try to hold my own."
She studied him a little longer, then flashed him a grin. "Let's do it."
As Allie, Kirk and Madeline headed over to the pool table, Clay intercepted the waitress who was bringing their drinks and carried them into the back room, where Kirk was already racking balls.
Allie accepted her beer with a nod of thanks, took a sip, then set it on the edge of the table.
"Who breaks?" she asked above the babble of voices around them.
"You can," Kirk said, but Allie didn't respond. She was too busy staring across the room.
Clay followed her gaze to see Joe Vincelli coming toward them, a smirk on his face.
"Out on the town tonight, Officer McCormick?" he asked.
Allie's spine visibly straightened. "Something wrong with that, Mr. Vincelli?"
"No, of course not. It's just that when you said you were going to find the man responsible for my uncle's murder, I didn't expect you to go out drinking with him. That's a hell of a way to investigate."
Instinctively, Clay stepped in front of her. He wouldn't allow Joe to bully a woman in his presence. But, even at barely over five feet tall, Allie didn't seem to feel she needed his protection.
She put a hand on his arm and gently but firmly pushed him out of the way. "I'll drink with whoever I want," she stated flatly.
Joe's jaw tightened as his eyes sought Clay, but Clay could sense that he was weighing his response. Obviously not wanting to get his ass kicked, Joe reined himself in, which came as a bit of a disappointment to Clay. He'd long been eager for the opportunity to rearrange Joe's weasel-like features.
"What's your problem?" Clay asked. "Why are you always harassing women? First Cindy, then Grace and now Allie. I'm right here, Joe. If you want a piece of me, let's take it outside."
He thought Allie might interfere--maybe assume her role as cop--but she didn't. She stood where she was and didn't speak, but he could feel the tension in her as Joe considered his options.
Finally, Joe backed away. "He's a cold-blooded killer, Allie. Don't let him fool you."
"He doesn't frighten me," Allie said. "Nor will he or anyone else interfere with the integrity of my investigation."
47
Brenda Novak
Joe risked throwing one more glance at Clay. "If that's the truth, I wouldn't go anywhere alone with him. Maybe if you learn too much, you'll go missing next."
48
Brenda Novak
6
C ursing Joe Vincelli, Allie bent over to take her first shot. Just when Clay seemed to be relaxing, Joe had to come up and cause trouble. Now Clay was wearing a closed, rather grim expression and had fallen silent. Why couldn't the people in this town trust her to do her job?
Setting the cue ball on the dot, she sent it flying into the triangle of solids and stripes, which scattered across the table. Two solids dropped with a double thunk into opposite corner pockets.
The others rolled to a stop. She didn't do as well on her second shot, but she didn't leave her opponents with anything they could capitalize on, either.
"Not bad, eh?" she said, teasing Madeline and Kirk.
"I haven't lost any money yet," Kirk said and motioned for Madeline to take her turn.
When nothing fell for Madeline, Kirk put his arm around her and, kissing her temple, joked none too quietly that she'd better come up big next time or he was going to dump her.
Clay chuckled as he chalked his cue. "Watch it," he said. "That's my sister you're talking to."
Secretly admiring his fluid movements, Allie watched Madeline's stepbrother circle the table. When he paused at the end, as though he'd found an angle he liked, he looked up at her.
"Do you really want to take the toughest shot available?" she asked in amazement.
"Yes, he does," Kirk said, laughing. "This game's no fun for him unless he tries fancy shit like that. That's how I knew we were going to win."
Allie arched an eyebrow at Clay. "You try that, and you're the one who'll have to pony up the cash when we lose."
Clay's teeth flashed
She studied him a little longer, then flashed him a grin. "Let's do it."
As Allie, Kirk and Madeline headed over to the pool table, Clay intercepted the waitress who was bringing their drinks and carried them into the back room, where Kirk was already racking balls.
Allie accepted her beer with a nod of thanks, took a sip, then set it on the edge of the table.
"Who breaks?" she asked above the babble of voices around them.
"You can," Kirk said, but Allie didn't respond. She was too busy staring across the room.
Clay followed her gaze to see Joe Vincelli coming toward them, a smirk on his face.
"Out on the town tonight, Officer McCormick?" he asked.
Allie's spine visibly straightened. "Something wrong with that, Mr. Vincelli?"
"No, of course not. It's just that when you said you were going to find the man responsible for my uncle's murder, I didn't expect you to go out drinking with him. That's a hell of a way to investigate."
Instinctively, Clay stepped in front of her. He wouldn't allow Joe to bully a woman in his presence. But, even at barely over five feet tall, Allie didn't seem to feel she needed his protection.
She put a hand on his arm and gently but firmly pushed him out of the way. "I'll drink with whoever I want," she stated flatly.
Joe's jaw tightened as his eyes sought Clay, but Clay could sense that he was weighing his response. Obviously not wanting to get his ass kicked, Joe reined himself in, which came as a bit of a disappointment to Clay. He'd long been eager for the opportunity to rearrange Joe's weasel-like features.
"What's your problem?" Clay asked. "Why are you always harassing women? First Cindy, then Grace and now Allie. I'm right here, Joe. If you want a piece of me, let's take it outside."
He thought Allie might interfere--maybe assume her role as cop--but she didn't. She stood where she was and didn't speak, but he could feel the tension in her as Joe considered his options.
Finally, Joe backed away. "He's a cold-blooded killer, Allie. Don't let him fool you."
"He doesn't frighten me," Allie said. "Nor will he or anyone else interfere with the integrity of my investigation."
47
Brenda Novak
Joe risked throwing one more glance at Clay. "If that's the truth, I wouldn't go anywhere alone with him. Maybe if you learn too much, you'll go missing next."
48
Brenda Novak
6
C ursing Joe Vincelli, Allie bent over to take her first shot. Just when Clay seemed to be relaxing, Joe had to come up and cause trouble. Now Clay was wearing a closed, rather grim expression and had fallen silent. Why couldn't the people in this town trust her to do her job?
Setting the cue ball on the dot, she sent it flying into the triangle of solids and stripes, which scattered across the table. Two solids dropped with a double thunk into opposite corner pockets.
The others rolled to a stop. She didn't do as well on her second shot, but she didn't leave her opponents with anything they could capitalize on, either.
"Not bad, eh?" she said, teasing Madeline and Kirk.
"I haven't lost any money yet," Kirk said and motioned for Madeline to take her turn.
When nothing fell for Madeline, Kirk put his arm around her and, kissing her temple, joked none too quietly that she'd better come up big next time or he was going to dump her.
Clay chuckled as he chalked his cue. "Watch it," he said. "That's my sister you're talking to."
Secretly admiring his fluid movements, Allie watched Madeline's stepbrother circle the table. When he paused at the end, as though he'd found an angle he liked, he looked up at her.
"Do you really want to take the toughest shot available?" she asked in amazement.
"Yes, he does," Kirk said, laughing. "This game's no fun for him unless he tries fancy shit like that. That's how I knew we were going to win."
Allie arched an eyebrow at Clay. "You try that, and you're the one who'll have to pony up the cash when we lose."
Clay's teeth flashed
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