was if she gave in, and she wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon.

  Even though she hated being treated like a child, she indulged in a trick from her tween years. Sunny crossed her fingers underneath the table. She only hoped the lie about to pass between her lips didn’t come back to haunt her.

  “All right…all right, you got me where you want me. I won’t give it up, but for your sakes I’ll work it exactly how each of you would.” She took her time and looked each and every one of them in the eye before she queried, “Okay?”

  She’d be more than happy to work it in the same way, because she already was. The difference being she hadn’t taken one tenth of the risks they would’ve. She bit the inside of her cheek. A little play on words was okay, wasn’t it? There wasn’t any reason they needed to know she still planned to work at Benny’s. If it comforted them to think she’d given up bartending, far be it for her to spoil their vision.

  Guilt tightened her abdomen, but she pushed it aside as she justified her cause. Of course part of her plan was based on the fact she wanted to gain her independence from her male dominated family. When she solved this case she’d finally have their respect and their belief in her abilities. But, Mr. DeVito was the main reason she needed to do this. She’d never wanted to help another person so much in her life. Sunny’s heart shattered at the vacant look in his eyes when he talked of his beloved Karina. She had to solve this for him.

  The room stilled. All the men eyed Sunny thoughtfully, waiting for a condition to be dropped. Even Judson stood away from the wall with his hands on his hips, regarding her through narrowed eyes.

  After a few tense moments Brent’s relieved voice ended the silence. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Dear Brent, she had always found him the easiest of her brothers to convince. A twinge of apprehension and guilt crept up her spine at the way she manipulated him so easily.

  Her father rested his hands on his hips, his stance wide. He remained quiet and his face expressionless.

  She glanced over at Derek. He’d be the challenge. His eyes penetrated straight through her with his super hero x-ray vision. Perspiration dotted her palms and she brushed them down the sides of her skimpy shorts.

  “I’m surprised you’re giving in so quickly.” Derek zeroed in on her face. His voice dripped honey. “I have a condition before I join your fan club.”

  The stern set of his face spoke volumes. He’d have no problem throwing a stipulation into the mix to get his way.

  “And what condition might that be?” Sunny tried to swallow, but her throat had suddenly turned into the Sahara Desert.

  “Even though I’d like to, in all honesty, I don’t have time to play investigator with you. But, if someone agreed to help you, mentor you, would you accept?”

  “I don’t need a mentor.”

  “Humor me.”

  “It would depend on who you wanted to saddle me with.” Sunny’s confidence slipped and hit the floor.

  She dared a quick glance in her father’s direction. A smile tugged the edges of his mouth.

  Names and faces of the many detectives in the precinct ran through her mind in alphabetical order. Gates, too close to her brother Derek, she’d never get away with a thing. Phil Karr, a friend of her fathers, too old. Landon Lloyd was young enough, but he’d been asking her out like forever. Moe was the king of gossip. Karen Phelps? Her crush on Craig was sure to cause a conflict. Russo? Too lazy. One by one she eliminated potential partners and reached a conclusion. She’d much rather work alone.

  “Consider it a gift from me to you. You’ll get some training from a seasoned pro.” Derek’s eyes crinkled at the edges as he pulled his metal framed glasses from his inside pocket and fitted them across his nose.

  “Why? I already said I’d work it your way.” Her heart skipped a beat, maybe two. Even through her narrowed gaze she witnessed the slight upturn at the corner of his lips. She could almost hear him saying gotcha.

  “You’ve never worked on a murder investigation before.”

  Her father folded his arms across his chest and rocked back on his heels. Derek had done it again. She could see it on the relaxed lines of her dad’s face. He liked her brother’s suggestion and would back him on it.

  Before she could open her mouth to argue her point, her father spoke up, “Judson’s the perfect candidate. He’s an extra body in the precinct until he leaves for Montana.”

  Her eyes widened and swung toward the impossible man she hadn’t even considered. “But, what—”

  “Perfect.” Derek regarded her with a sickening flash of white teeth.

  Sunny sneered at her older brother. His delight at her discomfort was obvious. She understood a sneaky maneuver from her brother, but her father had always been wrapped around her finger. This had obviously been planned before she arrived at the precinct.

  Play it cool.

  “I’m sure he’s just itching to make some more arrests. That way he can really break those cuffs in.” The ribbon of panic in Sunny’s stomach stretched out to cover her entire body.

  “Thanks to you they’re already broken in.” Judson rested his hands on his hips. Hands she’d like to use to slap him with.

  Sunny slid the heart pendant on her box chain necklace back and forth. “A case like this would be somewhat on the tame side from what you’re used to.”

  “There’s nothing I’d like better than to see justice served for Glen. He’s a good guy and deserves closure. And I’ll be able to accomplish two things at one time if I can teach you a few things while I’m at it.” Judson’s deep voice wrapped around her and she shivered.

  She’d been tricked. They all must be in on it. She blew a tendril of hair from her face and tapped her left foot underneath the table on the bare cement floor. Her gaze drilled into the only man in the room she wasn’t related to. The prospect of working with him didn’t thrill her.

  “Well, there you go, he’s happy to help and you could use the support. It’s a win, win situation for all of us.” Derek gloated.

  It would’ve pleasured her more than a chocolate cake dripping in hot fudg
e to smack the grin not only from Derek’s face, but Judson’s as well. She didn’t want—or need help, especially from the arrogant stranger across the narrow width of the room. Whenever she looked at him, or thought of him, her knees weakened, and a tremor, feeling suspiciously life altering, torpedoed straight through her bones.

  Not only did her attraction to him chip away at her insides, but if they were forced to work together, her family would assume he’d led the investigation and she tagged along. She’d be in the same predicament as now.

  “I’d rather work alone.” She attempted to rise from her seat.

  The pressure of her dad’s hand on her shoulder pushed down until her butt hit the seat. She lifted her gaze to meet his. The look on his face was one she’d never seen him use on her before. His jaw clenched, his lips were two straight lines and his unblinking eyes looked right through her. In less than five seconds, she knew she wouldn’t be getting her way this time.

  “Your brothers are right. Not only would it give me peace of mind to have Judson working with you, but his experience would be a great tool in solving this case.”

  “You might even learn something.” Derek laughed. “And if your mind is working overtime to try and get out of this. Forget it.”

  Brent placed both of his hands on the table and looked her in the eyes with a grin. “If you don’t take our suggestion and work with Judson, you’ll have no access whatsoever to any of our case files, evidence logs, or software.”

  “But, I need that. You know how much that’ll slow me down.” Her mouth hung open as she twisted her head to look at each man. By denying her all of those things it would limit her investigation, not only making it harder for her to solve, but damn near impossible. “The evidence box. You can’t do that.”

  “Oh, but we can and we will,” Brent said with a hint of smugness she never witnessed from him.

  “No, the evidence box makes all the difference in solving this.” Sunny’s gaze rested on her dad, her voice turned to silk. “Daddy, you’re not hurting just me, but Glen.”