Strong, Sleek and Sinful - By Lorie O'Clare Page 0,35
the only room in the house with a light on.
“What were you doing?” he asked, frowning at the open door like he was itching to head in that direction.
“Having a beer, checking e-mail.” Perry joined him, standing in the middle of his dark living room. “What’s up?”
“Mind if we go in there?” Rad asked, but instead of waiting for Perry’s consent headed into the den.
“Something on your mind?” Perry followed Rad into his den and walked around him to his desk. Remembering that his beer was empty, he turned and headed back through the dark living room. “You want a beer? Anything to drink?”
“I’m good.”
Perry grabbed another longneck from his fridge and headed back to his den. Rad was standing behind his desk staring at his computer when Perry entered. The Chief looked up at him, concern lining his face. Perry frowned, twisting the cap off and moving around the desk so that he saw the screen that Rad saw. “What’s got you bugged?” he asked.
“I’ve got a question for you. I need you to be straight with me.” Rad turned and faced Perry. He stared at him with shrewd gray eyes.
“Ask,” Perry said. Although he was six foot one and Rad had a bad knee and was damn near twenty years older, he stared the Chief straight on, eye to eye.
“This case with the girls coming up missing, with them being stalked online, what do you know about it?”
“About as much as you do.” Perry tried reading Rad’s intent expression but wasn’t getting anywhere with it. “You going to give me the case now?”
“No,” Rad said, not hesitating. “Are you working on it on the side? Possibly going after anyone in chat rooms or posing as someone you aren’t?”
“Hell, no,” Perry snapped.
“Mind pulling up that chat box?” Rad asked, pointing at the monitor.
Perry cursed under his breath, pressed his palm against the back of his office chair, and used his free hand to move the mouse and pull up the chat box with Dani.
“Who is that?”
“My niece. My sister Megan’s daughter,” Perry growled. “What the hell is this?”
The chat box showed Dani’s last two messages with her insisting Perry ask her. It didn’t say who he was supposed to ask, or why. But Dani’s comment referred to “Mom,” which added simplicity and innocence to the chat. Perry looked away from the screen and at Rad’s profile as he stared at the large green font and finally nodded.
Perry took another drink and walked around his desk. Rad joined him, moving around the desk and sitting on the edge of it, crossing his arms and still scowling.
“I assigned a partner to you last month, but the two of you aren’t riding together. Why is that, Flynn?”
“Don’t know. Why?”
“You two got issues?”
“I don’t have issues with anyone,” Perry snapped. “And if any occur, they’re worked out before I call it a day. Did you come out to my home to ride my ass about not spending enough time with my new partner?”
“You know we work cases with partners for a reason.”
“I know how to do my fucking job.”
Rad didn’t say anything but studied Perry, which aggravated the hell out of him.
“You didn’t come over here to remind me that I have a partner. You could have done that down at the station. Whatever it is, spit it out,” Perry demanded.
“I want you and Ramos to start running together, got that?” Rad said coldly. “Watch your ass and make sure everything you do is accounted for.” The Chief pushed away from Perry’s desk and headed out of his den.
Perry stopped him, grabbing the Chief’s arm and forcing him to turn and face him. No one entered his home, no matter who the hell they were, and threatened him without offering an explanation as to why. And it had better be one fucking good explanation. The Chief knew Perry didn’t like working with a partner, and it had never been an issue before. He worked best alone, whether it was investigating crime scenes or getting reports turned in. Call him anti-social, he didn’t care. But someone else tagging along simply slowed him down.
“Why do I need to cover my ass?” he demanded, unable to control the anger growing inside him.
“Hopefully you don’t.” Rad suddenly sounded relaxed, like a calm before a storm.
Perry’s guts twisted from nerves, but he wouldn’t be intimidated. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and had a hard time believing Rad thought otherwise.
“I don’t and you damn well know it,” Perry hissed.