Chapter Four
The instant Jeremy stepped into the lieutenant’s office, he understood the smirks and smiles from his colleagues along the way.
Elle Hudson was back. And considering it was déjà vu all over again, he had to assume she was here for more research.
Damn.
He’d thought he’d suffered through the last of it back in October.
She wore jeans and a dusty-green shirt with the sleeves cuffed at the elbows and a zippered opening at the neck, giving a tantalizing glimpse of skin just above her cleavage.
Awareness shot to his groin.
Apparently, he hadn’t suffered enough last year.
“Officer Mercer, Ms. Hudson is requesting a few more ride-alongs with you to help finalize her research.”
She’d requested him?
Surprise rippled through him along with a side of unexpected warmth, but both dissipated at the appearance of her frown.
“Uh, not exactly,” she corrected. “I did request a few more ride-alongs, but it doesn’t have to be with Officer Mercer. In fact, it would help to have someone else, you know…for a different perspective and all.”
Although he knew backpedaling when he heard it, Jeremy appreciated her attempt to get him off the hook, but he could tell by Kroeger’s set jaw that she was wasting her breath.
Perhaps he could reason with the guy in private.
“Sorry, Ms. Hudson,” the lieutenant said in his best cordial tone. “But it’s either Officer Mercer or no one. I’m afraid I can’t spare any of the other officers. In fact, I can’t really spare Officer Mercer either, but I wouldn’t want you to think ill of our department.”
Her frown deepened. “Oh, I would never do that, Lieutenant Kroeger. I appreciate all the help all of you have shown, and I promise only one or two more weeks and I’ll be out of your space.”
Jeremy swallowed a groan.
One or two more weeks?
He didn’t think he could last one hour, let alone one or two more weeks cooped up in a squad car with the beautiful, irritating woman.
“Very well,” the lieutenant stated. “We will be glad to help with your research in any way. Isn’t that right, Officer Mercer?”
No, it was wrong. Very wrong. He clenched his jaw to keep from voicing his opposition and nodded instead.
Kroeger smiled. “Good. So, if you’ll excuse us, Ms. Hudson, I need a moment to talk shop with Officer Mercer. In the meantime, please, help yourself to a coffee,” his superior offered, walking Elle to the door.
“I will, thank you. And don’t forget about your éclair,” she said with a smile on her way out the door.
As soon as Jeremy heard the door click, he turned around to face the lieutenant, but the guy held up a hand and motioned for him to follow him to his desk.
“Look, I already know what you’re going to say, and the answer is no. It’s like I told the author—there’s no one else I can spare.”
Jeremy frowned. “What about Nealy?”
Kroeger shook his head. “You know she has to ride with Sampson until he’s off probation, and that leaves two rookies and their trainers. It has to be you, Mercer, so suck it up and get it done. Maybe this time, give her what she wants.”
His frown deepened. “She wants to see action, sir, but I won’t put a civilian in harm’s way.”
Especially Elle, his mind supplied, and Jeremy didn’t bother to dissect the meaning.
“Of course, not,” Kroeger countered. “But not everything is life-threatening. What’s in the folders in your fist?”
Jeremy eased the grip he hadn’t realized he’d tightened on the files.
“I was just digging through some old B & E’s.
Two perps with a similar M.O. were released on good behavior last month.
Thought I’d pay them a visit, as well as show their photos to the shop owners that were recently robbed, and a few other business owners in town. ”
“Good.” Kroeger nodded. “Hold off on the perps. Visit them without her. The rest should satisfy Ms. Hudson’s criteria. Take her along. Let her observe your interviews.”
Jeremy blew out a breath. Most of the time routine stops like that were safe, but what if they were in the right place at the right time to unexpectedly flush out a perp?
“Look, Mercer. I’m not crazy about this ride-along stuff either,” Kroeger muttered.
“But this comes all the way from the top. The mayor is a huge fan of this author and wants the department to assist Ms. Hudson in any way necessary. So, if you and I want to remain on the promotion list, we’ll suck it up and see this through. ”
The mayor was involved?
Damn.
The lieutenant was well aware of Jeremy’s desire to make sergeant this year. He’d already taken the written exam, and the oral exam was scheduled for the beginning of next month.
Hell, Jeremy was doing most of the job, anyway.
He supervised daily operations and was the liaison between officers and police leadership within the department.
Kroeger had also tasked him with investigating any internal complaints, and before all of that, he had been an FTO—Field Training Officer—for years.
“I do, too, sir,” he agreed.
“Then whatever Ms. Hudson needs, you will see to it—without putting her in danger, of course.”
Jeremy straightened his spine and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Kroeger smiled. “Now, let’s get out there and claim our donuts before they all disappear.
He followed his supervisor out of his office and toward the coffee pot and the opened box of donuts. The other officers had been standing around, laughing with Elle, but quickly dispersed at the sight of the lieutenant.
Once there, Jeremy frowned at the meager choices left in the box. No bear claws. They usually were the first to disappear, and technically, he already had one a few hours ago.
“Here you go, gentlemen.” Elle smiled, handing Kroeger a napkin-wrapped éclair and Jeremy a napkin-wrapped bear claw. “I saved these for you before the others confiscated them.”
A fission of warmth spread across his chest. As annoying as the woman could be, and she could be damned annoying, she had also shown traces of thoughtfulness in the past.
“Thank you, Ms. Hudson,” the lieutenant said before disappearing back into his office with a coffee and his éclair.
Since he was about to be stuck with the woman all day, Jeremy remained silent but nodded his thanks. Showing any more warmth than that was not advisable.
He set the files and bear claw on a nearby vacant desk before pouring himself a black coffee. “If you need to use the restroom, I suggest you do it now. We’re leaving after I finish this.”
“Roger that,” she said, then spun around and walked across the office to the door that led to the hallway with the restrooms.
Biting into his bear claw, Jeremy watched her progression with more interest than he should.
He watched anyway. He couldn’t help himself.
Her form-fitting jeans showcased a world class ass, and he enjoyed the scenery until she walked out of sight.
Ordering heat to stop invading his body, he turned around to find one of the rookies grinning at him. Jeremy narrowed an unblinking gaze on the guy, and a second later, the grin disappeared, along with the rookie.
Poor kid.
Jeremy needed to get a damn grip.
What the hell was wrong with him?
He was supposed to set an example, not admire a woman’s curves…and in the office, of all places. If he kept this up, he could kiss that promotion to sergeant goodbye.
Swallowing an oath, he finished his pastry and coffee, crumpled the cup, then tossed it in the trashcan under the table.
Feeling slightly better, he walked across the room to set the folders on his desk. He already had updated images of the men on his phone. With luck, the victims would ID one of the guys, and this case would be solved in record time.
He held back a grin. No case was ever that easy, but he still had to check out this possibility.
His gaze shifted to the door opening in the far corner, and he watched Elle reappear and head straight for him. Less than two minutes ago, he’d berated himself for staring at her, but here he was, standing in front of his desk feeling…alive.
“I’m all set,” she said, snapping his brain back into work mode.
Jeremy nodded, and they headed outside to the car in silence. He used the time to give his damn body a pep talk and brace himself for enduring close quarters with the tempting woman. Memories of last year’s ordeals came flooding back.
Turned on. Turned off. Turned inside out.
It was a constant cycle on the days he’d driven her around. Looked like he had a few more sleepless nights ahead of him.
Whatever. He’d survived before. He could do it again.
Jeremy hit the button on his key fob to unlock the doors as they approached his assigned vehicle. He quelled the unexpected urge to rush over and open Elle’s door for her.
What the hell?
This wasn’t a date. In fact, it wasn’t social at all. It was work. He sure as hell wouldn’t open a door for Nealy. He’d take a lot of shit if he used the manners his mother had instilled in him toward a female co-worker.
Elle wasn’t a co-worker, his mind insisted. But she was here for work, so he needed to treat her like one of the guys.
Jeremy was still fighting the inner battle when he pulled up outside Stan’s Sporting Goods, near the outskirts of Main Street.
But when they went inside, and he showed Stan the photos, Elle stayed out of the way, silently jotting in her notebook.
She didn’t interfere. Didn’t ask questions as he’d feared she might.
Soon, he began to relax and within two hours, he’d finished questioning the other victim, as well as all the shop owners on that side of the street.
Unfortunately, no one recognized the men in the photos.
Once they returned to the car, she twisted to face him. “So, what’s our next move?”
He raised a brow. “Our? There is no our. You’re not a cop.”
She rolled her eyes. “Never tried to be. And you know what I mean. What’s your next move?”
Maybe this time, give her what she wants…
The lieutenant’s words resounded in Jeremy’s head.
It wasn’t like she was going to use the specifics in her book. The legal department had her sign a non-disclosure, so Jeremy didn’t need to keep silent.
Still, once burned…always careful.
He blew out a breath and answered, “I’ll go through all the footage I collected from both locations, as well as what I got from any cameras facing them.”
“Do you think they were lying about seeing those men?” she asked.
“Not intentionally,” he replied. “It’s possible they did see one of them but didn’t recognize them.”
She nodded, wrote something in her notebook, then set it down and met his gaze. “Thank you.”
He frowned. “For what?”
“For answering me. For letting me tag along. For not giving me a hard time.” She smiled. “Take your pick.”
His stomach rippled. Now he felt like an ass. “I should apologize for not doing it last year.”
Surprise widened her eyes, and a shaft of warmth appeared. “Yeah, you should have.”
He snorted. “Guess I deserved that.”
“Ut oh.” She set a hand over her heart. “You’d better insult me, or I might think we could become friends.”
Jeremy wasn’t sure what the hell came over him because he leaned closer to the enigmatic woman. “What’s wrong with us being friends?”
She blinked but didn’t move away. “Nothing.”
“So…do you want to be friends?” he asked before he could stop the words from forming.
Nodding, she caught her lower lip between her teeth.
If he was half the cop he liked to think he was, then looking at her shouldn’t cause the stirring behind his zipper.
The sound of screeching tires, followed by an old Chrysler barreling past them and down the street at three times the speed limit had him sitting back in his seat.
Shit.
He checked his rearview to see if another cruiser was following, but there wasn’t, not even another car.
“You going to go after him?” Elle asked.
He blew out a breath and shook his head. “Not with you in the car. Pretty sure Officer Nealy and her probie are set up somewhere outside of town.”
Elle opened the door and got out.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
She bent down to peer in at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. You go get him, Officer Mercer.”
With that, she shut the door and stepped back.
Jeremy glanced forward at the car about to disappear from his view and wondered if he’d just stepped into the twilight zone.
She was getting out of the way so he could do his job…without him asking?
He didn’t need any coaxing. Jeremy flicked on his siren and radioed it in as he started his pursuit.
Maybe by giving her and inch, she was giving him some slack.
Or maybe she was going to go back and ask Stan some questions of her own?
His chest tightened. She wouldn’t do that, would she?
He glanced in his rearview, but he couldn’t tell if she was walking toward the sporting goods store or walking toward the precinct to get her car.
Torn between continuing his pursuit and turning around to collect Elle, Jeremy muttered an oath. He’d started the ball rolling, so he’d worry about the pursuit, then corner Elle later.