“Yes, and as I said, the name will tell us more about the master than the sub. As will the collar. This one,” she glanced down at the bag, and Darek’s eyes followed, “looks custom-made. It’s good quality. Whoever did this thing, they knew how to tool leather. There can’t be too many people around the city who still do that kind of thing, if any.”
Darek noted the silver studs on the thin leather strap. “Maybe a biker? Someone who does custom-pieces for bikes. They’d know the art. Or maybe the Master did it himself?”
“That could be a possibility,” Lizzy said. “They take these things very personally.”
“Well, if they didn’t kill her, they’re going to take it very personally.” He crossed his arms, and she shook her head.
“Yeah, I think the message was to the Master,” Lizzy said.
As her eyes met his, his blood turned cold.
3
Lizzy
Lizzy could tell that she’d rattled Detective Blake. It wasn’t that she wanted to be seen as a domineering bitch or an arrogant hard ass, but she needed him to know she wanted respect. Too many times, men thought that they had to be forceful, and their arrogance had ruined the partnership before it had even begun. The same had happened with her ex-husband. He had learned the hard way, too, that she wasn’t going to put up with that nonsense.
“I think you’re onto something, with that line of thinking,” Darek said. “The Master could have pissed someone off, and the killer is sending a message.”
“It’s a starting place until we find out who she is,” Lizzy said.
“How about we go grab a cup of coffee and a bite and talk about it?” Detective Blake looked back over his shoulder at the dead girl, who was now being zipped into the bag.
Lizzy wondered if it bothered him in the slightest.
Darek Blake was a good-looking man who had the whole tall, dark, and handsome thing down to an art, with his rugged, stubbly face and piercing green eyes. But the wedding ring on his finger was a disappointment and one he needed reminding of.
“Coffee and a bite? What is it? A date? Shouldn’t you take that wedding ring off?” She was sarcastic, but it did the job.
“Nah, it doesn’t come off. And I didn’t mean anything by it. I skipped breakfast and thought maybe you’d like to join me. We could talk about our theories. Surely, you’d like that?”
“I’m sure we’ll be spending an uncomfortable amount of time together, so if you want to stop and grab something on the way back to the station, I’m game. But we’ll take my car.”
“Perfect,” he said, tossing his keys to his partner, who Lizzy remembered from the academy. He was one of the only guys who hadn’t hit on her, but she was sure he’d fallen victim to the whole lesbian rumor. The truth was, she enjoyed the company of men much more than the company of women.
They walked across the hall to the elevator, and Darek held out his hand to stop the door from closing. “This is a pretty risky location for murder, don’t you think?”
She stepped inside and shrugged. “Depends on if the murder was intentional or not.” She gave him a sly smile, proving her first point.
“You always this sure of yourself?” he asked.
“I’m not sure of what happened; I just think it’s a bit premature to call it when we don’t even know who the victim is.” She’d learned to be patient with the evidence and to never jump the gun. Every move she made was carefully considered, and she never showed all of her cards at once. She’d dealt with others before who’d taken her ideas for their own, and she’d never let that happen again. She had learned that there were men you could trust and others you couldn’t, and she knew Darek had earned a spot in the slot marked for men with an agenda.
“Robbins tells me you’ve applied to be an agent,” she said. She analyzed his reaction and could tell that it chapped his dick she knew about it.
He let out a sigh as the elevator doors opened, and they headed out into the main lobby and for the front doors.
“Yeah, I’ve applied. It’s taking a while.” He gave a shrug as his jaw stiffened.
“So, you really do need this then.” She shook her head. “Isn’t it horrible how one person’s tragedy is another’s fortune?” She knew the remark would sting a bit, and that was okay with her. She gave him a teasing smile to lighten the blow.
“Yeah, I’ll be sure to thank the victim if I make it.” He stopped in his tracks, and she could tell she might have gone too far.
“Hey, lighten up,” she said. “I’m only giving you a hard time; I didn’t mean to make you feel guilty or anything. We take our opportunities where we can get them, right?”
She knew a thing or two about that. She’d seen the opportunity to get away from her abusive father and had taken it. She owed everything to a man who had taken a chance on her. His misfortune had paved the way to her life, and she’d never been able to thank him enough for all he did for her.
“Not all of us have connections,” Darek said. “I’ve had to work my way up in the ranks, despite an asshole father who never wanted me to join the force.” The bitterness was so thick in his voice, it nearly slurred his words.
“Asshole father, huh? I guess we have something in common, after all.” She hit the locks on her black Land Rover, and they climbed inside.
“Nice wheels.” He looked behind him and fidgeted with the console as he buckled his belt. “So, you had an asshole for a father? Was he a cop?”
“Hell no. He was an abusive alcoholic. I left home at seventeen, which was as soon as I could.” She remembered the day that had happened. Her father had drunk himself into a stupor, and she’d driven all the way to Robert’s house in the rain. She shook off the memories of him as Darek cleared his throat.
“And here I thought a pretty girl like you had a leg up.”
His laughter surprised her. It was warm and reminded her a lot of Robert’s.
“Who said I didn’t?” she asked, smiling.
She headed across town, and the two fell into a comfortable silence. Even when they stopped for lunch, he didn’t have much to say, which only told her he had a lot on his mind; probably a lot more than a dead girl.
It wasn’t until they were walking into the station that his curiosity seemed to get the best of him. “So, was it an uncle or brother? Surely, your leg up wasn’t a boyfriend or husband, with the whole lesbian rumor flying around.”
“You heard about that one?” She figured Max had told him. “Yet, you’re still asking about the men in my life?”
“So, was it a girlfriend?” His surprise was amusing.
“I guess it’s going to be another mystery for you to solve, Detective.” She laughed and walked ahead of him.
“Hey, wait. Don’t I get any clues?”
“Yeah, I’ll give you one, but that’s it. I’m not a lesbian.” She flashed him a wink, and his cheeks turned red with his smile.