Body Heat

by Brenda Novak

  “No,” she said with a laugh. “I called Grant and he took care of the rest. Gary and James are in the hospital in Tucson, under police guard. Leonard’s dead.”

  “So…did I shoot Leonard instead?”

  “That was me.”

  She felt his lips against her temple. “Then I’m sure he deserved it.”

  “I did it to save Starkey’s life.” Not to mention her own and Rafe’s.

  “And did Starkey survive?”

  “He was shot twice, but it looks like he’ll make it. He’s in this very same hospital.”

  “At least we’re making it convenient for you to visit.”

  “You’ll be getting out tonight or maybe tomorrow morning. He’ll be in quite a while longer.”

  “I could go home now, if I wasn’t enjoying your sympathy so much.”

  She snuggled even closer. “Sure you could. You can barely talk.”

  “I’m lucid.”

  “Sort of.”

  “Can you believe it’s all over?” he asked.

  She knew he wasn’t referring to his medical treatment; he was talking about the murders and the smuggling and the risk to their lives. Van Dormer had filled her in, told her it was James who’d killed the UDAs and inadvertently exposed Gary and his operation. “I can’t. I’m glad, of course, but I’d be a lot happier if it didn’t mean you’d be leaving.”

  He tilted up her chin so he could look into her face. “What if I were to take you with me?”

  She would’ve liked nothing more. But she couldn’t walk out on all the people who needed her. “I wish I could go.”

  “But…”

  “The next few months won’t be easy for my mother. And there’s a fourteen-year-old boy who’s counting on me. He actually reminds me of you at the same age. He’s savvy, been forced to live by his wits.”

  “Where’ve you been hiding him all week?”

  “He’s been at soccer camp.”

  “I’m drugged, but did you just say you have a boy?”

  She couldn’t help chuckling at his confusion.

  “It’s Starkey’s son. I pretty much raised him for the three years we were together. And I’ve done what I can ever since. Besides his father, I’m pretty much all Rafe’s got. I can’t let him down.”

  Rod ran his knuckles down the side of her face. She had the impression he was thinking, weighing their options.

  “Then there’s Bordertown,” she went on. “With James going to prison for the UDA murders as well as Stuart’s death, and the sheriff being indicted for accepting bribes to look the other way—I’m needed here. For all we know, there could be others.”

  “I see.”

  “They could use your help, as well,” she said hopefully.

  “You want me to stay.”

  She met his gaze. “I’m thirty and I’ve finally fallen in love.”

  He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. “Good thing there’ll be a few jobs.”

  “You’ll do it?” she asked in surprise.

  “I think I can manage to put up with the place until Rafe turns eighteen.”

  She held his face between her hands. “I hope that’s not the sedatives talking.”

  He laughed. “It’s not.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I’m thirty, but I’ve been in love ever since I was fifteen,” he said, and kissed her.

  Epilogue

  The city council meeting was far more crowded than any Sophia had attended before. She sat nervously in her uniform at the front of the room, facing the five council members who’d fired her. Paul Fedorko gave her a fleeting, apologetic smile, Liz Torres flushed every time their eyes met and Richard Lantus acted preoccupied, as if this was business as usual. But this wasn’t just another meeting. In the week since Gary and James had been arrested, they’d buried Stuart Dunlap and Leonard Taylor. She’d removed bugs planted by Leonard from her home, office and vehicle—bugs she never would’ve known about except for a text message they found on Gary’s phone. And the county sheriff and two members of the city council—Neil Munoz and the mayor—had already been named as suspects in a corruption investigation, with others in the works.

  Although Neil Munoz was a no-show, Mayor Schilling presided as usual, trying to keep up appearances in hopes of convincing Bordertown’s citizens that he’d been falsely accused. And maybe that was true. Too many had been swept up in Gary’s “coffee” enterprise to believe they’d all known what was happening. Sophia believed it was just Leonard and the sheriff who were aware of the truth. The others had been duped. Ever since news of what Gary was really doing had broken several other people, including the Simpsons, had stepped forward to say they’d been invited to participate, too, as investors, and had refused for one reason or another. But they all said it seemed legitimate. Gary used other people’s capital to grow his illegal business but he paid a fair return, so no one was any the wiser.

  The mayor pounded his gavel. “Can we come to order here? Quiet, please. Quiet. We’d like to get started.”

  Cameramen from ABC News and CNN crouched at the side of the room, recording what the mayor had to say. Sophia could tell the inclusion of such “outsiders” bothered Schilling; he had too much pride to stand there as an accused man. But there was enough going on even without the news media, who crowded into every foot of space not already taken up by a Bordertown resident. Most people had come early to be sure of getting a seat. Recent events had stirred up a surfeit of emotion, and folks had come out to have their say, to complain to their elected officials as well as their neighbors and the press.

  Ever since that terrifying night at the Boot and Spur, Sophia herself had spent hours talking with reporters. Mostly she’d told them how glad she was to have it all behind her. The safe house was closed down, and although one of the two men who ran it had escaped, he was an illegal immigrant himself who’d probably returned to Mexico. And she no longer had to worry about James shooting innocent people. But now she was uneasy again. One detail remained. She was about to hear whether or not she’d receive an offer to continue on as chief of police.

  Drawing a deep breath, she turned to look for Rod and found him sitting at the back, his injured leg stretched out in the aisle. She knew it hurt him to bend it, but he was getting around and had insisted on coming. He was sitting with Bruce, which made her smile. They’d managed to forge the beginnings of a friendship over the past few days. Yesterday Bruce had taken Rod fishing. Rod had acted as if it wasn’t any big deal, but she could tell he was secretly excited. She’d loved packing his lunch, then helping fry the trout he brought home.

  Unfortunately Edna and Patrick weren’t quite as willing to embrace Rod. Bruce was still struggling to deal with the division in his family caused by their resistance, but at this point a division was to be expected. Patrick’s wife was one of the investors in Gary’s sham of a business, and she was being investigated along with all the others.

  When Sophia caught Rod’s eye he motioned to his left, and she shifted her gaze. A few rows away she saw Rafe, who’d come with his grandmother. Starkey was still in the hospital, but his prognosis had improved dramatically. He claimed, as a result of what he’d been through, that he was going to turn his life around and be a better parent to Rafe. Sophia figured she’d believe it when he proved it, but at least he now had the chance.

  “As you know, we’ve had some unfortunate…occurrences in Bordertown during the past few months and weeks,” the mayor began when he’d finally managed to call the room to order. “I can’t comment on all of it because the investigations are ongoing. But the FBI will get the mess straightened out and those who have broken the law will be punished.”

  Sophia wondered if that might include him—but again her gut told her no.

  “In difficult times a rare few prove themselves to be made of stern stuff,” he went on. “We call those individuals heroes.” He paused to give his words a theatrical flair. “And tonight we’d like to honor ou
r own hero. Chief St. Claire, will you please stand? We have something we’d like to present to you for your outstanding service on behalf of Bordertown.”

  Sophia had been hoping they’d reconsider firing her. She hadn’t expected an award. She stood to the sound of thunderous applause while Paul Fedorko read a proclamation the council had signed and framed.

  “Thank you for service above and beyond the call,” he said when he was done. Then he gave her the plaque along with the microphone so she could respond.

  “Does this mean I get to keep my job?” she asked.

  Everyone laughed, and Paul nodded. “Of course. I’m sure we’ll all sleep better at night knowing we have such a capable chief of police, right, folks?”

  There was more applause. Rafe even stood to clap. But Sophia raised a hand to silence everyone. “Thank you. I’m truly flattered. By the way, you’ll be happy to learn that the ballistics from the spent shell casings and the bullets taken from the victims match the gun found on the suspect.”

  While she talked, Sophia spotted Detective Lindstrom on the left, toward the middle. She didn’t look happy with the accolades Sophia was receiving, but Sophia didn’t care. She knew they’d never be friends. Charlie Sumpter, back from his family reunion, was in the crowd, too. He’d been as surprised as anyone by what James had done. Sophia was pretty sure he hadn’t realized what he’d invested in, either. And he probably wasn’t alone in that. Exactly who was aware of what was going on and who wasn’t still had to be sorted out.

  Notably absent were James’s parents. Sophia had been out to visit them and had seen how much they were struggling with the actions of their son. Because of his attitude toward illegal immigrants and everything he’d had to say on the subject, Kevin felt he was partially to blame.

  Anne was absent, too. She was taking Gary’s arrest as hard as Sophia had expected; she’d also heard the rumors that they’d been having an affair, which had reached her just a few days ago. But she understood what Leonard had been attempting by spreading those rumors, and she wasn’t blaming Sophia for Gary’s incarceration, which had come as a complete shock to her. Sophia believed that her mother would work through her loss and eventually file for divorce. She was still an attractive woman; she’d find another man to take care of her, which was what her happiness seemed to hinge on.

  “We think we might also have some DNA evidence that places the suspect at the scene of one of the murders,” she went on. “We’re still waiting for that to come in. But the case looks solid. I’d like to assure you that the worst is behind us. We’ll have a difficult time over the next few months as we heal from our collective wounds, but if we pull together we’ll make it.” Her gaze strayed to Rod, who was grinning proudly. “And now I must admit that I don’t really deserve the award the council just gave me. I couldn’t have accomplished what was done without the help of Rod Guerrero, one of our own who returned in our hour of need and worked tirelessly, without compensation, to make sure we were safe.”

  The crowd clapped and stomped, with Rod’s father cheering loudest, but Rod interrupted. “Are you kidding?” he said, giving them his cocky, sexy smile. “I got exactly what I wanted.”

  “What did you want?” someone called, playing along.

  “I got the girl,” he said, and then the crowd really went wild.

  Later, when Rod lay next to her in bed, sliding his fingers up and down her arm and staring out the window, he said, “Tomorrow, will you go somewhere with me?”

  “Where?” she asked.

  “To the cemetery. It’s about time I paid my respects to my mother.”

  “Of course.”

  He curled around her. “She would’ve liked you, you know.”

  A moment later Sophia couldn’t help asking, “Are you okay with staying in Bordertown, Rod? Can you really be happy here?”

  “I think this is where I’m supposed to be. All roads lead home—at least for now.”

  “What will you do about Department 6? I hate to ask you to quit your job.”

  “I talked to Milt earlier. I’m not quitting my job. I’m going to open an extension office.” He winked at her. “And I’ll try to recruit the chief of police.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-6542-8

  BODY HEAT

  Copyright © 2010 by Brenda Novak, Inc.

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