Ninja Soccer Moms by Jennifer Apodaca Page A

she said, “Sam, you have to find who killed Chad. I’ll pay your fee, whatever it takes. The kids and I, we need this solved. For more than just the insurance.” She shifted her gaze to the photos of the kids. “We have to know what happened.”
    She wanted to know if the woman who took her husband killed him. Dara Reed. I got that. Janie needed to know who her ex-husband, the man she’d had two kids with, really was.
    Why did so many of us women wait until it was too late to find that out?
    I assured Janie that I’d help her and left. With my raincoat on and the car keys in my hand, I put my head down and headed into the rain toward my car, across the narrow street from Janie’s mobile home. Not only had I promised to help Janie find who killed Chad, but it also sounded like I had a couple of problems waiting for me at work. At least the money I’d get from Janie for this case would help me improve and promote Heart Mates.
    I looked up just before I ran into Gabe.
    He leaned against the driver’s side of my car, rain pouring over him. His arms were crossed over his worn denim jacket. The water ran down his granite face, plastering his dark hair to his head. “Gabe? What are you doing?” I looked around. His black truck was parked behind my car. Why was he standing in the rain?
    He uncrossed his arms and pushed off the car. “We need to talk.”
    A dozen questions buzzed in my head. How’d he know where I was? Why was he standing in the pouring rain? If he tracked me to Janie’s, why didn’t he come to the door? Did he know about Chad Tuggle? Where was his mother? “What’s wrong?”
    â€œUnless I miss my guess, I’d bet my house you just told Janie that you’d look into Chad’s murder.”
    That answered a couple of questions. “Well, I was going to talk to you about that.”
    His dark troubled gaze fixed on me. “No.”
    â€œWhat? You can’t just say no.” Well, he could since he owned Pulizzi’s Security and Investigative Services, and since he had the license. “Gabe, Janie needs me.”
    â€œHere’s the deal. I signed a client last night connected with Chad. I can’t have you out investigating under my license unless we agree to do this together so there’s no conflict of interest.”
    More questions answered. That was why he hadn’t come to Janie’s door, since he obviously didn’t want to discuss this in front of her. The need to get to work pressed down on me. I had a client waiting, and another one who was upset. “Who’s the client you signed on?”
    Gabe pinned me with his gaze. “Dara Reed.”
    It felt like a gut punch. “The soccer mom slut? Have you lost your mind? She probably killed Chad!” Okay, I might be leaping to conclusions, but Gabe had to have checked Dara out. He was a damn good PI. He had to know that she broke up Chad and Janie’s marriage. And she had walked in on Chad and me right after I’d whipped creamed him. She wouldn’t be the first jealous girlfriend to kill a man.
    Gabe sighed. He pushed his straight, wet hair back with his right hand. “Then you’re out of it.”
    â€œJust like that?” All kinds of feelings collided inside, twisting around like life-squeezing pythons. I trusted Gabe. I did.
    He turned and headed toward his truck. Yanking open the cab door, he looked at me. “Just like that.”

4
    I walked into Heart Mates and shrugged off my coat. It dripped all over the industrial gray carpet, leaving wet splotches that turned the color to the ever-popular soot shade. Looking around, I wondered where the client was and where I should put my coat. Rain always caught people in Southern California by surprise.
    â€œInterview room,” Blaine held out the clipboard with the information and security authorization sheets attached. “Nice of you to drop by. Want me to