Free Blue Jeans and a Badge by Nina Bruhns Page A

man who would protect her and make her laugh, one who fed her hot kisses at night and warm crullers in the morning, well, maybe settling down wouldn’t be so bad.Maybe someone like that could keep her eternal restlessness at bay.
    She polished off the pastry and wiped her mouth with the napkin. Then again, she wasn’t used to such rich food this early in the morning. That pinging sensation was probably just a sugar rush or a twinge of indigestion.
    Better to leave the care and feeding of Chief O’Donnaugh to others, and get her badly wandering mind back on the job. She had work to do, a box canyon to find and a paycheck to earn. In order to do that, she had a man to catch.
    And that man was definitely not Philip O’Donnaugh.

Chapter 5
    T o Luce’s surprise, when they got down the mountain to Taos, Philip pulled over and asked if she’d drive the rest of the way.
    â€œI want to call Clyde’s bank and credit card companies,” he explained. “They weren’t open earlier. And I need to be able to write things down.”
    â€œSure,” she said enthusiastically. She’d always wanted to test drive a Jeep. “Are you sure it’s okay?” At his puzzled look she pointed to the rack of police lights. “I’m not a cop.”
    â€œAh. That’s easy enough.” He selected the Jeep key on his key ring and touched each of her shoulders with it. “I hereby dub you my deputy officer.”
    After a second of disbelief she grinned and swiped the keys from him. “Hokay, then. Which way?” He pointed and she pulled back onto the highway. “So, does this mean I get a badge?”
    â€œNo problem,” he said, dialing his cell phone. “Pull in to the next Dollar Store and we’ll get you one.”
    She laughed and settled back in the bucket seat, adjusting the mirror to her height. And for the next half hour she listened as he schmoozed his way into getting four different people to run Clyde Tafota’s recent bank and credit card activity, taking a few notes on the printouts he’d brought from last night.
    He was good, she had to admit. As good as she was. He had just the right friendly attitude, with just enough professionalism thrown in so the person on the other end didn’t think they were being manipulated. She knew legally he needed a subpoena to obtain that kind of personal financial information, so it was quite impressive that he managed to find out anything at all.
    When he was finished, he pursed his lips. “That’s a bit troubling,” he said.
    She glanced over. “No activity?”
    â€œNot since last Tuesday.”
    â€œHow much did he take out then?”
    â€œFifteen hundred dollars from his bank account. Nothing on the cards.”
    â€œFifteen hundred will get you a long way if you’re careful,” she observed.
    â€œYeah. But where would he go? His family and friends are all here.”
    â€œSpending your life in jail is a powerful motive to make new friends.”
    He tapped his pencil on the papers. “Hopefully his sister has already told him that’s not going to happen.”
    â€œAnd if she hasn’t, maybe it’s because he’s hiding out in that box canyon with a dead cell phone.”
    â€œWhich means we’d better find it and let him know.”
    â€œMy thoughts exactly,” she said. “Did you talk to your friend at the Taos Sheriff’s Office?”
    He told her his friend, Ted, hadn’t been able to find any records of the 1934 incident in the files, but that he’d keep looking and let them know. Hopefully they’d have better luck at the school.
    Meanwhile it was turning into another spectacular day, sunny and warm, and laced with the ever-present aroma of sage and pine. Today she’d been smart and worn her T-top under a loose flannel shirt, which she’d peeled off earlier when they stopped. She took a sidelong glance at