Linda Kay Silva - Delta Stevens 3 - Weathering the Storm (16 page)

Delta looked forward to lunch with Alexandria all day. There was something about the District Attorney’s calm assertiveness that drew Delta to her. Something about her kept Delta on edge, kept her guessing from one minute to the next. She was a woman who took chances, who put faith in other people, who rose to every challenge like a champion. When Connie’s life was in danger, when they were thrust in the middle of a serial killer bent on destroying not only Connie’s life, but many others as well, Alexandria risked her own career to support Delta and Connie’s efforts to bring him in. There were few people in Delta’s life who garnered as much respect, but Alexandria Pendleton was one of them.

Looking up from her coffee, Delta watched the tall, slender woman stride into the restaurant carrying a briefcase in one hand and a silk jacket in the other. Tossing her long auburn hair over her shoulder, Alexandria casually leaned over to the hostess and whispered something to her. When the hostess glanced up, she grabbed a menu and started toward Delta’s table.

“Alex,” Delta said, greeting her with a tender hug Delta saved only for her closest friends. “It’s been too long.” Pulling away, Delta motioned for her to sit down.

Laying her briefcase on the seat next to hers, Alexandria ordered a glass of white zinfandel before turning to Delta.

“Are you angry with me?”

Delta grinned warmly. “Because of this TP thing?”

Alexandria nodded. “I didn’t know what else to do.” Looking straight into Delta’s eyes, Alexandria’s gray-green eyes penetrated Delta’s. “I knew how much it would kill you to be behind a desk. I did everything I could, but my hands were tied.”

For as long as they’d known each other, Alexandria had always played it straight with Delta. No matter what the situation called for, Delta could count on Alexandria to dispense with unneeded particulars and cut to the chase . It was Alexandria who gave Delta the time she needed to find Elson Zuckerman. It was Alexandria who fulfilled her promise to put Miles’s murderers away for life. She was one of the few people Delta trusted implicitly, and if Alexandria Pendleton said her hands were tied, then Delta believed her.

“No, I’m not angry, Alex. When Captain Henry said it was your suggestion, I knew you were trying to keep my career alive.”

Drawing in a long breath, Alexandria sighed. “Internal Affairs went over every inch of your file. They pulled things out of there that would make you dizzy.”

“Were they looking for anything in particular?”

Alexandria shrugged. “My personal opinion is that they were looking for a reason to hang the lesbian out to dry. You know how narrow-minded IA can be.”

“So, you think my sexual orientation had something to do with it?”

“Something, but not everything. IA sees you as a vigilante and turned everything in your file around to make it appear as if that’s exactly what you are. When I heard what they intended to do, I stepped in.”

“But their minds were already made up?”

“Not exactly. It was a pretty touchy situation. The chief didn’t want to look stupid by punishing someone the media has labelled a heroine, yet he and the captain felt obligated to hear I.A’s conclusions. They also felt they needed to send a message to other officers that vigilantism won’t be tolerated. Your transfer to TP is their message.”

Delta ran her fingers through her hair. It was all so damned political. All she wanted to do was get criminals off the streets. But the system protected the suspect and hounded the victim. And if she thought independently of the system, she would have to pay a high price, regardless of how successful her deviations might have been. Bureaucratic bullshit is what prevented the wheels of justice from turning.

“I’m glad I’m still on the streets, Alex. Thanks.”

“Oh, don’t thank me, Delta. You wouldn’t have been in this mess if I hadn’t asked you for a favor. You came through for me. Returning the favor was the least I could do. I only wish I could have done more.”

“Hey, I’m on my beat, aren’t I? That’s the most important thing to me.”

“I’m glad you see it that way. When I didn’t hear from you, I thought the worst. I wanted to do the best by you, Delta. You deserve it.”

“And you did. Thanks.”

Alexandria leaned away from the table and draped her arm across the back of the chair. “You know, I may be DA, but I’m a rookie when it comes to knowing what makes you cops tick. I was nervous as hell coming over here.”

Gazing into Alexandria’s eyes, Delta admired the fire and passion she held for justice. Alexandria was a fighter, a winner, a woman complete with steel nerves. If she was nervous to see Delta, it sure as hell wasn’t because of the Training Patrol issue.

When the waitress came over, they both ordered and waited for the waitress to refill their glasses before continuing.

“I’ve worked with you long enough, Alex, to know that you didn’t just call me to lunch to make sure I wasn’t angry with you. You could have done that over the phone. What’s up?”

Running her index finger around the rim of her wine glass, Alexandria could not stifle her grin. “You’re a rogue detective, Delta Stevens. I am not supposed to be so easily read. You sure you don’t want to come work for me as a special investigator to the DA?”

Delta grinned. “No thanks, Alex. I’m just a beat cop. Now, are you going to tell me the real reason for this lunch?”

Alexandria lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned forward. “I think you already know.”

Delta nodded and leaned closer to her. Their faces were inches apart. “The kiddie-porn flicks?” Delta knew she had a direct hit even as the final word escaped her lips.

Alexandria stared into her wine glass. “This is a highly sensitive matter, Delta. I don’t need to tell you that the FBI are creeping all over the place, and the community is scared to death. You can do a lot and get away with it, but start messing with people’s children, and the public wants an arrest yesterday.”

Delta waited for more. She knew Alexandria well enough to know there was more than just public opinion at stake here.

“Many of the school buses in the west district were emptier than usual because parents chose to drive their kids to school. They’re afraid their children will be next.”

Trying to push away the memory of Helen’s parents when they identified her little body, Delta focused on Alexandria’s eyes. They were grayer now, as they always got when she was making a point. “Can’t blame them, can you? Kidnapping children is one thing, but torturing and murdering them is incomprehensible. If I had kids...” Delta thought back to Jennifer’s kids. “I’d drive them to the front door of school.” Sitting more erect in her chair, Delta sighed. “I’ve held a dead child in my arms, Alex. I see Helen’s little face in nightmares every single night. I’d give anything to be able to erase what happened to her.”

Alexandria cocked her head to the side. “Anything?”

Delta nodded. Here it comes—the real reason Alexandria wanted to see her.

“You know the feds have created a task force to deal with this situation.” Alexandria lowered her tone even more.

“I didn’t know, but I could have figured.”

“The problem is that they’ve got guys on it who don’t know the streets as well as you do. If there’s anyone who knows the streets and has connections, it’s you.”

Leaning back again, Delta calmly replied, “Then put me on the task force.”

“I tried. No go.”

Delta shook her head. “Stubborn assholes. They’re going to let politics stand in the way of catching these creeps.”

Alexandria shook her head. “Not if we can help it.”

Delta’s left eyebrow rose in its characteristic question mark. “We? Why, counselor, I believe you have something up those sleeves of yours. Could it possibly be Mr. Wainwright?”

Color quickly rose to Alexandria’s cheeks and she turned away. As she slowly turned back, her eyes were more green than gray and sharp like a tiger’s. “It’s no secret that Wainwright has the backing of the monied conservatives.”

Delta nodded. The whole picture was unveiled.

“The conservatives want a man in power, and they’d back just about anyone with a dick.”

Delta suppressed a grin. Alexandria rarely swore. “And?”

“And I’ve worked too hard to lose this because of some assbackward politicians who think a man would have a higher conviction rate than I do.”

“Your conviction rate is excellent.”

“Tell that to the boys.”

“And you think that trying this case will cement closed the lid on Wainwright’s campaign?”

Alexandria nodded. “It isn’t just a matter of politics, Delta. Wainwright will make cuts we can’t afford to have happen. He’s more of a politician than he is a lawyer. This city needs me to stay in office, but, if we can’t come up with suspects who are ravaging children, he’ll use that against me and I won’t stand a chance. He’s a dirty player and he’ll use anything he can against me.”

“Just what is it you think I can do? If your hands are tied, mine are handcuffed, Alex.”

“Let me pass any information I get from the task force on to you. Delta, you have connections the mob dreams of having. If the perps are out there, if they’re on our turf, I know you’ll find them before the feds. They’re too caught up in all the gadgets and BS to be any real help. I need this case.”

Delta looked hard at her. Alexandria Pendleton knew exactly what she was asking of Delta. Already on thin ice, she was asking Delta to skate out to the middle of it to save her career. It would be an awful lot to ask someone who wasn’t used to being on thin ice.

But Delta was used to it.

“I know I’m asking a great deal of you, Delta, but I guarantee I’ll make it worth your while. I still have a few power markers to call in if I need to.”

Delta waved her off. “I don’t do favors for my friends with the hope of being repaid. If you need help, you know you can always count on me. That’s just how I am.”

Alexandria smiled softly, her eyes suddenly yielding to a warmth Delta had rarely seen. “Thank you. You’re a great friend.”

Delta smiled back. “Yes, I am.”

“Megan is one very lucky woman.”

Delta watched as Alexandria’s eyes misted over with a different kind of intensity, one she had never seen. “You know I’ll do whatever I can, Alex. ”

Reaching across the table, Alexandria touched Delta’s hand. “That’s one thing I’ve always appreciated about you, my friend.”

Locking eyes with Alexandria, Delta felt the heat from her hand swim up her arm and spread across her chest. Slowly pulling away, Delta grinned sheepishly. “I’ll give it my best.”

“That’s precisely what I’m counting on.”

Delta looked at her watch for the fifteenth time in as many minutes. Megan was already an hour late from her study session and Delta had to be at work in an hour. For a panicky moment, Delta thought that this was a sign that they were in way more trouble than she imagined. They seldom had time together, and the few minutes they had planned on spending alone were ticking quickly away.

Since Miles’s death, time had a greater significance in Delta’s life. When she held the body of her partner in her arms and watched his blood flow across the dark pavement, Delta knew her life would never be the same. Time, her life, her loves, her relationships meant more to her. That fateful night had changed her. The problem was that Megan had changed too.

Going to school full time had opened Megan’s eyes to a new and incredible world. She discovered a love of literature and, of all things, law. She had changed her major from business to business law and was considering going to law school. Suddenly, Megan had new friends, a new job, a new life, and new excitement that comes along with it all. One night, when Megan had just returned from a play, she was wildly gesticulating about the characters and the scenes and the music, and suddenly, Delta realized that Megan’s world was changing so rapidly, she couldn’t keep up. When Megan announced that she felt as if she had just awoken from a ten year coma, Delta suddenly became very scared.

Slowly at first, Megan became more and more interested in the university and all of the riches it afforded her. Before they knew it, they really were just two ships occassionally sending messages to each other. They weren’t even passing in the night any more.

The worst part was, Delta understood what it was in her own life that often took her away from Megan, and she was working on that. But, like Miles’s and Helen’s deaths, Delta felt incapable of keeping Megan from growing away from her. The powerlessness she felt at the hands of death was beginning to overwhelm her own life. Delta Stevens could save a hotel full of people and shoot the stem off the apple, but she could not stop her relationship from running the course it was on, even if she did choose the key.

That damned analogy was beginning to eat away at her. Of course she would choose to save the key.

Wouldn’t she?

Checking her watch again, Delta started when the phone abruptly rang. She knew what this ring meant. She’d heard it too many times in the recent past to ignore it.

“Hello?”

“Are you mad?” It was Megan.

“Not really,” Delta lied. “More worried than anything else.”