Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries) by Camilla Chafer Page A

and followed them into the living room.
    "Checking to make sure no one was waiting in your apartment ," said Maddox.
    "Like whom?" I asked as Maddox raised an eyebrow. "Oh, like someone who wants to kill me?" My voice rose a notch. "Oh dea r God, someone wants to kill me! " Perhaps, I really di dn't consider my offer to snoop around at work carefully enough .
    "Is she going to get hysterical?" asked Solomon , whom we both ignored, though the timbre of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I wasn’t sure what to think of him.
    "Adam, Why didn’t you do that last night?” I asked.
    “Didn’t need to last night. I got to thinking,” he told me , “ w hoever deleted your files this morning might realize you copied the files. That's why we can't be too careful." Maddox walked over to the big bay window and looked out, his head sweeping from side - to - side as he surveyed the street below. He turned back to us, looking at Solomon for a moment, who had settled onto the couch and was flic king though my TV guide. "There are two men in a car outside , watching the apartment. They're ours. Is there any other way in?"
    I shook my head. "The only other door is downstairs in Lily's apartment and her garden backs onto the other ga rdens , so there isn't an alley . Only an acrobat can get onto the fire escape from below. "
    "Good. That'll make it easier to keep watch. Do you have any plans we should know about?"
    "Lily will be home soon , then nothing. No, wait..." I rolled my eyes as I remembered I did have plans. "I forgot. I'm going to my parents ’ tonight for dinner."
    "Are they far?"
    "Twenty minutes."
    "Good. You should keep up with your usual routine. Maybe I should go with you," Adam mused.
    "I can't really turn up at my parents ’ with a strange man." Solomon laughed at “ strange ” then covered it up with a cough. I glared at him. "I mean, I'm already bringing Lily. It would be weird to bring a man they've never heard of before. Besides you're PD and undercover ; and my whole family is PD." That statement was close to being literal. My father had retired a few years before. Out of my four siblings, three were currently serving officers. Even m y sister-in-law worked dispatch and that was just my immediate family. They could smell a rat at a hundred paces, and probably shoot it dead at fifty .
    "I suppose so." Adam sat on the armchair across from the sofa and opened the backpack he carried with him. He spread a thick stack of slim manila files on the coffee table and asked for my cell phone , which I handed over. "I've programmed in our numbers , mine and Solomon’s . You can call anytime,” he said, handing it back. I didn’t think he might go for a “N o, you hang up first ” type of chat.
    "What's all this?" I pointed to the files.
    "Our co-workers. There's a short profile on each one featuring their backgrounds, families , hobbies, and other information including their recent bank records. They all seem clean from what we’ve determined . No unexplained large transactions, no unexpectedly lost family members, or criminal connections. You'll need to read all these and familiarize yourself with the histories of the people you work with."
    I hovered in the doorway, watching Solomon move around the room, allowing me a better look at him. As he checked the view from each window without a trace of emotion or interest on his face, I checked out his body.
    What? I have a pulse and he was extremely nice to look at.
    "Why do you need all this information?" I asked Adam as I tore my gaze away . It was like going from chocolate pudding to chocolate cake; the view was just as tempting whichever way I looked ! Seemingly satisfied, he returned to the armchair.
    "Like I said before, there's a leak in the department. Someone is involved selling information or part of a fraud ring. Greed is our best estimate for motive. Money or blackmail is the most common reason fo r the average citizen to turn bad, hence the reports on