Eeny Meany Miny Die (Cat Sinclair Mysteries) by Carolyn Scott Page A

like the actor who bore his name. He resembled the villain from the movies, not the hero.
    We waited in the stark reception area as the officer called Scarface. Nobody spoke and nobody sat down despite the collection of chairs in one corner. I pretended to read the community notice board while Jen played with her long, sleek ponytail. Taylor flipped through a magazine and Corey leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, and stared down at his Nikes.
    I was grateful when the door opened, breaking the awkward silence. Scarface's gaze settled on me immediately. He didn't look at the others, didn't acknowledge their presence. It was like I was the only one who existed in that room.
    His lips curved into a greeting. "Isn't this a little early for you?"
    "I could ask you the same thing. Did you go home last night?"
    His one good eye twinkled. "Worried about me, Kitten?"
    "Always." I don't know why I was flirting with him. It had nothing to do with my earlier argument with Will. Scarface and I both just liked playing games.
    "This business or pleasure?" he asked, his voice a low hum.
    I jerked my head at the three members of Play Group. "Work."
    He stood very close to me and muttered, "Damn." He looked at them for the first time. Just looked, assessing, but he had the kind of gaze that made even the innocent squirm. It could bore through you and make you think he was reading your soul.
    Jenny nibbled her bottom lip and nudged Corey with her elbow.
    "We need to tell you something," Corey said.
    "Go on," Scarface said.
    "Not here."
    Scarface led us down a windowless corridor painted stark white, past a series of closed doors. The corridor opened up to a large office space with partitions and desks, most of which were empty. A couple of heads looked up from computer screens, then quickly settled back to work. Scarface opened a door with the name plaque Captain Henshaw on it. It was empty.
    He stepped aside to allow Jenny, Taylor, and Corey to enter, but shifted to block me. I cocked my head to the side, but my glare didn't affect him. It had been a good one too. He just smiled.
    "Not you, Kitten," he said. "Unless you've got something to tell me."
    "I'll wait out here then, shall I?"
    "You do that. I want to talk to you after. In private."
    "Something to look forward to."
    He closed the door, but left the blinds open. I could see through the glass walls, but not hear anything. Scarface stood by the desk and folded his arms across his chest, his usual don't-give-a-damn pose. Jenny and Taylor sat in the only two chairs other than the captain's. Corey remained standing. I watched as he spoke. He was an animated talker, using his hands to express himself. Sometimes he dragged at his hair, other times he wiped his palms down his jeans or picked his nails. It wasn't expansive and exuberant in the way Gina and the Italian half of her family spoke, but it was nevertheless telling. He was nervous.
    When he finished, Scarface said something, but I couldn't make out the words. I really needed to improve my lip-reading skills. Where the others had clear body language, he had none.
    Jenny shot out of her chair. She took a step toward Scarface, but Corey held her back. She leaned forward and poked a finger at Scarface, stopping just short of his chest. Her mouth was twisted in anger, her jaw muscles clenching. I didn't think she was complimenting him on his shirt. It was pretty ballsy of her. Or stupid.
    Scarface didn't say anything. He didn't react, not even flickering an eyelash. His body was relaxed, sleepy almost. He'd faced down way scarier people than Jenny.
    "She's innocent!" I heard her screech. "Let her go!"
    Corey held Jenny with both hands, and Taylor rose from his chair too. Scarface said something. It must have been good news, because Jenny quickly lost all her fight.
    Scarface unfolded his arms and flipped through files on the captain's desk until he found two sheets of paper. He handed one to Jenny and the other to Corey, then passed