Read Online Undercover Lover by Jamie K. Schmidt - Free Book Online

right? That was my life. She eventually OD’d. I wanted to kill the dealer. Nikolai wouldn’t let me.”
    “Did Nikolai have someone do it for you?”
    Drake twisted a grin. “Is that what he told you?”
    “He didn’t cop to murder or anything like that when he talked to me.” Pam laughed nervously. “Why is everyone so sure that after sixty years of keeping his mouth shut, Nikolai suddenly decided to confess everything to me?”
    “Blame the Sopranos .”
    Pam shook her head. “He was a nice man with bad knees.”
    “Did he go to you for psychological therapy or just the Reiki?”
    “The lines get muddled sometimes. I know he’s dead and it might not matter to him anymore, but our sessions were private. I’ll keep his secrets.”
    “Will you die for them?”
    “They weren’t worth dying for—or killing for, either.”
    “Just make sure Oksana knows that,” Drake said. “Vadim and her boys are planning to sue you for assault.”
    “Me?” Pam changed her mind and took another large sip of vodka. “That’s ridiculous.”
    “I guess they didn’t know Ralph’s name. Do you think you can get him to testify what really happened?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t know. Why should he get involved? The less these goons know about him, the better. Besides, I can contact my lawyer and claim self defense. They have criminal records, or at least criminal backgrounds. I’m not worried.”
    “You should be,” he said. “I don’t think they were planning on having this go to trial. They might use this as leverage to get you to drop the charges, or worse, beat you up in an alley.”
    “They have no reason to hurt me. Oksana and I settled it. She was worried Nikolai was spilling Russian Cold War secrets or something.”
    “Was he?”
    Pam eyed her drink. How was her glass empty? “He reminisced. He wasn’t always a law-abiding citizen, as I’m sure you’re aware. I would imagine the statute of limitations have passed on some of the petty crimes. It wouldn’t do any good to air them now. Oksana agreed.”
    “Was that all?”
    She bit her lip. “Do you think Nikolai was killed because they thought he was talking to me?”
    “I don’t know. I’m not buying the ‘gang members looking to score drug money’ angle that the newscasters are trying to shove down our throats. If that was the case, they would have broken in when he was with you or here. No, they planned it so they could talk to him.”
    “That’s all I can think of. Part of me thinks there’s this grand conspiracy that Oksana is willing to kill for, but the less dramatic part thinks it’s just Oksana letting her guilty conscious get to her in her old age.”
    Drake gasped mockingly. “Meow. I noticed there was a little friction between the two of you.”
    “She and I have a love-hate relationship. As long as I stay away from Stefan, she loves me. If Stefan and I start dating, she hates me.”
    “I don’t get it. You’re beautiful, accomplished, smart…” Drake trailed off.
    “No, please go on, Detective. It’s not often that handsome men compliment me.”
    “Well, now that we’ve gotten it out of the way that we think each other is sexy, are you seeing someone?”
    Pam shook her head. “Nope. You?”
    Drake shook his head. “I wasn’t planning on picking up a chick at my godfather’s funeral, but it’s looking pretty good.”
    Pam clinked glasses with him. “Good luck with that.”
    “Think I’ll need it?”
    “Not if you keep pouring this stuff. Seriously, it’s wonderful.”
    “It should be, at what they charge for it,” Drake said, looking at the label. “So you and Stefan aren’t looking to rekindle your high school love affair?”
    “He’s a state away. New York to Connecticut might not be that far away for a real long-distance relationship, but our schedules don’t gel. It’s too complicated.”
    “I like complicated. A cop’s life is complicated. “
    “My life was pretty easy until recently. My