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“Which could be reason enough for him to work for Ortez,” I pointed out, “to avoid her finding out.”
She winced, and I felt like an asshole. It’s not that I wanted Hanson to be dirty, but we had to seriously consider the possibility that he might be.
“Ugh.” Joanna buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“It’s okay.” I tried to make my tone soothing. “We can discuss it later, once you’ve had more time to think it over. Did he give you any reason to worry about going home alone tonight?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m pretty sure I threw him off the scent.”
“Good. Then I want you to go home, drink a glass of wine, and read a book. We can talk more after my shift.” I couldn’t help but wish that I’d be able to arrive home andcrawl into bed wrapped around her lean body like I used to, but I was well aware that wasn’t an option, and I had no one to blame but myself.
She nodded, and I was a little surprised she didn’t protest me giving her directions. Perhaps she had too much on her mind to worry about her traitorous husband bossing her around.
“I’d better get back to work.” I held the office door open for her, and she preceded me down the hall and back into the pub.
Captain Thackery glanced up at us from a stool near the end of the bar. “West, will we be seeing you and Joanna at the police fundraising gala this weekend?”
“Fundraising gala?” I echoed, caught off guard.
Thackery snorted. “Of course. Joanna didn’t mention it to you, did she?”
“You know that’s not my scene, Captain,” she complained, narrowing her eyes at me as if daring me to contradict her.
Unfortunately, I might have to. A police fundraising gala would be the perfect opportunity for me to get close to some of the key players in our investigation.
Specifically, I was interested in Detective Neal and his cronies. I hadn’t shared my suspicions with Joanna, but I believed one of the names that regularly appeared in Sasha’s diary—Ortez’s police recruiter—may be none other than her overly territorial colleague.
His possessiveness over the area he considered his would make more sense if he was on Ortez’s payroll. The Ortez mansion was positioned on the lakefront and was their suspected base of operations. Neal would be best poised to protect them if everyone knew to steer clear of his “territory.”
“If you want a promotion, you’d best revise that opinion.It’s the perfect opportunity to mingle.” Thackery smirked. “And for me to show off my best detective.”
“We’ll be there,” I declared, loudly enough that there could be no doubt of Thackery hearing me.
He grinned. “Perfect.”
Joanna glared daggers at me. I looked at her meaningfully. Her glare didn’t lessen, but nor did she protest out loud. She wanted this investigation wrapped up as quickly as I did, even if our reasons for wanting it over with were completely different.
My heart squeezed at the idea of her leaving me without a backward glance. I couldn’t allow that to happen.
“Nice to see you, Captain,” Joanna said, tipping her head toward him. “I’m going home before my husband can sign me up for anything else.”
She turned, her dark ponytail swishing down her back as she stalked away.
Thackery whistled. “You’re in trouble.”
“I know.” For some reason, that excited me. Joanna’s anger was better than her indifference.
I returned behind the bar and got busy serving patrons. Thackery left soon after, and I didn’t see any more of Joanna’s closer colleagues. As the evening was winding down, a pretty brunette approached.
She rested her forearms on the wood and leaned toward me, a smile quirking her lips. “Hey, handsome.”
“Hello. What can I get you?” I didn’t return the compliment. Not because she wasn’t beautiful but because I refused to flirt with anyone who wasn’t Joanna. Especially for a job that was really only a cover.
“How about your number?” she asked quietly, glancing left and right. Ah. Her previous confidence had been feigned.
I flashed my wedding ring at her. Whether or not our marriage was legal, it was real to me.
“Just my luck.” She rocked back onto her heels. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable.”
