Tall, Dark, and Vampire

friend.

Tom leaned closer and lowered his voice, so that none of the other cops in the room would hear him. “You’ve got a serious hard-on for that tall drink of water from the club, and don’t try to deny it.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the other cops sitting outside the captain’s office playing games on their cell phones. Everyone was trying to stay awake and kill time before the shift change.

“In the two years I’ve known you, you have never been at a loss for words, and tonight you actually forgot how to speak for a second. I think all the blood rushed to your dick and out of that college-boy brain.”

“Me?” Doug responded with a wry grin and peered past the computer at his partner. “You practically drooled all over that Maya chick, and she’s a potential suspect.”

“You know I’ve always been a sucker for blonds,” he said with a wink.

Doug chuckled and shook his head. “Isn’t she a little young for you, old man?”

“Age is a state of mind, my friend.”

“Then that would make you about twelve.”

“Probably.” Tom laughed loudly and sat back in his chair as he scratched his balding head. “I’m sure my two ex-wives would agree. It’s a good thing I never had any kids. They would’ve ended up outgrowing me.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what happened with your last wife.”

“Most likely.” Tom groaned as he pushed himself out of his chair. “I’ll learn from my mistakes one of these days.” He shrugged on his jacket. “Come on. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“You go ahead.” Doug waved and turned his attention back to the folder on his desk. “I want to check out a few more details before I head out.”

“Shit,” Tom sighed and started to take off his coat. “And here I thought I was going home before the sun came up.”

“Get off the cross, Tom,” Doug said without looking up. “There’s only room for Jesus.”

Tom burst out laughing and ran a hand over his head. “You sure, kid?”

“I’m only staying a few more minutes. I just want to see if I can find more information about that bartender he was hanging out with. Maybe she’s got a pissed off ex-boyfriend. Go on. Get the hell out of here. I’ll see you back here tonight, and we’ll hit it again.”

Tom waved as he disappeared through the doorway, and Doug heard his boisterous voice as he said good- bye to the various people he passed on his way downstairs. He shook his head and smirked. Tom was anything but stealthy, which was probably why he never did undercover work.

Doug jotted a few more observations in his notebook, mostly notes to himself about going back to the club and interviewing that bartender again. He knew in his gut that she was not the killer, but he also had a hunch she knew more than she was letting on. Getting to see Olivia again would be an added bonus. Doug shut down his computer, snagged his cell phone, and stuck it in his pants pocket.

“Night guys.”

The other detectives waved absently and mumbled their good-byes as Doug headed downstairs and passed through the front lobby of the precinct. He pushed open the heavy door and sucked in a deep breath of the late spring morning. Darkness would soon be replaced by gray as the sun crept its way up, but he reveled in the last breath of the fading night.

An array of city smells assaulted his senses. Garbage and exhaust from the passing cars dominated, but the fresh smell of bread baking from Spinelli’s Bakery around the corner managed to make it tolerable.

However, the moment his feet hit the sidewalk, his phone buzzed, and he cursed under his breath. A text at this hour was rarely good news.

His brow furrowed as he read the message.

Can you come down here? There’s something I want to show you.

It was from one of the coroners in the medical examiner’s office, but not just any coroner. Dr. Miranda Kelly was his ex-girlfriend.

Be there in 10. He texted a response quickly and stuffed the phone in his pocket.

Thank God for texting. He hated talking on the phone, and with an ex it was always better to keep communication to a minimum. It helped avoid the awkwardness that inevitably followed after he ended a relationship with a girlfriend.

Well, girlfriend was probably a generous description. They slept together a few times, and she wanted more, but he simply was unable go there. He never could, and likely never would. Luckily, they were able to maintain a professional relationship, at least so far.

He felt like a shithead. He did not want to hurt her. Doug knew the more he prolonged any type of physical relationship would only make breaking it off worse. Hell, he didn’t relish being alone night after night, but he knew it was better that way. Better to bail out in the beginning before anyone had a chance to really get hurt. No ties. No commitments. That was the way to go and the way he lived his life. At first it was circumstance, and after a while it became the norm.

Commitments.

He wondered if Olivia had any commitments. His jaw set at the idea of her with another man, which was ridiculous. He barely knew the woman, so what right did he have to suffer from caveman-like territorialism? None at all. But that did not squelch the jealousy that bubbled up from the mere idea of her with another man.

His thoughts went to Ronald Davis and the bartender Maya. She was a pretty thing, and he bet that plenty of men wanted to claim her. Maybe Olivia could fill him in on the bartender’s private life?

Doug snagged his phone out of his jacket and stopped at the corner as he fished around in his back pocket for Olivia’s business card. He found the private number, dialed it, and pressed send before he could talk himself out of it.

She was probably sleeping.

He told himself that he would leave a message, and that was it. As the phone rang in his ear he knew he was full of shit. He just wanted to talk to her, to hear that sweet voice one more time.

Doug squeezed his eyes shut as it rang for the fourth time, and as he was about to chicken out and hit the end button—she answered.

“Hello?” Her honeyed voice drifted into his head, and his body froze as he struggled to remember why he called in the first place. The dagger on his back tingled. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

“Ms. Hollingsworth?” Doug said after clearing his throat. “It’s Detective Paxton. I—I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No,” she said with the hint of a smile in her voice. “I’m wide awake. What can I do for you?”

“I needed to ask one more question about Maya, your bartender.” Doug leaned against the brick wall of the building and watched two pigeons fight over a piece of hot dog bun. “Did she have an old boyfriend, the jealous type? Maybe someone who might be bothered by her flirtatious behavior with Ronald Davis?”

Silence hung on the line. Doug butted his head against the wall as he prayed she would not see through his bullshit reason for calling.

“His attack was particularly savage, a crime of passion. If it had been some random attack or mugging, there would be one, or maybe two, wounds, but Davis was hacked up.” Doug opened his eyes again and watched as the pigeons hopped out of the path of an oncoming car. “This was like an act of revenge, completely rage- driven.”

“I’m sorry, but Maya doesn’t ever stick with one guy for long.” Olivia laughed softly. “She likes to play the field, so to speak, and rarely goes out with the same guy twice. I wish I had more helpful information for you.”

Doug stuck his free hand in his pocket and fiddled with her business card.

“Actually, that is helpful.” He started walking again toward Miranda’s office. “Looks like we can rule out an old boyfriend, and sometimes ruling things out is the quickest way to get to where we want to be.” He paused before continuing, knew asking the next question was a mistake, and asked it anyway. “How about you, Ms. Hollingsworth?”

“Me?” she asked in a low, husky voice.

“It was your club he was hanging out at. Could you have an enemy or an old boyfriend who wants to cause trouble?”