Underdogs The First Stories - By Geonn Cannon Page 0,32

you lose her, I can always just see what happens when I come back on Thursday."

"You already have a meeting with the gang?"

Ari held her hands out palm-up. "What can I say, I'm a convincing lowlife."

"You got that right."

Ari slugged Dale in the shoulder. "All right. I'll head back down. If she doesn't show by eight, consider that the end of your obligation. Slide down the brontosaurus tail and head on home to your girl."

"Yabba dabba do."

Dale reached into the backseat after Ari was gone and pulled her laptop case into the front seat. She plugged in her wi-fi connection and searched the internet for any information on the robberies Ari was investigating. The shops that had been robbed were all middle of the road in terms of quality. They weren't the best establishments, but they were cheap and you got quality goods. Dale had earlier made a map of the robberies and kept it minimized on her screen so she could check it against the Bull and Terrier's location.

The robberies were getting farther away from Lake City, spreading toward downtown Seattle. The jobs that got Officer Decker's attention were most likely just rehearsals for a bigger score. If Ari could find out what it was, the police might be very grateful for their assistance. That could lead to all kinds of good things for the agency.

Her phone buzzed and she put her computer aside before she even read the message. It was from Ari, as expected, and it simply said, "Get ready."

Dale started the car and pulled farther away from the bar. As she pulled to a different spot near the corner, she checked the stairs in her rearview. A few seconds later a blonde head appeared, followed by a long and lithe body. Dale scoffed and shook her head. "No, Natalie, no reason to worry. I just need to put off our date so I can stalk a supermodel."

Rebecca walked to a Jeep and climbed behind the wheel. Dale was already driving by the time her target pulled away from the curb. She led Rebecca for three blocks, making a note of where she turned and taking the next turn in the same direction. The Jeep was yellow and easy to spot on side streets, and Dale was able to keep it in sight while staying relatively out of sight. When the Jeep seemingly vanished, Dale crossed over and spotted it in the parking lot of a grocery store.

Dale parked in a lot where she could see the car and sent a text back to Ari. "Eyes on the prize. I'll keep you updated."

A few seconds later she received a reply. "You're a rock star, D."

She tucked the phone under her thigh and used the mirrors to watch the other parking lot. Her phone rang again and she flipped it open, expecting another update from Ari. Instead, the display screen said it was from Natalie. "Please don't tell me you're going home, please don't be angry." She opened the phone and read the text.

"Your sheets feel good against my skin."

Dale whimpered and sent back a reply. "You're killing me."

Forty-five seconds later, Natalie sent. "Wanna get kinky?"

"I wouldn't be able to enjoy it."

Dale kept her eyes on the parking lot between texts, deciding this was an acceptable way to kill time until Rebecca showed up again.

"But I would," Rebecca eventually sent.

"Don't tire yourself out before I get there."

"Just getting everything warmed up."

Dale bit her bottom lip. "Nice mental picture."

"Serious: am I disturbing you from work?"

Dale sighed and shook her head. She might actually fall in love with this woman with very little effort. "I'll let you know when I have to go. What are you wearing?"

"I can't believe I just actually typed that," she said out loud, resting her phone on her thigh as she eagerly waited for a response. She felt like a teenager again, waiting by her telephone for a reply to the note she'd slipped into Nicole Benuzzi's locker. I like you. If you like me too, call, but if you don't, please don't say anything.

She still remembered how much she had been shaking when her phone actually rang, and the tremor in Nicole's voice when she said, "You... like me?"

Dale's phone vibrated and she flipped it open. "Just one of your shirts."

She groaned. "Which one?"

"That you'll have to see for yourself."

Dale hoped it was the pale purple T-shirt that clung to Natalie's body like a second skin. The wait had just become that much longer.