Blood Price

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    "You followed me!"

    Henry smiled guardedly. "I'd just told you a secret that could get me killed. I had to see how you were dealing with it."

    In spite of her pique, Vicki had to admit he made sense. "And?"

    He shrugged. "You tell me."

    Vicki pushed the strap of her bag back up on her shoulder. "I think," she said slowly, "that you're right. We could accomplish more working together. So, for now, you've got yourself a partner." She stumbled over a dark crack in the pavement, righted herself before Henry could help, and added dryly, "But I think you should know that generally, I only work days." It wasn't the time to tell him Why. Not yet.

    Henry nodded. "Days are fine. I myself, being a little sensitive to sunlight, prefer to work nights. Between us, we have the entire twenty-four hours covered. And speaking of days," he shot a quick glance to the east where he could feel dawn approaching, "I have to go. Can we discuss this tomorrow evening?"

    "When?"

    "About two hours after sunset? It'll give me time to grab a bite."

    He was gone before she had time to react. Or agree.

    "We'll see who plays straight man to whom tomorrow night," she snorted and turned west toward home.

    The sun had cracked the horizon by the time she reached her apartment, and with yawns threatening to rip her jaw from her face, she fell straight into bed.

    Only to be rudely awakened about forty-five minutes later. . . .

    "Where! Have! You! Been!" Celluci punctuated each word with a vigorous shake.

    Vicki, whose reactions had never been particularly fast when first roused from sleep, actually let him finish the sentence before bringing her arms up between his and breaking his grip on her shoulders.

    "What the hell are you talking about, Celluci?" she demanded, shielding her eyes against the glare from the overhead light with one hand and grabbing her glasses off the bedside table with the other.

    "One of the uniforms saw a women who looked like you being bundled into a late model BMW, just after midnight, and not more than five blocks from the latest body. You want to tell me you weren't in the Woodbine area tonight?"

    Vicki leaned back and sighed, pushing her glasses up her nose. "What makes that any business of yours?" There was no point in trying to reason with Celluci until he calmed down.

    "I'll tell you what makes it my business." He threw himself off the bed and began to pace the length of the bedroom; three steps and turn, three steps and turn. "You were in the middle of a police investigation, that's what makes it my business. You were. . . ." Suddenly, he stopped. His eyes narrowed and he jabbed an accusing finger in Vicki's direction. "What hit you?"

    "Nothing."

    "Nothing does not put a black and blue lump the size of a grapefruit on your jaw," Celluci growled. "It was him, wasn't it? The guy loading you into his car." He sat back down on the bed and reached out to turn Vicki's face into the light.

    "You are out of your mind!" She knocked his hand away. "Since you obviously aren't going to let me get back to sleep until you satisfy your completely irrational curiosity; I was in the area.
    And, as you keep telling me, I don't see so well in the dark." She smiled with scorpion sweetness.
    "You were right about something. Make you feel better?"

    He responded with an identical smile and growled, "Get on with it."

    "I went with a friend. When I walked my face into a post, he took me back to his place to make sure I was all right. All right?" She waved a hand at the door and threw herself back on the pillows. "Now get out!"

    "The hell it's all right." He slammed his palm against the bed. "Next to my partner, you are the world's worst liar and you are throwing some grade A bullshit in my direction. Who's this friend?"

    "None of your business."

    "Where did he take you?"

    "Also none of your business." She sat back up and shoved her face close to his. "You jealous, Celluci?"

    "Jealous? Damn it, Vicki!" He raised his hands as if to shake her again but let them fall as her eyes narrowed and her own hands came up. "I've got six dead bodies out there. I don't want you to be the seventh!"

    Her voice dropped dangerously low. "But you should be able to throw yourself in the line of fire?"

    "What does that have to do with anything? I had half the fucking force out there with me.
    You were alone!"

    "Oh." She grabbed the front of his jacket and dragged him suddenly forward until their noses touched. "So you were worried?" she