obscured her eyes, which were truly lovely. In fact, she was almost pretty, but he got the strange feeling that she didn’t want anyone to recognize that.
“No, you can’t,” responded Lea defiantly. “Since you’ve indicated the original records are missing and I possess the only remaining records regarding the Ashley Peebles’ murder, it’s apparent that the Monroe City Police Department should now deal directly with me.”
Nick Thayne had not expected this. “I’m just asking for a simple favor,” he said in his most charming tone. It rarely failed to work on an attractive woman, though this one seemed determined not to warrant a second glance. “I thought as one P.I. to another, we could help each other out.”
“We’re not one P.I. to another,” stated Lea Fox sharply. “You don’t even live in this town, so I needn’t deal with you. Where’s Roger Chung?”
Nick noticed that Lea Fox’s teeth were small and straight and even, but for all the mildness of her tone, he recognized them for what they were really were; retractable canines.
“Roger’s in the hospital. Appendicitis. I’m filling in while he recovers. So, I’m asking you, as the Monroe Police Department’s substitute investigator, to share the documents with me. I know your father Jeremy worked long and hard on this case, and I need his insights.”
“My father’s dead,” stated Lea abruptly.
“I recognize that,” returned Nick as evenly as possible, “but because of the similarities between the Mayor’s case and the Peebles girl, I would like to go over those documents, and my suspicions have been doubly aroused since they’re now missing from County Records.”
Lea Fox rose to her full 5’2” height and stared Nick Thayne straight in the eye. “And just what makes you think I’d share them with you? I know your reputation and barely disguised male chauvinism glossed over by your oh-so-delectable charm. I’ve read all about your escapades in the papers and heard your smugly disarming voice on Juniper Cox’s radio show. I believe a recent spellbinding segment covered how you located her long-lost father, who just happened to be a multi-millionaire living in luxury down in Costa Rica, though God knows where you got that information. You’re just an ex-hotshot police detective with a rich daddy and a Stanford education, and now you’ve been contracted out by the Monroe Police Department on special assignment. I’m smart enough to know what that translates into. You’re just one of the good ole boys. Why didn’t Chief Rollins come to me himself, as if I didn’t know?”
Nick bristled at her tone. “Maybe he knows my reputation and trusts Roger’s referral. After all, I worked on the San Francisco City Police Force for over four years before starting my own P.I. firm. I get the job done.”
“Ah, that must be it. So, he turns to you, a relative stranger, even while knowing that three generations of Foxes have lived in the area for over forty years. As a matter of fact, no one understood the ins and the outs of the Peebles’ case better than my father and brother. Now that I’ve studied their notes, I’m quite as expert as they were.” She crossed her arms defiantly.
Nick, sick of fighting, settled himself more comfortably into the stiff wooden chair and stretched out his long, gray-clad legs before responding.
“Do you know what I think, Lea Fox? I think you’ve got a first class chip on your shoulder, lady, just because Roger Chung suggested my name to the Chief instead of yours. Come on, we’re both in the same profession and need to help each other out. Haven’t you learned the first rule of the brotherhood?”
“You said it,” hissed Lea. “ Brothers -in-arms; the little lady can just be classified as one of the secretarial staff.”
Nick had the grace to redden slightly. He ran a lean hand through his dark, well-styled hair. “I am sorry, Ms. Fox. That was an unfortunate mistake; one I
“No, you can’t,” responded Lea defiantly. “Since you’ve indicated the original records are missing and I possess the only remaining records regarding the Ashley Peebles’ murder, it’s apparent that the Monroe City Police Department should now deal directly with me.”
Nick Thayne had not expected this. “I’m just asking for a simple favor,” he said in his most charming tone. It rarely failed to work on an attractive woman, though this one seemed determined not to warrant a second glance. “I thought as one P.I. to another, we could help each other out.”
“We’re not one P.I. to another,” stated Lea Fox sharply. “You don’t even live in this town, so I needn’t deal with you. Where’s Roger Chung?”
Nick noticed that Lea Fox’s teeth were small and straight and even, but for all the mildness of her tone, he recognized them for what they were really were; retractable canines.
“Roger’s in the hospital. Appendicitis. I’m filling in while he recovers. So, I’m asking you, as the Monroe Police Department’s substitute investigator, to share the documents with me. I know your father Jeremy worked long and hard on this case, and I need his insights.”
“My father’s dead,” stated Lea abruptly.
“I recognize that,” returned Nick as evenly as possible, “but because of the similarities between the Mayor’s case and the Peebles girl, I would like to go over those documents, and my suspicions have been doubly aroused since they’re now missing from County Records.”
Lea Fox rose to her full 5’2” height and stared Nick Thayne straight in the eye. “And just what makes you think I’d share them with you? I know your reputation and barely disguised male chauvinism glossed over by your oh-so-delectable charm. I’ve read all about your escapades in the papers and heard your smugly disarming voice on Juniper Cox’s radio show. I believe a recent spellbinding segment covered how you located her long-lost father, who just happened to be a multi-millionaire living in luxury down in Costa Rica, though God knows where you got that information. You’re just an ex-hotshot police detective with a rich daddy and a Stanford education, and now you’ve been contracted out by the Monroe Police Department on special assignment. I’m smart enough to know what that translates into. You’re just one of the good ole boys. Why didn’t Chief Rollins come to me himself, as if I didn’t know?”
Nick bristled at her tone. “Maybe he knows my reputation and trusts Roger’s referral. After all, I worked on the San Francisco City Police Force for over four years before starting my own P.I. firm. I get the job done.”
“Ah, that must be it. So, he turns to you, a relative stranger, even while knowing that three generations of Foxes have lived in the area for over forty years. As a matter of fact, no one understood the ins and the outs of the Peebles’ case better than my father and brother. Now that I’ve studied their notes, I’m quite as expert as they were.” She crossed her arms defiantly.
Nick, sick of fighting, settled himself more comfortably into the stiff wooden chair and stretched out his long, gray-clad legs before responding.
“Do you know what I think, Lea Fox? I think you’ve got a first class chip on your shoulder, lady, just because Roger Chung suggested my name to the Chief instead of yours. Come on, we’re both in the same profession and need to help each other out. Haven’t you learned the first rule of the brotherhood?”
“You said it,” hissed Lea. “ Brothers -in-arms; the little lady can just be classified as one of the secretarial staff.”
Nick had the grace to redden slightly. He ran a lean hand through his dark, well-styled hair. “I am sorry, Ms. Fox. That was an unfortunate mistake; one I
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