No one had any, so they gathered up their gear and filed out of the room to begin the day.
On the drive, Eve found herself sneaking looks at him. Although he’d initially impressed her as being laid-back, he had a commanding way about him as well. At the meeting, he’d been in control without acting as if he wanted everyone else to know it. She’d worked cases in the past where the inflated egos of some of the lead investigators made it hard to get the job done. Not so this time. He hadn’t belittled anyone’s efforts or treated them as if they were working for him. All he seemed concerned with was getting the work done as efficiently and as thoroughly as possible, and she appreciated that. “Did we get anything back on the developer?” she asked.
“Yes, the preliminary report says Brandywine Construction is legit, no red flags. We still need to talk to him about any threats he may have received.”
Eve agreed. “Did you look into Crenshaw’s car?”
“Talked to the detectives this morning, and so far they have nothing, except that he was pretty abusive to the uniforms that showed up after he was jacked.”
“How did I already know that?”
“Yeah, and, according to the report, he was reeking of urine when they arrived at the scene.”
“Urine?” She puzzled over that for a moment, then turned to him in surprise. “He wet himself?”
“Apparently the carjackers scared him so bad, he wet his pants.”
“That probably only added to how pissed he was. Pun intended.”
He turned her way. “So, you do have a sense of humor?”
“Why would you think I wouldn’t?”
“You’re so stern and stoic.”
“Thanks.”
He smiled. “There’s a lot more to you than you let people see, isn’t there?”
She shrugged. “I suppose, but all the job wants are results.”
“True, but why the big bad shield?”
“Makes for less drama.”
“Meaning?”
“There aren’t that many women in the agency. Most do a kick-ass job and most have had to deal with drama coming up. Whether it’s the men who want to hit on you, or the ones who think you’re incompetent because you don’t carry a penis in your pants. Luckily, things have gotten better. But you learn not to let your guard down.”
“Just in case?”
“Yeah. Just in case.”
“Makes sense. Thanks for explaining.”
“Thanks for asking and thanks for not giving me any of the above.”
“You’re welcome. So if I ask are you’re married, would you be offended?”
“Not as long as I can ask you the same thing.”
“I’m divorced. You?”
“Single all my life. How long were you married?”
“About five years. Just long enough for Angie to figure out she should’ve married someone else.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what the job is like—long hours, getting called in the middle of the night. Missing anniversaries, birthdays, because some joker set a warehouse on fire. She got tired of me not coming home when I said I would.”
“Any kids?”
“One. A daughter. Kia. She’s eight.”
“Do you get to see her?”
“Yep. Angie’s good about making sure Kia and I stay connected. Her mom and I are much better apart than we ever were together. She’s remarried. Name’s Oliver. He’s a pretty good guy.”
“Most men don’t usually sing the praises of their ex or the new husband.”
“I’m not most men.”
“I’m starting to see that.”
“Good.” He looked her way and for a beat of a moment silence filled the car, and she felt the tingle of attraction slide through her blood.
“So, why’re you single?” he asked.
“Take your list of why you and your ex split, and add the men I meet not being able to handle me being me. Can’t seem to hook up with anyone who wants the brain that comes with the body. My last relationship crashed because he couldn’t deal with what I do and because I wouldn’t quit and get a more female job.”
“Female job?”
“His words. Wanted a more traditional woman, I guess. Dinner on the table. Shirts ironed and ready, that kind of thing.”
“Not you.”
“Nope, so that was that.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
They pulled into the parking lot of the site. He cut the engine. “We’re here.”
“Yeah, we are.”
They sat silently for a moment, discreetly checking each other out. Finally, he said, “Thanks for the conversation.”
“You’re welcome.”
* * *
Inside the shadowy remains of what had once been the supermarket portion of the mall, Eve was careful where she walked. The rest of the techs, investigators and canine teams were doing the same. The floor was littered with scorched metal, bricks and charred cans. Heat-warped beams that had once been a part of the ceiling now formed a grim and blackened obstacle course. Fire had signature smells. House fires smelled of burnt food, fabrics and wood. Commercial buildings—burnt electronics and plastics. This site had both. The foul scent of torched food and wiring mingled with plastics, fibers and wood. Because of the variety of materials in the store, the fire had burned big and hot, but rarely did one burn so hot that it obliterated the flash point, and this one was no exception. It had begun at the back of the building.
Outside, Eve stood in the cold and watched the techs measuring burn patterns while others chipped off pieces of the blackened bricks to send to the lab for tests. The faint scent of gasoline still had been detectable inside but was particularly strong where she and Palmer were standing. “What’s your take, Captain?”
“I think Blazer was right. The way the gasoline was thrown around I’m surprised the perp made it out alive. The initial flame up had to be enormous.”
Eve looked down at the twisted, melted remnants of the security camera lying amidst the debris on the ground a few feet away. If it had any taped evidence, they’d never know. “So, an amateur maybe?”
“I’d say yes.”
They were interrupted by one of the canine handlers who had a clipboard with some paperwork the captain needed to initial. Once that was accomplished, the uniformed female officer and her big gray German shepherd named Lucy moved on.
Eve asked, “You checked the area hospitals, right?”
“Yeah.”
“How about we widen the parameters and take Michigan, Ohio and Indiana?”
“Sure. Can’t hurt.”
She pulled out her phone and made some calls. When she was done, she said to him. “They’ll get back to us if they turn up anything.”
“Thanks.” He looked at his watch. “My, how fast four and a half hours fly by when you’re having fun. We’ve done all we need for now. Let’s let them finish up and we head back to file the paperwork. I want to get the word out on the reward as soon as I can.”
“Sounds good.”
* * *
The wind whipping off the Detroit River made an already raw day a subfreezing ordeal. By the time they got back into the car, Eve was so cold from being out in the elements she didn’t think she’d thaw out again until spring. Inside her boots, her feet felt like blocks of ice. “Oh! Turn up the heat.”
He chuckled, “It’s on full blast. Give it a minute. Thought you were from Chicago.”
“I am, but cold is cold. And don’t pretend you’re not freezing. I can see you shivering.”
He stripped off his gloves and blew on his hands. “Who, me?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Are you ever going to take off those shades?”
“If I do, I’ll have to kill you.”
He grinned and drove off the site. Upon merging into traffic, he said to her. “I need to make a quick stop before we head back. That okay with you?”
“As long as it’s inside and we get something to eat afterwards, I’m good.”
“Okay.”
They didn’t drive far, but she was a little caught off guard when he pulled into the parking lot of a school.
“My daughter Kia goes here,” he said, explaining. “Our fire department got a grant to buy smoke detectors, and they finally came in. The principal’s going to give them away to families that can’t afford their own. I got her school’s share in the trunk.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“Just trying to keep my daughter’s friends safe.”
Once he parked, he took the box out of his crowded trunk, and she walked with him into the building.
The principal was a woman named Randall. Eve guessed she was in her mid-forties. Tall, willowy, light-skinned. By her body language and smile, it was obvious that she found Palmer even more pleasing than the donated smoke detectors. He introduced Eve. After a cursory hello, Randall pretty much ignored her from that point on and went back to beaming at Palmer.
“Mind if I see Kia for a minute?” he asked Ms. Randall.
“Oh, of course not. I’ll call down. Just have a seat.” Then as if suddenly remembering Eve, “You too, Agent Dawson,” she said.
“It’s Clark, Ms. Randall.”
She waved off the blunder. “I’m sorry. Terrible with names.”
Eve decided to stand. “I’m fine. Thank you.”
While the principal made a call to his daughter’s room, Palmer and Eve shared a silent look that affected Eve much like it had back at the briefing earlier. A part of her wanted to drop the shield and let him in, but other parts were more skeptical. And she wasn’t sure which side held her vote. He was certainly gorgeous and seemed to accept her for who she was, and that, more than anything else, helped tip the scales in his favor.
A few minutes later, a little girl, sporting dreadlocks and who looked a lot like Palmer, entered the office. Upon seeing him, her face widened into a grin, and she squealed, “Daddy!”
He stood. She ran to him and he hugged her up. The happy scene touched Eve’s heart. She remembered running to her late dad in much the same way and being swept up into strong arms. It was one of the clearest memories she had of him, and she wondered if Kia knew how lucky she was.
“Did you bring the smoke detectors?” Kia asked him.
“Yep.”
She hugged him around the neck. “You’re awesome.”
He put her back on her feet, and when he did, she seemed to notice Eve for the first time. “Who’s she?”
“This is Agent Clark. ATF.”
“Nice to meet you, Kia,” Eve said.
“Nice to meet you, too. You look real fierce in those sunglasses and your gear.”
Eve grinned. “Thanks.”
Kia said to Palmer, “Daddy, next Halloween I don’t want to be Mae Jemison again. I want to be ATF.”
He looked over at Eve and laughed. “Okay.”
Eve smiled. “I’ll send your dad a hat. How’s that?”
“That would be really nice.”
Everyone seemed to be having a great time except for Principal Randall. She had a smile plastered on her face, but there were no smiles in the dark look she shot Eve before turning to Kia. “Kia, you should get back to class now.”
“Okay,” she replied, still checking out Eve.
Her dad said, “Give me another hug before you go.”
They shared a short, intense hug, and it was easy for Eve to see how much they loved each other.
“You coming to get me Saturday so we can go to the Science Museum?”
“Gonna do my best.”
“Okay. Nice meeting you, Agent Clark.”
“Same here, Kia. I won’t forget the hat.”
“Thank you.”
A second later she was gone, and although Ms. Randall tried to get Palmer to stay a bit longer by asking about the big fire at Morgan Foods that was all over the local news and in the papers, he politely declined to comment and said goodbye.
Once they were in the car and rolling again, she said, “I like your daughter. Anybody who wants to be ATF for Halloween is all right with me.”
“She’s something. She’ll probably make me buy her shades like yours just as soon as she gets in the car on Saturday.”
“I’m impressed she was dressed like Mae Jemison.”
He shook his head in amusement. “The Charles H. Wright African-American museum had Mae Jemison’s space suit on display. Kia made me take her downtown to see it so many times I had to get us a family membership. Angie and Oliver use it when I can’t take her. The Wright and the Science Museum next door are her favorite places. If they’d let her move in, she would.”
“It’s easy to see you two have a good relationship.”
“I’d give my life for her. You and your dad get along?”
Eve turned away to watch the city roll by. “Lost him and my mom to arson when I was seven.”
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.
“Thanks. That’s something you don’t ever get over, I think. Probably the reason I’m in law enforcement.”
“Where’d you start out?”
“San Diego. Moved there after college. It was a combined force so I was a street cop first, then got certified to ride an engine. When ATF needed some women to do undercover, I applied. My dad was a firefighter, too.”
“So was mine.”
“Here in the city?”
“No. Dallas. He and my mom divorced when my brother and I were small. She moved us here when I was four.”
“Who’s the oldest?”
“I am by three years. He’s a firefighter, too.”
“Runs in the family, huh?”
“Guess so.”
“Lots of cops and firefighters in my family, too.”
“Based here?”
“Some yes.”
“Give me names. Maybe I’ll know one.”
So she did, and when she got to her cousin Victor, he turned to her with surprise. “I know Vic Reed. He’s in the same engine house as my brother. That’s your cousin?”
“Yep.”
“Wow. Small world.”
“Yes it is.” She didn’t know why that made her smile inside, but it did. He knew her family and his family knew hers.
“Do you have any siblings?”
“Nope. Only child, but my uncle and aunt who raised me have a daughter. She’s a year older so we may as well be sisters.” Thinking about Shelly made her remember that she hadn’t had a chance to call and tell her how the Halloween party turned out. As if cued, the centurion floated across her mind and she pushed him away.
“Was the arsonist who set the fire ever found?”
“No.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah.”
Leyton could feel his heart opening to this complicated woman and not just because he felt sorry for her loss, but because of how damn impressive he found her to be—beauty, brawn and brains. Cop. Firefighter. Undercover. A man would have to be crazy to be turned off by such a powerful combination, but apparently at least one man in her past had been. “So, where do you want to eat?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“I’m a Coney fiend, so how about the place we went to yesterday? We sit inside and eat this time, though.”
“Why?”
“Just to power down a minute.”
“Okay.”
She held his gaze for a moment longer than necessary before looking away, and he wondered if she was feeling whatever this was, too. It was subtle and new, but it was there, sprouting like the first green seedling of spring, and he had no idea what to do with it. “You ready?”
She nodded and they got out.
Because their stop at the Coney Island yesterday had been so brief, Eve hadn’t paid much attention to the clientele, but this time as she and Palmer got their orders and claimed a small table by the window, she did. “Is this a cop joint?” she asked as she bit into
one of the best corned beef sandwiches she’d had in ages. Uniforms and plainclothes personnel filled the small interior. The music was old-school Motown.
“Yeah. The owner’s a former county sheriff. When she retired ten years ago, she opened this place.
“Corned beef is fabulous.”
He smiled at her from his seat on the other side of the table. “What else do you like?”
“Sports. Blueberries. You.”
He stilled. “Really?”
She wiped her mouth with a napkin and then shrugged. “Yeah, I do. No drama does a girl good.”
“So how am I supposed to take that?”
Again, she shrugged. “No idea. Just thought I’d be up front.”
Leyton studied her.
“What?” she asked, smiling over her sandwich.
He shook his head. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Good. Sometimes the unexpected works best.” That said she slipped off her shades, set them on the table and met his eyes.
Leyton was struck dumb. From the curve of her perfectly arched brows to the full sweep of her lips, she was stunning. “Wow.”
Amusement curved her lips, and she put the dark glasses back on. “Now, you know.”
Yeah, he did and understood. No woman with her face should be slogging through burned-out buildings looking for flash points or chasing perps. She’d probably been beating off her male colleagues with sticks for years. Beauty like hers was more commonly showcased on the covers of magazines or on the arm of some celebrity. Damn! He had no idea what he’d done to deserve having two drop-dead gorgeous women show up in his life the way they had that week, but he’d take it, no questions asked. “So, do you kill me now?”
She chuckled. “Your Coney’s getting cold.”
Grinning, Leyton went back to his food.
CHAPTER 6
On the ride back downtown, Eve wondered if she’d done the right thing by revealing herself to Palmer the way she had, but she instantly tossed out the second thoughts. It wasn’t as if they were in high school. They were both grown and unattached. Her night with the centurion had reminded her just how long it had been since she’d enjoyed male companionship, and it wasn’t just because of the off-the-chain sex. They’d had a nice evening. His helmeted face shimmered across her mind’s eye. As much as she wanted to, she doubted she’d ever know his true identity or see him again. And because of that, he would always remain her private fantasy, but she had to live in the real world, and Leyton Palmer represented that. When he had walked into the meeting the first day wearing his cowboy boots and long leather coat, she hadn’t expected to be attracted to him but she was. The old Eve would never have opened up to a man she’d known a total of two days, so the only thing she could attribute it to was the interlude with the centurion. Dressed up as the goddess Oya, she’d taken a walk on the wild side and now her alter ego seemed to be whispering to her to let go and enjoy life. Although Eve was a risk-taker in her profession, she was a lot more cautious when it came to her private life. With her losing record, it was justified. There was no guarantee Palmer would be any different, but the Oya inside was willing to explore the possibility that he could be.