Manhattan Flame (A Bridge & Tunnel Romance Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

raise her voice, but controlling her outrage was damn near impossible.
    He used an authoritative volume when he said, “Ma’am,” and she knew what would come next.
    Every part of her wanted to kick the counter, but she clenched her jaw instead. “Yeah, I know,” she said, seething with frustration, spitting each word through her teeth. “I’ll be going now.”
    This was the thanks she got for reporting a crime? She yanked the glass door open and stomped out onto the sidewalk. She turned north then south but didn’t have a clue as to where to go. There was nowhere, no place, no hovel she could hide in that would wash away this feeling.
    That was it? She had just kissed her camera goodbye and that’s the end of it?
    She needed to calm herself, but it didn’t seem likely. She neared the precinct and leaned against the wall so she wouldn't be in the way of oncoming pedestrians. She needed a minute to think.
    Her best friends, Greer and Jennifer crossed her mind, but they would only console her. They couldn’t offer a solution to her problem and the damned thing was that no one could unless they had access to the evidence room and could steal her camera back. She snorted a laugh at where that would land her if she attempted such a thing.
    Tasha, think , she told herself. How could she get a camera? Never mind the total outrage she felt towards the 26th Precinct, all she cared about was her upcoming exhibition and having brilliant photographs. How could she solve this? She wasn’t sure she would sleep tonight if she couldn’t come up with a plan.
    She sensed more than saw a man approaching she was so bogged down in worry, but when she lifted her eyes, she noticed Officer Wright not just nearing her, but staring right at her.
    He was wearing jeans that fit him well, sneakers, and an overcoat that flapped in the gentle, spring breeze. His hair looked more bedraggled than she remembered, but his eyes were the same—bright and wide and concerned.
    “Hey,” he said in a smooth voice. “Tasha, right?”
    Feeling sour, she said, “Unfortunately,” and her eyes seemed to flutter all on their own.
    He cocked his head at that and then his expression turned serious, almost knowingly, but he seemed to shift his attention to the gray duffle bag over his shoulder, adjusting it with a little jostle.
    “You want your camera back,” he stated as though reading her mind.
    “That would be nice, but I’m not sure your buddies feel the same.”
    “What, like the form hasn’t been processed yet?” he asked. “Even when it is, I mean, it’s going to take some time for you to get it back. That’s just how it goes with investigations.”
    “You're sure there’s an investigation? Because according to your man behind the desk in there, I’m not even in the system.”
    “What?”
    “Yeah,” she said, giving him a moment to weather the same shock she had felt moments ago. “I would think that at the very least I’d be in the computer. How many forms did I fill out? Two? But when the officer typed my name into the computer, nothing came up.”
    “Hey, listen, I’m about to go on duty. I’ll look into it.”
    She let out a frustrated sigh that sounded guttural and said, “Don’t bother. I know what’s up.”
    “Well, I don’t,” he countered, catching her upper arm, as she motioned to leave.
    Realizing he might have overstepped his bounds he released her, but he had her attention. Tasha couldn’t see anything else. Wright filled her vision and the way his sharp eyes were probing her did a fast job of convincing her that he actually gave a damn and more.
    “I’ll look into it,” he said, as he pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket. Tapping the LCD screen, he leveled with her, saying, “You either get a case number for the form you filled out or you get your camera back on the spot. I’m going to get to the bottom of this as soon as I’m in there and I’ll let you know. What’s your number?”
    In an