Courting Death - Carol Stephenson [41]
Chapter Ten
Monday morning I gingerly made my way from the parking lot into the office. That energetic session with Sam in the back seat of his truck had left me with more than a few sore muscles. However, the inner glow hadn’t faded. As I walked along the bank of offices, Carling stood outside hers, speaking with Maria.
“Good morning.” I gave them a bright smile and hurried on. If I was lucky…
“Not so fast, Sterling.” Carling made a fist and pounded on Kate’s door. “Rochelle, shake a leg in there. Nicole and Sam have done the dirty deed.”
Sighing, I entered my office and set my briefcase and purse on the floor by the desk. I sat in my chair and watched in resignation as my partners hurried in. “Do you mind closing the door?”
Kate paused only to tug the door closed even as several staff members began to gather outside. Then she hurried over to a chair, sat and neatly smoothed her skirt as she crossed her legs. Her sharp blue eyes studied me and she nodded. “Carling’s right.”
“What?” My voice croaked as I glanced down. “Am I wearing a blazing neon sign announcing I’ve had sex?”
Carling grinned. “No, but you’re wearing the expression of a woman who’s been thoroughly pleasured.”
As I thought of how thoroughly, my cheeks warmed. “Where’s Melissa?” Last thing I wanted was my half sister in on this conversation. She had left for the office early this morning to get set up under Carling’s supervision. I’d waited for Sophie before departing.
“I’ve set her up in a cubicle.” Carling waved her hand. “She’s already researching case law for a motion I need to file.”
“Now, no more delaying tactics.” She leaned back and stretched out her legs. “We want every last juicy detail.”
“There’s nothing really to say. Hassenfeld was killed last night—”
Kate looked puzzled. “As in Dr. Hassenfeld at Oceanview Medical Center?”
“One and the same. After Claire Whitman’s first appearance, I went over to the hospital to dig around again for the records. However, I was too late. When I arrived, someone with a car had mowed Hassenfeld down.”
“Don’t tell me.” Carling cocked her head. “Sam was one of the investigating officers.”
“Yes.”
“There goes your body count up another notch.”
I rolled my eyes. “Anyway. He came by later to check on me and one thing led to another.”
Carling waggled her eyebrows. “Living room, kitchen or bedroom?”
“None of the above.”
“None?” My partners exchanged glances.
“Nope.” I cleared my throat and dropped the bombshell. “Sam’s truck.”
I almost pumped my fist at the stunned expressions on their faces. Carling recovered first. “You had truck sex?”
“Yes.”
“Front seat or back?”
“Back.”
“At least there’s a little more room, but still kind of cramped for getting it on.”
Kate made a low humming noise in her throat. “Quiet, Carling. If you haven’t experienced truck sex, you don’t know what you’re missing.”
Carling grinned. “Likewise if you haven’t done it in a Lexus. The main problem is the leather road rash afterwards.”
“Not if you’re on top.”
“Ladies.” I clamped my hands over my ears. “Way too much information this early in the morning. How about discussing the shattered remains of my case?”
Carling said in a loud conspiratorial whisper to Kate. “Sam must have been off the Richter scales in the love making department.”
“We didn’t make love, we had brain-exploding sex,” I corrected. Liar.
Both women sat back with smug smiles. Before either could speak, I held up my hand. “Seriously, with both Depp and Hassenfeld killed, I’m literally at a dead end.”
Kate frowned. “But as horrible as the circumstances are, that’s actually good for the case. The two key witnesses who might have provided evidence against Claire are dead.”
“There’s something else you don’t know about Mom’s spell on Saturday.” I rose, rummaged in the purse and pulled out my cell that I had recorded the message on. “I found out someone threatened her.” I played it and watched the amusement flee from both my friends’ faces, only to be replaced by outrage.
When the recording ended, Kate shook her head. “That’s plain sick, Nicole.”
I placed