He laughed when her face flushed bright red. He pushed her into the bathroom and added, “You might want to put on a pair of jeans. I’m gonna get Brady and Clint and likely Chief Burton over here. As much as I like those black lacy panties, I don’t think the chief’s ticker could take the shock.”
Jake’s chuckle at her shocked gasp died after he closed the door and headed to the kitchen. He shook his head as he placed the call. Fuck. This promised to be a hell of an interesting morning.
~~~
Chief Burton’s frown bordered on a scowl as he glared at Lexie.
Jake interrupted what was sure to be a tirade.
“Look, John, nobody likes to think they’ve got a viper in the nest. Unfortunately, in my line of work, we always suspect the home team first. What Bella told Lexie were Bella’s suspicions with no corroborating data. Brady’s information is more compelling.”
Brady nodded. “Yeah, Chief. After Lexie turned us on to the fucker, we planned to be on the “Watcher” like white on rice. Unfortunately, for some reason, the Watcher didn’t show last night. The girls confirmed the fucker doesn’t miss his little personal fetish breaks, come hell or high water. Last night he did.”
Jake leaned forward, resting his arms on the kitchen table, putting a barrier between Lexie and the Chief. He kept his hand on her knee, gratified that she didn’t pull away. If anything, she’d moved in closer. He wished like hell that everyone was gone and he could wrap her in his arms and do what he could to erase the agonized pain straining her face and body.
But they had a murder to solve and a drug ring to bust. Jake’s neck was alive with prickling sensations. He was missing something, something big. And it was close. So damn close he could almost taste it. The chief shattered his reverie and brought the conversation to a standstill.
“So you’re saying this ‘Watcher’ fucker is one of my men?”
Jake shrugged. “It’s looking like a good bet, John. There’s a quick way we can test it. Did anybody call in sick today or hell is just missing?
The Chief looked to his lieutenant. “Nick…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Lt. Thomas was on his feet placing a call.
The chief focused a hard glare on Lexie, then looked to Jake. He jerked his head at Lexie.
“Any thought why the asshole who killed the girl said it was her who should have been killed”
Lexie gasped.
“Me? What…what do you mean, Chief? How do know that.”
Jake coughed and shook his head.
“Uh, John, we haven’t brought that up yet.” He sighed and turned to Lexie.
“I’d hoped I could avoid telling you this, but…”
Lexie glared at him.
“Tell me what, Jake?”
Jake tried to take hold of her hand but she jerked it away.
“Lexie, there was a note by Bella’s body. It said, ‘It should have been you, Blondie.’ Look, Lexie, I’m sorry as hell that you had to find this out…I’d hoped we could…”
Lexie jumped to her feet. Her face was pale as a ghost, except for the two bright red splotches flaming her cheeks. She glared at Jake. Her voice was icy cold.
“The murderer wanted to kill me, but instead killed Bella? Is that what you are telling me? And you neglected to tell me that? ”
Jake stood up and took hold of her arm, but she jerked it away.
“So much for being a team, right, Colonel? Apparently your concept of team is closer to mine than I realized. When it’s convenient – for you that is, we’re a team. When it’s not—poof--there goes the team.”
She tried to move around him, but Jake blocked her.
“Uh uh, Lexie. Sit down, darlin’.”
Jake ignored the chief’s snort and raised eyebrows at the endearment. He tightened his grip on Lexie’s arm and eased her back into her chair. His tone was crisp, unwavering.
“I admit it. I should have told you. I apologize. You were in bad straits when I arrived. I’d hoped we could figure out what the hell the note meant before we burdened you with it. And, yes, we do need to figure out what the fucker meant by the note.”
He hadn’t thought her face could pale more, but her soft skin could have been carved from alabaster. She shook her head, gnawing on her bottom lip.
”It’s him, Jake. The Watcher. He killed her. But he didn’t want to. If you saw the way he looked at her, you would know. He loved her.” She gazed up at him. “He…he wanted to kill me.”
“Damn, Lexie. You might be right.”
“But why? Why would he kill her if he didn’t want to?” Brady asked.
Jake quirked a brow.
“Because he was ordered to.”
The silence following his cool assertion was broken when Lt. Thomas came to the door.
“We have a hit, Chief.”
Chief Burton’s face grayed.
“One of ours?’
Lt. Thomas shrugged. “Yes, YPD, but not one of us. Walt Cochran didn’t make it in today.”
“Who the hell is Walt Cochran?” the chief blustered, his brows knit in a fierce scowl.
“Used to be active duty. A patrolman, low level traffic stuff his whole career. Couldn’t advance through the ranks. Ran into a major problems about five years ago. Went through several bouts of forced rehab. Never got clearance to go back on active. Been working as an evidence clerk for the last five years. I guess waiting out his retirement.”
Jake held Lt. Thomas’s gaze. “Description?”
“Matches. Except Walt’s hair is grey and he doesn’t have a mustache. Duty clerk said he didn’t come in today. Didn’t call in either. They didn’t think much of it. Seems he misses a lot of work. Sounds as though the rehab didn’t take.”
The lieutenant turned to the chief. “We have three squads on their way over to his apartment. A dump close to the barrio. Told dispatch to assume hostile. ”
~~~
Jake leaned against the jeep, his one foot on the nerf bar and grinned at her. “Sorry, darlin’. Only big tough men with guns are going in. You’re going to have to wait in the jeep until we do a sit-rep.”
Lexie glowered at him, but sat back against the hard backrest next to Clint. She frowned at him.
“How did you get relegated to babysitting your
Jake roared. “Hell no, sugar. Clint never misses that opportunity. But two weeks ago, he forgot to put creamer in my morning coffee. That’s rises to the level of a court martial charge.
Clint smiled at her.
“No, Alexis. Being asked to stay with you means I’m at the top of the heap. You notice the big guy didn’t trust that insufferable surfer dude with you. I’m proud. Could mean a promotion is coming my way.”
Jake smiled to himself when Lexie’s cheeks flushed. She hadn’t missed the implication of Clint’s response. And hell, Clint was right. Being responsible for her safety was his number one priority and every man on his team knew it.
Brady and the Chief walked up. Both were frowning.
The chief spoke first.
“Guess the fucker likes to write notes. This one didn’t leave anything to the imagination. He explained how sorry he was that he had killed Sgt. Beloi and Bella. That was before he ate his gun.”
