Fatal Consequences Read Free Page A

Malone, to pick up.
    “Lieutenant,” he said, sounding slightly buzzed. “What had you hightailing it out of your father’s wedding so quickly?”
    “A little thing called murder.”
    She could picture him sitting up straighter at that news. “What’ve you got?”
    Sam relayed what she knew thus far and told him she had taken the senator into custody but had not arrested him.
    “What’s in the water lately? All these powerful people involved in murders.”
    “I wish I knew. It’s gonna be another hot one.”
    “At least this one doesn’t involve your personal life.”
    “Well,” Sam said, grimacing. “It could. Lightfeather is a friend of Nick’s.”
    “Of course he is,” Malone said.
    Sam laughed. “Who isn’t, right?”
    “No kidding. The guy’s nothing if not well connected. Want me to send over some of the A-team?”
    “Nah, I didn’t call them because I knew they’d been partying all day. Let them have their night off. I’ll do what I can tonight, and then we’ll hit it hard in the morning.”
    “Sounds good. I’ll let them know they have a curfew.”
    “I’m sure they’ll appreciate that. How’s the groom holding up?”
    “His new wife took him home about an hour ago. He was starting to get a little tired, but it was a good day for him. Nice to see him so happy.”
    “Yeah.” After all her father had been through with her mother leaving him for another man and then the shooting that had left him a quadriplegic, Sam couldn’t agree more.
    “You and Cruz are still working the angle on the stuff you found in Reese’s house, right?”
    “We’re trying.” Every time they had a lead in her father’s two-year-old unsolved shooting, they hit a new roadblock. “We’re having trouble tracking down the guy who rented the house before Reese. We can’t find the landlord so we can’t even get a name. The neighbors claim to not remember who lived there before Reese. We think they’re stonewalling us for some reason.”
    “Don’t give up,” Malone said. “If you keep asking the questions, eventually you’ll get an answer.”
    “I sure hope you’re right.” After Clarence Reese murdered his family, detectives had uncovered newspaper clippings and photographs related to Skip Holland’s shooting. Reese had claimed the box of clippings belonged to the former tenant who had never come back to get some of the things he’d left behind. Now, if they could just figure out who the former tenant was. Sam couldn’t bear the frustration of being unable to solve the most important case of her career. It didn’t help that one high-profile murder case after another sucked up all the time she wanted to be spending on her father’s case.
    “Keep me posted on the senator and the dead woman.”
    “I’m going to retain him at least until the morning to confirm his alibi, so you might want to let the chief know that the senior senator from Arizona will be our guest in the city jail for the evening.”
    Malone snickered at her choice of words. “Will do.”
     
    Detective Freddie Cruz helped his girlfriend Elin Svendsen into his dilapidated Mustang and caught a glimpse of long, muscular leg as she settled herself into the seat. Imagining that long leg wrapped around him had his cock surging with anticipation. But then he remembered his mother, sick at home with the flu, and decided to go by and check on her before he attended to more pressing concerns.
    The instant he slid into the driver’s seat Elin’s tongue was in his mouth and her hand was cupping his balls. Freddie wrapped his arm around her and gave into the carnal kiss for several heated minutes. She had him on the verge of a fast and embarrassing release when he once again thought of his sick mother.
    Moaning with frustration, he pulled himself free of Elin’s embrace. “I have to go by my mother’s before we go home.”
    “Why?” Her fingers trailed up and down his inner thigh, and he grabbed her hand before she could reach her