Page 19 of Heat of Justice (Duty #3)

Cody tucked the kiss and tender sparkle in a corner of her mind as she ran back to her vehicle. Go-Time now, and she could not afford to be distracted. Deep down, she knew her life had taken another sharp and unexpected turn, only for the better; this time, it was not another tragedy. She thought of the first woman she’d ever loved, gripped the wheel hard in both hands and let out a deep exhale. She felt her presence inside her heart, connected to her on that level.

“Emma…” I will always love you.

A single thought pierced through her emotion, prompting Cody to smile and chuckle. Better steady up and get your head in the game, Detective. It was what Emma would tell her. And Kim, as well.

“Gotcha,” she murmured.

Re-focusing, she placed her phone on the dashboard, input Officer Clay’s nav instructions in her GPS, and shot off the curb. The streets were still quiet before the inevitable rush hour, and she made good time. Fifteen minutes later, she was approaching the location when Clay called her again.

“He’s on the move. Walking toward a dark-green Chevy.”

Shit! Catching sight of the motel on the other side of the road, Cody flicked her grille lights on and swiftly cut across three lanes of traffic. She entered the parking area from the exit lane, and her pulse picked up nicely when she spotted the green truck in the distance. Winters was sliding behind the wheel.

“Get in front of him, Clay,” she ordered. “Now.”

“Copy,” he answered.

He couldn’t have been very far, indeed. Only a second later, the police cruiser came screeching around the corner, headed straight for the Chevy. Winters reacted quickly and tried to back out of the way. This was counting without her. Cody surged behind the truck and boxed him in. She came out flying, weapon in hand.

“Winters!” she shouted. “Stop!”

It was him, definitely. But the man barely shot her a glance before he took off running behind a line of parked cars on his way back toward the motel. Cody fell in behind him. He was a big man, but he could move... Consciousness of guilt no doubt gave him wings, but she was equally motivated, leaner, and faster. She caught up with him before he could rush inside the lobby and perhaps grab himself a human shield. She had to assume he was armed and already knew what he was capable of. Cody did not dare to fire her weapon so close to the entrance doors and with people inside. Instead, she lunged. Landed hard on the guy’s back, sending them both crashing to the concrete floor. Thankfully, Winters cushioned her own fall. Cody had a moment to feel satisfaction when she heard all the air whoosh out of his lungs. Before he could move, she pulled a revolver from the back of his jeans and slid it out of reach. In retaliation, he managed to catch the corner of her eye with a hard elbow. Lucky hit, on the frontal bone, and extremely painful. It made her see a bunch of stars. Undeterred, Cody punched him just as enthusiastically in the back of the head. She did her best to keep him from turning over, but it was like doing rodeo on a slippery eel.

“Cuffs!” she yelled.

Clay had paused to secure the discarded weapon, but now he promptly joined her in the struggle, pushed his own weight on top of the writhing man, who was now screaming as if he had been stabbed, and yanked his left arm back.

“Stop resisting!”

Far from submitting, Winters took this as an invitation to fight harder. He tried to bite, kick, and punch, but in the end, he was no match for two trained cops. Especially as Cody ran out of patience and delivered another punch that left him stunned. You asked for it, you idiot. She stood up as Clay finally managed to cuff the man’s wrists behind his back and took a look at his boots. Well, what a coincidence… Winters had on Carhartt work boots in a large size. A thin layer of mud still stuck to the sculpted arches, and Cody knew that the forensics team would be able to analyze its composition. Winters’ boots would tell the true story of where he had been recently, even if he refused to cooperate.

“Got zip ties on you, Clay?” she asked.

“Sure.”

Cody secured Winters’ ankles; she relieved him of his boots, then went to squat in front of his snarling face.

“Are you awake? Can you hear me?”

“Fuck you,” he hissed.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then. Jack Winters, I am arresting you on suspicion of the first-degree murder of your wife, Cassie. Add to this assault with intent to kill two police officers.”

“You’ll be fucking sorry.”

“Uh-huh. Meanwhile, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand your rights as I explained them to you, sir?”

Cody reflected that if looks could kill, she’d probably be eviscerated on the spot and left to live long enough to experience the pain of being devoured by hungry vultures. Since his rage alone could not touch her, she flashed an easy smile, knowing it would incense him even more, and repeated the question.

“ You have no rights!” he spat. “I do not recognize you, your laws, or your authority. I am a sovereign citizen. You can’t touch me!”

Clay stood aside, hands curled around his duty belt.

“Huh,” was his comment. “One of those.”

They carried him, yelling and screaming, to the cruiser and secured him, still bound as an added precaution, into the back. He went on shouting about his rights while Cody dropped his weapon and boots into two separate bags and labeled them as evidence.

“I’ll follow you to the station, Clay.”

“Alright.”

“Awesome job today, by the way,” Cody added. “Textbook surveillance and arrest. I’ll mention it in my report.”

“Thanks, Detective Miller.” He smiled. “I enjoyed it.”

She frowned when he handed her a handkerchief. “What’s that for?”

“You’re bleeding.”

“Ah.” Cody suppressed a wince as she applied the tissue to her eye. “Yeah, he got lucky.”

“His luck’s about to turn.”

“You got that right, Officer.”

In her office, with her suspect in custody, she took a minute to check her eye. A splendid bruise was already developing, but the cut was not deep enough to require stitches. She cleaned it, applied a Steri-Strip over it, and called Kim.

“It’s me. We have him.”

“Oh, thank God! Yes!” Kim let out a fierce cry, loaded with relief. But it also sounded like a sob.

“Are you okay?” Cody prompted.

“Yes. Fine. Oh, man!” Kim exhaled again sharply. “Such a rush, that’s all.”

“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.

“Here.” Gladys scribbled something on a Post-it note and handed it to her. “This is a lovely store on Howard Street that my daughter and I often go to for special occasions. Very chic, and the service is excellent.” She grinned. “It’s always an experience. Ask for Janine; tell her I sent you.”

This, coming from her stylish and always impeccably put-together secretary, was a nice tip. It would save her from wandering around looking for an appropriate place, Kim thought, and she thanked her with a smile.

“I could do with an experience, actually.”

“Of course.” Gladys nodded as if she had been waiting a long time for this fact to occur to her finally. “You work hard enough to deserve a little pampering every once in a while. Ms. Reed—Kim,” she corrected. “I hope you have a lovely time at the store and a wonderful evening tonight.”

“Thank you, Gladys, you’re very kind.” On impulse, Kim gave her a quick hug.

She felt lighter as she headed into town, like a kid who had just learned that her teacher was off ill for the day and was granted the freedom to do as she pleased. She went straight to the store and found Janine. As advertised, the shopping assistant was the perfect embodiment of ‘chic’ , warmth, and expertise. Kim accepted the glass of wine she offered her and gave the woman free rein to advise on the best choice of outfit. She did spend a small fortune on her new clothes, but the joy she found in the exercise was worth every penny. Kim would not hesitate to describe it, in fact, as a very healing and cathartic experience. In the end, she settled on a body-hugging dress from Dior: white, hitting at mid-thigh, with deep-red rose imprints all over it. She also opted for a pair of Jimmy Choo with pointed toes, stiletto heels, and a delicate crystal chain around the ankle.

“Exquisite!” Janine declared. “You have such beautifully toned legs; you should definitely wear shoes to highlight them. These were made in Italy, by the way. Limited edition.”

It was a screaming indulgence, Kim decided. Spending $650 on a pair of shoes struck her as entirely frivolous and decadent. Then again, it was not every day you met the woman of your life, and Kim knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Cody was. Minimal make-up and creole earrings completed the look. When her date arrived, Kim saw that Cody seemed to have dressed up for the occasion too. Tonight she wore black leather trousers fitted to her slender figure, polished ankle boots, and a white linen shirt open to reveal a flash of tantalizing skin underneath. With her blond-hair attractively tousled, giving her a youthful and mischievous vibe, she looked amazing. Judging from the hungry look in her eyes as she slowly took her in, Kim’s choice of outfit was a winner as well. One thing was not right, though, and Kim immediately reached for her.