Chapter Three
Good thing her own car was still in the garage after her last high-speed chase and she had to use the squad car. Gave her the cover to drive like a maniac and get to Luke before he took off. He didn’t like to be kept waiting. She’d pulled that trick once too often, and he’d paid her back, left and hadn’t surfaced for weeks.
Skidding around the corner, she pulled up behind the apartment building. Sure as hell the lights were burned out and the alley was black as the devil’s heart. Leaving the car, she strode over to where she knew he’d be waiting. He leaned against the bricks with his long hair straggling over his shoulders and a glowing Star Wars t-shirt hanging almost to his bony knees. Only eighteen, the kid had more savvy than many officers she knew, and a certain respect had built up between them after she saved his ass from a stepfather who liked to kick it.
Luke, as he called himself now, worked in a sleazy bar where a lot of lowlifes hung out. His ability to blend into the background helped him gain all kinds of information. Information she gladly paid him for—a win-win situation for them both.
“What’s up?” She spoke softly. “And why are we here at Debbie’s place?” This question had her tone hardening.
“Chill, Lady. I have the information your partner’s offered me good money for, and like, she’s not around, so I figured your money is just as good. You know what I mean?”
The clanging in her ears grew loud enough for Aurora to give her head a shake. She moved next to him, angled her back against the wall, and shifted until their shoulders were only inches apart. “What have you got for her?”
“She promised me a hundred bucks.”
“What the hell! You found out the combination to a bank safe…”
“Don’t try and play me Lady. Just pay up, and I’ll give you what she’s been after for months, been riding me like I’m a racehorse for Christ sake. Glad to be rid of her busting my chops all the time.”
Okay, the pinging had switched to a constant ring. No more games. She reached into her wallet and pulled one of the hundreds she kept tucked away for this kind of situation. “Fine, I’ll give it to you but only on one condition.” She held the money away from his reaching hand. “If I’m paying, it’s my info, mine alone. If she asks, you know nothing. You got that?” She moved in threateningly.
“Deal.” He straightened and stepped back.
Since she hardly ever used that tone with him, she saw the effect and was satisfied. He’d never lied to her yet. “Tell me.”
“It’s about that Rhondo jerk, the guy who disappeared from the planet eight months ago. Well his buddy, Johnny Ross, just showed up, the one he hung with before he left. The dude’s back and bragging up a storm about how him and his friends are gonna score big-time with some new shit they’re putting on the streets.”
Her head felt like it would blow apart from the inner noise. “Let me get this straight. This Ross character is Rhondo’s friend? How did Debbie know about him?”
“That’s easy. She asked me. I told her.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Anger hardened her voice.
“Hell Lady, you never asked!” Cocky at first, he tempered his tone with the truth. “Anyway, I thought you two were partners?”
“Yeah, I thought so too. Okay, where can I find this Ross character?”
“He’s in an apartment over on Alexander, the one beside the Chinese restaurant. I heard him say the food is great and he goes to sleep at night smelling chow mien and flied lice. Thinks he’s funny.”
“He’s a hoot! Okay, scram and remember our deal.”
The look said it all. Luke was a snitch with morals.
Chapter Four
“Ham, you busy?” Aurora sat in the car around the corner from the Chinese restaurant, her phone held to her ear.
“Not if you need me.”
“I’ve just run across a known peddler who’s been lippin’ off about some new shit on the streets. Luke says he’s tight with Rhondo. Thought I’d bring him in, ask him a few questions. You up for it?”
“I’m your guy. Give me an address and hold the fort. I’ll be there pronto.”
She gave him what he asked for and went back to the computer on her car dash that provided access to information on Johnny Ross. He wasn’t a big player, but he did have a record for misdemeanors a mile long and he likely knew where she could catch up with her main prey. If for no other reason than that, she wanted this guy. Real bad!
Being that she wore jeans and an ordinary black fitted jacket, she felt comfortable enough to go into the Chinese joint and pass under the radar. She sauntered over and stopped to look in the window. The image reflected back was of a slender woman with dark hair, long, tousled and messy, and a face trained not to smile.
With a quick fluffing of her hair, and a fake grin, she sauntered inside and checked the menu. She knew from reading the report that this Ross character liked to pierce his body and had enough tattoos to belong in the freaking circus. It shouldn’t be too hard to pick him out if he happened to be there but he wasn’t.
A younger Chinese girl came to ask if she wanted a table and showed no signs of placing her for a cop. A breezy act she’d perfected as a young girl needing to protect herself flooded back.
“Yeah, I wonder if you could help me. I have a friend who lives next door, Johnny Ross. He was supposed to meet me here tonight. Have you seen him? I’m a bit late.” She smiled and made sure to look worried.
“He not here.”
“No, I can see that. Was he here earlier?”
“No, we delivered. To his place…” A slight hesitation followed and then she continued. “… apartment forty-three.” The slight twitch of the left eye could have been a wink. In fact, Aurora was sure of it. Casually she thanked the girl, but this time, she also smiled with her eyes.
The hostess nodded and turned to the people coming in behind her.
The black sedan that pulled up soon after she’d stepped outside had her breathing a sigh of relief. She waited for Detective Hampton to park and join her. No way she wanted to miss out on this guy Ross. This lead was the best she’d had in months. However, she knew she’d have gotten her chops busted if she’d gone in alone.
Ham, mean and burley, a cop who’d seen it all, came to stand beside her. He nodded when she shared her information, and they moved forward together. She double-timed to keep up with his long stride and hated her shortness. Feeling inadequate next to some of the bigger guys on her team pissed her off. Guess it’s why she favored boots with heels, kept her back straight and walked tall. Still, her head only came up to the shoulder of his six-foot-three frame.
Because they’d worked together before, the operation proceeded smoothly like dancers in a well-rehearsed samba. He halted on one side of the apartment door. She knocked and waited.
“Whaddaya want?” After reading his rap sheet while she’d waited for backup, Aurora knew Ross only stood a couple of inches taller than her, but his voice sounded surprisingly deep.
“It’s me Johnny.” Sweet and sugary, she answered.
“Who?” This time the interest was evident.
“It’s me, honey. You remember, you promised me a party. Well tonight’s your lucky night so open up.”
Hearing him approach, she quickly shook her hair down around her face, undid the top two buttons on her blouse to show some cleavage, and adopted a sexy stance. Working it even more, a look of being high replaced the eagerness she felt.
At first, his voice was rough. “You wanna party with me? Why?”
“Heard you had some good shit. I need it. I’ll be good to you.” She softened her tone sounding like a little girl. Bingo! He obviously liked little girls.
“I sure do have some good shit but you gotta pay for it, and I know just how you can do that, you pretty little thing.”
Feeling his eyes peering through the peephole, she licked her lips enticingly. “Whatever you want, Johnny. I need it real bad.”
&n
bsp; God, she was good! Once he unlatched and opened the door an inch, she slammed it the rest of the way, and Ham had him down before he knew what hit him. Handcuffed and surly, he whined like the girl she’d imitated earlier.
“Hey! You can’t come in here like this. I’ve got my rights.”
“You let me in. Remember, sugar?”
“You tricked me.”
“And you promised me a party.” She pointed at the bags of pills and powder on the cigarette-stained table. Her evil smile made him turn away. Ham threw the weasel onto the sagging couch then searched the place while she bagged the evidence and read him his Miranda rights.
Chapter Five
Back at the precinct, Aurora left the jerk to wilt in the holding cell while she did the paperwork. This guy was crud, but the more she found out about him, the more she realized he might be the answer to her ongoing search for Rhondo. Slamming the desk drawer, she stood. Two hours should be enough time for him to imagine his future as a lifer’s girlfriend. She opened the door and strutted into the holding cell.
“Hey Johnny, you’ve got some information I want and I’ve got the get-out-of-jail card you want. So, what say we play a game here?”
From slouching asshole to alert and ready, the fish took the hook, swallowing the wiggly worm in one big gulp. Didn’t even chew! No surprise there. It never failed to amaze her how some turned over and showed their bellies quicker than a mistreated mutt.
“Whaddaya want from me?” His eagerness to spill his guts made her sick. It didn’t seem to matter what it was she wanted. He looked ready and willing to share.
“You know a guy called Earl Rhondo?”
The light went out as if she’d doused the wick.
“Nah! Never heard of him.” His excitement waned, and his face shut down. Clearly, he feared Rhondo more than he wanted his freedom.
Move in quick. Don’t give him a chance to grow balls. She shoved the table away from him and pushed her knee over the handcuffs on his hands, forcing them down into his crotch. Snagging the piercing on his left eyebrow, she twisted hard. “You wouldn’t look so good with a torn face, now would you? Girls don’t like freaky-looking dudes. And I want Rhondo enough to make a real mess of this pretty mug of yours.”
Eyes bugging out, Johnny flinched and stuttered. “S-stop it.”
Moving in real close, her face inches from his, she sneered her disgust. The pussy couldn’t take the bit of pain. When he screamed and tried to push her away, his blocked handcuffs pretty well made that impossible. In a reasonable sounding voice, she added. “You gotta know I’d lose my job if anyone found out that I’d treated you so mean. Hey, do I look like I care? Tonight there aren’t many officers around. The one’s who’re here, are all friends of the female officer your buddy attacked. We don’t take it lightly when one of us gets hurt. So, they feel the same way about Rhondo as I do. We want him behind bars, and we’re all willing to take a turn just to help convince you to be smart for once in your miserable life. Capiche?” Tilting her head to the side, she waited.
Tears rolled out of the corners of his eyes when he tried to nod.
“Good.” She backed off a little; surprised by the small amount of force it had taken. “Tell me what I want to know and you’ll be back on the strip within the hour. Hell, I’ll drive you there personally. Aurora could almost hear the wheels turning. With a bit more pressure applied, he squealed, and then he begged.
“Don’t hurt me.”
She backed off again and patted his cheek. “Sugar, I won’t touch you if you tell me what I want to know. Where’s Rhondo?” All business now, she shot questions his way like a semi-automatic firing.
“Look, all I know is he’s throwing a party at the old shack on Freemont.”
“What’s the address?”
“I don’t know.” She moved in purposely and he shrunk back into his chair. “I can show you on a map.”
“What night?”
“This Saturday. He’s invited all the old gang.” This sounded better and better. She loved crashing parties.
“You gonna be there?”
“Hell no! I’m leaving Vegas tonight.”
She nodded. “Good boy! Just remember, there’s no place you can hide if this turns out to be bogus.”
“It’s for real, I swear. Saturday, you’ll get Rhondo.”
Chapter Six
The strange-looking black purse on Debbie’s old desk the next morning warned Aurora that very likely her new partner had arrived. Other than the name, Kai Lawson, she knew nothing about her at all. Strange name, Kai, not one she’d heard before. Maybe this girl came from Hawaii? What a weird looking purse! Hope this gal wasn’t too butch. It could be embarrassing seeing as how Aurora had always looked so damn feminine. Not something she worked on.
She started her computer, picked up her Coyote hockey mug, and then went to the coffee area seeking her third hit of the day. Hadn’t had time to do a drive-through this morning, and her system craved its usual dose. “Hey, Ham. Thanks again for your back-up last night. It worked out pretty smooth. So far, it’s the best lead we’ve gotten on Rhondo since the latest incident.”
“Sure, Morelli, no problem. I organized the tail on Ross like you wanted. You were right. He lit out last night to Reno. We also put the tap on his cell. He’s been a good lad and hasn’t used it. I had a buddy of mine pick him up at the bus depot when he hit town. Make sure the snake didn’t do anything stupid like tip off Rhondo.”
“Sweet. I knew I could count on you. Hey! You seen any female strangers around here this morning. There’s a purse on Deb’s desk that tells me my new partner has arrived.”
Ham’s eyes crinkled before the grin hit or the chuckle burst loose. “Oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy. Is the shit gonna hit the fan?”
“Hey, come back here! What do you mean?” A slight buzzing started in her head and the wave of apprehension wouldn’t shift. “John Hampton, you come back here and face me like a man.”
“Ain’t gonna happen, It’s not my story to tell.”
Knowing that the big Irishman wouldn’t budge, Aurora stalked to her cubicle. All she saw at first was a pair of cowboy boots at least size twelve on the edge of the desk. The faded jeans that covered the muscular legs gave her the next clue and the bald head cinched it.
Her new partner was a man.
Not just any man. He was the type she used to fall for in her younger years. The cocky dude who knew he was prime. Sexy as all get out, Mr. Hotshot who’d been spoiled by the ladies and loved the attention. Before she could react, Cory appeared in the doorway wearing the look of a boss who wasn’t about to put up with any of her shit. As her mouth opened, his hand went up.
“Not a word, Aurora.”
Her mouth refused to close. Her finger pointed at the sloucher who sat watching this interaction wearing a cheeky grin below his flashy blue eyes. “No way!”
“Not open for discussion. You both have good reasons to want Rhondo as much as I do, and I figure working together, sharing your files, you’ll get him. That’s all I care about.”
She’d never heard Cory use that tone with her before. Filtering the facts through her head faster than most, she knew at once that she didn’t have a hope in hell of losing this purse-carrying cowboy. Before the words ‘then I quit!’ could be uttered, Ham burst in, an unusual excitement billowing around him like an aura of static electricity.
“Hey boss, just got a call. A couple of rookies are shooting it out with a guy who sure sounds like Rhondo and a few of his friends. The young cops flagged his driver for speeding, and instead of pulling over the schmuck took off. They gave chase and ended up in the same con as before. They’re pinned down, trapped in that bloody underground lot.”
Before he’d finished, Aurora had her gun in the holster and her jacket halfway on. Twisted, it gave her trouble until she felt someone undo the sleeve and help her into it. “Thanks.” Grudgingly she remembered her manners.
“Hey, what are partners for?” He wa
ved her to go first and took up the rear.
Cory unblocked the doorway. “I’m stuck here. Have a meeting with the mayor.” Frustration sounded in his voice. “You two go and get that son-of-a-bitch and play nice with each other. You hear?”
“Yes, boss!” In unison the words had more oomph, and as she passed Ham, Aurora caught the silly smirk he didn’t bother to hide.
“Quit grinning like an idiot and grab some of the others. That bastard’s not getting away this time. Not if I can help it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter Seven
Within minutes, Aurora spun out of the parking area, turned on the siren and drove into the oncoming traffic as if she had sole possession of the road. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her new partner, big buff male that he was make the sign of the cross and he did it knowing she’d see him. “So you’re a funny guy?”
“No, just Irish. I like to hedge my bets when I’m facing my possible demise.”
She accepted his explanation. After all, they were heading for a gunfight. “Okay, I thought you were just making fun of my driving.”
“I was.”
“Jack-ass!” The fact that he grinned instead of taking offence one-upped him on the scale where he presently sat at below zero. “So where did you work before, and why are you here?” Aurora queried for information, deciding it was best to know a little about the man she’d be forced to spend her days with.
“Ahhh, you sure you want to visit and drive at the same time. Maybe the road needs all your attention.”
“Quit messing around and answer my question.”
She heard him mutter, “who’s messing around” but then he did satisfy her curiosity.
“I worked Homicide in LA, some undercover, mostly gang related stuff. Had unfinished business with Rhondo that needed to be followed up on. When I found out he’d likely show up here, I called in a marker on my old pal Cory.”