Cover Shot (A Headlines in High Heels Mystery Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

yet.”
    “Huh. Obvious trauma?”
    “Yes, but they won’t say what kind.”
    He tipped his head to one side, picking up his cup. “I wonder why not? Historically, you can manage to wheedle almost anything out of the PD.”
    “This is what I get for saying ‘it’s been slow’ out loud. Dead people shrouded in too much mystery, surly detectives, and a crazy person who likes my Twitter photo.”
    “Maybe you should change it.” Kyle pulled out his phone. “Do I even follow you? What’s your handle?”
    I rolled my eyes. “RT underscore crime NC.”
    He poked at his screen. “There you are.” He shrugged. “Just a publicity shot. Nice one, but nothing come-hither-y about it.”
    “Because I’m the come-hither-random-Twitter-guy type. They have another app for that.”
    His blue eyes widened. “You have an account there?”
    “Do you?”
    “I asked you first.”
    “As if.” I snorted. “Speed dating via surface judgement. Not my thing, but thanks for asking.”
    “Your surface judges just fine from where I sit,” he said.
    “I appreciate your opinion, though I think it’s clouded by your knowledge of my brilliant personality and sharp wit.”
    Kyle laughed. “Not clouded. Enhanced. But we should probably stick to business. Your new guy might not like you coming to see me otherwise.”
    I dropped my eyes to the table, biting down on the “he’s not the boss of me” because it was childish, and also because Kyle was right. And were the stiletto on the other foot, I couldn’t blame Joey, because I’d feel the exact same way.
    Nodding slowly, I raised my head. “We okay?”
    “Fine.” The word was clipped, and he ran a hand through his hair, mussing the curls attractively.
    Handing back my BlackBerry, he sighed. “Send me what you have. I’ll see what I can turn up.”
    “Thank you.” I tucked the phone away and smiled. “Anything interesting going on in your world these days?”
    “Nothing I want to talk to the media about.”
    “Off the record.”
    “Still tracking down the rest of that gun ring. Monitoring Caccione activity.”
    I swallowed hard, keeping my face carefully blank. But how much longer until Kyle figured out Joey had ties to the crime family he was investigating? His refusal to talk to me for the past few months either meant he was on the trail, or he was too pissed to worry about it.
    The look on his face said it could be either, or something else entirely.
    “How’s that coming?” I kept my tone light.
    “They haven’t chosen a new leader,” he said. “However that goes down these days. It’s less The Godfather and more a business—but we’re having a hard time getting any dirt on who might be in line for a promotion.”
    “You’ve been watching for three months and have nothing?” I couldn’t decide if that was shocking or relieving—or both.
    “It’s one of the biggest, best-connected syndicates in the country. Maybe in the world. You don’t build that kind of empire without a talent for keeping secrets.”
    Joey’s stoic, drive-Nichelle-batshit-crazy expression flashed through my thoughts. Ain’t that the truth?
    “How about you?” Kyle asked.
    “The publisher wants Bob to retire. I’m determined to stay ahead of everyone else in town, because as long as we’re winning the news wars, they can’t force him out.”
    Kyle nodded. “Anything for a noble cause. Totally you.” He paused, his eyes softening. “Since you’re clearly not going to offer, I have to ask: whatever happened with your grandparents?”
    Ah, my crazy family: my grandfather was kind of a medium Hollywood bigshot, and my mom got pregnant at sixteen and refused to get married. Plus, she insisted on keeping her baby. This was a point of so much contention, they disowned her. Seventeen years later, they sent me a big fat check and an I’m-sorry letter, but it took eleven more years for me to pick up a phone and call them. Kyle had witnessed much of the angst involved.
    I