Not in the Cards Read online

  “So, you think my sexual orientation had something to do with it?”

  “Something, but not everything. IA sees you as a vigilante and turned everything in your file around to make it appear as if that’s exactly what you are. When I heard what they intended to do, I stepped in.”

  “But their minds were already made up?”

  “Not exactly. It was a pretty touchy situation. The chief didn’t want to look stupid by punishing someone the media has labeled a heroine, yet he and the captain felt obligated to hear I.A’s conclusions. They also felt they needed to send a message to other officers that vigilantism won’t be tolerated. Your transfer to TP is their message.”

  Delta ran her fingers through her hair. It was all so damned political. All she wanted to do was get criminals off the streets. But the system protected the suspect and hounded the victim. And if she thought independently of the system, she would have to pay a high price, regardless of how successful her deviations might have been. Bureaucratic bullshit prevented the wheels of justice from turning.

  “I’m glad I’m still on the streets, Alex. Thanks.”

  “Oh, don’t thank me, Delta. You wouldn’t have been in this mess if I hadn’t asked you for a favor. You came through for me. Returning the favor was the least I could do. I only wish I could have done more.”

  “Hey, I’m on my beat, aren’t I? That’s the most important thing to me.”

  “I’m glad you see it that way. When I didn’t hear from you, I thought the worst. I wanted to do the best by you, Delta. You deserve it.”

  “And you did. Thanks.”

  Alexandria leaned away from the table and draped her arm across the back of the chair. “You know, I may be DA, but I’m a rookie when it comes to knowing what makes you cops tick. I was nervous as hell coming over here.”

  Delta admired the fire and passion she held for justice. Alexandria was a fighter, a winner, a woman complete with steel nerves. If she was nervous to see Delta, it sure as hell wasn’t because of the Training Patrol issue.

  When the waitress came over, they both ordered and waited for their glasses to be refilled before continuing.

  “I’ve worked with you long enough, Alex, to know that you didn’t just call me to lunch to make sure I wasn’t angry with you. You could have done that over the phone. What’s up?”

  Running her index finger around the rim of her wine glass, Alexandria could not stifle her grin. “You’re a rogue detective, Delta Stevens. I’m not supposed to be so easily read. You sure you don’t want to come work for me as a special investigator to the DA?”

  Delta grinned. “No thanks, Alex. I’m just a beat cop. Now, are you going to tell me the real reason for this lunch?”

  Alexandria lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned forward. “I think you already know.”

  Delta paused for a moment to consider the possible options, then nodded and leaned closer to her. Their faces were inches apart. “The kiddie-porn flicks?” Delta knew she had a direct hit even as the final word escaped her lips.

  Alexandria stared into her wine glass. “This is a highly sensitive matter, Delta. I don’t need to tell you that the FBI are creeping all over the place, and the community is scared to death. You can do a lot and get away with it, but start messing with people’s children, and the public wants an arrest yesterday.”

  Delta waited for more. She knew Alexandria well enough to know there was more than just public opinion at stake here.

  “Many of the school buses in the west district were emptier than usual because parents chose to drive their kids to school. They’re afraid their children will be next.”

  Trying to push away the memory of Helen’s parents when they identified her little body, Delta focused on Alexandria’s eyes. They were grayer now, as they always got when she was making a point. “Can’t blame them, can you? Kidnapping children is one thing, but torturing and murdering them is incomprehensible. If I had kids...” Delta thought back to Jennifer’s kids. “I’d drive them to the front door of school.” Sitting more erect in her chair, Delta sighed. “I’ve held a dead child in my arms, Alex. I see Helen’s little face in nightmares every single night. I’d give anything to be able to erase what happened to her.”

  Alexandria cocked her head to the side. “Anything?”

  Delta nodded. Here it comes—the real reason Alexandria wanted to see her.

  “You know the feds have created a task force to deal with this situation.” Alexandria lowered her tone even more.

  “I didn’t know, but I could have figured.”

  “The problem is that they’ve got guys on it who don’t know the streets as well as you do. If there’s anyone who knows the streets and has connections, it’s you.”

  Leaning back again, Delta calmly replied, “Then put me on the task force.”

  “I tried. No go.”

  Delta shook her head. “Stubborn assholes. They’re going to let politics stand in the way of catching these creeps.”

  Alexandria shook her head. “Not if we can help it.”

  Delta’s left eyebrow rose in its characteristic question mark. “We? Why, counselor, I believe you have something up those sleeves of yours. Could it possibly be Mr. Wainwright?”

  Color quickly rose to Alexandria’s cheeks and she turned away under the pretence of looking to see if the waitress was on her way with their lunch. As she slowly turned back, her eyes were more green than gray and sharp like a tiger’s. “It’s no secret that Wainwright has the backing of the monied conservatives.”

  Delta nodded. The whole picture unveiled.

  “The conservatives want a man in power, and they’d back just about anyone with a dick.”

  Delta suppressed a grin. Alexandria rarely swore. “And?”

  “And I’ve worked too hard to lose this because of some ass-backward politicians who think a man would have a higher conviction rate than I do.”

  “Your conviction rate is excellent.”

  “Tell that to the boys.”

  “And you think that trying this case will cement closed the lid on Wainwright’s campaign?”

  Alexandria nodded. “It isn’t just a matter of politics, Delta. Wainwright will make cuts we can’t afford to have happen. He’s more of a politician than he is a lawyer. This city needs me to stay in office, but, if we can’t come up with suspects who are ravaging children, he’ll use that against me and I won’t stand a chance. He’s a dirty player and he’ll use anything he can against me.”

  “Just what is it you think I can do? If your hands are tied, mine are handcuffed, Alex.”

  “Let me pass any information I get from the task force on to you. Delta, you have connections the mob dreams of having. If the perps are out there, if they’re on our turf, I know you’ll find them before the Feds. They’re too caught up in all the gadgets and BS to be any real help. I need this case.”

  Delta looked hard at her.

  “I know I’m asking a great deal of you, Delta, but I guarantee I’ll make it worth your while. I still have a few power markers to call in if I need to.”

  Delta waved her off. “I don’t do favors for my friends with the hope of being repaid. If you need help, you know you can always count on me.”

  Alexandria smiled softly, her eyes suddenly yielding to a warmth Delta had rarely seen. “Thank you. You’re a great friend.”

  Delta smiled back. “Yes, I am.”

  “Megan is one very lucky woman.”

  Delta watched as Alexandria’s eyes misted over with a different kind of intensity, one she had never seen. “You know I’ll do whatever I can, Alex. ”

  Reaching across the table, Alexandria touched Delta’s hand. “That’s one thing I’ve always appreciated about you, my friend.”

  Locking eyes with Alexandria, Delta felt the heat from her hand swim up her arm and spread across her chest. Slowly pulling away, Delta grinned sheepishly. “I’ll give it my best.”

  “That’s precisely what I’m count
ing on.”

  Delta looked at her watch for the fifteenth time in as many minutes. Megan was already an hour late from her study session and Delta had to be at work in an hour. For a panicky moment, Delta thought that this was a sign that they were in way more trouble than she imagined. They seldom had time together, and the few minutes they had planned on spending alone were ticking quickly away.

  Since Miles’s death, time had a greater significance in Delta’s life. When she held the body of her partner in her arms and watched his blood flow across the dark pavement, Delta knew her life would never be the same. Time, her life, her loves, her relationships meant more to her. That fateful night had changed her.

  But going to school full time had opened Megan’s eyes to a new and incredible world. She discovered a love of literature and, of all things, law. She had changed her major from business to business law and was considering going to law school. Suddenly, Megan had new friends, a new job, a new life, and new excitement that comes along with it all. One night, when Megan had just returned from a play, she was wildly gesticulating about the characters and the scenes and the music, and suddenly, Delta realized that Megan’s world had been changing so rapidly, she couldn’t keep up. When Megan announced that she felt as if she had just awoken from a ten year coma, Delta suddenly became very scared.

  Slowly at first, Megan became more and more interested in the university and all of the riches it afforded her. Before they knew it, they really were just two ships occasionally sending messages to each other. They weren’t even passing in the night any more.

  The worst part was the powerlessness she felt. Delta Stevens could save a hotel full of people and shoot the stem off the apple, but she could not stop her relationship from running the course it was on, even if she did choose the key.

  That damned analogy was beginning to eat away at her. Of course she would choose to save the key.

  Wouldn’t she?

  Checking her watch again, Delta started when the phone abruptly rang. She knew what it meant. She’d heard it too many times in the recent past to ignore it.

  “Hello?”

  “Are you mad?” It was Megan.

  “Not really,” Delta lied. “More worried than anything else.”

  “I’m so sorry, but Dr. Rosenbaum was giving an exclusive reading from his new novel just for faculty, and he invited me to come along. I’m sorry I didn’t call, but I couldn’t just get up and walk out of a reading. It’s really rude.”

  “I’m sure. How is good ol’ Doc Rosenbaum?”

  “He’s fine. Delta, are you okay? You sound funny. You are mad, aren’t you?”

  “No, Hon, I’m not mad. Just concerned.”

  “Well, I’m okay and I’m on my way home.”

  Delta gripped the phone hard. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know, but I don’t think we should talk about it over the phone.”

  “Well, I have to go to work. How about dinner tomorrow or the next night? Just the two of us. We can talk, or not talk. But let’s try to spend some time together.”

  “I’d like that.” Megan’s tone softened.

  “Good. So would I.”

  “Del?”

  “Yeah?”

  “We’re going to be okay. You have to believe that.”

  Sighing, Delta looked at her reflection in the mirror. “I’ll try. See you in the morning.” Hanging the phone up, Delta continued to stare at herself in the mirror. Suddenly, she felt as if she wasn’t the one who had the choice to make. Maybe they had spent so much time worrying about Delta’s job that nobody had paid much attention to what was happening to Megan.

  And maybe, Delta thought as she lay her head on the table, both had already sunk to the bottom.

  Sitting next to Connie, Delta ran her hand through her hair. She was beginning to feel old and it bothered her. Suddenly, when she looked in the mirror, she saw two deep green eyes with a weary look about them and worry lines running across her forehead like the Grand Canyon. And no wonder. Ever since she had busted the guys who killed Miles, her every move was examined with scrutiny. She felt like a microbe under a microscope and couldn’t shake the feeling that she was always being watched. Now, with a volatile rookie on her hands, and her lover, her shrink, and her friends gauging her every choice, it was as if the entire world was watching to see if someone could tame her.

  And Delta had begun to wonder about it herself.

  “How’d it go?” Connie asked, turning from Eddie and pressing the screen saver button.

  Delta shrugged. “We didn’t see each other. She kinda had other plans.”

  Connie looked out at Delta with one eye. “Uh oh.”

  “It’s no biggie. She’s just enjoying school, that’s all.” Delta leaned across the desk and saw a list of city names in Arizona. “You been working hard?”

  Connie slid the paper toward Delta. “Is there any other way? The problem I’m having is sorting the leads from the non-leads. Our guys don’t leave many clues, and the ones they do leave are circumstantial at best.”

  “What about the task force?”

  Connie shook her head. “Word has it, they’re willing to forfeit the little fish for the shark.”

  “Damn it.”

  “Yeah, my sentiments exactly. I want you to consider what getting in their way might cost you. We’re not talking about a piddly little city P.D. here, Delta. We’re talking about G-men, and they carry a lot of weight.”

  Delta shrugged. “So does my guilt. Thanks for the concern, but I want this bust.”

  Turning back to the computer, Connie punched in a few numbers. “I figured you’d say that. I have a few angles I need Eddie to assess, and after I run them, I’ll let you know what I come up with. But Del,” Connie swiveled around in her chair and laid her hand on Delta’s shoulder. “You mess this up, and IA won’t have a choice but to pull you.”

  Delta nodded, keeping her eyes on Connie’s. “If I mess this one up, I’ll let them.” Looking around and then checking her watch, Delta wondered where her student was. “Junior must have slept in.”

  Connie grimaced. “Ugh. You sound just like Leonard.”

  Delta laughed. “That little guy has a way of growing on you.”

  “Right. Like mold on cheese. Anyway, Tony already came in and told me to tell you he’d be waiting by the patrol car. He mumbled something about checking the unit out before you hit the road. It sounds like he’s trying to get on your good side.”

  Delta smiled. “At least he’s learned something since we’ve been on the street. For a minute there, I was beginning to wonder if he didn’t have some major learning disabilities.”

  “We’ll know soon enough, won’t we?”

  Grabbing her gear, Delta tapped her finger on the printed list of names and looked at Connie with questioning eyes.

  “This is some info I pulled from the feds’ system.” Lowering her voice, Connie turned back to the screen. “The perps came from either Arizona or New Mexico, I’m not sure which. It’s possible they may have Arizona plates, which would fit in around here in the summer time.”

  “They might have stolen a California vehicle when they got here.”

  Connie nodded. “Maybe. My guess is they have some pretty elaborate equipment that they keep either in a van or motor home, or someplace confined. The feds have a video of the suspects’work . Don’t ask me how they got it, but it’s Code Green—for private consumption only. Leonard’s been trying to get his hands on it, but they’re not buying. I’m seeing it later.”

  “How do you rate?”

  “Captain Henry called me in and asked if I wouldn’t mind viewing it. As the department’s think tank, I suspect they simply want my take. Maybe it’s in Spanish or French or something. I don’t know. But I’ll fill you in on all the disgusting details later.”

  “Great. Beep me when you have something.” Moving toward the glass doors, Delta started to push them open, when Connie called her back.

  “De
l, nobody wants this collar more than you and I. But you’ve got to be careful. I mean it this time. Don’t mess around with the feds.”

  Smiling, Delta cupped Connie under the chin. “You got it.” Whirling back around, Delta shoved open the glass doors and headed for the parking lot.

  Mess with the feds? They’d better hope they didn’t mess with her. Federal agents or not, they weren’t going to stop her from continuing with this investigation. Rounding the corner, Delta found Tony and another officer battling away at each other like two ants on an ant hill. In the scuffling and scraping, they were locked in combat like two wrestlers, each trying to get a better grip on the other.

  “What in the hell is going on here?” Delta asked, standing back in time to avoid Tony’s errant swing at the other cop.

  When the other cop stopped in mid-swing and looked over at Delta, Tony grabbed him in a headlock and bent him in half.

  “God, Carducci, haven’t you caused enough trouble already?” Delta asked, shaking her head. “Whatever you boys are fighting about should be done on your time, not mine. Goddamn it! Let him go.”

  The officer struggled to free himself from Tony’s large bicep, but Tony treated him like a slight nuisance and tightened his grip.

  “You heard her. Let go of me!” the officer growled, his voice rasping against the force pressed against his neck.

  “Damn it, Carducci, are you trying to get yourself tossed out of the department? I said let him go.”

  Angrily shaking his head, Tony wiped his bloody lip with the back of his free hand. “No way. Not until he apologizes.”

  Bending over so she could see the red face of the other officer, Delta shook her head. “Apologizes? For what?”

  Tony squeezed his neck harder. “Tell her.”

  Glancing back up at Tony, Delta’s eyebrows knitted together. “Tell me what?”

  “Apologize, Miller.” Tony’s voice was low and cold. Straightening back up, Delta jammed her hands on her hips. “What’s this about?”

  “Miller?” Tony wheeled Miller’s head around so that he was as close to facing Delta as possible.