“Oh, it will hold up in court. And we both know your clients will not do well in prison or after. Because it’s the same punishment as statutory rape—”
“Rape? Puh-lease,” Amy spit out contemptuously, standing up and turning. “My man does not need to rape some flat-chested kid when he has a woman right here keeping him more than satisfied.”
She was getting under the girl’s skin. Jo arched a brow. They all knew why Laura had been humiliated. It was because she’d thought to flirt with Zach and Zach had flirted back. The second that had happened Amy realized she’d had to show Laura who Zach really belonged to. Allowing the anger she was feeling to bubble up, Jo slammed the file closed with a snap making all three people across from her jump. “We all know your boy-toy over there has a wandering eye. The reason he stays with you isn’t because of your looks.” Jo dragged her gaze over Amy and snorted. “Definitely not that. It’s because of your money. Which makes you little more than a whore.”
Amy slapped her hands on the table and leaned into Jo’s face. “Bullshit. My man loves me. He’d do anything for me.”
Instead of backing away, she moved a few inches closer to Amy, calling her bluff. Sweat beaded at the girl’s hairline, making Jo want to crow in triumph. Not allowing her mask to slip even an inch, she countered, “Bullshit. He’s been checking out my detective’s ass every time she comes in here. Guess you aren’t woman enough to keep your man satisfied. Now, you better sit down, little girl, before you make me feel threatened.”
“Amy,” the attorney hissed. “Sit down and shut up now.” He turned Jo. “I need to confer with my clients.”
Meeting Maker’s green-eyed gaze, she tipped her head to the door. “Detectives Schumaker and Zwart will take Zach and Amy to holding until they are processed. After you’re done with them, of course.”
She stood and rapped on the door. Karma immediately opened it.
“They’re all yours after their attorney’s done with them.” Jo stepped into the hall, Maker trailing her.
“Thanks, LT.” Karma’s smile was more predatory than Jo’s. “The groups in holding will love getting fresh meat.”
She still wasn’t used to the new title. She and Sullivan had applied for the LT positions in Homicide, now Robbery-Homicide, and gotten them. Though they officially didn’t slide into the positions until Lambert and Calhoun retired in three months. The transition period, learning what new tasks they would assume and which they needed to let go of, was challenging.
Jo waited until the door shut firmly behind her before releasing a laugh. “Have fun, Karm.”
She clapped her half-sister on her shoulder as Maker leaned against the door, waiting for Bradley to finish with the two soon-to-be felons. Jo headed to find her partner and share a celebratory drink.
~ ~ ~
The mini-mart was better than going to a chain store. Jo did not want to deal with a bunch of weirdos this late at night, especially on a full moon. Seemed all the wackadoos came out this time of year. Seeing the time on the dashboard, she groaned. Almost five in the morning, overnights sucked and they’d only been on night shift for two days now.
“Hey, no more complaining. This is part of the training. We need to see each shift so when we take Calhoun and Lambert’s spots there won’t be no surprises.” Sullivan said. “I didn’t complain when you wouldn’t let me into the interrogation room with those two jerks yesterday afternoon. You don’t get to complain now.”
“Any,” Jo mumbled.
“What?”
“Ugh! I’ve been proofreading too many of Rhys’s papers for school. It’s not ‘no surprises’ with ‘won’t’ because that’s a double negative.”
“So?” Sullivan slammed the car into park and turned to face Jo.
“So? It means you’ve jinxed us because now we’ll be surprised all the time,” Jo snarked, opening the car door and stepping onto the concrete lot. Her body ached from tackling the pimp who’d snuck up on to her partner with a knife. Sometimes questioning hookers about suspects could be downright dangerous.
“Jinx or not, I appreciate what you did when you arrested those arrogant pricks before they destroyed more lives.” Sullivan pocketed the keys. “I hope the DA doesn’t deal them out this time.”
“First, they deserved every charge I could throw at them. Second, I didn’t do it for you. I did it for all those girls who suffered because those pricks kept getting slaps on the wrists due to being minors too. No one touched them even after complaints were filed. But they are eighteen now which brings in a whole different set of rules.” Jo grinned. “And third, I hate bullies so anytime I can take them down, I’m in. The icing on their shit cake is the DA refuses to cut them a break unless one gives the other up and neither is budging.”
“You know that makes you a bully in certain circles.” Sullivan scuffed a rock across the lot. “How do you know there’s no deal?”
“While you were chatting up the hooker on Main, I checked in with the DA’s office.”
“Must be nice to have a cousin working in the DA’s office—”
“Whatever, just,” she waved to the store. “Let’s get this chore over with, so you can drop me off at the hospital. Then Rhys and I can go home. Maybe have sex before we both crash.”
“Jesus, Jo. I don’t need to know about that stuff.” Sullivan grumped, falling into step beside her.
Exhaustion dragged at her. After an eighteen-hour shift, she dared anyone not to be tired. But seeing the thank you in her partner’s brown gaze was enough to give Jo a boost.
The bell above the door released a ding when Sullivan opened it. He motioned for her to go first and she made her shuffling zombie impression. Mouthing cofffeeee instead of brainnnssss.
He chuckled. “No more zombie cases. I won’t be long, I just need to pick
