To Trust a Cop. Sharon Hartley

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СКАЧАТЬ the physician, but people are dying because of greedy doctors. It’s a huge problem in Florida.”

      She nodded, wondering about the hard set to Cody’s jaw. “I’ll record any cars coming or going, report the tags to you.”

      He glanced at her again. “I like how you set up in a different location this time. Smart.”

      “D.J. taught me well.”

      Cody rubbed his hand across his chin. “D.J. was a good cop.”

      “Oh, you think so?” she asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

      Cody cocked a brow at her tone. “Yeah, I do.”

      “Well, I doubt if he’ll appreciate your praise since the Division of Licensing is investigating him...thanks to you.”

      Cody narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

      “You didn’t know they’re sending out an investigator because of your complaints?”

      “Complaints? All I did was confirm you had a valid license.”

      “Well, guess what? A call from the cops worries the regulators in Tallahassee.”

      Cody sighed. “I’ll see if I can call them off.”

      “Good.” Her outrage cranked down to a simmer, Merlene took another bite of soup, spilling a drop on her blouse. She reached for a crumpled napkin and said, “D.J. hasn’t been feeling well lately.”

      “Sorry to hear that. How did you hook up with him?”

      “He’s a distant relative. My mother’s second cousin, I think. They were close as kids. He moved away from Joplin and made good, though.”

      “Joplin?”

      “Joplin, Missouri. Once the proud home of the Bob Cummings Motel, its only claim to fame until the tornado last year.”

      “Your home, too?”

      “No, not my home,” she murmured. “But I was born there.” Merlene gulped the last bite of soup and placed the container in her console next to a half-eaten bag of cheese crackers.

      “You moved to Miami and looked up D.J. so you could make good, too?”

      She shifted in the seat and looked out the window. Seated like this, Cody was too close. “Not exactly. I moved here when I got married. I looked up D.J. afterward.”

      “Ah, the husband. I’m curious about what he thought of your career choice.”

      “Not much, since I chose it so I could catch him in bed with his lover.” There. She’d said it. She raised her chin and gave Cody a direct look, daring him to say the wrong thing.

      “I see.”

      She sighed. “It was a long time ago.”

      “Well, did you?”

      “What?”

      “Catch him in bed with his lover?”

      She nodded. “Like I said, D.J. taught me well.”

      “Was your husband a police officer?”

      “No.” She issued a short laugh. “Another no-good doctor.”

      “So since you were so good at surveilling people, you decided to make a living at it?”

      “Made sense, don’t you think?”

      “Hell of a way to choose a career.”

      “It wasn’t my first choice.” After a pause she said, “Did you always want to be a cop?”

      “From the time I was about ten. My dad was a cop.”

      “Yeah, D.J. told me. That’s nice that you ended up doing what you always wanted,” she said. “Most people don’t get that in life.”

      “So what was your first choice for a career?”

      Damn, she’d left herself wide open for that question. “An impossible dream.”

      “Why impossible?”

      “Never mind.” She leaned her head against the seat back.

      “You can’t do that, Merlene. You have to tell me.”

      “You don’t want to know.”

      “Yeah, I do.”

      She sighed and wrapped a strand of hair around a finger.

      “Come on.”

      Wondering why she was dredging up ancient history, Merlene gazed toward the Johnson house. “I wanted to be a singer, specifically a country singer. I ran away to Branson, auditioned for every music hall in town, but all I ever did was wait tables. What a mistake.” She examined the ring on her right hand and wondered why she still wore it. To remind her how miserable her marriage was?

      “That’s how I met Dr. Peter Saunders.”

      “Ah. You’re a singer?”

      “That’s just it. I’m not.” She shook her head. “I can’t even carry a tune. When I was seventeen I thought I could, but believe me, what happens when I sing isn’t music.”

      “I like country tunes,” he said. “Sing something for me.”

      “No way, Detective.” She held up both hands. “I knew better than to tell you.”

      He grinned at her. “Coward.”

      You got that right. I’m a big fat chicken who might start clucking any minute.

      “Forget it.” As she reached for her notebook on the dash, her arm brushed against his shoulder, the same arm he’d touched this afternoon. Warmth again spread out from their contact. Did he feel that spark, too? She felt her belly muscles contract and thought about their almost kiss this afternoon. Being in a confined space with this man was definitely a bad idea.

      Taking a deep breath, she checked the time and entered her status into the log. She needed to refocus.

      “Did you find out why you’ve been yanked off Johnson’s case?” she asked.

      “There’s rumor,” Cody said, “but nothing concrete.”

      Or maybe you’re refusing to tell me, she thought, tossing the pad back to its place.

      “You should have stayed and watched the game,” he continued. “In the fifth inning my nephew hit a triple.”

      “Hey, that’s great,” she said, and meant it. “I’ll bet he was thrilled.”

      “He СКАЧАТЬ