*****
I awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. I had planned to sleep until nine, but when I looked at the clock, I saw that it was only eight forty-five. The person calling had just robbed me of fifteen minutes.
I fumbled around my dresser until I found the phone. “Hello?” I said in a groggy voice.
“Vicky?” my sister asked.
“Oh, for God’s sake, Ginny – can’t you let me sleep?”
“It’s like nine at night, Vick. You’re thirty, not seventy.”
“I was taking a nap. What do you want?”
“Bob and I had a fight. Can I come over?”
“No, you can’t come over. I’m investigating a murder and I have to be somewhere in an hour.”
I could hear Ginny crying on the other end of the phone. I rolled my eyes grandly – I only wished she could have seen. I wasn’t her mother and I wasn’t Bob – her tears didn’t work on me, especially now. My body ached everywhere – the only thing keeping me going was my rage.
“It’s just that I’m worried. We had a big blow out over dinner and he stormed out of the house…” Ginny began.
And that was all I heard. Her boring love trials were the perfect recipe to lull me back into sleep. I didn’t rouse until twenty minutes later. I was still on the phone and Ginny was still talking.
“I think you’re right that I’m overreacting, Vic. Thanks for listening to me – this really helped.”
“Happy to help,” I said and hung up the phone. That was possibly one of the best conversations with my sister I had ever had.
Outside it was dark, so I flicked on a light that was sitting on my nightstand. The two hours of sleep felt more like two minutes. I pulled myself out of bed and washed my face in the bathroom. I didn’t have the energy to shower. Instead, I just scrubbed off my makeup and replaced it with a thicker and more exaggerated layer. I figured the post coital look might work for me in this situation, so I wore my hair down and curly. The wardrobe was tricky, but after some debate, I decided on a pair of tight jeans and a low-cut top. I pulled an extra-padded push-up bra out of my drawer and pulled my top down to expose some of the gold lace.
I dangled a gold necklace in my cleavage because I wanted to draw the attention to my chest instead of my stomach. I looked in the mirror and examined my appearance – not bad.
At ten o’clock sharp, I walked out to the curb. Mac was already there and I jumped in.
“Whoa,” Mac said, looking at me.
“Too much?” I asked.
“No you look hot. You think you can pull this off?”
“I have to. This guy could be a killer – I can’t afford to make a mistake.”
“Isn’t it amazing what we’ll do to get the shot?” Mac asked.
“Stupid is more the word.”
We pulled away from the curb and headed towards the track. It was late, and traffic was relatively light. I stared out the window trying to get my nerves under control, watching the street lights pass overhead.
We got onto the 101 Freeway and headed south. I looked at the cars next to me as we drove. In this town nine-to-five jobs were not common, and despite the late hour, most of the people were on their way home from work.
Mac and I didn’t know every step we were going to take, but we knew Mac needed to stay hidden. He would wire me for sound and then he’d move to the top of the canyon for his shots. Mac had picked up a special lens with a powerful zoom, and he assured me he’d be able to get decent footage. The downside to our plan was that Mac would be far away from me, so if anything happened he wouldn’t be able to do much. We agreed that if things got out of hand, we would call the cops. We also agreed that “calling the cops” meant calling 911, not Foxy and Reid.
I decided to take a step back from the situation and take a breath. I knew that Mac and I were probably being overly dramatic – it was a hazard of our trade. These were just a bunch of guys racing cars for money. No big deal. Kitt might not even remember me. Or he might kick me out right away – I was sure he wouldn’t want to associate with a friend of the police.
We pulled up the canyon and got out of the car. We wanted to survey the scene to see if Kitt was even there. Mac handed me a pair of binoculars while he checked out his long-range lens.
“Nice,” Mac said. “This lens will work great.”
“Do you see Kitt?” I asked.
Mac scanned left and right then stopped. “Oh yeah, he’s here.” Mac pointed down below. Kitt was wiping his car down with a rag. “Looks like he either just raced or he’s getting ready for one,” Mac said.
“Okay, drive me down there, will ya?” I asked.
“Fine. Lift up your shirt,” Mac said.
I gave him a sideways glance, then turned around and lifted my shirt halfway. He clipped the microphone’s receiver to the inside of my pants and I jumped – it was ice cold. Next Mac dropped the mic wire down the front of my shirt and threaded it around my waist and into the receiver. He clipped the lavaliere microphone between my breasts on my bra and secured a special wind screen to it so it wouldn’t pick up too much feedback from my shirt rustling against it. At the end of the whole thing, I felt like I needed a cigarette. A few gentle strokes in the right places and I was putty in Mac’s hands.
“Is that the Wonder Bra?” Mac asked, smiling.
I blushed. “You’re supposed to keep this professional, Mac. Just get in and out – no funny business.”
“Sorry, I just noticed it when I was clipping the lav,” Mac grinned.
I punched him in the arm and readjusted my shirt. “Okay, let’s go.”
We jumped in the car and headed down to the track. We parked a good distance away so that no one would see me getting dropped off. Mac had also placed a speaker in my ear so that he could talk to me and let me know if he could see any imminent danger. It was small, but I had to make sure my hair covered it just in case. The last thing I wanted was for Kitt to find a bug.
I walked towards the truck while Mac headed back up the canyon. “Can you hear me, Sharpe? Testing,” Mac said into the speaker in my ear.
“Yes, I can,” I whispered. “Don’t talk unless you have to – I don’t want anyone to hear you.”
“Roger,” Mac said.
I felt safer having Mac in my ear. I started to pretend that I was on a secret mission for the government and I had to fulfill it no matter the cost. I pumped myself up pretending that I was a badass chick who would take no prisoners.
As I got closer I saw a bunch of people standing around, smoking cigarettes and drinking beers. This was definitely not my crowd. All of my toughness drained out of me, and I suddenly felt very stupid dressed the way I was.
“He’s just past the group, Sharpe. Don’t show fear, keep moving,” Mac said in my ear.
“Shh!” I whispered and pressed on. I spotted Kitt at his car. The front hood was up and he was working on the engine with a wrench. I breezed past the group of smokers without making eye contact. I was a woman on a mission. As I passed I could feel their stares, and I cringed when I imagined what was going through their minds.
Kitt was alone when I walked up to his car. He was bent over, leaning inside, and didn’t see me. “Hi,” I said timidly.
He closed the car hood and looked up at me. A slow smile crept across his face. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?”
I smiled demurely – not sure what to say and feeling like a complete fool.
Kitt walked towards me and looked me up and down slowly. “No suit tonight?”
“Oh,” I stumbled, “that was just because we had to tell Chaser’s mother that he was…that he passed away. I couldn’t wear jeans, you know?”
“How’d she take it?” he asked.
I knew this was privileged information and cursed myself for having such a big mouth but I couldn’t stop now. “She didn’t care,” I said flatly.
Kitt laughed. “Special. So what are you doing here, dollface?”
“I wanted to see you race.?
?? I smiled, attempting to flirt.
Kitt ran his finger down my necklace, stopping just before my mouth parted. I must have been good at this flirting thing, because he seemed to get the message right away. Maybe I would go into undercover work after the show.
“You just missed it, honey. I’m done for the night.”
“Did you win?” I asked.
“Course I did.” Kitt stared at me for a while, thinking. “Baby, you may think you like to watch, but I’ll do you one better. Ride with me.” Kitt reached behind his back and opened the passenger door.
“Really?” I said. I was genuinely excited and couldn’t hide it very well.
“Get in,” Kitt said.
I turned and jumped in the passenger’s seat before he could change his mind. Kitt slid in through the driver’s side window and within minutes, he was revving his engine. He was still wearing that silver necklace and, just like my necklace flaunted my chest, his necklace certainly flaunted his. He wore a faded plaid shirt that was open except for the bottom two buttons. On his legs he wore a pair of tight black jeans with rips at the thighs. On his left hand he had a silver ring shaped like a snake and another one that looked like it probably held cocaine or something. The fingers on his right hand each had a tattooed letter on them: S-P-E-E-D.
“You like to go fast?” Kitt asked me.
“Yes,” I said breathlessly. I was intimidated by his big engine, his tattoos and everything about him. But when the engine turned over, all my fears went out the window – I just wanted to drive…now.
Kitt put the car in gear and floored it. He fishtailed out as we took off at top speed. I was pinned to my seat – terrified yet exhilarated. We came to the first turn but Kitt didn’t turn – he stayed straight. The wall was getting closer and closer and I was sure we were going to crash. I realized I didn’t have my seatbelt on – was he trying to kill me? “Turn!” I squealed.
Kitt turned the wheel hard and we banked to the left – just skirting the wall. He looked so calm and cool. I watched as the muscles on his arm tensed as he shifted the cars gears. He flexed his fingers on the wheel – confident and fearless.
He looked at me. “Let me show you what this baby can do.” He shifted gears and pumped the gas even harder. I looked at the speedometer and saw we were approaching two hundred miles an hour.
“Holy shit!” I exclaimed and was pinned against the seat. I felt like I was in one of those anti-gravity rides that they have at amusement parks – I couldn’t move. All I could do was take it in – take in the rush. I could see why he liked doing this; it was amazing.
We took another lap around the track. I was getting better control of myself under the intense speeds and was able to look around a little more. I watched as Kitt’s hands moved between the gearshift and the wheel, maneuvering such a powerful car, making it do whatever he wanted. His hand traveled off the gearshift and onto my leg. I tensed up, not sure what to do in this situation. This guy was bad news, so why was I getting butterflies in my stomach?
Kitt slammed on the breaks and we spun out, doing a complete 360 before coming to a stop. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t breathe – all I could do was feel the rush through my body. When we finally stopped I was panting and shaking. The adrenaline was pulsing through me and it felt amazing.
“Sharpe – you there? You all right?” I hear Mac into my ear. I instantly snapped back into reality.
Kitt slowly turned to me, a grin forming at the edges of his mouth. “You like?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I whispered, answering both Kitt and Mac at the same time.
“You should see me off the track,” Kitt whispered. He gave me a look that told me he was going to make a move on me. I got scared and looked away. This wasn’t me, I couldn’t play this role. How had I gotten myself into this situation and how the hell would I get out?
Suddenly, I felt the passenger’s side door being wrenched open. I turned and saw Rose holding the door handle and glaring at us. My eyes widened.
“Having fun?” she asked me.
I felt scared but also relieved that she had interrupted us. I took the opportunity to jump out of the car.
“What the hell you doing, Rosey?” Kitt asked.
“You can tell your cop friends to stay the hell away from me – I’m not talking,” Rose barked at me.
“Okay,” I said. “But just know that not talking to them means you have something to hide. They don’t have a lot of suspects in this thing…”
“Sharpe!” Mac said in my ear.
I closed my mouth quickly, realizing my mistake.
“I don’t give a shit what those pigs think,” Rose snarled at me.
“Right, yeah, me neither,” I said, trying to sound tough but ending up just sounding stupid. I looked at Kitt. “Thanks for the ride.”
Kitt turned to Rose. “Shit, Rose, now she’s leaving me sitting here with blue balls – me and the broad were just about to go at it!”
Fear shot through me as I heard his words – had he really thought we were about to have sex? I tried to look casual as I walked away, but panic set in, and I started speed walking off the track. When I was far enough away, I spoke into my lavaliere. “Mac – can you come get me?”
“I’m sending someone down – I’m still shooting Rose and Kitt,” Mac said.
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“Looks like they’re arguing. I should have given you a bug to plant in his car, but I didn’t think you’d get in there that easily.”
“I’m just glad I got out. Wait a minute – who are you sending down to get me?”
Mac was silent for a moment.
“Mac?”
“Detective Reid,” he finally answered.
My heart sank. “What?”
“I guess we weren’t the only ones who were staking this place out tonight.”
“Is he pissed?” I asked.
“Uh, yeah.”
I could see a car heading towards me with the lights turned off. As it got closer I could see it was Reid. He was alone and looked very angry. He rolled down the passenger’s window and glared at me. “Get in.”
I took a deep breath and headed to the car. I decided that I had done nothing wrong here – it was a free country and I was entitled to fraternize with whomever I wanted. I opened the car door and hopped inside. The interior light came on and I could see Reid’s angry eyes. I pulled the door closed, and we headed up the canyon.
I decided to break the ice. “Funny seeing you here, Detective.”
Reid shook his head. “I don’t even know what to say to you. There are just no words.”
“Okay, good. I was worried you were going to yell at me.”
Reid slammed on the brakes and stared at me. “I am going to yell at you, Sharpe! What the hell were you thinking?! That man is a suspect in a murder investigation – don’t you get that? I mean, are you really that hard up?”
“Wait a minute, Buster, I am not hard up. Do you really think I was down there to get a date?”
“That’s how it looked to me,” Reid answered.
“I was trying to solve this crime, damn it!” I said. “You two certainly aren’t making any headway and somebody had to do something. I got more information from that guy in five minutes that you got in three hours!”
“Sharpe! Shut up!” I heard Mac say in my ear. I didn’t need Mac to tell me that – I knew I had said too much because Reid’s eyes flared.
“So you were deliberately interfering with a police investigation? I should lock your ass up! How’s it gonna look for my career if you end up his next victim? Will getting your story matter then?”
I pursed my lips. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I made a mistake.”
Reid shook his head, trying to calm down. “What do you see in a guy like that anyway?”
“Nothing,” I said. “I was just playing a part.”
I knew what I had done was foolish, but I still had to congratulate myself on pulling it off. Kitt h
ad believed I was interested in him, and I had gained his trust. I didn’t know where it would lead or if I even had the nerve to be alone with him again, but still, I was a damn fine actress. My mother would be proud.
We got to the top of the canyon and I saw Foxy and Mac standing on the edge. Mac was still filming and Foxy was smiling. Reid and I got out of the car and approached them.
Foxy looked me up and down and shook his head. “Whoa, Sharpe, you are nuts, girl.”
I ignored his comment and looked down the canyon at Kitt’s car. “What’s going on down there?”
“She’s finishing him off,” Foxy said. “I guess it wasn’t true love.”
“What?” I said. I pushed Foxy out of the way and grabbed the binoculars out of his hands.
Rose and Kitt were both in Kitt’s car. She was straddled over him in the driver’s seat, and I was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing anything from the waist down.
“What a pig!” I said.
Reid’s anger finally broke as his mouth opened into a wide smile.
“I can’t believe that blue balls line worked on her. I thought that was just a b.s. line guys gave in high school!” I whined.
Reid started laughing aloud. Foxy and Mac joined him.
“Oh shut up!” I told them.
Chapter 7.