Sweet Dreams Boxed Set by Heather Graham, Alex Kava, Brenda Novak, Lee Child, Erica Spindler, Allison Brennan, Theresa Ragan, Carla Neggers, Cynthia Eden, CJ Lyons, Liliana Hart, J.T. Ellison, Tiffany Snow, Jo Robertson Page A
Authors: Heather Graham, Alex Kava, Brenda Novak, Lee Child, Erica Spindler, Allison Brennan, Theresa Ragan, Carla Neggers, Cynthia Eden, CJ Lyons, Liliana Hart, J.T. Ellison, Tiffany Snow, Jo Robertson
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us from Southern Command. I was a rookie cop at Southern before I made detective and was assigned to Central. Tommy was a sharp cop—really good. But everyone turned their back when he slipped a few bucks in his pocket during a bust. Maybe we shouldn’t have.” He shrugged. “You know why he was transferred to Northern Command.”
“No,” she said flatly. “He told me he asked for the transfer so he didn’t have to commute as far after his divorce.”
Steve looked perplexed, then clearly regretted saying anything. “Maybe it’s all water under the bridge. The guy is in jail, juries love to send cops up the river.” He squirmed. “I shouldn’t have said that. He deserves whatever he gets.”
“Not everybody thinks that,” she said. “Why was he transferred?”
It was clear Steve didn’t want to tell her, but after a moment of mental debating, he finally relented. “A prostitute came forward and said he’d been taking advantage of their cop discount for blow jobs.”
Her stomach turned. “Which means what, exactly?”
“I never—but I knew some of the guys would take a free blow job here or there, then look the other way and not arrest the girls when they were working. But apparently Tommy threatened one of the girls if she didn’t do him.” Steve was clearly embarrassed.
“Steve, the girl I caught him with was fourteen. Maybe if someone had the balls to stop him sooner I wouldn’t have been shot in the back by my own fucking partner.”
“You know how it is, Alex,” Steve said, practically whining, wanting her to understand—which she didn’t. “Guys complained, sure. Eventually he was moved north. Clean slate. Promotion to detective. Good lieutenant who knew the score, laid down the law with him. Thought by partnering him with a female detective would help.”
“He was threatening prostitutes for sex and then promoted? And you didn’t tell me?”
“It’s not something we talk about, you know. I assumed Jim would have told you.”
Jim had never said a word. The bastard.
“Hey—Alex—don’t be mad.”
She turned back to face him. “Yeah, I am mad. But mostly? I’m disappointed. You were my friend. I shared a bed with Jim. And you both knew Tommy Cordell was a fucking pervert. Kept me in the dark. And Jim actually accused me of sleeping with him.” She shook her head. “Just—go. I’m meeting my dad for lunch.” She walked away before she said anything else.
Another lie. Her dad couldn’t have lunch, but it sounded good to keep saying it.
Time to have a heart-to-heart with Matt Elliott.
Chapter Nine
From seven in the morning, the D.A.’s office was busy. Budget cuts affected everyone, and law enforcement wasn’t excluded from the axe. Staff, mostly prosecutors, flowed in and out of Matt’s office while Alex waited, a flurry of them because it was after twelve and most courts had adjourned for the lunch hour.
Matt’s law clerk was a young blonde girl named Zoey who looked like she was barely out of college let alone law school, but she compensated by wearing a severe grey suit, her long blond hair in a tight bun, and no-nonsense glasses. Her make-up was impeccable and even though she downplayed her attributes, she was model-gorgeous. She hadn’t been here last year when Alex was working with Matt. She ran a tight ship, however, and finally at quarter to one said, “Ms. Morgan, you may go in now. I’m sorry for the delay.” She actually sounded apologetic.
“No worries. I didn’t have an appointment,” she said.
Zoey tilted her chin up. “You’re on the list.”
“List?”
“Of people who don’t need an appointment.”
Odd. Weird. Alex gave Zoey an awkward smile, then walked into Matt’s office.
Matt’s office was neat, but not obsessively so. Two stacks of files were aligned straight on his desk, one on the left and one on the right. In box, out box, without the boxes. He had personal pictures, mostly of his sister, his
“No,” she said flatly. “He told me he asked for the transfer so he didn’t have to commute as far after his divorce.”
Steve looked perplexed, then clearly regretted saying anything. “Maybe it’s all water under the bridge. The guy is in jail, juries love to send cops up the river.” He squirmed. “I shouldn’t have said that. He deserves whatever he gets.”
“Not everybody thinks that,” she said. “Why was he transferred?”
It was clear Steve didn’t want to tell her, but after a moment of mental debating, he finally relented. “A prostitute came forward and said he’d been taking advantage of their cop discount for blow jobs.”
Her stomach turned. “Which means what, exactly?”
“I never—but I knew some of the guys would take a free blow job here or there, then look the other way and not arrest the girls when they were working. But apparently Tommy threatened one of the girls if she didn’t do him.” Steve was clearly embarrassed.
“Steve, the girl I caught him with was fourteen. Maybe if someone had the balls to stop him sooner I wouldn’t have been shot in the back by my own fucking partner.”
“You know how it is, Alex,” Steve said, practically whining, wanting her to understand—which she didn’t. “Guys complained, sure. Eventually he was moved north. Clean slate. Promotion to detective. Good lieutenant who knew the score, laid down the law with him. Thought by partnering him with a female detective would help.”
“He was threatening prostitutes for sex and then promoted? And you didn’t tell me?”
“It’s not something we talk about, you know. I assumed Jim would have told you.”
Jim had never said a word. The bastard.
“Hey—Alex—don’t be mad.”
She turned back to face him. “Yeah, I am mad. But mostly? I’m disappointed. You were my friend. I shared a bed with Jim. And you both knew Tommy Cordell was a fucking pervert. Kept me in the dark. And Jim actually accused me of sleeping with him.” She shook her head. “Just—go. I’m meeting my dad for lunch.” She walked away before she said anything else.
Another lie. Her dad couldn’t have lunch, but it sounded good to keep saying it.
Time to have a heart-to-heart with Matt Elliott.
Chapter Nine
From seven in the morning, the D.A.’s office was busy. Budget cuts affected everyone, and law enforcement wasn’t excluded from the axe. Staff, mostly prosecutors, flowed in and out of Matt’s office while Alex waited, a flurry of them because it was after twelve and most courts had adjourned for the lunch hour.
Matt’s law clerk was a young blonde girl named Zoey who looked like she was barely out of college let alone law school, but she compensated by wearing a severe grey suit, her long blond hair in a tight bun, and no-nonsense glasses. Her make-up was impeccable and even though she downplayed her attributes, she was model-gorgeous. She hadn’t been here last year when Alex was working with Matt. She ran a tight ship, however, and finally at quarter to one said, “Ms. Morgan, you may go in now. I’m sorry for the delay.” She actually sounded apologetic.
“No worries. I didn’t have an appointment,” she said.
Zoey tilted her chin up. “You’re on the list.”
“List?”
“Of people who don’t need an appointment.”
Odd. Weird. Alex gave Zoey an awkward smile, then walked into Matt’s office.
Matt’s office was neat, but not obsessively so. Two stacks of files were aligned straight on his desk, one on the left and one on the right. In box, out box, without the boxes. He had personal pictures, mostly of his sister, his
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