station.
“You’re not a Rip yet. You don’t have to go through with the initiation.”
Drake and Houston exchanged a look. This could be the link they needed to find out which gangs were lighting the homeless on fire.
“Yeah, if I was a Rip, they wouldn’t have dared cross me. And if they did, they’d fix the Trix.”
“It wasn’t the Trix that got you here. It was the manager. Surely, once these gentlemen look at the security tapes, they can confirm that you weren’t helping them.” Pam looked from Houston to Drake.
Houston picked up the phone. “I’ll review the tapes.”
“Doc, I can’t spend another night in jail. My dad will beat the crap out of me. And my mother, she’ll kick me out of the house. I don’t know where I’ll go.”
“Drake?”
“It’s Houston’s case.”
“Detective,” Pam said, “has he been booked yet?”
Houston shook his head and put his hand over the receiver to say, “Formal charges haven’t been filed.”
“And if the security tapes seem to support what Chick is saying?”
“We’ll let him go,” Drake answered for Houston, who was leaving a message for what sounded like the store manager.
“What if you can’t get the tapes tonight? Will he have to spend the night in jail?”
Drake looked over at Chick, who was watching the conversation with dread and the slight glimpse of hope in his eyes. “You planning on leaving town?”
“No, sir.”
“If I let you go, I’m going to need a favor from you.”
“What?”
Drake handed him his business card. “If you see anything that don’t sit right with you, give me a call.”
“What? Like be a rat?”
“Weasel,” Houston said, hanging up the phone. “Rats talk for nothing. Weasels get paid.”
Chick licked his lips and looked between the two detectives. “I’m not a rat.”
“Never said you were,” Drake said.
He took the card and slid it in his pocket.
“So, can I go?”
“You got a hot date?” Houston said.
Chick looked Pam up and down. “Maybe.”
Drake narrowed his eyes at him.
“Chick, I think you should come to the hospital and talk to me tomorrow,” Pam said, ignoring the exchange.
“I’m not crazy,” he said.
“I know,” she said. “But sometimes, it helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of when you’re not sure what to do. We can try some of the Reiki techniques that I mentioned.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”
Pam got up. “Excellent. Well, I’ll see you then.”
“Bye, Doc,” Chick said.
“Bye, Doc,” Houston said speculatively, watching the possessive hand Drake had on her back.
When they got back to her car, Drake gave her the bad news. “I’ve got to work tonight. But the offer is still open to stay at my place. I’ll program the address into the GPS and give you the key.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That would be weird. I’ll just hit the Marriot by the hospital. I’m so tired, I can barely stand.”
“I’m really sorry,” he said.
“I understand. Just be careful.”
“You, too. If anything happens, call the station. I’ll be out of cell range, but ask for Houston or Mark. Promise me. Even if you think it’s something silly. Better safe than sorry.”
“I will,” she said and slid her hand down his arm to hold his hand.
He caught her other hand and felt a little light-headed just looking at her. “I definitely want a rain check.”
“Sounds good to me. Kiss me good night?”
“I don’t dare,” he said reluctantly, but then, because he couldn’t resist the cherry promise of her lips, covered his mouth with hers. “Sleep well,” he said, making an effort to be brief, but his mouth wouldn’t stay away from hers. When her tongue darted in his mouth, he knew he had to get away or be lost.
“I want you,” he told her and kissed her firmly again before springing back out of her reach.
“Good,” she said and got into the car.
He watched her drive away and, for the second time that night, wished for a cold
“You’re not a Rip yet. You don’t have to go through with the initiation.”
Drake and Houston exchanged a look. This could be the link they needed to find out which gangs were lighting the homeless on fire.
“Yeah, if I was a Rip, they wouldn’t have dared cross me. And if they did, they’d fix the Trix.”
“It wasn’t the Trix that got you here. It was the manager. Surely, once these gentlemen look at the security tapes, they can confirm that you weren’t helping them.” Pam looked from Houston to Drake.
Houston picked up the phone. “I’ll review the tapes.”
“Doc, I can’t spend another night in jail. My dad will beat the crap out of me. And my mother, she’ll kick me out of the house. I don’t know where I’ll go.”
“Drake?”
“It’s Houston’s case.”
“Detective,” Pam said, “has he been booked yet?”
Houston shook his head and put his hand over the receiver to say, “Formal charges haven’t been filed.”
“And if the security tapes seem to support what Chick is saying?”
“We’ll let him go,” Drake answered for Houston, who was leaving a message for what sounded like the store manager.
“What if you can’t get the tapes tonight? Will he have to spend the night in jail?”
Drake looked over at Chick, who was watching the conversation with dread and the slight glimpse of hope in his eyes. “You planning on leaving town?”
“No, sir.”
“If I let you go, I’m going to need a favor from you.”
“What?”
Drake handed him his business card. “If you see anything that don’t sit right with you, give me a call.”
“What? Like be a rat?”
“Weasel,” Houston said, hanging up the phone. “Rats talk for nothing. Weasels get paid.”
Chick licked his lips and looked between the two detectives. “I’m not a rat.”
“Never said you were,” Drake said.
He took the card and slid it in his pocket.
“So, can I go?”
“You got a hot date?” Houston said.
Chick looked Pam up and down. “Maybe.”
Drake narrowed his eyes at him.
“Chick, I think you should come to the hospital and talk to me tomorrow,” Pam said, ignoring the exchange.
“I’m not crazy,” he said.
“I know,” she said. “But sometimes, it helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of when you’re not sure what to do. We can try some of the Reiki techniques that I mentioned.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”
Pam got up. “Excellent. Well, I’ll see you then.”
“Bye, Doc,” Chick said.
“Bye, Doc,” Houston said speculatively, watching the possessive hand Drake had on her back.
When they got back to her car, Drake gave her the bad news. “I’ve got to work tonight. But the offer is still open to stay at my place. I’ll program the address into the GPS and give you the key.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That would be weird. I’ll just hit the Marriot by the hospital. I’m so tired, I can barely stand.”
“I’m really sorry,” he said.
“I understand. Just be careful.”
“You, too. If anything happens, call the station. I’ll be out of cell range, but ask for Houston or Mark. Promise me. Even if you think it’s something silly. Better safe than sorry.”
“I will,” she said and slid her hand down his arm to hold his hand.
He caught her other hand and felt a little light-headed just looking at her. “I definitely want a rain check.”
“Sounds good to me. Kiss me good night?”
“I don’t dare,” he said reluctantly, but then, because he couldn’t resist the cherry promise of her lips, covered his mouth with hers. “Sleep well,” he said, making an effort to be brief, but his mouth wouldn’t stay away from hers. When her tongue darted in his mouth, he knew he had to get away or be lost.
“I want you,” he told her and kissed her firmly again before springing back out of her reach.
“Good,” she said and got into the car.
He watched her drive away and, for the second time that night, wished for a cold
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