The Police Chief's Lady. Jacqueline Diamond

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ out of there in a hurry.”

      “Does Arturo have a history of breaking and entering?” Ethan inquired.

      Ben shook his head. “No, but he can be destructive. We made him repaint the back of the feed store after he covered it with graffiti. Archie said he liked the bright colors. Still, he couldn’t leave those four-letter words out there.”

      “What about a search warrant,” Mark suggested. “We might find those photos at his apartment.”

      “All we have are suspicions, not evidence,” Ethan said. “You can’t get a search warrant with that.”

      “And if he’s not our culprit, seeing his house turned upside-down might push a mildly antisocial young man over the edge,” Ben pointed out.

      “Agreed.” Ethan considered the matter. “Let’s do a little low-key sniffing around. Mark, drop into the beauty shop and encourage Helen to talk about her boyfriend. Ben, if Arturo tries any other funny stuff, that might give us a reason to check his place.”

      Heads nodded. Ethan made a mental note to take stock of Arturo as soon as he found an unobtrusive way to do so. He wanted to assess the fellow for himself.

      The two men left. Ethan would have preferred to spend the rest of this sunny June morning cruising the area to identify potential problems and become better acquainted with the citizenry. However, paperwork kept him behind his desk.

      Half an hour later, he was contemplating fixing a third cup of coffee, when Amy Arroyo, who doubled as his secretary and as records clerk, wandered in wearing a puzzled expression. “Chief, Dr. Vine is here to see you. She’s in the lobby.”

      Although he knew the doctor was scheduled to arrive today, Ethan hadn’t expected a visit. “This is a surprise.”

      “Shall I show her in?”

      “I’ll do it, thanks.” He got to his feet.

      “I thought they were going to hire that doctor with the three kids,” the secretary said as she ambled into the hall. Although much of the town buzzed over every morsel of gossip, Amy lived in a world of her own.

      “You didn’t read the article last week?” Barry Lowell had described Jenni in glowing terms, omitting any mention of her questionable past. Having once been convicted of a crime he swore he hadn’t committed, Barry—no doubt with Karen’s encouragement—obviously intended to give the newcomer plenty of leeway.

      “My copy of Scientific American arrived last week. I didn’t have time to read anything else,” Amy admitted as she wandered off.

      Ethan passed Ben’s office and the detective bureau, then opened the lobby door and saw Jenni. Against the tinted windows, she resembled a ray of sunshine with her short blond hair.

      “Dr. Vine.” He thrust out his hand as he strode forward. “Welcome to Downhome.”

      “Thank you.” She shook firmly.

      She’d seemed giddier the last time they met. Today her chin had a resolute set and she held herself with military straightness.

      “What can I do for you?” Ethan asked.

      “May I speak to you alone?”

      “Of course.” He held the door, noticing a light citrus scent as she breezed by. The desk officer gave her a big smile. When Jenni returned it, the fellow brightened as if she’d just made his day. Ethan suspected she had that effect on a lot of men.

      For some reason, he remembered the night more than ten years ago in a Nashville country music bar when he’d first seen Martha perform. With her long chestnut hair, vivid face and soulful voice, she’d seemed utterly enchanting and unattainable. He would never have believed she could become his wife. Or that once he had her, he could lose her to cancer.

      He shook his head, annoyed at the memory for intruding at this inappropriate moment. “My office is around to the left.” He wasn’t sure what made him add, “Ever been in a police station before?”

      “I try to avoid them,” the doctor replied.

      Her flame-colored suit smoldered against the subdued hues of his office. Instead of sitting, Jenni walked to the window and surveyed the downtown. “Great view.”

      “I like it.” He remained standing. This was not, Ethan gathered, a social visit.

      She turned. “I prefer to get things out in the open. I can’t stand when people talk behind my back, and I’m sure you would feel the same way.”

      “If something’s bugging you, shoot.” He had a suspicion this outburst stemmed from the insulting remark Karen had overheard. Although he was willing to apologize, Ethan decided to let Jenni make the first move.

      “First of all, I perfectly understand why you might prefer the other candidate. In your position, I’d probably have supported him myself,” she said.

      Ethan kept silent.

      “As for the slander that was spread about me in L.A., you should have asked for my side of the story.”

      “The medical director told me you’d denied it and that the board took no action against you. I conveyed that information to the council,” Ethan explained.

      She released a sharp breath. “But first you repeated that whole ugly business. Why?”

      “It was my job. If I mishandled the situation, I apologize.”

      “You don’t approve of me, do you?” she said coolly.

      Ethan was caught off guard, perhaps because she’d hit on the truth. “I don’t know you.”

      “You’re being evasive.” A death grip on her purse strap revealed her tension.

      “You didn’t make a very favorable impression last month,” he conceded. “Perhaps I judged too quickly.”

      “You don’t have to like me.” Jenni faced him squarely. “But you’re part of the establishment in Downhome and I don’t want to feel as if I have to watch my back whenever you’re around. I especially don’t want to have to watch it when you’re not around.”

      Ethan found the implication insulting. “If you’re paranoid about authority figures, don’t take that out on me.”

      “When someone objects to your high-handed behavior, do you always dismiss it as paranoia?” she returned.

      They glared at each other across the office. Unwillingly, Ethan found himself admiring the woman’s gumption.

      She’d originally struck him as a fluffy California blonde. Now he’d have to describe her as a fierce, fluffy California blonde, if such a creature existed.

      Ethan wondered what it took to warm up those blue-gray eyes and why none of the millions of men in L.A. had given her a reason to stay. Suddenly, Downhome had become a more interesting place to live. But not necessarily a more comfortable one.

      He needed to defuse the situation. Mildly, he СКАЧАТЬ