Rarities Unlimited 04 - The Color of Death

whether they were viable for Novak International.
    “Yes. I’ve been there over four years. While I’ve never worked with Novak International, my office occasionally farms out cases to local bonded investigators.”
    “That’s us. All of my employees are former peace officers who are able to make arrests, gather evidence for trial, perform legal surveillance, and so on. Although I have to admit, it’s not the bread and butter of the company,” Novak said.
    “Why? There are plenty of firms that make their overhead doing that type of work.”
    “I don’t need all the rules, paperwork, and bureaucratic ass-kissing that goes along with getting those contracts,” Novak said bluntly, watching for her reaction. “If I’d wanted that, I would have stayed with the sheriff’s department.”
    Tessa hesitated, then reminded herself that this was exactly what she was looking for. She needed someone who could discreetly investigate an aspect of the case that she wanted to soft-pedal to the police. At least for now.
    “Point taken, Mr. Novak. I’ve kissed more than my share of ass with the D.A.’s Office, and it’s something the police seem to do particularly well when it comes to certain key players. Frankly, that’s why I need someone like you.”
    “Call me Luke. Or Novak. We’re not much on ceremony around here, Tessa.” He leaned back and put his feet on the desk just to see how she would react. Poking at the pretty, uptight prosecutor was proving to be the most entertaining part of his week so far. He wondered how far he could push her before she pushed back—always a good thing to know with a prospective client.
    Tessa had been around enough cops to know when she was being tested. And to know that passing the test was important to earning the respect of the man casually reclining across from her with his feet on the desk.
    “Luke it is,” Tessa said. She pushed her chair back far enough to prop her own feet on the desk as well.
    Luke’s eyes goggled as he took in her pale brown suede pumps and slender calves encased in silky nylons. His gaze went up her legs, and he could have sworn he saw a hint of creamy lace underneath her business skirt.
    “Is this outrageous enough, or do I have to grunt and scratch my crotch as well to play in your boys’ club?” Tessa asked with an arched brow.
    Luke laughed out loud as he sat up and put his feet back on the floor. “You’ll do, Tessa Jacobi. You’ll do just fine. I should have known better than to dare a woman with an Italian last name.”
    Tessa chuckled as she sat up and smoothed her skirt to cover her legs once more. “Comes from hanging out with cops. My family is actually Swiss—from the part of the country near the Italian border.”
    “Swiss. That explains the organized and no-nonsense approach.”
    “It goes far with the prosecutor’s office. And it helps when I’m dealing with a complicated case and a VIP suspect that no one wants to upset with something as pesky and irritating as an investigation,” Tessa said.
    “I wondered what was so messy that the D.A. had to do an end run around the police. Why don’t you start from the beginning.”
    Tessa nodded and briefly went over Kelly’s story. She started with the night the attack took place, then walked him through the medical exam and gathering of evidence. Finally, she gave an overview of the stalled investigation into the rape allegations and her reluctance to have the police investigate the credit cards and cash discovered in Kelly’s things.
    “So you’re looking for help with the investigation overall?” Luke asked.
    “For now, let’s focus on the investigation into these credit card accounts,” Tessa said, handing him the photocopy she had made of the cards. “I don’t want to break all the rules and involve a private investigator in a major celebrity case. Besides, I have absolute trust in the two officers who have now been assigned to take over the investigation. I’ve worked with Ed Flynn and his partner in the past,” Tessa said, reluctant to divulge her personal friendship with either Ed or Veronica.
    “Can I be honest here?” Luke leaned back in his chair as he studied thephotocopied sheet. He noted with interest that there was a handwritten phone number at the bottom of the page, and filed it quietly away for the future. “When I was with the OC Sheriff’s Department, I was involved with lots of major crimes cases—including high-profile ones. There’s