Vegas Shuffle (Vegas Series) (2 page)

Aurora stood facing Cory in his fancy office. She was going to have her say. “Tell me, Cory. Quit nipping away at the subject like a damn puppy chewing a squeeze toy.
Where
is Kai?”

Cory looked furious. “Have respect, Detective. I’m the lieutenant here. You know—your boss.”

“Yeah, yeah!”

Cory shook his head and his anger faded before he answered. “You know that Kai sent in his statement completely exonerating you from any wrongdoing. He came through for you, Aurora.” Cory still shied away from answering her questions. She knew his evasive tactics.

“Cory Ashton! If you don’t stop playing games with me, I’ll be up in front of the board again explaining why wounding you was also a righteous shoot. And trust me, after I tell them what an ass you are, no one will argue with my decision.”

Mouth quirked in a stupid grin, Cory sighed and sat down heavily in his chair. Being that his size could destroy most ordinary office furniture, good thing the large black well-constructed leather seat offered no resistance.

“They called him back to L.A.”
Aurora watched the sly look replace his grin. “They ordered him back?” she questioned. “You’re sure? Seems pretty opportune that they needed him the same day we got Rhondo.”

“These things happen, Aurora. You know how our business works. He took a leave and they required him back at his desk. Poor guy didn’t have a choice.”

“Poor guy, my ass. He never phoned or left me a message. Just up and disappeared. Only thing he said to me on the day I—” Still having trouble saying on the day she killed Rhondo, she hesitated, then added. “He said: I need time.”

“He did! I’ve never seen the guy so messed up.”

“Bastard didn’t think maybe I needed him?”

“You had the rest of us. He had no one. You’re not really pissed at him, Rory. I know you. What he’s going through is normal. After all, he thinks you betrayed him.”

“Stop calling me Rory, Lieutenant. I didn’t betray him. All I did was trust a friend.” The sigh that escaped rang in the silent room and gave voice to the frustration felt by both. Cory never said a word, but he looked cornered and slightly embarrassed.

Aurora continued. “Fine. I’ll get on with my life and quit waiting for his call. I’d think two weeks should be enough time for him to decide if he wants there to be an ‘us’ or not.” Heading for the hallway, she slammed Cory’s door behind her and made her way to her own office.

The ache she’d been living with since the shooting billowed throughout her body, wanting her to still float in the misery which had filled her for the last fourteen days. But that wasn’t her way. She had the strength to shut out her heartache. To let anger soothe the hurt and give her reasons to stiffen her resolve and get on with her life. No more calling his cell phone and leaving heartfelt messages. No more crying for the stupid bastard. If he didn’t want her, then she sure as hell didn’t want him either. So there!

She stomped past John Hampton, an Irish detective whose desk looked like it had been attacked by an army of rebellious files. Then she headed straight for the smaller room that housed two desks and all the paraphernalia used by officers who worked cases and solved most of them.

Her desk looked almost as bad as Hampton’s. So many cases loomed and only so many people to crack them. As much as she hated the idea, Kai would have to be replaced. She needed another partner.

She lifted the receiver, dialed and waited for Cory’s forceful response.

“Ashton here.”

“It’s me. Okay, I’ll take another partner. And don’t say I told you so.”

“Wasn’t going to. I have the perfect person for you. Strange thing is—she starts in the morning.”

“You’re
so
not funny!”

Only his booming laugh answered her snide remark before she banged down the receiver. He’d already had someone else set up to replace Kai. Her old friend knew her too well. She chuckled.

The phone rang and distracted her. “Detective Morelli, how can I help you?”

“You can save a poor girl from devastating boredom and have supper with her tonight while her turd of a husband has a dinner meeting with the brass.”

“Since you put the invitation so sweetly, how can an ex-partner refuse? What should I bring?”

“What makes you think I haven’t cooked something already?”

“One can only pray! Pizza or Chinese?”

Debbie laughed long and loud and made Aurora smile for the second time in a few minutes. It lightened the wretched heaviness she’d been carrying around inside for the last two weeks.

“You pick. See you soon.” The dial tone buzzed and Aurora shut down her computer, picked up her purse and admitted that for once she could leave at the regular time rather than work half the night in order to stop those blasted memories that kept her awake anyway.

Her new resolution: no more spending her nights with a box of Kleenex, while hugging the pillow Kai had slept on.

Chapter Three

Aurora balanced the pizza box in one hand, a bottle of wine in the other and kicked against the door gently in case Debbie’s baby, Alec, was sleeping. Debbie, obviously waiting for Aurora to show up, opened instantly and took the box of pizza. She headed into the kitchen chattering like a magpie.

“I’m so hungry. This smells wonderful. I’m glad you decided you could spare some time for me, rather than act like a crazed workaholic half the night.”

“Go ahead, say what you think. Don’t let this gun I have in my purse stop you.”

Debbie grinned and hugged her friend against her wishes. Not that Aurora wholeheartedly disagreed with the action; she just didn’t get too involved. A pat on Deb’s back, a slight lessening of her stiffness, and she stepped away. “Enough of the sappy stuff. The mozzarella and pepperoni had me salivating all the way from the shop. Sometimes I think the smell of a pizza is almost as good as the taste.”

Debbie’s questioning gaze made her back up some. “Okay! Nothing’s better than the taste.” Aurora reached behind her friend for the plates while Deb munched the bite she’d stolen off a slab. Debbie brought down the wine glasses that hung from the fancy rack as part of the cupboard design. Comfortable together, they both carried their gear into the livingroom and plopped down on the sofa. Debbie reached for the remote and muted the sound while Aurora leaned back and put her feet on the coffee table.

Debbie pointed at Aurora’s fancy toenail painting, the tiny stars and pretty colors that were highlighted by a gorgeous thin gold anklet, and chuckled. “No one who knows you would believe that you’re such a girl.”

“Watch it. If I wasn’t so hungry I’d make you take back those fightin words.”

Debbie talked as she chewed. “Seriously! You have everyone at work scared silly of you, the guys pray they never have to be your partner and yet you’re such a feminine little thing. Hell, even your size. Good Lord, when you strut around in those high-heeled boots, you walk like you’re six feet tall whereas the truth is you’re what? Maybe five-two.”

“I don’t
strut
.” No way she’d show how much Debbie’s words were affecting her.

“Like hell you don’t. And that hard-assed manner you’ve perfected?” Debbie sneered the words rather than speaking properly. “Scares the crap out of felons you track down. Shit, sometimes it used to scare the hell outta me. And you like me.”

“Says who?”

“Really Aurora, I’m serious. You’re beautiful, not just in looks. Hell, no one could ask for a better friend. I mean, every time I think of what you did for me by shooting Rhondo—” Debbie’s eyes welled.

“It’s over and done with. Don’t talk about it. Don’t think about him anymore. It makes you sad.”

“I can’t help but think about it… and you. What I asked you to do for me was way too much to expect from anyone. I’ve wondered if I could have come through for you if the circumstances had been reversed.”

“You would have.”

“No, truly I don’t know if I would have or not. You’re a lot stronger than I am.”

Aurora stopped eating, put her pizza on the plate and faced Debbie. “Tell me.” It was the first time they’d had a chance to fully talk over the events of what had happened to Debbie in the cabin with Earl Rhondo. Aurora had known her friend would explain everything sooner or later and it looked like the time had come.

Debbie’s eyes filled as she reached for a tissue that just happened to be in her jean’s pocket. For the first time, Aurora suspected this set-up had been rigged and her friend had planned for this night.

“Do you remember me telling you why I had decided to become a police office? A story I told you about when I was just a child and I’d witnessed a car accident where a young blond woman had been hit? That I’d seen a toy truck which had fallen out of her bag and I’d always thought about that little boy whose mother wouldn’t be returning?”

“Sure. I remember. You’d decided then that you wanted to be like the police officers who helped, because you couldn’t forget about the child.”

“Turns out? That child was Earl Rhondo. His stepfather had told him all his life that his mother had ran out on them. Called her a whore and made the boy believe she hadn’t cared enough to stick around. That man and his vile words created the monster we tracked. The criminal. It was his doing that led Earl to live the way he did. In the end, all Earl wanted was to have a child of his own, someone who he could love and never leave, someone he’d never let down.”

“And he believed Alec to be that child.”

“Yes, he did. As frightened as I felt, especially after he shot at Kai, I never really saw the monster that night. A man who loved a baby the way he loved Alec, well he deserved
some
measure of compassion and pity. You gave it to him. You know he wanted to die. He went out shooting so you would have no choice but to fire back and kill him. What he didn’t know was that all three of you were sharp-shooters. He’d made that choice so his child, which he believed Alec to be, wouldn’t have to live with a jailbird for a father. You granted his wish. And I thank you so much.” Tears streamed down Debbie’s cheeks. Mopping them up with her soggy tissue didn’t help. They kept on coming.

Aurora watched Debbie to see her expression, “You let him believe Alec was his; smart move.”

“I knew Earl’s beliefs to be wrong. Just that morning I’d gotten the DNA report from the hospital that proved Alec to be Cory’s son. At first I didn’t say anything to save my baby. Then after I knew his story, I have to admit it was out of compassion.”

Choked, Aurora put her arm around the weeping woman. “Then I’m glad we helped him out. I know all the women he hurt might not have pitied him, they just wanted him dead. So in a sick kind of way, it seems to me everyone got their wish.”

Later, after the pizza had been consumed and all talk of the incident had stopped, Debbie looked at Aurora closely.

“You’re not getting enough sleep, my friend. You look like hell.”

“Gee, thanks. Love those kinds of compliments. Makes a girl feel so good.” She wiggled her shoulders sensually.

“Serious, here. You’re still pining away for Kai. I know it. Haven’t you heard back from him yet? Cory keeps saying to give the guy time. What do you say?”

Anger slid in and pushed out the playfulness. In a voice hardened with resolve, she answered. “I’d say his time is up.”

Chapter Four

“She’s too tall??” Cory repeated Aurora’s remark. Losing his cool, he almost yelled. “Hell, she’s not much taller than Debbie!”

“Are you talking in inches or feet?” Bitchy and not knowing why, Aurora gave Cory a hard time after he’d pointed out her new partner, who paced in the waiting room behind the glass wall. “What else do I need to know? Come on—give. I can tell by your expression that you’re holding back on me.”

“All you need to know is that she’s a good cop.”

“That’s a given. What else?”

Her boss plunked himself down on the corner of his desk and glared his frustration. His fingers fiddled with the crease in his suit pants. “I’m not playing this game with you, brat. I put up with far too much of your bullshit and it’s time you started to play by the rules like everyone else around here.” He crossed his arms and kicked back with his foot. The loud bump signified he’d said it all.

A faint ringing started up in Aurora’s ears, and warned her that her boss was holding something back she most probably wouldn’t like. Her body’s warning, that the doctors called tinnitus and she called instinct, had been with her from the time she became aware that her mother hated her and liked to show it with pain. Now being a woman and a cop who examined every expression, every ‘tell’ on a face where lies were being planned, she knew when to expect bad news.

“Man, you’re scaring me here. You’d better tell me what’s crowding your craw or I’m taking the three month’s leave you owe me.”

“Aw shit Aurora, we’re already short-staffed. Okay, if you have to know everything up front, I’ll tell you. She might be rather athletic.”

Just the word had her stomach muscles tightening. Memories, of all the hassling she’d suffered while at the high school both she and Cory had attended, poured in. The jeers and taunts from the sporty girls who liked to torment because they could play the games, and due to her size, she’d never made the various teams.

“How athletic?” She narrowed her eyes and starred him down. When he swallowed she knew she wasn’t going to like his reply.

His I-give-up groan would have been comical if she wasn’t so invested in the discussion. After all, she’d be spending a lot of time with this female giant jock.

“She boxes, plays basketball and golf— and runs marathons.”

“Fuck!”

He jumped up and held her gaze. “First and foremost, she’s a good cop. Look, Rory, I know you have this thing about your size. But no-one else sees you as—little. You cast a large shadow, trust me.” He took her hand in his. “You’re the only one it bothers, Shrimp.”

Using the nickname from when they were kids back in Casa Grande, he teasingly balanced his chin on the top of her head. Her elbow came lightning fast, and if she hadn’t pulled it a second before it landed, he’d be writhing on the ground, all six-foot-four of him.