for him to say something? What do I do? "
"Beats me. You didn't agree to any of the fun stuff that would allow us to find out without asking."
"I'm going to pretend to know nothing."
"Kind of sounds like your case."
I stuck my tongue out at the phone.
"Saw that," said Lily. "Don't pretend you didn't do that."
I laughed. "I need to tell you more about the case. Crazy stuff happened yesterday, and now Maddox wants to work together."
"What can be so crazy about America's new sweethearts?" Lily asked. Just as I was about to tell her exactly what, she said, "Oh, gotta go. Got a delivery at nine and I need to get ready."
"Let's get togeth... Lily? Lily?" I asked, but it was no use. She had already hung up.
I tossed my cell phone onto the nightstand and reached for my coffee, wondering if the uncomfortable feeling I had that Lily was avoiding me was just that: a feeling. So what if she were hanging out with my mom and going to the mall alone? I did those things too. After a long sip, I decided I was just being paranoid. Lily had been my best friend for more years than I had fingers to count. She was busy running the bar, I decided, and enjoying her married life with the man of her dreams. I could hardly point the finger at her without looking inwardly. There were times when I'd blown Lily off in favor of a night with Solomon, or because I was working a case. That was grownup life, I decided. It might assist in the purchase of fabulous heels, but it played havoc with our social engagements.
After finishing my coffee, I showered, washed my hair, blew it dry, and dressed in my favorite blue skinny jeans and pink shirt. I finished off the outfit with cream flats and a cream leather purse that I hoped said effortlessly stylish. After a quick breakfast of yogurt and fruit, I made my way slowly to the agency office.
Delgado and Fletcher were at their desks when I arrived.
"Good morning!" I chirped.
"Who you gonna kill today?" asked Delgado.
"You're at the top of the list!"
Delgado spun around in his seat, smiling. He wore baggy jeans, a plain, navy t-shirt, and a gray hoodie under his leather jacket. There was a plain cap on the desk, and next to that, his telephoto lens and a thick file. Clearly he'd just gotten off a job. "Seriously, we leave you alone for a few minutes and a corpse turns up."
I refused to be any less chirpy. "I didn't kill her!"
"You were asked to do one simple job," Fletcher added. "Delgado, here, just took down a local drug dealing ring. I just filed a report on my mark, a guy with not one, not two, but three wives."
"Man is he going down in divorce court," said Delgado with a shake of his head.
"What's your point?" I asked.
"You get a blackmail case and it turns into murder!" finished Fletcher. "Our marks just stuck with the crimes we originally busted them for."
"Not my fault." I couldn't help pouting. I really never saw Katya's murder coming. Now, with less than twenty-four hours since her death, which hadn't yet broken in the national media, I was ready to re-double my efforts to find the blackmailer, in the hope that would lead me to the killer.
Delgado and Fletcher both had wide grins. "Just playing with ya, Lexi," said Delgado. "Could have happened to anyone. Need a hand?"
"No, I'm going to look into the band’s past to see what I can find. Simple background checks today. All done in the office. Nothing dangerous for me today." As I said it, I shuddered. Yesterday, it hadn't occurred to me, but now it did. I was mere yards away from a murderer. I was on my way to see Katya. I could so easily have bumped into the murderer and wound up as collateral damage. Yet, I didn't bump into him, or her. In fact, from what I could glean, no one saw anyone leaving Katya's suite after Lauren left. How could that have happened? If there was no evidence on Lauren to connect her to the crime — although she was seen leaving the room after loudly threatening Katya — then how did someone else get in and
"Beats me. You didn't agree to any of the fun stuff that would allow us to find out without asking."
"I'm going to pretend to know nothing."
"Kind of sounds like your case."
I stuck my tongue out at the phone.
"Saw that," said Lily. "Don't pretend you didn't do that."
I laughed. "I need to tell you more about the case. Crazy stuff happened yesterday, and now Maddox wants to work together."
"What can be so crazy about America's new sweethearts?" Lily asked. Just as I was about to tell her exactly what, she said, "Oh, gotta go. Got a delivery at nine and I need to get ready."
"Let's get togeth... Lily? Lily?" I asked, but it was no use. She had already hung up.
I tossed my cell phone onto the nightstand and reached for my coffee, wondering if the uncomfortable feeling I had that Lily was avoiding me was just that: a feeling. So what if she were hanging out with my mom and going to the mall alone? I did those things too. After a long sip, I decided I was just being paranoid. Lily had been my best friend for more years than I had fingers to count. She was busy running the bar, I decided, and enjoying her married life with the man of her dreams. I could hardly point the finger at her without looking inwardly. There were times when I'd blown Lily off in favor of a night with Solomon, or because I was working a case. That was grownup life, I decided. It might assist in the purchase of fabulous heels, but it played havoc with our social engagements.
After finishing my coffee, I showered, washed my hair, blew it dry, and dressed in my favorite blue skinny jeans and pink shirt. I finished off the outfit with cream flats and a cream leather purse that I hoped said effortlessly stylish. After a quick breakfast of yogurt and fruit, I made my way slowly to the agency office.
Delgado and Fletcher were at their desks when I arrived.
"Good morning!" I chirped.
"Who you gonna kill today?" asked Delgado.
"You're at the top of the list!"
Delgado spun around in his seat, smiling. He wore baggy jeans, a plain, navy t-shirt, and a gray hoodie under his leather jacket. There was a plain cap on the desk, and next to that, his telephoto lens and a thick file. Clearly he'd just gotten off a job. "Seriously, we leave you alone for a few minutes and a corpse turns up."
I refused to be any less chirpy. "I didn't kill her!"
"You were asked to do one simple job," Fletcher added. "Delgado, here, just took down a local drug dealing ring. I just filed a report on my mark, a guy with not one, not two, but three wives."
"Man is he going down in divorce court," said Delgado with a shake of his head.
"What's your point?" I asked.
"You get a blackmail case and it turns into murder!" finished Fletcher. "Our marks just stuck with the crimes we originally busted them for."
"Not my fault." I couldn't help pouting. I really never saw Katya's murder coming. Now, with less than twenty-four hours since her death, which hadn't yet broken in the national media, I was ready to re-double my efforts to find the blackmailer, in the hope that would lead me to the killer.
Delgado and Fletcher both had wide grins. "Just playing with ya, Lexi," said Delgado. "Could have happened to anyone. Need a hand?"
"No, I'm going to look into the band’s past to see what I can find. Simple background checks today. All done in the office. Nothing dangerous for me today." As I said it, I shuddered. Yesterday, it hadn't occurred to me, but now it did. I was mere yards away from a murderer. I was on my way to see Katya. I could so easily have bumped into the murderer and wound up as collateral damage. Yet, I didn't bump into him, or her. In fact, from what I could glean, no one saw anyone leaving Katya's suite after Lauren left. How could that have happened? If there was no evidence on Lauren to connect her to the crime — although she was seen leaving the room after loudly threatening Katya — then how did someone else get in and
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