completing her thought.
The detective swallowed hard. “Well, Ms. Adams, frankly, yes, I am.”
“Why don’t you call me Ari?”
“Okay,” Molly replied, relief sweeping through her. “Did you learn anything from your visit?”
“Not really,” Molly sighed, almost grateful that someone was interested. Bouncing ideas off Andre was like hitting a wall of cotton. He just wasn’t good at it. “I did determine that at least two of the partners are slimier than Thorndike. I’m surprised he was the one who was killed.” Molly shifted her large frame in the chair. She’d been sitting in it for three hours reading reports and statements. Her ass was killing her. “What about you? Any luck?”
“Possibly.”
“I thought you were shopping?” Molly teased.
Ari laughed and Molly joined her. “Okay, you caught me,” she admitted.
“Well, tell me!” Molly exclaimed. “Solve this case for me, and I’ll be yours for life.” She sucked in her breath, amazed that the words had come from her mouth. She reached out to grab them, but they’d already sailed over the phone line.
“That’s quite a proposition.”
Molly nearly dropped the phone. Was Ari flirting with her? “Uh, well . . .”
“Don’t worry, detective, I won’t hold you to that.” Ari relayed her suspicion about the pictures. “Hopefully, whatever it means will come to me. I know it’s important.”
Molly frowned, partly out of pride that she might have missed a clue, and partly at Ari’s involvement. “You have to promise me something, Ari. If Bob Watson contacts you, promise me that you’ll call.”
“I haven’t heard from him,” she insisted adamantly.
“Just promise me. We’ve tailed Lily for the past two days and gotten zilch. The captain’s calling off the detectives assigned to her. I’m convinced she doesn’t know where he is, but somebody must. He has to have help. His picture is all over the news. Somebody would have seen him by now.” Molly ran a hand through her curls and leaned back in her chair. “I’m sure he’s called a friend. If he calls you—”
“I’ll call you,” Ari interjected. “I promise. Is there anything else, detective?”
Molly searched for a reason, any reason, to keep Ari on the line. She just loved the sound of her voice—so comforting and calm. After listening to men bark and belch and make other disgusting sounds all day, Ari’s chuckle was welcomed. Unable to think of any pressing matter to discuss, she simply said, “Uh, no. I hope I didn’t call too late. If I did, I’m sorry again.”
“It’s okay. I was just outside on my balcony.”
Molly pictured Ari staring out into the city lights. “Sounds nice. I’m just finishing up work.”
Ari took an audible breath. “If you’re not too tired, why don’t you join me? I could make us some tea and put on some jazz.”
The offer hung in the air for a few brief seconds. Molly couldn’t help but balk initially. It was her nature. “I’m not very presentable, and to be quite honest, I probably could use a shower.”
Ari chuckled again. “I’ll take my chances.” Another awkward pause passed before she added, “I’d really like to see you.”
Molly heard herself accept the invitation, perhaps a little too quickly, and was out the door with Ari’s directions before she could change her mind.
Soft jazz seeped into the hallway and Molly hesitated. Why was she here? Absolutely exhausted, caught in the middle of an investigation, she should have been at home in her bed, yet here she was about to knock on a woman’s door for some sort of pseudo-date at nine o’clock at night. The music reached a crescendo, nudging Molly forward.
At the sight of Ari, Molly knew she’d made the right decision. The business clothes had been shed in favor of shorts and a T- shirt, and Ari’s long black hair fell freely over her shoulders and rested against her breasts.
“Come on in,” Ari said, motioning to the couch as she headed
The detective swallowed hard. “Well, Ms. Adams, frankly, yes, I am.”
“Why don’t you call me Ari?”
“Okay,” Molly replied, relief sweeping through her. “Did you learn anything from your visit?”
“Not really,” Molly sighed, almost grateful that someone was interested. Bouncing ideas off Andre was like hitting a wall of cotton. He just wasn’t good at it. “I did determine that at least two of the partners are slimier than Thorndike. I’m surprised he was the one who was killed.” Molly shifted her large frame in the chair. She’d been sitting in it for three hours reading reports and statements. Her ass was killing her. “What about you? Any luck?”
“Possibly.”
“I thought you were shopping?” Molly teased.
Ari laughed and Molly joined her. “Okay, you caught me,” she admitted.
“Well, tell me!” Molly exclaimed. “Solve this case for me, and I’ll be yours for life.” She sucked in her breath, amazed that the words had come from her mouth. She reached out to grab them, but they’d already sailed over the phone line.
“That’s quite a proposition.”
Molly nearly dropped the phone. Was Ari flirting with her? “Uh, well . . .”
“Don’t worry, detective, I won’t hold you to that.” Ari relayed her suspicion about the pictures. “Hopefully, whatever it means will come to me. I know it’s important.”
Molly frowned, partly out of pride that she might have missed a clue, and partly at Ari’s involvement. “You have to promise me something, Ari. If Bob Watson contacts you, promise me that you’ll call.”
“I haven’t heard from him,” she insisted adamantly.
“Just promise me. We’ve tailed Lily for the past two days and gotten zilch. The captain’s calling off the detectives assigned to her. I’m convinced she doesn’t know where he is, but somebody must. He has to have help. His picture is all over the news. Somebody would have seen him by now.” Molly ran a hand through her curls and leaned back in her chair. “I’m sure he’s called a friend. If he calls you—”
“I’ll call you,” Ari interjected. “I promise. Is there anything else, detective?”
Molly searched for a reason, any reason, to keep Ari on the line. She just loved the sound of her voice—so comforting and calm. After listening to men bark and belch and make other disgusting sounds all day, Ari’s chuckle was welcomed. Unable to think of any pressing matter to discuss, she simply said, “Uh, no. I hope I didn’t call too late. If I did, I’m sorry again.”
“It’s okay. I was just outside on my balcony.”
Molly pictured Ari staring out into the city lights. “Sounds nice. I’m just finishing up work.”
Ari took an audible breath. “If you’re not too tired, why don’t you join me? I could make us some tea and put on some jazz.”
The offer hung in the air for a few brief seconds. Molly couldn’t help but balk initially. It was her nature. “I’m not very presentable, and to be quite honest, I probably could use a shower.”
Ari chuckled again. “I’ll take my chances.” Another awkward pause passed before she added, “I’d really like to see you.”
Molly heard herself accept the invitation, perhaps a little too quickly, and was out the door with Ari’s directions before she could change her mind.
Soft jazz seeped into the hallway and Molly hesitated. Why was she here? Absolutely exhausted, caught in the middle of an investigation, she should have been at home in her bed, yet here she was about to knock on a woman’s door for some sort of pseudo-date at nine o’clock at night. The music reached a crescendo, nudging Molly forward.
At the sight of Ari, Molly knew she’d made the right decision. The business clothes had been shed in favor of shorts and a T- shirt, and Ari’s long black hair fell freely over her shoulders and rested against her breasts.
“Come on in,” Ari said, motioning to the couch as she headed
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