“I was scared, okay? You start counting seconds when someone says they’re going to kill you.”
Brad leaned over in front of her. “He booked as soon as I squeezed off a round. I don’t think the guy had a gun, or he would have returned my fire. He may have poked her with his finger or a stick. If he hadn’t mentioned the letter, I would have pegged him as a purse snatcher.”
Carolyn thought for a moment. “He didn’t actually mention the letter. He said, ‘I warned you to stay out of this. Now I have to kill you.’”
“That’s close enough,” Hank said. “It doesn’t mean he’s our killer, though, just the guy who sent you the letter.” He tossed a large black object through the open window. “One of the patrol units found your purse under a pickup in the parking lot. When are you going to start wearing your shoulder holster? Carrying your gun in your purse is worthless. You might as well not have one.”
“I’m a supervisor now,” Carolyn told him. “Unless someone goes on a shooting rampage in the office, I have no reason to protect myself.”
“Oh, I see,” Hank said, pissed. “Like you didn’t need a gun tonight. You could have shot him, Carolyn, and saved us from having to track him down. If you don’t start looking out for yourself, you’ll end up at the morgue with your friend.”
Carolyn put her hands over her ears. “Enough, for God’s sake!”
“Lay off, Hank,” Brad said. “She’s exhausted and emotional. I wouldn’t even have had my gun on me if I wasn’t taking it home to clean it.”
Hank told Carolyn to file a report with the patrol officer at the scene, then took off.
“He’s upset because he doesn’t want anything to happen to you,” Brad said as he drove her back to the parking lot.
When he stopped alongside the patrol unit, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for being there, Brad.”
“No problem.”
“By the way, why were you there?”
Brad laughed. “I forgot where I parked my car. Are you going straight home when you finish here?”
“Not yet,” Carolyn said. “Hank wants me to sniff out Drew, try to find out if he’s involved. I’m going to swing by the house, check out this young nanny he hired, and see if there’s any news regarding Jude.”
Brad shook his head in frustration. “You know why you’re always in trouble? Because you go looking for it. For all we know, Drew may be the one who attacked you tonight. Now you’re going to show up on his doorstep. How convenient. Jesus, Carolyn, go home. You can stop by Veronica’s tomorrow. I’ve never seen a woman push herself the way you do. Don’t you ever get any enjoyment out of life?”
“Whenever I can,” she said. “You risk your life all the time on the racetrack. At least I don’t do it for thrills.”
“If Drew kills you, don’t call me. I’m going out for drinks with my friends. I’d ask you to come along, but martyrs aren’t that popular.” He held up his cell phone. “I’m turning it off, see? You’re on your own.”
Carolyn chuckled. “How could I call you if I was dead?”
“You know what I meant. I saved your scrawny neck, and you’re making fun of me. If the guy had a gun, he could have shot me.”
“You’ll never grow up, Brad.”
“Whatever,” he said, burning rubber as he roared off across the parking lot.
A young patrol officer stepped up beside Carolyn. “I should cite that guy for speeding. He can’t drive like that on the street, let alone a parking lot.”
“Don’t waste your time.”
“Why? Because he’s your boss?”
“Because you’ll never catch him.”
“I’ve been in a pursuit with a Viper before,” he said. “They’re not that fast.”
Carolyn smiled. “You don’t know what’s under the hood of this one.”
Carolyn rang the doorbell for five minutes before someone finally answered. A young girl with long blond hair that covered the right side of her face peered out at her. She looked
Brad leaned over in front of her. “He booked as soon as I squeezed off a round. I don’t think the guy had a gun, or he would have returned my fire. He may have poked her with his finger or a stick. If he hadn’t mentioned the letter, I would have pegged him as a purse snatcher.”
Carolyn thought for a moment. “He didn’t actually mention the letter. He said, ‘I warned you to stay out of this. Now I have to kill you.’”
“That’s close enough,” Hank said. “It doesn’t mean he’s our killer, though, just the guy who sent you the letter.” He tossed a large black object through the open window. “One of the patrol units found your purse under a pickup in the parking lot. When are you going to start wearing your shoulder holster? Carrying your gun in your purse is worthless. You might as well not have one.”
“I’m a supervisor now,” Carolyn told him. “Unless someone goes on a shooting rampage in the office, I have no reason to protect myself.”
“Oh, I see,” Hank said, pissed. “Like you didn’t need a gun tonight. You could have shot him, Carolyn, and saved us from having to track him down. If you don’t start looking out for yourself, you’ll end up at the morgue with your friend.”
Carolyn put her hands over her ears. “Enough, for God’s sake!”
“Lay off, Hank,” Brad said. “She’s exhausted and emotional. I wouldn’t even have had my gun on me if I wasn’t taking it home to clean it.”
Hank told Carolyn to file a report with the patrol officer at the scene, then took off.
“He’s upset because he doesn’t want anything to happen to you,” Brad said as he drove her back to the parking lot.
When he stopped alongside the patrol unit, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for being there, Brad.”
“No problem.”
“By the way, why were you there?”
Brad laughed. “I forgot where I parked my car. Are you going straight home when you finish here?”
“Not yet,” Carolyn said. “Hank wants me to sniff out Drew, try to find out if he’s involved. I’m going to swing by the house, check out this young nanny he hired, and see if there’s any news regarding Jude.”
Brad shook his head in frustration. “You know why you’re always in trouble? Because you go looking for it. For all we know, Drew may be the one who attacked you tonight. Now you’re going to show up on his doorstep. How convenient. Jesus, Carolyn, go home. You can stop by Veronica’s tomorrow. I’ve never seen a woman push herself the way you do. Don’t you ever get any enjoyment out of life?”
“Whenever I can,” she said. “You risk your life all the time on the racetrack. At least I don’t do it for thrills.”
“If Drew kills you, don’t call me. I’m going out for drinks with my friends. I’d ask you to come along, but martyrs aren’t that popular.” He held up his cell phone. “I’m turning it off, see? You’re on your own.”
Carolyn chuckled. “How could I call you if I was dead?”
“You know what I meant. I saved your scrawny neck, and you’re making fun of me. If the guy had a gun, he could have shot me.”
“You’ll never grow up, Brad.”
“Whatever,” he said, burning rubber as he roared off across the parking lot.
A young patrol officer stepped up beside Carolyn. “I should cite that guy for speeding. He can’t drive like that on the street, let alone a parking lot.”
“Don’t waste your time.”
“Why? Because he’s your boss?”
“Because you’ll never catch him.”
“I’ve been in a pursuit with a Viper before,” he said. “They’re not that fast.”
Carolyn smiled. “You don’t know what’s under the hood of this one.”
Carolyn rang the doorbell for five minutes before someone finally answered. A young girl with long blond hair that covered the right side of her face peered out at her. She looked
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