H Is for Homicide

technicality. I was the only one acquitted, but I still did the whole nine yards the same as the others, so why am I being penalized twice? A jury said I was innocent.'
    "Were you?"
    "Of course not, but that's not the point," he said. "The prosecution had a shot at me and couldn't make it stick, so now I'm off the hook. Doesn't matter if I did it or not. Court says I'm clear, I'm clear. That's the law."
    "So they fired you?"
    "In effect. What they did was they axed my disability. They decided I was trouble and they wanted me outta there, which is why they cut my benefits. Said I had an attitude. No way I was going to put up with that, so I sued their asses off. We just settled last week. Seven hundred and fifty thou. Of course, when the check comes through, my attorney's going to take his cut off the top, but I'm still going to end up with three sixty-five. My retirement fund. Pretty good, yes?"
    "That's great."
    "Meantime, I'm flat broke, but what are you going to do?"
    "What about Bibianna? Does she know you're a cop?"
    "Does she know you're a P.I.?"
    I shook my head to one side, his smile fading as he saw my expression shift. "You're not investigating her?"
    I didn't answer, which was answer enough.
    "What for?" he asked.
    I figured I might as well level with him. He'd find a way to get it out of me eventually. "Insurance fraud," I said, watching for his reaction. If I'd hoped to surprise him, I was out of luck.
    "Who are you working for?"
    "California Fidelity."
    "Can you make a case?"
    "Probably. By the time I'm done, at any rate," I said.
    He looked away from me then, eyes straying toward the jukebox. I followed the line of his gaze, catching sight of Bibianna. A rainbow of lights played across her face. There was something about her – a dusky beauty, a physical perfection, that must have been irresistible, judging by the way he watched her. I saw her throw her head back and laugh, though the sound didn't carry. She was flirting with the drummer, one hand resting lightly on his arm in a gesture both intimate and casual. The drummer was tall and skinny with a face like a collie, his eyes close together and glittering with chemical substances the human body doesn't manufacture naturally. He was staring at her breasts, probably emitting the high-pitched, hopeful whine of a pup hoping for a Milk-Bone. She wasn't looking at us, but every phrase in her body language conveyed her awareness of Jimmy. Tit for tat, as it were. She turned to the jukebox and dropped in some coins, making her selection carelessly. After a moment, the pounding began, some popular song that was all bass and percussion. Bibianna moved out onto the dance floor with the drummer in tow. He was practically wetting himself, he was so excited by her attention.
    "I always hated undercover," Jimmy said, raising his voice to be heard. He was still watching Bibianna, who'd begun to move with the beat, pelvis rolling like she was doing aerobic exercises to develop her glutes.
    I took a sip of my beer, making no response. I'd never actually done undercover work myself, but I'd heard plenty, none of it good.
    His eyes came back to mine. "Tell her what you're up to," he said.
    "And blow this? You're crazy. I'm not going to do that. And you better not tell her, either. This is my turf."
    "I understand that."
    "Then what's the hesitation, Jimmy? I know that look."
    "I'm crazy about this lady and I don't want to see her hurt. I've been telling her for months she's going to get caught. If she knows you're on to her, she'll clean up her act."
    "That's not my concern. She filed a fraudulent claim with CF, and God knows how many phony claims she's filed with other carriers. I'm going to turn her ass in."
    "She's getting out of the business."
    "I'll bet."
    "No, she really is. She filed that claim months ago, but I talked her out of it. She's going straight, I swear."
    "Dream on, Tate. Why not drop the claim, then, if she wants out?"
    "She did."
    "Bullshit! She's got a request for payment pending right this minute. I saw the damn thing myself. She's sticking it to us, putting the pressure on for a quick settlement. That's why the case was passed to me in the first place."
    "I don't believe it."
    "Ask her."
    His smile was pained. "I can't very well do that without telling her what's going on."
    "Then you better find a way around it before I wrap this thing up."
    "There's more here than meets the eye."
    "There's always more than meets the eye. It's usually crooked,"