Free Operation: Midnight Rendezvous by Linda Castillo

reckless smile and then he was gone.
    Jess was thinking about the kiss again as she opened the last drawer. She knew they were dangerous thoughts floating through her head; there was no way the spark that had been ignited between them could go anywhere.
    “Except away,” she muttered, pulling out another file.
    Setting the flashlight on the desktop, she began paging through the folder. She found car insurance documents, warranties for the washing machine. A repair bill for the furnace. She was about to slide the folder back into the drawer when she came to a second one tucked inside the first. She opened it to find a small leather-bound notebook. She saw handwritten notes detailing events, dates and names.
Thursday, January 20. Finks left house a few minutes before midnight. Tried to follow—took off. Did he recognize the car? Not sure what he’s up to. Suspicious. Run a background check.
Tuesday, January 25. Followed Finks. Pulled over by LPPD. Officer Styles. They know I’m up to something. Talk to Cutter tomorrow.

Sunday, January 30. Working a double shift. Watched house. Finks left at midnight. Shipyard on Luna Bay. Gate locked. Smuggling drugs? Guns? Tried to feel out Mummert. He’s ready to retire. Doesn’t have a clue.
Wednesday, February 2. Got in s.y. Got pics. Young women. Poor conditions. They know I know. Need proof. Gotta call Cutter and get out.
    Jess knew immediately she’d discovered something important. The notes implied the Lighthouse Point PD was into something illegal, but what? Had Angela been spying on her fellow cops? Had they found out about it?
    Jess paged through the folder with renewed enthusiasm. She found more notes. Photographs. A photocopy of a newspaper story. She was so involved in her work she didn’t notice the play of headlights over the window until it was too late.

Chapter Six
    Jess’s gaze flew to the window, her heart hammering. Light flashed on the wall above her and she could see the glare of headlights through the sheer curtains. A car had pulled into the driveway. Adrenaline and fear jolted her so hard she nearly dropped the file.
    “Madrid!” she whispered. “Someone’s—”
    She nearly yelped when his voice sounded directly behind her. “I’m right here.”
    She swung around to see him already darting to the window. “What do we do?” she asked.
    “The official term for it is hide.” Spinning away from the window, he took her hand and hauled her toward the door. “You know the house better than I do. Any suggestions?”
    Possibilities spun through her mind, but fear was jumbling her thoughts. How many times had she played hide-and-seek with Nicolas? Where did he like to hide? “Th-the staircase. There’s an alcove beneath it.”
    He took her in that direction just as keys rattled in the front door. As the door squeaked open they duckedbehind an old desk Angela had been refinishing. For a terrible moment Jess thought they had been spotted.
    “Easy,” Madrid whispered.
    Jess barely heard him over the wild beat of her heart. She looked at him, but didn’t dare speak. Someone was in the house; she could hear them moving around. Ten feet away a flashlight beam cut through the darkness, swept over the desk they were hiding behind.
    Oh, God. Oh, God!
    She heard heavy footfalls on the wood floor. Getting closer. Her pulse roared like a jet engine in her ears. She couldn’t remember if she’d closed the desk drawer in Angela’s office. Would they notice?
    Closing her eyes tightly, she clutched the file against her chest and tried desperately to control her breathing. Vaguely she was aware of the crackle of a police radio.
    “This is 1452. I’m 10-23, and there’s no sign of a 10-14. Over.”
    “Roger that, 1452.”
    Jess opened her eyes to see the flashlight beam cut toward the kitchen. The sound of footsteps faded. Next to her, Madrid was as silent and still as stone. But she could feel the minute tremor that ran through him; she could feel the heat