Read Online Keller County Cops Book Seven: Code of Vengeance by Melanie Atkins - Free Book Online
Authors: Melanie Atkins
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testimony. No sense for Rick to hang around, though. Mitch always handled himself like a pro. Might as well take a look at that video.
Rick leaned over and told the detective he was leaving before getting up and slipping from the courtroom. The same woman he'd held the door open for earlier stood just outside, a perplexed frown on her pretty oval face, and he bumped right into her even though he attempted to twist away.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, stumbling back a step and bumping his knee with her satchel. Her sweet lilac scent enveloped him.
He caught her arm to steady her. "Sorry, ma'am. Are you all right?"
"Yes, I-I think so." Her coffee-colored eyes were wide and luminous. She put her hand on the wall to steady herself, shrugged him off, and backed away. "Again, I'm sorry. I seem to keep getting in your way today."
"Believe me, it's not a problem." He tipped up the corners of his mouth. "I never mind running into a beautiful woman."
"Who, me?" Her cheeks flushed crimson. "No, I--"
"Are you here on behalf of the defense or the prosecution?"
"Both, actually." She smiled, then apparently caught herself and let the grin fade. "I'm the court artist, and I really need to get back in there. I'm late."
"Well, in that case, sorry to hold you up. You take care, ma'am."
"Likewise, Sheriff." She jerked her gaze away and gnawed at her lip. Without another word, she shot him one last breathless look, wheeled, and disappeared into the courtroom.
Rick stood in the hallway, drinking in the delicious scent she'd left in her wake until he realized what he was doing and kicked himself into gear. Are you out of your damned mind? She's way too young for you. Probably already taken, too.
Still berating himself, he opened one of the double doors leading outside and hurried to his duty car, a shiny black Dodge Charger with the KCSO logo emblazoned on the side.
"Think about the case, you moron," he lectured himself as he started the car. "Now's not the time to get sidetracked by a beautiful woman. Even if you haven't had one in a while."
As he threw the car into gear, he gritted his teeth to offset the yawning hunger the court artist had reawakened within him. He really needed to get out more.
To get his mind back on the Woodward case, he turned on his Bluetooth and called Tiffany on the way to the station to ask where she'd stashed the surveillance video.
"It's on my computer," she said. "Their cameras are brand-new digital models. I'll text you my access code so you won't have to look it up. The file icon is on the desktop."
"Thanks, Deputy," he said, eager to reach her desk so he could get a look at that witness.
Tiffany asked him to hang on. "How'd Mitch do this morning? He wants that guy to fry."
"He did a great job. Abington asked him to hang around for a while in case he needs to recall him, but I doubt the session will run late. He should be done by four or so."
"I appreciate that, Sheriff. Let me know if you see anything I missed on that video."
"Will do." He ended the call and whipped the Charger onto Main Street.
Ten minutes later, he waved at Barbara as he bypassed her office en route to Tiffany's cluttered desk. He sat in her chair to watch the video and wished every business in town had new, upscale cameras like the Kitty Kat Klub did. He figured they'd invested in such nice digital equipment because they'd had trouble there before and feared he'd restart his campaign to shut them down if things got any worse. He grimaced. If only.
The figure Tiffany had told him about wasn't visible in the first video, but that particular camera had captured the murder. Anticipation thrummed through Rick's veins as he closed the file and opened the video from the second camera. Almost immediately, the murderer dashed across the parking lot and disappeared from the frame. Then a dark shadow across the road moved, back-pedaling away from the corner of the building nearest the parking lot. Back-pedaling fast, as if afraid
Rick leaned over and told the detective he was leaving before getting up and slipping from the courtroom. The same woman he'd held the door open for earlier stood just outside, a perplexed frown on her pretty oval face, and he bumped right into her even though he attempted to twist away.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, stumbling back a step and bumping his knee with her satchel. Her sweet lilac scent enveloped him.
He caught her arm to steady her. "Sorry, ma'am. Are you all right?"
"Yes, I-I think so." Her coffee-colored eyes were wide and luminous. She put her hand on the wall to steady herself, shrugged him off, and backed away. "Again, I'm sorry. I seem to keep getting in your way today."
"Believe me, it's not a problem." He tipped up the corners of his mouth. "I never mind running into a beautiful woman."
"Who, me?" Her cheeks flushed crimson. "No, I--"
"Are you here on behalf of the defense or the prosecution?"
"Both, actually." She smiled, then apparently caught herself and let the grin fade. "I'm the court artist, and I really need to get back in there. I'm late."
"Well, in that case, sorry to hold you up. You take care, ma'am."
"Likewise, Sheriff." She jerked her gaze away and gnawed at her lip. Without another word, she shot him one last breathless look, wheeled, and disappeared into the courtroom.
Rick stood in the hallway, drinking in the delicious scent she'd left in her wake until he realized what he was doing and kicked himself into gear. Are you out of your damned mind? She's way too young for you. Probably already taken, too.
Still berating himself, he opened one of the double doors leading outside and hurried to his duty car, a shiny black Dodge Charger with the KCSO logo emblazoned on the side.
"Think about the case, you moron," he lectured himself as he started the car. "Now's not the time to get sidetracked by a beautiful woman. Even if you haven't had one in a while."
As he threw the car into gear, he gritted his teeth to offset the yawning hunger the court artist had reawakened within him. He really needed to get out more.
To get his mind back on the Woodward case, he turned on his Bluetooth and called Tiffany on the way to the station to ask where she'd stashed the surveillance video.
"It's on my computer," she said. "Their cameras are brand-new digital models. I'll text you my access code so you won't have to look it up. The file icon is on the desktop."
"Thanks, Deputy," he said, eager to reach her desk so he could get a look at that witness.
Tiffany asked him to hang on. "How'd Mitch do this morning? He wants that guy to fry."
"He did a great job. Abington asked him to hang around for a while in case he needs to recall him, but I doubt the session will run late. He should be done by four or so."
"I appreciate that, Sheriff. Let me know if you see anything I missed on that video."
"Will do." He ended the call and whipped the Charger onto Main Street.
Ten minutes later, he waved at Barbara as he bypassed her office en route to Tiffany's cluttered desk. He sat in her chair to watch the video and wished every business in town had new, upscale cameras like the Kitty Kat Klub did. He figured they'd invested in such nice digital equipment because they'd had trouble there before and feared he'd restart his campaign to shut them down if things got any worse. He grimaced. If only.
The figure Tiffany had told him about wasn't visible in the first video, but that particular camera had captured the murder. Anticipation thrummed through Rick's veins as he closed the file and opened the video from the second camera. Almost immediately, the murderer dashed across the parking lot and disappeared from the frame. Then a dark shadow across the road moved, back-pedaling away from the corner of the building nearest the parking lot. Back-pedaling fast, as if afraid
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