Far from the banter and teasing she had with Pono, Jeremy spoke only when necessary, answering her questions with monosyllables. Eventually she gave up, reading her Criminology text between the stops. She found the silence unexpectedly relaxing.
They met Stevens for lunch at Local Grindz, a popular cop restaurant. Lei started on her Japanese bento box lunch as Stevens and Jeremy hashed over the fruitless interviews.
“These kids are really upset over the girls’ murder. I think they’d tell us if they knew anything,” Jeremy concluded. His reserve was gone, she noticed. She stirred chicken katsu into the rice and added a little kim chee on top before deftly scooping it up with her chopsticks.
“What do you think about the interviews so far?” Stevens asked, turning to her.
“Nothing’s popping. Just a bunch of high school kids, and so far they’re broken up when we start talking about Haunani. We haven’t found anyone obvious she could have been getting drugs from.”
They cleared their trays back onto the counter, and Stevens draped his arm over Lei’s shoulders as they followed Jeremy out.
“My back hurts,” he whispered in her ear. “Got anything more comfy for tonight?” Jeremy turned back to them and frowned as he pushed the door open. Stevens dropped his arm when Lei elbowed him hard.
“Forget it,” she snapped. “You’re not getting in my bed.”
“Hey,” he said, trying to sound injured. “I just meant a futon or something.”
“I can work a phone if I need help. You guys are overreacting, seriously.”
Jeremy had moved ahead of them and was already unlocking the car. She hurried after him and they got in and pulled away.
There was no mistaking the icy silence as they drove to their next interview. Lei was equally quiet. Jeremy was jealous. How ridiculous, she thought. Like she and Stevens were anything but colleagues, maybe friends. What the hell was wrong with the guy?
Somehow they completed the rest of the interviews without speaking to each other.
Chapter 16
He sat in his truck across the street from the bar in the waning light of evening. He’d been tracking her patterns, and today she usually finished her patrol shift and went in to eat and change before class. Sure enough, her vehicle roared around the corner and into the alley. She got out, pulling a rubber band out of her hair as she walked briskly, carrying a duffel bag, to the alley entrance into the bar.
He put the truck in gear and pulled across, parking just in front of her vehicle. He checked once again that he had everything he needed, and then slipped into the unlocked back alley door.
Inside, the hallway was empty, dimly lit by a bare, apathetic bulb. The battered door of the women’s room was to his left. He heard splashing from inside. She’d taken her uniform off to change and was having a quick rinse at the sink. He imagined her as he’d seen her through the high louvered window on another day: washing her face, skin glowing pearl in the dim light, serviceable bra and panties only hinting at her unique treasures.
He put his ear against the door and heard rustling. She was getting clothes out of the duffel bag. He slid the wire through the crack of the door, catching the old fashioned latch and pushing it up and out of its metal loop. He gave the door a hard push and it swung wide.
She jerked upright, clutching a T-shirt against her breasts.
“Hey!” she said indignantly. He registered the swirl of loose hair, startled eyes, white cotton panties: then he shot her.
The prongs of the Taser flew out and smacked her in the chest. She crumpled to the ground, twitching.
He stepped inside, closing the door. He detached the prongs and retracted it. Moving quickly but with deliberation he cuffed her hands behind her back, stuffed a kerchief gag in her mouth. He took the syringe out of his pocket, uncapped it, and drove it into her hip. He dropped a pillowcase over her head, rolled her in the sheet he’d brought. He wrapped a long bungee cord around her a couple times to secure the sheet and pillowcase. He hefted her up, staggering a little, and checked outside the door: empty. Slipping down the hallway and out the back door of the bar, he opened the passenger door of his truck and threw her in. Her head bounced off the dashboard and she slid onto the floor as he folded her legs and shut the door.
He ran back into the restroom, let the water out of the sink, gathered her purse and uniform, and thrust them into the duffel bag. Then he hurried back to his truck. She was still, her head lying near his feet, her body an anonymous mummy. The prey, captured.
The heady power of it surged through his body, a high like no other. He couldn’t resist putting his foot on her. Gave her a little kick, just a sample of what was to come. She didn’t move. He threw the truck into gear and rolled out. Glancing back in the mirror at the red Mustang left in the alley, he smiled.
Chapter 17
Lei sat down at the rectangular table in her Criminology class. She put her soda cup beside her to save Mary’s place. Tonight’s lecture was on Criminal Rehabilitation and once again, she was behind on the reading. She opened her textbook, skimming the chapter.
“Hey beautiful.” Ray Solomon slipped into the chair next to her on the other side.
“Howzit, Ray?” She didn’t want to keep being paranoid so she put on a big smile.
“Not bad. Small kine tired.” His shoulder-length hair was glossy as an otter’s pelt under the harsh fluorescent lights. He rubbed his shoulder. “I pulled something pounding nails today.”
“Oh, that what you do?”
“Yeah, construction. For the moment,” he said, with that flash of smile.
“Keeps you in shape,” Lei said, her eyes flicking to his well-developed biceps. Am I flirting? That would be a yes. He grinned, making a muscle for her.
“Got all kinds of uses for these guns,” he said.
The instructor came up to the lectern and class got underway. Mary never showed up, and afterward Ray lingered as she gathered her books.
“Like get something for eat?” he asked, in pidgin.
“Thanks, but I’ve got someone waiting at home.”
“Sure, that’s okay.”
“It’s my dog,” she said. “I have to get straight home or she’ll chew the wall down. It’s a long day for her with no food or company when I have class.”
“Sounds like you’re pretty tied down.” They walked down the hall.
“She’s like family, so I don’t mind,” Lei said. “Hey, did Mary say anything to you about missing class today? She’s always here.”
“No,” he said. They arrived at her truck and she hit the remote. The lights flashed as the door unlocked, and Lei couldn’t help smiling-it felt like the truck was greeting her.
“Like my new ride?” she said, turning to him.
“Wow.” Only his mouth smiled. “Nice.” He stroked the muscular curve of the wheel well with both hands.
“I needed something with more juice,” she said, slinging her book bag into the back. “I was sick of that granny car.”
“Good. Well, see you.” He walked away, and she stared after him. He’s not happy about the truck. Weird. Maybe he was jealous? Well, she was definitely not going out with him, she decided. She got in and fired up the truck, and then called Mary’s cell. It went immediately to voicemail.
“Mary. Where are you girl? Left me alone with Ray and he asked me out. It’s all your fault.” She shut the phone with a snap, but her smile faded.
She’d really been looking forward to seeing Mary after the day she’d had, she thought as she pulled into the
