Lethal Attraction: Against the Rules\Fatal Affair Read online

  “Lieutenant Stahl is skating on very thin ice these days,” Captain Malone said. “I don’t believe he’ll give you any trouble, and if he does, he’ll deal with us. Let me add my congratulations, Sergeant, on a well-earned and highly deserved promotion. I look forward to working with you in your new role.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Sam said, still shocked as she shook his outstretched hand and then Conklin’s.

  “Ditto,” Conklin said, following Malone from the room. “You’ve earned it.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  When they were alone, Sam turned to the chief.

  “You’ll piss me off if you ask if this is because I’m your chief or your Uncle Joe,” he said, his tone full of friendly warning.

  “I was just going to say thank you,” Sam said with a smile that quickly faded. “Will the, ah, dyslexia be added to my jacket?”

  “It’ll remain your personal business, provided it continues to have no bearing on your ability to do the job.”

  “It won’t.”

  Farnsworth sat back in his big chair and studied her. “I have to ask how you managed to get two degrees while battling dyslexia.”

  “I got lucky with professors who worked with me, but everything took me twice as long as it took everyone else. And I’ve always choked on standardized tests. I just can’t get them done in the time allotted.”

  “I can only imagine how much harder you’ve had to work to compensate. Knowing that only adds to my respect for you and your work.” He stood up, came around the big desk, and offered his hand. “Congratulations.”

  Sam’s throat closed as her hand was enfolded between both of his. “Thank you, sir. I’ll do my very best to be worthy.”

  “I have no doubt. Let me know what you uncover in Chicago.”

  “I will, sir. Thank you again. For everything.” She closed the door behind her, managed a nod to the chief’s admin, and made for the nearest ladies’ room. The relief, the sheer overwhelming relief, left her staggered. She gave herself ten minutes to fall apart before she pulled it together, wiped her face and blew her nose.

  Studying her reflection in the mirror, she whispered, “Lieutenant,” as if to try it on for size. For once her stomach had no comment. Taking that as a positive sign, she splashed cold water on her face and decided to leave on time for a change. The report could be written and transmitted from home. Besides, she needed to go tell the only other person in the world who would care as much as she did that she would soon become Lieutenant Holland.

  CHAPTER 19

  Before Sam could call for him, she heard the chair.

  “What’s this? Home on time?”

  She went to him, rested her hands on his shoulders and was startled to encounter sharp bones where thick muscle used to be. Jarred by the discovery, she bent to kiss his forehead. Eye to eye, she said, “I should be furious with you.”

  “For?”

  “Don’t play coy with me.”

  “It should’ve been in your jacket. From day one. I’ve always said that.”

  “It wasn’t for a reason. I don’t want people feeling sorry for me or treating me differently. You know how I feel about it.”

  “That fierce pride of yours is only going to get you so far.”

  “And my daddy is going to get me the rest of the way?”

  “I simply gave him a piece of information he didn’t have. What he did or didn’t do with it was up to him.”

  “No, Dad, it was up to me. I don’t want you interfering in my career. How many times do I have to say it before you get the message?”

  “I’ve been duly chastised. Now, are you going to tell me what he did with it?”

  “Not until you’ve suffered a little first. What’s for dinner?”

  He followed her to the kitchen. “That’s mean, Sam.”

  “Are you being mean to your father again?” Celia asked.

  “Believe me, he deserves it. Oh, jeez, is that roast beef?”

  “Sure is. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving. I didn’t even realize it until right this very minute.” She peeked into a pot and groaned. “Mashed potatoes? God, my ass is growing just smelling it.”

  “Now you stop that,” Celia said as she served the meal. “You have a lovely figure that I’d kill for. How was your day?”

  “The usual chaos.”

  “Nothing special?” Skip asked. “Nothing different?”

  Sam pretended to give that some significant thought. “Not really. Freddie and I are working the case, pulling the threads. Got a couple of good angles to pursue.”

  “What are they doing about Johnson?” Skip asked.

  Hanging on their every word, Celia fed him and herself with a practiced hand.

  “I was ordered to ‘lay low’ until I testify on Tuesday.”

  “To which you said…?”

  She shrugged. “I’m fine with it. I have to go to Chicago tomorrow, I’m taking most of Sunday off, and have the funeral on Monday. I should be fine.”

  “Should be isn’t good enough.” He swallowed, cleared his throat and turned his steely blue eyes on his daughter. “Anything else happen at your meeting with Farnsworth?”

  Deciding she had tortured him long enough, she said, “Oh, you mean about the promotion?”

  He growled.

  “I got it.” She took another bite of mashed potatoes and tried not to think about the calories. “You can soon call me Lieutenant, Chief.”

  “Yes,” he whispered. “Yes, indeed.”

  “Oh that’s wonderful, Sam!” Celia jumped up to hug and kiss her. “That’s just wonderful, isn’t it, Skip?”

  He never took his eyes off his daughter. “It sure is. Come give your old man a hug.”

  Pained that he’d had to ask and embarrassed by Celia’s effusiveness, Sam got up and did her best to work around the chair. With her lips close to his ear, she whispered, “Thank you.”

  “For?”

  Sam pulled back to smile at him. “Love you.”

  “When you’re not being mean to me, I love you, too.”

  *

  Two hours later, Sam was laboring her way through the report of the day’s activities on her laptop when Celia knocked on the door.

  “Sorry to interrupt your work, but I thought you might enjoy some warm apple pie. It’s so darned cold out.”

  Sam moaned. “Tell me it’s fat free, calorie free and can’t find an ass with a roadmap.”

  Chuckling, Celia handed her the plate. “All of the above. I swear.”

  “If the nursing gig doesn’t pan out, you might consider a life of crime. You’re a convincing liar.”

  “You’ve made your father very proud tonight, Sam. He’s always proud of you, but he wanted this promotion for you. More, I think, than you wanted it for yourself.”

  “I don’t doubt it.” Sam used a finger to swirl a dollop of whipped cream off the pie and pop it into her mouth. “Sometimes I feel so selfish where he’s concerned.”

  Celia lowered herself to the edge of Sam’s bed. “How do mean? You’re here for him every day, despite a demanding, time-consuming job.”

  “It would’ve been better…for him anyway…if the shot had been fatal. I can’t imagine how he stands living the way he does, confined to four small rooms and wherever he can go in the van the union bought him. But I wasn’t ready to lose him, Celia. Not then and not now. I thank God every day that bullet didn’t kill him. As much as I hate the way he has to live now, I’m so grateful he’s still here.”

  “In his own way, he’s accepted it and come to terms.”

  “I wish you could’ve known him.” Sam sighed. “Before.”

  “I did,” Celia said with a smile, her pretty face blazing with color and her green eyes dancing with mirth.

  “You’ve never told me that! Neither of you ever did!”

  “I met him at the Giant, about two years before he was wounded. I helped him pick some tomatoes in the produce aisle, he asked me out for c