The pub was crowded when Lexie arrived, with people spilling out through the doors and onto the footpath outside. Music and voices intermingled as alcohol-induced vitality ignited the air. Lexie shuffled against the sea of writhing bodies as she made her way to the bar, all the while scanning the crowd of patrons for a familiar face.
After ordering a glass of wine, Lexie headed outside into the courtyard. She found most of her office seated at a long table next to a tree decorated with fairy lights. Giving everyone a wave of greeting, she took a spot next to Sue. Scanning the crowd of familiar faces, Lexie instantly detected the absence of Josh, then scolded herself for noticing.
If only there was a way to disconnect her Josh Harrison radar.
Batman sat at the end of the table deep in conversation with a hard-faced policewoman she recognised from uniform. No surprises there, she thought to herself. Batman was very popular with the girls and could pretty much take his pick. Pausing mid-sentence, he turned towards Lexie, grinned, and gave her a flirtatious wink. He was hopeless, she thought, returning the smile and ignoring the daggers sent from the girl next to him.
She also noted there was no sign of Burgh or Sleazeman. Not that their absence was overly surprising. As far as she could tell, they seemed to keep to themselves. She wondered why they preferred to remain removed from the rest of the office. Did they consider themselves a notch above everyone else? Or was it more accurate to assume they just didn’t fit in? She guessed it was a bit of both.
‘Looking good, as usual,’ Lurch said to her, uncharacteristically cheeky.
He’d been hanging around Batman too long, Lexie thought, grateful she’d ducked home, showered and changed before coming out. She felt refreshed and comfortable in her favourite denim jeans. Her pink singlet top was light, keeping her cool and showing off her tanned shoulders. Her silver sandals were casual, yet classy, and to dress up her outfit she’d accessorised with a variety of silver jewellery. At work, her hair was usually pulled back, so tonight she’d let it hang loose, like a silky veil down her back.
‘We’ve ordered pizzas for everyone; we just need to throw in ten bucks each,’ Sue told her, taking a piece and picking at the topping. She didn’t do carbs. ‘Is that okay with you?’
Great, pizza again! ‘Sure,’ Lexie said.
Sue wore the purple power suit she’d worn to work. The skirt was short enough to show off her muscular legs and the matching camisole top was tight enough to indicate a trim torso.
‘We’re on our first drinks, so you haven’t missed anything,’ Sue said, raising her half-empty glass of champagne in the air. ‘Cheers,’ she said, clinking her glass against Lexie’s. ‘It’s so nice to get out of the office and relax for a while.’
‘Cheers,’ Lexie smiled back, taking her first sip of chardonnay. She closed her eyes and welcomed the cool liquid as it slid down her throat. Sometimes she worried that she’d acquired her grandfather’s taste for alcohol – which was not good considering he’d died from cirrhosis of the liver. The blissful numbness alchohol promised was sometimes just a little too appealing.
‘We were just hedging bets regarding the likelihood of Batman and Lisa hooking up,’ Sue informed her, nodding her head in their direction.
Lurch laughed and, nudging Lexie with his elbow, he held up one hand and used his thumb and index finger to form a circle. A finger from his other hand was used to thrust in and out of the circle, crudely simulating the sexual act. It seemed he had a repertoire of rude gestures for any occasion.
‘I think Batman is going to get some jig-a-jig tonight,’ he cooed in a sing-song voice.
Feigning disgust, Lexie knocked his hands away just as she felt a tap on her shoulder. Glancing around, she saw Josh standing directly behind her. Her mood lightened instantly and although the evening was warm and still, her skin was suddenly hot. He gave her a broad smile that could melt ice, his eyes crinkling at the sides. He was still wearing the suit trousers he’d worn to work but his tie and jacket were gone and his white shirt had been unbuttoned so that a hint of brown chest hair was visible. His sleeves had been rolled up exposing strong forearms and even after a full day at work she could still detect the distinct scent of expensive aftershave.
‘Glad you could make it.’ His voice was sincere.
Raising the beer he held in his hand in a salute, he said, ‘Where have you been? We’ve been here for ages.’
‘I think that’s a slight exaggeration, Josh,’ Sue retorted sharply. ‘I’m surprised you noticed any of us were here at all,’ she continued, a sarcastic edge to her voice. ‘You’ve been over there with your girlfriend for God knows how long.’
Lexie felt her good mood slide.
Josh was quick to answer. ‘I don’t have a girlfriend, Sue,’ he defended. ‘Can someone move over so I can squeeze in?’ he pleaded.
Lexie jumped up. ‘Here, take my seat. I’ve just seen someone I know.’
Dani was walking across the courtyard with a tall, good-looking, blond-haired man. Oh no. Lexie had told her she was too tired to go out and here she was, out with her workmates. She was seriously busted. Better to face the music now before Dani spotted her. Besides, she was curious. Where had this guy come from? Lexie had to hand it to her friend; she was a serious man magnet.
Dani was surprised to see her.
‘Lexie, what are you doing here?’ Her voice was almost accusing. ‘Thought you were too tired to go out? Were you giving me the brush-off? Did you get a better offer?’
Dani stood up on tiptoe to glance over Lexie’s shoulder in the direction she’d come from to see who she might be with.
Lexie shook her head.
‘Sorry, I’m past tired and I was going to go home . . . peer pressure from my new work colleagues. What can I say?’ She shrugged. ‘I wasn’t intending to stay long. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.’
Dani waved her hand in the air in disinterest.
‘Enough with the excuses. That detective in your office wouldn’t have anything to do with you being here would it?’
Dani laughed at the look on her face.
‘Don’t answer that. We can catch up next week. I’m off to Port Macquarie in the morning for an undercover job. I’m not sure how long I’ll be away.’
Since completing the undercover course together two years ago, they had both been utilised as operatives in a number of drug operations. Though, unlike her friend, whose ambition was to join the undercover branch, Lexie found it fun and exciting to carry out this field of work on a casual basis only – when she was required. Becoming a full-time UC was way too dangerous and life-consuming for her liking. She knew guys who had worked deep undercover for years and loved it, but it was high pressure and took its toll. Living a double life with an assumed identity in a permanently staged existence left little or no time for a real life or normal relationships.
It was also no easy task walking a fine line between good and bad. As a UC you are in continual contact with organised crime, which increases the likelihood of corruption. It takes a certain type of person to be able to keep their real identity, to remember their purpose, and not be swayed to the dark side by the criminal entities with which they are forced to associate. Lexie hoped Dani could handle the secluded and unpredictable life of an undercover cop.
Lexie, suddenly realising they were being rude, turned to the man standing next to them and extended her hand.
‘Sorry, I’m Lexie Rogers.’
‘Oh sorry, sorry,’ Dani gushed as though suddenly remembering her manners. ‘This is my friend Lexie,’ Dani explained to her companion. ‘You remember her?’
Lexie was confused.
Dani’s companion nodded and shot Lexie a killer smile. Taking her hand, he raised it to his mouth and brushed smooth lips across her skin. Lexie stood staring at him, stunned. Wow, was this guy smooth or what; incredibly confident and very good-looking.
‘Of course I remember Lexie. How could I forget the beautiful girl who got bashed up by a bikie?’
‘This is Doctor Rod Bream. He treated you at the hospital,’ Dani explained.
‘How is the head injury?’ he asked, still holding her hand.
His eyes held hers longer than necessary and she was the first to look away. Lexie felt a stab of fear for Dani. This guy was a heartbreaker. She could feel it. But then again, so was her friend. Maybe they were the perfect match.
Dani laughed but it was a strained, high-pitched sound. She’d noticed his interest and was unimpressed.
‘You are right, of course. Not many people can forget Lexie.’
Lexie felt her cheeks redden. She felt awkward, unwittingly stuck in the middle of something she didn’t fully understand. Expertly changing the subject, she bid them a swift good night and returned to the table feeling a bit unsettled. From the corner of her eye she’d noticed Josh watching while she was talking to Dani and her doctor. Now he was standing away from the table, deep in conversation with a girl. It was the little blow-up doll he’d been with the other night. Now was a good time to get another drink, she decided.
Lexie had only just got to the bar when Josh was suddenly beside her.
‘Can we talk for a minute?’ he asked, taking a sip from his full glass of beer.
He’d ditched the inflatable doll quickly, Lexie thought with a dash of satisfaction that was swiftly replaced by a twinge of unease as she wondered what he wanted to talk to her about. She hoped he wouldn’t bring up the kiss. They’d got through the day without discussing it, as though by unspoken mutual agreement. She only hoped he wasn’t going to make things awkward by making it an issue now.
Accepting her glass of wine from the barman, Lexie followed Josh towards the front bar of the pub. From behind, she watched the way he moved. He was lean, fit, probably a runner or all-round athlete. That would certainly explain why he seemed to have less body fat than a jockey, especially considering what he ate.
Although the crowd was still considerable, being a Monday it seemed some of the after-work drinkers had left for the evening and they got lucky, snagging a table just as a couple were leaving, right at the front of the bar. The French windows were pushed wide open and Lexie thought it was the perfect place to watch the world go by and appreciate the cool breeze blowing in off the street.
They had no sooner sat down when Josh downed the remnants of his beer and jumped up to get another one. Lexie was sure the glass had been full only moments ago. It appeared Josh liked a drink just as much as he liked his food, she thought.
‘Should have got one when you were at the bar,’ he stated, sitting back down. Then, glancing at her barely touched wine, added, ‘Do you want me to get you another one?’
Lexie laughed. ‘No, I have to go easy. I drove.’
Josh looked disappointed.
‘I was hoping you were going to get drunk with me, and in our alcohol-induced haze, manage to solve the case. You can always catch a taxi home. I can drop you back at your car tomorrow,’ he suggested.
Lexie was tempted. It would be blissful to get mind-numbingly smashed so she didn’t have to think about this morning’s text message and who sent it. Or to worry about going home to an empty unit, and the anxiety and nightmares that would bring. But she couldn’t allow herself that indulgence. Alcohol dulled the senses and she needed all of hers to remain alert. She also couldn’t allow her paranoia to get the better of her; she had to stay in control. Besides, could she really trust herself after a few drinks with Josh? Alcohol was a social lubricant that lowered defences. She had too many reasons to keep her defences on full alert.
‘Have you recovered from our encounter with Barney Magentagitt?’
Lexie chose her words carefully. ‘It was certainly an experience.’
Once they’d established Maggot’s alibi and realised they would get no further information out of him, he’d been conveyed to the charge room and smacked with the standard assaulting police and resisting arrest. Like the angry little ant he was, Maggot had handled it so badly, flailing out at anyone who came near, he’d had to be placed in a padded cell – for his own protection. He was probably still there now. Lexie felt sorry for the poor uniform guys having to deal with the idiot.
‘What I still don’t get is that, if he had an alibi, why was he hiding out like a criminal at his mother’s house? Are we going to charge his mother, Dorothy, for harbouring?’
Josh laughed. ‘Not a priority at the moment but maybe later on. Wait until you see her. She’s a female replica of Maggot. It’s scary.’
Josh shook his head. ‘It’s frustrating. Our main suspect, who we’ve been looking for, had an alibi the whole time. That’s weird but not an offence. We have no physical evidence. The bullet casings have been sent for DNA testing but that’s still going to take at least a week – if we’re lucky. We have a dying declaration but no clue as to what it means. The bikies are so insular they would rather die than tell us anything. They’re not talking on the phones, not even in code. It feels like the calm before the storm. Something’s brewing and we need to find out what it is and stop it before it explodes.’
‘How do we do that?’
Josh shrugged and slouched back in his chair. ‘I have no idea.’
He drained the remnants of his beer and then placed the glass on the table, his gaze floating around the room again.
At that moment, the door to the restaurant kitchen flew open and a waitress appeared balancing plates of food in her hands. As she moved past them the smell of barbecued meat wafted through the air assaulting Lexie’s nostrils and filling her lungs. Lexie willed herself not to gag, the stench reminding her of Katia, Maggot’s girlfriend who’d set herself alight, and she choked out a cough. The association was disturbing.
Josh didn’t seem to notice the smell. He looked suddenly uncomfortable.
‘I didn’t just want to talk to you about work, to tell you the truth.’
He started to play with his empty glass, twirling it around in circles on the table.
‘I don’t want things to be awkward between us, so I need to apologise about last night.’
Lexie stared at him, feeling her bones grow heavy. So he did regret kissing her?
Josh glanced up fleetingly before his gaze returned to the glass.
‘In case you haven’t noticed I’m not real good with words.’
He gave a forced laugh, still not meeting her eyes.
‘Lexie, I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. It was . . . presumptuous and unprofessional.’
Funny, she’d thought it extraordinary, spontaneous and incredibly passionate. But if he’d found the kiss so unremarkable that it was easily forgotten, she could do the same. Or at least try!
‘I agree,’ she said, willing herself not to blush.
Her heart was pounding so hard she felt a bit sick.
‘It was probably inappropriate on both our parts. I hadn’t really given it much thought.’
Now that was one of the biggest lies she’d ever told.
‘Let’s just put it down to exhaustion, a moment of insanity. I’m happy to forget it ever happened. Like you, I don’t want any awkwardness or misunderstandings to damage our working relationship.’
Lexie knew she was rambling so she brought her wine to her lips to stop herself talking.
When Josh met her eyes she had a moment of confusion. He looked disappointed, dejected. For someone who had brought it up, he didn’t seem overly enthused about their decision to forget about it.
‘Well, I’m glad we got that sorted,’ he said, somewhat uncomfortably. ‘I might just get another drink.’
Lexie nodded so hard she felt the beginnings of a headache.
‘I might just use the ladies.’
She couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Could that have been any more embarrassing? Staring blankly at her reflection in the restroom mirror, Lexie had an internal debate as to what to do next. She couldn’t stay in here forever. Besides, it was a positive thing that Josh had broached the subject, she told herself. It had cleared the air and would eventually help to ease the tension that had been floating between them all day.
Do you really believe that?
God, she hated that voice sometimes. It didn’t matter if she believed it or not. Josh had made it blatantly clear last night’s moment of . . . whatever it was, meant nothing to him. So she should forget all about it, absorb herself completely in the case. Sure her pride was dented, if she was completely honest with herself. And she hated the cheerless flutter that had started in her chest, and the feeling a hand was strangling her from the inside, but that would pass. She hoped. See what happens when you let yourself feel, she thought angrily.
Her interior dialogue was still going as she re-applied her lip-gloss. This was her first murder investigation. She needed to be fully committed. She could not, would not, allow any misguided notions of romance or raging hormones to distract her from her purpose ever again. Now, go out there and act normal. Whatever that was!
As soon as Lexie stepped outside the ladies’ room her eyes automatically travelled to the spot where she’d just been sitting. Her body stiffened and froze mid-step. Josh was back at the table but now, sitting in her place, was the little blonde blow-up doll.
Her heart sank as she paused beside a pillar. Thus far unobserved, she watched their interaction. She couldn’t see Josh’s face, his back was to her, but his posture appeared rigid. The girl on the other hand was animated and happy, flicking her short blonde hair out of her eyes as her flirtatious giggle split the air.
Lexie’s stomach twisted. So this was why he regretted the kiss? He was feeling guilty.
Seeming to sense Lexie’s eyes on them, the girl met her gaze. A triumphant smile flashed across her attractive, yet overly decorated features. She looked like the cat that just ate the canary.
Josh was staring out into the street and missed the exchange. With her heart pounding hard, Lexie broke the gaze, her eyes darting around the room, flustered and seeking an escape. She glanced at the door, resisting the urge to bolt.
No, she would walk straight over there, back to her seat. What was she scared of, for God’s sake?
But before she could take a forward step, the girl leant across the table – her rounded breasts almost spilling out of her low-cut dress – as she closed the space between them. Tiny fingers with red tips clamped around both sides of Josh’s face and brought it towards hers.
In that moment Lexie’s body turned to stone. Time slowed and everything else in the room vanished into insignificance. Voices, glasses clinking, blaring music, an orchestra of noises drained like water down a sink as she watched the girl’s painted lips press against Josh’s mouth in a lingering kiss. Lexie didn’t need a direct line of vision to imagine the mark they left. She was making a point, staking her claim.
Unexpected and illogical pain stabbed into her gut. The agony, so severe, felt like she was being ripped apart from the inside. Refusing to hang around and watch the show a moment longer, she started to push her way through the throng of people. The room was closing in on her and she feared she’d scream if she didn’t get out soon. The crowd moved against her like an undertow, hampering her getaway, but she finally made it outside, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light.
The night air had cooled considerably, yet Lexie felt as if she was a hot ball of molten lava, ready to erupt. Can someone spontaneously combust from sheer anger, she wondered. As she marched to her car, parked a few blocks away, her mind struggled to keep up with the influx of emotions shooting though her body.
She was furious at Josh, but also at herself. How could she be so stupid as to allow herself to believe that kiss had meant something? How had she allowed herself to be attracted, have any feelings whatsoever for an arrogant playboy like Josh Harrison? What happened to keeping her distance and staying in control? Humiliated, she wanted to hit herself in the face, knock some sense into her thick head.
Stopping for a moment, Lexie reached into her bag and searched impatiently for her car keys. A man jogging past startled her and she took a vice-like grip on her bag. She almost willed him to have a go. If someone was stupid enough to target her right now, attempt a bag snatch, she felt like she could kill him with her bare hands. If that didn’t work, well, there was always the gun hidden in her ankle holster.
After getting the text message this morning, Lexie had decided she was keeping her gun with her at all times. It was against police rules and instructions; it should be locked away in the gun safe when not on duty, but no one would notice. Besides, what use were police rules to her if she was dead?
She got into her car and slammed her hands onto the steering wheel, incensed and fighting the urge to cry. Lexie had never wanted to become involved with a cop anyway. Policemen had way too many opportunities thrown at their feet. Women loved a man in uniform and they loved plain-clothes detectives even more. Maybe it was a power thing – she wasn’t sure, had never understood it, but what she did know was that she’d seen some very attractive woman throw themselves at some very unattractive men, all because they carried a badge. It had never ceased to amaze her!
Starting the car, she mechanically negotiated the dark familiar streets as she headed for home. Her mind was a million miles away, spinning like a kaleidoscope of colourful emotions.
‘All men are pigs.’
She said it out loud. Haven’t you learnt they can’t be trusted?
The interior car light flickered in apparent agreement. It often did this when she drove at night. Usually, Lexie liked to think it was her brother letting her know he was around. But right now her mood was bleak. Her belief in anything magical or other-worldly was sadly lacking. The light flickered again. She decided it was a faulty globe.
When Lexie pulled up outside her unit the street was surprisingly quiet, eerie, and she couldn’t shake the sense she was not completely alone. The skin on the back of her neck prickled and a shiver ran down her spine. She was suddenly alert to every shadow, every noise, and each hint of movement. Was someone out there, hiding in the dark, watching her every move, waiting to pounce?
Stop being so paranoid.
The sound of her phone ringing broke through her thoughts. Pulling it out of her bag, she checked the caller identification. It was Josh. She let it go to message bank. Staring at the screen, she realised she had a new text message. Was that Josh as well? She opened it and gasped as she read the words.
‘DO YOU KNOW WHAT CURIOSITY DID TO THE CAT?’
Lexie’s heart took off in her chest. She made an instinctive sweep of her surroundings. Who was doing this to her? She checked the number. It was the same as the earlier text message. Someone was trying to scare her and it was really starting to work. She touched her ankle, felt the metal of her weapon and had a second of reassurance. She would use her gun if she had to. She’d done it once before. She could do it again.
Today she had rung the gaol purely to satisfy herself that Amitt Vincent was safely behind bars. He was. Of course he was. But that didn’t mean his mates weren’t behind this; weren’t out there somewhere lurking in the shadows.
Lexie was just contemplating making a mad run for it when a large raindrop slapped her windscreen. She watched it slide down the glass in a crooked line. A second later another drop smacked the glass, then the skies opened up and it was pouring. Her heart pounded in time with the rain. Counting to three, she grabbed her bag and made a dash towards the shelter of her apartment block, towards the safety and security of her own little haven, where nothing, and no one could hurt her.
At least that was what she told herself.