Free A Limited Justice (#1 - The Craig Modern Thriller Series) by Catriona King Page B

the obstacle in front of him to one side. He crossed to the centre of the floor touching her hair, kissing her lips, stroking her thighs. Moving in time to the music, pulsing and soaring, his arousal forcing her to see him. He was strong and hard, and involuntary responses came from her body. This wasn’t the plan but could add to the plan. Jessie returned his pressure firmly, with the full length of her body, oblivious to the other shapes starting to move beside them.
    She half-opened her eyes and was rewarded by the sight of his old companion standing beside them. There was fury in her eyes as she grabbed at his arm, only to be pushed away in response. Time to perform.
    Jessie turned to the girl in mock anger. “Can’t you take a hint? He’s with me now.” Then, for added effect. “Piss off!”
    She dismissed her sneeringly and seized her new lover’s face in her hands, kissing him deeply with a sensuality that she thought she’d forgotten. Then, just as she’d hoped, the other woman grabbed her arm and Jessie spun her round viciously, pushing her hard across the floor. It was working.
    The floor emptied and bouncers stood watching with folded arms, while calls of “Cat-fight, Cat-fight,” echoed around the room. Jessie saw the girl coming at her again, so she shrugged off her dance partner and threw herself at her assailant. She’d seen women fighting on television so she knew exactly what to do to be arrested, and that was her only aim tonight.
    She moved slowly to the edge of the floor, with the girl following as she’d planned. She reached for Jessie’s hair and Jessie stepped forward to let her, falling deliberately to her knees beside a small table. Gripping its edge as if to help herself up, she seized a half-full beer glass, tossing the beer on the floor and breaking its edge against the table. Then, with an almighty effort, she got to her feet and ran towards her adversary, skewering and twisting the broken glass firmly into the girl’s bare upper arm. She knew exactly where to cut without hitting a major vessel – this girl wasn’t her enemy – she was just the means to an end.
    Blood spurted onto the floor and the dark-haired girl fell to her knees, startled, her eyes locked onto her own blood in fascinated horror. Jessie went for broke and stalked the floor with the bloody glass, holding the bouncers at bay. She swore and threatened them with its broken edge for what seemed like an endless time, giving her audience a free show. Until eventually she was grabbed from behind in an arm-lock and she dropped the glass, feeling the tight restriction of a police cuff around her thin wrists.
    She smiled inwardly to herself, while outwardly her spitting wildcat entertained the crowd as they watched her exit. None of them aware that her real game was just beginning.
    ***
    “Maria Burton was only 24. Joined up last year.”
    “And now this happens.”
    “It mightn’t be anything to do with the job, Ma’am. I know I shouldn’t say this, but I really hope it was personal. The last thing we need is some nutter out there randomly targeting female officers. I’ve got the intelligence boys checking the usual suspects just in case.”
    Gerry paused for a second. “Was she married?”
    Julia nodded and took a deep, comforting drag on her cigarette, blowing the smoke into a long white funnel in the night air. They were standing in the brick alcove outside the station’s back door, full of hardened smokers whatever the weather. The fresh-faced Detective Sergeant beside her tutted slowly, with deliberate exaggeration.
    “That’ll kill you, Ma’am.”
    “For God’s sake, spare me the lecture Gerry. Everyone dies sometime.”
    “Aye, that’s so.”
    His soft Derry drawl dragged the last word into a song and she smiled. She loved any accent but her own, especially the soft ones.
    “But not at thirty-five, Ma’am.”
    He shook his head disapprovingly and she dropped her spent cigarette, deftly crushing