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“I understand.”

“So, what happens now?”

“I’m going to let him stew in his cell for a few hours while I take care of paperwork. Then I’ll go see what I can draw out of him.”

“He’s bound to lawyer up ASAP.”

“From what he said earlier, I think he’s going to play the sovereign citizen card.”

“Really? Huh. Interesting.”

“Yeah.” Cody smiled at her tone of voice, a mix of sarcastic and disparaging. Now Kim sounded like the brilliant lawyer she used to be. “He’s a pretty angry guy. If I play it right, he might lose his temper a bit more, forget to be careful, and incriminate himself.”

“Good.” Again, Kim breathed out. “Good,” she repeated. “I said thank God, but really, I mean thank you, Cody. For every-thing.”

“My pleasure.”

“Hey…”

“Yes?”

“I miss you.”

Warmth spread across Cody’s chest, making her forget her pounding eye. “Already?”

“Yes. Pretty bad. Don’t be smug about it, okay?”

“Hell, no. I miss you too, Kim. Something fierce.”

“How about French tonight?”

“Kisses? Yes, I’m in.”

“I meant restaurant first,” Kim chuckled. “I know a place I think you’ll like. The food is great, and so is the wine. They have fresh flowers and candles on every table.”

“Sounds perfect. Then kisses?” Cody insisted and made her laugh.

“Then, a lot of kisses,” Kim approved in a heated whisper. “And anything else you might want, Detective.”

???

Sometimes, Kim reflected, a woman simply had to say‘Fuck it’and go shopping. She decided to leave work early, an event rare enough to have her secretary fix her with a touch of concern and ask if she was okay.

“I’m fine,” Kim assured her. Private as she was, she almost left it at that but then thought better of it. “I’m going on a date tonight,” she added and watched Gladys’s green eyes widen in sheer surprise.

Of course, Kim’s reputation for living and breathing work was based on fact. Taking any sort of time off, let alone going on a date, did not feature at all in her ruthlessly disciplined lifestyle.

“Right,” Gladys nodded slowly. “As in… business date?”

“No, romantic,” Kim allowed.

Now, a soft smile spread across the older woman’s face.

“Ah, well. I am certainly delighted to hear it, Ms. Reed,” she approved.

“Thanks. I need to go hunting for something to wear first, so I should leave now. It’s been a while since I’ve done this sort of thing.”Since I wanted to look good for a woman and did not feel afraid to trust…

Kim did not elaborate, but there was clearly no need. Her secretary was on the same page.