Courting Suspicion

by Kimberly Dean

  Nina pounced. ‘I was under the impression that the perpetrators had been arrested and the DA had taken over the case. What do you think I could possibly provide?’

  The man let out a not-so-subtle snort, but rubbed his nose and sat back in his chair. ‘A motive.’

  She drummed her fingers against the arms of the chair. ‘I wasn’t there.’

  ‘No, but your employee was. Your employee at Luxxor Limited.’

  She watched him silently and didn’t respond.

  ‘You don’t have anything to say about that?’

  ‘I didn’t hear a question.’

  Mr Phipps leaned in. ‘What is this about, Detective? Ms Lockwood has already answered questions in this case. She has no direct knowledge of the crime. Why are you wasting her time?’

  ‘Because I need to know what her employee was doing in that hotel room.’

  Again, Nina said nothing. She didn’t know exactly where this line of questioning was going, but she knew she didn’t like it.

  Higgins jabbed at the paper again. ‘Genieve Hart was caught having sex with Senator Samuel Gunderson.’

  ‘Her boyfriend,’ Phipps said in a huff. ‘Just like I’m sure the couple in the next room was doing. Are you making lewd accusations against them too?’

  ‘No, just this one.’

  Phipps reached under the table for his briefcase. ‘If this doesn’t have anything to do with my client or Luxxor, we’ll be leaving.’

  ‘Is the senator Genieve’s boyfriend?’ Higgins leaned forward aggressively. ‘Or is he her client?’

  Nina rolled her ankle lazily under the table. No, she didn’t like this one. She didn’t like him at all.

  ‘Senator Gunderson and Ms Hart have been seeing each other exclusively for over a month,’ Phipps countered. ‘But their love life is none of your business.’

  ‘But it’s Luxxor’s line of business, isn’t it?’

  The man’s eyes sparked, and his chest puffed up. Nina’s eyes narrowed. He looked like a peacock getting ready to spread his feathers for all to see.

  The detective shifted in his chair in anticipation. ‘We found a Luxxor business card in the hotel room.’

  ‘And, again, Genieve is a Luxxor employee.’ The lawyer shook his head. ‘Goodbye, Detective.’

  Higgins stood so rapidly, his chair skidded backwards with a squeal that made the cop in the corner wince. ‘The TMI reporters had a source who told them that Genieve Hart is a prostitute.’

  The fire in Nina’s belly leapt in huge, snapping flames, yet she pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth and waited.

  ‘This is outrageous!’ Phipps snarled.

  The detective was undeterred. His hands smacked against the table as he leaned in over her. ‘Ms Lockwood, does Luxxor Limited supply whores to politicians?’

  Whores? Nina’s breath caught in her throat. She saw red, but she contained her fury long enough for Phipps to blow first.

  ‘Enough! My client doesn’t have to sit here and listen to these suppositions and accusations. One more word, and I’ll file police harassment charges.’

  ‘It’s not harassment if it’s true.’ The young upstart raised his voice. ‘Answer me, Nina. If Genieve is your employee, does that make you not only Luxxor’s president but also its madam?’

  Nina’s entire body went hot. She’d tried to play nice, but the fire in her belly was raging out of control.

  Slowly, she uncrossed her legs. When she stood and pushed back her chair, it made no sound at all. She rose to her full height in her stilettos. The young detective was still taller than her, but she nailed him in place with a look that seared. ‘Excuse me,’ she said icily.

  He looked dumbfounded when she turned away from him. ‘You are not leaving.’

  No? She walked across the room, consciously unlocking her spine so her hips swivelled. She looked over her shoulder with her hand on the doorknob. ‘It won’t take but a moment.’

  Phipps was on his feet now, too, and he was banging his hand against the table. ‘My client is here under her own volition. You have no right to keep her here.’

  ‘It’s all right, Phipps,’ Nina said calmly. She even smiled. ‘I’ll be right back.’

  Higgins muttered underneath his breath. Finally, he snapped his fingers at the female officer who’d been standing quietly in the corner of the room. ‘Follow her to the ladies’ room.’

  Oh, she wasn’t going there.

  Nina strode down the hallway, letting her footsteps ring out crisply. This time she had twice as many watchers. The interrogation room may have been closed, but the detective hadn’t been quiet.

  She wasn’t about to be, either, only she wasn’t going to lose her composure. The little boy wanted to throw his weight around? It was time to put some pressure right back on him.

  The baby detective was about to fold.

  She heard the female cop following her as she turned up the steps. Nina knew it would have been much easier to take the elevator, but now that she was inside the station, this was all about visibility. Transparency, as was the buzzword these days. She kept going until she was at the top floor. Her hair lifted as she picked up her chin. There it was, the nameplate she was looking for. She marched towards it like a heat-seeking missile.

  When she knocked and opened the door, she glanced back in time to see the female officer’s eyes round to the size of saucers. Her mouth followed suit, but she closed it with a snap. If the corners were still curled upward, the woman couldn’t seem to help it.

  Nina wasn’t ready to smile yet. She was about to breath fire.

  She breezed into the office. ‘Commander, how nice to see you.’

  Chapter Five

  Josh stood still as a statue in the viewing room next to the interrogation room. The tiny room was packed, but he’d been allowed a prime spot up front. Higgins hadn’t made a lot of friends in the department, even before he’d been promoted. His move today hadn’t helped his popularity. Everyone wanted to see how he’d handle going up against a high-priced DC lawyer.

  So far, not so good.

  And the lawyer hadn’t had that much to do with it.

  Josh waited, his forearm braced against the window frame. Nina had just taken over the interview, simply by standing up and walking out. Like Cleopatra or something. She’d taken Higgins’s verbal shots without flinching, but he was surprised the two-way mirror hadn’t melted right off the wall. Hell, he’d been insulted. Higgins had made the mistake of throwing all his cards onto the table at once.

  Worse, he’d gotten nasty.

  Josh’s fingers curled. Even if she was what Higgins had accused her of, she wasn’t some dirtbag pimp. He’d seen Luxxor’s set-up. All her people were top notch, and they were well taken care of. They had more security than a bank, and Luxxor shared its profits. From the clothes the employees wore to the apartments they rented, it was obvious. He’d been to Rielle’s place. He’d seen the car Sienna drove. Even if it was all true, Nina didn’t deserve to be treated that way.

  His gaze burned the back of Higgins’s head. It was taking all he had not to go right through the window and throttle the guy.

  ‘Holy,’ Alvarez muttered, ‘hell.’

  ‘Oh, my God,’ somebody else said in awe. ‘Look at that.’

  Josh frowned, but realised everyone was looking through the open door of the interrogation room to the hallway beyond. When he followed their gazes, everything went into slow motion. Nina was walking down the hallway back to the interview room. Or, should he say, sashaying. She looked like a supermodel on a runway – confident, in control and drop-dead gorgeous. That white dress was simple and professional, but the way it skimmed over her tight curves made his mouth go dry.

  Higgins had to feel the heat, too, but for another reason.

  Their commander was at her side.

  Josh rubbed his hand over his mouth to fight the grin that pulled at his lips. It wasn’t funny. It brought to light all kinds of new questions. But damn, he
loved her spunk.

  ‘She’s going to eat Higgins alive,’ he said when Alvarez raised an eyebrow.

  She hadn’t just gone over the guy’s head. She’d climbed all the way to the top official in the police district. The eagle insignia on the commander’s shoulders said so.

  Inside the interview room, Higgins shuffled his feet. Nina’s lawyer folded his arms over his chest and levelled a look at the younger man. The new detective was about to learn a lesson the hard way.

  Josh’s gaze went to Nina. There were no histrionics and no tears. She was so in control, it was making him hard.

  Commander Jones gestured that she should enter the room first and she did, head held high. The commander planted his big, bearish body just inside the room. All activity in the office had stopped. Even the people in handcuffs had turned to watch. The captain came out of his office to see what was going on, but stopped in his tracks. He made no further move to join the scene.

  ‘What is going on down here?’ the commander asked, his low voice booming.

  Everyone turned to look at Higgins.

  ‘I’m questioning a witness,’ the detective said. Too late, he remembered to add, ‘Sir.’

  Nina’s heels cracked against the flooring like gunshots as she moved to the table. ‘As I’ve explained, I’m not a witness. I wasn’t there.’

  ‘What case is this?’ the commander asked.

  Higgins tugged at his jacket sleeves and straightened his tie. ‘The Gunderson case, sir.’

  ‘I thought that was Morgan’s case.’

  ‘It’s mine now. The captain reassigned it.’

  The commander’s head swivelled on his thick neck and, through the blinds, he caught the captain’s eye. ‘I was also under the impression that the case was closed.’

  ‘Part of it is, sir. We’re looking at additional charges.’ Higgins’s chest puffed up as his nerve returned. ‘Prostitution, to be exact. We have reason to believe the woman with the senator is a working girl.’

  ‘And Ms Lockwood figures into this how?’ The chill in the commander’s voice made even the people inside the viewing room step back.

  ‘She’s her panderer.’

  Nina’s gasp came over the speakers in the room clearly, and Josh knocked his fist against the window frame. Did the kid have no tact? He himself had been accused of being intimidating, but even he petted puppies and kissed babies.

  ‘Commander, we came down here voluntarily, only to have Ms Lockwood subjected to the rudest of accusations.’ The lawyer stepped forward, and his nasal voice rose in indignation. ‘We’ll be filing a complaint over this.’

  Higgins lifted the folder. ‘She’s a flesh-peddler, a madam. Whatever pretty name you put on it, it doesn’t change the crime.’

  Josh swallowed a growl. He knew full well that folder didn’t contain proof of any of that. He’d put the damn thing together.

  ‘That.’ Nina pointed a pink-tipped fingernail in Higgins’s direction. ‘That is what I was talking about. I won’t put up with it.’

  ‘Nor should you,’ Jones said, his voice rumbling. ‘You’re free to go, Ms Lockwood.’

  The police commander stepped away from the door. ‘I’ll look into this myself.’

  ‘But sir!’ Higgins protested. ‘I had her close to confessing.’

  Half the people in the viewing room sputtered in protest, while the others coughed in surprise.

  ‘She was doing no such thing.’ Phipps already had his things gathered, but he turned on his heel. Like a bulldog, he went at the young detective. ‘Get ready for another case, kid. We’ll be seeing you in court.’

  The lawyer gestured for Nina to proceed him out the door.

  ‘No.’

  She dug in all five inches of those killer heels, and Josh groaned. It was a move he knew well. Now was not the time for her to be stubborn.

  ‘I’m not leaving this office with this filthy accusation hanging over my head.’ Her words were measured, but her voice was steady. ‘I’ll answer whatever questions the department has, but not from this inexperienced rookie.’

  Josh gritted his teeth. The woman had stones, but why was she pushing her luck? She was walking a tightrope here, sashaying or not. There were questions she didn’t want to answer. He knew; he’d already tried asking. Her lawyer should be dragging her out, kicking or screaming.

  She crossed her arms and faced the commander. ‘I’ll answer them only from you.’

  ‘Oh, hell,’ Josh hissed.

  The slashes of colour on Higgins’s cheeks had spread to his entire face, and his chest looked like it was about to pop. ‘Sir.’

  ‘Leave us,’ the commander said.

  Higgins rocked back and forth on his heels like a Weeble.

  ‘And send in Morgan.’

  That nearly toppled the kid. He moved forward quickly. ‘He was taken off the case for impropriety, sir.’

  Alvarez grabbed Josh’s arm before he could put his fist through the window.

  ‘Morgan?’ The commander’s eyes narrowed. ‘Bullshit.’

  Higgins paled. ‘It’s true. He has a relationship with her. He knows her.’

  ‘So do I,’ the commander hissed. ‘Do you know who this woman is? Ms Lockwood helps raise money every year for the department’s Christmas toy drive. She’s donated generously to support the families of officers injured in the line of duty, and she spearheaded the campaign to get us another K-9 unit. Do you understand the seriousness of your accusations?’

  Higgins’s mouth worked like a fish.

  The commander pulled back his shoulders and gestured to the female officer who was once again quietly standing at attention in the corner of the room with her eyes big. ‘Escort the detective out, and tell the captain I’d like a word with him when I’m done here.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ the officer responded crisply.

  Josh felt a tug on his arm.

  ‘You better get in there,’ Alvarez said.

  Josh turned away from the viewing window and the gathering of cops parted like the Red Sea. He took a deep breath. Adrenalin had his heart beating like a racehorse’s. What was the woman thinking?

  He stopped, tilted his head from side to side, heard a crack and finally headed into the firestorm. He turned into the next room and put his hands on his hips. ‘You asked for me, sir?’

  Commander Jones pivoted on his heel. ‘I figured you were close by.’

  So close, he’d heard every word. So close, he’d seen every one of Nina’s subtle tells.

  His boss jabbed a meaty finger towards the folder on the table. ‘Is that your case?’

  ‘It is.’

  The commander nodded and settled his gaze on Nina again. Josh was doing everything he could not to look at her. Her act had been impressive, but she wasn’t going to wrap him around her little finger.

  ‘Ms Lockwood, I don’t have the knowledge of the case that Detective Morgan does. If I sit in on the questioning and let him take the lead, would that suit your needs?’

  Josh heard the sexy sound of material against skin as she moved.

  ‘Yes.’ She lifted her hand to touch her earring.

  Damn it. He was looking at her again. He counted to ten inside his head.

  ‘Morgan, are you prepared for this?’

  Prepared? Hell, no. Josh met his boss’s look in the eye. ‘My investigation concluded that there wasn’t evidence to support the TMI reporters’ claims.’

  ‘I see.’ The commander rubbed his chin. ‘But do you know how Higgins might have come to his conclusions?’

  That was a leading question if Josh had ever heard one. He knew where his own mind had gone. He hadn’t liked it, but he’d done his due diligence. As a cop, he walked a fine line. With his status, it was dangerous to throw around accusations, but he also couldn’t ignore his suspicions. ‘I can’t claim to know the detective’s mind.’

  ‘But could you wrap up some loose threads? Maybe put this thing to bed?’

  His fingers bit into his hi
pbones. Interesting choice of words. He felt Nina standing only a few feet away. He could smell her perfume and hear her soft breaths.

  ‘I could.’

  She was the one who’d thrown down the gauntlet. If she wanted to challenge him, he wasn’t going to step away.

  ‘All right.’ The commander nodded and pulled out a chair for her to sit. ‘Everyone settled down now? Can I get you any coffee? Water?’

  ‘Thank you, Commander,’ Nina said. She sat once again in the chair and crossed her legs silkily. ‘I’m fine.’

  Josh threw a glare at the two-way mirror. He knew where the eyes of about fifteen men were. He walked over and planted himself directly in their line of view. Nina’s gaze finally lifted and locked with his.

  She knew. She knew she had an audience, and she knew she had them in the palm of her hand.

  He walked over to speak quietly to his boss. The man nodded. He turned towards the mirror and jerked his thumb. Josh didn’t need to go look. He knew the room cleared out. He closed the door to the interview room, and work outside started up again.

  ‘Shall we begin?’ the commander asked.

  Josh took the seat across from Nina and pulled the folder towards him. He flipped it open and concentrated his thoughts. She dared them to ask questions? He’d ask questions.

  It might be his one and only chance to get some answers.

  ‘I want to remind everyone that Ms Lockwood is here of her own free will,’ Mr Phipps repeated.

  ‘Duly noted,’ Josh said. He looked at his watch and wrote down the date and time. He tapped his pencil against the table as he looked through his notes. When he lifted his gaze, all he saw was Nina. They’d gone round before, but that white dress and pink fingernails were such a juxtaposition against the questions he was about to ask. ‘You’ve already stated that Genieve Hart is an employee of Luxxor.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What I’d like to know is if Samuel Gunderson is a client.’

  Her breath went a little deeper than the one before.

  Phipps shook his head. ‘The company’s client list is confidential.’

  ‘He is,’ Nina said, ignoring her adviser. ‘Or I should say, he has been in the past.’