Page 17 of Heat of Justice (Duty #3)

“At first, I was curious,” Kim said. “And I didn’t mind having the odd flash of insight about a person or a situation.”

They’d moved to the couch when it got chilly outside, with an ocean breeze blowing from offshore. But she kept the window open to allow the moonlight to shine in and just turned on a small lamp in addition. The diffuse lighting added a tantalizing amber glow to her darker skin. The atmosphere was cozy and warm in the apartment, and yet Cody could feel a thread of tension in the air. They sat close, facing each other. She kept one hand lightly on her lover’s thigh, just enough pressure for the touch to be felt and meaningful.

“At the time, I even embraced it,” Kim reflected.

“How?” Cody asked her gently.

She suspected a little bit of input from her would help Kim to tell her story. Indeed, the question earned her a quick smile and an approving look.

“I found a teacher to work with.”

“This was in Texas?”

“Yes, in Houston.”

“What sort of things did you want to learn?”

“More about this so-called gift in general and techniques to ground myself, like meditation. How to remain in control when I was triggered, so I wouldn’t end up overwhelmed by something I saw.”

“Like you were at the bar the other night?”

“Well, yes…”

“Do I overwhelm you, Ms. Reed?” Cody prompted gently.

“You do, a little bit… But just like a gorgeous lover should, so don’t worry about that.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

“I do say so.” Kim leaned forward to steal a kiss. “The other night, I was incredibly stressed about Cassie. Forgot to meditate, for sure. So I’m not surprised it led to such a strong reaction. I’m talking about a different kind of situation, like in the courtroom, for example.”

“Mm, yeah. I’ve testified plenty of times; I know it can be intense. And I would assume even more so when you are the criminal defense lawyer in charge.”

“Correct. As a detective, what is your opinion of defense lawyers by the way?” Kim prompted.

“Oh, they can be a major pain in the ass,” Cody stated, prompting her to smile. “But our legal system is based on sound foundations. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty and entitled to a solid defense. I actually have a lot of respect for defense lawyers. I’m sure the job is intense and challenging on a regular basis.”

“It is… Was,” Kim corrected with a small wince. “But like you said, I did it for the right reasons. If I ever found myself in real trouble someday, innocent, but with every finger pointing at me, I would want a good, dedicated lawyer by my side.”

“I would want you,” Cody interjected and was pleased to see her lover’s eyes sparkle.

“Some of my clients were genuinely innocent of the crimes they were accused of. In those cases, it was a thrill when I was able to get them off the hook and avoid a life-destroying prison sentence.”

“I bet you were good at it.”

“I was,” Kim answered with a rush of emotion. “I lived for this stuff.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Terribly.”

Cody waited a beat, prompting Kim to sigh. “Ah, sorry. I’m wasting time.”

“It’s not wasted. Gives me an excuse to stay with you a bit longer.”

“You don’t need one. And I’m stalling. Look, the first time I met you, you wanted to know why I moved to Lewiston and shifted to family law.”

“I did.”

“I was not totally honest with you”

“No.” Cody nodded with a soft smile. “I’m aware.”

“I know you are.” Kim squeezed her hand. “So, here goes. I had this client, a running coach, who was accused of raping one of his athletes. He did have a rep for being a bit of an incorrigible flirt and a serial dater. But he swore blind that he was innocent of the rape, and it struck me as genuine at the time. I did not get bad vibes from him. Also, not long after I started to dig into the case, it became obvious that the woman was lying. I dug harder, and was able to prove it. Not only that, but she also eventually admitted that the claim was false.”

“She was not assaulted?”

“No. She had sex with another guy, rough sex, on purpose, then she tried to set up the coach. They’d been intimate once, but that’s all he wanted. She felt insulted, apparently.”

“Man, that’s twisted.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Not unheard of, of course, but still.”

“Yeah. The day after all charges against him were dropped, the client showed up at my office with a bunch of roses. Said he wanted to thank me. It was late in the day, and I was just about to leave. My secretary had gone home.” Kim swallowed. “So, I was all alone in the building.”

Sensing where this may be going, Cody suppressed a shiver, and she tensed.

“It’s silly, you know?” Kim went on. “My first thought was that he was going to ask me out for a drink or something like that. It occurred to me he might not know I was a lesbian, which would be weird because it was a very well-known fact about me. I never was in the closet. Or perhaps he thought he could sway me.”

“I don’t like it when guys think that,” Cody reflected.

“I don’t either; like if they insist enough, we’ll finally see the light, you know?”

“I suppose it’s just natural male arrogance.”

“Yeah. So I was a bit annoyed, but then I thought, hey, what the hell? Let’s just be polite, have a quick chat, and send him on his way. I took the roses, started to thank him, and also to make it clear I was on my way out.” Again, Kim exhaled. “The next thing I was aware of was this awful pain in the middle of my forehead. Everything went black; then I realized he had punched me in the face.”

“Jesus Christ,” Cody muttered.

“I never saw it coming. When I fell against my secretary’s desk, he jumped on top of me. Held me down. Said he wanted to thank me properly for being such a good lawyer. That none of the other women he’d actually raped previously, who may have wanted to come forward with a claim, would dare to try it now since I’d done such a good job of clearing him. And for a woman to do it, too… I remember how he pointed that out and laughed at the irony.”

“Kim…” Cody did not move to touch her, not even to offer comfort. She thought Kim might do better with a bit of space at this particular point. So she held back, but her voice betrayed her emotion, sorrow, and compassion. “I am so sorry!”

“He was a big guy. Tall, full of muscle. More like a football player than a runner, even though he coached running. I fought him hard, but I was no match for him.”

“He would have killed you,” Cody reflected through gritted teeth. “He told you too much.”

“I think he probably would have, yes.” Kim agreed with a curt nod. “But as we wrestled, I finally managed to hit the panic button under the desk. A security guard was up in seconds and dealt with him.”

“How?”

“Coleman—that was his name, was armed with a hunting knife. He did not obey the guard’s order to stop and get on the floor. Instead, he grabbed his knife and went for him. So, the guard shot him twice in the chest in self-defense.”

“Did Coleman survive?”

“No, he did not.”

“Good,” Cody opined in a dark tone.

Kim scooted closer to wrap an arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist. Seeking contact now.

”I must admit I can’t find it in me to be sorry,” she said.

“Naturally. Now I understand a lot better why you decided to leave Texas and start fresh in another place.” Cody returned the embrace.

“Yes. I tried to go back to work, but the spark had gone out of it. Also, I was so angry…”

“Can’t blame you for that either.”

Cody could not help sounding a little rough as she said this, and Kim kissed her softly.

“I suppose not. Thank you for understanding.”

“Of course!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay. And you don’t have to thank me. I hate that this happened to you with a vengeance. I wish I’d been there to help you at the time… I hope—”

“What?” Kim prompted very gently when she stopped.

“It’s crazy.” Cody shook her head. “Ah… Forget I said—”

“No, please,” Kim insisted. “Tell me. You can be open with me, Cody. It matters.”

You know it, so don’t be a coward. Cody looked her straight in the eye and said it. “I hope I can be there for you from now on. Equally, for the good and the bad.”

“Oh, babe.” Kim flashed her a look of such pure tenderness that it eclipsed everything else.

The way she kissed her then was both calming and exciting at the same time. I’m lost, Cody thought. So deeply lost... Also, she had never felt more grounded.

“Hey,” Kim murmured.

“Hey.” Cody opened her eyes.

“I think we both have to stop saying our connection is crazy every five minutes.”

“I think you’re definitely right about that.”

“Yes.” A flicker of amusement flashed across Kim’s eyes. “I think you’ll find I usually am right about most things.”

“And you’ll find that’s my line.”

“Oh, yeah?” The smile blossomed. “Sorry, not anymore.”

“We’ll see about that,” Cody challenged with a chuckle.

“I look forward to it. Although,” Kim went on, “I did lose a lot of my confidence for a while. I’d been so sure this guy was innocent…”

“Well, he was for this one case you worked.”

“True. But as for my special gift, well… What good was it if it didn’t even protect me? I was furious about that especially. It felt like such a betrayal.”

“No wonder you seemed reluctant about it when you first talked to me. This makes more sense now too.”

“Yes. When I moved here, I thought I’d left this part of my life behind. In the two years I’ve been in Lewiston, I did not have a single flash or vision. Cassie was the first one and stronger than ever before. I don’t know what it means.”

“Maybe it’s a sign of healing.”

Kim looked surprised, then thoughtful.

“Actually, yes,” she nodded. “Maybe.”

“All in all, I think it’s a good thing,” Cody added gently. “If not for you, who knows… She may never have been found. We can’t bring her back to life, but at least we can seek justice for her now.”

“I had another brief flash of insight at the beach.” Cody was pleased to see her smiling about it this time. “When I went underwater, I felt Cassie there with me. I swear I even heard her voice.”

“What did she say?”

“Thank you. And that she was okay now.”

“Good. I hope she is. How are you, Kim?”

“I’m okay.”

“Yeah?” Cody rubbed her hand gently over the back of her neck.

“Well… Slightly discombobulated, you might say, but okay overall. I’m glad I told you what happened.”

“So am I.”

“And actually…” Once again, Kim’s expression turned both intent and thoughtful. “Forget just feeling okay. What we shared today, Cody, was amazing. Gorgeous. It really touched me to the core.”

“You told me earlier that you don’t go out much or date,” Cody prompted. “Because of what happened?”

“Yes. I haven’t wanted to be touched in a long time.”

“Thank you for letting me close.”

“You’re special, Cody. I used to go out… before. But there was never anyone serious. Now you also said something to me earlier that struck me right here.” Kim touched her own heart with an open palm. “About wanting me to kiss only you.”

Cody winced a little. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Why?” Kim exclaimed, baffled.

“I didn’t mean to sound overly possessive or aggressive, even. Especially now I know what happened to you in Texas. I would never—”

“Forget it,” Kim interrupted. “You make me feel the exact opposite of what happened, Cody. Safe, free, empowered, joyful. Don’t you know?”

“I was hoping, yes.”

“You do. And what you said was beautiful. Possessive, yes, but in a good way. That’s how I took it.”

“Okay. Good.”

“Yes. And please do not confuse aggressive with passionate either.” Kim smiled, ran her fingers through her hair, and held her the way Cody was fast becoming addicted. “I like you a little fierce.”

“I’m glad,” Cody whispered. “Because I’m not sure I can be any other way with you.”