Protector - Laurel Dewey [70]
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh, fuck, Jane! Do the math! I catch a huge, career-making case that I can solve and then suddenly I’m pushed aside because some kid dictates who she will and will not talk to! Maybe that kind of shit doesn’t set well with me!”
“She’s a kid!” Jane screamed, slapping the roof of the sedan for emphasis. “She’s not a fucking case notch on your belt!”
“And you’re gonna make damn sure of that! Fuck! Why Weyler ever gave you this case is beyond me! You have zero ability when it comes to dealing with children!”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I thought I’d learned a lot dealing with you!”
“You don’t have to be such a fucking cunt!”
Jane’s eyes filled with rage as she went for Chris. “Stop calling me that!”
Chris grabbed Jane’s arms before she could touch him and physically held her back. “I know you and I know what you’re up to! You are willing to sabotage this case because you can’t handle it! Fuck, Jane, I heard you say it to the kid in there, so don’t deny it! You want this case to disappear because you can’t wrap your head around it. Well, that doesn’t cut it with me! My ass is on the line, not yours! I will not sit back and let you fuck it up! That kid knows something! She may be in some psychological trance, but with the right prodding, she will wake up. And when that happens, she will tell you what she saw! So I put in a bug in there! So fucking what! I did that because I want to hear all the shit. Not just the shit you deem me worthy of hearing! Get it?”
Jane shook off Chris’ tight grip and stuck her face inches from his face. “You want to hear all the shit?” she said confidentially. “Stick this bug up your ass and you’ll hear more than enough!” With that, Jane threw the bug into Chris’ car, turned on her heels and headed back to the house.
Martha popped out of her car and called out to Jane. “Is everything all right?”
Jane never turned around as she yelled, “Fuck off!” She reached the front door and found Emily standing on the outside front porch. “Hey! What did I tell you about going outside?” Jane’s voice was edged with fury.
“I just—”
“Just nothing! Get your butt back in there!”
Emily quickly turned around and went inside. Jane stood on the front landing and looked back at Chris. He was still glaring at her, pissed off that she got in the last word. Jane walked into the house, slamming the door behind her. She stood in the entry hall, arms folded across her chest, trying her best to cool down.
Emily was propped up on the couch, her Starlight Starbright at the ready. “Why was that man yelling at you?”
“Did I not specifically tell you to stay in this house?”
“Yes,” Emily said softly.
“Then what the hell were you doing on the front porch?”
“He was yelling at you and I was worried—”
“That is not an excuse! I told you to stay inside and I mean it!” Jane stood still, saying nothing, her arms still tight across her chest. All she could really think about was the in-your-face, brazen nerve it took for Chris to plant that bug in the house.
“I’m sorry I went outside,” Emily said without hesitating. Jane, still seething, turned away. “Don’t cut me off.”
“Cut you off?” Jane said, not understanding the child.
“You got your arms crossed. You’re building a wall.”
Jane looked at Emily, partly in amazement and partly in exasperation. She relaxed her arms, sauntered into the living room and pulled the drapes across the front window. “What’s rule number one?”
“Don’t hassle you about smoking,” Emily said, without missing a beat.
Jane pulled out her Glock, crossed to the coffee table and set the gun down before removing her shoulder holster. “What’s rule number two?”
“Don’t ever touch your gun,” Emily said on cue.
“And what’s rule number three?” Jane said with emphasis, tossing her shoulder holster on the coffee table next to her gun.
“Don’t ever, ever, ever go outside unless you say so.”
“Good.” Jane slumped onto the couch, arranged the pillows and then pulled off her cowboy boots. “You got that thing