Novak nodded. “Yes, there is. Reach across with your other hand now, if you please. Take the holster off. Throw it in the car.”

“Sure thing, Chief,” Milo said slowly, and did as Novak said.

“That’s what I want to hear,” Novak said. “‘Sure thing, Chief.’ That’s exactly what you should be saying to me. What about you, Miss Lamont? Want to accompany me to the station?”

Amber didn’t see any other choice. “Sure thing, Chief,” she said.

Chapter 14

THE BAR WAS CALLED SALLY’S, and when they walked in they were greeted by two guys who could not dance.

There was no dance floor, but they had two girls up with them. The girls danced without enthusiasm, and the guys sang along to the music and jerked their bodies in search of a rhythm that remained amusingly elusive. Kelly didn’t think they minded, though. They were way too drunk.

The bar was loud, but it was a weekday, and there weren’t a whole lot of people there. Wait, was it a weekday? Kelly frowned. She really didn’t know.

“Ooh, a redhead,” said the guy propping up the near end of the bar. “I do like redheads.” He was in his early twenties, good-looking. She didn’t know how many beers he’d had, but it was probably too many. “Is it true what they say about them,” he continued, “about how fiery they are? I heard redheads are animals in the sack. Are you an animal in the sack?”

He grinned. She looked at him, chewed her lip, and said, “You wouldn’t happen to know a Ricky, would you?”

He slapped his own chest. “That’d be me.”

“Yeah, I kinda knew it would be.”

He leered. “What can I do for you, baby?”

“My friends and I were hoping to talk to you for a while,” she said, “if you’re not too busy. We’ll buy you a drink.”

“You don’t look old enough to be buying drinks, miss,” said the bartender, looking up. “I’m gonna have to card you.”

She smiled politely. “I’m not drinking, and I’m not buying, but my friend Warrick here is way over twenty-one.”

“And I demand a beer!” Warrick said, pounding his fist on the bar.

“Do not hit my countertop,” said the bartender.

“Then I request a beer, please,” Warrick said quietly, and stroked the bar. “Whatever Ricky here is drinking.”

“I don’t want a beer from you,” said Ricky, “I want a beer from Red, here. What you wanna talk to me about, beautiful? If you like, we could go somewhere a little more private. I would gladly sing like a bird for you.”

“Not interested in singing, Ricky. Just talking.”

Ricky shrugged, and the two dancers came over. They had somehow lost their dancing partners. The first guy was huge. “Party-Monster!” he roared.