Troublemaker by Linda Howard Read Free Book Online Page A

if she had to. “So put some ice cream in it. Problem solved.”
    â€œGood point.” Carefully Diana put a healthy dollop of ice cream in the hot coffee and took a cautious sip. She considered the taste, then tipped her head and said, “Not bad.” After that judgment, she added two more dollops and likely would have emptied the rest of the carton into the cup if it wouldn’t have made the coffee spill over the sides. “Why are you still doing paperwork, anyway? Isn’t everything computerized?”
    Bo glanced at the old-fashioned monitor sitting on her desk. “Kind of. Maybe. On some days.” The antique—meaning it was over ten years old—computer system desperately needed updating, but paying the policemen ranked higher on the scale, something she agreed with. She could get by with doing real paperwork, and take some of it home to do on her own computer system, as long as the guys had a fairly decent salary, dependable vehicles, and the equipment they needed. She and Hamrickville had an unconventional but symbiotic relationship going, so she wasn’t going to scream about getting a new computer.
    She switched the topic back to Daina. “So, this thing with Kenny Michaels—are you seriously interested?”
    â€œI could be.” Daina drank some of her ice cream coffee. “But not yet. I’m still in the intrigued stage.”
    Still lying with her back to them, Tricks let out a long moan that hovered about halfway between a whine and a gripe. Daina froze again, her expression guilty as she stared at the dog. “Ignore her,” Bo said. “She’s telling on me for not letting her pester you.”
    â€œWho’s she telling?”
    â€œYou. You’re her only hope. If she can make you cave, she figures she’ll get some ice cream before I step in and stop it.”
    â€œHow about if I just give her one little bite to make her happy—”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œJust one—”
    â€œ No. This is Tricks. Do you know what that would do? You’d never again be able to eat in her presence, anything, period. She’d be in your lap. I’d have to lock her in another room, and then I’d be mad at you.”
    Another long moan. The dog sounded as if her heart had been broken. Daina gave Bo a pleading look. Bo said, “Don’t make me lock you up.”
    â€œOh, all right. But you could at least give her one of her own tr—” She started to say the word “treats,” but stopped in mid-word at the fierce glare Bo gave her. Tricks understood a lot of words, and that particular word would have her on her feet looking for what she considered the promised goodie. Even worse, after hearing the word spelled a couple of times, Tricks had figured out what was being spelled, so she couldn’t be fooled that way. “Sorry,” Daina said again, wincing. “I forgot. Say, have you ever thought about having her tested? I’m pretty sure she’s, like, a doggie genius, or something.”
    â€œI know she is, and no, I’m not having her tested. Why would I? It isn’t as if it would get her into a better college.”
    Daina laughed, leaning back in her chair and digging into the remaining ice cream. “I think she’d do well. Look, put me to work. Until I’m sober enough to drive back to the shop, the least I can do is help you out. Nothing’s confidential, is it?”
    â€œNo, everything here is a matter of public record.”
    â€œWell, shit. There goes my motivation.”
    Bo laughed and went back to reading while Daina finished both the ice cream and the coffee. Even with the interruptions of occasional conversation, she made a sizable dent in the stack of papers. The interruption she couldn’t ignore—but thank goodness it came just as she finished—was when Tricks got up, fetched her tennis ball, then patted Bo’s knee with one of those big