Homicide in High Heels by Gemma Halliday Read Free Book Online Page B

my own, Ramirez had fought me every step of the
way—asking me to back off, demanding I back off, even pleading once
or twice that I leave his cases alone. So to hear him actually
asking for my help was like I'd entered a parallel universe.
    One I was going to enjoy as long as it
lasted.
    "Wipe that goofy grin off your face,
Springer," he told me.
    "Sorry." I tried, suppressing it to a mild
smirk.
    "Look, while I'm on suspension, I've been
warned away from any contact with anyone who even remotely has ties
to the Stars ball club."
    "But I'm sure the captain has other
detectives on the case, right?" I asked.
    Ramirez sighed again, doing more hair
mussing. "Right. Laurel and Hardy."
    "Oh, they can't be that bad."
    "No, those are their names. Laurel McMartin
and John Hardy."
    "Oh," I said suppressing that grin
again.
    "And the trouble is they are that
bad. They're lazy, and they're total yes-men." He paused. "Or a
yes-man and yes-woman. But the point is the Stars want this to be a
random killing of some sort, quickly swept under the rug and stuck
in a cold case file somewhere and forgotten. The city depends on
Stars income, and the police depend on the city. Everyone is
looking to make this swift, sweet, and tidy."
    "But you don't think it's that simple."
    He shot me a hard look. "No. I don't."
    I nodded. "I don't either. People don't
randomly poison other people by spray tan." I paused. "Especially
at Fernando's." While a random killing might be good for the Stars,
it would be the worst for Faux Dad's salon. No one would ever feel
safe going into his tanning booths again, for fear the Tanning
Salon Killer would strike again. It would ruin him.
    "Exactly," Ramirez agreed. "Which is why I
can't just sit here looking like a jackass while Laurel and Hardy
let the perp slip through their fingers."
    "So…what exactly are you proposing?" I
hedged.
    "I need you to be my eyes and ears. I need
you to do the legwork I can't."
    I bit my lip. While I'd helped Ramirez on
cases before, I was the first to admit I wasn't exactly LAPD
detective material. Truth be told, I accidentally stumbled on the
truth as often as I happened to stumble on dead bodies. "Like, what
kind of legwork?" I asked.
    "Like the lunch you just had with the
players' wives. Look, you and Dana have an in that Laurel and Hardy
don't. I trust that they'll process any evidence that presents
itself, but I also trust they'll avoid asking any hard questions
that may lead to ruffled feathers. Or paperwork," he added.
    "What about the babies?" I asked, gesturing
to the twins, currently playing with colorful foam blocks.
    "I'll watch them."
    I froze. "Really? You're going to
play stay-at-home-dad while I go investigate a murder?" The
universe really had turned on its head.
    Ramirez shrugged. "It'll be fun. I haven't
gotten to spend enough time with them lately, anyway. We need some
bonding."
    "You sure? I mean, they can be a
handful…"
    Ramirez shot me a look. "I think I can
manage watching my own kids, Maddie."
    I was sure he could, too. For about an hour.
Which was the absolute longest he'd been alone with both babies at
once since they were born. It wasn't that Ramirez was a bad father
by any stretch. But I was 100% sure he had no idea what he was in
for.
    On the other hand, it might not be a bad
thing if he found out.
    "Okay," I said, shrugging my shoulders.
"When do I start, boss?"
    The tension in Ramirez's jaw relaxed for the
first time since I'd walked into the kitchen. "Tonight. The team
management is throwing a memorial event for Lacey at the Marchmont
Hotel. All the players should be attending. I need you to get
Gabriel Blanco alone."
    "The pitcher?" I asked. "Kendra's
husband?"
    Ramirez nodded. "Bucky says he was with
Ratski and Blanco the morning Lacey was killed. But Bucky and these
guys are tight."
    "So you're thinking they might be lying for
him?"
    Ramirez shrugged. "It's a distinct
possibility. Ratski isn't saying anything, so I'd like to know what
Blanco says." He