Saboteur: A Novel Read Online Free Page A

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detective, help you out of all kinds of messes. But there’s something about
you. It’s odd. We’ve just met, but I feel--I don’t know how to explain—I feel I
can’t lie to you. You’re almost movie star good-looking, do you know that?”
    “Well,” he said chuckling
nervously.
    “Are you a real cop,” she said
staring directly at him for the first time.
    “Look,” she whispered “they locked that
door behind you, I think, and I’m feeling kind of hot in here--bothered
really--no windows and we are completely alone. I’m newly single and if I
confess will y--”
    The woman started to put her hand
inside her black, sheer blouse, almost panting. Sullivan’s face flushed as she
started to get up from her chair.
    “Put me on that table,” she said
pointing “and I’ll tell you absolutely anything you want to know, detective.”
    She put out her cigarette in an
empty cup, which sizzled and now she was practically on top of him, crawling
over the tiny desk that separated them. He had no idea what to do. He stumbled
backward in his chair, but fell instead, knocking frantically on the door. No
one was there. He pounded now as the woman’s hand reached inside his buttoned
shirt.
    “I’ll sign anything you want me to,
stud,” she purred.
    She was now pushing up against him
breasts and all. By the time the door finally flew open, he fell through to the
other side directly on his face. All around him was laughter. The bulldog
sergeant was giving high fives and people were doubled over in fits, even the
detectives, and now the suspect, who was re-buttoning her blouse, reached a
hand down to help him up.
    “Name’s Rodriguez. Undercover
squad, Prostitution and Narcotics. Sorry man, they made me do it.”
    Sullivan laughed the laugh of a man
taken by complete surprise.
    “If you’re half as good a detective
as your boss says that will probably be the last time any of us will have
anything over on you. We couldn’t pass on the opportunity,” she shrugged,
smiling.
    Tackett’s drill sergeant demeanor
suddenly evaporated; he sounded like someone’s sweet old uncle as he reached
out his hand to shake. Everyone was now lining up to shake hands and do a
proper introduction. The last in line was a guy near his age, who looked him
over closely, squinting as they shook hands.
    “Okay, Ice Man,” he said imitating
the film, “we told you to knock twice. I’m Sheppard. I’ll be seein’ you
around,” he said. “Try not to solve all the cases ok, save some for us mere
mortals.”
    His reputation had clearly preceded
him here. Dickson must have really wanted rid of him after all. Tackett threw
an arm around him bear hug style and pointed.
    “The Chief’s office is all the way
in the back and don’t let that guy put you to sleep. He comes across dry as a
bone, but he’s a barrel of laughs after a couple of shots Jack Daniels.”
    Actually for Sullivan, dry sounded
pretty good right about now. The morning had already been stressful
enough.  
    Rodriguez strolled by and without
looking, under her breath whispered, “meant what I said about that movie star
thing.”
    He watched her walk away
admiringly.
    “And the Botox,” she snickered.
    Maybe San Diego wasn’t going to be
so boring after all.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter
4
    Incursion

 
    She had never seen such a look of concern on Apollon’s face
in all the years she had known him.
    “Please forgive the intrusion, he
said, “but it is your husband, he has left this house under very odd
circumstances. I fear something dreadful is afoot, madam. He was with his
nephew and another man. His face, the second man, stayed most conspicuously
hidden; but he looked like a relative, though one I never met. I have been with
him for twenty-four years and in that whole time he has never once departed
without explaining exactly when he would return.”
    “I need no