Black And Blue (Quentin Black Mystery #5)

Black And Blue (Quentin Black Mystery #5) by JC Andrijeski Page A

Book: Black And Blue (Quentin Black Mystery #5) by JC Andrijeski Read Free Book Online
Authors: JC Andrijeski
Ads: Link
forensics all day and at the morgue tonight. I thought we’d have plenty of time to get both of you up to speed tomorrow morning...”
    “So what changed?” I looked between him and Black, wary.
    Black wrapped a hand around my thigh under the table. I felt a pulse of possessiveness there, and gave him a puzzled look.
    He kept his eyes on Mozar, though, not returning my glance.
    “Have a seat. I’ll let you tell my wife what you told me.” He glanced at Hawking, his eyes significantly less friendly. “You, too, of course. It’s Evan, right?”
    Hawking smiled, as if he found the question funny.
    Or maybe he just noticed Black hitting the word wife a little harder than necessary.
    I slid further away from Black as they approached, adjusting my dress swiftly as they dropped their respective weights onto the stressed leather seat across from us. I fought the embarrassment out of my expression as I moved my wine glass closer to where I now sat. Taking a sip of the expensive wine, I closed my eyes briefly in spite of myself.
    It really was mind-blowingly good.
    Feeling another pulse of possessiveness off Black, I glanced at him, frowning.
    What is going on with you?
    He didn’t answer, but I saw his mouth firm.
    I didn’t invite them here, I reminded him.
    Neither did I.
    But you knew. A little warning would have been nice, I murmured back.
    You were in the shower. I got distracted.
    Too distracted to tell me we wouldn’t be dining alone?
    Apparently you’ve never seen yourself in the shower...
    Mozar cleared his throat, and both of us looked over.
    “Have you eaten already?” Mozar kept that same polite tone, folding his hands on the table. “You won’t mind if we get some food? We haven’t been out of the office all day.”
    Black shook his head, taking a longer drink than I had from his own glass of wine. Peering between the opening in the curtains towards the bar, he motioned with a hand for the waiter.
    “We haven’t ordered,” he said, finishing his swallow. “I was just entertaining Miri here, while we waited for you...”
    When I kicked him under the table, he stifled a grin, but didn’t glance over. Still facing Mozar, he slung his arm around the back of the booth and partway around me. Something in that felt distinctly proprietary as well, but I pretended not to notice.
    Black said, “So what’s this big evidence you wouldn’t tell me over the phone?”
    Mozar and Hawking exchanged looks.
    Then Mozar faced us, giving me what looked like a faintly apologetic look.
    “It appears there might be another hit planned... by the same group... possibly tonight. We’re hoping to intercept them before that happens.” He gave me another faintly nervous look, which was weird enough to make me wonder if he’d talked to Nick about me. He returned his eyes to Black. “We’d like you to be there... if you’re willing.”
    Black gave me a fleeting look too, then leaned over the table.
    “What makes you think this is going down tonight?”
    Hawking tossed a manila folder across the table to Black. “We found this in a rental car parked across from the alley where the first vic was found. We didn’t find it right away... the car wasn’t parked illegally, and no one reported it missing.”
    “The shooter left their car behind?” I said, puzzled.
    I watched Black open the folder, and pull out two separate clipped-together files. Both had pictures on front, head-shots of men. One of those men I recognized as Ambassador Volkov, the man who had been shot behind the Los Angeles Theater the night before. The other was an older man with white hair and a red, puffy face that indicated possible alcoholism.
    I looked back at Mozar. “How did you know the car was his?”
    Mozar gave me a measured look. “We got a tip.”
    “A tip?” Black let out a humorless laugh.
    He glanced at Hawking, who grunted. I definitely got the sense Hawking agreed with whatever he heard in Black’s tone.
    I looked back at Mozar.

Similar Books

Rule's Addiction

Lynda Chance

Eye Candy (City Chicks)

Tera Lynn Childs

The Haunted Igloo

Bonnie Turner

No Honor in Death

Eric Thomson

Shadow Walker

Allyson James

Heavy Weather

P. G. Wodehouse