break the ice. You’re always so reserved.” He winked. “Can I come?”
“I don’t think there’s room for you in my luggage, Rodríguez, but nice try.”
He dropped into step beside her as she turned to return to the floor she’d just left. “Hey, you might need an interpreter.”
She stopped and looked at him. “Now that is not a bad idea.”
“Just sayin’, call me if you get into trouble. I still speak the lingo.” He was suddenly serious, the smooth naturally tanned face no longer smiling. “I opened George Martin’s file. Nasty way to die. The guy carved him up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”
“Yeah.” Just thinking of the gruesome murder gave Charlie chills. “Why are you poking around in there?”
“You’re my partner, it’s one of the cases you’ve worked on for several months and it’s one of the few you haven’t solved. Thought perhaps you could use some fresh eyes on it.”
She chucked him on the arm with a light tap of her fist. “Thanks. We’ll do that together when I get back. Deal?” She held out her hand for him to shake.
She hid a smile as his face broke into a wide, warm grin. She could tell he was thrilled she’d finally accepted that he might be the guy who had her back in a fight.
“You got it,” he said.
“Oh, and Julio?”
“Yeah?”
“A friend is supposed to send me some candid shots she took with her camera phone. A couple of guys were following me yesterday. Well, maybe not just me. Anyway, when I get them, okay if I forward them to you if she got the tag so you can run it for me?”
Now his chest swelled. She chuckled. The guy was growing on her. Maybe he wouldn’t make such a bad partner after all.
Seth was waiting for her at the airport, cups of coffee from a specialty shop in each hand. It was his attire that intrigued her, though, and the sight of him in the jeans and a nice pullover sweater made her heart skip a beat.
He waited for her to clear the checkpoint and sat beside her while she slipped her shoes back on.
Charlie was glad she’d taken a tip from Rodríguez and worn dark glasses. The shades hid her expression, so she knew Seth couldn’t see that she watched him assess her figure. She knew she looked good in the outfit she’d chosen, a soft pink bolero tee paired with heather-gray slacks and matching jacket. The only flair items she added were a pair of black pumps with coordinating shoulder bag and trench coat, should she need it.
“You look nice,” he said, giving a brief nod of his head.
Charlie hoped she wasn’t beaming as she thanked him. “I was going for a look that said ‘I’m not really a cop but don’t mess with me.’”
“Don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” he said, his voice hinting of laughter. When she puckered her forehead with a perplexed frown, he indicated the holster and Glock 30 strapped across her chest beneath the jacket she’d put back on once she was out of the line.
Charlie laughed. “Well, I suppose that helps boost my tough-chick meter up a notch or two. Can’t get on the plane without showing it, and I’m not getting off the plane without having it on my person.”
“Sure.” He walked beside her down the hall to their gate. “Thought maybe you could use the coffee,” he said. “We have about a thirty-minute wait before we board.”
“Oh, yes.” She accepted the drink. “Thanks. I didn’t have time for breakfast this morning, and I’m not a happy camper without my caffeine.”
“Want something to eat?” he asked. “We have time.”
She shook her head. “Can’t fly with food in my stomach, but thanks anyway. Maybe when we arrive. Can you recommend any place once we’re there? I’ve never been to the coast.”
He looked as if he was about to say something then changed his mind. Finally, he quit walking. “You know, that question off the cuff like that… I started to say the name of a restaurant, and my mind went blank. But for a moment…for just a
“I don’t think there’s room for you in my luggage, Rodríguez, but nice try.”
He dropped into step beside her as she turned to return to the floor she’d just left. “Hey, you might need an interpreter.”
She stopped and looked at him. “Now that is not a bad idea.”
“Just sayin’, call me if you get into trouble. I still speak the lingo.” He was suddenly serious, the smooth naturally tanned face no longer smiling. “I opened George Martin’s file. Nasty way to die. The guy carved him up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”
“Yeah.” Just thinking of the gruesome murder gave Charlie chills. “Why are you poking around in there?”
“You’re my partner, it’s one of the cases you’ve worked on for several months and it’s one of the few you haven’t solved. Thought perhaps you could use some fresh eyes on it.”
She chucked him on the arm with a light tap of her fist. “Thanks. We’ll do that together when I get back. Deal?” She held out her hand for him to shake.
She hid a smile as his face broke into a wide, warm grin. She could tell he was thrilled she’d finally accepted that he might be the guy who had her back in a fight.
“You got it,” he said.
“Oh, and Julio?”
“Yeah?”
“A friend is supposed to send me some candid shots she took with her camera phone. A couple of guys were following me yesterday. Well, maybe not just me. Anyway, when I get them, okay if I forward them to you if she got the tag so you can run it for me?”
Now his chest swelled. She chuckled. The guy was growing on her. Maybe he wouldn’t make such a bad partner after all.
Seth was waiting for her at the airport, cups of coffee from a specialty shop in each hand. It was his attire that intrigued her, though, and the sight of him in the jeans and a nice pullover sweater made her heart skip a beat.
He waited for her to clear the checkpoint and sat beside her while she slipped her shoes back on.
Charlie was glad she’d taken a tip from Rodríguez and worn dark glasses. The shades hid her expression, so she knew Seth couldn’t see that she watched him assess her figure. She knew she looked good in the outfit she’d chosen, a soft pink bolero tee paired with heather-gray slacks and matching jacket. The only flair items she added were a pair of black pumps with coordinating shoulder bag and trench coat, should she need it.
“You look nice,” he said, giving a brief nod of his head.
Charlie hoped she wasn’t beaming as she thanked him. “I was going for a look that said ‘I’m not really a cop but don’t mess with me.’”
“Don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” he said, his voice hinting of laughter. When she puckered her forehead with a perplexed frown, he indicated the holster and Glock 30 strapped across her chest beneath the jacket she’d put back on once she was out of the line.
Charlie laughed. “Well, I suppose that helps boost my tough-chick meter up a notch or two. Can’t get on the plane without showing it, and I’m not getting off the plane without having it on my person.”
“Sure.” He walked beside her down the hall to their gate. “Thought maybe you could use the coffee,” he said. “We have about a thirty-minute wait before we board.”
“Oh, yes.” She accepted the drink. “Thanks. I didn’t have time for breakfast this morning, and I’m not a happy camper without my caffeine.”
“Want something to eat?” he asked. “We have time.”
She shook her head. “Can’t fly with food in my stomach, but thanks anyway. Maybe when we arrive. Can you recommend any place once we’re there? I’ve never been to the coast.”
He looked as if he was about to say something then changed his mind. Finally, he quit walking. “You know, that question off the cuff like that… I started to say the name of a restaurant, and my mind went blank. But for a moment…for just a
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