Partners Read Free

chair
smashed against the wall. She reached in the desk drawer for her gun, checked
the chamber and put it in the side holster on her waist. Her tone changed from
conversational to confrontational in the time it took her to close down the
screen. “What else?”
    “Nothing. That’s
it. You want me to go with you?”
    “Thanks Ham, but
he’s harmless. I’ll go alone.”
    The other
detective held her arm as she moved to pass. “Then why do you look so pissed
off?”
    “The alley is
behind Debbie and Cory’s apartment. Remember, he moved in with her cause she’d
just found the new place and fixed it up. We used it for a meeting place when
we were after the Mexican street gangs. Just don’t know what the hell Luke’s
doing there now. I’ll call in if there’s any trouble, don’t worry.”
    “Okay. Just be
cool.”
    “Yeah, yeah!”
Aurora felt a ringing in her ears that only ever happened because of two
situations. Either the noise would pre-empt her passing out from the sight of
her own blood…or that of someone she loved.   Or it would drive her mental when something wasn’t right. Mind you, this
time it wasn’t a loud ring. Just a soft pinging that forewarned.
     

Chapter three
     
    Good thing her own
car was still in the garage after her last high-speed chase and she had to use
the squad car. Gave her the cover to drive like a maniac and get to Luke before
he took off. He didn’t like to be kept waiting. She’d pulled that trick once
too often, and he’d paid her back, left and hadn’t surfaced for weeks.
    Skidding around
the corner, she pulled up behind the apartment building. Sure as hell the
lights were burnt out and the alley was black as the devil’s heart. Leaving the
car, she strode over to where she knew he’d be waiting. He leaned against the
bricks with his long hair straggling over his shoulders and a glowing Star Wars
t-shirt hanging almost to his bony knees.
    Only eighteen, the
kid had more savvy than many officers she knew, and a certain respect had built
up between them after she saved his ass from a stepfather who liked to kick it.
    Luke, as he called
himself now, worked in a sleazy bar where a lot of lowlifes hung out. His
ability to blend into the background helped him gain all kinds of information.
Information she gladly paid him for—a win-win situation for them both.
    “What’s up?” She
spoke softly. “And why are we here at Debbie’s place?” This question had her
tone hardening.
    “Chill, Lady. I
have the information your partner’s offered me good money for, and like, she’s
not around, so I figured your money is just as good. You know what I mean?”
    The ringing in her
ears grew loud enough for Aurora to give her head a shake. She moved next to
him, angled her back against the wall, and shifted till their shoulders were
only inches apart. “What you got for her?”
    “She promised me a
hundred bucks.”
    “What the hell!
You found out the combination to a bank safe—”
    “Don’t try and
play me Lady. Just pay up, and I’ll give you what she’s been after for months,
been riding me like I’m a racehorse for Christ sake. Glad to be rid of her
busting my chops all the time.”
    Okay, the pinging
had switched to a constant ring. No more games. She reached into her wallet and
pulled one of the hundreds she kept tucked away for this kind of
situation.  
    “Fine, I’ll give
it to you. But only on one condition.” She held the money away from his
reaching hand. “If I’m paying, it’s my info, mine alone. If she asks, you know
nothing. You got that?” She moved in threateningly.
    “Deal.” He
straightened and stepped back.
    Since she hardly
ever used that tone with him, she saw the effect and was satisfied. He’d never
lied to her yet.
    “Tell me.”
    “It’s about that
Rhondo jerk, the guy who disappeared from the planet eight months ago. Well his
buddy, Johnny Ross, just showed up, the one he hung with before he left. The
dude’s back and