Blue Smoke

plenty late enough now. Little bitch is sleeping by now, all by her lonesome. Not much traffic. Town’s dead at four A . M . Shit-hole of a town. Fucking Charm City never gave him anything but grief.
    Fancy Suit’s up in his Fancy Suit apartment, sleeping with his cantaloupe balls. Be fun to take him out. So easy, so juicy. But this is better. Few minutes with the thirty grand and we’re all set. Locked and loaded.
    Just stroll away, drive off a little ways. Might as well see some of the show.
    Light another smoke and wait for the fireworks.
    And five, four, three, two, one.
    Ka-boom!
    Look at that sucker fly. Look at her burn!
    Oh yeah, baby, good job. Ace of a job. Fingers going to point now, because Fancy Suit’s going to point them. Going to hold his bruised balls and point his finger right at her.
    Good night’s work.
    Too bad about the car, though.

    At six A . M ., a full thirty minutes before her alarm was set to go off, Reena was wakened by banging on her front door. She dragged herself out of bed, instinctively pressing her fingers to her cheekbone when it began to throb.
    Throbbed all the way into her ear, she thought in disgust. Men like Luke knew just where to aim.
    She pulled on a robe, avoiding the mirror over her dresser, and walked quietly out of the bedroom.
    A peek out the window left her puzzled. Shoving at her hair, she unlocked the door, drew it open. “O’Donnell? Captain? Is there a problem?”
    “All right if we come in a minute?” There were storm clouds in O’Donnell’s eyes, only adding to her confusion as she stepped back. “I’m not on till eight.”
    “Got a good bruise going there.” O’Donnell nodded at her face. “Working up to a shiner.”
    “Walked into something nasty. Is this about the e-mail I sent you last night? There was no need to make a big deal out of it.”
    “I haven’t checked my e-mail. We’re here about an incident involving Luke Chambers.”
    “Well, God, did he file a complaint because I kicked him out of here?” Reena pushed at her hair, and the flush that worked its way under the bruising was as much from temper now as embarrassment. “I wanted to keep this personal, send you an e-mail on the matter, with a couple of photos as backup in case he pushed it. Guess he did.”
    “Detective Hale, we’re going to need to ask you where you were this morning between three-thirty and four A . M .”
    “I was here.” She shifted her gaze to Captain Brant. “I was here all night. What happened?”
    “Somebody torched Chambers’s car. He insists it was you.”
    “Torched his car? Was he hurt? Oh good God.” She let herself drift down into a chair. “How bad is he hurt?”
    “He wasn’t in the vehicle at the time it was lit up.”
    “Okay.” She closed her eyes. “Okay. I don’t understand.”
    “You and Mr. Chambers had an altercation last evening.”

    She looked at her captain, felt the weight and a fresh flutter of nerves. “Yes. During which he struck me in the face, knocked me down. He then proceeded to drag me to my feet and threatened me with additional bodily harm. I protected myself, applying the heel of my hand in a firm manner to his jaw, and my knee in an equally firm manner to his groin. I then ordered him to leave.”
    “Did you at any time threaten Mr. Chambers with a weapon?”
    “A lamp.” Reena clutched her hands together in her lap. “My bedroom lamp. I picked it up and informed him if he didn’t get out I’d be going another round with him. I was pissed. He’d just finished clocking me, for God’s sake. He outweighs me by a good fifty pounds.”
    Remembering it, that shock, that moment when she knew he’d hurt her had her muscles quivering under her skin. She had to swallow, carefully, as her throat was already starting to burn. “If he’d come at me again, I’d have used any and all measures to protect myself. But it wasn’t necessary as he left. I locked up behind him, took the digitals, e-mailed my partner in case Luke decided to change the story around and file any charges.”
    “A man assaulted you, in your home, but you failed to report it?”
    “That’s right. I handled it, and I hoped that would be the end of it. I don’t know anything about his car or a fire.”
    The captain sat back. “He’s made several allegations. His story is that you assaulted him, being intoxicated and upset by the fact that he is relocating to New York. That in attempting to hold you off, reason with you, he may