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WHEN KELLY ENTERED her station house the next morning—thankfully on time—she had so much to think about she couldn’t concentrate on one issue. She was itching to know what was going on with Maria, but hadn’t heard from Ballard since the arrest. He’d promised to keep her in the loop, but of course he hadn’t. Jerk.
But she had other problems, worse problems. Trey had been devastated by Maria’s betrayal, and she’d ached for him last night after Ballard took the housekeeper away, and had lain awake in bed for hours tempted to go to him, make love to him to make him feel better. To make them both feel better.
And what did that say about her? She was in way too deep. Tonight would be her last night at Wentworth Villa, although Trey would no doubt use Maria’s absence as leverage to get her to stay and comfort his son. She had to resist any persuasion he might use.
She needed to return to reality. Until a week ago, being a cop had been all she cared about.
“Hey, Kelly.”
Kelly refocused and smiled at Sean O’Malley, a friend and fellow rookie from her class.
“How’s it going, Sean?” He’d been part of the study group created by her, Patrice, Lana and Dale Baldwin, another trainee.
“Can’t complain,” Sean said. “Although nothing like your life these days.”
Kelly paused. She’d always liked Sean, but why was he grinning at her so strangely? In fact, as she became aware of her surroundings, everyone was staring at her, looking away quickly when she made eye contact. That many people acting squirrelly couldn’t be her imagination. What was going on?
Lana appeared and grabbed her elbow. “I need to talk to you.”
“Okay,” Kelly said, pushing open the locker room door. “What’s up?”
“Wait,” Lana said, her voice low and urgent. “Before you…”
Kelly heard laughter as her gaze zeroed in on a large photograph stuck to her locker. A photograph of her on the deck of Trey’s yacht. Holding a margarita. Wearing her bikini.
Beneath a three-inch headline that screamed Wentworth Heir Picks New Mother, on the front page of The National Intruder.
“They wouldn’t let me take it down until you saw it,” Lana said.
Kelly marched into the locker room, ripped the newsprint off her locker and stared at it.
“Is this real?” she demanded.
Lana followed her inside. “There’s one in the men’s locker room, too.”
“But is this really the front page of this stupid tabloid or did someone Photoshop it to haze a rookie?”
“It’s real,” Lana said. “Today’s edition. Someone bought a stack of Intruders and placed them in the break room.”
“Oh, my God,” Kelly breathed.
Patrice appeared at her side. “At least you look good, girl. I gotta say I understand why Wentworth wants to keep you around.”
“Jenkins.”
Kelly looked up at the barked command. Sergeant McFadden lurked at the door of the locker room.
“A moment of your time, please, Officer.”
Kelly crumpled the paper into a tight ball and slammed it into a trash can as she moved to the door, her heart pounding. But McFadden passed his own desk and marched her straight into Lieutenant Marshall’s office.
A copy of The National Intruder lay on Marshall’s desk.
She stood at attention before her lieutenant, her gaze straight ahead. How bad was this going to be?
“That will be all, Sergeant,” Marshall said.
When the door closed, Marshall said, “As you were, Officer. In fact, why don’t you sit.” Marshall motioned to a chair.
Kelly gratefully collapsed into the padded seat, but kept her spine as erect as she could manage.
Marshall held up the front page. “I take it you’ve seen this?”
“Just now, sir. I haven’t read the text.”
“They have your name and the fact that you are a Miami-Dade County police officer. The story suggests you’re involved in the payoff scandal being reported by the Miami Herald.”
“What? That’s impossible. I never even patrolled the district involved.” She gaped at her lieutenant. Surely he didn’t believe such a ridiculous fabrication.
