AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I reviewed the witness statements you sent me, and between that and this, there are no arson indicators.”
“Okay. I’ll close it down on our end. Expect a call from the insurance adjuster to confirm and grill you some more.”
“I already talked to Leo earlier in the week. I’ll shoot him an official email for his files.”
“Thanks.” The detective turned toward the door, giving Les a friendly nod as he departed.
Brick’s phone rang again. This time it was their lab, clarifying what he was wanting on a sample he’d given them. Which was followed up by them sending him the gas chromatograph data so he could look at it as they were discussing it. As he stretched back in his chair, forearm resting on the desk, his eyes trained on the screen as he spoke, she couldn’t even begin to pretend she was studying.
Yep. It would take years before this didn’t make her hot.
When he was done, he noted her interested look and turned his monitor toward her. He clicked open two other files, which looked similar to the data he’d just been reviewing. “Remember what I was telling you, about lemon furniture polish versus diesel fuel? Here are their two element compositions.”
“I think I’m going to tell my mom to use a different cleaner.”
“Your mom loves that old house. No chance she’d ever sacrifice it for the insurance.”
“She’d sacrifice one of us first.”
He grinned as his phone rang once more. “Hey, Bob." Brick clicked open another file. "Yeah, the lab verified the traces of accelerant splashed in those areas. We also found the gas can. Guess he thought the plastic would burn up."
He listened to the response. "Well, you know what they say. If criminals were smarter, we'd have to get smarter, too. I'll send those results over to you. By the way, just a hunch. One of the witness statements said the perp loves barbecue. Since they think he took off to Memphis, let the detectives there know that. They’ll check the hole-in-the-wall places, ones the locals know about. If they flash his picture around, they might get a lead."
Brick paused. "Get this guy, Bob. Bury him under the jail."
As he hung up, he noted her questioning expression. "His fire killed five homeless people nested up in the building, plus one firefighter was badly injured. Remember what I said, about how insurance fires aren’t victimless crimes?”
When his phone rang again, he glanced at the display. This time he didn’t pick up the receiver. Instead, with an indecipherable look at Les, he hit the speaker button. “Hey, Tish, how’s Richmond’s toughest ADA?”
“Busy as hell, as always. Just needed a quick confirm from you on a court date.”
Les had accepted that Tish and Brick’s relationship was nothing to worry about. Until hearing her sexy, melodious bedroom voice. Was there anything not perfect about her?
The woman also had the take-no-shit tone one would expect from a successful ADA. An intriguing contrast for a woman exploring her submissive side.
“We’re finally getting the Gettys fire on the docket,” Tish was saying.
“Thank fuck,” Brick muttered. “The woman was going to die of old age before she was put on trial.”
“The wheels of justice sometimes grind like sand’s been thrown into them. Can you do Thursday three weeks from now?”
“If I can’t, I’m betting Sturgis can.”
“I’ll take him if I have to, but juries respond better to you on the technical stuff. The male jurors listen because you look like an action hero. The female jurors listen because you could read the freaking phone book and they’d hang onto every word.”
“I feel so objectified. I want to be valued for my mind.”
“Yeah, yeah. Can you do it?”
“Already marked down.”
“Thanks, talk to you later. Gotta fly and lock this in, which is why I didn’t text.”
She clicked off before he said anything else, leaving Les blinking. “If I was worried that was going to turn into phone sex, my apprehensions were unfounded.”
“Sorry. I was going to introduce you, but when she calls me like that, she’s usually walking out of one courtroom and right into another. I seem to have a knack for attracting driven women.” His tone was teasing. “You can smooth your hackles, doc.”
She sniffed. “I was just waiting for her to mention the only thing more inflated than your muscles. Your ego.”
