“Right.” He smiled. “Cartoons.”
Danny Hamilton had been released the same day Roth had been arrested. She’d found out that Jericho had seen to it personally. She knew he’d done it for her.
Ken Mitchell had survived the stabbing, had fingered Roth, and was more than willing to testify to both Marie LePlante’s murder and his own attempted murder. In return, he would have all charges dropped against him and he’d be required to return all the stolen items and seek counseling.
Ken’s father didn’t pull his support as Kate feared but told Jericho he was impressed with a man who knew how to keep his own house in order and would continue to back him one hundred percent.
But Jericho had declined his support. He didn’t want to accept money from the father of a man he’d dropped the charges for. It didn’t seem right to Jericho even if his campaign suffered. But once the news spread about Roth and the part Jericho had played in the arrest, money began to pour in.
Kate pushed open the front door and stopped on the sidewalk just to look at the big present she’d given herself. The mechanic had told her that her clunker just wouldn’t make it. So, after her breakup with Jericho, she’d gone out and bought herself a cherry-red Mustang convertible.
“Va-va-va-voom,” she said, and a laugh escaped her.
The transformation was complete.
She got into the car and gunned the engine just for the fun of it. Reaching over, she pushed in the CD and a rich voice started singing “Mustang Sally.” Kate put the car in gear and pulled out of the space, singing at the top of her lungs.
Even though she was running late, she drove straight to Jericho’s house. She rang the bell and knocked, but there was no answer. Damn, she must have missed him. The only thing to do was go to Enrique’s. She’d catch him tomorrow.
She got back in her car, cranked the music, and headed downtown.
When she walked into the club, Sienna was seated at their usual table and so was Lana. A.J. Camacho and Sean O’Neill rounded out the party.
Kate came walking up to the table and she received several whistles, many stares, and a few double takes. She laughed, shaking her hair back.
“Whoa,” Sienna said. “Is that you, Kate?”
Lana was speechless and Kate bent over and chucked her chin to get her friend to close her mouth. “That’s a first, Lana, you speechless.”
“That’s a feat,” Sean said and got an elbow in the ribs for his effort.
Kate laughed and sat down.
After ordering a Sex on the Beach, Kate was about to suggest revealing their souvenirs when all four of her friends’ eyes were suddenly riveted to the door.
“What?”
“Don’t look now, but I think someone’s coming over here and he’s looking right at you.”
“Well, he can forget it,” she said, turning her head as she rose. “The only man I want is—” She came face to face with the man wearing a sinfully tight black silk T-shirt, skin-hugging jeans, and a pair of cowboy boots. She butted right up to his chest. The air rushed out of her lungs as she breathed his name. “—Jericho.”
His eyes traveled down her body and back up. “Kate, son of a…you look amazing. You cut your hair.” His fingers threaded through the soft locks, and he smiled. “I like it.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I take it you didn’t come here to tell me how I looked.”
“No.” He spied the keys on the table with the Mustang emblem. A grin spread across his face. “The red Mustang is yours?”
“That’s right.”
“I hope I can keep up with you.”
“You can try, mister.” She waited a beat. “So, is that all you wanted, to see me and my new wheels?”
“No. I’m withdrawing from the DA race.”
“What? Jericho, you can’t.”
“I can get my old job back at my uncle’s firm.”