Free Chasing Suspect Three by Rod Hoisington

to start up some
communications with Shapiro. If you want, would you see what you
can find out on her boyfriend, Richie Grant? Same name as the
reality-show star.”
    “Never heard of him.”
    “Me neither.”
    She knew that the police could find out about
him much faster. The computer in Chip’s vehicle could access the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement database and all manner of
restricted information. In the past, Chip hadn’t hesitated to
stretch departmental rules and run name and background searches for
her. Something told her the present case was too sensitive to even
ask him.
    She said, “One way of checking up on this
Richie would be to simply tell Jaworski the boyfriend was
implicated, and let the authorities chase after him. The problem is
they just might not be willing to share all they find out. No, I
don’t want to let them know about the existence of Richie Grant
until I can talk with him. At this point, they know she has a
boyfriend but don’t know his name. If they knew his name, they’d
come down on him, and he’d lawyer up.”
    “I understand. What’s his address? What do I
have to start with?”
    “I just gave you all we have to start
with—his name. He’s Margo Larena’s boyfriend. To hear her tell it,
he’s hot and sexy in the sack. Does that help?”
    “That’s more information than I care to
know.”
    “You could start by walking over to the
police station and thanking Judy for faxing over that extra
report.”
    “I doubt if she wants to see me.”
    “She does. Don’t you get it? She tried to get
your attention by faxing over that second police report. I think
you owe her a lunch. Come on. Lock up the office and walk with me.
It’s a beautiful day.”
    They walked together for two short blocks
then split up with him going straight on to the police department
and her turning toward the courthouse.
    They knew him around the police building and
getting on the elevator to the second floor without a visitor’s
pass bothered no one. Walking down the second floor hall, he
spotted Judy Naegler in her cubicle, and a hot tingle went up his
spine.
    She came out to greet him smiling warmly.
“You’ve been up here a couple of times since our last conversation,
but you never came by to say hello.”
    “I was avoiding you. I thought you were still
mad at me. Today, I have a good excuse. I want to thank you for
sending over that extra fax on the Community Center shooting.”
    “And?”
    “And to apologize for how my friend
impolitely interrupted us in the lobby that day.”
    “I misunderstood the situation and
overreacted. I thought she was your girlfriend. I picked up the
phone to call you a couple of times but couldn’t go through with
it.”
    “You thought about phoning me?” He was
surprised at that. “No, she wasn’t my girlfriend, but we’ve known
each other since grade school. I haven’t seen much of her since her
husband died. I suppose I should go out there and see how she’s
doing. The three of us were buddies.”
    “None of my business, but I’m curious. If she
wasn’t your girlfriend, why were you intimate with her?”
    “Never! I did my share of teenage lusting
over her but never intimate...like you mean.”
    “That’s not what Jaworski wrote in his report
back then. When he walked around the house to her pool area, he saw
you playing with her boobs.”
    “Jaworski was mistaken. Don’t tell me all
this going to start again.”
    She couldn’t resist having fun with it. “I
guess you could have been just trying to guess her weight.”
    “She had just gotten out of the pool. We were
sitting talking about old times. She had just lost her husband—my
best friend. The three of us had grown up together. He wasn’t even
buried yet. She took my hand and put it on her breast. She was
flirting. I was consoling. She felt abandoned. I felt sorry for her
and went along with it.”
    “How very considerate of you.”
    “Fine, so it’s not a secret around the