team charged with finding her brother’s killer. Damned if they didn’t all show up. Of course, the red suit helped. She’d used it before and it always worked. God, men were so predictable. But once they’d finished ogling her breasts and her butt and realized that she was a hard ass, not a cream puff, they began to take her seriously.
She had to admit, the real turning point was when Jake--she corrected herself--when Special Agent Gardner, showed up. That was when the chief began to come around. She’d know tomorrow when she went to get her materials if he was going to cooperate. She grimaced. It was a good thing she didn’t care if the police were forthcoming or not. As before, she’d depend on one person and one person only--herself. Anything else was an unexpected bonus.
No question, she thought with a disdainful sniff, she could contain the police and brow beat them with guilt. More dangerous to her mission was the blue eyed, dark haired hunk. And, God, he was a hunk. He had to be 6’ 4”. In her three inch high heels, she stood five nine and he’d towered over her. Hovered would be a better description. She tried to squash the memory of him standing next to her, his kind eyes, gentle solicitous touch when she stumbled. And, damn, a grandmother called Winnie Mae. She shook her head with a grin, but quickly sobered. She knew the system better than anyone. The nice ones always disappointed, pulled out the rug, disappeared. At least with the scum, you knew where you stood. You knew you needed to protect yourself, never let your guard down.
Most difficult was the way Agent Gardner reminded her of Anthony. She closed her eyes tight, remembering big beautiful protective Anthony. She didn’t want another big beautiful protective man. She wanted Anthony. But he was dead. If she couldn’t have him, she would avenge him. She would find his killer and take him down as brutally as he took down Anthony.
~~~
An hour later, Lexie gazed at her reflection in the mirror with a satisfied smile. She turned and looked over her shoulder at her butt. The short swingy skirt flared just enough when she whirled to give an observer a teasing glimpse of her bare thighs. Her legs always looked good. Damn, they should. A minimum of twenty five hours a week of hard core training ought to do something. Of course, her knee high patent leather three inch heeled boots didn’t hurt either. The skin tight abbreviated tank top hugged her full breasts. She threaded the gold and silver dragon into her belly button ring and yanked the waistband of her skirt down over her hips. She’d learned years ago the power of her “assets” and never hesitated to use them to her advantage. But God help the man who misunderstood the rules of the game. That was when ten years of mixed martial arts training proved its power. Her motto: Assholes beware.
Smearing on one more coat of bright red gloss over her full lips, she shook out her long blond curls. They reached the middle of her back and swayed when she walked. The whole damn Yuma police force had been unable to turn up any clues. She gave herself a saucy wink. Maybe they didn’t have the right uniform.
Pulling the creaky motel door shut behind her, she scoffed at the laughable lock and traipsed down three flights of cement stairs. The moon was a golden crescent in the stark sky. That was one good thing about being away from her home refuge. Without a million city lights, every star in the sky gleamed bright, nothing competed with its sparkling light. Fingering the blade in the top of her boot and the one at her back, she hopped in her souped up Camaro and headed out to the streets to find Anthony’s killer.
Chapter 4
The meeting at Chief Burton’s office went better than she expected. At least his secretary had been cordial when she handed her a large sheaf of papers without protest.
“My name is Delores, honey. But most people call me Del,” the matronly looking woman behind the desk said with a kind smile. “You must be Anthony’s sister. Sheesh, you look enough like him to be his twin.” She frowned, the wrinkles around her eyes that years of smoking had planted, deepened.
“I sure hope you know, honey, how bad we all feel about your brother. He was the kindest man I ever met. Charmed us all. That smile. He was…”
Lexie broke in. “Thank you, Delores. I mean Del. Yes, I know how my brother affected people. Is Chief Burton in his office?”
Delores’s face reddened and for a split second, Lexie was embarrassed. There was no need for her to be rude to this woman. She was being kind. But she didn’t want to talk about Anthony with anyone. The only reason she was here was to get the materials she’d asked for.
“Good morning, Miss Beloi.”
Lexie turned at Chief Burton’s greeting. The corpulent man stood in the doorway. His face was stern, unsmiling. He stepped aside to allow her to enter.
Lexie shook her head. Without retuning his greeting, she nodded at the papers Delores had handed her.
“I presume all the materials I asked for are in this folder?”
The chief looked surprised at her curt response.
“As much as I am permitted to give you.” He hesitated for a moment then added, “The autopsy report will be available tomorrow. Jake, Special Agent Gardner, has it, but said you could get it from him tomorrow.”
Lexie frowned. “Is there somewhere I can sit in private to review these materials? I want to see what is here and what is missing.”
The chief flushed. He nodded to Delores.
“Please show Miss Beloi to Lt. Angeles’ office. She is out today.”
He turned on his heel and went back in his office, closing the door behind him.
An hour later, Lexie came out to the waiting room. Delores looked up with a questioning smile. Apparently not put off by Lexie’s earlier rudeness, she asked, “Did you find everything you needed, honey?”
Lexie pressed her lips together, trying to hide her annoyance.
“No, I did not.”
She handed Delores a sheet of paper with a list of eleven missing items.
Delores glanced at the list. Dismay crossed her face. “Golly, honey, the chief had to go to a meeting, or I’m sure he would give you these things you need.”
Not believing that for a moment, Lexie responded crisply, “I see. Please tell Chief Burton that I will be back tomorrow to get these items when I come to pick up the autopsy report.”
Discomfited at her rudeness to the woman who was clearly trying to be helpful, she turned at the doorway.
“Uh, thank you, Delores. I…I appreciate your help.” She added with a soft smile. “And yes, I agree, my brother was a charming man.”
~~~
Lexie had already decided that she would not seek out Special Agent Gardner. It was bad enough she would have to come back tomorrow to get the autopsy report. She gave a derisive snort. So much for making sure the chief gave her everything that she had asked for. He’d even shanghaied one of the critical documents for himself.
She was almost to her car when she heard him call out to her.
“Alexis, wait.”
Her hand was on the door handle and she fumbled with her keys. If she could get away without speaking to him, she would. But it was too late.
She turned to see him striding toward her across the parking lot. Tall, purposeful, and intent. Intent on stopping her
“Hey, Alexis, wait a minute.”
He was smiling a big generous smile that didn’t hide the concern darkening those astonishing blue eyes. When he reached the car, he stuck out his hand. When she refused it with a quick shake of her head, his smile turned to a small frown. He looked her over and apparently didn’t miss her resistance. When he spoke his voice was
