D is for Drunk Read Free Page B

Sperm Donor?” Aidan’s last serious girlfriend had asked him to give her some sperm so she could have a baby. And raise the baby without him. They weren’t dating anymore.
    “It’s a process,” he said. “The checklist helps, but it’s obviously not an entirely foolproof system.”
    The lock clicked, and the handcuffs sprang open. “Ta-da!”
    Before she had more than a second to celebrate her triumph, Aidan slammed both handcuffs closed around her wrists. The bobby pin fell onto the floor, and he put his foot on top of it.
    She glared at him.
    “Real world,” he said. “Make another pick from scratch.”
    She pulled another bobby pin off the cardboard packaging, which wasn’t easy with her hands cuffed together. A quick bite to get the rubber tip off, a bend, and she held the pick in her right hand. It was a lot harder going than the first time, especially with Aidan looking so smug.
    “Who’s next after the cowboy?” he asked. “The construction worker? The soldier?”
    “The cop?” She had the bobby pin in the right place already, now she needed to move that tricky tumbler.
    “A cop!” He sounded surprised, but she couldn’t look up at him while picking the lock. “You should never date a cop.”
    She held the bobby pin perfectly still and looked up at him. “Why not? Brendan was a cop. You were a cop.”
    “See what I mean?”
    “Brendan’s a very nice guy.” She went back to her handcuffs.
    “Excuse me?” A short round blond man and a shorter and rounder blond woman came into the office. They looked like Cabbage Patch dolls, all grown up. The man spoke again. “We’re here to meet with the head of Maloney Investigations?”
    As if he’d heard them from behind his closed office door, Brendan swept into the room. He wore a nice blue suit and a blue-gray tie. With his salt-and-pepper hair and his rugged face, he looked exactly like a private investigator should.
    She remembered the handcuffs and shook her sleeves down to cover them. Aidan grinned wickedly, and she kicked the back of his leg where no one could see.

                                                                                                                                                                     

    CHAPTER 4
    “ M  r. and Mrs. Grigoryan, please come in!” Brendan hurried over and shook their hands.
    Aidan shook their hands, too, and Sofia stayed behind Aidan and nodded. She couldn’t exactly shake their hands in handcuffs.
    Brendan shot her a puzzled look and led everyone into the office. Mr. and Mrs. Grigoryan got the couch, while Aidan herded Sofia into the chair. He stood guard behind her like an annoying sentry. She hoped he’d drop the handcuff key into her hand, but suspected that was destined to remain an unfulfilled hope.
    “Would you care for anything, Mr. and Mrs. Grigoryan? Water? Coffee? Soda?”
    “Maybe some water.” Mrs. Grigoryan cleared her throat.
    Sofia stood up. She could go to get the water, get the cuffs off, and come back with nobody the wiser. “I’ll get it.”
    “On my desk,” Aidan mouthed where his father couldn’t see. He must mean the handcuff keys.
    “Never mind,” Mrs. Grigoryan said. “I’d rather we get started.”
    “Fine. Let’s do that,” said Brendan. He looked at Sofia. “You can sit back down.”
    She sat back down, folded her hands together in her lap, and tried to act as if nothing was wrong. She still had the bobby pin. She could do this during the interview. It would be a good test for how she performed under stress. Or a good chance to look like a fool in front of clients and Brendan.
    “I understand you’ve been having some problems with your neighbor?” Brendan asked.
    “Problems?” Mr. Grigoryan rolled his bright blue eyes heavenward. “Vandalism is more like