Obsidian Butterfly (ab-9) by Laurell K. Hamilton Page A

be there. It was only a matter of how far under the surface it was.
    But I smiled and held my hand out, and he took it. The handshake was firm, the smile still in place, but his eyes were cool and noticed everything. I knew that if I left the room now he'd be able to describe me in detail down to my gun, or maybe up from my gun.
    Officer Norton was still behind me like a pudgy bridesmaid. Detective Ramirez eyes flicked to him and the smile wilted just a touch. "Thank you, Officer Norton. I'll take it from here."
    The look Norton gave him was not friendly. Maybe Officer Norton didn't like anybody. Or maybe he was white and Ramirez wasn't. He was old and Ramirez was young. He was going to end his career in uniform and Ramirez was already in plainclothes. Prejudice and jealousy are often close kin. Or maybe Norton was just in a bad mood.
    Whatever, Norton went out like he'd been told, shutting the door behind him. Ramirez' smile went up a notch as he turned to me. I realized that he was cute in a young guy sort of way, and he knew it. Not in an egomaniac way, but I was a female, and he was cute, and he was hoping that that would cut him some slack with me. Boy, was he shopping in the wrong aisle.
    I shook my head, but smiled back.
    "Is something wrong?" he asked. Even the slight frown was sort of boyish and endearing. He must practice it in the mirror.
    "No, Detective, nothing's wrong."
    "Please call me Hernando."
    That made me smile more. "I'm Anita."
    The smile flashed bright and wide. "Anita, pretty name."
    "No," I said, "it's not, and we're investigating a crime, not out on a blind date. You can tone the charm down just a touch, and I'll still like you, Detective Ramirez. I'll even share clues with you, honest."
    "Hernando," he said.
    It made me laugh. "Hernando. Fine, but really, you don't have to work this hard to win me over. I don't know you well enough to dislike you yet."
    That made him laugh. "Was it that transparent?"
    "You make a good good-cop, and the little boy charm is great, but like I said, it's not necessary."
    "Okay, Anita." The smile went down a watt or two, but he was still open and cheerful somehow. It made me nervous. "Have you seen the entire house yet?"
    "Not yet. Officer Norton was trailing a little too close for comfort. Made it hard to walk."
    The smile closed down, but the look in the eyes was real. "You're a woman and with that black hair probably part something darker than the rest of you looks."
    "My mother was Mexican, but most people don't spot it."
    "You're in a section of the country where there's a lot of mixing going on." He didn't smile when he said it. He looked serious and a little less young. "The people that want to notice will."
    "I could be part dark Italian," I said.
    A small smile that time. "We don't have a lot of dark Italians in New Mexico."
    "I haven't been here long enough to notice one way or another."
    "Your first time to this part of the country?"
    I nodded.
    "What do you think so far?"
    "I've seen a hospital and part of this house. I think it's too early to form an opinion."
    "If we get a breather while you're here, I'd love to show you some of the sights."
    I blinked at him. Maybe the boyish charm wasn't just a cop technique. Maybe he was, gasp, flirting.
    Before I could think of an answer, Edward came up behind us in his best good ol' boy charm. "Detective Ramirez, good to see you again."
    They shook hands, and Ramirez wasted a smile on Edward that looked just as genuine as Edward's. Since I knew Edward was play-acting, it was sort of unnerving how similar the two expressions were.
    "Good to see you, too, Ted." He turned back to me. "Please, continue looking around. Ted's told me a lot about you, and I hope for all our sakes that you're as good as he says you are."
    I glanced at Edward. He just smiled at me. I frowned. "Well, I'll try not to disappoint anybody." I walked back out into the living room trailed by Detective Ramirez. He gave me more room to maneuver than