CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Need a ride?"

Lost in thought, it took a moment for the words to register, then Jamie noticed Madison leaning out of the driver’s side of the parked car.

"Hey, Doc."

"I was in the neighborhood, thought I could buy you a cup of coffee."

Jamie’s eyes narrowed. "You wouldn’t happen to be checking up on me, now would you Doctor Williams?"

Madison’s face was the picture of innocence. "Never. Anyway, it’s either me or Darcy." Over the years, Darcy had been the only one that could get to Jamie. No one ever questioned it. Their entire circle of friends had long accepted it. It just was.

Jamie shook her head with a smile. "Put that way, how can I say no?" They drove to a small coffee bar a few blocks away. Madison’s quick look had taken in the shadows like soft bruises under Jamie’s eyes, the lines that were deeper around her mouth. They grabbed a coffee and decided to stroll along the little shops and art galleries.

"You know, whenever your name comes up in front of Alex, she just grunts and walks away. Are you two fighting?"

Jamie glanced at her, then away. "Not exactly. We just had a difference of opinion."

Madison knew there was more. "About this woman you’re all twisted about?"

Jamie’s step faltered but she recovered quickly. "Where did you hear that?"

"Lauren."

Jamie swore silently.

"She’s worried about you, so am I. What’s going on? Who is this girl? Anyone we know?"

Jamie shoved a hand through her hair, not wanting to have this conversation. "No. I met her...by chance."

"What’s she like?" For the first time, Jamie looked at her fully and smiled, but the look in her eyes made Madison’s heart lurched for her friend.

"She’s beautiful. Witty. And I hardly know anything about her."

Madison looked at her worried. "Jamie..."

Jamie dismissed her concern with a wave of her hand. "I know. It’s just hard to know what is sheer lust, and what could be more, because we haven’t had any chance to really spend time together."

"Why?"

"It’s complicated."

"You keep saying that."

"I know. I just... I never thought I could catch someone’s eye that way. Someone so beautiful. I don’t know how to handle it."

Madison looked at her in surprise "You’re kidding me, right?"

Jamie frowned. "Why?"

Madison took her hand and they stopped for a moment. "You are beautiful, Jamie. You also happen to be the sexiest woman I know."

Startled, Jamie looked at her and, unable to stop, felt herself blush.

Madison grinned. "Are you blushing?"

"No."

"You are too. Oh my God! I made Saunders blush," she yelled out.

The blush intensified. "Shut up."

Madison’s laugh was sharp and quick. "I gotta remember this the next time you give me grief about something."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

They sobered quickly.

"Is she married?"

"What?" Jamie looked at her. "No, it’s nothing like that." She sighed. "I just don’t know if I can trust her. I think she’s lying to me."

Madison frowned. "Jamie..."

"Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan."

"A plan?"

They had returned to the car. "Sure. I’ve got to go." She gave her friend a quick hug, then left before Madison could say anything else.

Madison stared after her, more worried than before. We’re gonna need the big guns, she thought. They would need to involve Darcy.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Alex sat lost in thought, her pen tapping against the folder open in front of her. Did they have enough to persuade a judge to give them a search warrant? The tapping continued. Stacey, who had dropped by to get an update watched her, her exasperation growing with every second. Alex had mumbled no more than two words to her since her arrival and now, along with the tapping, looked distracted and uninterested in Stacey’s questions. "Should we wait for Jamie before going for the search warrant?" Stacey asked once again.

Alex stared out of the window thinking about the events of a couple of nights ago. Jamie and our suspect. How could she be so dumb? She thought angrily. How can she jeopardize everything for someone she doesn’t even know?

Stacey reached out and grabbed the bouncing pen from her hand. "For crying out loud Alex what is wrong with you today?"

Alex frowned at her. "What?"

"I’ve asked you the same question three times now. Do we have to wait for Jamie, or should we proceed with the warrant request?"

Alex sighed, her face set. "No, we don’t have to wait for her."

Stacey was about to ask where Jamie was when one look at Alex’s face warned her to drop the subject. Something had happened between the two of them. Instincts told her it was related to their case but she let it go for now.

"Okay, then let’s go talk to a judge."

***

Darcy looked over at Jamie again. She had been sitting at the bar for the better part of an hour looking glum. "You know, Saunders, that frown of yours is going to scare away all of my best customers."

Jamie continued to stare at her drink, brooding. "Sorry."

Darcy took a couple of shot glasses from the glass shelf behind her and placed them on the polished oak bar. She grabbed a bottle and poured a couple of shots, handing one to Jamie, who accepted it automatically. Following Darcy’s lead, Jamie tossed it back, grimacing at the heat that spread down her throat.

"Spill it," Darcy demanded.

"Spill what?"

"Whatever’s got you glowering at my bar, not appreciating my best stuff, worrying your friends...Name it." Darcy shrugged. "What’s up with you? Why are you and Alex fighting?"

"We are not fighting," Jamie said through clenched teeth. "Can’t a person have any secrets around here? What’s between Alex and me is between Alex and me."

Darcy nodded. "Sure. But for right now, you are sitting in my bar looking like you’ve just lost your best friend, so I’m entitled to demand answers. It’s one of those perks."

Jamie met the blue gaze. How come I’ve never noticed our dark her pupils are? she thought fascinated by Darcy’s eyes. Wasn’t it strange how small the world could become if you looked into someone’s eyes? Why hadn’t she ever noticed that before? For a moment she felt like she was drowning in their depths, and visibly shook herself as she pulled her mind back to what was being discussed. "I met someone."

That stopped Darcy, who stared at her, unsure about why she felt less than thrilled. "You did?"

"Yeah." Jamie placed her elbow on the bar and rubbed her upper lip with her right index finger. She didn’t look happy about it.

"Who is she?"

"A judge."

Darcy whistled, impressed. "Where did you meet her?"

There was a pause. "Here."

"Here?" Darcy frowned as their phone conversation came back to her. "Wait a minute, was that the girl you were calling me about the other morning?"

Jamie shrugged. "I didn’t know her last name then. I sort of took her home without getting that particular detail."

"You what?"

"I picked her up here and, well, one thing led to another..." She shrugged, not meeting the suddenly intent blue eyes.

"That was a stupid thing to do." Darcy almost shouted it.

Jamie stared at her in surprise. "What?"

"You don’t just pick somebody up for the night."

"Are you kidding me with this? I mean, that’s rich coming from you. You’re the queen of one-night stands. In fact, it is like a religion with you." Jamie was livid. "Really, Darcy, when was the last time you stuck around long enough to develop feelings for anybody?"

She had her there. Darcy couldn’t figure out why it was bothering her, but the thought of Jamie having anonymous sex was irritating her. The vague twinge in the pit of her stomach unsettled her, and she rubbed at the ache. "Never mind." She frowned, fighting down the urge to break something.

Jamie stared at her, feeling angry and defensive and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Of all of the people she’d thought would understand, she thought Darcy would. At the discovery that she didn’t, she felt an ache deep in her chest. Their eyes met, unsure of the undercurrents. Jamie stood up, grabbing her jacket from the stool beside her. "Forget it. I’ve got to go. I’ll see you around." She fled without another word.

Darcy stared at the closed door and frowned. She poured herself another shot and tossed it back, slamming the glass down. Aware of curious looks, she stalked back to the kitchen.

***

With a sinking sense of dread, Shane knew instantly that the police car parked in front of her house had nothing to do with burglary. Two uniformed policemen were flanking her front door. As she got out of her car, she noted that the scene was being played out in front of her interested neighbors. She glared at Alex who was chatting with another man. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I have a search warrant." She produced the document from the inside pocket of her suit jacket.

"I’m calling Ken Landry."

Alex shrugged. "Be my guest. But we don’t need his permission to come inside. We don’t even need yours." Without further ado, she motioned her men forward.

Shane’s stomach twisted as she noticed the plastic gloves they were slipping on. As if she was contaminated. She couldn’t sit there and watch her home being invaded, so she got in her car and left. Then realized that she had nowhere to go, nowhere she could go and hide.

***

She found herself parked in front of Jamie’s house. Jamie watched her from the window for a while, and then went out to see her. "They are searching my house," Shane told her. Jamie frowned. She hadn’t known about it, but it had been inevitable. "I didn’t know where else to go."

Jamie sighed. She opened the driver’s side door. "Come on."

Shane followed Jamie into the living room, where her reluctant hostess offered, "Do you want a coffee?"

"Okay."

They sat facing each other as they drank their coffee. Jamie felt the pull of her presence, but fought against its effect on her body. Shane’s scent drifted over her, and she forced her attention to her coffee.

"What are they looking for?" Shane asked. Jamie shot her a look of disbelief, and Shane had to smile. "I know. This is awkward."

Jamie’s short laugh carried no humor. "Awkward? I’m not sure that’s how I would describe it. Fucked up is the term I would use."

"I wish..." Shane stopped. Wishes were for fools.

"You wish what?"

"I wish I could be alone with you just for a moment without any of this between us. I wish you could look at me and just see me," she finished with a faint smile.

"I did. The first night I saw you. Then you lied to me." Jamie shrugged.

Shane opened her mouth, but closed it as she met Jamie’s quiet look of rebuke. "This is nuts," she finally said.

"You won’t get any arguments from me on that."

"I should go." She stood up to leave, half expecting Jamie to stop her, but Jamie continued to study her without moving. Shane let herself out without another word.

When she heard the car drive off, Jamie stood up and pulled a slip of paper from her pocket — a message that Barney wanted to see her. She knew what that meant. He had something. She felt fear lick at the edges of her soul. Instinct warned her that she was not going to like what he had found.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Darcy stayed angry for two days. She was unable to pinpoint her frustration, but her moodiness started to be noticed. By the weekend, Madison had had enough. "What’s got you so twisted, Stretch?"

"Huh?"

"You’re going around snapping at everybody and everything. You’re just not your usual rude self."

Darcy blew a breath. "Christ, I have no idea. I feel like I have a permanent case of PMS."

"Menopause?"

"Shut up." She pushed a hand through the thick auburn waves and frowned.

Madison studied her for a while. She looked miserable. "Darcy, what is it?" Her voice conveyed her concern.

Darcy started to pace behind the bar. "Something Jamie did pissed me off.

Jamie is sure getting around upsetting everyone, Madison thought. "What did she do?"

"She had a one night stand. ‘A wild one,’ in her words. Now she is mooning over this woman."

"A…" When she saw that Darcy was serious, Madison stopped the bubble of laughter that was threatening to erupt. "I see. Why would that bother you? You do that all the time."

"I know, but it’s not the same thing."

"How so?"

"It’s Jamie." The more she talked the more ridiculous she knew she sounded. "Fuck, that sounded stupid."

"I won’t argue with that," Madison threw at her. Darcy turned to her but Madison dismissed the glare. "That look stopped working on me years ago." A thought suddenly occurred to Madison and her eyes narrowed as she looked at Darcy. "Listen, Darcy, do you have feelings for her?"

"For who? Jamie? Fuck no."

"Mmm, because if I didn’t know better, I would say you’re jealous."

"Jealous? That’s crazy. We’ve been friends for a hundred years."

"Yeah. Still...why would it bother you so much?"

"Maybe I’m jealous because I haven’t had sex in a while." Darcy suddenly stopped pacing. How long has it been? She frowned.

"Darcy, its okay if you have feelings for her. You shouldn’t be scared of feeling them once in a while." Because it was too close to Jamie’s accusation, Darcy turned on her. "What the hell are you talking about? I’m not scared."

Madison rolled her eyes at the heated tones. She smiled at her friend. "I have known you for 20 years, so I’m entitled to say certain things. And you, my dear, have a fear of attachment. And that fear makes you paranoid about commitments."

"I think you need committing."

"Okay." Madison stood up. "Stay grumpy. Most people are used to it. But you might want to think about what I said."

Darcy stared at the door long after Madison had left. Darcy had always been a big believer in living in truth. A part of her could acknowledge her ability to toy with others, but it was a thought she rarely ventured to. A flash of a smile had won her more than her fair share of bed partners, and she had rarely questioned her inability to stay with anyone too long. No one had ever penetrated deep enough below the cool layers to touch her heart. No, she always made it clear at the beginning what she was looking for. Still, it never stopped them from hoping for more. Unaware of or paying very little attention to the impact she had on others, she was often careless with it. Her hand rubbed at the ache in her chest. These were not pleasant thoughts. And it’s all Jamie’s fault, she thought grumpily, knowing deep down inside that it wasn’t.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jamie slipped into the familiar booth across from Barney. "So, what do you have for me?"

He smiled. "Gee, no ‘hello, how are you?’"

"I’m fresh out of pleasantries today. What do you have for me?"

Barney smiled. "I think I hit the mother lode. You might even want to buy me a case of that bourbon you always promise me."

"That good?"

He slid an envelope towards her. "See for yourself."

Jamie took it but did not open it. She left it lying on the table in front of her. She had the feeling that the information would be upsetting.

Barney studied her. "You didn’t tell me you knew the judge."

Jamie started. "Which judge?"

"The dead one."

Jamie felt her heart start to race. The look on her face had Barney smiling. "Don’t worry about it, Saunders. I won’t say anything." He took a sip of his drink. "I got an informant that shall remain nameless, someone who works - or should I say - used to work with the Chief Justice. When I started to ask around, my snitch was more than happy to share some stuff - for the right price, of course." He smiled and she did not like the look of that smile. "It appears that the Chief was into kinky stuff. Taking pictures, that sort of thing. He kept a whole stack of ’em in a safety deposit box." He rubbed his nose once. "It was only a quick step from that to finding the deposit box and its contents." He nodded toward the envelope.

Jamie blanched. She couldn’t find her voice, couldn’t find the nerve to look inside the envelope. She knew now that digging further had been a mistake. When she made no move to look at his findings, Barney reached over and did it for her. He pulled out several typewritten sheets and a stack of Polaroids. "It looks like your pretty judge lady was into it as well, or at least posed for him. Those ones are yummy." He handed them to her and relaxed back, satisfied.

Jamie knew she shouldn’t look, but with almost macabre interest, took them from him. She swallowed and looked down at the pictures. The nausea rose quickly and her forehead broke out in sweat. She felt the tremor in her fingers and was thankful that Barney’s attention was on the baseball game playing on one of the washed out television sets by the bar. She shoved the pictures back into the envelopes, pulled a few bills from her pocket and threw them on the table. She stood up on shaky legs, knowing she was going to be sick.

"You did good Barney, thanks."

He looked at her. "Yeah? Than why do you look so glum?"

She avoided his eyes. "You’re not drunk enough for me to tell you." As she picked up the envelope, she tried to smile but knew she’d failed. "I gotta go. I’ll see you around." The gloomy interior of the bar was suffocating her. The smoke seemed thicker. She felt her stomach clench. If she didn’t leave now, she was going to make a fool of herself.

Barney was disappointed at her reaction. "You were hoping for more? I could continue to dig."

"No. No. This is plenty to move the case forward. If not, I will be in touch. I’ll get you your fee tomorrow."

Barney looked after her departing back, puzzled. He’d thought she would be over the moon with what he’d found. Maybe he would keep digging just in case.

Outside, unable to contain it any longer, Jamie threw up as she leaned a weak hand against the side of her car. She slowly straightened and wiped her mouth with shaky fingers that were as cold as ice. In the car, she waited for the trembling to stop. The panic and shock had come swiftly, and she now struggled for control. She pulled the pictures out once more. There were about a dozen of them in total - black and white, color, of different people in various positions. What had her heart slamming against her ribcage were the pictures of a young blond child with gray eyes. She might have been four, with red bows in her hair. Jamie looked at the photo and felt pity for her younger self. The pictures were innocent looking, the child sitting naked on a blanket, playing with her favorite doll. Except Jamie knew they were not so innocent. She had always loved that doll. What hit her suddenly was the solemn expression on her face, the eyes so very watchful as if waiting. No child of that age should look so serious. Had she ever seen a picture where she was smiling? Unconcerned? She felt the bile creep up her throat and swallowed it back down on a sob. She looked at the pictures again. She stopped at another one. It was a picture of her in full dress uniform taken during her police academy graduation ceremony. The bastard came. How did I miss him? How had he known? She hadn’t seen him. She started to shake again but forced herself to flip through the rest. She felt the pain spear her chest when she stopped at two pictures of Shane in bed with her father and another woman. The shock felt like fire as it went through her. The revulsion came swiftly and she felt the hot tears threaten. She leaned her head against the steering wheel and closed her eyes. You sick bastard. Then her eyes returned to the picture of the golden haired woman, who had shared her bed only days before. Here was Shane’s motive, what she was trying to hide. Was he blackmailing Shane with these pictures? There was a momentary flash of pity for the woman, but anger quickly overtook it. Shane must have known who I was that night, she thought, sickened.

She threw the pictures on the seat next to her. Her hands grabbed the steering wheel until the knuckles showed white. Then she forced herself to slowly relax her death grip. She wiped the tears from her eyes, felt the bitter aftertaste in the back of her throat as she breathed in once deeply through her nostrils. I have to get hold of myself. I have to get out of here.

She drove home in a fog, barely remembering parking the car. As she let herself into the house, the phone was ringing but she ignored it. She kicked off her shoes and marched straight to the living room bar and pulled a bottle off the shelf. She was pouring herself a drink when the phone rang again. Idly, she glanced at the call display, and saw that it was Darcy. For one instant she was tempted. Darcy. The need for her was so great that it left her weak. She suddenly felt unbearably alone. Weakened, Jamie slid to the floor and started to cry, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees, face buried against them. She cried for the innocence she had lost, for the wounds that stubbornly remained tender under the skin.

***

Darcy slammed the telephone down. This had to stop. She had been trying to get hold of Jamie for the better part of the last two days, to no avail. She had even left an apology, which she now regretted, on the answering machine. She grabbed her keys and stormed out of the bar. By the time she got to Jamie’s, she had worked up a pretty good head of steam. If Jamie thinks that she can ignore me, she has another thing coming. She slammed on the brakes and got out of the car. If she thinks I am going to grovel, she is in for a surprise. She slammed the car door shut. Darcy tried the front door and found it unlocked. She walked in. "Saunders, where the hell are you? If you think I’m going to put up with being..." She stopped in the doorway, felt her heart drop, rushed in. "Honey, what is it? Are you okay?" She knelt down next to Jamie and wiped the tear stained face with a gentle hand. Worry sharpened her tone. "What the hell is going on?"

"Darcy?" Jamie couldn’t remember speaking to her, but feeling her touch broke through the fog and she started sobbing again.

Stunned, Darcy wrapped herself around Jamie and held on tight. "Shh... I’m here. I’m here." Her mind whirled; she felt helpless to ease the pain so clearly being felt by the blond woman in her arms. One hand fisted and her eyes narrowed. Whoever hurt her is going to pay, she thought with fury.

They lost track of time as they sat on the floor until the latest wave passed and Jamie had calmed down enough for Darcy to leave her to search for tissues. She returned and sat back down, automatically pulling her friend close. They didn’t say anything, and another hour passed as Darcy sat holding Jamie, her hand stroking her head, her back. Shadows lengthened on the walls as darkness fell around them. The only sound that penetrated the silence was the ticking of a clock in another room.

"Jamie? Honey? I think my ass is asleep. Can we try and get up?" The grumpy tone pulled a smile from Jamie, and she nodded against Darcy’s chest. Darcy stood, then helped Jamie up.

"I need to go wash up," Jamie finally said with a tired voice.

"Good idea. I’ll fix us a drink while you do that."

While Jamie showered, Darcy paced in the kitchen. She was unnerved by the scene which had just played out, and for one brief moment was tempted to run away. "Get a grip," she scolded out loud. She had never before felt so helpless or lost. She of the decisive action didn’t have a clue how to handle this.

At a sound, Darcy turned. Embarrassed by her breakdown and the apparent weakness it conveyed, Jamie averted her eyes. Neither broke the silence, yet each was mindful of it, mindful of all that was going unsaid. Needing something to do, Darcy poured Scotch into a couple of glasses and handed one to Jamie. She sipped hers while looking at Jamie over the rim.

"Don’t," Jamie said, leaving the room.

Darcy stared after her, not knowing what to do. Should I leave? She followed Jamie slowly. "Jamie?"

"What?" Now that she was calmer, Jamie wanted to be alone. Alone with her thoughts. Alone with her memories. Alone with her pain. She avoided Darcy’s eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," she said curtly.

Stung by the wall that had sprung up between them in the last hour, Darcy put her glass down. "I guess I’ll go, if you’re sure you are okay."

"I’m fine." Jamie stared out of the window, feeling the pain deep in her chest and the tears threaten again. Darcy hesitated in the doorway. She tried to think of something to say but words failed her. With a sigh she turned to leave. At the noise of her retreat, Jamie turned to look at her. Just that quickly, need poured through her, leaving her shaken. "Stay."

The word was a whisper but Darcy stopped and turned around. Their eyes met. Jamie pushed a trembling hand through her hair. "I’m sorry. I’m a mess."

Darcy smiled at her. "Yeah honey, you are." Somehow it was the right thing to say and pulled a shaky laugh from Jamie. Darcy crossed back to her and wrapped both arms around her friend. Jamie leaned her head against the strong shoulder and sighed deeply. Why is it that I feel so safe with you? She wondered. She pressed closer, letting Darcy’s strength soothe her.

***

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Darcy asked later as they sat on the sofa, sipping from their drinks.

Jamie tucked her legs in under her and sighed. "I woke up to a nightmare. Except now it is a waking one." Darcy said nothing. Jamie looked at her. "The woman I picked up the other night?"

Darcy felt a twinge at the thought of this unknown woman but unwilling to examine the feelings behind it chose to ignore it. She nodded.

"She’s a suspect in a case Alex and I are involved in." Jamie took a deep breath as she felt the tremor go through her. "The murder of my father." Darcy’s swift intake of breath was the only sign that she had heard correctly. After a long moment, she turned to look fully at Jamie. Aware of her gaze, Jamie stared into the distance. "There are pictures."

Darcy was now convinced that she didn’t want to hear any more. She felt her uneasiness increase, but stayed focused on Jamie’s white face. Jamie turned to look at her and the gray eyes seemed to shift color. "They’re in the car."

"Do you want me to get them?" Darcy asked, her voice uncertain. Jamie’s nod was slight but it was enough. Darcy stood up and left the room. Jamie sat staring at her hands. What was she going to do now? She wrapped her arms around her waist, and felt the cold from inside carry goose bumps across her skin. Darcy returned with the envelope, sat beside Jamie and placed it on the table in front of them. "Go ahead, you can look at them." Jamie said without looking at her.

Darcy hesitated. She took the envelope and pulled out the pictures. Silently she stared at them, one by one. She recognized Jamie in her uniform, Jamie as a baby. She felt the fury course through her but forced herself to go on. When she was done, she put them on the table and turned to look at Jamie. Jamie finally met her eyes.

"The last two are of my father and the woman I met that night at your place."

Darcy froze and her eyes darted to the pictures again. "James..."

"I know. Life has a pretty sick sense of humor if you ask me." The tone was bitter.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The bells hanging from the door jangled cheerfully as Jamie walked into the bookstore. Megan, Alex’s girlfriend, looked up from her invoices and smiled. She immediately noticed the pale, drawn look, the circles under Jamie’s eyes. But what really caught her attention was the stillness, as if the energy that was so much a part of Jamie had been wiped clean

.
Jamie wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs." Moping and missing you, Megan thought as she watched the tall blonde cross the bookstore to the back, where a door led to two apartments upstairs. Alex was sitting in the kitchen, elbows on the table, brooding over the forensics reports. The brown hair found at the scene was Shane’s. She sighed, and then turned as she heard the quick knock before the door opened. She wanted to smile, wanted to go to her, but Jamie’s stillness stopped her. There was a fragility in her friend that made her check her movement. Without a word, Jamie threw some pictures on the table. Alex stared at her but when Jamie added nothing, Alex took the pictures. She studied them one by one. There it was, the motive. Instead of feeling elated, she felt disappointed, diminished by the story behind the pictures.

"Jamie..."

"Do what you need to do, Alex," Jamie finally said. "I don’t want to talk about any of this, not right now. But I want to be there when you confront her."

"Jamie, I’m so sorry," Alex offered.

Jamie looked at her friend, gray eyes swirling with emotion. "I know." She left without another word.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Shane knew when she opened the door and saw Alex and Jamie standing there, that they had found the pictures. Why else would they both show up on her doorstep? The knowledge was there in their body language, the sober look on their faces. She tried to catch Jamie’s eyes but Jamie looked away. Without a word Shane stepped back and opened the door wider as they passed by her. Taking a deep breath, she closed the door and followed them into her living room, her hands twisting nervously in front of her.

Instead of asking her to come back to the station for further questioning, Alex had decided to do the interrogation at Shane’s house. Jamie knew without being told that Alex was doing it for her protection, trying to keep their knowing each other a secret. She was grateful to her for that. But knowing her friend as she did, she also knew that Alex would not accept her gratitude. In the living room Alex turned to look at Shane.

"Should I call my lawyer?" Shane asked.

"If you wish," Alex shrugged. "We just want to get your reaction to something we discovered in our investigation."

Shane glanced at Jamie then back at Alex. "No, that’s fine." She crossed the room; her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet and sat down on a high back Louis IX chair. When Alex handed her a manila envelope, Shane took a deep fortifying breath but her face remained composed. She lifted the flap and looked inside. Her face paled as she stared at each picture then pushed them back into the envelope. She looked up at Alex who sat in the opposite chair watching her. Jamie remained standing by the window unwilling to get closer.

"There is really no denying that that is you in the pictures?" It was less a question than a statement from Alex.

Shane sighed then nodded once.

"We would like to know more about them." Alex added.

Shane gave a short humorless laugh. "I think the pictures say enough don’t you?"

Alex continued to look at her silently. Shane’s faint smile was tired.

"It all happened a long time ago, Detective."

"Perhaps but their relevance is stunning don’t you agree?"

"I made some bad choices. The memories are ugly. Years ago, I expunged them from my mind and got on with my life. I tried to make a new life."

"Very good answer. Except for the fact that those pictures, give us sufficient grounds to wrap a motive around the rest of the evidence that points to you." Alex thoughtfully steeped her fingers under her chin as she regarded the woman. "Let me have a crack at what happened. Years ago you found yourself in a compromising position with a woman and the judge. The how’s still to be figured out. Pictures are taken. Maybe you don’t know that pictures exist. Then years pass and you ironically become a judge in the same court as your youthful indiscretion, we will call it that for lack of a better word, and lo and behold, he has pictures that he uses on you as blackmail after he figures out who you are. Maybe to force you to vote with him on certain cases. Maybe for kicks. Then fed up, you decide to confront him and ask for the return of those pictures. When he refuses you shoot and kill him. How am I doing so far?"

Shane’s face was expressionless. "Pretty good except for the last part. I did not kill him."

Jamie unable to stand still any longer started to pace. "Shane, level with us. Make it easier on yourself. Come clean. What the hell happened in the hotel room that day?"

Shane stared at her exasperated. "You should know."

That stopped Jamie. "What? How the hell would I know? You haven’t told the truth since I’ve met you."

Shane sprang up angry. "And you have? Did you tell the Detective here that we slept together that night?"

"I did."

Shane’s eyes narrowed at that. "And did you tell her that you were there in the hotel room that night too?"

"What? Are you crazy?" Jamie exploded. "I was not." She turned to meet Alex’s look who was suddenly studying her with concern. She shook her head at the unspoken question.

"I saw you that night. I saw you leave the room when I came back the second time. That is why I changed my mind and left," Shane told her heatedly.

Jamie looked at her stunned. "I haven’t a clue what you are talking about."

"Maybe you should start at the beginning." Alex broke through quietly.

Shane sat down as she glared at Jamie. She looked away and rubbed her eyes, feeling suddenly tired. "At a law conference years ago, just after being told that I was being put up for the state Supreme Court vacancy, I met a woman in a bar. One thing led to another, and I found myself in her room. We had a lot to drink; some of what happened next is a bit blurry." She grimaced. "I remember that she asked if it would be okay if a friend joined us. I thought she meant another girl." The laugh was bitter. "I passed out and I woke up alone, with the distinct feeling that there had been a man there, too." She stood up needing to pace. "Over the next few months, I would start to remember things, but it was all so hazy that I kept thinking I had dreamt it. One year after I had joined his court, Judge Reynolds approached me in chambers and gave me a set of pictures. Some of them were pretty graphic and were of just the woman and me. He suggested in a friendly tone that I should follow along with his vote and hinted that if I didn’t, the pictures would end up in the media. I panicked." She turned to Jamie, pleading with her eyes. "I had made a name for myself professionally. I was respected. He knew that I would do anything to protect what I had worked so hard for. It had been a clever set up, I think, right from the beginning." She rubbed her eyes with fingers that trembled slightly.

"He was not above taking kickbacks from interested parties to swing certain votes appropriately. I had heard a few rumors before but never believed them. He was so respected in the court. Being a new addition to his panel, I was an unknown quantity for him. I guess he wanted to make sure I would follow along as my predecessor had. I don’t know how…" Her look was distant for a moment, the curve of her mouth sad. "So, I voted with him. On this last case we were working on, the judge was pressing me for my vote. This time I refused. His decision went against everything that I believed in as a judge and as a woman." She pushed an agitated hand through her hair. "He threatened me with exposure once again. I think I snapped. I was obsessed with getting the pictures back. That is why I was trying to get into his hotel room that day, to steal them. But I did not shoot him." Her hands spread wide, palm up, as if pleading.

Alex regarded her thoughtfully, her look skeptical. "Quite the story."

"It’s the truth." Almost desperately she turned to Jamie. "Tell her."

"Me? What do I have to do with it?" But something had started to nip at the edges of her mind, a thought that was making the hair on her arms stand up. She had already suspected that Shane had known her that night, and now she was starting to wonder if she had been right all along. But how?

"Because you were there. I saw you leave his room. When I entered that bar and found you there, I was shocked. At first I thought I was mistaken. But you came over to talk to me and I thought maybe you had seen me too. I guess that is why I talked to you. I wanted to know what you knew."

"For the last time, I was not in his hotel room!" Jamie almost shouted it.

Shane stared at her, white faced, eyes panicked. "I saw you. Why won’t you tell the truth?"

Perturbed Alex stared at the two of them. Part of her actually believed Shane. Another part wondered about her best friend, and then she was shaken that she would wonder. Then Jamie went very still at a sudden thought and the color drained from her face. "When you saw me that night, what did you really see?" she asked Shane, staring intently at her face.

Shane sank further down in her chair. "You. You were wearing different clothes and a hat, but it was you." Shane stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. "I know it was you. Either that, or I am losing my mind." Shaken she closed her eyes.

Jamie’s eyes met Alex’ and the turbulence in the gray eyes communicated itself to Alex, who frowned at her, suddenly uneasy. Alex stood up, her mind swirling with questions. She turned to Shane. "This changes nothing. This investigation will continue. You are not eliminated from our lists of suspects, Miss Scott."

"But I did not kill him, I swear. I thought...I thought you did." Shane had turned to Jamie. "That is why I wasn’t saying anything about seeing you. I didn’t want you to be guilty. Not after that night." Shane whispered to Jamie, who looked like she was going to be sick. "I wasn’t there Shane. It must have been somebody else."

Shane rubbed her eyes. "It looked like you."

"It wasn’t."

Alex stood up. "We will be in touch." She motioned to Jamie and they crossed back to the door.

"Detective?"

Alex turned. Shane was holding out the envelope. "Don’t forget your evidence."

Alex met her eyes and Shane’s shoulders slumped slightly as her eyes caught Jamie’s shaken look. "Keep them." The grateful light in Shane’s eyes had Alex’s stomach churning at what she had just done. Disappointment twisted her mouth. She just couldn’t be sure if the disappointment was in herself or in Jamie for putting her in that position. She left without another word. Outside, as they stood by the car Alex looked at her friend.

"We need to talk Jamie," she said flatly.

"I know. But not here."

To be continued...

This story is a work of fiction and is not intended to represent any particular individual, alive or dead. This work may not be printed or distributed for profit without the express written permission of the author. Copyright registered with the Library of Congress.