and Leon was by Denver’s desk early in the morning. For several weeks he’d been tracking a dealer who’d been selling his wares to a local high school, and he was close to making an arrest. But they both knew it wasn’t the smalltime dealer he was out to nail, it was the supplier, so his plan was not to mirandize the guy, but get him to talk, then set him free.
Denver was in on the plan, and she fully approved. Getting the bigtime supplier into court was their ultimate goal, then after a triumphant victory, throwing him into jail where he belonged. She couldn’t wait to get in on the action.
‘What didja do last night?’ Leon wanted to know, hovering by her desk.
‘Nothing much,’ Denver replied. ‘And you?’
‘Went on a date with a Cuban girl who was into having sex in the elevator of her apartment house.’
‘Excuse me?’ Denver said, raising an eyebrow.
Leon laughed. ‘She was one of those danger freaks – y’know, let’s see if we can get ourselves caught.’
‘Lovely.’
‘I hadda say no, an’ then she blew me off.’
‘In the sexual sense?’
‘I wish,’ he said, laughing again. ‘Bitch called me chicken an’ told me to get out.’
‘Because you wouldn’t have sex with her in an elevator?’
‘You think I wanna get arrested for indecent exposure? I can see myself comin’ up in court with you prosecuting my ass.’
‘If that ever happens I’ll be gentle,’ she promised, smiling.
‘Bullshit!’
They both laughed.
‘Seriously, Denver,’ Leon said. ‘I gotta say I like workin’ with you. You’re kinda one of the boys.’
‘I am?’ she said, taking it as a compliment.
‘Yeah, all the guys think so, an’ believe me, that’s high praise.’
‘Well . . . I’m not sure what to say.’
‘You don’t hav’ta say nothin’.’
‘Then I won’t.’
Leon circled her desk. ‘Y’know, this weekend, my partner Phil an’ his wife are throwin’ a barbecue. Nothin’ fancy, but a lot of the guys are goin’, an’ I thought you might wanna tag along. Get t’know everyone.’
‘That’s so nice of you, Leon, but this weekend I’ll be in Vegas with my uh . . . boyfriend.’ She felt stupid saying the word boyfriend, but that’s exactly what Bobby was. Anyway, she needed to let Leon know she was taken, even though she was sure he already knew that.
‘Vegas, huh?’ Leon said, hiding his disappointment. ‘Now doncha go runnin’ off an’ sealin’ the deal in one of those Elvis impersonator weddin’ chapels.’
‘I promise I won’t.’
‘Then I guess I’m gonna hav’ta let you go.’
‘I have your permission, do I?’ she said, amused.
‘Yeah, Denver. Put it all on lucky seven, an’ don’t come back without a big score.’
‘Yes, sir !’
Her cell rang. It was Bobby. Leon took the hint and left.
‘Where were you last night?’ she asked. ‘I couldn’t hear a word you said.’
‘Long boring story,’ Bobby replied, deciding he didn’t need to mention the strip club. ‘Those Russian investors I told you about, they dragged everything out and I ended up having to stay in Vegas.’
‘Poor you.’
‘Got on a plane early this morning, and I just landed in New York.’ A beat. ‘But never mind about me. How are you ?’
‘Lonely.’
‘That’s what I like to hear.’
‘Missing you.’
‘Even better.’
‘When will you be back?’
‘Thursday night. Then Friday we’ll fly to Vegas. Please tell me you’re saying yes.’
Alternatives. Visiting Sam on a movie set. Attending a cop barbecue with Leon. Seems like no contest. ‘I’m saying yes, Bobby,’ she said softly.
‘That’s my girl. I’ll call you later. Have a good one.’
* * *
Checking out a couple of gossip sites on his computer, Frankie was delighted to find several shots of himself and Cookie leaning all over each other at River. She looked hot, kind of like a young Janet Jackson.
He quickly scanned the copy:
Eighteen-year-old Cookie, daughter of
Denver was in on the plan, and she fully approved. Getting the bigtime supplier into court was their ultimate goal, then after a triumphant victory, throwing him into jail where he belonged. She couldn’t wait to get in on the action.
‘What didja do last night?’ Leon wanted to know, hovering by her desk.
‘Nothing much,’ Denver replied. ‘And you?’
‘Went on a date with a Cuban girl who was into having sex in the elevator of her apartment house.’
‘Excuse me?’ Denver said, raising an eyebrow.
Leon laughed. ‘She was one of those danger freaks – y’know, let’s see if we can get ourselves caught.’
‘Lovely.’
‘I hadda say no, an’ then she blew me off.’
‘In the sexual sense?’
‘I wish,’ he said, laughing again. ‘Bitch called me chicken an’ told me to get out.’
‘Because you wouldn’t have sex with her in an elevator?’
‘You think I wanna get arrested for indecent exposure? I can see myself comin’ up in court with you prosecuting my ass.’
‘If that ever happens I’ll be gentle,’ she promised, smiling.
‘Bullshit!’
They both laughed.
‘Seriously, Denver,’ Leon said. ‘I gotta say I like workin’ with you. You’re kinda one of the boys.’
‘I am?’ she said, taking it as a compliment.
‘Yeah, all the guys think so, an’ believe me, that’s high praise.’
‘Well . . . I’m not sure what to say.’
‘You don’t hav’ta say nothin’.’
‘Then I won’t.’
Leon circled her desk. ‘Y’know, this weekend, my partner Phil an’ his wife are throwin’ a barbecue. Nothin’ fancy, but a lot of the guys are goin’, an’ I thought you might wanna tag along. Get t’know everyone.’
‘That’s so nice of you, Leon, but this weekend I’ll be in Vegas with my uh . . . boyfriend.’ She felt stupid saying the word boyfriend, but that’s exactly what Bobby was. Anyway, she needed to let Leon know she was taken, even though she was sure he already knew that.
‘Vegas, huh?’ Leon said, hiding his disappointment. ‘Now doncha go runnin’ off an’ sealin’ the deal in one of those Elvis impersonator weddin’ chapels.’
‘I promise I won’t.’
‘Then I guess I’m gonna hav’ta let you go.’
‘I have your permission, do I?’ she said, amused.
‘Yeah, Denver. Put it all on lucky seven, an’ don’t come back without a big score.’
‘Yes, sir !’
Her cell rang. It was Bobby. Leon took the hint and left.
‘Where were you last night?’ she asked. ‘I couldn’t hear a word you said.’
‘Long boring story,’ Bobby replied, deciding he didn’t need to mention the strip club. ‘Those Russian investors I told you about, they dragged everything out and I ended up having to stay in Vegas.’
‘Poor you.’
‘Got on a plane early this morning, and I just landed in New York.’ A beat. ‘But never mind about me. How are you ?’
‘Lonely.’
‘That’s what I like to hear.’
‘Missing you.’
‘Even better.’
‘When will you be back?’
‘Thursday night. Then Friday we’ll fly to Vegas. Please tell me you’re saying yes.’
Alternatives. Visiting Sam on a movie set. Attending a cop barbecue with Leon. Seems like no contest. ‘I’m saying yes, Bobby,’ she said softly.
‘That’s my girl. I’ll call you later. Have a good one.’
* * *
Checking out a couple of gossip sites on his computer, Frankie was delighted to find several shots of himself and Cookie leaning all over each other at River. She looked hot, kind of like a young Janet Jackson.
He quickly scanned the copy:
Eighteen-year-old Cookie, daughter of
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