have several sets of eyes staring at me. What on earth is wrong with everyone today?
“Someone must have their period.” I look across at Jessie, and she rolls her eyes at me. “He obviously didn’t get any from your mother last night.”
I cringe at her words. “Shut up!” I throw a paper clip at her. “I don’t want to hear about my mum getting it on with anyone.”
Least of all Jake.
I get back to work and go through a lot of mind-numbing data. I don’t want to think about Jake anymore, so I push on. I start searching through burglary arrests going back six months. By the time I get to around two years, I decide I need to stop and get something to eat.
Nipping out, I grab myself a salad for lunch and get back to work on one of my other disturbing cases. It involves two men in ski masks picking on the elderly. They tie their victims up while they search through everything, looking for anything that they think they can sell. Thankfully, they haven’t harmed them in any physical way so far, but the emotional trauma is bad enough. It’s obvious that the two thieves are targeting the elderly because they believe they’ll both possess more valuables and make easier prey than younger victims might.
I look at their targets from scratch. I examine the areas, dates, and times, trying to determine if there’s a pattern. I also use what I learn to extrapolate a list of potential locations for future attacks. I’m so engrossed in my work that before I know it, it’s after five.
“Are you ready, missy? We have ourselves some drinking to do, which will hopefully lead to you finally spending some quality time … what is it you Brits like to call it … shagging?”
I’m stunned by her inappropriate and all-too-blunt words, but I also can’t help laughing. It’s the way she pronounces shagging. It has me in stitches.
Tony chooses that precise moment to grace us with his presence. He breezes over to me and smiles.
“Speak of the devil,” Jessie says flatly. I almost choke.
Tony regards us both for a moment. “You ladies talking about me? I’m flattered. I hope you’re saying nice things?”
“About you? Always,” Jessie purrs. She’s such an outrageous flirt!
Tony briefly glances my way and winks. I smile back at his rugged face. He is obviously pleased by the idea that we were talking about him.
Jessie notices our little interaction, and without making herself obvious, she says, “I’m off to the ladies’ room. Tony, why don’t you take Ana to the bar? I will meet you two there.”
I roll my eyes at her. Tony, on the other hand, is standing a little bit straighter. His enthusiasm is both obvious and apparently genuine. With a big, beaming smile, he looks at me and says, “I’d be happy to.”
I want to hit Jessie so badly right now—the conniving little minx. Tony is lovely and all, but I also know that he likes me in a romantic way. It’s not that he isn’t good-looking or a nice guy. He is both, strictly speaking. He has wavy light-brown hair and brown eyes. He looks a little like John Travolta with a dimple in his chin. He’s very polite and always treats me like a lady. There’s just no spark for me, though. One always needs to have a spark.
“You look exceptionally beautiful today, Miss Sinclair. That is a lovely dress you’re wearing.”
I stare at him and am about to reply when a delicious voice seems to come out of nowhere.
“Accosting my staff again, Andrews?”
I glance up and see that Jake is staring at us. I know the relief I feel due to his timely interruption must be clearly evident on my face.
“No, Captain. I was just paying Ana a compliment. Don’t you think she looks nice today? Like she always does, of course.”
My head naturally follows in Jake’s direction only to find his piercing green eyes boring into mine. My legs wobble slightly, but Tony catches me. “Whoa, steady girl. We haven’t even gone to the bar yet, and you’re already all over the place.” Tony keeps his hand on my waist, and Jake looks pissed as hell when he notices it. “Don’t worry, baby. Tony will look after you,” he says, smiling.
“Did you finish the report I asked you for?” Jake asks, glaring in Tony’s direction again.
Tony looks bewildered for a second, but then seems to remember. “It’s on my desk, Captain.”