Yesterday's Stardust Read Online Free PDF Page B

shifted. As her vision cleared, she stared at the gold and blue of a Kenosha City Police badge.
    The scene in the apartment flashed before her. Her hands turned cold and tingly. How could she have been so stupid as to walk into that apartment just minutes after the police left, and then to park across the street? If they had any suspicions that Miguel’s death was not suicide, wouldn’t they have the place under surveillance? And if China had given them her name…
the note.
Had she picked it up or had she left a calling card complete with phone number? Hand trembling, she rolled down the window.
    “Step out of the car, please.”
    As Dani obeyed, squinting in the light, an angry hiss emanated from the figure behind the officer. “Got a problem, Nicky?” the officer asked, never taking his eyes off her.
    “‘Step out of the car, please,’” the man behind the officer mocked. “You sound like you’re talking to your mother.”
    The officer shook his head and ran the flashlight from Dani’s head to her toes. A look of surprise crossed his face, and the light switched off. “May I see your driver’s license,
ma’am?”
    “Huh?” The shadowy figure stepped closer into the hazy, yellow light of the street lamp.
    Dani reached into the car. Her hand slid toward her open bag. The officer raised one hand. “Take the bag out of the car first, please.”
    Pulling it out by one strap, Dani noted the officer’s hand resting on the handle of his holstered revolver. She drew out her wallet, pulled out her license, and handed it to him.
    “May I see your vehicle registration, please?”
    How could she explain the car? “It’s…not my car. I’m just borrowing it.”
    “Yeah, right.” This from the dark-haired man in jeans and a white T-shirt.
    “Who owns the car?”
    “Vito Savona. He’s a friend—I work with him. Mine broke down and he loaned me his, and”—she closed her mouth, aware that too much talk could sound like she had something to hide.
    A glance passed from the officer to the other man. The look clearly said, “I hope you feel like an idiot.”
    The man with the dark hair shrugged, looked down then suddenly up again. “You gonna believe her? Just like that?”
    The officer sighed. “No. I’m going to call it in, but you want to go call Vito? You want to deal with Lavinia at two in the morning? You go call, and I’ll question your car thief some more.”
    The man muttered under his breath as he turned. “How’d you ever get to be a cop, anyway?”
    Stifling a smile the officer yelled, “Shut up, Nicky, and bring us some coffee.” Turning the full force of his smile on Dani, he held up one finger. “Stay right there. This’ll only take a couple of minutes.” He walked back to the squad car.
    Dani watched his face in the glow of his computer. He shut off the flashing lights before he got out. “No thefts reported, and your record is clean. Sorry if we scared you.”
    Dani’s brain processed slowly. Why wasn’t he questioning her about Miguel? Suddenly, part of the conversation registered. “You know Vito?”
    The man laughed. “Everybody knows Vito. Nicky and I went to school with his boys. Every kid in the neighborhood knew if he got kicked out of the house, the Savona’s door was always open—or if it wasn’t, we knew how to pick it with a credit card and a bobby pin. ‘Course we knew we’d get a lecture and a kick in the butt, too.”
    He nodded toward the restaurant. “Unfortunately, some of us just remember life’s kicks, not the hospitality.” The look in his eyes typed a mental note. There was a story here.
    The man removed his cap, revealing buzz-cut blond hair. “So, prove to me you didn’t steal Vito’s car.”
    Dani warmed to his smile. “I think you just did.”
    The officer raised his left brow and cocked his head.
    “Why would anyone steal from a man who would give you the shirt off his back before you asked for it?”
    He laughed again. “You obviously know