Broken by Janet Taylor-Perry Read Free Book Online Page A

Shotz, I'm partnering you with Baines. She won't be happy about leaving Pennington, but I'm the boss. Baker is on his own for now, and, Parker, you have a temporary partner. Later, you'll be with Baker."
    Parker started to speak.
    Ray held up a finger. "Cultivate your partner and learn from him or her. Your partner is almost as important as your spouse. As a matter of fact, your partner will probably know things about you that your spouse will never know. Your partner could be the difference between life and death. You will learn to lie, cheat, steal, and kill for your partner—well, maybe not literally." He gave a little scowl. "I just remember when I was partnered with Chris—she knew things about me, maybe more than my twin knows about me." He shrugged. "Dismissed."
    Three excited men started out the door. Ray called, "Detective Reynolds, stay a moment."
    "Yes, Chief? Who's my partner?"
    "Dantzler, obviously."
    "Okay, Chief."
    "Naa. It's Daddy right now. Come here." Ray embraced Parker. "I'm proud of you."
    "Thanks."
    Ray took a deep breath. "Do you still insist on calling me Daddy even now that you're gonna be one yourself? You know"—He jerked his head toward the closed door—"those guys will give you hell and call you juvenile."
    Parker gave a snort. "I don't care. You've only been my daddy for seven years." He smirked. "But I can begin calling you 'Poppy' for practice."
    Ray chortled. I like Daddy .
    "We're going out to celebrate tonight. We'll meet at Mama Rosa's at six. Until then, Detective Reynolds."
    "Later…Poppy."
    Ray could hear Link Marceau talking to Parker as the door closed. He smiled.
     

7
    Open for Business
    T h e two business owners on either side of Timeless Tattoos could not believe when they saw the "OPEN" sign turned on in the window of Neely Rivers's business. On one side was an actual voodoo supply shop called Voodoo You Do. The other side was a small café, specializing in crawfish, called Amile's Crawfish Emporium. Colleen DuPin, the elderly owner of the voodoo shop, walked into the tattoo parlor and said in shock, "Neely, chile, you really plannin' to open up again?"
    "I am. Those bastards didn't kill me. I won't let them kill my spirit either. I used the life insurance money Daddy left me to fix the place up, and I've decided to do caricatures and paintings, too."
    "Well, you've got spunk! Why don't you give yourself a voodoo symbol of protection tattooed over your heart?"
    "No, Colleen. I own a tattoo parlor, but I don't want to have tattoos all over me." She glanced up. "However, if you have a symbol I can hang above my door, I'll take it."
    "That I do, dear, and it's free of charge to you."
    "You can pick out any tattoo in trade."
    "Your daddy done gave me all the tattoos I want, chile. Maybe you could paint me somethin' real purty for my winda."
    "It's a deal." She planted a kiss on the old woman's cheek.
    Amile Barbeau, the aspiring restaurateur and chef on the other side of Timeless Tattoos, came in with a platter of crawfish, potatoes, and corn on the cob and a bottle of chardonnay. "We must celebrate Neely's return," he declared. "I, for one, am proud of you. We can't let those thugs ruin our lives."
    "I don't think they were thugs, Amile," Neely said. "It was planned. I was the specific target. I don't know why, but I was." She shrugged. "They had cash on them. Thugs wouldn't have had that kind of money. They had it to win my trust and cause me to let down my guard. I almost think somebody paid them to come into my shop." She pulled three chairs around a small table where customers could wait if she was busy. She slid the stack of magazines on top onto the floor.
    Amile placed the food in the center of the table and opened the wine. He pulled disposable cups from the bag he had and poured wine.
    "They've disappeared. It's been three months, and there hasn't been another attack," Neely went on. "Since there had been so many in succession, it seems my attack was meant to be the