Justice Served (18 page)

She led them back under the shelter of the warehouse eaves. “Do a few crates fall off the back of a truck now and then? Probably. We have a central computer system with a staff of ten who do nothing but cross-check bills of lading, ports of origin, and destinations against incoming and outgoing manifests. Do we check each barrel, crate, and container? No. They’ve been cleared by Customs at the point of origin, and U.S. Customs agents do visual inspections upon arrival.”

“We’re not suggesting any of your people are at fault, Captain,” Rebecca interjected.

Reiser scanned the area. They were surrounded by dockworkers, but no one paid them any attention. “The majority of personnel you see are civilians—longshoremen, teamsters, truckers. They don’t work for or answer to me.”

“Who
do
they work for?” Watts questioned.

“The unions.” Reiser held Watts’s gaze. “Supposedly.”

“Huh.” Watts looked as if he smelled something unpleasant. “And we know who
they
answer to.”

Rebecca made no comment, watching Reiser, attempting to decipher just how much the captain really knew of organized crime’s presence on the waterfront. Or how much of what she knew she would share. But she clearly had not wanted to have this conversation in plain sight of the workers in the warehouse.
So there’s something she suspects, at least.

“I don’t know what your man found, Lieutenant,” Reiser said empathically, finally turning to Rebecca. “If anything. I’m not saying there’s nothing to find. What I
am
saying is if there’s anything
big
to find, we would know.”

“So if
someone
swipes a load of goods bigger than an armload, you’ll know about it,” Watts summarized.

Reiser smiled fleetingly. “Well, let’s say bigger than a truckload. Obviously, vehicles are checked upon exiting the compound, but off the record, I wouldn’t swear that a case here or there doesn’t end up in someone’s backseat.”

“I doubt that something like that would have interested Jimmy Hogan,” Rebecca said. “What about drugs?”

“Imports from South America make up a large percentage of the traffic here. Again, the merchandise is checked at the point of origin, and Customs clears it here. Is there a bag of cocaine tucked into a crate of coffee somewhere? Possibly, but large scale? Doubtful.”

“But not impossible,” Watts said.

“No,” Reiser agreed. “Not impossible.”

“Is there anything about the particular information that Hogan requested that raises a flag for you?” Rebecca asked.

“Not offhand, but why don’t you leave me copies of those requests, and I’ll look them over again. If something clicks, I’ll call you.”

“Good enough. Appreciate it, Captain.” Rebecca extended her hand, and they shook.

Five minutes later, Rebecca slowed for the same taciturn guard at the security post, who waved them through with barely a glance.

“You think she’s straight?” Watts asked.

“I do,” Rebecca replied immediately. “What’s your take?”

“She’s careful, but something was bothering her. Because nobody
likes
to freeze their balls off for no good reason.”

“Yeah, that little trip outside had to be because she didn’t want anyone seeing her cozying up to us.”

“Well, she didn’t tell us much.”

Rebecca was silent for a full minute. “She seemed pretty certain that something big wouldn’t get by her—or her people.”

“I think there’s a hell of a lot of stuff moving in and out of that port every day, and I don’t care how many computer jockeys they’ve got watching it—stuff has to disappear.”

“I agree. But why would Jimmy Hogan care?”

“Could be Zamora is moving stolen merchandise though there. Maybe using the proceeds to underwrite his drug operation. Jimmy could’ve gotten wind of it, started poking around.” Watts drummed his heavy fingers on the dash. “That tends to make people suspicious.”

Rebecca nodded, slowing for a light at the turn onto I-95. “So how does Jeff come into it?”

“Cruz and Hogan were tight, right? From the academy? And Jimmy passed Jeff intel before when he wasn’t going to act on it himself.” Watts shifted and tried to stretch his legs in the narrow space beneath the Corvette’s dash. “Jimmy couldn’t afford to be involved in any kind of bust that involved Zamora, because it would blow his cover.”

“It still comes back to Jimmy, and what he knew.” Rebecca sighed. “We need to get as close to Zamora’s organization as we can.”

“Well, we’ve got two ways in already.” Watt’s tone suggested that he wasn’t all that happy about the fact. “Our boy Mitch and his cute little squeeze.”

Mitchell and Sandy. Rebecca suppressed another sigh.
A A wet-behind-the-ears detective and a smart-mouthed streetwalker. Wonderful.

Sandy emerged from the bedroom, sleepy-eyed and fuzzy-headed in pink satin bikinis and one of Mitchell’s T-shirts. Shuffling through the quiet loft toward the kitchen, she yawned and stretched, baring a long expanse of hip and belly. The quiet voice from across the room made her jump.

“Good morning,” Michael said.

“Jesus,” Sandy blurted, pivoting in Michael’s direction. The other woman sat on a tall stool at the angled draftsman’s table next to a computer console bearing two widescreen monitors. “Man. I didn’t think anyone was here.”

“I just came home an hour ago.” Michael smiled ruefully. “I knew that Sloan would be working late, so I stayed at Sarah’s last night. Jason brought me back early this morning. I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”

“Uh-uh,” Sandy replied, still breathless. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.” She started to backpedal toward the guest room, but Michael shook her head.

“You’re not bothering me. I was just thinking of taking a break. Tea?”

Sandy made a face but managed to stifle a groan. “Uh, I think it better be coffee this morning.”

“Late night?” Michael asked conversationally, her smile friendly.

“Yeah, sort of.” Sandy thought of Dell, and how upset she’d been after the visit from her sister, and of what she had seemed to need so desperately from Sandy. Sandy had made love to her for hours, Dell reaching for her again and again in the night, until they’d both collapsed from exhaustion. Dell had slept with her head nestled to Sandy’s breast, their arms and legs entwined. Sandy had never before experienced sex as healing, and knowing that she had given her lover something that no one else could made her feel powerful and nearly overcome with awe.

“Working?”

Sandy jumped, the question resounding in the air. “No. Not last night.”

Michael slid from the stool and crossed the loft to Sandy’s side. “How about that coffee? I think there are some scones left from yesterday. Interested?”

“Sure.” Sandy paused a beat, then asked hurriedly, “Do you and Sloan talk about…everything?”

Struck by the serious note in Sandy’s voice, Michael halted. “I think so. Sometimes, it takes one of us longer to say what we need to than it should, but eventually we get there. Why?”

“So, did Sloan tell you what I do?”

“Do? Oh! You mean for work?”

“Uh-huh.” Despite feeling very vulnerable, standing half naked in front of a woman so privileged and sophisticated that Sandy doubted she’d ever even
seen
the strip at night, Sandy kept her head up and her eyes on Michael’s.

“No, she hasn’t.” Michael’s voice held a note of curiosity.

“I’m a prostitute.”

“That’s something Sloan would consider yours to tell,” Michael said gently, her expression holding no trace of censure. She touched Sandy’s arm fleetingly, then turned toward the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Oh yeah. Bad.” Sandy padded after her, barefoot. Funny, how getting the truth out in the open made her feel better. It mattered what Michael thought—because she liked her, and she knew that Dell did too. But mostly it felt good not to hide.

Michael crossed to the counter along the wall and assembled the makings for French-press coffee. As she worked, she said, “Is it something you decide? Or just something that happens?”

Sandy settled on a stool at the breakfast bar opposite Michael and hooked her toes over one of the wooden rungs. “A little of both, I guess. After a while, you run out of choices. Or at least…choices that won’t kill you pretty fast.”

“Is that how it was for you?” Michael poured boiling water into the coffeepot, set the kettle carefully back on the burner, and turned, her hips resting along the edge of the tiled counter.

If there had been the slightest hint of condescension or even pity in Michael’s tone, Sandy might not have answered. But what she heard, besides gentle interest, was a subtle sense of caring that what Sandy had to say mattered. Even Dell had not asked. Sandy smiled. “Dell and me…we’re pretty into each other, you know?”

Michael nodded, containing a smile. She was glad for the fact that the loft, despite its open design, had well-insulated, private sleeping quarters, because even with the distance between their bedrooms, now and then she heard an ecstatic cry or a desperate groan. “Every time I’ve seen you two together, I’ve had the sense that she was crazy about you.”

Sandy’s face lit up. “Yeah? You think?”

“Oh yeah,” Michael said with a grin.

“She’s never asked me why I do it.”

The seeming non sequitur did not disturb Michael. She reached for the strainer for the French press and pushed the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot. As she poured steaming, rich coffee into two mugs, she said, “She’s probably waiting for you to tell her.”

“
You
asked.”

Michael crossed to the breakfast island and handed Sandy the coffee. Edging onto the adjacent stool, she blew on the steam wafting from her mug. “I’m not in love with you.”

Sandy’s sipped the coffee and considered Michael’s words. “That changes things, doesn’t it.”

“Being in love?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Oh, yes. It changes everything.”

“The only thing I had that was worth anything was my body.” Sandy said it matter-of-factly, without rancor. “I could’ve traded it for drugs and a place to flop—being stoned would’ve made some things a lot easier…well, at least, I wouldn’t have known if they were bad or not.” She laughed hollowly. “But I decided I’d rather have the money and maybe a life.”

“It looks like you made the right choice.” Michael leaned past Sandy for a basket of scones and drew it near. She indicated the pastries to Sandy. “Hungry?”

“Yeah.” Sandy helped herself. “Dell doesn’t like it.”

“I imagine,” Michael said quietly. “It must be very dangerous, isn’t it?”

Sandy shrugged. “Maybe, if you’re not careful. I’m careful.” She sighed. “But I haven’t really been working for a while.”

“You quit?”

“I don’t know about that,” Sandy said hastily. “I mean, I have to make money, so I’m not sure I
quit
quit. But…it really bothers her. And…I know what happens sooner or later to everyone in the life.”

“Does she know?”

Sandy shook her head.

“How come you haven’t told her?”

“Because what if I go back?” Sandy broke off a piece of the scone and nibbled on it. “She’ll be…disappointed.”

Michael placed her coffee cup carefully on the breakfast bar. She leaned forward, curling her fingers around Sandy’s forearm, stroking softly. “She loves you. She won’t stop.”

Eyes clouded by fears she couldn’t voice, Sandy finally said hesitantly, “You know, tomorrow is the ceremony for her promotion thing. It’s kind of a big deal.”

“Mmm. I know. Are you going?”

Sandy shrugged. “She asked me to.”

“Well?”

Sandy squirmed and looked past Michael at nothing in particular. “I dunno.”

“What’s stopping you?” Michael persisted, keeping her hand lightly on Sandy’s arm.

“I won’t fit in.” She blew out an irritated breath. “You think I can go there and everyone won’t know I’m a whore? Jesus, like that should matter to me.”

“That’s not who you are,” Michael said firmly, never raising her voice. “You’re not defined by what you’ve had to do to survive. Nor by the mistakes that you may have made.”

Sandy narrowed her eyes at the note of fierce intensity in Michael’s cultured tones. She knew that appearances rarely told the whole story; some of the most violent johns were well-dressed, well-spoken men. Michael seemed like the most together woman Sandy had ever met, but Sandy could still hear the pain in her voice. Something or someone had hurt her badly once.

“I don’t have anything to wear.”

Michael laughed. “Well, that’s something we can easily fix.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Michael stood and slipped her hand into Sandy’s, giving her a tug. When Sandy stepped to the floor, Michael wrapped an arm around her waist. “Let’s go shopping.”

*

“You don’t say anything unless I ask for your report,” Rebecca said with finality.

Sloan snarled.

“Or you don’t sit in.”