[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
mention that in public." He smiled. "I don't fancy being put on a motorcycle at my age and launched
into traffic duty."
"Your friend isn't having to do that, surely?" she asked.
"No, she's working two-car patrols on the night shift, but she's a sergeant, so she gets a good bit of
desk work." He studied her. "What's this I hear about you trying to marry Harley?"
She grinned. "It's early days. He's shy, but I'm going to drown him in flowers and chocolate until he
says yes."
"Good luck," he said with a chuckle.
"I won't even need it. We're going to a movie together Friday."
"Are you? What are you going to see?" 72 THE MAVERICK
"The remake of that fifties movie. We're going to dinner first."
"You are a fast worker, Alice," he said with respect. He checked his watch. "I've got to get back to the
precinct."
She glanced at his watch curiously. "You don't have a blade or a wire in that thing, do you?"
"Not likely," he assured her. "Those watches cost more than I make, and they're used almost exclu-
sively by mercs."
"Mercs?" She frowned.
"Soldiers of fortune. They work for the highest bidder, although our local crowd had more honor
than that."
Mercs. Now she understood Harley's odd phrasing about "trade secrets."
"Where did you see a watch like that?" he asked.
She looked innocent. "I heard about one from Harley. I just wondered what they were used for."
"Oh. Well, I guess if you were in a tight spot, it might save your life to have one of those," he agreed,
distracted.
"Before you go, can you give me the name and address of that detective in San Antonio?" she asked.
He hesitated. "Better let me funnel the questions to her, Alice," he said with a smile. "She doesn't want
anything to slip out about her follow-ups on that case. She's still working it, without permission."
She raised an eyebrow. "So are you, unless I miss my guess. Does Kilraven know?"
He shook his head. Then he hesitated. "Well, I don't think he does. He and Jon Blackhawk still don't
want us nosing around. They're afraid the media will pick up the story and it will become the nightly
news for a year or so." He shook his head. "Pitiful, how the networks don't go out and get any real
news anymore. They just DIANA PALMER 73
create it by harping on private families mixed up in tragedies, like living soap operas."
"That's how corporate media works," she told him. "If you want real news, buy a local weekly
newspaper."
He laughed. "You're absolutely right. Take care, Alice."
"You, too. Thanks for the help."
"Anytime." He paused at the door and grinned at her. "If Harley doesn't work out, you could always
pursue me," he invited. "I'm young and dashing and I even have long hair." He indicated his ponytail.
"I played semiprofessional soccer when I was in college, and I have a lovely singing voice."
She chuckled. "I've heard about your singing voice, Marquez. Weren't you asked, very politely, to stay
out of the church choir?"
"I wanted to meet women," he said. "The choir was full of unattached ones. But I can sing," he added
bel- ligerently. "Some people don't appreciate real talent."
She wasn't touching that line with a pole. "I'll keep you in mind."
"You do that." He laughed as he closed the door.
Alice turned back to her notes, spread out on the desk in the motel room. There was something
nagging at her about the piece of paper they'd recovered from the murder victim. She wondered why
it bothered her.
Harley picked her up punctually at five on Friday night for their date. He wasn't overdressed, but he
had on slacks and a spotless sports shirt with a dark blue jacket. He wasn't wearing his cowboy hat,
either.
"You look nice," she said, smiling.
His eyes went to her neat blue sweater with embroidery around the rounded neckline and the black
slacks she was 74 THE MAVERICK
wearing with slingbacks. She draped a black coat with fur collar over one arm and picked up her
purse.
"Thanks," he said. "You look pretty good yourself, Alice."
She joined him at the door. "Ooops. Just a minute. I forgot my cell phone. I was charging it."
She unplugged it and tucked it into her pocket. It rang immediately. She grimaced. "Just a minute,
okay?" she asked Harley.
She answered the phone. She listened. She grimaced. "Not tonight," she groaned. "Listen, I have plans.
I never do, but I really have plans tonight. Can't Clancy cover for me, just this once? Please? Pretty
please? I'll do the same for her. I'll even work Christmas Eve...okay? Thanks!" She beamed. "Thanks a
million!"
She hung up.
"A case?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, but I traded out with another investigator." She shook her head as she joined him again at the
door. "It's been so slow lately that I forgot how hectic my life usually is."
"You have to work Christmas Eve?" he asked, sur- prised.
"Well, I usually volunteer," she confessed. "I don't have much of a social life. Besides, I think parents
should be with children on holidays. I don't have any, but all my coworkers do."
He paused at the door of his pickup truck and looked down at her. "I like kids," he said.
"So do I," she replied seriously, and without joking. "I've just never had the opportunity to become a
parent."
"You don't have to be married to have kids," he pointed out. DIANA PALMER 75
She gave him a harsh glare. "I am the product of gen- erations of Baptist ministers," she told him.
"My father was the only one of five brothers who went into business instead. You try having a modern
attitude with a mother who taught Sunday School and uncles who spent their lives counseling young
women whose lives were de- stroyed by unexpected pregnancies."
"I guess it would be rough," he said.
She smiled. "You grew up with parents who were free thinkers, didn't you?" she asked, curious.
He grimaced. He put her into the truck and got in beside her before he answered. "My father is an
agnostic. He doesn't believe in anything except the power of the almighty dollar. My mother is just
like him. They wanted me to associate with the right people and help them do it. I stayed with a
friend's parents for a while and all but got adopted by them--he was a mechanic and they had a small
ranch. I helped in the mechanic's shop. Then I went into the service, came back and tried to work
things out with my real parents, but it wasn't possible. I ran away from home, fresh out of the Army
Rangers."
"You were overseas during the Bosnia conflict, weren't you?" she asked.
He snapped his seat belt a little violently. "I was a desk clerk," he said with disgust. "I washed out of
combat training. I couldn't make the grade. I ended up back in the regular Army doing clerical jobs. I
never even saw combat. Not in the Army," he added.
"Oh."
"I left home, came down here to become a cowboy barely knowing a cow from a bull. The friends
that I lived with had a small ranch, but I mostly stayed in town, working at the shop. We went out to the
ranch on 76 THE MAVERICK [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
mention that in public." He smiled. "I don't fancy being put on a motorcycle at my age and launched
into traffic duty."
"Your friend isn't having to do that, surely?" she asked.
"No, she's working two-car patrols on the night shift, but she's a sergeant, so she gets a good bit of
desk work." He studied her. "What's this I hear about you trying to marry Harley?"
She grinned. "It's early days. He's shy, but I'm going to drown him in flowers and chocolate until he
says yes."
"Good luck," he said with a chuckle.
"I won't even need it. We're going to a movie together Friday."
"Are you? What are you going to see?" 72 THE MAVERICK
"The remake of that fifties movie. We're going to dinner first."
"You are a fast worker, Alice," he said with respect. He checked his watch. "I've got to get back to the
precinct."
She glanced at his watch curiously. "You don't have a blade or a wire in that thing, do you?"
"Not likely," he assured her. "Those watches cost more than I make, and they're used almost exclu-
sively by mercs."
"Mercs?" She frowned.
"Soldiers of fortune. They work for the highest bidder, although our local crowd had more honor
than that."
Mercs. Now she understood Harley's odd phrasing about "trade secrets."
"Where did you see a watch like that?" he asked.
She looked innocent. "I heard about one from Harley. I just wondered what they were used for."
"Oh. Well, I guess if you were in a tight spot, it might save your life to have one of those," he agreed,
distracted.
"Before you go, can you give me the name and address of that detective in San Antonio?" she asked.
He hesitated. "Better let me funnel the questions to her, Alice," he said with a smile. "She doesn't want
anything to slip out about her follow-ups on that case. She's still working it, without permission."
She raised an eyebrow. "So are you, unless I miss my guess. Does Kilraven know?"
He shook his head. Then he hesitated. "Well, I don't think he does. He and Jon Blackhawk still don't
want us nosing around. They're afraid the media will pick up the story and it will become the nightly
news for a year or so." He shook his head. "Pitiful, how the networks don't go out and get any real
news anymore. They just DIANA PALMER 73
create it by harping on private families mixed up in tragedies, like living soap operas."
"That's how corporate media works," she told him. "If you want real news, buy a local weekly
newspaper."
He laughed. "You're absolutely right. Take care, Alice."
"You, too. Thanks for the help."
"Anytime." He paused at the door and grinned at her. "If Harley doesn't work out, you could always
pursue me," he invited. "I'm young and dashing and I even have long hair." He indicated his ponytail.
"I played semiprofessional soccer when I was in college, and I have a lovely singing voice."
She chuckled. "I've heard about your singing voice, Marquez. Weren't you asked, very politely, to stay
out of the church choir?"
"I wanted to meet women," he said. "The choir was full of unattached ones. But I can sing," he added
bel- ligerently. "Some people don't appreciate real talent."
She wasn't touching that line with a pole. "I'll keep you in mind."
"You do that." He laughed as he closed the door.
Alice turned back to her notes, spread out on the desk in the motel room. There was something
nagging at her about the piece of paper they'd recovered from the murder victim. She wondered why
it bothered her.
Harley picked her up punctually at five on Friday night for their date. He wasn't overdressed, but he
had on slacks and a spotless sports shirt with a dark blue jacket. He wasn't wearing his cowboy hat,
either.
"You look nice," she said, smiling.
His eyes went to her neat blue sweater with embroidery around the rounded neckline and the black
slacks she was 74 THE MAVERICK
wearing with slingbacks. She draped a black coat with fur collar over one arm and picked up her
purse.
"Thanks," he said. "You look pretty good yourself, Alice."
She joined him at the door. "Ooops. Just a minute. I forgot my cell phone. I was charging it."
She unplugged it and tucked it into her pocket. It rang immediately. She grimaced. "Just a minute,
okay?" she asked Harley.
She answered the phone. She listened. She grimaced. "Not tonight," she groaned. "Listen, I have plans.
I never do, but I really have plans tonight. Can't Clancy cover for me, just this once? Please? Pretty
please? I'll do the same for her. I'll even work Christmas Eve...okay? Thanks!" She beamed. "Thanks a
million!"
She hung up.
"A case?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, but I traded out with another investigator." She shook her head as she joined him again at the
door. "It's been so slow lately that I forgot how hectic my life usually is."
"You have to work Christmas Eve?" he asked, sur- prised.
"Well, I usually volunteer," she confessed. "I don't have much of a social life. Besides, I think parents
should be with children on holidays. I don't have any, but all my coworkers do."
He paused at the door of his pickup truck and looked down at her. "I like kids," he said.
"So do I," she replied seriously, and without joking. "I've just never had the opportunity to become a
parent."
"You don't have to be married to have kids," he pointed out. DIANA PALMER 75
She gave him a harsh glare. "I am the product of gen- erations of Baptist ministers," she told him.
"My father was the only one of five brothers who went into business instead. You try having a modern
attitude with a mother who taught Sunday School and uncles who spent their lives counseling young
women whose lives were de- stroyed by unexpected pregnancies."
"I guess it would be rough," he said.
She smiled. "You grew up with parents who were free thinkers, didn't you?" she asked, curious.
He grimaced. He put her into the truck and got in beside her before he answered. "My father is an
agnostic. He doesn't believe in anything except the power of the almighty dollar. My mother is just
like him. They wanted me to associate with the right people and help them do it. I stayed with a
friend's parents for a while and all but got adopted by them--he was a mechanic and they had a small
ranch. I helped in the mechanic's shop. Then I went into the service, came back and tried to work
things out with my real parents, but it wasn't possible. I ran away from home, fresh out of the Army
Rangers."
"You were overseas during the Bosnia conflict, weren't you?" she asked.
He snapped his seat belt a little violently. "I was a desk clerk," he said with disgust. "I washed out of
combat training. I couldn't make the grade. I ended up back in the regular Army doing clerical jobs. I
never even saw combat. Not in the Army," he added.
"Oh."
"I left home, came down here to become a cowboy barely knowing a cow from a bull. The friends
that I lived with had a small ranch, but I mostly stayed in town, working at the shop. We went out to the
ranch on 76 THE MAVERICK [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]