Vindicate (Recovered Innocence #1)(30)
“I don’t want you to get your hopes up. No one’s going to run it without a reason to.”
“And with a conviction in the case, there’s no reason to.” I know I sound sarcastic, but I don’t care. The unfairness of it kills me. None of this would’ve happened if they’d run that damn sample.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“So basically we have a smoking gun that can link the killer to the crime, but we have to find the guy before we can match it to him.”
“Yup.”
“That’s so bass-ackwards.”
“I know it is. I’m sorry.”
I sigh. It’s not his fault. The fact that he thought to get that info by himself and discovered the second sample is pretty dang awesome. Not to mention finding out about Dylan Newman and Cassandra.
“I have more news,” he says. “Zelda agreed to meet with me.”
“What is this magic you have?”
“What do you mean?”
“You get people to do stuff they don’t want to do. First Beau, then Mindy, then Maisy, whoever you got that report from, now Zelda.” And then there’s me.
He taps the tips of his fingers together. “I have my ways.”
“If only you could get Savannah to curb the hostility. Your record would be perfect.”
“Is she still giving you a hard time?”
“Nothing I can’t handle, but it’s annoying. Just saying.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“Don’t worry about it. When are you meeting Zelda?”
“Day after tomorrow at four o’clock. Why don’t I pick you up for dinner afterward?” He slides that in so coolly.
“Do I have to wear something pretty?”
“If you want to. I’ll be in whatever I wear to meet Zelda.” Which means shorts or jeans and a T-shirt.
“So it’s not a date?”
“It’s definitely a date.”
“See what I mean about getting people to do what they don’t want to do?”
“Oh, you want to go out with me and you know it.”
“Not really.” Yes. Totally.
Chapter 14
Leo
“You know, meeting with that Maisy chick was brutal,” I tell Cora. “She kept hitting on me. I finally had to tell her I have a girlfriend.”
She looks up from the DNA report I got for her, a corner of her lips tugging up. “Poor baby. Girls just throw themselves at you left and right, don’t they?”
“Pretty much.” Except for the one I really want to throw herself at me.
“You don’t look any worse for the wear.”
“But I am.” I rise and move around our desks to sit down on the edge of hers next to where she’s sitting. “I think I need a kiss to make it better.”
“Go sit down.”
“Come on, Cora. Just a little one.”
“The problem with you is you never stop at just one.”
“Kisses are like potato chips, you can’t have just one.”
“I don’t like potato chips.”
“Come on.” I bring her around to look at me with a finger on her chin. “Hey. What’s wrong?” Something in her eyes…
“Nothing. Get your kiss, then get your ass back to your own desk. I’m working here.”
“No. Something’s up. What’s going on?”
She catches my finger and holds it in hers. A bold move for my little Bluebird. “My mom said something…I don’t know whether to believe her or not. She can be more than a little dramatic.”
“What did she say?”
“She said she got a phone call from a PI who wasn’t anyone from here, asking about Beau’s case.”
“Did she get a name?”
“Of course not. That would be helpful.”
“A phone number?”
She shakes her head.
“If he called on her cell or she has caller ID, then we could get the number.”
“I didn’t think to ask. I’m going to have to ask, aren’t I?”
“That would be helpful.”
“Ha, ha. But seriously, why would someone call my mom wanting to talk about Beau’s case? And why identify themselves as a PI?”
“Yeah, when they could’ve used the old law-student-studying-a-local-case ruse. That’s worked for me three times now.”
“I’m serious. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Could be a reporter.”
“Beau’s case is old news.”
“Get that number from your mom and we’ll check it out.” I lean in and give her a quick peck on the lips.
She has a thing about not getting caught here in the office. I agree. All I need is my dad coming at me again or Savannah pulling more of her crap. I don’t know what I’m going to do about Savannah. I’ve tried every way I know how to apologize and smooth things over with her, but she just doesn’t want to forgive or forget. It pisses me off that she’s taking it out on Cora though. That shit is not cool at all.
“We have a meeting with my dad in five minutes,” I remind her.