LITMIR.BIZ

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assumed a smile. “Well, of course you do.”

      Betty sipped more coffee. “I worry about Monroe’s threats,” she said somberly. “Mr. Blackhawk seems to think it’s a joke, but the man is dangerous. His wife’s uncle taught him how to be a monster, and his brother-in-law is a terror.”

      Joceline nodded. “Jay Copper is going to do some very hard time, if he manages to avoid the needle,” she added meaningfully. “Imagine ordering the death of a woman and a small child!”

      “And I’m sure that he did order it, despite all his denials,” Betty said grimly. “Dan Jones may have done the actual killing, but Jay Copper was behind it. If they can just convict him, is the thing. I hope they do.”

      “Mr. Blackhawk is supposed to meet an informant tonight at seven,” Joceline said heavily. “He refuses to have a bodyguard. He doesn’t think Monroe is a threat.”

      “That’s foolhardy,” Betty said. “Look what happened to Detective Marquez when he went to meet some shadowy informant.”

      Marquez had been blindsided and hospitalized. Joceline was uneasy about the meeting tonight. “Mr. Blackhawk takes chances.”

      “Oh, I’m sure he’ll be all right,” Phyllis said airily. She glanced at her watch—a very expensive one. “Gosh, I have to get back to work. Thanks for the coffee.”

      She left without putting change in the kitty that helped pay for renewing the canteen supplies. Without a word, Betty took a bill out of her pocket and placed it in the container.

      “Young people.” She sighed.

      Joceline smiled. “You’re nice.”

      “Thanks. So are you.”

      “I do hope they can convict Jay Copper of little Melly Kilraven’s murder,” Joceline said quietly. “Kilraven still isn’t over it,” she added gently, “although he and his wife, Winnie, are expecting around the new year.” She smiled. “What a Christmas present they’re going to have this year if she goes into labor early!”

      “Christmas!” Betty exclaimed. “I haven’t even started shopping!”

      “It isn’t even Thanksgiving yet,” she was reminded.

      “Yes, but I usually have everything bought by August.” She laughed. “I’m efficient on the job. I wish I could be that efficient off it.”

      Joceline laughed, too. “Well, we all do what we can.”

      The phone rang. Joceline got to her feet. “Back to work. Thanks for the heads-up,” she added in a soft tone. “At least if I get the ax, I’ll be somewhat prepared. Perhaps I should start working up a résumé.”

      “Wait,” Betty advised. “A lot of this is all talk. I don’t think the office can operate with just me taking a workload from the squad, and only a part-timer for Mr. Blackhawk all at once. I’d have a nervous breakdown. And I can’t persuade people to talk to me like you can. You’re marvelous at digging out information.”

      Joceline pursed her lips. “I can do that,” she agreed. “Maybe there’s work for a skip tracer,” she added, indicating a line of work that involved digging out information for detectives. “I might look good in a trench coat.”

      Betty laughed again.

      JUST BEFORE quitting time, the phone rang as Joceline was gathering things into her bag to take home, including the long file on Bart Hancock.

      Joceline picked up the phone. “Hello?”

      “My love! It’s been so long!”

      She knew that voice. Its South African accent was unmistakable. She pictured a rugged, tanned face with an eye patch and blond hair in a long ponytail. “Rourke,” she muttered.

      “You know you’re happy to have me around again,” he drawled. “Guess what? I’m going to be your shadow for a few weeks. Until the would-be perp stops making threats, at least.”

      “I can’t wait,” she replied. “Do you have body armor?”

      He hesitated. “Excuse me?”

      “Body armor,” she emphasized. “Riot gear.”

      “No. But I can borrow some. Why will I need it?”

      “If you attempt to shadow me, I’ll rub bear grease all over you and open the lion cage at the zoo,” she said sweetly.

      There was a slow, deep chuckle. “Joceline, my love, I have two tame lions who live with me back home in South Africa. I’m not intimidated by big cats. However, if you’d like to rub me all over with bear grease,” he added in a deep, velvety tone, “I can be in your office in two minutes flat. I’ll even run red lights!”

      She slammed the receiver down, her lips making a thin line. She muttered under her breath.

      A minute later, the phone rang again. She jerked it up and, without thinking, said, “If you call here one more time, Rourke, I’ll have you up for harassment!”

      There was a faint pause, as if she’d shocked the listener. Then Kilraven’s voice came over the line, deep and very somber.

      “Joceline, I’ve got some bad news.”

      “Winnie …?” she began worriedly, because she was fond of his wife. They often went shopping together.

      He swallowed. “Not Winnie. My brother …”

      “Jon? Something’s happened to Jon?” She sounded almost hysterical and she didn’t care. Harold Monroe’s phone call came back to her in a flash of anguish. She gripped the phone, hard. “What happened?”

      “He’s been shot. Critically. He’s at the Hal Marshall Memorial Medical Center … Hello? Joceline?”

      He was talking to himself. Joceline had her purse over her shoulder. She ran to Betty’s small office and told her what had happened.

      “I’m on my way to the hospital. I’ll call you the minute I know something!”

      Betty started to mention that Jon’s family was certainly gathered around him, and would relay any news. But the look on Joceline’s face stopped the words in her mouth. She wondered if Joceline was even aware of her feelings for Jon Blackhawk, which were blatant on her drawn, worried face.

       CHAPTER SIX

      KILRAVEN WAS SITTING in an uncomfortable chair in the emergency room waiting area, with Winnie beside him. He looked up when Joceline walked in. His expression, usually unreadable, was as concerned as hers.

      “Have you heard anything new?” she asked, pausing to greet Winnie with a hug.

      “They’ve taken him into surgery,” Kilraven replied grimly. “They said they’ll know more when they operate. He was shot in the back. In the back!”

      Joceline’s face flamed. “I hope they find Harold Monroe and hang him.”

      Kilraven nodded. “I can’t prove it, but I’m sure he’s the one who did it. And I’ll find the proof, no matter how long it takes me!”

      “I’ll help,” Joceline agreed harshly.

      “Want some coffee?” Winnie asked her husband, who nodded.

      “I’ll go get it,” he said, starting to rise.

      She pushed him back down. “I need the exercise. The doctor says it’s good for me to move around. But thanks, sweetheart.” She bent to kiss him. “Would you like a cup, Joceline?” she added.

      “Yes, please.” Joceline dug for a dollar bill and handed it to her insistently. “You’re not buying me coffee,” she said stubbornly. “I’m an employee of a federal agency and I won’t be the subject of a bribery scandal,”

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