Drawing Close: The Fourth Novel in the Rosemont Series by Barbara Hinske

dressed in her
expensive business suit. She extended her arm and cooed softly. She was
beginning to lose hope when she heard a soft meow. She reached in the direction
of the sound and two matted ears, followed by two enormous eyes, emerged from
the trash and debris.
    Susan leaned further into the dumpster, whispering
soft assurances to the bedraggled creature. Her efforts were rewarded, and the
tiny kitten emerged. Susan scooped her up and brought the filthy animal to
nestle under her chin. The kitten made no protest, instinctively understanding
that this woman was her salvation. They made their way back to the car.
    “Let’s take a look at what you’ve got here,” he
said.
    Susan held the kitten away from her chest but
didn’t relinquish her.
    “She must be only a few days old.” He turned on
the dome light and leaned in to inspect the kitten. “Her fur is patchy and her
eyes are goopy. She’s full of fleas.” He looked at Susan and knew she would not
abandon this animal. “She may not survive, sweetheart,” he said gently. “She
needs to see a vet right away.”
    Susan looked into his eyes. “I’ll take her to the
vet first thing and nurse her back to health. Don’t you see? This is a
sign—I’m meant to have her. I’m naming her Cozette, after the poor little
orphan girl in Les Mis .”
    Aaron ran his finger lightly along the kitten’s cheek,
and Cozette began to purr. “We’ll nurse her back to health. Let’s get the two
of you home.”

Chapter 10
    Police Chief Andy Thomas handed a
Styrofoam cup to Special Counsel Alex Scanlon. Alex took a swig and winced.
“This coffee is lethal.”
    “It’s been on the burner since I came in at four.”
He turned to face Alex. “We’re finally going to get Chuck Delgado. We’ve had
him in our sights for years.”
    “Don’t get your hopes up. The evidence is thin,
and we won’t convict him unless we can lay our hands on something else. His
lawyer will have him out on bail by dinnertime.”
    The chief blew out a heavy sigh and leaned back
against his desk, crossing his ankles. “That may be true, but it’ll be good to
put the cuffs on him. Lock him up in a cell, even if it’s only for a few
hours.”
    Alex nodded. “I plan to stop by the jail to see
him in custody. It’s been a long time coming.”
    “What’s next?
    “We’re hoping he’ll talk and cut a plea deal.”
    “What?” the chief pushed himself to his feet.
“After all this, you’ll let him off?”
    “You, of all people, know that we’re after bigger
fish.”
    “I understand that, Alex, but the chances that
Delgado will finger anyone in the mob who’s higher up the food chain are slim
to none. It’d be a death sentence, and he knows it.”
    “We could offer to put him in the Witness Protection
Program.”
    The chief shook his head. “He’ll never go for it.
His lawyer will tell him how weak our case is and advise him to lay low and
keep his hands clean.”
    Alex smirked. “You know how likely he is to follow
that advice? Delgado’s got no self-control at all. That’s our best
hope—that he’ll do something stupid.”
    The chief shrugged. “You may be right.”
    “When do you plan to take him into custody?”
    “Any time now.”
    “Arrest him at his home?” Alex asked.
    “That was our plan. Except he didn’t go home last
night. Stayed in that office of his above his liquor store, and he had
company.”
    Alex arched a brow.
    “We don’t want to increase the drama of this
arrest by having his lady friend in the picture. We’ve got him under
surveillance and the minute she leaves, we’ll bring him in.”
    Alex nodded.
    “I’m going to put the cuffs on him myself. I’m
just waiting for the call. Care to join me?”
    For the first time in weeks, a genuine smile
spread across Alex Scanlon’s face.
    ***
    Chief Thomas’ cell phone rang
thirty minutes later and they were underway. Two burly young officers mounted
the exterior stairway to Delgado’s second-floor