Chapter Ten
“Thank you for listenin’ to me earlier.”
“Anytime.”
After Aggie had lost her shit in front of Ten, he’d finished securing her house, and they’d driven to her office. Telling him how she felt had been cathartic. She didn’t realize how much she’d kept bottled up until it just exploded.
And what’s more, he understood her.
Aggie wondered if his empathy came from his own past trauma. She didn’t know the whole story yet, but Aggie assumed Ten would tell her shortly.
After heading down the hallway, they arrived at her office. Polly stood with a scowl when they walked into the room.
Aggie smiled brightly. “This is my friend, Tennessee Ross, the one who’s been helpin’ with this case.”
Ten stood there awkwardly for a second and then stuck his hand out. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am, most folks call me Ten.”
Aggie could tell he was making an effort for her and she appreciated it. Socializing didn’t come naturally to Ten. Polly shook it, though Ten flinched, so she must’ve been gripping him hard.
“Ten ain’t a name, it’s a number.” Polly frowned.
His face went blank again, and Ten didn’t reply.
“She was kiddin’. Ain’t that right, Polly?” Aggie elbowed the older woman.
“No. Where have you been? I must’ve called you ten times this morning.” She narrowed her eyes, glancing at Aggie’s shoulder. “And what happened to your arm? You’re favorin’ it like you got hurt.”
“Right, um, there’s been a development.” And then Aggie explained what happened at her place. “Oh, and I also got shot, but Ten patched me up, and I’m right as rain.” She tried to make light of it. The last thing she needed was Polly in a panic state.
“Did he now?” Sarcasm dripped from her tone.
“He had nothin’ to do with my injury.”
“So you say.” Polly didn’t look convinced.
“It happened because of the case.”
“The one I told you not to take?”
Aggie closed her eyes. “The very same.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect her. She’s stayin’ with me from now on.” Ten stepped beside her, and she resisted the urge to lean against him.
Aggie had never been the kind of girl who wanted a knight in shining armor to rescue her, and yet there was something tempting about being the damsel in distress, at least for the moment. It made Aggie feel sheltered, looked after. Although, Ten wasn’t quite a white knight, more like the villain of a fairytale. But who said scoundrels can’t be protective, too? Under certain circumstances, anyway.
Polly snorted and turned pointedly to Aggie. “Like I already told you, stay with Coop and me.” She placed a hand on her hip. “Besides my husband’s got a shotgun and shovel if need be.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll be fine.”
“You’d better be.” Polly lifted her chin, daring Ten to say a word, but he remained stoically silent. “I can’t talk you into droppin’ this case for all our sakes?”
“No, I’ve gotta see this through, but promise me, you’ll watch your back.” Aggie was worried Polly might get caught in the crossfire.
She nodded. “Coop’s got me covered.”
“Police, open up.” Someone banged on the door. Loudly.
Aggie gasped.
There was another forceful knock.
“I’m coming!” She hurried over and opened the door. A blond man stepped inside. Like Ten, he wore a nice suit, and they nodded to one another. Aggie wondered if the two had met before.
Before she could ask, the newcomer pinned her with his bright blue eyes. “Well if it isn’t the lady of the hour, I’ve been lookin’ all over Hell for you, and I mean it literally.”
He looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. Although Aggie knew he worked for the police department, obviously. It didn’t bode well for her. She’d spent some time around law enforcement, but she’d never run into trouble with one of them before.
She glanced at Ten whose lips settled into a thin line and then back to Mr. Blue Eyes.
“And who might you be?” Aggie asked.
“Detective Benjamin Frost and you’re comin’ with me for questioning.”
And then he hauled her out of the office, over both Ten’s and Polly’s objections.
***
“What happened?”
Aggie glanced around to delay answering Frost’s question.
As soon as they’d got to the police department, he’d dragged her into an interrogation room instead of interviewing her at his desk, or another neutral location. Evidently, she was a suspect in the destruction of her own home.
Hell’s police department was a tiny, postage-stamp sized place. Like the old television show, Mayberry, they only had a couple of jail cells and a few desks. There wasn’t exactly a crime wave in town.
“Miss Byrd?” he prompted.
“My place got shot up.”
“Yeah, thanks for statin’ the obvious, but who did it?”
Most of the time, the police responded to minor emergencies. Her Swiss-cheesed house must feel like a Law& Order moment for them. They’d probably celebrated with a round of donuts from Sugar Daddies.
All that’s missin’ is yummy Detective Stabler.
Although, Benjamin Frost was a hottie in his own right. He had short strawberry blond hair, a layer of stubble on his chin, and those soulful eyes. He wore a pinstriped blue suit, and it was pressed. He was a dapper dresser, and he seemed out of place in this tiny town. Yes, the man was handsome, and she’d have to be blind not to notice. Although, she was too preoccupied with a certain mobster to take it a step further.
“I have no clue.”
Aggie knew better than to point the finger at Santiago. If she did, the police would start digging deeper into the case, and then things would unravel. Immigration and the Feds would get involved. They’d find out about Diego, too, and she’d be in seriously deep shit.
His brows cinched together. “So you didn’t get a look at the shooter?”
“Nope, not with all the runnin’ and screamin’. Besides, he wore a ski mask, so I didn’t see his face.”
“What about his weight and height?”
Aggie shrugged. “Average weight and height.”
“Thanks, that’s very helpful.”
“Yeah, I try.”
“And you don’t know why somebody would want you dead?”
She shook her head. “Well, I’m a private eye and I have plenty of pissed off husbands who’d like to shoot my ass after I’ve helped their wives.”
“A philanderin’ husband who happens to own an AK-47, accordin’ to ballistics?”
“I appreciate your skepticism, but I’m as puzzled as you.” Aggie kept her focus and made her answers breezy.
“And yet you don’t seem shaken up.” He leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. “Most people would be hidin’ underneath their beds.”
A long pause ensued.
“I’m sorry. Were you askin’ a question? Or makin’ an observation?”
“Consider it an offhand remark.” He scribbled a note to himself.
“Well, I’m not most people. Due to my job, I’ve been in plenty of sticky situations.”
“So you get shot at a lot then?”
“No, but I’m prepared for the worst.”
“And you don’t seem broken up about the property damage either.”
“I have insurance. Besides, it’s only stuff.”
He leaned forward, his gaze locked on her. “Are you okay?”
She shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, why does everyone keep asking me that?”
“I’m just tryin’ to make sense of all this.”
Good luck with that.
“And how does Tennessee Ross figure into this?”
“He doesn’t. Ten’s a friend of mine, and I’m stayin’ with him until I can get an insurance payout.”
Actually, they hadn’t discussed the length of her stay, but she doubted he’d toss her out on the street, at least while madmen were gunning for her.
“Fine, if that’s the way you wanna play it.” He rubbed his forehead. “I can’t make you talk.”
“So we’re done here?” Aggie wanted to check in with Vick and then her clients.
“Not yet. I’ve got my eye on you, and if I see somethin’ I don’t like, I’m gonna charge you with impedin’ an investigation.”
“I haven’t—”
“I’m gonna stop you right there. I know you’re lyin’ to me” He sniffed the air. “I can smell it.”
Aggie clammed up.
“I know you’re in trouble.” His expression softened. “Whatever’s goin’ down, I can help.”
“No, you can’t.” Aggie stood.
“I didn’t say you could leave.”
“Am I bein’ charged with anythin’?”
His lips pursed. “No.”
“Then I’m free to go.” And she walked out.