Okano cut him off, “It is what it is. Tomorrow she goes free.”
“Unless we come up with something in the next twelve hours.” Deacon looked from Morrisette to Reed. “Come on. Let’s not let her walk. She can’t win.”
“I don’t think anyone could accuse Blondell O’Henry of winning anything,” Reed said.
“She’s a murderer, Detective. You know it and I know it, now just find a way to prove it!” He glowered at Okano. “And it’s not over. Not until tomorrow.”
She looked about to argue, then simply turned away. “Fine,” she said, “Twelve hours.”
“Working late. Beauregard’s on the warpath. Will explain soon.”
Reed’s text came in just as Nikki walked into her apartment and dropped her computer bag onto the couch. “Looks like it’s just us again,” she told the animals, at which point Jennings accepted a few pets and Mikado did his happy dance at her feet. Surprised at how disappointed she felt that Reed was delayed, she decided it was a good sign. After all, they were getting married soon. Thanksgiving was next week, and then the countdown really began.
“Wonder if we’ll make it?” she joked to the dog, who was having none of her small talk. He yipped loudly and kept up his frantic twirls, toenails clicking on the hardwood. “I know, I know. Dinnertime. But first, let’s go out, shall we?” The dog was already racing to the door, and as soon as she pulled it open, he shot through, little legs jetting him down the steps. She followed after him and noticed Leon Donnigan on the patio, cell phone to his ear, cigarette burning in his free hand.
“Hey!” she yelled at the big lug. “Hey!”
He looked up and pointed at the phone with his cigarette.
“I don’t care, I want to talk to you!” She was already at the bottom of the stairs.
“. . . have ta call ya back, dude,” he said and clicked off, the expression on his face one of exasperation and disbelief. “I was on the phone.”
“I saw.”
> “Well, that was rude!”
“So is setting up spy equipment. Not only rude, but illegal. What the hell did you think you were doing?”
“I messed up. Okay?” he muttered.
“No. Definitely not ‘okay.’ ”
“Don’t get mad at me. Charles needed to look in on his old lady and he hired me to do it. But I got the angle off. I was gonna fix it, but you found it first. It was an honest mistake.”
“Dishonest mistake.”
He lifted his shoulders. “So sue me.”
“Maybe I will,” Nikki ground out.
“And are you gonna tell my mommy on me too?”
“You bet I am.” Some of her anger was starting to fizzle out, but staring up at the big galoot, she wanted to shake him. “Get it together, Leon. For your mother’s sake, grow up.”
“I don’t know why you’re so pissed at me,” he said with a smile that suggested he knew something she didn’t. “I made a mistake. It wasn’t like I was tryin’ to get a picture of you or anything. Not like that stalker you picked up.”
“What stalker?”
“I’ve seen her, taking pictures of the house. Even saw her on your deck, clicking shots through the door.” He pointed toward the back door of her unit. “Climbed all the way up there.”
“You’re lying,” she said, but the gleam of satisfaction in his eyes told her he enjoyed thinking he had one on her.
“You don’t know?”
“Leon . . .” Her patience was about to snap.
“That woman who writes the blog for the damned paper. I recognized her from her picture on the Sentinel’s Web site.”