Micah Read Free Page A

As for rumors, you’re right—they don’t paint a very flattering picture of you.”
    â€œYou might bear in mind, Fox, that any man you’ve heard dirty stories about me from didn’t get to fuck me.”
    â€œYou’re sure of that.”
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    â€œSo you’re saying that it’s sour grapes, because he didn’t get the prize.”
    â€œSo we are talking about someone specific. Who?”
    He was quiet for a second or two. “You worked a serial killer case in New Mexico about two years ago. Do you remember it?”
    â€œAnyone who worked that case will remember it, Agent Fox. Special Agent Fox. Some things you don’t forget.”
    â€œDid you date anyone while you were out there?”
    The question puzzled me. “You mean in New Mexico?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œNo, why?”
    â€œThere was a cop named Ramirez.”
    â€œI remember Detective Ramirez. He asked me out, I said no, and he didn’t trash me.”
    â€œHow can you be sure of that?”
    â€œBecause he was a good guy, and good guys don’t trash you just because you turned them down.”
    Micah was idling in front of one of the parking garages on Pear Tree Lane. We’d turned off of 70, and I hadn’t really noticed. “Are we parking?” he asked. What Micah was asking was, Are we going to Philadelphia?
    â€œDid any of the agents on scene ask you out?” His voice was serious and not hostile now.
    â€œNot that I remember.”
    â€œDid you have a problem with anyone while you were there?”
    â€œLots of people.”
    â€œYou admit it.”
    â€œFox, I am female, I clean up well, have a badge and a gun, raise the dead for a living, and slay vampires. A lot of people have issues with some of the above. Hell, a lieutenant in New Mexico quoted the Bible at me.”
    â€œWhat quote?”
    â€œÂ â€˜Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.’ ”
    â€œHe did not.” He sounded shocked, something you don’t hear much from the FBI.
    â€œYeah, he did.”
    â€œWhat did you do?”
    â€œI planted a big kiss right on his mouth.”
    He made a startled sound that could have been a laugh. “You really did?”
    â€œIt bothered him a hell of a lot more than hitting him would have, and it didn’t get me dragged out incuffs. But I’m betting the other cops who saw me do it gave him hell.”
    Fox was laughing now.
    There were cars behind us, honking. “Anita, are we going?” Micah asked.
    â€œMy assistant wants to know if we’re going to Philly today. Are we?”
    Fox’s voice still held that edge of laughter. “Yeah, come on down.”
    I said to Micah, “We’re going to Philly.”
    Fox said, “Marshal Blake, I am going to do what I never do, and if you tell anyone I did, I’ll deny it.”
    â€œWhat are you going to do?”
    Micah pressed the big red button on the little stand-up ticket machine. He waited for our parking ticket to pop out. I’d told him to do valet. When you drag your ass in at zero-dark-thirty, valet was worth it.
    â€œI apologize,” Fox said. “I listened to someone who was there in New Mexico. His version of your run-in with the lieutenant was different from yours.”
    â€œWhat did he say?”
    We were in the dimness of the parking garage now.“He said you hit on a married man and got pissy when he said no.”
    â€œIf you’d ever met Lieutenant Marks, you’d know that wasn’t true.”
    â€œNot cute enough?”
    I hesitated. “I guess physically he wasn’t that bad, but looks aren’t everything. Personality, good manners, sanity—all nice things to have.”
    Micah had pulled around the little glass building.
    The attendant was coming toward us. We were moments away from needing to get out of the car. “If we’re going to make the flight, I gotta