Read Online Assassins Bite by Mary Hughes - Free Book Online Page B

of Nosferatu’s hell.
    And, at one time, Eloise.
    But that answered his question about Sunny, didn’t it? His need for her…his desire for her, was just great sex. It had to be.
    I scuttled double-quick behind Dirk as my brother led me to the office Elena and I had used after Blackthorne broke the infirmary door.
    It wasn’t empty this time. Behind the tombstone nameplate sat a chunky forty-something of a man, his head both pumpkin round and pumpkin orange, courtesy of knockoff hair-in-a-can spray.
    Still, he was my superior officer. I snapped a salute. “Officer Sun-Hee Ruffles, reporting for duty, Captain Tight—” I almost pronounced it Tight-Ass. Blame my family, Uncle John this time. Talking about the captain, he’d call him that. Then he’d wink and say, “Though he prefers Tit-Us. Not much better, if you ask me.”
    A last minute heroic twist of my tongue turned it into “Tite-us”. To cover, I smiled inanely, pretending I wasn’t being intentionally insulting, only a Ruffles.
    Titus scowled. “About damned time. What were you doing so long in the bathroom, putting on your damned makeup?” Uncle John also said Tight-Ass’s voice went higher when he got stressed. The captain wasn’t quite soprano but I was in trouble.
    â€œSir, I can explain.” I couldn’t, actually, but I would certainly try.
    â€œNo excuses.” Tight-Ass slapped the desk. “I didn’t want to hire you. My budget isn’t a slush fund! But O’Rourkes carry some damned pull.” He rubbed his arm through his coat sleeve.
    Uncle John said Tight-Ass had been a bully as a kid. He’d shoved around Elena’s father but one day Patrick O’Rourke shoved back—and broke Tight-Ass’s arm. Apparently the memory still chafed.
    â€œYes sir. No excuses.”
    He stopped jacking off his sleeve to stab a finger at me. “Let’s get one thing straight. I do not tolerate goofing off.” He said “goofing off” like it was worse than murder. “No one on my team goofs off.”
    â€œNo sir.”
    â€œIf I catch you, you will be disciplined. Harshly. Removal of gun, badge, etcetera, is the least of your punishments. Do you understand, Officer Ruffles?”
    â€œYes sir!” I saluted so smartly I managed to put a dent in my forehead. I suddenly understood my brother better.
    Tight-Ass rubbed his sleeve absently. “O’Rourke—I mean, Strongwell brought you in as a beat cop. But I have another job for you. Sub-rosette, as is were.”
    â€œSub rosa, yes sir. I know about keeping an eye on—the subject.” I winked.
    â€œYou do?” He harrumphed. “Of course you do. And why shouldn’t you? She’s been acting strangely.”
    â€œ She , sir? I mean, yes sir. She.”
    But he was muttering to himself, cranking his fist along his forearm. “I understand her keeping an eye on Nieman’s new owner—that woman and her hotpants lederhosen creep me out—but why is she so interested in Redfox Village? And what has she got going in some tiny burg in northern Wisconsin? She’s made fifteen calls there last week alone.”
    â€œUh…Detective Strongwell, sir?”
    His eyes focused on me and he stopped cranking. “Well of course Strongwell! Who else would I mean but Strongwell? Watch her, Ruffles. And keep your nose clean. No more goofing off, got it?”
    â€œI wasn’t—”
    â€œNo back chat!” He trilled at me like a stressed piccolo. “You’re dismissed.”
    Aiden Blackthorne, having firmly decided that his interest in Sunny was just sexual, rose from the steps of the police station. He generally didn’t lie to himself but if he stopped to figure this out, he had a feeling he’d be locked in thought for a while.
    As he walked, he remembered something that bothered him. Sunny’s memory hadn’t been wiped,