Serving Up Trouble

“Was that your cop?”

“Not my cop. The cop.”

“Uh-huh.” Josephine looked bowled over. “He was…wow.”

“Oh, close your mouth, you’re going to catch flies.”

“I guess we’re not going to talk about how wow he was.”

“Did I mention I registered for college?”

“Nice subject change.”

“Yep.”

Josephine put her hands on her ample hips. “Honey, listen. I don’t mean to interfere-”

“Yes, you do.”

“Hush. I’m talking, and what I’m talking about is you getting over what’s-his-name and finding another man. Like Mr. Wow Cop for example.”

“I’m over what’s-his-name.” Definitely over Tony. So over Tony-ex-fiance, ex-friend, ex-everything. Maybe still recovering, still getting her balance, but not mourning.

Life was too darn short.

“Lordie, that man was hot.” Josephine fanned herself. “And I bet he wouldn’t let you out of bed so early.”

Angie laughed, but a small part of her tingled at the thought of finding a man who wouldn’t let her out of bed because he couldn’t stand to be without her.

She hadn’t a clue what that would be like.

“Angie, honey, you know I love you.”

Angie smiled. “Does this mean I’m getting a raise?”

“Uh…no. But I worry. You shouldn’t be here today just because I don’t have anyone to cover the shift. You should take some time off.”

“I’m fine.”

“Fine is good, and good is crap. But never mind that now. The point is you deserve more.”

“Like I said, I’m going to college. Oh, and I bought myself a book just the other day.”

“A romance?”

“Well, no.”

Josephine snorted in disgust.

“But it was good,” Angie insisted. “And I’ve got lots of changes in the works. Big ones.”

“Really? You’re going to read a romance?”

“Much bigger.”

“Uh-huh. How about we just pretend to see that suspect so your cop will come back. Just once, pretty please?”

Luke stood in an interrogation room in front of their witness, Lou, who was seated in a chair.

Sam stood behind him.

Lou fidgeted nervously. He had a stack of petty crimes against him, all of which Sam could make go away.

For an exchange, that is. A good one. Such as one damn lead on their case.

Luke slowly paced the room. “So.” He stopped in front of Lou and smiled, his eyes warm and encouraging. “You have an uncle who has a neighbor, who has a girl friend, who’s friends with the guy who offered you a new identity for three hundred. Right?”

“Yeah.” Lou licked his lips, warming up to Luke. “That’s all. I didn’t ask for it or nothing, you know? They just thought…” He bit his fingernail.

“That you’d like to skip out on your crimes.” This from Sam, whose voice was hard as steel. He stayed behind Lou, wishing he could wring his scrawny, stupid little neck. “No. No,” Lou said, forced to twist around in his chair to eyeball Sam, who did not smile warmly and encouragingly. “I don’t need a new identity.” Sweat broke out on his brow. “I’m innocent. Totally innocent.”

“Yeah. As a shark.”

“Now, Sam.” Luke shot him a “be patient” look. “Let’s give Lou a break.”

They were playing good-cop bad-cop. Not a stretch for Sam to be the tough one. “I’ll give him a break when he gives me one. I want the-”

“The bigger fish?” Lou broke in hope fully.

“That’s right,” Luke soothed. “The bigger fish. The other guys. You can help us, Lou. It’d be good for you to help us.”

“You want to take down the entire identity-theft ring.”

“With your help,” Luke said.

Lou started to sweat more. “But I told you already, man. I know nothing. Nothing at all.”

“You know enough, I think,” Luke said pleasantly.

“No, Luke, maybe Lou here is right.” Sam came around front and stared at Lou coldly. “Maybe he can’t help us. Never you mind, Lou. We’ll just take you down the hall, book you, and-”

“What?” Lou cried, shrinking back, shoving his hands into his pockets as if to avoid the cuffs. “But you just said you don’t care what I’ve done.”

“Not if you help us.” Luke smiled again. Sweet as an innocent babe. “Why don’t you help us, Lou?”

“Don’t bother, he doesn’t want to.” Sam pulled out a pair of hand cuffs, yelled for a guard and walked toward Lou.

“Okay, okay!” Lou shot them a shaky smile as sweat poured down his face. “Sheesh. Maybe I can get you… some thing.”

“Now you’re talking,” Luke said very kindly. “Keep going.”

“Uh…”

Sam held up the cuffs and raised an eyebrow. Waiting.

Lou sighed. “Okay, listen. The kid making the new IDs…he’s some computer whiz kid at P.C.C.”

“If he’s a whiz kid, why is he going to Pasadena City College instead of a four-year school?” Luke asked.

“No money.”

Sam thought about this then shook his head. “Don’t buy it. This guy, if he’s the right one, is making a fortune off this gig. Two hundred thousand last month alone.”

“He’s not the boss, he’s just a paid joker.”

“Who is the boss?”

“Don’t know.”

“Give us a name,” Luke coaxed. “That’ll be a good start.”

“John.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “That’s convenient. How about a last name, ace?”

“That’s all I know,” Lou insisted. “That’s all I know.”

When they were back in Sam’s office, Luke looked at Sam very seriously. “I’ve got to ask.”

“Okay,” Sam said, expecting a question on the case.

“Get any more flowers today, lover boy?”

Luke was grinning at him, the bastard. “You know I didn’t.”

“Then you didn’t play your cards right.”

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut up.”

Luke merely laughed. “You’re still in the papers this morning, did you see that? Such a hero, our Sam. Can I have your au to graph?”

Each of them had been through some pretty rough times, and each of them had come through with different attitudes. Luke tended to put his emotions out there, despite his tough ness.

Sam did not.

Sam didn’t like to acknowledge his emotions in any way, shape or form. They had disappointed and hurt him once too often.

Anyway, for all those reasons, or maybe none of them, Luke’s dark eyes rarely did that sparkle dance thing as