She looked around, curiously. “Damn place shits money.” She shook her head and then made her way up the short path to the steps that led up to the door that matched the address she’d been given. It was a short flight that led up to a buff-colored door with a discreet doorbell. Chief Daniel paused and twitched at her uniform, dusting off her sleeve before she squared her shoulders and rang the bell.
Barking answered her, which was a surprise. She hadn’t figured Roberts for a dog. After a moment, and a quick command from inside, the door was opened. Chief Daniel found herself facing the intense gaze from a pair of steady green eyes almost on a level with her own. She spoke crisply. “I’m here to see Dar Roberts.”
“I know,” Kerry replied. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Kerry Stuart, Dar’s partner.” She held out a hand.
Chief Daniel almost backed up a step in pure reflex. Her distaste for queers had almost overridden her wanting to find out what the hell was going on, and this was pushing her buttons way too hard, way too fast. But she realized she wasn’t getting past the blonde door guard, so she gritted her teeth and took the proffered fingers. “A pleasure,” she enunciated precisely, hoping it was clear how untrue that was.
Disgusting. She had to steel herself not to wipe her hand off when Kerry released her.
“Come on in.” Kerry stepped back and held the door open. “Don’t mind Chino, she’s harmless.” Standing behind Kerry was a large cream-colored Labrador retriever, who was watching her alertly. “Mostly.”
The chief edged around the big dog and stopped, while Kerry closed the door behind her. The first thing she noticed was the smell.
Equal parts leather and polish, with a touch of spice in the air. She looked around, taking in the huge living room with its comfortable leather furniture and expensive entertainment center. A door led off to one side, and through its half-open panel, she could see it was a bedroom. Behind the living room was a formal dining room, then the arch that led, she speculated, to the kitchen.
Nice place. The art on the wall was interesting, and the stereo was Red Sky At Morning 209
clearly top of the line. As a techno buff herself, the chief was impressed.
Kerry walked past her. “Dar’s just getting something to drink.” She gestured to the furniture. “Would you like to sit down?” The Labrador trotted past her and jumped onto the couch, curling up and putting her head down, but keeping an eye on the intruder.
“No thanks,” the chief said, her eyes shifting as she caught a flash of motion.
Dar appeared from the kitchen, holding a glass in one hand. She was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, but one arm was in a white cotton sling. “Afternoon.”
“What’d you do, finally piss someone off who could do something about it?” Chief Daniel asked bluntly.
“Sit down.” Dar ignored the snarky comment and took a seat on the couch. She noticed the chief hadn’t moved. “Either sit down, or get the hell out of here.” Her voice lifted and gained an edge. “You were all hot to show me something, so show me or get lost.”
Kerry opened her mouth, then closed it and simply sat down, pulling her laptop over and starting to review its screen. She didn’t look up as Chief Daniel took a reluctant seat as far away from them as she could.
“Fine.” The chief put her briefcase down on the coffee table and unzipped it. “See what you think of this, hotshot.” She pulled something out and threw it on the table. It slid across the glass surface and stopped right before Dar. “Looks like I didn’t need any outside help to find it, did I?”
Dar put her cup down and pulled the packet over, investigating it curiously. “What the hell is it?” she asked, glancing at the chief.
“Open it. I don’t have X-ray vision,” Daniel sniped back.
Dar unfolded the wrapping one-handed and finally got through the plastic wrap that covered the parcel. She pulled back the last fold and stared at the results. Her brow crinkled, and she exchanged a look with Kerry, who appeared equally puzzled. “You found a gift-wrapped brick?”
The chief laughed shortly. “And here I thought you had some brain cells. Maybe your perverted lifestyle made them leak out. That’s not a brick, Roberts. It’s cocaine.”
It came out of left field and almost smacked Dar upside the head.
She stared at the object. “Cocaine?” Her voice rose. “You’ve got to be joking.” Kerry edged over and examined it in fascination. Dar rubbed her temples with one hand. “Must be the drugs I’m taking. I’m hallucinating that I’m in a bad episode of Miami Vice.”
Kerry bit her lip. “Is this where they break down the door and start yelling?”
Dar stared at the brick, then up at the smug Chief Daniel. “They’re smuggling drugs?”
A shrug. “Found that in a storage locker that’s supposed to have 210 Melissa Good remaindered ammo in it.” She smirked at Dar. “You didn’t have a clue, did you?”
Dar sat back and exhaled. “No.” She stared over the chief’s head bleakly. “Not about this,” she admitted. “But that might explain something else.”
And it probably did explain the journal entries. Dar tried to grasp the enormity of the situation. But how far did it go? How many people knew?
How high? Dar slowly let a breath out. All the way?
Chapter
Thirteen
CECI LOOKED UP from her brush as she heard a throat being cleared. She shaded her eyes, then felt her eyebrows lift. Sue Ainsbright was standing at the edge of their gangplank, looking warm and very uncomfortable. “Hello, Sue.”
“Ceci.” The older woman took a breath. “May I come aboard?”
It was so very naval. Ceci almost gave in to the temptation to refuse the boarding request, which, along with yelling “avast, ye maties,” was something she’d always wanted to do. “Sure.” She put away her brush, unsullied as yet by paint, and stood up as Sue crossed over onto the boat. “You look thirsty; c’mon down.”
“Thanks.”
Her guest followed Ceci down the steps into the cabin. Ceci walked over to the compact galley, gesturing toward the chairs as she did so.
“Sit down. Andy’s taken a walk over to the store.” She walked over and handed Sue a glass of iced tea, then seated herself across the table from her. “This is a surprise.”
The gray-haired woman stared at her glass, turning it slightly between her fingers in silence for a few seconds. “I know.” Sue looked up finally. “I just wanted to come and talk to you.” She hesitated. “To apologize for last night.”
Ceci laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them. “To me? For what?”
Sue just looked at her.
“I mean it,” Ceci said. “If anyone’s got an apology coming, it’s Dar and Kerry, not me.” She got up and got her own glass of tea, more just to do something than anything else. “Poor Kerry. You know, what happened last night was exactly what she was afraid of.”
“She seems like a nice girl,” Sue replied softly.
“For a dyke, you mean?” Ceci shot back.
“Ceci.” Her old friend gave her a wounded look. “I’m trying here, give me a touch of slack, will you?”
Ceci took a sip of her tea, feeling very unsettled. “Sorry,” she said.
“That automatic dismissal and exclusion of anything you don’t understand has always been a peeve of mine.” A breath. “I’ve been on the wrong side of that line all my life.”
212 Melissa Good Sue remained silent for a bit, then she, too, sighed. “You know, I’d forgotten all about that.” Her eyes lifted. “Did that make it easier for you to accept her being...ah...”