Simply To Die For

Chapter 3

L APD

“Come on, Sergeant! There’s been a murder and you’ve got to give me something to report.” Jimmy hounded the disheveled man behind the chipped and stained counter, hoping he’d push him enough that he would spill something newsworthy. Most of all he needed ammunition against Cameron. The guy always had an angle, and it was never on the side of the angels. Was Cameron colluding on the frame up job someone was doing on Clar?

Jimmy needed something, anything, to give Clar when he talked to her. She may not appreciate his report on her, and she may very well verbally send him into the middle of next week, regardless, he wanted to ease her fears about Levi. “Basically, a massacre at a film studio and you guys are as tight lipped as a virgin at an orgy. People want to know what the hell happened, damn it!”

“There’s nothing that hasn’t already been said. Now if you’ll find your way out, I’ve got things to do.” The officer turned his back and stepped over to his desk, shuffling papers around, trying to look like he had something more important to do.

“Damn it! What the hell happened over there?” Jimmy stood his ground, unrelenting. They didn’t call him a pain in the ass newshound for nothing. He needed to know if Levi was dead or alive. Someone needed to tell Clar before she heard it on the news—and that someone should be him.

“I thought I made it perfectly clear you were to butt out and stay clear of this. Anymore lip out of you and you’ll be cooling your heels in a cell.”

“O’Brien—what the hell do you want?” Cameron slithered out of his office toward him, venom glistening in his cold eyes. So, the oily bastard was here all the time, he must have been laughing his ass off listening to Jimmy try to get something out of the cop.

“Sir,” the young cop said.

Cameron turned to look at a young officer nervously standing a few feet from him. “What?” he spat as if the man were nothing more than a spittoon.

“She’s here.” The officer lowered his voice, glancing toward the elevators.

Jimmy went stiff as a board and looked toward the elevator too. Everything that had been building in him seemed to go on point. The doors swooshed open and a redhead in jeans, shirt, and cowboy hat stepped out, and Jimmy let out the breath he’d been holding. No Clar, maybe she wasn’t coming. Even though he knew she was safer away from the scene, he was disappointed. Nevertheless, there was something about the redhead that caught his attention, especially when she turned to glare in his direction. Jimmy thought he caught the smell of horses and a “there’s a new sheriff in town” attitude as her scornful glare raked over him before stopping and deepening on Cameron. Okay, it seemed Clar had brought a posse of one and thank God for that.

The woman surveyed the area before moving aside for a full-figured, casually dressed thirty-something woman with dark spiked hair who stepped off the elevator with fire in her eyes and purpose in her step.

Clar!

He thought he’d been prepared, he wasn’t. His heart twisted, his senses sharpening, even after all this time. Their gazes locked as if she was a heat seeking missile and he her target. Jimmy’s heart raced as he shifted to ease the sudden pressure in his jeans. He’d know her anywhere, no matter how much she changed her appearance. Some things could never change, her essence, her spirit. She smiled just enough for him to become uncomfortable and he wondered what she was thinking about him. That he was a jerk for outing her on his program undoubtedly. How did she find out about the killings? Same as everyone else, stupid, through the news. However, she doesn’t know about the candy box. Oh shit, he had to warn her about the set up. “We need to talk, honey.”

“Don’t you dare honey me,” she scowled at him.

“Beat it, O’Brien, unless you want me to toss your useless ass in jail.” Cameron stepped in his way. “Can’t you see the lady doesn’t want you here?”

Cameron held out his hand. “Ms. Turner, thank you for coming so quickly. I’m sorry to have you fly half-way across the country like this. Please, step into my office, we’ve got a few questions regarding Levi Andres, and other things.”

“Where’s Levi?” Clar turned her gaze from Jimmy, and the electricity between them fizzled out. The sense of falling under a wave, drowning under the curl as it pounded, hit Jimmy. The woman was sexier now than she’d ever been on the screen. Healthier was the word floating through his mind. Natural woman. She still held power over him, a power he’d love nothing more than to harness one of these days. If ever they could stop sniping at each other. He was ready for a wild and crazy ride. Maybe when this was all over...

“Ms. Turner, please, let’s talk in my office.” The detective took Clar by the elbow, guiding her into his glass-encased office. Cameron looked at Jimmy through slitted eyes, then turned an unnatural smile on Clar. “It’s much more pleasant and you’ll be able to tell me what you know without any outside interference.”

***

C LAR YANKED HER ARM from Cameron’s grip. The untidy man’s intensity sent a shiver of warning through her. What had Jimmy been trying to warn her about? She looked back through the door to see Jimmy and Jacki talking. Jacki’s eyes were wide and she shot a glare at Cameron through the door. Oh shit. This couldn’t be good. Jacki had good instincts where bad guys were concerned. Yet it wasn’t Jimmy she was suspicious of by the expression on her face, it was the detective. Clar turned to focus on Cameron. What was he trying to pull? She didn’t like the hostile vibes coming off him from his wrinkled suit to the way he furrowed his eyes as if he were accusing her of doing something wrong. She didn’t want to talk to him. Didn’t want to be in this glass box he called an office with him. She needed to get to Levi.

Cameron pushed the door closed and turned to glower at her.

Clar watched him trying to figure out what he wanted. In the movies, this was where the evil theme music would come in, unfortunately, this was scary, real-life drama and she didn’t have the time for his theatrics.

Jacki shoved her way into the room, the door bumping against his back, making him grunt and move out of the way. “Sorry, but she’s not doing this alone.” The low Texas growl held a threat even Clar would heed.

She smiled. Jacki wasn’t the type of woman who would hesitate to tangle with Cameron, she’d put him flat on his back if necessary. Wrestling steers most of your life will do that to you...man or woman. She’d chased down the best of them in the LA criminal underbelly. One overzealous cop, with an obvious hidden agenda, wouldn’t deter her.

“Too bad, because it’s her I want to talk to, not a pretty cowgirl with horse shit on her boots.” Cameron pushed the door into Jacki and held it in position. “Now get the fuck out of here before I...”

“Here’s the deal, Detective, about that ‘pretty little cowgirl’. You let Jackson Wolfe stay in here or I walk.” Clar waited, enjoying the greasy detective squirm in his under-starched, high-waisted pants. She took a step toward the door where Jacki had a boot-clad foot jammed into it. “It’s totally up to you.”

Clar waited and began to count. One, two, three, four...what a sleaze bag...five, six, seven...does he have a connection to Dylan...eight, nine, ten...son-of-a-bitch! She smiled, batted her eyes, and then looked Cameron square in the face. “This has been your decision, not mine. There’s someone lying in a hospital bed that needs me, obviously you’ve decided you don’t, seeing that you’re into playing games. So, unless you are going to arrest me and throw me in jail, I’m leaving.”

“That’s a thought, Ms. Turner.” Cameron held the door fast against the boot wedged in it. “I think I could arrange it if you insist. Maybe you’d like to share a cell with your boyfriend out there.” His sick grin turned her stomach. “Where were you between six and nine a.m.?”

She stared at him in shock. Was he accusing her of hurting Levi and the others? “At home making chocolates,” she said.

“Like these,” he said, pulling an evidence bag out of a shelf and putting it on his desk along with blood spattered candy wrappers.

She gulped looking down at her signature black and pink striped candy box, the handwritten candy wrappers done by yours truly. Impossible her mind screamed seeing the blood spatter on them. Gagging, she turned away sure she was going to barf all over the sleazebag. But then he had it coming.

Through the window she saw Jimmy take one look at her no doubt bloodless face, swear, and push off from the wall. He looked at the candy box a grim recognition in his eyes. He knew about this, had been trying to warn her, that is why Cameron had threatened him with jail. She shook her head and Jimmy stilled, although the glare on his face said he didn’t like it. She sucked in a deep breath and turned to face Cameron who was standing there gloating like a shark about to strike. More like a bottom feeding barracuda. “Where did you get that box?”

He smirked. “Where do you think?”

It was the smirk that got to her the most. That he could be chortling while people, her former coworkers, and friends, lay dead and injured made her want to punch him. “So, you didn’t send your old pals and fuck buddies some chocolates?”

She glared at him, treating the nasty question with disdain as it deserved. No way was she going to lower herself to his level. Bullies were really cowards on the inside. It was high time she went on the offensive. “No, but I need to know who did. Do you think you can figure that out or do I need to hire an outside PI and forensic technician?” Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting that response because he rocked back on his heels.

“You keep thinking, Detective, because as of now I’m taking this out of your jurisdiction.” She turned to Jacki, “You got all that?”

“Damn straight,” Jacki said, thumping the door against his side once more. “I’ll call in Lee from forensics, and put my best people on the case. Plus, I got that information you wanted.”

Clar nodded, heading toward the door. Jacki bumped it against Cameron again and Clar slipped past him.

“Now wait just a minute,” Cameron bellowed.

“Like I said, arrest me or I’m gone. When you feel like actually cooperating and solving this case, I’m sure you can figure out where to find me.” She walked away on that exit line, proud that she didn’t give in to her urge to kick him. Now she just had to rescue Levi, solve a murder, figure out who was out to get her, and work with Jimmy O’Brien. He looked just as wonderful as the day she told him to get the hell away from her and stay away. Damn, one of these days ...