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Grime Spree (Grime Fighter Mystery Series) (Volume 3)

By Marji Laine

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Dani Foster observed herself in the mirror on the back of her closet door. Surely the mirror had to be lying. The dress she’d ordered from that New York boutique could not look like a tent with a drawstring.

She lifted a wide black belt from the organized hanger in the corner of her closet and wrapped it around her waist, bringing the hem to just above her knees. That looked better. She pivoted. Good even.

“Violet is a perfect color for you.” Her roommate, Tasha, assessed her from the open bedroom doorway. “Jay’s eyes are going to pop.”

“I don’t know about that.” She pursed her lips together, suppressing a bubble of anticipation, and smoothed a long brown wave behind her ear.

“Don’t pretend with me.” Tasha wandered to the open closet. “I know you’re crazy over that man. And he’s nuts about you, too.” She fingered through the mostly informal shirts and jeans that made up Dani’s wardrobe. She pulled out a royal blue silk blouse that matched her eyes.

Dani refocused on her reflection and dabbed at her eyelids with a liner. Enough makeup to make the most of her assets without painting herself. Her eyes weren’t the striking blue of Tasha’s or the chocolate of Jay’s, though their dark color did make them look large and expressive. Her hair was almost the same color. She’d fought it for a while but was glad she’d gone back to her natural color after years of being a platinum blonde. “Jay and I are simply getting to know each other. No promises or commitments.”

“Not yet.” Tasha moved toward the mirror and held the blouse under her chin, her yellow ringlets tumbling against the blue for an enchanting effect.

“Wish I had a guy getting to know me.”

Shifting her focus, Dani stared at her friend’s reflection. With her perfect figure and constant energy, the girl should have dozens of guys after her.

“You wait. You’ll have tons of lawyer types chasing you in no time.”

That urged out a giggle. “Maybe.” She hung the garment on the door knob. “I have to graduate first. Then there’s the bar exam. Et cetera. Et Cetera.”

Dani snatched up the blouse. “I predict four different guys in your life by this time next year.” She found the blueish section of her closet and shoved some hangers aside to insert the one she held. After flattening the sides of the fabric, she evenly spacing the hangers again.

“I barely know four men—your guy, Carla’s guy, the pastor, and our boss—and I know you aren’t talking about any of them.”

“I’m not talking family, Tash. And especially not Frank. Eww.” Their boss at Kellerman Crisis and Trauma Cleaning was egotistical, self-absorbed, and had the compassion of a mosquito. “Next year, you’ll have your degree, maybe even an office at some exceptional law firm.”

“Ooh. If only.” Tasha pulled the sides of her bouncy hair back and angled to the side. “I’ll need a more professional style.”

“You should wear it flat-ironed like you did at church last week. Gorgeous.”

Dani shifted her fake ID and credit cards to a smaller purse and hung the other one in the back of the closet. After smoothing her comforter and straightening the pillow, she followed her friend into the living room.

“Took a while, but it was worth it.” Tasha paused at the tablet on the TV stand where a scanner application transmitted a call from the Dallas Police dispatch. “Uh, oh. Hope your fella doesn’t bail on you again.”

Dani halted. Surely not. He’d promised this time.

Tasha turned up the volume on a female voice. “Two-four-five, remain. Back-up ETA three minutes.”

“They found a body near White Rock Lake.” She tilted her head. “At least I think that’s what they said.”

Great. Right around the corner from Jay’s department. Dani slumped. “So much for this date.”

“You can’t expect the worst.”

Easy for her to say. He’d canceled several already. “What can I expect when I’m dating a cop? Or not dating, as the case may be.” She’d hardly seen him in more than two weeks.

“Wait, let me listen. Maybe one of the other teams will process the scene.” Tasha turned the sound a little louder.

“He only recently got his promotion. Of course he’s going to opt to lead any crime scene investigation that he can.” Served her right. She had no business getting involved with anyone. Especially not a policeman. “Might as well change out of these clothes.” Stomping into her room, she resisted the urge to slam her bedroom door but did throw her purse on the comforter.

She flounced onto the blanket folded at the foot of her bed. On one of their rare, successful dates, Jay had found the Native American weave in blues and grays at a trading market. She fingered the broad chevrons. If only she’d not already lost her heart to that man. She’d forgive him, of course. He’d make it up to her with another date, though the jury would be out if he’d keep that one. Big cities could be violent from time to time. Especially during the summer.

She felt, rather than heard, the front door open. The sudden draft sucked her door to its facing.

“I’ll get her.” Tasha’s voice.

Dani flew to her mirror to check her mascara. Tears had threatened but not fallen. Thank goodness.

Tasha tapped on the door as Dani collected the small bag from the bed and spread out the wrinkle she’d made where she’d been sitting. Her friend poked her nose in. “Guess he didn’t take that crime scene after all.” She grinned and winked at her.

Dani pumped her fists at the ceiling before composing herself and joining her fellow in the living room. Her heart danced as it often did when she caught sight of his smile.

“You look beautiful. As always.” His tan, deepened from the summer sun, highlighted his ultra-white smile. He slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple as she neared.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Not bad. Ha. He was drop-dead gorgeous. His short, black hair and tanned complexion gave him the warrior appearance of his Comanche ancestors. But the lighter brown of his eyes, with a sparkle that made her insides tingle, betrayed his mother’s European background. Wasn’t she Scottish? Dani couldn’t remember.

With his arm draped around her shoulders, they made their way out the door.
Tasha gave her a thumbs-up as she reached the staircase. Surely, this date would be a good one. It was certainly starting out that way.

* * * *

Jay Hunter watched as Dani preceded him down the stairs, her dark hair swinging slightly and bouncing with every step. Passing off that last minute call had been the right move.

How had he garnered the attention of such a beauty? And smart. And fun.
She paused at the bottom of the steps and turned to look up at him, her left hand clasping her right elbow behind her back. A sure sign of her nerves.

But what did she have to be nervous about. Surely, she knew how he felt about her.

He hurried down the stairs. “Are you hungry?”

“Famished. Crackers and peanut butter for lunch.” She climbed into the passenger seat of his gun-metal gray Dodge Charger and glanced up at him. “Hope you have plenty of credit.”

Her eyes sparkled with her little joke. The look she gave made his chest lurch. The way her lips pressed together making a little dimple appear when she was about to say something clever. He jogged around the back of the car and got in on his side, cranking the engine as he settled into his seat.

Immediately, his radio transmitted another call. “Coroner’s office is in route. Confirm arrival.”

He’d been monitoring the discussion from the response team that had taken the scene of a newly found body. “Sorry about that.” He turned down the sound.

“Tasha and I heard it over the scanner app on my tablet.” She glanced out the side window. “Thought you might have taken the call.”

His collar tightened around his neck. A trickle of sweat drifted the width of his forehead before he wiped at it with the back of his hand. Truth was, had it not been for his partner, he probably would have gone. He needed as much experience leading the investigation teams as he could get. “Cal’s team is out on it, but Sergeant Lasaures took lead on it.”

“You sound disappointed.” She twisted toward him.

He glanced at her for a second then averted his gaze through the windshield.

“I’m disappointed that another case had to happen during one of our dates. I’m disappointed that I’m going to miss out on working it. But I’m not sad that made the decision to come get you. To keep this date. I’ve been looking forward to having you to myself for a few hours.”

She laid soft fingertips on top of his hand where it rested on his gear shift. “I’ve been looking forward to this as well. When the call came over....”

“You expected the worst?”

“You working a case isn’t the worst.” She stroked his hand with her thumb.
“But I wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of having to reschedule yet again.”

“I know it’s been hard for you. It won’t always be like this. I’m busy because I’m just starting out. That’s all.”

She shook her head. “No. This isn’t hard for me. I’m not complaining.
Really. I’m glad for you and what you’ve accomplished.” She shrugged. “I miss you sometimes, though.”

He pulled to an intersection and stopped at the red light. With her chin down, she looked as much a shy teenager as she did a confident twenty-eight-year-old woman who had taken on a murderer and a kidnapper in the last several months.

Turning his hand, he laced his fingers with hers. “I miss visiting with you after work. New position, new schedule. Hopefully, as I get tenured, I adjust my times and drop by like I used to.”

The light changed, forcing him to release her hand.

The schedule wasn’t the real problem. She knew it. She had to. His new position whet his appetite again to impress his dad, a long-time investigator for the sheriff’s department in their East Texas County. But which did he want more? The job or the girl? And could he really have both?

His father had.

“I thought we’d do Italian tonight. If you’re up for it.”

Her head turned toward the window again. “Sounds lovely.”

Her lack of enthusiasm disheartened him. Was he crazy to think he could have both an amazing relationship with the woman of his dreams and a job that fulfilled him? “Would you rather do Mexican? We could go downtown.”

“No. I like Italian.” Still she stared out her window.

He took a main artery toward the upscale strip center in a prestigious northern section of the city. Good thing she had a taste for Italian. Cancelling the reservations after ignoring that call and everything would have been a pain. He parked near the end of a strip of multi-retail buildings. With a stonework facade and wrought iron fixtures, the place declared the excessive nature of the developer.

“La Bella Nodo?” She turned wide eyes toward him. “I’ve heard so much about this place.”

“Me, too. Thought it was time to try it.” He tilted his head toward her. “I told you I owed you big after I had to break the last date.”

“Yes, but I didn’t expect you to go bankrupt over it.”

He helped her out of the car and tucked her hand into the corner of his arm. They had the length of the building to walk to get to the entrance. He should have opted for valet parking. Next time he’d think of that sooner.

Reaching the entrance, he released her long enough to hold the glass-panel door open. They stepped into candle-lit opulence.

Piano music drifted through the large dining room. The tables, tucked into discrete sections, lined the windows at the front of the building and settled in between the patio doors along the narrow wall. On the piazza, outside the open doorways, several couples danced on a paneled floor surrounded by twinkle lights and what looked like a small garden.

No wonder the two female cops he’d worked with last week had gone on about this place. A glance at Dani’s face told him their advice had been exactly right.

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