Free Blood and Bone by Austin Camacho Page A

the cab driver, one of her father’s employees, and charged up the stairs in front of Hannibal’s building. With his car missing, she had no way of knowing if he was home, but she hoped to catch him before he went out.
    She wore her rust colored skirt suit today, because she would be in court and this suit had always been lucky for her. She never heard from Hannibal last night and she did not want to go all day without seeing him. He sometimes had tunnel vision when he was on a case, and he could forget all about their relationship. She hoped they could have breakfast together before they started their respective busy days.
    She found the outer door locked. Unusual, but not unheard of this early in the morning. She fished a key out of her small clutch purse and let herself in. Then a walk down the hall on the left brought her to Hannibal’s living room door. This time she let herself in through an unlocked door. The living room was empty, but she could hear water running in thekitchen at the back of the house. Good, she was in time. She loved to surprise him.
    But her cheerful hello froze in her throat as she walked into the kitchen. A woman stood at the sink, wiping a plate. A tall, slim, beautiful woman with fabulous legs. Cindy could evaluate her body objectively, because she had on a skirt tighter and shorter than anything Cindy would attempt, and the tube top left little to the imagination. She was very dark, with naturally straight black hair. When she turned, her eyes flashed defensively. Possessively?
    â€œWhat are you doing here?”
    â€œI think that’s my question,” Cindy said in her courtroom voice. “Who the hell are you?”
    â€œName’s Jewel,” the tall woman said, wiping her hands. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anybody else. Just thought I’d straighten up after breakfast for Hannibal. When he told me I could stay here he didn’t mention any other girls.” She gave Cindy an appraising look up and down, almost the way a man would. It made Cindy vaguely uncomfortable. “I don’t recognize you. You from around here?”
    Cindy wanted to sink her fingernails into this woman’s deep, alluring eyes, but instead she dug them into her palms. “No, I’m not. And I’m not staying. Looks like you’ve got everything covered here.”
    Except the cleavage, she thought as she turned to leave. She always thought Hannibal liked girls with bigger breasts.
    â€œI got it!” Hannibal tapped both fists on the table, grinning like a kid. “This has got to be it.”
    â€œIs it the right year?” Ray asked, getting up to look over Hannibal’s shoulder.
    â€œYeah, but even if it wasn’t, I’d stick with this,” Hannibal said, triggering the printer. “Check out the name. Angela Davis Newton.”
    â€œThis guy really was a black power freak,” Ray said. “Angela Davis was a Black Panther supporter who took a shot at the presidency in nineteen sixty-eight. Just about the only woman of any influence in the movement.”
    â€œHe really had to dig to find a female name,” Hannibal said. “Born to Bobby Newton and Barbara Robinson. He changed his name, but he wasn’t going to pretend they were married. Interesting guy.”
    Ray reflected Hannibal’s triumphant smile for a moment, then his face slowly dropped. “This is great and all,” he said, “but how does it get us any closer to finding this interesting guy?”
    Hannibal pointed, as if Ray could see what he was reading under the microfiche reader. “Just read a little lower. See, the birth certificate includes the hospital, in this case Johns Hopkins, and the doctor’s name. Raymond Cummings.” Hannibal looked up at Ray’s still puzzled face. “The doctor who provided Barbie’s prenatal care probably got to know them pretty well. I can find him with a phone call, if he’s still