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THE DETERMINED BUZZ from Dee’s cellphone disturbed her soak in the soothing bubble bath. She grabbed her phone from the side of the tub. “Hello?”
A man mumbled then laughed.
“I’ve had enough of this.” Dee sat up. “Who is this? Why do you keep calling my phone?”
He hung up.
“Okay, you wanna play games?” She blocked his number. “Then your ass can play with someone else.”
The phone buzzed again.
Armando Urena displayed on the screen.
“Shit.” Dee answered, “Armando?”
“Detective Quarter.” He breathed into the phone. “How...how are you doing?”
“I’d be a lot better if people would stop playing on my phone. What do you want?”
“Playing on your phone? Is something wrong?”
“It’s not your business. Did you need something?”
“Remember when I asked you out before?”
She lowered herself back in the tub. “Which time?”
He grinned. “I don’t mean to be a bother.”
“Well, I’ve told you over and over I’m not interested and you keep asking.” She put the phone on speaker and submerged in the suds. “I’ve run out of patience with this, Armando. Asking me a few times is one thing but to keep asking is harassment.”
“If you got to know me better you’d give me a chance.”
“When a woman says no it’s no. You’re too young for me anyway.”
“Age is nothing but a number.”
“Not to me.”
“We don’t have to go on a date.” He sighed. “You can come to the studio and see my photography. I’m just trying to be your friend and wanted to thank you for solving the case.”
“It’s my job.” She got the back brush. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to date someone involved in a case.”
“Since when?” His tone got rougher. “You dated Grayson Paul when he was a suspect in your case. Why is this any different?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I get it.” His chuckled sounded quite eerie. “He’s a famous mystery writer, and I’m a nobody so he gets exceptions, right?”
“I don’t have to explain my decisions to you, okay? I’m never going out with you. If you call again, I’m gonna take legal action. Do you want that?”
“No,” he whispered.
“Then have a nice life.” She hung up. “Creep.”
****
“LISA?” DETECTIVE WINSTON Lewis hurried inside the lounge of the police station the next morning. “I’m glad I caught you alone.” His curly, brown hair stood up at the ends, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face.
“Winston, please.” Lisa waited at the vending machine for her cinnamon roll to come out. “I’m not in the mood for it today, okay? I’ve had a headache since I got up.” She scooped up the cinnamon roll. “I gotta get sugar in me or I’ll go insane.”
Winston snatched the cinnamon roll. “This is important.” He lowered his voice as two officers went to the ice machine across the room. “It’s about Dee.”
“What is it?”
He gyrated, glancing around the room. “Come here.” He pulled her through the hall and into the secluded stairwell.
“What’s wrong?” She observed his blue eyes, which resembled the sky after rain. “I’ve never seen you so rattled.”
With his hands on his waist, he straightened his tall frame. “Is Dee here yet?”
“No, but she should be shortly.” She took her cinnamon roll back. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
He stroked his wide forehead. “Shit, I can’t find the words.”
“Winston.” She grabbed his hand, trying to ignore the glow of his gorgeous tan skin. “What in the hell is going on? Is Dee in some kind of trouble?”
“Here.” He took out his cellphone and slapped it in her palm. “Open the link.”
Lisa clicked on the link and a woman’s voice came out of nowhere.
“You want a date?” the voice asked. “Enter me now.”
A animated woman with boobs as big as bowling balls, strutted to the center of the page and exposed her naked backside. The words “enter me” sat over her ass.
“What the hell is this?” Lisa scrolled through the page. “Winston?”
“It’s a site where women post profiles so they can meet men for sexual fetishes and whatever hell else.”
“I see what it is,” she snapped. “Why are you showing it to me? What does this have to do with Dee?”
“See the list of profiles?”
“Yeah.” Lisa scrolled through the huge list of half-naked women in pornographic poses looking to hook up with whoever checked out their page. “What am I supposed to be looking for?”
“Keep scrolling.” Winston propped his arm on the railing of the stairs.
Lisa stopped on the last name of the list.
Dee Quarter
“What the?” Lisa shrieked.
“Quiet.” Winston peeked into the hall. “The point of us talking here is so the entire station doesn’t find out.”
“What is this?” She stuck the phone in his face. “Winston?”
“I don’t know, damn it! Someone emailed me the link this morning.”
“Why would Dee have a profile on this site?”
“That’s not all she’s got on there.” Every time he moved, Lisa got a whiff of his musky cologne. “Look at the picture gallery on her profile,” he instructed.
Lisa opened the gallery and a page of graphic pictures featuring Dee loaded one by one.
“What the...?” Lisa covered her mouth.
“Lisa, what’s going on?”
“You’re asking me?”
Photos of Dee in different poses and performing sexual acts filled the page.
“My god this is disgusting.” She waved the phone. “This...this can’t be real.”
Winston rubbed his hair in the back. “It looks very real to me.”
“How the hell did this happen?”
The pictures became more appalling by the second.
Lisa held her breath. “I don’t believe this.”
“You know Dee better than anyone. Why would she do this?”
“I don’t know what’s going on.” Lisa stared at the pictures. “Dee wouldn’t do anything like this in a million years.”
“Did you see the end of her profile? She invites men to contact her and her phone number and address is on there for the world to see.”
“I’m just...” Lisa shook her head as more photos appeared. “I’ve been shocked before but never like this. I’m seeing it but still can’t believe it.”
“Uh-oh.” Winston pointed toward the door. “She passed the stairs.”
“Shit.” Lisa gave him his phone. “What do we do?”
“You’re her best friend.” Winston stared at the photos. “Show her the pictures.”
“Give me that.” Lisa took the phone. “And wipe the drool off your chin.”