the kind of wit that he knew brought his partner to his knees. Brice often wondered if Kent even realized that most of the women he dated were dead ringers for his cousin.
“Why would I want to do that when you’re such an easy target, Zippy?” Kent smiled at her, obviously enjoying the signs of agitation she couldn’t hide.
Ziporah tried to school her features and not show how much he irked her when he called her that. “You know damn well what my name is and if Ziporah is too hard for you, you can call me Ms. Feldman.”
“Zip it for a minute, would you?” Kent interrupted and turned to look at Brice. Brice knew Kent could see her all but combust out of the corner of his eye. He also knew that it was everything his partner could do to keep a straight face. “Brice, did you call for the suit? If you did, I need to know. I mean, we’re partners and I could’ve used some warning that the suits were descending on us today.” He cut a look over his shoulder where his nemesis was all but fuming in her temper. “After all, if I’d known I would have dressed up.”
“You’re a moron. Aunt Betty should have traded you in for a puppy. How you made it to detective, I’ll never know.” Ziporah gave him a look that should have shriveled his balls and turned to Brice, deliberately turning her back on Kent. She laid the stack of files on his desk. “Here are the files you requested. Everything I could dig up on Brian Gwin and the girls at the Surf-N-Slurp. Not much there.” She leaned close and looked deep into Brice’s eyes. “You really think we got a serial killer here? If we do, you know you gotta turn it over to the feds.”
Brice picked up the files and said, “I have no proof that we’ve got a serial on our hands. As soon as I do, you know Detective Kent and I will report it accordingly.”
Ziporah smirked while Kent coughed “bullshit” into his fist and said, “Your captain loves you ’cause you always tie up your cases with a pretty bow for me. Same reason I love you, but you’re walking a tight rope that could hang you if you’re not careful.” She patted his cheek as she straightened and walked away. “So be careful.”
When Kent couldn’t leave well enough alone and started whistling that obnoxious song again, she held up a choice finger for him without turning around. She repeated, “Moron,” then turned the corner and headed for the elevator.
“So what files did you get zipped over here?” Kent asked.
“You know she’s gone and can’t hear you anymore, right?” When Kent just smirked, Brice answered, “I got her to dig up any juvenile records she could find on Gwin and the co-workers. It’s a stretch but the best I could come up with at this point.”
“Stretch is right. What the hell. Hand over one of those and let’s get started.” Kent opened Brian Gwin’s file and asked, “Why does she love you enough to get you sealed records anyway? She wouldn’t give me shit if I asked. And we share blood.”
Brice couldn’t believe the guy even asked. “Hmm, Kent, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I don’t act like a schoolyard bully every time she comes around.”
“What?” Kent shocked him by being completely baffled. “I’m only playing with her. You don’t think the teasing really bothers her, do you?” While Brice tried to come up with something more mature than the “duh” that he wanted to say, Kent shrugged and said, “Nah.”
Brice let it go. There were more important things he could be doing than enlightening his partner.
Chapter Ten
Almost a full week later and they had learned very little that could lead them toward a killer. Brian Gwin had had some trouble. Mostly what you’d expect from a good-looking middle-class kid. Speeding tickets within a month of getting his license, underage drinking and partying. Pretty typical, harmless stuff.
The girls at the shop were a dead-end. Angie was an army brat who’d moved a lot yet still managed to
“Why would I want to do that when you’re such an easy target, Zippy?” Kent smiled at her, obviously enjoying the signs of agitation she couldn’t hide.
Ziporah tried to school her features and not show how much he irked her when he called her that. “You know damn well what my name is and if Ziporah is too hard for you, you can call me Ms. Feldman.”
“Zip it for a minute, would you?” Kent interrupted and turned to look at Brice. Brice knew Kent could see her all but combust out of the corner of his eye. He also knew that it was everything his partner could do to keep a straight face. “Brice, did you call for the suit? If you did, I need to know. I mean, we’re partners and I could’ve used some warning that the suits were descending on us today.” He cut a look over his shoulder where his nemesis was all but fuming in her temper. “After all, if I’d known I would have dressed up.”
“You’re a moron. Aunt Betty should have traded you in for a puppy. How you made it to detective, I’ll never know.” Ziporah gave him a look that should have shriveled his balls and turned to Brice, deliberately turning her back on Kent. She laid the stack of files on his desk. “Here are the files you requested. Everything I could dig up on Brian Gwin and the girls at the Surf-N-Slurp. Not much there.” She leaned close and looked deep into Brice’s eyes. “You really think we got a serial killer here? If we do, you know you gotta turn it over to the feds.”
Brice picked up the files and said, “I have no proof that we’ve got a serial on our hands. As soon as I do, you know Detective Kent and I will report it accordingly.”
Ziporah smirked while Kent coughed “bullshit” into his fist and said, “Your captain loves you ’cause you always tie up your cases with a pretty bow for me. Same reason I love you, but you’re walking a tight rope that could hang you if you’re not careful.” She patted his cheek as she straightened and walked away. “So be careful.”
When Kent couldn’t leave well enough alone and started whistling that obnoxious song again, she held up a choice finger for him without turning around. She repeated, “Moron,” then turned the corner and headed for the elevator.
“So what files did you get zipped over here?” Kent asked.
“You know she’s gone and can’t hear you anymore, right?” When Kent just smirked, Brice answered, “I got her to dig up any juvenile records she could find on Gwin and the co-workers. It’s a stretch but the best I could come up with at this point.”
“Stretch is right. What the hell. Hand over one of those and let’s get started.” Kent opened Brian Gwin’s file and asked, “Why does she love you enough to get you sealed records anyway? She wouldn’t give me shit if I asked. And we share blood.”
Brice couldn’t believe the guy even asked. “Hmm, Kent, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I don’t act like a schoolyard bully every time she comes around.”
“What?” Kent shocked him by being completely baffled. “I’m only playing with her. You don’t think the teasing really bothers her, do you?” While Brice tried to come up with something more mature than the “duh” that he wanted to say, Kent shrugged and said, “Nah.”
Brice let it go. There were more important things he could be doing than enlightening his partner.
Chapter Ten
Almost a full week later and they had learned very little that could lead them toward a killer. Brian Gwin had had some trouble. Mostly what you’d expect from a good-looking middle-class kid. Speeding tickets within a month of getting his license, underage drinking and partying. Pretty typical, harmless stuff.
The girls at the shop were a dead-end. Angie was an army brat who’d moved a lot yet still managed to
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