Revenge Read Online Free PDF Page B

Lopez case gotten Allen killed? That was one place she had no desire to go at the moment. She had done her job. Still, she hadn’t missed the suspicious glances being cast her way around the department. The clashes between her and Allen were well and widely known.
    Yes, he didn’t like her. Yes, she felt no love loss toward him. But making him disappear was not her way of handling departmental rivalry. Otherwise there were a number of others who would go missing as well.
    Not funny, Jess .
    Whatever happened, she held no power over Leonardo Lopez and the actions he chose to take.
    ‘It’s certainly nice to be needed,’ she said, hopefully diverting the course of the conversation away from another reminder of how she took too many risks. ‘Why is it that every single time my team is assigned a case of this caliber it’s because Black is busy?’
    Burnett gave her that look – the one that warned she was being petty. She was. She waved him off. ‘Forget I said anything.’ She’d gotten in the dig. He’d remember her smart - ass remark next time that same old tug-of-war surfaced. And he would think twice about letting Black have first dibs just to prove her wrong. She knew him like a book. Dan Burnett was all about fair. Fairness and justice. He didn’t like breaking the rules – that wasn’t to say he wouldn’t, but he didn’t like it.
    ‘I need you to tread carefully on this one, Jess,’ Burnett continued, ignoring her question entirely but, thankfully, skipping the I’m - worried - about - you spiel. ‘The victim’s family roots go all the way back to the founding of Birmingham. Try not to offend anyone – especially if his or her name is Baker. He has an older brother who’s a lobbyist in Montgomery and I’d like to keep him on good terms with the department. His support is invaluable.’
    If her eyes had rolled any farther back in her head, she would have seen her roots going gray even as she stood there enduring this needless lecture. ‘I wouldn’t dream of stepping on any toes, especially any important ones.’ One month in the department and she had a reputation that ensured her boss felt compelled to give her a talking-to before each case. ‘Anything else you want to correct about my work before I get back to it?’
    His gaze narrowed. ‘No one who matters can fault your performance on the job, Jess. For your information, Mayor Pratt suggested you were the one he wanted on this case.’
    Jess snorted. She cleared her throat and resisted the urge to ask if Pratt had somehow acquired amnesia. Like so many of her colleagues, as well as the brass around here, Pratt didn’t like Jess’s style or her methods. He spent more time complaining about her tactics than the city’s anti-establishment reporters.
    ‘Pratt asked for me?’ There had to be a motive she wasn’t going to like.
    ‘I think you’ve shown him what you’re made of,’ Burnett said. ‘He knows no one else will do the job better.’
    Okay, this was too over the top to handle with no caffeine. She desperately needed a second wind about now. ‘Is that Starbucks for me?’
    He picked up the cup and passed it to her. ‘It would still be warm if you hadn’t ignored me when I first arrived thirty-five minutes ago.’
    It was warm enough. The strong, rich taste had her stifling a moan. ‘Thanks.’
    He gave her a moment to relish her coffee before starting his interrogations. ‘What’s the deal with this group of widows Baker was having trouble with?’
    He’d been briefed on the statements they’d collected so far. Good. Kept her from having to repeat the whole sordid story. ‘There’s a group of seven elderly residents who, along with their husbands, who’ve since passed on, bought into the village nine years ago when it was in the development phase.’
    Burnett took her by the elbow and guided her toward the chairs. ‘Let’s sit.’
    Did she look that exhausted or was he just being a gentleman? Some of both, she