been through.”
“You think she imagined it.” No wonder Emma had been so worried that Shaye wouldn’t believe her. Someone was stalking the woman, and the cop who should be trying to figure out who it was didn’t even think there was anything to investigate.
“Of course she imagined it. What other possible explanation is there?”
“I don’t know. I suppose someone could have been in her house but you failed to find the point of ingress.”
“Got yourself a live one, Vincent,” said a young policeman at the desk next to Vincent’s. He looked at another cop standing next to him and grinned.
Vincent shot them a bored look. “I didn’t fail to find anything because there wasn’t anything to find.”
“Maybe. But I’m being paid to make sure.”
“So make sure. It’s not my dime.”
His dismissive tone was the last straw for Shaye. Since when had the burden of proof shifted to the victim? “And if I find something you missed?”
Vincent’s jaw flexed. “Look, you seem like a nice girl. You should be down in the Quarter, partying with your girlfriends and looking for a husband to get you that piece of the good life.”
Even though she knew he’d said it to get to her, Shaye bristled. “The day I need a man is the day I check myself into a convent.”
Vincent smirked. “But yet you’re here needing something. And I’m a man.”
Shaye smiled. “I’ll acquiesce to the first comment. I’m not convinced of the second.”
“Ooooh.” The other cops sounded off in tandem as Shaye rose from the chair.
“Thank you so much for your time, Detective Vincent. Since that’s all you gave me.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the exit.
“You go girl,” one of the prostitutes said as Shaye passed. “Don’t take no shit from a man or you’ll end up like me.”
Shaye gave her a nod and picked up her pace, letting the door to the station slam shut behind her. To hell with the cops. Hoping for some help from Detective Beaumont had been a reach to begin with. She had no reason to expect a cop who didn’t even know her to offer up information. Before she’d even said a word to Detective Vincent, she’d expected him to scoff at her profession and the case, but she hadn’t expected the level of derision he’d shown toward her client. Clearly, Vincent had problems with women, and even more of a problem with someone finding out he’d been wrong.
Shaye had every intention of making that potential problem a reality.
###
As the precinct door slammed shut behind Shaye Archer, Detective Jackson Lamotte sat at his desk nearby watching as two rookie cops starting razing Vincent. It wasn’t smart of them. Vincent had rank and could make their jobs miserable, a fact he knew all too well since he’d been partnered with Vincent a year ago. But he couldn’t blame them for their delight. Vincent was a sexist asshole and a lazy cop to boot. Sure, he’d taken down his share of bad guys back in the day, but now he seemed content with cruising straight into retirement on past performance.
Jackson had known exactly how things would go the moment Shaye sat down at Vincent’s desk. At least, he’d known how things would go from Vincent’s end. With her cool demeanor and quick comebacks, Shaye had surprised him. For someone so young, she wasn’t easily intimidated.
He looked out the window and watched as she crossed the street and went into a café. Vincent’s irritated voice sounded behind him as he argued with the rookies. Jackson glanced back and decided the argument would probably take a while, and then Vincent would need a break to recover from his hard morning. Vincent always needed a break, and lately, every morning was hard. Basically, unless dispatch forced Vincent off his desk, Jackson wouldn’t be needed or missed. Maybe when the man retired, Jackson would get to do actual full-time work again. Shuffling paper at his desk was getting old.
He rose from
“You think she imagined it.” No wonder Emma had been so worried that Shaye wouldn’t believe her. Someone was stalking the woman, and the cop who should be trying to figure out who it was didn’t even think there was anything to investigate.
“Of course she imagined it. What other possible explanation is there?”
“I don’t know. I suppose someone could have been in her house but you failed to find the point of ingress.”
“Got yourself a live one, Vincent,” said a young policeman at the desk next to Vincent’s. He looked at another cop standing next to him and grinned.
Vincent shot them a bored look. “I didn’t fail to find anything because there wasn’t anything to find.”
“Maybe. But I’m being paid to make sure.”
“So make sure. It’s not my dime.”
His dismissive tone was the last straw for Shaye. Since when had the burden of proof shifted to the victim? “And if I find something you missed?”
Vincent’s jaw flexed. “Look, you seem like a nice girl. You should be down in the Quarter, partying with your girlfriends and looking for a husband to get you that piece of the good life.”
Even though she knew he’d said it to get to her, Shaye bristled. “The day I need a man is the day I check myself into a convent.”
Vincent smirked. “But yet you’re here needing something. And I’m a man.”
Shaye smiled. “I’ll acquiesce to the first comment. I’m not convinced of the second.”
“Ooooh.” The other cops sounded off in tandem as Shaye rose from the chair.
“Thank you so much for your time, Detective Vincent. Since that’s all you gave me.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and headed for the exit.
“You go girl,” one of the prostitutes said as Shaye passed. “Don’t take no shit from a man or you’ll end up like me.”
Shaye gave her a nod and picked up her pace, letting the door to the station slam shut behind her. To hell with the cops. Hoping for some help from Detective Beaumont had been a reach to begin with. She had no reason to expect a cop who didn’t even know her to offer up information. Before she’d even said a word to Detective Vincent, she’d expected him to scoff at her profession and the case, but she hadn’t expected the level of derision he’d shown toward her client. Clearly, Vincent had problems with women, and even more of a problem with someone finding out he’d been wrong.
Shaye had every intention of making that potential problem a reality.
###
As the precinct door slammed shut behind Shaye Archer, Detective Jackson Lamotte sat at his desk nearby watching as two rookie cops starting razing Vincent. It wasn’t smart of them. Vincent had rank and could make their jobs miserable, a fact he knew all too well since he’d been partnered with Vincent a year ago. But he couldn’t blame them for their delight. Vincent was a sexist asshole and a lazy cop to boot. Sure, he’d taken down his share of bad guys back in the day, but now he seemed content with cruising straight into retirement on past performance.
Jackson had known exactly how things would go the moment Shaye sat down at Vincent’s desk. At least, he’d known how things would go from Vincent’s end. With her cool demeanor and quick comebacks, Shaye had surprised him. For someone so young, she wasn’t easily intimidated.
He looked out the window and watched as she crossed the street and went into a café. Vincent’s irritated voice sounded behind him as he argued with the rookies. Jackson glanced back and decided the argument would probably take a while, and then Vincent would need a break to recover from his hard morning. Vincent always needed a break, and lately, every morning was hard. Basically, unless dispatch forced Vincent off his desk, Jackson wouldn’t be needed or missed. Maybe when the man retired, Jackson would get to do actual full-time work again. Shuffling paper at his desk was getting old.
He rose from
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