Pretenses Read Online Free PDF Page B

was, he’s gone.” Kelly shook her head. “And the President is on the television sellin’ wolf tickets. Writing checks your ass may end up cashing.”
    â€œI know. Ain’t life grand?”
    â€œIt sure is. Look, this is what I got. While you were at home getting your swerve on with Keyth, I was doing some real police work.” She flashed a smile. “It turns out that four of the calls came from the Four Seasons Hotel the day she was murdered.”
    â€œYeah?” I said, looking at the circled numbers on the print-out.
    â€œJudge Taylor’s cell phone records show that she called the hotel. I think we oughta get over there. With any luck, whoever called the judge may still be checked in.”
    â€œLet’s go.” Once the trail was cold, we would never catch the killer.
    â€œBut first the D.C. police want you to do them a small favor, Phoenix.”
    â€œYeah, anything for the boys in blue.”
    â€œThey brought a bad-ass wife beater in here earlier.” Kelly opened a drawer and pulled out several photos. I cringed when I saw his handiwork. “He’s not your typical coward either. The son-of-a-bitch beat the shit outta five officers. It took two tasers to take him down and ten patrolmen to bring him in.”
    â€œPCP?”
    Kelly shook her head. “Just one bad hombre.”
    â€œWhere is he?”
    â€œIn Interview One.”
    â€œLet’s go.”
    I walked into the interview room totally focused yet with my mind clear, relaxed, and completely in tune with the danger in the room. Emotions like anger shut down a martial artist’s senses, and we become vulnerable.
    The prisoner looked at me and smiled just a little. Both of his hands were cuffed to the table. He had a bald head, jailhouse tattoos on his arms, and a body he had no doubt built at Lorton Prison.
    â€œGentlemen, I need to speak with you in the hall,” Kelly said. “Special Agent Perry will stay with the prisoner.”
    â€œUncuff him,” I said calmly.
    â€œAre you sure?” one of the officers said, playing along.
    â€œYeah,” I said, tossing my peach in the air and catching it. “He seems calm now. You won’t bite, will you?”
    â€œNaw.” He laughed. “I won’t bite.”
    The officers left quietly, but I knew they practically ran to the observation room next door where a crowd of officers had gathered when they learned that I was in the building. They wanted to beat the crap out of him themselves, but if it ever leaked out, which these things were prone to do, the media would have a field day. But I’m a woman, and I only weigh 125 pounds. What was he going to say? A woman kicked my ass? Even if he wanted to, his pride wouldn’t let him.
    The prisoner was quietly looking back and forth from the unlocked door to me, calculating his chances of escape. I kept tossing my peach in the air and catching it. After a couple of minutes, he said, “So…what, you FBI, or somethin’?”
    â€œUh-huh,” I muttered, watching his every move.
    â€œSo when they comin’ back?”
    â€œAbout twenty minutes or so, I’d say.”
    â€œSo—you got a gun or somethin’?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œIf they gon’ be gone for twenty minutes, what’s tuh stop me from walkin’ the fuck outta here?”
    â€œJust little ol’ me.” I smiled.
    â€œWhat? With no gun? You crazy.” He laughed. “Did they tell you I sent five of D.C.’s finest to Washington Memorial this mornin’, tryin’ tuh mess wit’ me?”
    â€œYeah, they told me.”
    â€œAnd you still came in here, huh?” He frowned. “You must be one bad bitch, huh?”
    â€œThat’s what they say,” I said, still smiling. “You don’t get it, do you, sweet pea? We do this shit all the time. Whenever one of you muthafuckas messes with the law, they call me down