Free Delta Stevens 2: Storm Shelter by Linda Kay Silva Page A

Delta flicked on the lights. So far, she did-n’t see anyone. Next, they came to a sparsely furnished dining room area that had a card table for a dining table. there were papers and a fast food bag strewn across it. Looking around the corner of the dining room, Delta saw a man lying half in and half out of the kitchen. God, how she hoped this man wasn’t dead.
    Gautiously moving into the kitchen, Delta inhaled deeply and held her breath as she looked down at the pool of blood already coagulating underneath the man. Delta leaned back against the wall and tried to control her gag reflex by inhaling slowly through her mouth.
    No matter how many times she looked death in the face, she could never get used to it. Feeling Jan touch her elbow, Delta turned and shook her head. They needed to finish the search of the house before they tended to the victim. Delta shook off her chills and continued with her inspection until she was sure there was no one else in the apartment.
    “Dead?” she asked Jan, knowing the answer, but wanting to make sure.
    “Very.”
    Delta stared down at the lifeless body and shook her head sadly.“Did you make the call?”
    Jan nodded as she stepped around the body. “They’re on their way.”
    In another half hour, the homocide unit rolled up and eased to a stop before Detective Russ Leonard stepped from the unmarked car.
    Seargeant Leonard looked like Danny DeVito, only taller. He combed what was left of his hair across his wildly receding hairline. He wore his too baggy slacks up practically around his thick neck. As he glanced across the room, much like a rat looking for food, Leonard wiped his nose the length of his sleeve.
    “Oh, God,” Delta moaned. “Not him. Anyone but him.”
    Jan looked out the door to see who Delta was talking about. “Leonard? He’s a good dick.”
    Delta sighed as she leaned up against the kitchen counter, careful not to touch anything with her hands. “I know.”
    “So, what’s the problem?”
    “Problems. Make that plural. When I was in the Academy, Leonard gave a lecture on crime scene protection. At the time, he smoked these awful cigars. Well, when we investigated a mock crime scene, I pointed out that his cigar ash could be misleading if he smoked around the crime scene. I thought my point was brilliant. He thought I was being a smart ass.”
    “What did he do?”
    “He took off my cap and ground his cigar out in it.”
    “You’re kidding.”
    “Then he stuck it back on my head.”
    Jan chuckled. “don’t tell me you’re still mad.”
    Delta waved her off. “Have you ever worked with the guy?”
    “No.”
    “Then save your guffaws until later. Once you work with him, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”
    “Stevie!” Leonard exclaimed, as if they were the best of friends.
    Delta cringed. Two of her ex-lovers called her Stevie. It was sort of cute from them. Coming out of Leonard’s fat mouth, it sounded obscene.
    “Jesus Christ, Stevie, can’t you keep a tighter rein on the crackpots on your turf? This is the third one in just over a week. You spendin’too much time at Winchell’s Donut Shop or what?”
    Delta turned to Jan, who rolled her eyes and stepped back into the dining room.
    “Don’t be an ass, Leonard. A man has died here. Show a little respect, will you?”
    Leonard stared down at the corpse. “They seem to be droppin’like the proverbial flies, Stevie. What’s up with that?”
    Delta winced at one of Leonard’s many mispronunciations. Shooting a look over to Leonard’s partner, Chuck Connell, Delta shook her head. Connell was the nicer of the two, but he spent most of his time playing audience to Leonard’s “picture this” scenarios whenever he was reconstructing a scene. In a way, Delta felt sorry for Connell. He had to act like he actually liked Leonard.
    Delta, however, did not. It wasn’t just that Leonard had made a fool of her in the Academy that fueled her dislike for him. He was one of ther