Undercover Lover by Jamie K. Schmidt Read Free Book Online Page B

back to the bar with us.”
    Pam shook her head, even as Oksana and Stefan nodded.
    “What else did Nikolai say to you?” Oksana asked sweetly.
    Pam glared at her and gently extracted herself from Andrej’s grip. “I need to get back to the hospital.”
    “I insist,” Drake said to her, bringing her attention back to him. “I want to talk to you about what happened at Harding General a few nights ago. If that’s agreeable with you, Miss Krupin?”
    “That doesn’t matter now,” she said, turning to Oksana and her son to explain. “It was an unfortunate situation involving a coworker of mine and some poor choices.”
    “Do you think that’s related to my father’s murder?” Andrej said.
    Drake looked over at Oksana, who was trying not to appear too obvious about listening to the conversation. “Maybe.”
    Pam gaped at him. “I don’t see how. But I gave my statement to the investigating officer that night. I would be glad to go over it with you, but right now, I need to get back to work.”
    “You’re on call. Jane said she’d page you if anyone needed you,” Stefan said.
    “Please,” Andrej said, his voice shaking. “Drink for my papa.”
    Pam looked at all of them, and it was obvious she was out of excuses. “Of course,” she said reluctantly and threaded her arm through Stefan’s again.
    Oksana’s face looked like she was sucking on a lemon. That was interesting.
    Drake handed off Andrej to Marishka and followed the trio back to their cars. “So, where do you two know each other from?” Drake said.
    “We were high school sweethearts,” Stefan said, giving Pam an adoring look.
    “I don’t remember you from high school, Miss Krupin.”
    “Why don’t you call me Pam, Officer?”
    “Detective.”
    “Really?” She raised her eyebrows at him. “I would think a detective would remember that I was introduced to him as Doctor Krupin.”
    Drake grinned. She really didn’t take any guff from anyone. “Pam, I would have remembered you.”
    She shook her head. “I doubt that. I wasn’t in high school for long. My parents moved around a lot.”
    Drake saw the sneer on Oksana’s face again. It warranted investigation, but he didn’t think there was any love lost between the two of them.
    “I cannot stand out in the wind anymore. It’s wrecking my hair. Stefan, get in the car,” Oksana said, and Stefan jumped like a frog to open the door for her.
    “Do you know the way to Nikolai’s?” Stefan asked Pam.
    She nodded. “I’ll see you there.”
    Drake and Pam watched Stefan pull the big Mercedes out of the parking lot and speed away.
    “You’re not thinking of ditching us, are you?” Drake said.
    “It crossed my mind. Wakes aren’t my thing.”
    “They’re not anyone’s thing.”
    “True,” Pam said and rubbed her eyes. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”
    “Have you had any other stalkers since the incident?”
    “No, but I am worried about a friend of mine. Can you walk with me to my car, Detective?”
    “Drake.” He reached out for her hand and shook it. “I’m sorry if I was being a jerk.”
    “It’s understandable.”
    Drake gave a humorless laugh. “You’re supposed to say something along the lines of ‘no, not at all.’”
    “Why? You were being a jerk. But like I said, it’s understandable.”
    “You don’t pull any punches, do you, lady?”
    “You’re a cop. Buck up.”
    Drake’s grin eased across his face. Pam’s eyes sharpened on him.
    “What?” he asked.
    “You do look familiar. Who was your home room teacher?”
    “Man, we’re going back twenty some odd years. Mrs. Shea?”
    “I’ve got to look in the yearbook,” she said.
    “Don’t be disappointed when you see me. I was a bit of a dirt bag back then.”
    “How did the dirt bag get to be a detective?”
    “It was either that or jail,” he said and opened her car door for her.
    “Come on, you can’t say something like that without explaining the rest of it.”
    “If you want more