****
How had he guessed?
Genie replayed the entire scene she had with Rafa at the precinct. Yes, she was fully aware he had arrived to work at six a.m. Yes, she had pushed him to postpone their meeting with the gang unit, but only because she wanted to be present at the meeting. She hadn’t wanted details of the case discussed with him alone. What if Rafa didn’t relay crucial information? Her instincts about him had been correct. Genie gripped the steering wheel, remembering how he had upstaged her with source information from California. She’d made the correct decision by going to the meeting alone. If Rafa had discovered anything new, he’d have kept her out of the loop. Unfortunately, the gang unit verified what she knew all along: no local gangs were involved in the murders.
She turned onto the street where the boyfriend of Maribol Canales lived. As Rafa droned on about notes in the case file, her mind took her once again to her reaction to him in the conference room. But more startling was Rafa’s response. Instead of fighting back, which is what she truly hoped for, he had seen through her and practically guessed the root of her attitude.
Who are you really mad at… what did he do?
Genie suppressed a shiver. If anything, her partner was perceptive, but she blamed herself on his ability to read her. If she hadn’t lost her temper… if she’d just been as cool and calculated as he had been in front of her boss, he would’ve seen her as his equal and not a woman in pain. A weak woman.
“This looks like the place. I see the surveillance,” Rafa stated.
“Mmm-hmm.”
Rafa cleared his throat. Genie felt his gaze, but she kept hers on the road.
“Are we okay?”
“What do you mean?” she responded quickly, and then pressed the accelerator a bit more. The sooner they arrived, the less of a chance she could be trapped into a meaningful conversation about her feelings.
“I think we need to talk.”
“No, we don’t.”
“You see, the fact that you won’t ask me what we need to talk about means we need to talk.”
Genie parked the car and yanked the keys out of the ignition. She opened the door and was halfway out when a hand gripped her arm. She met Rafa’s intent stare.
“You have to deal with this,” he pleaded gently. “If we’re going against Huera and Montenegro, we’ve got to be at the top of our game, no distractions.”
He hadn’t meant it as a chastisement, but her first instinct was to interpret it as one. Heat radiated from his light touch, his eyes a mix of concern and compassion. “I can handle it,” she whispered.
When he released her, she moved swiftly to exit the small confines of the police cruiser. She paused, closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh air. God, please help me! Her eyes flew open. When was the last time she had asked God for help? In the last few years, hadn’t she proved she was capable of handling her life? Then why did she feel so unhinged?
A shrill voice interrupted Genie’s thoughts. “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t know nothin’ and I ain’t sayin’ nothin’! You need to get off my brother’s property right now!”
“Ma’am, hold up!” Genie raised a hand as she hurried to the scene. “I’m Detective Green with the Springfield police and this is Detective Santiago.” She motioned to Rafa.
“I don’t care who you are, I’ve said what I’m gonna say!” The petite woman stood her ground, with hands on her hips. Her heavily painted eyes flashed with anger, the toe of her three-inch heel tapping on the ground. “I know my rights, and you can’t come in without a warrant.”
Genie heard Rafa say something in a low tone to the officers on surveillance, and they backed away. Then he came and stood next to Genie. The woman’s eyes flittered over him and Genie recognized instant attraction in them. Genie clenched and unclenched her fists. “Look, ma’am,” Genie began, watching the woman’s eyes softening as they remained on Rafa, “you’re not in any trouble, and we’re not here to search anything. We just want to ask you a few questions.”
The woman ran two-inch nails through her long, dark, straight tresses and tossed them provocatively over her shoulder. “You wanna question me?” Her gum smacked and she stepped closer to Rafa. Genie gaped at her partner and threw her hands up. She held her palms open, gesturing for him to proceed.
Rafa cleared his throat before producing a high-wattage smile. “Yes, ma’am. We are looking for your brother, um—”
“Diego Cera,” Genie provided.
“He didn’t do nothin',” she gritted.
“We’re not saying he did,” Rafa hurriedly added. “But a young woman was killed recently.”
“Yeah, I know. That was his girl.” She crossed her arms over her chest, pressing her bosom up. “You think he killed her?”
Rafa held up both hands. “No, ma’am. In fact, we’re pretty sure he didn’t.” The woman relaxed her stance and her eyes darted around the area. Genie followed the woman's gaze with her own eyes but didn’t see anyone other than the surveillance team observing them. Was Cera close by? She motioned for the surveillance team to circle the property.
“So what do you want him for?”
“The people who may have killed Ms. Canales are very dangerous. If your brother knows anything, he needs to come forward.” There was urgency in Rafa’s voice.
The woman’s arms moved from across her chest to her hips. She bit her lip hard and glanced from Rafa to Genie and back to Rafa. She tried to hide it, but Genie detected the slight look of fear in the young woman’s eyes. At that moment, the surveillance team appeared from the back of the property, giving Genie the all-clear.
Genie stepped forward, catching the woman’s gaze. “Ms. Canales was left to die in her own blood on the cold stairwell in her apartment building. Please, if you know anything,” she entreated.
The woman’s lower lip quivered until her teeth bit down hard. “Look, I don’t know nothin' about her murder. All I know is that my brother went missin' right after we heard about Maribol.”
“Missing?” Genie feared the next words out of the woman’s mouth.
“I called him and he told me it wasn’t safe for him to talk. He hung up the phone and that was two days ago. That’s all I know, I swear.”
“Okay, we believe you,” Rafa said gently.
The woman nodded multiple times and breathed in deeply. She let out a slow breath and set wide eyes on Rafa. “Will you find him for me? Maybe the guys who got Maribol got him too.”
“Don’t think that way.” Genie laid a hand on her arm. “We’ll do what we can to help but, for now, if your brother contacts you, we have to know. Will you call us?” Genie produced a business card from her credentials case.
“Sure. Sure.”
Genie caught Rafa staring at her with surprise. She mouthed the question “What?” He cleared his throat. “Um, your name, ma’am? Sorry we didn’t ask in the beginning.”
She smiled at Rafa. “Flores. Can I call you if I hear anything?”
Rafa smiled, his cheeks coloring slightly. Genie thought his reaction uncharacteristic. He should be used to female attention by now! But nevertheless, the slight color was genuine, and Genie shook her head to clear it. The last ten minutes were a rollercoaster of fury, fear, and intense flirtation. Cold and direct — that’s what she found appealing… and safe.
“Sure. You can reach me at the number on Detective Green’s card. Have a good day, Ms. Cera.”
“Y tú también, guapo,” she purred. Rafa chuckled nervously and Genie stomped towards their vehicle.
“Y tú también, guapo. What’s that? You too handsome?” she snapped.
“Sure.” Rafa matched her step with his hands in his pockets.
“Wow. You know, you have a real talent with women.”
Rafa gave her a sideways glance but didn’t answer. She saw the corners of his mouth fight an upward pull.
“I bet they have you working all the female subject interviews.” Genie tugged hard on the
door handle.
“You don’t have to be jealous, Genie,” came his smooth reply.
“Jealous? Ha! Why would I be jealous of her? Over you?” She got in and slammed the door closed.
Rafa slid effortlessly into the seat, calmly closed the door, and jerked his seatbelt on when the car surged forward. Genie nearly forgot to brief the surveillance team, and she whipped the vehicle around and pulled alongside the other car. She rolled down her window. “Let’s give it another day, fellas. I’ll let the lieutenant know and if there’s any change to the plan, then we’ll give you a call. Until then, your relief will come as scheduled.” They nodded in affirmation, and Genie drove away.
“Watch your speed,” Rafa teased.
“My speed? What about your speed?”
“My speed?” His voice feigned innocence to her insinuation.
“In another minute, Ms. Flores Cera would have forgone the call and invited you in. I’m sure she could whip up some fajitas and rice in no time.”
Rafa roared with laughter. “Do you hear yourself? Fajitas and rice? Who knew Ms. Church could toss around stereotypes?”
Genie blinked. Did she truly say that? Shame swept through her. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “That was unkind. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I do.”
Genie heard the smile in his voice. She wasn’t jealous.
She. Wasn’t. Jealous.
Jealousy was an emotion for the weak… for a girl who couldn’t keep her man interested in her. Sure, plenty of women fell all over Jeff. He was classically handsome, a jock, and destined to follow in his parents’ footsteps and be a doctor or a high-powered attorney. Genie’s parents were middle-class: not poor, but not rich. She was considered pretty but not the stunner that should have been on Jeff’s arm. But Jeff chose her. She had no reason to be jealous, but she was. Those women who fell all over Jeff? He fell all over them, too. Wherever smoke rose, fire always followed. Always.
“Wait a minute. Ms. Church?” Her anger suddenly rekindled.
“Oh, just what we used to call you in school.”
“Who used to call me?”
“Me and some of the other boys,” he said casually, as if it were a time long past.
He had noticed her! I must have looked cute. Plaid skirts and flowered blouses came to mind. And her hair… always in a braid. I did not look cute. “That’s not very original,” she muttered. But it was news to her, and it stung.
“Well, weren’t you president of the Chastity Club?”
“Chess Club!” Genie flushed hot. “And the Bible Club.”
His triumphant laugh enveloped her. “Close enough.”
Genie resisted the urge to stare at him, knowing if she did she wouldn’t be able to stop glaring and then they’d run off the road. Instead, she silently counted to ten. Then she counted to ten again. She heard Rafa chuckle softly. Genie gripped the steering wheel. I can’t believe I even considered him a changed man. I even felt guilty! Her prejudgments were correct. All along Rafa saw her as “Ms. Church.”
A few years ago, she would've been proud to know her witness was impactful but lately it embarrassed her to admit her faith. So much of it had followed Jeff when he walked out of her life with the other woman. She knew plenty of people at the Bible study the other night but managed to make it through without speaking to anyone except Rafa and his mother.
Genie shot Rafa a quick glance. His eyes were on her and his dimples were deep chasms in his perfectly bronzed face. Heat shot up her neck and into her hairline. She marveled at how in one minute he made her so angry and in the next, completely flustered. She hadn’t blushed this hot since Jeff. She swallowed hard, lifted her chin, and let out a quick breath. She wouldn’t allow Rafa’s opinions of her nor his smiles dictate her emotions any longer.
You have to deal with this.
His words came back to her. The only problem she saw was Rafa, and the sooner they solved this case, the sooner he'd be dealt with.
Chapter Six