that’s the one,” Jacques drawled into the receiver. He had his feet propped on the desk and the phone in his lap.
She held her breath. Did he have a lead?
The office Jacques shared with his team of bounty hunters was quiet. They were alone in the building, though they’d passed two men on their way out. Most were taking vacation time, and those few still working were swamped. Jacques had never mentioned which category he was supposed to be in, but she could guess that, if it weren’t for her, he’d be collecting a few bounties. A pang of guilt shot through her. She wasn’t just costing him time, but money too.
“Thanks for your trouble. I appreciate it.” He set the receiver into the cradle and placed the telephone on the desk.
“Well?”
“Car is registered to a Ms. Williams, who is a resident of our fine city jail. Her car, a blue Ford Escort, is supposed to be in impound. That second set of plates is registered to a Mr. Fox, who was booked on a DUI Christmas Eve and had his car impounded.”
“Fuck,” she spat, crossing her arms over her chest.
Who would do this? Who hated her this much?
“Can you think of anyone at all you’ve had a beef with?” He steepled his fingers, studying her. “Anyone you’ve been with?”
She shrugged. “I dated another cop a few months ago, maybe in October? It was for a hot minute. We don’t even talk anymore.” Besides, Chuck never hurt for companionship, not that she could tell. “Let me call my old partner.”
“Who’s he?”
“Mathieu Mouton.” She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial.
Jacques’ brows crawled up his forehead. No wonder. She could guess at some of the assumptions running through his head. Mathieu was another black officer and kinky, but they’d never dated.
“ Ça viens? ” Mathieu rumbled after one ring.
“Got a question for you.”
“Happy holidays to you too. Where have you been?” She could picture Mathieu pacing his tiny apartment.
Odalia’s guilt redoubled. “I’m sorry about that.”
“You didn’t come to Christmas Eve.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “I know. Stuff happened.”
“With the bounty hunter?” Displeasure tinged his tone. Mathieu had been sour on relationships since his disaster of a marriage ended. He was also Odalia’s safe call in the event she decided to meet up with another kinky person for some consensual fun. He knew all her secrets.
“Kind of.” She breezed through the details, hanging her head.
“Damn, rookie, you sure know how to get in a pickle. I told you this modeling was a bad idea.”
Odalia sucked in a deep breath. Modeling brought in extra cash, which she was hoarding to buy the property where Dad’s old place had once stood. Build her own house. Have a life that she created.
“I know. Heard anything?” she asked.
“Chuck’s been bitching about you since you split. Sugar, I told you not to go there. Every female officer he’s chased has complained about him.”
“It was like three dates,” she snapped.
Jacques stood, the chair screeching to high heaven, and paced around the desk. At five foot eight, Odalia could stand toe-to-toe with most men, but Jacques was a force bigger than her.
“With some men, all it takes is a glance. I don’t like this. Let me see what Chuck is up to. I’ll call you back. Tell that sorry SOB to keep both eyes on you.”
Jacques snorted, as if he could hear the other end of the call. Was her volume up that loud?
“’Kay,” she replied.
Odalia pocketed the phone and tipped her chin up, gazing into Jacques’ eyes. “You heard that?”
“Most of it. You can tell Mouton when you see him that when he can hit a squirrel on a gator with a BB gun he can tell me what to do.” The distasteful twist of his lips and slight tinge of anger made Odalia wonder what was between the two men.
“Uh, Jac? Something wrong?”
“Nothing.” He turned from her, dragging his knuckles across his mouth, and stared at the wall.
“No, you
She held her breath. Did he have a lead?
The office Jacques shared with his team of bounty hunters was quiet. They were alone in the building, though they’d passed two men on their way out. Most were taking vacation time, and those few still working were swamped. Jacques had never mentioned which category he was supposed to be in, but she could guess that, if it weren’t for her, he’d be collecting a few bounties. A pang of guilt shot through her. She wasn’t just costing him time, but money too.
“Thanks for your trouble. I appreciate it.” He set the receiver into the cradle and placed the telephone on the desk.
“Well?”
“Car is registered to a Ms. Williams, who is a resident of our fine city jail. Her car, a blue Ford Escort, is supposed to be in impound. That second set of plates is registered to a Mr. Fox, who was booked on a DUI Christmas Eve and had his car impounded.”
“Fuck,” she spat, crossing her arms over her chest.
Who would do this? Who hated her this much?
“Can you think of anyone at all you’ve had a beef with?” He steepled his fingers, studying her. “Anyone you’ve been with?”
She shrugged. “I dated another cop a few months ago, maybe in October? It was for a hot minute. We don’t even talk anymore.” Besides, Chuck never hurt for companionship, not that she could tell. “Let me call my old partner.”
“Who’s he?”
“Mathieu Mouton.” She pulled out her phone and hit speed dial.
Jacques’ brows crawled up his forehead. No wonder. She could guess at some of the assumptions running through his head. Mathieu was another black officer and kinky, but they’d never dated.
“ Ça viens? ” Mathieu rumbled after one ring.
“Got a question for you.”
“Happy holidays to you too. Where have you been?” She could picture Mathieu pacing his tiny apartment.
Odalia’s guilt redoubled. “I’m sorry about that.”
“You didn’t come to Christmas Eve.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “I know. Stuff happened.”
“With the bounty hunter?” Displeasure tinged his tone. Mathieu had been sour on relationships since his disaster of a marriage ended. He was also Odalia’s safe call in the event she decided to meet up with another kinky person for some consensual fun. He knew all her secrets.
“Kind of.” She breezed through the details, hanging her head.
“Damn, rookie, you sure know how to get in a pickle. I told you this modeling was a bad idea.”
Odalia sucked in a deep breath. Modeling brought in extra cash, which she was hoarding to buy the property where Dad’s old place had once stood. Build her own house. Have a life that she created.
“I know. Heard anything?” she asked.
“Chuck’s been bitching about you since you split. Sugar, I told you not to go there. Every female officer he’s chased has complained about him.”
“It was like three dates,” she snapped.
Jacques stood, the chair screeching to high heaven, and paced around the desk. At five foot eight, Odalia could stand toe-to-toe with most men, but Jacques was a force bigger than her.
“With some men, all it takes is a glance. I don’t like this. Let me see what Chuck is up to. I’ll call you back. Tell that sorry SOB to keep both eyes on you.”
Jacques snorted, as if he could hear the other end of the call. Was her volume up that loud?
“’Kay,” she replied.
Odalia pocketed the phone and tipped her chin up, gazing into Jacques’ eyes. “You heard that?”
“Most of it. You can tell Mouton when you see him that when he can hit a squirrel on a gator with a BB gun he can tell me what to do.” The distasteful twist of his lips and slight tinge of anger made Odalia wonder what was between the two men.
“Uh, Jac? Something wrong?”
“Nothing.” He turned from her, dragging his knuckles across his mouth, and stared at the wall.
“No, you
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