Page 26 of D for Dead

Damn, he’s bossy.

‘Okay, I’ll get the leash,’ she conceded, opening the door to the apartment.

Huckleberry was delighted to see Sullivan, ignoring Amy as he showered the detective with licks.

You forget who feeds you, buddy.

Niggled by the dog’s lack of loyalty, Amy waited patiently as Sullivan did a quick check of her apartment, Huckleberry in hot pursuit. As they returned from her bedroom, she reached for the leash, throwing it to Sullivan as Huckleberry went nuts.

‘We’ll be back in fifteen minutes,’ Sullivan told her, clipping on the leash. ‘Make sure you keep the door locked.’

Amy watched them go, saluting Sullivan behind his back.

Keep the door locked. Does he think I’m stupid?

After clicking the latch into place, she went into the kitchen and put on the coffee pot; it was late, but her mind was buzzing. Coffee and wine relaxed her, and she wasn’t in the mood for the latter. While the machine whirred, she kicked off her shoes, opened the patio doors and stepped out on to the balcony. The evening was still warm and humid. Leaning on the railing, she watched as Sullivan and Huckleberry crossed the road and disappeared into the park.

Amy wasn’t sure what it was about the man that was getting under her skin. Normally she was laid-back and it took a lot to get a rise out of her. Sullivan seemed to manage it with little effort.

Perhaps it’s because he never believes you.

Or maybe it was something else.

Pondering the question, Amy’s glance wandered a little further up the street to the figure standing at the edge of the trees, watching her apartment. With a start she stepped back from the balcony railing, her skin going cold.

Was it him, the guy who had followed her? Did he know where she lived?

Quickly she stepped inside her apartment and locked the patio doors.

9

‘You look like hell.’

Jake scowled at Rebecca’s observation as he walked into the precinct. ‘I had a late night.’

‘Yeah?’

He narrowed his eyes at her suggestive tone. ‘Not in that way.’

She pushed one of the two Starbucks cups she held in his direction. ‘Good job I got you one of these, then.’

‘Thanks.’ Jake took the cup gratefully.

After the call from Amy, he’d managed to snatch about two hours’ sleep, dozing through his alarm and having only enough time to shower, dress and let Roxy out for a quick pee, so coffee had been out, and he and Rebecca had both learned a long time ago to avoid the acidic stuff sold in the vending machine at work.

‘I bet my night can top yours,’ Rebecca told him as he sipped the strong coffee. He noticed the slight frown on her face.

‘Alan?’

Most of Rebecca’s irritations tended to be directed at her dull boyfriend. Jake had lost count of the times he had questioned the point of their relationship. These days he mostly let her rant and tuned out.

‘Not exactly. More like a pain in the ass from my past and it spells trouble for our investigation.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You remember the case I was involved in when I was a rookie? The one where…’ She trailed off, staring past Jake at the door, her frown intensifying.

‘Morning, Angell.’