Rarities Unlimited 04 - The Color of Death

stronger relationship each day. And despite the sacrifices, having Jordan was a joy she’d never dreamed of before.
    Tessa saw the dreamy look come over Veronica’s face and sighed. Another good friend lost to the baby bug. She felt like she was the only thirty-three-year-old in L.A. who wasn’t married with at least one munchkin hanging on her business skirts.
    “There she goes, off to babyland. Go ahead and call Mike if you want to check on her,” Tessa said.
    “Just wait. One day you’ll be responsible for a perfect, tiny little person. Then you’ll understand. I can’t wait for that to happen.”
    “You know the Plan—career until I’m thirty-six, then focused dating, then marriage, then babies. I’m just not capable of dividing my attention like youare. I’m either focused on my career or on my private life. Not both,” Tessa assured her.
    “Famous last words.” Veronica smiled knowingly. “Kids are remarkably resilient. The notion that you can’t be a great parent and a fully productive employee is a thing of the past.”
    Tessa thought of her own father, how his career had taken over every aspect of his life and caused him to leave his young daughter to fend for herself after her mother had died.
    “Not everyone is capable of multitasking like that,” Tessa said. “Besides, I’m not even going out with anyone. Too busy trying to expand my caseload to something beyond small-time felonies and misdemeanors. I want some cases where I can make a difference.”
    “You’d have them, too, if you’d only accept the promotion that’s been offered. Twice,” Veronica said.
    “I don’t want anyone to think that I’ve cashed in on my name. I want to be promoted on my own merits, not because my father used to run the FBI.”
    “Tessa, you graduated cum laude from the University of Virginia. You set up a Legal Aid clinic here that serves thousands of people every year. You’ve been working piddly shit cases for the last two district attorneys for almost five years. In fact, you make it possible for the D.A. to focus on the big political cases by taking care of the meat-and-potatoes stuff. I think you’ve more than earned your stripes.”
    “I hope you’re right. Because I’m going to ask to keep Kelly Martin’s rape case. If this isn’t big and political, I don’t know what is. But I know I can do it.”
    “Because you’re emotionally involved? I wouldn’t use that tack with the D.A. if I were you,” Veronica said.
    “I won’t. I’m going to hire an investigator, light a fire under Ed’s feet, and schedule an interview with Sledge Aiken to get his side of the story. And then I’m going to close this case by using due diligence and letting the system work.”
    “Don’t forget me. I’m with you on this one,” Veronica said.
    Even if something doesn’t feel right about your victim’s story

Chapter 3
    Los Angeles, California
    Tuesday, February 23
    D etective Ed Flynn pushed through the doors of Felipe’s Shrimp Shack, looking for the two women he was meeting for lunch. He didn’t see his girls inside, so they must be on the patio, enjoying the winter sunshine.
    His girls.
    That’s how he thought of them, as the daughters he’d never had. And right now, he was very much afraid one of his girls was in over her head.
    He sought out Tessa’s familiar compact frame and blond hair at one of the tables on the edge of the patio. She always sat in that spot if possible, because his Tessa was a creature of habit. Ed smiled slightly at the thought. Those habits had turned her from a green law school graduate into an indispensable junior prosecutor for the District Attorney’s Office in a record period of time.
    He switched his gaze to Ronnie, his other girl, the young officer from Minnesota he’d helped mold from meter maid to an officer on the major crimes squad. Another of his works in progress, and he couldn’t be prouder of either one.
    But right now, something was wrong with the case they were about to embark on, and he needed answers to make sure his girls didn’t get burned.
    “Over here, Ed.” Tessa jumped up to kiss his cheek when he reached the table, an act which never failed to make him turn red with pleasure and embarrassment. It was such fun that Ronnie stood up to do the same thing.
    “You been surfing without sunscreen again?” Ronnie asked wickedly,watching the color rise higher in his face.
    “Every day of my life,” Ed replied.
    Waking up at five in