“Take the tape to the lab, Detective, and then go relieve the officers watching Reese’s house.”

Freddie’s mouth fell open. “For real?”

“You heard me.”

He stalked out of the conference room, slamming the door behind him.

“I’m, um, going to check on the canvas,” McBride said, scooting out after him.

Malone studied Sam.

“What?” she snapped.

“Being kind of hard on Cruz, aren’t you?”

“You told me to run my command any way I see fit. That’s what I’m doing.”

“How do you know he lied?”

“I know him.”

“Very well,” Malone said. “I’ll leave you to it. You know where I am if you need me.”

When she was alone, Sam paced the small room. The frustration threatened to boil over. Where was Clarence Reese? Who killed Julian Sinclair? How would she deal with Nick and his devastation in the midst of two homicide investigations? And lastly, who had been chewing on her partner’s neck?

Chapter 15

Gonzo sat on the floor outside Duncan Quick’s apartment for more than an hour. A window at one end of the hall looked out over South Beach, eleven stories below. The boredom gave him far too much time to think about the incredible night he had spent with Christina Billings.

She had surprised him with her willingness to sleep with him after just two dates. He’d expected to have to work harder to win over a sharp, successful woman like her. Not that he was complaining. No way. The woman was h-o-t. It was just that not too many people surprised him anymore after ten years as a cop.

Not only did she surprise him, she intrigued him. He wasn’t used to being intrigued by women. Entertained, yes. Intrigued? Not so much. He’d expected her to be like most of the women who passed through his life as transients. They were on their way to something more lasting, something they knew they wouldn’t find with him. So he had a reputation for being a bit of a player. So what?

“I think I might keep this one around for a while,” he muttered to himself. “See what transpires.” Of course the fact that Sam had freaked when she saw them together only added to Christina’s appeal. “A smart man wouldn’t antagonize his boss.” Laughing to himself, Gonzo combed his fingers through jet-black hair. “I guess I’m not that smart.”

He checked his watch again. Where the hell was Quick? The neighbors hadn’t been able to shed any light on his whereabouts. In fact, no one had seen him since the previous morning. Gonzo had already checked all the neighborhood haunts he’d been told Quick frequented to no avail.

His cell phone rang. “Gonzales.”

“What’ve you got?” Sam asked.

“Nothing yet. No sign of Quick anywhere.”

“Interesting.”

“How long do you want me to wait?”